Several Spanish schools have a two hour break mid day where children go home and many do not return... There have been separate trials, in other parts of the region, for continuous days whereby the children stay in class between 9am and 3pm, followed by activities so children don’t leave school early. How do you think this affects their progress and attainment levels? Read More...

I've been a foster carer for around 18 months and it is the most challenging and rewarding job I've ever done... Read More...

A chronology of thoughts and observations leading from the initial phone call from the OFSTED team leader (September 2014 OFSTED Framework). Read More...

Everybody has a lightbulb moment or a ‘life-changing’ experience that forces them into action that they have no option but to proceed with. My moment was when I stumbled upon a huge green fishing net decorated with numerous juvenile small spotted cat sharks. I couldn’t ignore my overwhelming feelings of anger and grief, that day literally changed my life. Read More...

What would you do if you received a phone call advising Ofsted Inspectors would arrive at your school the next day? Here is how one Headteacher managed the process. Read More...

School-age pedestrians are more vulnerable to serious and fatal injuries in the afternoon and early evening than at any other time. Here are a few more common dangers to consider, along with our top tips for keeping children safe: Read More...

There has been much written over the years about the benefits of music in the classroom, therefore, why is it that when you go into most schools they are like mausoleums. The benefits of music can never be underestimated. Read More...

A precocious eight year old's innocent comment after parents' evening highlights just how much things have changed, and not just in the classroom. Read More...

What do I mean by “cycle time”? It’s simply the amount of time a person tends to spend with an organisation, or in a job, and to many employers it matters. Someone with a short cycle time, who seems to flit from job to job is unlikely to be seen as a good bet by an organisation that want’s to invest time and money in training, yet someone who has stayed in the same place for ten years may be seen to be inflexible and intolerant to change. Read More...

The sorts of circumstances we chatted about are social issues, not just educational ones, but it did remind me very much of the column inches dedicated to the issues in reception classes each September, aghast at the number of children not yet able to use a knife or fork, or not yet reliably toileting. Suddenly, the term “in loco parentis” takes on a very different meaning. Read More...