Delivering subject content through nine life themes
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Andrew Lloyd Webber has been joined by stars of the music industry such as Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and the members of Coldplay, and by various music industry leaders, in calling for public funding to massively expand his Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MISST)… Continue Reading “Supporting music in schools”
The idea that there is a link between, on the one hand, regular interaction with nature and the environment and, on the other, health and wellbeing is now widely accepted, so it is disappointing – if not particularly surprising – to hear that people… Continue Reading “Valuing time spent in nature”
A House of Lords cross-party education committee adds its powerful voice to calls for change in schools, having concluded that the education system for 11–16-year-olds is “failing pupils”. Its Conservative chair says that change is “urgently needed”, with the current system too focused on… Continue Reading “Parliamentarians call for change”