There is cause for celebration in English education. Primary school children in England now rank 4th in the world for reading — largely the result of synthetic phonics instruction. Just before the pandemic, maths scores for 15-year-olds saw dramatic improvements, placing England in the global top 15. Good stuff, no? Not so fast. Underlying these…
Read MoreDo Smartphones Really Need to Be Banned in Schools?
Schools across the world are fast implementing mobile phone restrictions, from outright bans to curbing usage to certain areas or times of the day, all in an effort to encourage students to be more sociable or to prevent cyber bullying or to ensure that lessons can proceed without the unwanted disruptions that mobile phones can…
Read MoreStudent Wellbeing
I want to start this post by stating that teachers are not mental health practitioners and neither should they attempt to be. Should we have a broad understanding of child and adolescent mental health? A resounding yes! However, our role is to signpost towards the qualified professionals first. This will ensure that families can get…
Read MoreThe Challenge Of Persistent Absence
Consistent school attendance is strongly linked to the quality of academic outcomes. It seems quite obvious really – for students to achieve academic success, they need to be in school with as few days’ absence as possible. As a senior leader, I have spent considerable time and energy analysing attendance figures, identifying students with the…
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The Case of Raheem Bailey
Picture this conversation. A mother attempts to console her son following a horrific injury caused by school bullies. The son, in between sharp pangs of pain whimpers, “Mummy, why does no-one like me? Like why? Why did they pick on me?” Holding back tears of despair, the mother’s reply to her son’s innocent question is…
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