The recent Year 6 SATs’ reading paper caused tears from students who took it – and from some of their teachers. It was too hard, they said. The National Association of Headteachers claimed that even staff ‘had to really think’ about the answers. The Department for Education defended the paper, saying the questions had been…
It is easy to criticise and pick faults with our education system because we all have thoughts about how it should be run and how children should be taught. But praise must also be issued when the system improves. And that has happened. A quiet revolution has been taking place since the coalition Government took…
With the advance of modern technology, social media and text speak is it any wonder that our young people are losing literacy and vocabulary skills? Research from the Oxford University Press has revealed that a shocking 4 out of 10 children starting secondary school have such limited vocabulary it is harming their learning. Modern life…
Creative writing is far from a pastime – it’s the key to unlocking a child’s potential in English, getting good grades at GCSE and most importantly installing a life-long love of reading and language. In the new English GCSE, 50% of the exam paper has a creative writing element – being able to write with…
As a passionate advocate of education being the key to unlocking the success of the country as a whole, it was great to hear the news of England and Northern Ireland climbing the education league tables. When it comes to reading at primary level, England and Northern Ireland are both now in the top 10…