Ever since the league tables arrived, schools have channelled their energies into getting the best examination results for the most children. Of course, schools should produce the best examination performance possible from every child, because a basic education for all, up to GCSE at least, is, ultimately, what schools and education are for. It may… Read More »
Here’s the good news: all primary children will have one-to-one tuition to make sure they can all read by the time they leave primary school. Brilliant. Secondary teaching will become an absolute doddle. Say, “turn to page 12”, and the whole class will be right there with you, getting every word. The democratisation of secondary… Read More »
Live long enough, you start developing theories. One of mine sees life as a giant pinball machine: we bounce off each other, off people and events and places, and who knows what the consequences may be, or how far we may be shunted in a new direction, by a completely accidental encounter or choice? An… Read More »
For children in care, apart from all their other problems, education can be a nightmare. Start with the difficulty of paying attention in school at all if your life is in turmoil and you are crippled by anxiety about yourself, your parents, your family, your home. Add to that any difficulty you might have settling… Read More »