JL Dutaut | Schools Week

Assessment reform must go hand-in-hand with resetting standards

There are no easy options for re-standardising exam results post-Covid, writes a former AQA director, and that’s reason enough to revisit how we assess students Two years with no GCSE or A level exams have stretched qualification standards to their limits. The number of A levels awarded a top grade in 2021 increased by three-quarters […]

Research: how can coaching lead to school improvement?

New research shows coaching can lead to school improvement, write Rachel Lofthouse and Trista Hollweck, and hints at best bets to make that happen As the new school year starts, there is a renewed interest in coaching for teachers and leaders, especially with many Early Career Framework (ECF) providers adopting coaching as a model for mentoring. But does the […]

The magic in the space between by Ian and Hilary Wigston

Just like the best mentoring, this book is less a how-to manual than a thought-provoking catalyst for change, writes Zoe Enser Mentoring is high on the agenda in education at the moment, heavily emphasised in the new Early Career Framework for Teachers in England, and an essential part of any teacher training programme. There are […]

Gerry Robinson’s blogs of the week, 6 September 2021

Gerry Robinson’s top blogs look at welcoming students back, taking nothing for granted, leading with honesty, and spreading the joy of reading Not Every Young Person has had a Good Summer @AmandaWilson910 Arriving back at school in September after a restful break soaking up the somewhat limited summer sun we had this year, it’s […]

Girls in STEM: A cause for celebration, not complacency

GCSE and A level results give grounds to rejoice about girls’ success in STEM subjects, but there is a long way to go before gender imbalance in the sciences is undone, writes Jo Foster No matter your background, location or interests, we’ve all come to appreciate how important science is in our lives over the […]

Supporting students to take control of leaked explicit images

A new tool helps young people remove explicit images of themselves from the internet, but it is only a final step in the safeguarding process for victims, writes Suzanne Houghton Recently, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Childline announced the creation of a ‘world first’ service that allows minors to request leaked nude images or […]

Alternative Provision: A results day like no other

Gerry Robinson reflects on her first results day as a leader in Alternative Provision, and the heightened sense of momentousness for students who felt they’d been left to fail When it comes to key stage 4 outcomes, there is an expectation that young people in Alternative Provision are destined to fail. A 2020 report from […]

To be fair, we can do better than exams

Ministers’ clamour to return to our pre-pandemic exams system is founded on an impoverished idea of fairness, writes Jo-Anne Baird Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said on a BBC interview yesterday that comparing this year’s GCSE results with pre-pandemic outcomes was like comparing apples and oranges. He also believes that exams are the fairest and best […]

Appeals can’t be allowed to fuel further disadvantage

Misinformation could lead to mass dissatisfaction with this year’s results and the best remedy is an appeal to reason, writes Yvonne Williams The media run-up to this week’s results days has put teachers and students under greater pressure than ever. In an already high-stakes system, the stakes have just kept rising, not least because higher and […]