Curriculum Manager - Teaching Expertise

In this month’s in-depth focus Anne De A’Echevarria talks about the Thinking Through School approach to learning-focused innovation. She describes the model and, using examples, explores successful implementation in schools and how the impact can be seen to be more than school-wide

The relationship of teachers in the workplace is an under-researched area. Educational psychologist Kairen Cullen discusses her study read more

Daniel Raven-Ellison shows how geographical thinking makes sense of the world

Julia Frankl argues that studying the abolition of slavery and human rights challenges modern day discrimination

Barbara Spender outlines the benefits for students that can come from schools collaborating with each other in a formal partnership where staff give mutual support and share resources read more

How can teachers raise aspirations for students who have untapped potential? Martin Ransley follows the lives of a group of Year 9 students. read more

Schools need to unpack ‘enterprise’ and ‘entrepreneurship’, say Jacek Brant and Alastair Falk read more

Mike Rathbone reports on developments to make every child’s music matter read more

Anjana Khatwa explores the implications of acquiring World Heritage Site status read more

‘Community cohesion’ is now a legal obligation on school governors and we must make the best of it, says Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). He asks how teaching of history could contribute to this objective. read more

Patricia Lee explores practical ways for you to introduce children to musical concepts and elements. read more

Emotional Literacy Update takes a look at the learning aims that the secondary curriculum review hopes to put at the centre of the KS3 and KS4 curriculum from autumn 2008. read more

Celine West shows how head spanners and glass eyes can be used to unpack prejudice. read more

James Park reflects on the progress of personal, social and health education in education today

In this article, Christopher Williams unpacks recent DfES guidance on student involvement. read more

Neil Hawkes outlines a values-based approach to school improvement

Ofsted’s last report on PSHE observed that parenting is frequently ignored in secondary schools. Dr Sue Dale Tunnicliffe outlines ways forward for 11-19 year olds. read more

A new curriculum-based website to promote awareness of meningitis is outlined by Caroline Hill. read more

Cooperative learning strategies aim to promote feedback loops relating to assessment and reflective learning in the classroom at Fallibroome High School. Jane Gormally and Francis Power describe the developments.

Andy Walmsley describes how action research at Biddick School Sports College was used to target students’ learning needs and develop peer coaching among teachers. read more

We are constantly trying to drive up standards of teaching and learning with new approaches, preferably those with a strong evidence base. But is ‘What Works?’ the right question? Should we really be asking ‘How do good teachers get better?’ Elaine Hall reflects on the messages from a meta-analysis of teaching and learning interventions

Headteachers Anne Clarke and Annabelle Guyver analyse the benefits that trips abroad bring to participating pupils and to the staff leading them

The DfES, QCA and the National Strategies have got plans for changes to teaching and learning. Is this news? We have learned to live with change. read more

How can personalisation work in practice? Headteacher Paula Allen spoke to Bob Cox to explain how it’s done at Dorney Combined School.

At the end of last year, Sir Ron Dearing’s interim Languages Review was published. Headteacher Jim Donnelly looks at what he had to say and the suggestions for a way forward

Learners tend to have a narrow view of the relevance of the curriculum and their enjoyment of it decreases across the key stages. These are two of the key findings of an NfER review of the research on pupils’ experiences of and perspectives on the curriculum published in the UK between 1989 and 2005. read more

Science teachers are in the vanguard of gaining professional recognition linked to M-level standards. Derek Bell explains

A second report from the Music Manifesto group has recommended a series of steps to improve music education at maintained schools in England

Former headteacher Roger Smith examines the impact of performance management guidelines – in particular the changes to classroom observation – and how they can be made to work. read more

UNESCO work hard to bring internationalism education into schools and colleges. Richard Ennals looks at their ongoing efforts with Associated Schools Project Network in Education for International Cooperation and Peace (ASPnet)

A school with creativity at the heart of the learning process will benefit by increasing the motivation of staff and pupils, says former head, Dave Weston. In this article and case study, he shows the way to more imaginative approaches to curriculum planning

Susan Johnson promotes land-based jobs for young people. read more

I know from my own experience that schools aim to interview fairly and don’t take your work in the school into consideration. In this and my previous position I ‘beat’ internal candidates to the post. At the time it felt like a bittersweet victory… read more

An exciting new Geography resource was launched at the Geographical Association annual conference 2007. read more

Sarah Blenkinsop and Marian Morris examine young people’s decision-making patterns, the role their school plays, the skills they require and other influences on the choices they make at core points in their school career. read more

The key change to the curriculum at Key Stage 4 has been to increase the breadth of choice. Alan Monks, Deputy Headteacher, describes the impact on Ellis Guilford School and Sports College, Nottingham

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is working on a new standard aimed at making school trips abroad safer. read more

Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), looks at the different interpretations of personalised learning and what they might mean in practice. read more

Dr Barbara Spender considers the key questions underpinning Every Child Matters implementation from first considerations about individual school priorities, through visibility in specific curriculum areas, to evaluation and measurement of success

Dr Barbara Spender, Freelance Writer and Researcher, with information supplied by Terry Smith, Assistant Headteacher, Ninestiles Secondary School, Acocks Green, Birmingham

Judith Harwood, senior regional adviser for the primary and secondary strategy, describes what one school has been learning from its involvement in the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS) pilot. read more

Neil Short reports on the result of a small survey into sports provision in schools. read more

G&T coordinator Peter Leyland explains how one Luton primary school has found that this thinking technique benefits everybody – students, more-able students and even staff. read more

This articles discusses using the National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour and Attendance (NPSLBA) to transform behaviour and raise attendance

Nick Smurthwaite explains how the after-school organisation Stagecoach is helping pupils with ability in the dramatic arts. read more

Geography can reward the inquisitiveness of young children, says Steve Mynard

How can assessment be used as a tool for improving learning and achievement for all pupils? What do you need to do differently for your more able pupils? read more

How can we identify and nurture gifted historians? Alison Rowan explains the role of NAGTY’s history think tank

Teaching Expertise is delighted to announce our sponsorship of a teacher’s expedition to Antarctica, exploring how humans cope with extremes. read more

Dr Alison J Price of Oxford Brookes University explains why understanding the relationship between numbers, and the connections between calculations, is an important part of developing mathematical awareness, and how this can influence delivery of the curriculum. read more