New School Finance: No details on academies' CIF loans until process c...

New School Finance: No details on academies' CIF loans until process c...: The 2015/16 Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) grants were announced in March but there have yet to be any announcements on the level of inte...

My packet of crisps: Language Day - A level Curriculum and beyond

My packet of crisps: Language Day - A level Curriculum and beyond: So, a very interesting day at Uni on Friday attending a language day event.  Lots of things to think about.  Here's a potted summary if ...

The Baron: In many schools, racism has become acceptable

The Baron: In many schools, racism has become acceptable: Several years ago, an Asian colleague left my school unexpectedly. In the weeks that preceded his mysterious disappearance, he was subjected...

Teacher tips: Grit, character and well being

Teacher tips: Grit, character and well being: I had never been to The Festival of Education but quickly realised that my one ticket needed planning. At times during the day I wished I we...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: School Research Leads - How am I doing as an evide...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: School Research Leads - How am I doing as an evide...: I've often wondered what goes into making an effective evidence-informed teacher.  I wish I could  tell you what are the magic ingredien...

kitchen table math, the sequel: The black magic of "technology"

kitchen table math, the sequel: The black magic of "technology": If you haven't read Education Week 's new article on education technology, you should. I'll try to get a post up excerpting it l...

School Data Updates: Tracked by the Insecurity Services

School Data Updates: Tracked by the Insecurity Services: Last night @LizzieP131 tweeted this: Which was followed by this: In the past week I've been told by headteachers using one particular sy...

Read Write Reach: Cambridge IGCSE English Paper 2 - An Examiner's Vi...

Read Write Reach: Cambridge IGCSE English Paper 2 - An Examiner's Vi...: cartoon   I'm marking, marking, marking at the moment which was a bloody marvellous idea when the bairn slept for four or five bl...

Calamity Teacher: Out of order

Calamity Teacher: Out of order: I've been hearing this phrase a lot recently: That's well out of order and it's been grating on me. I hear it a lot from stu...

TDRE Boss Blog: An Essex Boy in Yorkshire [NRocks 2015 - Part 2]

TDRE Boss Blog: An Essex Boy in Yorkshire [NRocks 2015 - Part 2]: Here is Part 2 of my write up and reflection (after lunch)... see Part 1 <here> David Cameron The REAL David Cameron, not the...

TDRE Boss Blog: An Essex Boy in Yorkshire [NRocks 2015 - Part 1]

TDRE Boss Blog: An Essex Boy in Yorkshire [NRocks 2015 - Part 1]: Northern Rocks was many things for me. It was CPD, it was reflection, it was a chance to network, and a time to socialise with friends. ...

TDRE Boss Blog: BlogSyncRE Special: A New Settlement? A RC View

TDRE Boss Blog: BlogSyncRE Special: A New Settlement? A RC View: Image courtesy of  @FaithDebates This blog is part of a #BlogSyncRE special in response to the document "A New Settlement: Relig...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: The School Research Lead and 'Disciplined Inquiry'...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: The School Research Lead and 'Disciplined Inquiry'...: At researchED 2014 Dylan Wiliam  said:  ' All teachers should be seeking to improve their practice through a process of ‘disciplined inq...

frenchteacher: Should all pupils do MFL at GCSE?

frenchteacher: Should all pupils do MFL at GCSE?: With the government's confirmation of their manifesto commitment to make the Ebacc compulsory for all pupils, it may be time to return t...

nikki able: Just a little thought... About collective capacity...

nikki able: Just a little thought... About collective capacity...: I have spent the last four days at two very different educational events. The first was the Inspiring Leadership Conference in Birmingham, t...

Learning from my mistakes: an English teacher's blog: Notes on a scandal. I mean: Notes on a new GCSE sp...

Learning from my mistakes: an English teacher's blog: Notes on a scandal. I mean: Notes on a new GCSE sp...: In my head, everybody is working on their new GCSE specifications. I am sure my local butcher is busy working on it. And, the car mechanic. ...

Why I've Stayed In Teaching: Addressing The Balance

Why I've Stayed In Teaching: Addressing The Balance: I was marking books during my lunch break when a colleague approached me asking for advice on work/life balance. She'd been sent to me...

TDRE Boss Blog: Periscope at HertsSecNATRE

TDRE Boss Blog: Periscope at HertsSecNATRE: I was very honored to key note the inaugural meeting of the Herts Secondary NATRE Local Group. It was organised off the back of The Lon...

Teacher's Notes: ‘Santa isn’t real…

Teacher's Notes: ‘Santa isn’t real…: …and George kills Lennie.’ Or, ‘How to ruin literary texts for your students.’ We’ve all had it: on the index page of ‘Of Mice and ...

More than sums: Hannah’s Sweets – a great time to be a maths teach...

More than sums: Hannah’s Sweets – a great time to be a maths teach...: Lots of ink has been spilled about this question elsewhere.  I just want to respond to a couple of things that I have seen written, either ...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: Joint Practice Development - How to avoid wasting...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: Joint Practice Development - How to avoid wasting...: Teaching School Alliances are encouraged - as part of the R&D strand of the Big 6 -  to take part in Joint Practice Development (JPD).  ...

Learning from my mistakes: an English teacher's blog: Let's talk about lists, baby!

Learning from my mistakes: an English teacher's blog: Let's talk about lists, baby!: In the mad panic before the exam, teachers throw everything, metaphorically, at the students with a hope that one last thing will stick an...

frenchteacher: How might schools deal with decoupled AS-levels?

frenchteacher: How might schools deal with decoupled AS-levels?: One very positive aspect of the current regime of AS-levels for modern languages is that a significant number of students are happy to conti...

TDRE Boss Blog: The Future of RE - #TFREConference

TDRE Boss Blog: The Future of RE - #TFREConference: Image courtesy of Buckaroobay What are the challenges that will face RE in the next 5 years? How can we recruit enough RE teachers?...

TDRE Boss Blog: BlogSyncRE: Religious Literacy

TDRE Boss Blog: BlogSyncRE: Religious Literacy: Image courtesy Catholic Diocese of Ballarat BlogSynRE: What is religious literacy and how can it be improved in RE classrooms? Th...

School Data Updates: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Assessment

School Data Updates: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Assessment: One of my favourite scenes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy involves the Golgafrinchans who, having been tricked off their own ...

Calamity Teacher: Teaching With Epilepsy

Calamity Teacher: Teaching With Epilepsy: One day, about three years ago, someone said something very strange to me. It was quite a simple statement and, oddly, I cannot quite reme...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: Why CATs (Critically Appraised Topics) are the Evi...

Evidence Based Educational Leadership: Why CATs (Critically Appraised Topics) are the Evi...: How many times have you heard : ' There's just no way I have the time to engage in research'.      The development of CATS are i...

nikki able: CPD: the road ahead...

nikki able: CPD: the road ahead...: I have spent the last term working on a CPD structure that aims to deliver 3 things to the staff in my school. I want it to enable staff to ...