Many students are scared of maths and do not even attempt questions with a mathematical feel. Sam Holyman shares tips on how to encourage students to give it a go in the mathematical questions in the examinations.
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As we head towards Mock season for our GCSE groups, we are still unsure of the importance of this set of exams. In the past, Mocks gave students a little bit of the experience of what to expect in the real exam season, but this time, they could contribute to their actual GCSE grade if the examinations get cancelled for the third year running due to the Covid-19 global Pandemic. So, Mocks are more important than ever but how do we prepare our students best?
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The first of a series of blogs exploring aspects of teaching and learning in the future post-covid classroom, Eleonora Crovato reflects on the role of practicals and asks: Are practicals a thing of the past? I work in a school with excellent resources and truly knowledgeable technicians – I don’t know how I would do […]
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As the coronavirus pandemic hit, we were told to wash our hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or detergent several times a day. However, many people also called for alcohol gels to be made available in many workplaces, including schools. So, what is the difference between all these different methods of cleaning our […]
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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 […]
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Learning science involves the acquisition and retention of a large body of knowledge. To be useful, both in assessments and in everyday life, this knowledge needs to be stored durably in memory. Knowledge also needs to be accessible when attempts are made to retrieve it. Aware that students felt overwhelmed by the quantity of content […]
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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 […]
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When I started teaching students with special educational needs, the educational landscape was a different place. Special schools and mainstreams were separate entities and what happened inside special schools was an enigma to mainstream teachers. For me, the transition from mainstream to special education was a challenge, and I learned from many mistakes. Fortunately the […]
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Elise Reece, AQA’s Curriculum Manager for Science, looks at the reasons why some students struggle with GCSE Science and how to build their confidence so that they can experience success in the subject. KS4 Science has changed significantly over the past few years. The removal of single-award GCSE, and changes to performance measures, have reduced […]
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In the cold and dark days of December and January the warmth of the summer months can seem a very long way away. As teachers, we know that the exam period comes around much sooner then we’d like. However, most of our students, who are entering their first official exam period, still think they have […]
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