Life Based Learning ™
Delivering subject content through nine life themes
Category: New Thinking & Curriculum Reform
Investing in the future
Discussing the so-called crumbly concrete crisis in UK schools and other public buildings, we asked in last week’s blog Fixing the roof asked about the level of sacrifice society was prepared to accept to provide a world-class education system for our children and young… Continue Reading “Investing in the future”
Fixing the school roof
Attack lines for political opponents of the UK government have all but written themselves in the last couple of weeks, with phrases like ‘the roof falling in’ and ‘the crumbling public realm’ shifting from the metaphorical to the literal. The immediate issue dominating the… Continue Reading “Fixing the school roof”
Creativity and the arts
‘Apparently the arts and humanities aren’t important’ – so tweeted architectural historian and broadcaster Jonathan Foyle at the weekend alongside a photo like the one above of the vast Glastonbury crowd. His ironic tweet hints at widespread concern about the downgrading of creative subjects… Continue Reading “Creativity and the arts”
Ofsted requires improvement
Ofsted has announced changes to the inspection process for schools in England. Pressure has been mounting on England’s schools inspectorate since the suicide of a headteacher in January this year following an ‘inadequate’ judgement arising from safeguarding concerns. Her school had previously been rated… Continue Reading “Ofsted requires improvement”
A testing regime that impoverishes education
A flurry of complaints from teachers and parents that a recent national year 6 reading test – described by one headteacher as “utterly miserable, scary and quite middle class” – was too difficult has again ignited the debate about the purpose and value of… Continue Reading “A testing regime that impoverishes education”
Collective action on obesity
This is the third in a short series of blogs (see below) prompted by the recent report from the highly respected Institute for Government, which argued that past governments have failed to effectively tackle rising obesity’s root causes, that politicians’ fear of the charge… Continue Reading “Collective action on obesity”
Shifting the Overton window
A key phrase in the Institute for Government article on obesity that was the focus of last week’s blog was ‘political squeamishness’. Though the article’s headline referred to “ministers’ fear of nanny statism”, the phrase was there in the standfirst (the brief summary below… Continue Reading “Shifting the Overton window”
A strategic approach to tackling obesity
References to ‘the nanny state’ and ‘nanny statism’ have been much in the UK news since last Friday (21 April) following the resignation of Dominic Raab from the government. The justice secretary and deputy prime minister resigned after a bullying inquiry found that he… Continue Reading “A strategic approach to tackling obesity”
Alternatives to Ofsted
The Ofsted approach to inspecting England’s state schools has evolved over the last thirty years. Read our blog Ofsted under the microscope for more on this. But its high-stakes nature – and the costs it incurs – remains essentially unchanged. Let us for a… Continue Reading “Alternatives to Ofsted”
Ofsted under the microscope
England’s schools inspectorate, Ofsted, faced calls last week to pause its programme of inspections. It follows the suicide of Ruth Perry, a primary school headteacher. Ruth’s family linked her death to “intolerable pressure” following an Ofsted inspection. Now the inspectors find themselves under the… Continue Reading “Ofsted under the microscope”