Chronic under-investment in school libraries is harming life chances New research shows primary school libraries in a parlous state nationally, and building back better won’t happen without them, writes Jonathan Douglas
Teachers need support to make the uncomfortable comfortable We owe it to our students to tackle cultural faultlines with them – and to our teachers to ensure they are equipped to do it, writes Zahara Chowdhury
Why the DfE’s climate commitments merit only a cautious welcome We’ve waited long enough for DfE action on climate, writes Mick Waters, so these polices are welcome – albeit with a certain suspension of disbelief
Ofsted reform is needed now to rebuild trust in inspections Our letter stops short of calling for Ofsted to be scrapped, writes Colin Richards, but reform is required now to make the inspectorate fit for purpose
How can ‘mixing it up’ and confusing students be good for them? Interleaving can cause confusion, but it’s one that pays off – as long as it’s used within certain parameters, explains Harry Fletcher-Wood
Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning Though focused on the American experience, Audrey Watters’ book is full of salient lessons about AI’s forays into schools and classrooms, writes Terry Freedman
Robin Conway’s blogs of the week, 22 November 2021 This week’s top blogs cover breaking bad habits, giving better feedback, the benefits and drawbacks of mini whiteboards, and using mocks responsibly
New learning loss data can help schools plan the recovery New data allows policy makers to target recovery funding and schools to benchmark their performance, write Natalie Perera and John Moore
Harnessing the power of parental engagement Prioritising effective internal communication about students means external communication can be more honest, trusting and productive, writes Rhian Williams