On 5 July the Government published a consultation on reforms to initial teacher training in England.  The proposals, which come from a panel of only five people, represent a radical change to the current system and envisage all teacher trainers having to apply for reaccreditation early next year. In common with many universities we are... Continue Reading →

There are so many sayings about time; we can have it on our hands, be running out of it, be in the nick of it, it can fly, it can heal, and it can certainly be a-changing. In schools it is a precious commodity, it is actually a place where time costs money. Our lives... Continue Reading →

In England 10% of 10-year olds are issued textbooks; in South Korea - 99%. In secondary science 8% of pupils in England are issued with textbooks compared to 88% in South Korea, 92% in Taiwan. Why are English schools not using textbooks? Cost is a factor, but as important is the growing use of copied... Continue Reading →

It’s interesting to see the difference an ‘e’ can make when added to ‘moral’, it can change pronunciation, change emphasis and create a whole dimension of leadership studies – the importance of the emotional well-being of staff. The last twelve months or so in particular have been filled with tales of teacher morale being at... Continue Reading →

Should we move to a system whereby pupils only apply to universities once they have got their results?  This is called PQA – post-qualification admissions.   There are two obvious models which are the subject of the DfE consultation, open to 13 May. International students are excluded from these models.   Model 1)  Post-qualification applications….apply... Continue Reading →

What if we could tap into a child’s inner desire to learn? How could a parent promote learning when their child appears disinterested and unengaged? How could using coaching of self-efficacy, increase internal motivation to learn? Exams are off, schools are ‘closed’ to the majority, and parents are expecting themselves to step into the shoes... Continue Reading →

The best argument for getting rid of exams is that they having a bad effect on society by strongly suggesting that the only way of being successful in life is doing well in academic qualifications. They prioritise the cognitive elite at the expense of those who have completely different talents, especially those David Goodhart calls... Continue Reading →

This week, Liz Truss (who turns out to be the Women and Equalities Minister when she is not being the Trade Minister) made a speech repositioning the Government’s approach to equality. Essentially, she said that there has been too much emphasis on race and gender at the expense of the more important issues of socio-economic... Continue Reading →

There has rarely been a more important time to consider the importance of mentoring, particularly for new teachers. The ITT Core Content Framework (2018 p. 3) acknowledges that “Mentoring and support from expert colleagues forms a key element of this multi-year entitlement”. In 2015, the Carter Review of Initial Teacher training which had been commissioned... Continue Reading →