Theresa May’s shock announcement to hold an early General Election had barely registered before all political pundits pronounced it a Brexit Mark II referendum. And I for one will be deeply dismayed if the well-worn argument over Brexit dominates the election debate when there are so many other pressing domestic issues, not least in education.…
The tale of two countries whose names both beginning with ‘S’ demonstrates perfectly how progressive education does not automatically equal success. One of these countries is within our very own United Kingdom while the other is on the other side of the world. Both have similar-sized populations of around 5 million but there is a…
When I was asked to advise the government three years ago on the new maths curriculum I was hoping for a return to more traditional teaching methods – and to a time when we used to lead the world rather than lag behind everyone else. In fact, our brief was to emulate the world’s most…
It’s been a difficult time for some parents and teachers of year 6 children who have been the first to feel the effect of tougher SATs. But I would urge them all to not be disheartened – more rigorous testing will put each child on the path to a successful secondary school education. My biggest…
Many of us with a passion for literature have fond memories of the school library as a place that nurtured our love of the written word. This is why I read with disappointment the findings from a recent survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) about library provision in UK schools. Although 94%…