Stories + Views: Teachers

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Don Skooling: The story of the teaching of English over the last twenty years is one in which coherency and common sense have lost out to the monolithic pressures of assessment.

Having taught in comprehensive schools throughout South Yorkshire, I left teaching in 2002 to work for a local authority. I became an independent consultant in 2007. My experiences over the last ten years or so have sadly confirmed my headline to this story: an assessment-driven curriculum has distorted the teaching of English in secondary schools. How has it done this? ... read more and comment →

6 comments

Latest comment by JimC: "We're not talking about grade inflation we were talking about schools gaming the system. In many schools I know of specialist subject curriculum time has been slashed and to fill timetables some teachers now deliver an ICT course (100% coursework) ......"

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Rebecca Hanson: Read freedom in schools lies with professional reform to Ofsted

Brought up to be exceptionally politically aware regarding the economics of education and holistic structure of state education. A frontline teacher in schools with tough cohorts for 11 years. A head of maths at a school which successfully came out of special measures despite the intervention. 'Academyised' under labour. That was sane. Not. An expert in cybermedia and especially online mass discussion. Currently lecturing, campaigning ... read more and comment →

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Stephen Smith: Whatever happened to the National Strategies ?

If you look on the website for the National Strategies  for so long the under-pinning of large parts of the curriculum in UK schools, you no longer find them - instead there are links to where they are archived - albeit in a state which makes it difficult to follow any links, or to use them effectively. These aren't just bits of ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "In February 2010 Ofsted said that national strategies would end in 2011 and recommended, “DCSF should now commission systematic and independent evaluation of existing programmes delivered through the National Strategies so that the most effective activities can be continued beyond ......"

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Henry Stewart: Education: Its about the relationship between the teacher and the student

David Medway, Deputy Head of Sixth Form at Stoke Newington School, attended TedxLondon on Saturday and wrote a very interesting summary on his blog. Click here for the full article. He explains how, whatever technology can bring, its really the relationship between the teacher and the student that matters most:   "What I took from the day was Ken Robinson’s borrowed analogy ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by David Lewis: "This reminds me of the statement a Jamaican lecturer Dr Ken Taxter often makes, 'teachers teach children not subjects'. Children thrive when the relationship with the teachers is positive,loving and mutually respecful. These are the teachers who can get children go ......"

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Esther Fidler: I teach in a state school, my children attend state school. We do a great job – if it ain’t broke….

Teachers are grafters. I regularly work until midnight to ensure my class have a great experience at school and they make outstanding (officially) progress. Government undermining of teachers, eroding of pension, cutting of funding and changing (again) a curriculum which works will lead to a lack of suitable motivated and qualified teachers in the future. I love ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by rosalyn: "I totally agree too. To me its also so simple- that people who know how to run schools should run schools and those who think its a piece of cake need to wake up. As a governor, a parent and ......"

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Steve Maguire: Who recruits the recruiters?

I am concerned that the hidden few are responsible for the recruitment of teachers? We don't know their background - are they vetted? And what about nepotism? How do they rule out offering 'jobs for the boys? read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Ros Coffey: "Steve - this is around redundancy and how the new academy is viewed. If it is a new employer taking over another business, then posts could be TUPE'd across or equally it might be viewed as a redeployment to ......"

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Stephen Smith: More of the same from Miss Snuffy

On the Telegraph website - Katharine Birbalsingh provides another predictable blog : Sorry - I don't have much to say about it. read more and comment →

7 comments

Latest comment by Andrew Old: "Isn't she saying almost the exact same thing as Francis Gilbert was saying here the other day?..."

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Stephen Smith: Want to improve schools ? Then stop making so many “improvements” !

I've been talking with a lot of my fellow teachers about politics lately - for obvious reasons. Today a group of four of us got to thinking about what the biggest problems in education are. It was remarkably easy to reach consensus - even though we all have different ideas, and political persuasions. We agreed that the biggest problem is that every Government, ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Adrian Elliott: "Excellent post!..."

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Keith Turvey: Free School comes to Brighton?

Last Wednesday 15th June, Free Schools made it to Brighton and Hove in the form of the Yorkshire Nationwide Schools organisation . We responded, together with approximately 30 other parents, to a leaflet from YNS. The leaflet was handed out to children by the local vicar through a youth club. The tone of the leaflet was more like some kind ... read more and comment →

11 comments

Latest comment by ARCEnts: "Mr John Morahan has moved his business enterprises to the north east after dissolving YNS setting up N.I.C.H.E. and going into voluntary liquidation leaving one of our entertainers unpaid, and now setting up another company in Consett! Search the name ......"

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Julia Chancellor: Toby Young recruiting on Twitter?

Toby Young (@toadmeister) is using Twitter encouraging a biology teacher to apply for a position at his West London Free School. A science teacher called Sarah Molloy (@sarah_b_ni) has been tweeting him and hinting that she is dissatisfied with the way things are – “@toadmeister teaching is now to the lowest denominator just in case you upset a child by telling them ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "O Spencer - in reply to your 6.20pm post. It seems we are in agreement about skills. Unfortunately, the excessive emphasis on exam results means that these non-cognitive skills may be squeezed out of lessons in the ......"

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