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Parenting orders

On Radio 5's Victoria Derbyshire programme on 30 June, Deputy General Secretary Martin Ward called the 'parental guarantee' in the latest government white paper "a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

The Independent quoted John Dunford as saying: "The parent guarantee in the white paper will potentially open up even more grounds for vexatious complaints."

And in the Evening Standard, and Daily Mail, John said: "This adds a law which could potentially lead to great difficulties between parents and schools, who should sort things out in the head's office, not in the law courts."

Licence to teach

ASCL gave tentative support to a 'licence to teach', which teachers would need to hold and have renewed on a regular basis. In the Financial Times on 1 July John Dunford said: "We expect doctors to be up to date when they treat us. It is reasonable for the public to expect teachers to be up to date when they teach their children."

The proposal was in the latest government white paper.

Chains of schools

Ed Balls announced on 23 June that he wants to compel schools to work together in 'chains' with high performing state schools merging with less successful ones.

ASCL's response was that: "Except in emergency circumstances, such as a school failing its Ofsted inspection, partnerships are best built over time and political impatience should not put at risk the establishment of sustainable arrangements.

"Ministers must not be impatient to establish the chains of schools at a faster pace than is sustainable over the long term."

John Dunford was quoted in the Daily Express, Daily Mail, and Telegraph.