Dear Nick, I saw in your speech yesterday that you said it was possible for kids to have “No Excuses methods injected into them”. I’m a parent, and I can tell you – I need some of that stuff! Perhaps … Continue reading
I guess it was inevitable that an Election defeat would be followed by a period of brow-beating, on the part of the politically minded. I’m not a member of the Labour Party, but their philosophy is just about the closest … Continue reading
At first glance it is hard to question. A policy that all children should be in school during all of term time. Very well done, Mr Gove. Back up your policy with a fine, have a focus on attendance in … Continue reading
Yesterday it was announced that a Labour Government would create a new designation of ‘Master Teacher’, as part of a ‘drive to raise standards’. Setting aside any questions about whether this is a good idea or not, when I run … Continue reading
“access to the best that has been thought and written …” Michael Gove I’ve always been wary of the notion of a literary canon: a list of the best that has ever been written. In part, my concern stems from … Continue reading
There was much rejoicing in the primary/secondary sector when Sir Michael Wilshaw sent a letter to school inspectors, insisting that they should not look for a particular teaching style when observing lessons, but focus solely on the outcomes for students. … Continue reading
Scene One: A dark corridor. Cigar smoke hovers in the air. Two men are talking. We cannot see their faces. The time is unspecified: perhaps we are in the future, perhaps in the past. Mr. A: We need to get … Continue reading
