Teaching: A career you can bank on 12 October 2016 Former operations manager Mark Grimmett has given up life in the financial sector and began his teaching career as an NQT last month...
Diary of a headteacher: Entering bandit country 12 October 2016 With increasing competition in the school system, the battle to recruit students can feel like the wild west, according to our headteacher diarist
At the chalkface: Intrusion 12 October 2016 But should she stop the lesson? Surely this a grave offence? Or is it just a silly prank? Is he a feckless buffoon or an incipient radical? 1 comment
How do you teach children to read? 12 October 2016 When it comes to literacy and reading, we dismiss the skills of skipping, skimming and scanning at our peril. Professor Ruth Finnegan urges educators to consider an additional approach to reading
Diary of an NQT: Feedback, feedback, feedback 12 October 2016 With so much focus on feedback, our NQT diarist is worried that her students see it merely as a tick-box exercise and take little meaning from it
Diary of a headteacher: Culture beats strategy 5 October 2016 Culture eats strategy for breakfast – a phrase that has inspired our headteacher diarist and reassured him about his unerring focus on the culture in his school 1 comment
The school photograph 5 October 2016 In this day and age, is the school photograph still a valuable use of time? Dr Bernard Trafford thinks it is
Diary of an NQT: Getting pupil feedback right 5 October 2016 A difficult year 7 lesson focusing on how pupils should respond to assessment feedback leaves our NQT diarist frustrated...
At the chalkface: Good Books 5 October 2016 Using texts as tests have ensured that millions of children feel excluded and alienated for life. The world of books is shut off from them forever. They are taught that they’re not clever enough to join it. It causes untold damage.
Freedom to recruit skilled governors 5 October 2016 ?Controversial plans to remove the requirement for parent governors in academies have been shelved. However, a new report argues against this decision. Elaine Fischer presents her case
Inspection: Small but important changes 28 September 2016 A new school year and an updated Ofsted handbook. While there have only been minor changes this time around, Colin Logan highlights some of the key things that school leaders should take note of
We need more stability in 14 to 19 education 28 September 2016 Does the current 14 to 19 education policy help or hinder our learners? Dr Lynn Senior says we must have more stability in the 14 to 19 phase, and accept that a successful economy needs both academic and vocational learners...
At the chalkface: Uniform 28 September 2016 Well, no. I’m with the headteacher Tate on this one. Rules is rules – just shut up and do it. I surprise myself.
Diary of an NQT: Testing, marking & photocopying 28 September 2016 NQT life is picking up at a pace and with a wealth of baseline testing, marking and lessons coming thick and fast, our NQT diarist is feeling the pressure
The evidence is against selection 21 September 2016 England is facing a return to grammar schools and selective education. The prime minister argues this will boost social mobility. Dr Deborah Robinson says the evidence shows that such claims are disingenuous 1 comment
Fighting to close Scotland’s attainment gap 21 September 2016 Since the beginning, Curriculum for Excellence has focused unerringly on content. As its implementation phase draws to a close, we must now refocus on teachers and pedagogy. Margaret Alcorn says this is key if we are to have an impact on the attainment gap
Selection: A major distraction 21 September 2016 As the debate on selective education rages, vital issues including funding, recruitment, assessment and the curriculum are being ignored, says Deborah Lawson
Diary of a headteacher: The recruitment crisis 21 September 2016 The recruitment crisis means that it is a ‘buyer’s market’ in certain shortage subjects. Our headteacher diarist reflects on the ethical dilemmas this situation has created 1 comment
At the chalkface: Happy? 21 September 2016 “Keep up the pressure, no relaxation,” was the mantra of my last headteacher. It works. Anxiety levels go through the roof. And, finally, make sure that “everyone is above average”, a key concept from the much-maligned Gove.
Diary of an NQT: So far, so good... 21 September 2016 After finally getting into the classroom, our NQT diarist’s firm approach to setting out her expectations with every single class is paying off…
Brexit: Schools remain our beacons of unity 14 September 2016 As hate crime incidents continue at high levels, recent violent assaults have brought home the crisis that our country faces. In the face of political inaction, our schools must become our beacons of hope and unity, says SecEd editor Pete Henshaw
Support staff: Term-time contracts are morally wrong 14 September 2016 It is morally wrong that support staff are forced to accept often confusing, term-time only contracts, says Jon Richards 6 comments
Diary of an NQT: Preparing for the off 14 September 2016 IT failures, meetings galore and a jungle of data and reporting – and that’s after just two days. Our NQT diarist is getting to grips with school life and awaiting her first lesson…
Diary of a headteacher: Fully distributed leadership 14 September 2016 It has taken two years for our headteacher diarist to get to a position where he feels a distributed leadership approach with his middle leaders will work…
Grammar schools: Looking for the overlap 7 September 2016 Comprehensive schools provided a solution to the ‘dysfunctional mess’ of the grammar-secondary modern system. Gerald Haigh can’t believe he is still arguing this fact, 40 years on...
21 September 2016