Primary learning mentor Ayub Malik explains why he is proud to be working with children experiencing barriers to learning
Headteacher Bernadette O’Brien describes the core themes of extended provision at Priory School and Sports College
Jenny Barton, lead learning mentor at Norham Community Technology College, shares her experience of developing and facilitating a support group for parents of teenagers
A project aimed at raising the profile of plenaries at Sandringham School, St Albans, has evolved into a catalyst for change that allows students to make their voices heard in the school. Deputy head Ceddy de la Croix explains
Comment-only marking is vital in helping students to reflect on their own learning, but implementing it can be a challenge. Jason Edwards, vice principal at Priory Community School, Somerset, describes how his school has overcome the initial problems
Michael Farrell considers provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
Headteacher David Dixon takes a close look at the philosophy behind elective home education, enshrined in a recent consultation document on guidelines to cover this parental option
Antidote’s development director Marilyn Tew describes how schools can encourage learning by promoting ‘CLASI-ness’ – where children feel capable, listened to, accepted, safe and included
Eamonn Farrar, chief executive and former head of Hurworth Comprehensive School in Darlington describes how he developed unique systems of mentoring to transform a low-performing school into one of today’s top performers
Who are the parents who evade all forms of contact from schools and why do they choose to exist at the fringes of their child’s education? Jo McShane investigates
Gross motor skills are the movements of the large muscles of the body. These activities will help to develop and improve gross motor skills.
Pragmatics refers to the ability to communicate in social situations. These classroom activities will help all children to develop social communication skills.
These classroom activities can help develop grammar skills, particularly syntax and morphology
Jo Smith provides some practical tips on how to develop questioning skills as a tool for promoting participation and learning
Helen Boyle, AST and lead teacher for Opening Minds, Campion School, describes the school’s successful development of a competency based curriculum with L2L at its heart
In the countdown to 2012, the Young Ambassadors programme is striving to ensure the much-vaunted legacy of the London Olympics becomes a reality
Inspirational people: PE and Sport magazine looks at the legendary Abebe Bikila, the first of the great Ethiopian distance runners, who won back-to-back gold medals in the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games
Many SENCOS work with looked after children. The results of a consultation on proposals to help children in care suggest ways of improving support for these children
The CfBT Education Trust manages the national gifted and talented strategy and is planning an online ‘one-stop-shop’ to provide routes to CPD, case study material, outreach events, resources etc
In an extract from his book, Making School Work, headteacher Andy Buck describes how he views the challenge of shaping a climate for learning at Jo Richardson Community School
It will take understanding and patience to shape a situation where all schools focus as much on wellbeing as on attainment argues Colleen McLaughlin, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education in Cambridge
Yeading Junior in Hayes has evolved its strategy for putting emotional health and wellbeing at the centre of the curriculum. Headteacher Carole Jones describes how
A summary from the Everyone Wants to Learn conference (Feb 2007) of the elements that participants considered should be part of any strategy to shape a school community where everyone wants to learn
Toby Wood and Nick Guest describe how they have encouraged implementation of the SEAL materials in Peterborough primary schools.
In the first episode of her diary, drama teacher Julie Leoni writes about reconciling her emotional literacy programme with the school’s focus on targets and achievement.
The half sister of an adopted child applied for leave to apply for a care order, on the basis that once a year was not enough
This article examines the role of the learning mentor and how they can be deployed in the school for the benefit of the whole learning community. David Morley reports
The relationship of teachers in the workplace is an under-researched area. Educational psychologist Kairen Cullen discusses her study
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.
‘Personalised learning’ has been appearing with increasing frequency in policy documents and in discussion about teaching and learning for the last few years. But what is truly meant by ‘personalised learning’?
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.
Julie Leoni describes how she tried to do justice to the voices of young people in her presentation to the Antidote conference.
This is what secondary drama teacher Julie Leoni and Bristol Learning Initiative director James Wetz said at a recent Antidote conference about the emotional factors that need addressing if we are to close the achievement gap.
In his introduction to a new column, Dr Graham Haydon focuses on choice and discusses how the decisions we make influence our everyday life.
Madeleine White illustrates how to engage teenagers in the world of work
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.
In this article, Beverley Bailey outlines opportunites for working in healthcare.
Nikki Parker advises on how to help young people survive family disruptions.
Christine Fanthome outlines practical strategies for school and college leavers
Andrew Chambers tackles young people’s binge drinking through a new resource.
Psychologist Sylvia Clare discusses the importance of physical touch in helping children and young people reconnect to learning.
Counselling is often touted as a solution to challenging behaviour and as a way of meeting needs that are beyond the scope of a school’s pastoral care mechanisms. But is it? Adrian King, independent health education consultant and qualified counsellor looks at what it can realistically deliver.
Anna Tombs reports on research into intervention work against bullying.
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.
Casterton Business and Enterprise College (CEBC) is one of three truly comprehensive Rutland secondary schools with 800 pupils on role in Years 7-11.
G&T coordinator Jo Smith explains how to get the most out of working with parents.
Antidote director James Park and development director Marilyn Tew describe the challenge that schools face if they are to address a decline in student wellbeing between Years 5 and 10.
Claire Maxwell and Ian Warwick highlight some ways in which student mental health is being addressed in colleges of further education
Mark Jennett clarifies why schools and colleges need to talk about homosexuality.
In an edited excerpt from his new book, clinical psychologist Steve Killick writes about the importance of listening to young people.
A proposed change in the law would raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco. Peter Downes discusses the implications for schools.
Secondary drama teacher Julie Leoni writes about how she teaches through the darkest days of winter
Schools should take note of new reporting and training requirements, as well as changes to appeal panel representation rights, says Ingrid Sutherland.
Former headteacher Tim Small, a member of of ViTaL Partnerships, introduces some excerpts from his colleague Ruth Deakin Crick’s new book on learning power and the effective lifelong learning inventory (ELLI).
Child abuse can affect a child’s ability to learn. In the second of two articles, Jenni Whitehead looks at ways of helping such children in the classroom.
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.
In the first of two articles, Jenni Whitehead explores present understanding and research on how abuse experienced in childhood affects the child’s developing brain function and how this in turn affects learning.
Lev S. Vygotsky is the subject of Steve Mynard’s article on the psychology of child development.
Carole Farrar continues her series on communication with parents.
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.
Jenni Whitehead looks at signs that show a young person may be at risk of abuse.
Programme director Claire Finka writes about how the Sheffield-based Juniper programme helps children find a way to cope with stress.
Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway of the University of Durham has researched the difficulties faced by children who have a low working memory.
Steve Mynard opens a series of articles on educational thinkers who have influenced our approaches to early education.
Jane West looks at some misconceptions about giftedness and how to dispel them.
Bob Jelley, former head and now supply teacher, argues that success in improving school attendance lies in the hands of the encouragers, persuaders and mentors.
John Potter explores a government proposal for citizenship education.
Peer support schemes can benefit staff and pupils. Jaci Smith describes one initiative and explains how to get started.
On Martin Luther King Day, suggestions from Year 8 and 9 students at Benjamin Britten High School.
Many schools would say their students have a voice, but do they really? What about at Whalley Range?
This seasonal assembly for infants looks at the carol service or carol concert – an annual fixture in many schools
Angela Youngman finds out about a scheme to improve communication in early years settings through the use of sign language.
Writing frames undoubtedly have their uses, but they can also limit the creative talents of the more able, writes Frank Bruce
IQ (Intelligence Quotient) has long been the standard by which we have judged people. Although technically we only use it to judge a person’s ‘intelligence’, their IQ score tends to carry a lot of other potential judgement, prejudice and discrimination along with it.
Recent Government advice suggests that schools should aim to achieve flexibility in their approaches to pupils by:
More and more schools throughout the country are realising that children with specific reading difficulties can be helped by the use of colour, either in the form of coloured overlays or as individually prescribed coloured spectacle lenses. By Tim Noakes.
An alternative approach to behaviour management.
Reg Revans, often referred to as the father of action learning, said ‘action learning takes so long to describe because it is so simple’. While we agree that ALS is a simple and elegant process that is better experienced than explained, we believe we can give you a flavour of the process in this article.
This article outlines an approach to teaching and learning called LogoVisual Thinking (LVT), which was first introduced into schools in 2000. Although the methods and tools are relatively new to teachers, they are already having a profound influence on those who have been introduced to them. We believe that the approach represents an important advance in the teaching of thinking skills and has broader potential for designing effective learning experiences.
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.
Philippa Bogle compares and contrasts facilitation, coaching, mentoring and counselling
Andy Bowman explores strategies to begin to develop independence and resourcefulness in young learners.
Susan Norma suggests ways of influencing students’ behaviour from a NLP perspective.
The second in a series of articles exploring the innovative ‘Opening Minds’ Curriculum at St John’s School in Marlborough.
Bill Lucas explores the phrase ‘accelerated learning,’ and its associated curious, if well-meaning, misconceptions
Dr Patrick Hazlewood explains how St John’s School in Marlborough, challenged an out-dated curriculum.
Children today are now more likely to be consuming and digesting slices of aerobic exercises with a healthy pinch of brain gym workouts sandwiched between lessons.
Many children have their lives rigidly planned out for them at home, at school and in leisure activities. They drift along waiting to be taken to venues and attend activities pre-structured for them. Others have a complete lack of any organisation in their lives and events appear to them to happen at random – if at all! How can we develop their ability to think creatively and to begin to take some control over their lives?
Bailey’s Court Primary School set out to explore accelerated learning back in 2002. Here, class teacher and Learning Manager Andrew Bowman explains why and how they began their journey towards a more learning-centred ethos.
Barrie Smale and Andrew Gibbons discuss the skills required of an effective mentor. As a developmental process, mentoring is a powerful and cost effective way of helping people to learn.
‘If the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then teach in the way the child learns.’ Rita Dunn
Hayesfield School Technology College is a large girls’ comprehensive school on the south side of Bath. Mary Read and Jo Sargent explain how Citizenship, PHSE, PE and extra-curricular activities have been brought together to raise the profile of healthy living for all students.
Accelerated learning tips.
As teachers with a new class, we tend to get a good idea pretty quickly about which students are going to do well in our classes, which ones are going to struggle, and which ones are not even going to try.
In her final article on how teachers use emotions, teacher trainer Susan Gibbs discusses why emotional safety is so important in enabling children and young people to learn.
Some key findings from research on how teachers can use groups to boost young people’s achievement
A new review group has been set up to recommend ways of:
Groupwork needs a bigger role in classroom practice, according to the findings of the SPRinG (Social Pedagogic Research into Groupwork) project, carried out over five years by researchers at the universities of London, Cambridge and Brighton.
In a letter to the DfES in May Universities Council for Education of Teachers (UCET) expressed concern that teachers working in city academies do not need to be members of the General Teaching Council (GTC).
Learning mentors come from all walks of life. They offer the chance for a positive role model and individual attention to many young people, who otherwise would not have that opportunity. Kathy Salter and Rhonda Twidle, drawing on their own experience as mentors, describe how the role has developed in recent years, and how it can complement the support provided by SEN specialists.
Since September 2005, as part of the new framework for inspection for children’s services, schools are expected to demonstrate how they are contributing to the five national outcomes for children stipulated by Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004.
For the teacher wishing to develop pupils’ thinking skills, there are many books, models and approaches to choose from, each with its own philosophies and strengths, writes Andy Bowman
Education consultant and author Brin Best uses findings from education research to help improve your teaching skills
Julie Bennett explains how to develop a climate of safe learning in your classroom
Philippa Bogle desribes how skilled one-on-one facilitation can lead to personal empowerment and transformation within your school
Many statistics point to the potential risks and disadvantages of being a boy, but how can we help them fulfil their potential? Maggie Dent investigates
Clare Smale and Andrew Gibbons consider how mentoring encourages the development of a learning organisation culture
Every child has enormous potential for learning and is capable of progress. If this is not happening, it is most probably because we, the childrens’ teachers, have not yet found the right keys to their hearts and minds, writes Eva Hoffman
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
Curriculum managers constantly need to be looking for new and more effective approaches to improving teaching and learning (T&L) in their school. This website aims to help you do just that by giving you access to a range of curriculum projects aimed at pioneering new ways to manage and deliver teaching and learning.
Teachers are failing to make effective use of computers in the classroom — the verdict of recent research on school ICT use has revealed the poor impact that the £1bn ICT investment from the Government has had so far.
Schools are being more effective at using data to improve teaching and learning (T&L), but many are being held back by lack of time to update and analyse the data.
New research has revealed the positive impact vocational courses are having on students – in terms of their achievement, their confidence in their ability, their attitudes towards school and towards carrying on with their education.
As you begin a new school year, fresh and rejuvenated from the summer break, many of you will be looking for new and inspiring ways to achieve more creative teaching and learning throughout your school. If you’ve not heard of Creative Partnerships, then now would be a good time to find out more.
Amid the usual cries of the dumbing down of standards, schools were praised for another increase in this year’s overall exam results.
At GCSE level, a rise in achievement in the basics of English and maths was picked out for particular praise — these subjects are the ‘bedrock’ of every student’s education, said Schools Minister Jacqui Smith.