Return to Teaching
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Return to Teaching

There is an ongoing crisis caused by staffing shortages in schools because of the pandemic. Due to the Omicron variant spreading so widely and quickly, many teachers across the country are having to self-isolate. There is immense pressure on the government, particularly from parents, to ensure that schools remain open for face-to-face teaching so that another school year is not lost.

On 20th December 2021, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi put out a call for retired teachers and those who have left the profession to return temporarily to fill the gap.

On 12th January, the government reported that it was estimated that 585 teachers had already signed up to return to teaching.

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What is COP26?
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COP26 – What can schools do to tackle climate change?

What is COP26?

With climate change in the headlines daily, it has been impossible to miss the news coverage of the COP26 conference held in Glasgow from 31st October. Despite this being the 26th Conference of the Parties brought together by the United Nations to discuss climate change, it has only been this year that it has obtained so much attention in the media worldwide.

The UK government took a leading role in this year’s conference and the Department for Education (DfE) has been given the huge responsibility for fighting against climate change by educating young people.

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Great Head Teacher
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What Makes a Great Head Teacher?

A question often asked in education is how to determine whether a head teacher is a good one. The attributes required to be one of the best head teachers may well be the same as required by any great leader, but a head teacher’s role can be particularly complex whatever type of school they are leading.

This is a list of eight qualities that you will want to see in the best head teachers.

A great head teacher:

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Teacher Stress
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Teacher Stress in England

Teacher stress in England is a topic that has been raised over several years with many teachers opting to leave the profession, retire early or look for alternatives within education. Professor Wettstein carried out a study in 2020  that concluded that many factors lead to teaching being a highly stressful career across the globe.

Many teachers in England each year look towards the private sector for a less stressful teaching option but is this a viable alternative that will reduce teacher stress?

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curriculum planning
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What you need to know about collaborative curriculum planning

According to Just Great Teaching by Ross Morrison McGill, 92 per cent of teachers and school leaders feel confident or very confident with their day-to-day work around curriculum. However, 61 per cent still consider it a challenging area of practice, while 24 per cent believe it is a weakness in their school.

Even before COVID-19 changed the landscape of teaching, schools faced several challenges with their new curriculums. But this is only set to increase when you consider post-pandemic learning lost, the impact of mental health and the emergence of a vaccine.

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Abandoning Lesson Observations
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3 Reasons Why Schools Are Abandoning Lesson Observations

Despite the fact several school leaders think that lesson observations are a valuable tool for professional development, others believe they’re simply an additional source of stress that does little to improve learning.

Regardless of your opinion, research of more than 200 schools has recently revealed that change is on the horizon. Conducted by CPD tracking specialists BlueSky Education, the survey showed that in the last two years, more than two-thirds of schools have adjusted their approach to lesson observations.

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The 12 Days Of Christmas
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The 12 Days Of Christmas for Teachers

What does the run-up to the festive season look like at your school? Several teachers will integrate the 12 Days of Christmas into their lesson plans as a way to keep children engaged, as attention spans are usually at their shortest point of the year.

But why should teachers miss out on all the fun? Here’s an education-inspired 12 Days of Christmas, with a reading recommendation for each.

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4 Things Teachers Need to Do to Communicate Better

What would you say is the most important characteristic of a great teacher? Listening skills? Passion for the job? Or perhaps friendliness and approachability?

For many, it is the ability to communicate effectively. But this isn’t limited to the words coming out of your mouth – communication is about about when you say it, how often you say it, who you say it to and what your actions are saying.

So, if you want to communicate better, here’s 4 things you should be saying.

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Testing Children Too Much?
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Are We Testing Children Too Much?

Jeremy Corbyn recently pledged that if elected, Labour would scrap formal tests in primary schools in England. Speaking to members of the National Education Union in Liverpool, Corbyn claimed that SATS leave children in floods of tears or vomiting with worry.

He also said that the move would free up schools struggling with funding cuts and congested classrooms, and help teacher recruitment and retention.

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School Examinations Failing Some Pupils
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Are School Examinations Failing Some of Our Pupils?

It is fair to say that throughout life, people are measured and judged against certain benchmarks, which don’t always paint true-to-life pictures of character or capability.

The exact same thing can be said for our current examination system, which ignores the individuality of each student – it’s simply the strongest and fittest who survive.

So, does that mean to say we are failing our pupils with school examinations?

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