Are pupils with special educational needs receiving the level of music provision they ought, as LAs and schools are getting more money for it than ever before?
Exploring magical myths and legends through the medium of dance can bring a whole new perspective to creative learning, says Lisa Symonds
Improving pupils’ leadership skills can have a positive impact on many areas of school life and PESS provides a key opportunity to develop, hone and improves them, explains Jill Wyatt
A vicious attack from an opposing player when she was 17 years old meant that Alex Chambers was told she would never play hockey again. 15 years later she promotes sport in schools and is representing England in Rock-It-Ball
Rock-It-Ball is the fastest growing sport on the planet according to Paul Kildreth, secretary of the International Rock-It-Ball Federation
Nicola Adams talks about becoming the first female to box for England at 18 years old, in the first of three interviews with women in amateur boxing who are at the top of their game
What impact will Every Child Matters have on CPD in schools? According to Steven Coombs and Mike Calvert, it will be huge; and schools need to be ready
Academic or obscure, instrumental or professionally liberating? CPD Update editor Cliff Jones asks what we can expect the new Master’s degrees for all teachers to look like
Invite your pupils to become published music critics with the Bachtrack Young Reviewer programme
Anne Clarke, principal of Benton Park School, discusses the value of departmental SEFs
Deputy head Betty Port discusses how she looked at restructuring lessons to transform learning across her school
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
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
Gill O’Donnell describes funding available from the organisation Youth Music
Ensuring that all pupils can read by the time that they leave primary school is a priority for headteachers across the country. Ben Barton looks at how new technology might make this easier
Angela Youngman looks at some innovative ideas to get children moving
Deputy headteacher David Morley examines how best to provide feedback, how to prepare for it and how to train others to do it
What are the legal restrictions on how we should teach religious studies in school?
Miraz Triggs found that random name generation as a way of choosing who would answer questions focused students’ attention and led to a higher level of participation
What turns a competent athlete or ‘player’ into an exceptional performer? Crispin Andrews considers the make-up of this type of talent and highlights some issues for schools
Storyteller Taffy Thomas provides games and activities to stimulate children’s and young people’s capacity to tell stories
Angela Youngman turns her attention to religious education, potentially the most difficult and divisive of subjects to teach creatively and sensitively
Guy Claxton invites debate on his eight character strengths and virtues for the learning age
Teaching abroad is no longer seen as a sideways move that could harm career progression. Steve Caulfield of the Alice Smith School, Kuala Lumpar, describes some of the opportunities
Peter Leyland describes how he used TASC to teach his Year 6 class about measuring time
Lisa Symonds looks at the benefits that skiing can offer schools and provides some tips on arranging a school skiing trip
Sonia O’Sullivan – Ireland’s middle distance runner and most crowned sportswoman – speaks to Tina Ryan about her days as a young athelete and her journey since
In 1992 South Africa was allowed back into world sport. The reborn sporting nation has had remarkable national team success and has hosted major sports events – but is it being matched by integration? Chris Green reports
Boxercise classes and boxing clubs in schools can be used to improve fitness and behaviour, as well as tackle bullying and racism says Rob Bowden
Having found himself in a governors’ free-for-all on the subject of homework, Roger Smith describes that experience and shares his own thoughts and that of researchers on the subject
Angela Youngman has found some exciting new approaches to the teaching of maths
John Senior highlights the importance of helping learners to have fun with numbers and develop positive attitudes towards mathematics
Acclaimed geography resource Reading Our Landscapes picks up Silver GA Award at annual Geographical Association conference
This science lesson plan for Key Stage 2 works on a number of levels, writes Caroline Coxon
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
Is it possible to create a more ‘gender balanced’ learning environment? Natalie Griffiths explains how she investigated the effect of gender on learning in the D&T classroom and developed strategies to benefit pupils of both sexes
Steve Mynard, editor of Primary Headship, urges us to make reading our biggest priority
Crispin Andrews looks at the increasing emphasis on topic-based learning and offers some ideas to teach science through the topic of birds
Kath Donovan looks at the Renewed Primary Framework for Mathematics
Sara Wernham looks at the Renewed Primary Framework for Literacy and discovers how it will affect teachers
Lorraine Barber, a numeracy adviser from Worcestershire, explains the importance of effective and exciting maths teaching
Penny Cottee offers some top tips on self-evaluation and the teaching of school sport
Crichton Casbon, curriculum adviser for PE at the QCA, explains the new PE curriculum changes to Penny Cottee
Dance specialist and SSCo Kim Spiller offers advice to primary teachers about delivering high-quality dance
PE and Sport Today talks to primary link teacher Lorraine Livingstone who, despite the inadequacies of PE training for primary teachers, has become something of a specialist
Crispin Andrews talks to assistant headteacher Karen Collinswood about the role of school leadership in developing high-quality PE in primary schools
Tina Ryan explores the reinvention of boxing as a school sport
In the countdown to 2012, the Young Ambassadors programme is striving to ensure the much-vaunted legacy of the London Olympics becomes a reality
Andrew Cushing argues the case for a new programme of physical education in schools
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
A murder investigation, crisis in outer space and stick insects! Peter Leyland reports on a chemistry competition that really gets pupils thinking
By training the teachers to train the pupils, the burgeoning network of science learning centres aims to put Britain back at the leading edge of scientific exploration. Alison Redmore, director of the East of England SLC at the University of Hertfordshire explores its origins and its role
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
Barry Griffiths summarises key points of an online debate about family relationships
History can help young people to see the ‘big picture’ about enslavement, says E Kay Traille
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
Kris Lines surveys this highly litigated area — and suggests a step-by-step approach to safety within the law
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
Brian Rossiter, headteacher of Valley School, Worksop, North Nottinghamshire, offers his take on the KS3 curriculum review
Georghia Ellinas, Secondary National Strategy regional adviser, describes an initiative that allows pupils to enjoy a Shakespeare play in their own time and space
In 2002 Gwen Goodhew was dismayed at the lack of resources she found for young linguists. Five years later, her research has revealed changes for the better.
David Leat reflects on the contribution of cognitive acceleration through science education (CASE) and the way in which initiatives such as this can contribute to thinking communities
Restructuring the curriculum can enhance personalised learning, risk taking, creativity and Key Stage 3 and 4 results, as Mo Laycock, Headteacher, Firth Park Community Arts College, reports
Setting out and packing away heavy equipment can be dangerous. Kris Lines sets out safety precautions that will minimise the risks to pupils and staff
Incorporating more creativity in your curriculum will take staff out of their comfort zones, but will pay dividends in raised motivation and achievement for students, writes Becky Swain
Following the publication of Lord Dearing’s recommendations Angela Youngman explores the implications of every KS2 child learning a modern foreign language
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
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
How can you make judgements about the performance of your assistants when they are in the room working alongside a teacher/ practitioner? Kevin Bullock provides one solution
The relationship of teachers in the workplace is an under-researched area. Educational psychologist Kairen Cullen discusses her study
In 2003, Blackburn with Darwen’s secondary schools decided to apply to become one of the National College for School Leadership’s (NCSL) Networked Learning Communities (NLCs). John Westwell, Des Callaghan, Joanne Emberton and Jenny England describe the background to that decision and how the Leading into Learning NLC has developed into a major force for professional development and improved attainment in Blackburn with Darwen.
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
Daniel Raven-Ellison shows how geographical thinking makes sense of the world
Patricia Lee explores practical ways for you to introduce children to musical concepts and elements.
‘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.
Celine West shows how head spanners and glass eyes can be used to unpack prejudice.
Heather Osborne describes how PSHE and performing arts can be used to promote peace education.
Dr Christine Fanthome outlines the multiple benefits of singing in a choir.
Andy Walmsley describes how action research at Biddick School Sports College was used to target students’ learning needs and develop peer coaching among teachers.
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.
Headteachers Anne Clarke and Annabelle Guyver analyse the benefits that trips abroad bring to participating pupils and to the staff leading them.
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.
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.
Science teachers are in the vanguard of gaining professional recognition linked to M-level standards. Derek Bell explains.
ICT can enhance opportunities for inclusive learning. However, getting the right ICT tools in place to support this process can be a daunting prospect. In this article Gerald Haigh, in conversation with SENCOs, shows what is possible and argues that simple innovations tailored to individual needs often work best.
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.
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.
Richard Ennals looks at the ongoing work to bring internationalism into schools and colleges.
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.
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 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).
How can you help G&T pupils develop strategies for thinking about their work before rushing in? Peter Levin offers some solutions.
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.
The vocational nature of teaching has been eroded by successive government initiatives and we need to take action to preserve it, says Alex Alexandrou, chair of the International Professional Development Asscociation.
An exciting new Geography resource was launched at the Geographical Association annual conference 2007.
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.
Joanne Haine, foundation stage coordinator at Baring Primary School in London, describes how innovative use of ICT made assessment exciting for children and practitioners alike.
Peter Wynne-Willson urges settings to bring live theatre to their children.
Dr Barbara Spender, Freelance Writer and Researcher, with information supplied by Terry Smith, Assistant Headteacher, Ninestiles Secondary School, Acocks Green, Birmingham.
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.
Any primary school teachers out there with workshop ideas? I’m organising a few Antarctica mornings for local primaries and I’m trying to work out what to do.
Sarah Treneer and Claire Kendall describe how they developed a technique for encouraging children to reflect on their own and others’ learning through the use of peer feedback.
Lisa Crosswood describes the benefits of a modular Masters degree in Education.
This activity is about values, language, futurology, ethics and belonging.
Neil Short reports on the result of a small survey into sports provision in schools.
Ask the pupils to imagine a world with no ‘O’
Nick Smurthwaite explains how the after-school organisation Stagecoach is helping pupils with ability in the dramatic arts.
Kris Lines takes the story of a girl who wanted to play mixed football after the age of 12, and explains its implications across the spectrum of school sport.
A fun activity to encourage extension and development of vocabulary.
Design today for tomorrow: this activity looks at an art movement as a starting point for designing and making a product.
If giftedness is expertise in development then gifted historians are, or should be, on the road to being masters of a discipline. But how do we identify and nurture gifted historians? Alison Rowan explains the role of NAGTY’s history think tank.
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?
Neil Short looks at methods for supporting colleagues more effectively in the performance management process.
Neil Short looks at the second and third stages of the PM cycle: monitoring and review.
Helen Hann considers how we can support children and nurture their emerging mathematical concepts and understanding.
Former headmaster Neil Short examines the first stage of the PM cycle – planning.
Julie Jennings considers how you can go about monitoring the effectiveness of your Foundation Stage team.
Teaching Expertise is delighted to announce our sponsorship of a teacher’s expedition to Antarctica, exploring how humans cope with extremes.
Julie Jennings considers how to build your Foundation Stage staff into an effective team.
In this first of a short series on leadership Julie Jennings, an experienced teacher and educational consultant, looks at what it takes to be a leader.
Angela Youngman finds out what is possible if you want to introduce a modern foreign language in your setting.
Leonora Davies, chair of the Music Education Council, talks to Nick Smurthwaite about the vital role of music and movement in early years development.
Communication is by its very nature a two-way process. Children need to have these skills if they are to particpate in shared and meaningful communications. In this Inset package, based on the need for effective communication and engagement as described in the Common Core, Roger Hurn provides information and activities to help your staff think about ways of helping children to practise and develop their communication skills.
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.
Tony Cassidy, citizenship coordinator at Kirk Hallam Community Technology College, Derbyshire describes the benefits of a Japanese exchange programme.
Don Harrison describes three ways to explore issues of global poverty through a new resource from Save the Children.
Jacek Brant found that taxation was an unattractive subject for pupils. He describes the findings of his team’s research and a practical resource that was developed in response to it.
A new study guide by Quakers makes a valuable contribution to peace, finds Brian Walker.
Dr Anjana Khatwa and Richard Edmonds raise questions about fossil collecting and how to maintain environments for a sustainable future.
Timothy Jones shows how performance helps students at the British Council School in Madrid become informed world citizens.
In his regular column, Dr Graham Haydon suggests that reflecting on your own school can be a good way into raising wider questions about communities and the values they share.
Dr Susan Johnson explains how the UK’s bid to make Charles Darwin’s home a World Heritage Site will help to maintain biodiversity.
Lucy Marcovitch shows how progression and achievement in PSHE can be recognised, demonstrated and celebrated at all key stages.
Post-16 education for G&T pupils is disjointed and ill-supported. Mike Bulmer explains what needs to change.
Chris Cowan explains how theatre in education can be a powerful tool in teaching sex and relationship education and other PSHE and citizenship topics.
Ruth Wilkes and Geoff Roberts describe a series of popular events in French and German.
What are the potential benefits to young people and how are schools preparing? Richard Bailey looks into the future.
Dr Jonothan Neelands, deputy director of research at the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth, explains how drama helps both the academically gifted and artistically talented.
Distributed leadership has the potential to transform schools, raising achievement and inspiring more effective practice from staff. Trevor Arrowsmith shows how.
Student voice can be a powerful tool in encouraging higher levels of engagement in learning leading to raised achievement. But many schools still have a lot to learn about making effective use of this tool in practice to bring about whole-school improvement. We uncover some of the lessons learned so far.
Networking to engage student voice
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.
This project focused on integrating Fair Trade purchasing throughout the school and raising pupil and staff awareness of global issues.
Headteacher Peter Kent and deputy Annabel Kay describe how introducing a condensed KS3 programme in their school has created the opportunity for personalised learning.
Dr John Hopkin, chair of the Geographical Association’s Education Committee, looks at why geography has lost its status in the subject league tables and the ways in which it can be put back on the school map.
Former head Dave Weston describes how links with a Finnish school paid dividends for his staff and pupils and led to further similar initiatives.
Geography is the poor Cinderella of the primary curriculum. Where did it all go wrong and what can be done about it? Paula Richardson, education adviser and chair of the publications board of the Geographical Association, makes some suggestions.
Neil Short, education consultant and former head, looks at how schools are facing up to the challenge of supporting and developing sporting talent among young pupils.
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).
This was one of those projects that makes you think being a teacher really is worthwhile!
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.
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
Charitable trusts give more than £350m to education annually. Louise Germaney looks at some of the biggest grant-giving foundations.
Top tips for surviving your first year at a new school, from teacher Ben Vessey
The Association for Science Education (ASE), in collaboration with the Science Council, offers a professional qualification for science education professionals.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a reputation for organising and running meetings that were engaging, fun, productive, and used the talents of the people in the team? Maybe you do already…
The new framework comes into effect this September. It will give schools more freedom — but this comes with tough new duties, says Mark Blois.
On the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, Garry Burnett used the composer as a model to question whether creative skills such as problem-solving and interpretation can be taught
Enterprise education has entered the Ofsted schedule as a subject to be inspected in all schools. But do you know exactly what it involves?
Walking on clouds: how could we engineer the possibility of walking on clouds in the sky?
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.
What name would you give to our present time?
A sport for all: the real challenge is the philosophy of the game: is it to be competitive or cooperative?
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.
Clare Smale and Andrew Gibbons consider how mentoring encourages the development of a learning organisation culture
Latin is a highly valued part of the curriculum at Benton Park School. Principal Anne Clarke explains why.
School sport partnerships are continuing to be successful in increasing the amount of time pupils spend taking part in PE and sport.
G&T coordinator Samantha Wilkinson of King’s Wood School, Essex, explains how she has developed a PE programme for gifted and talented students
Critical thinking, communication, politics, philosophy, environmental awareness, economics.
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.
Black and Wiliam (often mispelled as Black and William, with two ‘L’s) developed a radical approach to learning, as Charles Dietz reports.
Why do we need to celebrate? Is there a pattern common to both religious festivals and secular festivals and celebration?
Quality standards are the new buzzwords in school self-evaluation for G&T coordinators. But what’s the difference between an audit and self-evaluation – and how do you do it? Jane West explains.
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 with GIFT to offer enrichment courses for gifted and talented primary and secondary students, held in local museums and galleries. Rosemary Butcher explains