One of my favourite things as Headteacher is recruitment and it is this time of year when applications go into overdrive. As I am currently going through this process, I thought it would be a good idea to share some suggestions and tips for applicants to avoid. Essentially, applying for a job is a competition. Albeit, one where the rules are not necessarily made explicit. Every Headteacher will be looking for different things from their applicants, but one thing is certain - candidates need to make themselves stand out for the correct reasons. Read More...

7 hours is the ideal minimum amount of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation... 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...

      Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day and events are happening all over t Read More...

Like a lot of things in life we get back what we put in. To have positive mental wellbeing we need to make an effort to change our habits and lives. When you are in a positive place you will find that people around you will feel it too. Read More...

With the Easter holidays well under way and the summer term right around the corner, it’s time for schools that haven’t already done so to think about teacher recruitment for September 2015. Whether you are seeking to recruit talented NQTs or teachers with a wealth of experience, here are some top tips to ensure you attract good quality candidates through your recruitment process: Read More...

Do you find you have so much to do over the holidays that you often just don’t know where to begin?! Below are 10 useful ways to have a productive holiday:- Read More...

  Some of us are morning people and some of us are definitely not.  This inforgraphic show Read More...

34 top tips to get you through your interview day and on your way to your dream career. Read More...

Our aim was simple: to share a video we had shown in that day’s assembly; and it worked! The next day we had pupils telling us that they had shown the video to their parents. As these things tend to do, it grew. While conducting lesson observations, I tweet about the great practice I’m seeing; I get pupils bringing me their work and I tweet it under #purplepenwork so that parents and the wider community can also share in their children’s success; I tweet on school visits so that parents know their children are enjoying themselves (and more importantly, when the coach is going to be late back!) Read More...