In my opinion Key Stage Three is the most important time in secondary school and the time when we can have the biggest influence on students. It’s a time where we can have a significant impact both academically and socially. I even put this to Twitter and Twitter agreed: 50% of people shared this view! […]
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We recently held a small event in our Oxford offices to talk to primary and secondary school teachers about vocabulary and the Word Gap in their school. Lots of interesting, practical ideas were shared and discussed and we have summarised some of them here: Give key vocabulary at the start of each lesson. Encourage students […]
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This much-anticipated holiday is the ideal time to make a start on reading your To Be Read pile! Members of the Oxford English and Secondary Schools marketing team share what they will be reading this festive period. Kirsty: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, this Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of Cora and […]
Read moreBy Rehana Akhtar It has always been a recurring thought to me over my years of teaching as to ‘Why do pupils need to be re-taught and why do they not retain key skills and concepts?’ The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study by OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and […]
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The examiners were pleased that students had been well prepared for the specification, and had gained considerable knowledge. There were some concerns about the accuracy of material students are coming across online, and it’s important that we should guide them towards more reliable sources, and teach them to be critical and check facts. There were […]
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Part of our series of posts that focus on a key character from exam set texts. Offering alternative interpretations and insights, these are ideal for sharing with students as they revise and prepare for their English Literature exams. ‘Everything’s all right now, Sheila.’ For me, Gerald Croft is in many ways the most interesting character […]
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In the first of a series of insights from language lovers, we introduce you to inspirational individuals with tales of language-learning journeys that have changed their lives for the better. We hope these stories will help inspire your students to opt for a modern language (or two!). Name: Luke BaxterUniversity of Warwick: BA Comparative American […]
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Examiners’ reports are a wealth of information, giving data about how many students tried each question as well as breaking down misconceptions for every section. Are there any key messages that we can draw from the examiners reports to improve the performance of our students? Sam Holyman has looked through the reports to give you […]
Read more AQA have released their examiner reports into the GCSE Religious Studies examinations which took place in the summer. Head of Curriculum, Esther Zarifi, stated in her report of the examinations that teachers are feeling more confident with the new content as the second year of the new specification has been taught. There are many positives […]
Read moreBy Matthew Hunter Like all Heads of Department and GCSE teachers, I was quick to run my analysis on results day. How had the students performed versus school targets, their aspirations and our expectations? Like many, I’m sure, we were pleased with how some of our top-end students performed. However, like most, our eyes were […]
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