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 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 MoreTime to Reset
I have been running on sheer adrenaline for the past 3-4 weeks. A combination of late work nights, Christmas celebrations which went on into the late evening, and the the dash to get gifts for family and colleagues has left me spent. On Friday when I sent that last email of the term I realised…
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…
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