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Homework should reinforce learning

Homework should reinforce learning

With World Mental Health Day taking place this week, the focus has quite rightly been on how we look after ourselves and others. As part of this, the Department for Education published its first State of the Nation report on children and young people’s wellbeing. The report highlighted that teenage girls who do six or more hours…

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Education at a critical crossroads

Education at a critical crossroads

August saw one of the education success stories of the year. You may have read about the Michaela Free School in London and its inspirational headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh recording GCSE results any grammar school would be proud of. Michaela, which is based in the deprived area of Brent, saw more than half (54%) of its students…

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About time we tested times table knowledge

About time we tested times table knowledge

From next year it will be compulsory for every Year 4 student to sit a quick five–minute times table test. It’s already been piloted in some schools and already there are critics crawling out of the woodwork. Some are bemoaning that children are being taught to the test and others have complained it’s making the…

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Primary teachers need to learn SATs are essential for secondary education

Primary teachers need to learn SATs are essential for secondary education

Primary schools up and down the country would have received this year’s SATs results yesterday and spent all day digesting the figures to see where they stand. And with predictable great timing, a survey of primary school teachers was published yesterday morning just as headteachers were crunching the headline figures. Low and behold, 97% of…

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Exit the Brexit then focus on education

Exit the Brexit then focus on education

In a few weeks’ time, we will have another Prime Minister and just like the last three years, the entire focus of the Conservative leadership campaign has been centred on Brexit. I appreciate that whoever takes up the mantle will urgently need to look at resolving the Brexit issue but it would also be nice…

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