JL Dutaut | Schools Week

Our make-do-and-mend exam system must be built on trust

Understanding the limitations of the data we hold, and the inferences we will have to draw, are crucial to a GCSE and A-level awards system based on trust, writes Ben White Teacher assessment is not as accurate as some of us think. If you’re not convinced, feel free to have a go at this competition. […]

We’re acting for vulnerable people but more is needed

The Youth Endowment Fund is calling for more action from government to support vulnerable young people and matching words with action, writes Jon Yates Our new normal feels far from normal. Most of us are struggling in some way. Many of us are parents struggling to balance home-schooling with work. Many of us are freelancers […]

Schools have a new purpose. Here’s how we could fulfil it.

Schools are being asked to take a lead as a front-line service for their communities. Ben Gadsby sets out some big ideas to make that happen Everything has changed, and everything continues to change. Rapidly. Things are immeasurably complicated for schools, but if we focus on the upshot of this week’s announcements, a sense of […]

This much I know about… ending a school year in March

Author and headteacher John Tomsett reflects on the last day of school as we know it. (For now.) Today, I began our final Year 11 assembly with the Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times”. It seemed apposite. Oh for a boring Friday in mid-March, where nothing interesting happens, a Friday consigned to the […]

Local decision-making must include AP to deliver for vulnerable pupils

As the school system finds its way in a confusing new normality, success hinges on being inclusive of voices from alternative provision, writes Eleanor Bernardes Yesterday’s announcement that schools will close to all but vulnerable pupils raised more questions than it answered, especially for those of us working in Alternative Provision (AP). Ultimately the biggest […]

Even when the world stops, we have to keep on going

Schools Week’s contributing editor reflects on the prospect of empty playgrounds and the role schools must continue to play Once upon a decade ago, I sat with a group of utterly dejected 17-year-olds; their heads in their hands, almost ready to cry. The school had messed up. Despite the students having been repeatedly told that […]

Review: Reframing Education by Mike Murray

Head of school, Cassie Young is pleasantly surprised by a radical little tome with little hint of political pushiness and plenty of food for thought We are awash with books about education: leadership, well-being, classroom practice, behaviour and on it goes. It can be difficult to know whether a book will support your professional development […]

Penny’s education podcasts, 16 March 2020

Penny Rabiger takes over our ‘blogs of the week’ slot once every half-term to point to the best of the education podcasts Trauma, Resonance, Resilience podcast Lisa Cherry’s podcast series is a multi-agency, interdisciplinary resource for those who work in education, social care, criminal justice or health and who want to listen to conversations […]

Do we value hard thinking, and what does it look like in the classroom?

Simplifying disciplines for novices is a big part of the job but making things hard is how we make things stick, says Harry Fletcher-Wood In Rob Coe’s memorable formulation, learning “happens when people have to think hard”. As his very next line noted, however, this is “vague” and “over-simplistic”. It tells us nothing about how […]