Staff at the Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington, decided it was time for a change. Six months later there is a real sense of staff and students working together for the future. Chris Love describes how learning to learn was introduced to his school
The intention of raising standards is one that seems to run through all sorts of current ideas about education. But which ‘standards’ are being referred to and in what sense (if any) are they being raised? Pam Woolner examines the issues
If the spirit of creativity were allowed to flower, could we cope? David Leat looks at the way that everyday constraints leave schools ill-equipped to teach creativity and the way that it can flourish when those constraints are removed
The BERA Professional User Reviews, published in 2003, aimed to critically inform the thinking of practitioners about research. Kate Wall uses them as a focus to argue that the closing of the theory-practice divide is becoming more and more relevant in 2008
Improving your gifted and talented provision depends on being able to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in your current approach. The Institutional Quality Standards (IQS) is a self-evaluation tool for doing just that, and supports the introduction of personalised education across the whole school, writes Deborah Eyre
What are the legal restrictions on how we should teach religious studies in school?
Lesson study is a form of classroom enquiry from the Far East that focuses on improving an aspect of teaching and learning through collaborative long-term study. Pete Dudley describes its background and how it has been adapted for use in England
Guy Claxton invites debate on his eight character strengths and virtues for the learning age
Lisa Symonds looks at the benefits that skiing can offer schools and provides some tips on arranging a school skiing trip
Rob Bowden looks at how boxercise classes and boxing clubs in schools are being used to improve fitness and behaviour as well as tackle bullying and racism
Education writer Dorothy Lepkowska reports on how Study Plus – a course designed to support students who have the ability to improve their academic performance – is being implemented and received in the classroom
Roger Smith considers tried and tested ways of improving teaching and learning and a few new ones
Education writer and former head Gerald Haigh talks to Dr Keith Bothamley, deputy head (curriculum) at Horsforth School, and Richard Brown, principal of Minsthorpe Community College in Wakefield, about the new KS3 curriculum
Primary headteacher David Dixon applauds many of the changes that the Key Stage 3 review heralds, arguing that many of them will bring about practices already embedded in the best primary schools
Philip Adey, one of the original proponents of CASE (cognitive acceleration through science education), reviews developments in the approach and critically examines its use in schools
The curriculum review section of most direct interest to SENCOs concerns organising the curriculum. SENCO Update reports
Many of your teachers will not be science specialists. Angela Youngman has been looking at innovative approaches to the teaching of science that help encourage children’s inquisitiveness
Is personalised learning really all that new? Roger Smith investigates
Georghia Ellinas, Secondary National Strategy regional adviser, describes an initiative that allows pupils to enjoy a Shakespeare play in their own time and space
We look at two examples from a booklet produced by the West Midlands Regional G&T partnership describing the experiences of 16 ‘test bed’ schools as they have engaged with the IQS and taken a lead in their implementation
Liz Thomas describes how a holistic ESDGC strategy for action operates in Wales
Students in St Margaret’s High School in Liverpool have designed and successfully marketed a computer game. David Dennison and Les Hankin report on a striking demonstration on economic wellbeing as a diver of school activity
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.
An outline of the content of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and what schools need to consider when deciding to apply to deliver the curriculum it offers. By Tristian Stobie
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.
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.
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.
Marilyn Tew takes a look at what the Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training has to tell us about whether current strategies will improve the education on offer to teenagers.
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.
Paul Grainger outlines strategies for high-quality careers provision.
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.
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.
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.
Antidote development director Marilyn Tew describes what she learned from a recent seminar on how music education affects student wellbeing.
Do students have something constructive to say about their own education? Putting pupil consultation at the forefront of her research into tacking underachievement allowed Helen Lee to highlight some new areas of concern for her school.
Using NPSLBA to transform behaviour and raise attendance.
With closer cooperation between schools and FE colleges in 14-19 education on the horizon, Lee Davies provides an overview of recent changes to CPD for teachers in further education.
Lisa Crosswood describes the benefits of a modular Masters degree in Education.
Teaching Expertise is delighted to announce our sponsorship of a teacher’s expedition to Antarctica, exploring how humans cope with extremes.
This scheme of work has the theme of Rich World Poor World.
Questions for whole-school change – A suggested planning framework for providing citizenship education with a global dimension.
Global citizenship benchmarks for secondary schools.
Young people discuss bullying, citizenship, fair trade and social responsibility. Friday 25th February 2005 – transcript.
If citizenship with a global dimension is taught and learned in all schools, great things can be achieved! Heather Swainston from Cheshire Development Education Centre explains how.
This project has shown how some ‘blockages’ to greater global awareness in schools can be unblocked. The challenge now is to share and learn from our experiences. By Sandy Betlem, NEAD.
Our theme was ‘Rich World, Poor World’. How do we open the eyes of children to equality issues?
This project supports the National Framework for PSHE and the National Healthy School Standard, as well as supporting the development of Citizenship throughout the school with some 1400 pupils.
Global citizenship has radically altered the Key Stage 3 curriculum at Broadoak High School.
Our Global Citizenship days are off-timetable events with a mixture of quizzes, activities, video, and seminars. They are designed to cater for approximately half a year group at a time (110 students).
An anti-racism day held in 2002 brought together visiting speakers, specialist workshops, interested staff and visitors from NFC. This became a model for our first global citizenship event.
One World Day was part of a week linked to the School Development Plan, focusing on global issues.
A review of the attitudes of the whole school towards global citizenship resulted in changes to the School Development Plan.
Our multi-cultural arts day was aimed at Year 7 students and was one of a programme of stop days around global citizenship in our school.
Fair trade day formed part of a whole school curriculum enrichment programme, and linked to the Citizenship scheme of work, which explores diversity and human rights in a local, national and global context.
Many schools would say their students have a voice, but do they really? What about at Whalley Range?
The Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom promotes high-quality outdoor learning experiences to support cognitive skills and aid personal development – gardening fits the bill, says Dr Susan Johnson
Top tips for surviving your first year at a new school, from teacher Ben Vessey
In the third of our series of articles about the Opening Minds Curriculum, Imogen Willgress explains how a new team was brought together to plan the new approach to Key Stage 3.
In this article, Philip Drury underlines the numerous educational advantages of project work, and shows how negative points can be effectively circumvented
Leslie Spencer takes us on her learning journey, inspiring learners to love learning. Are you prepared to have your preconceptions, philosophies and pedagogy challenged? A teacher’s tale of the ‘Opening Minds’ curriculum.
The second in a series of articles exploring the innovative ‘Opening Minds’ Curriculum at St John’s School in Marlborough.
Dr Patrick Hazlewood explains how St John’s School in Marlborough, challenged an out-dated curriculum.
A new review group has been set up to recommend ways of:
The new framework comes into effect this September. It will give schools more freedom — but this comes with tough new duties, says Mark Blois.
The Education Act 2005: an overview for school staff.
How can G&T coordinators ensure that differentiation for G&T pupils is taking place in every classroom? Paul Ainsworth looks at some methods based on sharing best practice
Headteachers working together in a National College for School Leadership (NCSL) research project have announced progress in overcoming differences in performance between departments within schools.
How can teachers help their most able mathematicians? Lynne McClure, consultant for the Mathematical Association discusses the problems and offers some solutions.
The Deanes School is a specialist sports college in Benfleet, Essex, where for a number of years staff have been working on G&T programmes based on provision beyond the curriculum, writes G&T coordinator Keli Hampstead
Proposals to help and encourage schools and local authorities to provide more school trips and increased opportunities for outdoor learning have been published by the government in a draft manifesto for consultation.
Since 2001, when in the words of our Head Teacher, Patrick Hazlewood, we were to ‘…throw out the National Curriculum…’, our school has focussed on discovering how we might best serve our students in order to make them independent, adaptable and confident learners able to meet the demands of the 21st century.
AL has become something of a catch-all phrase these days, synonymous with brain-based or mind-friendly learning. Susan Norman goes beyond the buzz-word to bring you the facts
Penelope A Beard presents a piece of action research on PE with results that extend to other subjects. Her work also demonstrates how a piece of well constructed action research can shine a light on practice and form the basis for further professional thinking.
Jo McShane, South Tyneside’s gifted and talented and Aimhigher manager explains why raising the aspirations of gifted students is a key part of her work.
G&T coordinator Samantha Wilkinson of King’s Wood School, Essex, explains how she has developed a PE programme for gifted and talented students
One of the hardest jobs in teaching is to differentiate materials and teaching among pupils of differing abilities in the same class. So is grouping by ability right for your school and for your most able pupils? Jane West examines the pros and cons.
Students from St Clere’s School, Essex, travel to the US for an Advanced Space Academy course every year. G&T Update talked to the trip’s organiser, G&T coordinator Ken Lewis.
Black and Wiliam (often mispelled as Black and William, with two ‘L’s) developed a radical approach to learning, as Charles Dietz reports.
Primary strand coordinator for G&T Joy Blaker explains how schools in Rotherham approach the issue of identifying their most able pupils.
John Senior looks at an approach that will help G&T students develop creative thinking.
During the academic year 2004-05 the London Borough of Lambeth developed an imaginative and creative partnership, offering enrichment courses for gifted and talented primary and secondary students, held in some of their many local museums and galleries and provided by the educational organisation GIFT. Rosemary Butcher explains.
Gifted and talented strand coordinator Sue Sayer describes her work as leader for G&T and creativity for her excellence cluster and explains how a Classroom of the Future has influenced the teaching and learning of pupils in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth Success Zone
Whether you’re writing your first G&T policy or need to update your current one, what do you need to include? G&T Update editor Jane West explains