Recently I visited the Flakesfleet Primary School situated in a social housing estate within the Fleetwood boundary. The town, once a noted fishing port, bears the signs of economic and geographical isolation. McNally (2019) COMMENTED: In recent decades Fleetwood has suffered a succession of setbacks which would have tested the fortitude of the most resilient... Continue Reading →
Ofqual has announced that all public exams this summer have been cancelled but grades will be awarded on the basis of other evidence. The details of how this will be done have not been announced at the time of writing, but we can guess how it might be done. How are they going to... Continue Reading →
Since pre-history, where grasses were twisted by hand to help to move large rocks and stones, humans have been making rope to aid and assist the pulling of goods. Ancient Egyptians used fibre from papyrus plants, but hemp, coir and sisal have since provided the tensile strength required for the job (as well as being... Continue Reading →
A bit of brain science There has been a great deal made of the implications of advances in brain science for schools. Too much probably, because experienced teachers will recognise that they were doing certain things long before ‘brain science’ told them to. Nevertheless, Ofsted now expects all teachers, tutors and mentors to know a... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago I was delighted to be asked to be the opening keynote for the inaugural Leadership Matters conference in Birmingham at the Think Tank, in the Millennium centre. I opened the day with a series of provocations about recruitment, staff development and retention: How do you recruit? We need to disrupt this... Continue Reading →
“In order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity. Not separately, one for the soul and the other for the body, but for the two together. With these two means, man can attain perfection. —Plato” If we could identify an education subject that could enhance our... Continue Reading →
“When did ‘wellbeing’ become a buzz word in the teaching profession”, I ask myself? I qualified 17 years’ ago and it has not always been a focus throughout my career. I was not trained in my PGCE year, my NQT year, nor as a Head of Year or as a Pastoral Senior Leader in strategies... Continue Reading →
Six months into training, the 2018 University of Buckingham PGCE cohort reflect on the good, the bad and the downright terrible days! We want to say thank you for sharing, and give yourselves a break, the best teachers are those that are always learning. https://youtu.be/9UkTXfSREp4
Just in time for Christmas, University of Buckingham PGCE trainees reveal the books that have helped them through the first term. Paul Dix (2017). When the Adults Change, Everything Changes: Seismic Shifts in School Behaviour. Camarthen Independent Thinking Press. Reviewed by Leah Joseph, PGCE trainee Dix’s writing focuses on fostering a new culture at school which... Continue Reading →
