Category: Education
19.02.19Knowing the Pupils
Knowing the pupils in our immediate care is what dedicated teachers strive to do. We want to ensure that the support they receive in school is matched to their abilities. However there is more to knowing our pupils that just their academic capability and performance. There has, in my humble opinion, been far too much … Continued
07.02.19The Impact of rising class sizes
Is this really a problem? The debate about class sizes has been going on for a long time with the argument that larger class sizes equates to a poorer performance by students and hence to a drop in grades. The Labour party pledged in 2015 that class sizes for infant classes would be capped at … Continued
16.01.19Helping school governors improve their schools
What is a governing body? The governing body comprises the head teacher, parent and teacher representatives with the remainder being elected members of the community who is led by a chair of governors. As there are parent representatives on the governing body, these members can be approached by other parents who can bring concerns and … Continued
20.12.18A child’s life is like a piece of paper
A Chinese proverb states, “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark”. This is also attributed to Robert A Heinlein, a popular 20th Century science fiction writer. Another proverb along the same vein goes, “give me the child and I will show you the man”. I once … Continued
02.11.18Helping school governors improve their schools
The governing body comprises the head teacher, parent and teacher representatives with the remainder being elected members of the community who is led by a chair of governors. As there are parent representatives on the governing body, these members can be approached by other parents who can bring concerns and requests for improvements and other … Continued
26.10.18What makes teaching strategies effective?
Response To Intervention (RTI) strategies are varied. Those that work are based on well-structured planning which is based on evidence. Most teaching strategies are specific to the subject being taught, such as mathematics and languages although there are strategies that can work across the subjects. These strategies can be combined as in the following example: … Continued
23.10.18Ten Tips for New Teachers
You have got through your Teacher Training and successful gained the ‘Newly Qualified Teacher Status’, congratulations. “Congratulations, you have just taken your first step into a larger world”, to quote Alec Guinness’s character in Star Wars Episode Four! Now you are about to face your first class, on your own. That mix of feelings, excitement, … Continued
12.10.18It’s never too late to learn.
Some adults still shudder at the remembrance of those years spent in formal education, while others had more enjoyable school years. Whatever our experience of formal education that shaped our formative years, one thing remains constant. We never stop learning. We learn new skills when we change job roles, we learn how to raise children … Continued
24.09.18No Excuses for failing Vulnerable Pupils
There are no excuses as to why we fail our most vulnerable pupils so why do we? Well, this is a very good question! According to a very old article in the TES from 2001 there are no excuses for failing our most vulnerable pupils! Yet in December 2017, over a decade and half since … Continued
18.09.18Choosing your child’s primary school
Recently, I read an article on The Telegraph website giving advice and answers to parental questions about their child’s primary education. I couldn’t believe the first question: Question: Should we map out our son’s education? “We are expecting our first baby in June. Friends are telling us that we will need to register him at … Continued
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