Tag Archives: policy

and if schools *cannot* open in September? This is Plan B

 

It has been widely reported (here, here and here) that the Association of School and College Leaders is not happy about the idea of forcing schools in England to re-open in September, whatever the status of the Covid-19 pandemic.

we would urge the government to have in place a national Plan B in the event that we arrive at September and it becomes clear that a full return is just too risky.

The UK infection rate is already (Aug 2020) going up, and there is a significant risk it will explode into a savage second spike if we force 10 million school-age children into becoming active cross-infection vectors. So I think it’s time to write a Plan B, whether Boris wants one or not. Because Continue reading →

My letter to the new Education Minister

Nicky MorganDear Nicky Morgan

May I add my voice to the many congratulating you on your promotion to Education Minister.

I would like to draw your attention to an unfortunate, and probably unintended, consequence of the disapplication of National Curriculum Levels by your predecessor.

The NC Levels are a national system of criterion referencing that gives English education a significant strategic advantage. The principles are Continue reading →

Ten years on, I admit I was wrong about Building Schools of the Future

Remember Building Schools of the Future? It was a flagship programme by the then Labour government to put old wine into new flasks whilst carefully avoiding doing anything that might actually improve the quality of teaching and learning in English schools. I thought it was a gross misappropriation of resources, and said so exactly 10 years ago today.

About that, I was absolutely right. It turned out that Continue reading →

Finally, someone in government gets it

download (1)This report in the Sunday Times (paywalled) is cheering indeed. Matthew Hancock is promoting the idea that computers can handle the content side of education whilst teachers do the bit only they can do – mentoring, coaching and motivating. Many readers of this blog have been Continue reading →