It’s now the third time through the A levels for the new (ish) reformed A level specifications, or the fourth time round if you count the AS exams (which are now sat by just a quarter of those who took them 2 years ago). That usually means that teachers and students are getting more used […]
Read more
In September, when school resumes, new shoes pinch and a seastorm of priorities swirl, the following question is posed to English departments across the country by piranha-like headteachers: how will you help students do better in literature next year? There’s no silver bullet, of course, but some golden advice is contained in examiners’ reports. These […]
Read more
I have noticed that students often don’t know why they are studying English Language or the overall requirements of the final exams they are approaching. They have a vague notion that they have to get a GCSE in English but they have no real idea of what they should be doing or what their everyday […]
Read more
It’s a bright, crisp September morning and I’m sitting in a hall, surrounded by shell-shocked teachers as we all adjust to the Autumn term and the return of our early morning get-up time. As I listen to the announcements and take part in the discussions, I realise the same words keep popping up: Ofsted, cultural […]
Read more
By Rebecca Nobes The examiners’ reports are a really useful way to pick up on areas to develop in the coming year. Here are my main takeaways from this year’s reports: Paper 1: listening, reading and writing Summary task This was by far the biggest area of weakness. The main things for students to note […]
Read more
Blast off on a reading adventure with our recommendations to help you and your class celebrate World Space Week from 4—10th October – it’s the largest space event on Earth! From hanging out with aliens and riding in spaceships, to a little bit of rocket science, there’s something for all reading ages and abilities. You might find these books […]
Read more
Reading through the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) [1] it’s clear that there are some implications for Science departments and teachers that need to be considered. In this blog I’ll identify three key issues and discuss them. The three issues are: The 3 Is: Intent, Implementation, Impact Key Stage 3: Two Years vs Three Years Science or Biology, Chemistry & […]
Read more
Revision. A word which probably conjures up memories of the anxious weeks before exams, frantically reading through notes wielding a highlighter in an attempt to get vaguely remembered knowledge into your head. Perhaps you did some practice questions, or maybe you felt so overwhelmed that you ended up doing nothing. Whatever your approach, you would […]
Read more
Lucy Durrant, Assistant Head Teacher and Maths Lead at Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School in Croydon, tells us about how she and her colleagues use Inspire Maths and MyMaths to support their maths teaching. Tell us a bit about your school. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School is a junior school in Croydon with over 270 pupils. In 2015 Ofsted rated […]
Read more
After the dust has settled on results day, an autumn routine should include a forensic study of the Examiners’ Reports. Even the most successful departments will unearth areas for improvement and refinement. From studying the 2019 AQA A Level Drama and Theatre reports, here are my top five takeaways: Avoid the trap of pre-prepared answers […]
Read more