I was recently asked to be a participant in a panel discussion on the topic of masculinity and extremist ideas amongst young people. Each panel participant was called on to share their views on unhealthy gender roles, misogyny and harmful social media content and how these issues are occurring in schools. Preparing for the discussion,…
Read MoreA national crisis with GCSE resits?
What is causing the dire rates of success of GCSE resit? Since 2015, students who do not attain the UK government basic standard of Level 4 in maths and English have to resit these subjects. But stats show that there’s an alarming 79% and 83% failure rate (English and Maths respectively). Jilly Duffy, Head of…
Read MoreWe Have a Problem with Race
We have a problem with race in our school. To be precise, we have a problem with racism. Just typing those words felt difficult (exhales slowly). But truth must be told, even when it’s difficult to swallow. Unfortunately, it has not been uncommon to hear the n word thrown about, the mimicking of Indian accents…
Read MoreThoughts On Adolescence
Despite not having watched adolescence, I can hardly move right nor left without hearing talk of it. From posts on social media platforms to the latest “have you seen (insert title here)?” chats between friends and colleagues, I have understood that the show has raised significant topics in youth culture and the experiences of young…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Pupils with SEND
According to DfE statistics, the percentage of pupils with SEN support has increased to 13.6%, continuing an increasing trend from 2016.To illustrate this in real terms, in an average class of 30 students, almost 4 pupils will require SEN support. This has huge implications for how we teach, the support we provide and how classrooms…
Read More