Saturday 29 November 2014

WHY ARE WE HERE... PASS IT ON!

It’s funny because I have been fortunate to "stand on the shoulders of giants" and at the sides of so many great leaders, teachers, educators, colleagues and friends…

Friday 28 November 2014

WHY ARE WE HERE... PASS IT ON!

My parents brought me up to understand that whatever we did we should try to change the world for the better! But I struggled at school and everyone told me that I wasn’t that clever so, while my sister became a doctor and my brother a lawyer, I became a teacher.

Thursday 27 November 2014

THE PIECE I READ AT THE ACADEMIES SHOW... PASS IT ON!

A lot of colleagues who attended my seminar, at The Academies Show yesterday at the NEC, asked about the piece I read. Here it is...
"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

Thursday 20 November 2014

QUICK FIXES DON'T WORK... PASS IT ON!

In a world where OFSTED strikes fear into the hearts of headteachers and teachers, it is important to remember that the current short-term, quick fix and interventionist approach is not based on in-depth understanding of the research evidence about what works or a detailed understanding of the context and culture of schools.

Tuesday 18 November 2014

TEAMWORK MATTERS.. PASS IT ON!

We know what works, from the Sutton Trust and EEF toolkits, EPPI studies, John Hattie, Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves, and importantly we know what doesn’t work! 

Monday 17 November 2014

WHAT ALSO WORKS... PASS IT ON!

The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

The Toolkit currently covers 30 topics, each summarised in terms of their average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost. These are the ones that also make a difference!

Sunday 16 November 2014

HAPPY SUNDAY: CREATIVITY, INC.

I have just finished reading Creativity, Inc. It is a fascinating book; a book for anyone who wants to know how to lead their employees to release their extraordinary potential, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, ideas and innovation, a book that proves once again that you can achieve great things if you focus relentlessly on culture, leadership and people.

Friday 14 November 2014

WHAT DOESN'T WORK... PASS IT ON!

The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

The Toolkit currently covers 30 topics, each summarised in terms of their average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost. These are the ones that don't appear to make a difference!

Thursday 13 November 2014

WESTFIELD SCHOOL 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' LAUNCH EVENT

I visited Westfield School in Sheffield again last night to attend the launch event for their 'Made in Sheffield' programme, which involves young people becoming ambassadors in five strands of the programme; engineering/advanced manufacturing, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, retail,  sport, health and well-being and computer science.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

WHAT WORKS... PASS IT ON!

The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
The Toolkit currently covers 30 topics, each summarised in terms of their average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost. These are the ones that appear to make the biggest difference!

Tuesday 11 November 2014

VISIBLE LEARNING... PASS IT ON!

The great thing about research is that it tells us what works and importantly what doesn't work!
The Sutton Trust - EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit reinforces John Hattie's work.

Monday 10 November 2014

A TOOLKIT OF STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE LEARNING... PASS IT ON!

I was re-reading the Sutton Trust's publication; ‘Toolkit of Strategies to Improve Learning’ which summarises research evidence on improving learning and attainment to help schools to make more informed choices about how to support their students.

Sunday 9 November 2014

IT'S REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY... PASS IT ON!


FEEDBACK MATTERS... PASS IT ON!

If we are serious about success for all, we need to further develop the systems and practices for reviewing and developing the work that goes on in our schools. We need to recognise and reward good teaching and great learning, and support the development of every teacher and the whole school workforce.

Saturday 8 November 2014

WHERE DO THE WEEKS GO?

It has been another hectic week working on strategies and data, analysis and intelligence and case studies. Another week where people focus on the wrong things... like uniform, structures and management as the keys to success.