I often hear the comment “I don’t know how you write books and do the day job“. And well, I usually agree and stumble over some comments about being very …
Cancel World Book Day!
As March begins, we should expect daffodils to be emerging and the warm weather of spring to be gently cooking our cockles. And yet, the reality is that we are …
Cracking the Academic Code
(This article was first published in Teach Secondary Magazine. You can subscribe HERE) How could a group of crossword puzzle champions save the world? Such a startling question has a …
Girls, Girls, Girls – Peer Effects in the Classroom
(Image sourced via Pixabay.com) Finding the answer to school improvement troubles us all, and yet, sometimes the answers are sitting there at their desks looking straight at us. In …
How could a text message transform literacy?
Just over five million adults in England are functionally illiterate, with the literacy skills equivalent to an eleven year old. Not only that, around half of the adults in prison …
Why can’t boys be…Well, more like girls?
[This blog first appeared on the Huntington Research School website. Take a look HERE and sign up for our monthly newsletter HERE, so that you get access to the brilliant blogs …
The Early Vocabulary Advantage
“Dad, what is a whisk’s favourite drink?” “I don’t know. What is a whisk’s favourite drink?” “Whisky!” And so starts my young boy’s burgeoning entertainment career. So far, it is …
The Truth About Homework
“Most homework teachers set is crap.” Dylan Wiliam, ResearchEd 2014. The subject of homework inspires strong opinions. Teachers, parents and students themselves all have a view on the matter and …
Top 10 Revision Strategies
Year after the year, the same pressures attend exam revision. Each year teachers try the old favourites, alongside a few new revision strategies to keep our students interested. Happily, we now …
The Shape of Stories
Have you ever considered the shape of a story? Perhaps it is a tale that undulates and dips, before rising to a finish. Or it is a story that is …