Family comes first. With a heady mix of love and selfishness, ambition and hope, parents guard and support their children. It is no real surprise then to read in the latest Sutton Trust report – labelled ‘Parent Power’ – that many parents take direct action when it comes to the schooling of their children. The …
The run up to a general election often trots out the good, the bad, and the ugly, of education policy. We know that what sells to the voter on the doorstep often doesn’t translate well into the reality of a well-functioning school system; evidence & experience are often trumped by the demands of party ideology …
General Election ’17: An Education Policy Overview Read More »
Image via Edudatalab: Grammar School Briefing – September 2016 This week I have undertaken the government consultation, ‘Schools That Work for Everyone’. Now, if you know even a smidgen about the Green Paper, then you know that the title is deeply ironic. Grammar Schools in particular don’t work for everyone – that is kind of …
(Image via Geniussis) I can picture the scene. I arrive home from work to be greeted by my young daughter. The end of the summer holidays hasn’t dimmed her enthusiasm; she has been sparked anew – both excited and curious. “Daddy”, she says excitedly, “I’m special: I’m gifted and talented”. Basking in a cozy glow of …
Just under a quarter of a century ago, I failed the 11+. I’ll admit, the experience was less than cataclysmic for my skinny pre-teen self. I remember being asked by my school teacher if I wanted to sit the exam, with my ‘yes vote’ being cast when my best friend was confirmed as sitting the …
(Image via David Morris on Flickr.com) “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” Anatole France, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard (1881) Going to university to study English Language and …
Sometimes an educational news story comes along that lingers in the mind far longer than the usual chip-paper headline. One such story, earlier this month, was triggered for me when The Sutton Trust released some research labelled ‘Missing Talent‘, about our youngsters who perform well at KS2, but don’t convert that into success in their …
