Life Based Learning ™
Delivering subject content through nine life themes
Category: Featured
Thinking beyond Ofsted
Ofsted has lost the trust of the teaching profession and increasingly of parents, and there needs to be “an immediate pause of routine inspections” to allow time to reset and regain the trust of the profession. This is the damning conclusion of Beyond Ofsted,… Continue Reading “Thinking beyond Ofsted”
Empowering teachers and schools
A new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called for a “transformative shift” in school inspections, moving away from high-stakes, top-down accountability and “punitive control” to a system that “combines high standards with an approach that empowers schools and teachers… Continue Reading “Empowering teachers and schools”
Our future health
Findings from the UK’s biggest medical-research project suggest that more than half of all adults have high cholesterol and more than one in four have high blood pressure. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are key risk factors for two of the biggest causes… Continue Reading “Our future health”
Fun gardening for children
The 2024 Chelsea Flower Show will – for the very first time – feature a garden designed by children, for children. The No Adults Allowed garden “puts kids in the driving seat, creating a garden of fun and exploration”. It is part of the… Continue Reading “Fun gardening for children”
Barnardo’s calls for national social prescribing strategy
The children’s charity Barnardo’s has called for the introduction of a national strategy for social prescribing to help tackle the spiralling youth mental health crisis in the UK. It says that – with adequate funding – social prescribing “could make a real difference to… Continue Reading “Barnardo’s calls for national social prescribing strategy”
Real-world maths
After the Conservative Party’s recent proposals to shake up the 16–19 curriculum with the Advanced British Standard qualification, the Labour Party countered with its own headline-grabbing initiative at its recent conference in Liverpool. Labour’s big idea is to “bring maths to life for the… Continue Reading “Real-world maths”
National Poetry Day 2023
I have always been comfortable with words. Nowadays I read every day, and reading was a big part of my growing-up too, though only stuff I enjoyed. I started with the Famous Five, moved on to comics and football annuals, and then graduated in… Continue Reading “National Poetry Day 2023”
Transforming post-16 education
Post-16 education in England is about to be transformed by a much-needed reform package or thrown into chaos by “unworkable gimmicks” introduced for short-term political gain. Delete according to taste. Or – a third alternative – nothing fundamental will end up changing at all.… Continue Reading “Transforming post-16 education”
What matters to parents
A new study on attitudes to raising children suggests that present-day parents in the UK place a high value on their children displaying good manners and being tolerant and respectful, just like parents did a generation ago. However, it also indicates that UK parents… Continue Reading “What matters to parents”
New thinking in education
Education was briefly back in the headlines this week with the hype ahead of the prime minister Rishi Sunak’s ‘Building a better future’ speech that all young people should be learning mathematics up to the age of 18. His argument is that a growing… Continue Reading “New thinking in education”