In this powerful conversation, I speak with Paul Hughes, former teacher, department head, and co-founder of Parent Guide to GCSE, about what’s really happening inside the modern education system — and how we can start to fix it.

Paul spent over sixteen years teaching, initially loving the profession. But after the rise of academisation and years of austerity, he saw the culture of education shift from caring about students to chasing targets and cutting costs.

“It went from being all about the students to all about the bottom line,” Paul explains.

From Passion to Pressure: The Changing Face of Teaching

When schools were converted into academies, Paul witnessed firsthand how bureaucracy, financial constraints, and endless inspections drained the joy and creativity out of teaching.
Funding cuts meant fewer resources, larger class sizes, and even school trips being cancelled because the bus couldn’t be afforded.

Teachers lost autonomy. Arts and sports — the soul of a child’s education — were pushed aside for exam-driven performance metrics.

“We used to take students to forests for team-building. Then to the park. Then… we couldn’t afford to go anywhere.”

Ofsted and the Culture of Fear

One of Paul’s most passionate points is about Ofsted, which he calls “the Office for Terrorising Teachers.”

He describes how the inspection system creates fear, damages morale, and focuses on one-day snapshots instead of genuine learning and well-being.

A single negative mark can devastate a teacher’s confidence — or even a whole school’s reputation.

The Mental-Health Crisis in Students

Beyond teachers, students themselves are struggling.

Underfunded schools often lack the support staff, counsellors, and resources to help children with trauma, ADHD, or special educational needs.

Paul shares how many children now face chaotic home lives, bullying, hunger, or anxiety before even entering the classroom — and teachers are expected to cope without adequate support.

Private vs. State: The Inequality Gap

Paul and I also explore the growing divide between private and state education.

In private schools, annual spending can exceed £18,000 per pupil, compared to around £5,500 in state schools.

That difference shows up everywhere — from sports facilities to arts programs to mental-health provision.

As Paul puts it:

“The opportunities are just not comparable. It’s not just maths and English that make an education — it’s everything on the periphery that makes people who they are.”

What Needs to Change

Paul believes the future of education depends on:

• Reforming Ofsted to prioritise learning and well-being over data and fear
• Fair funding that restores arts, sport, and special-needs provision
• Improved teacher pay and retention to rebuild morale and continuity
• More parent involvement and emotional literacy in schools
• Equality of access — because education should be a right, not a privilege

He also advocates for greater father engagement and family connection, both at home and in schools, to support teenagers emotionally and academically.

A Hopeful Future



Despite the challenges, Paul remains hopeful.
Through Parent Guide to GCSE, he and his wife Emily are helping parents better support their teenagers — offering resources, mentoring, and guidance through the stress of exams and adolescence.

“We can’t fix the system overnight,” he says. “But we can help parents and students navigate it better — and that’s where change begins.”