First, I will start by outlining the case of Child Q. Although there was widespread outrage and comprehensive coverage of the case, some of my international readers may be unfamiliar with it. A summary of the Child Q case In 2020, a Black female child, referred to as Child Q, was strip searched by two…
Read MoreTowards an Effective Anti-bullying Culture
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the school where I work could become a safer place through the reduction of instances of bullying. It goes without saying that bullying is a blight on school communities. Its effects can be far reaching and long-lasting. It happens in every school. From elite private institutions to…
Read MoreChild Centred Approaches
Being child centred rarely means giving the child what they want or desire. This can be the polar opposite of child-centredness. Sometimes it may mean saying no. It may mean not taking what they say at face value, but questioning their motives. Do we need to listen to young people? Yes. Do we need to…
Read MoreIt All Starts at the Gate
And that’s because gates are thresholds and thresholds symbolise beginnings. I’m reminded of the Chronicles of Narnia stories where the protagonists stand at the entrance of a portal that leads to another world. This is somewhat like the start of school where students leave one world; home and the outside, and then enter the world…
Read MoreChampioning the Educational Achievement of Black Boys
Recent protests against racial injustice have once again shone a spotlight upon disparities between different ethnic groups. Naturally, as an educator I found myself thinking about how issues of race play out in schools and what teachers and leaders can do to narrow such disparaties. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but as…
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