When we talk about a school’s curriculum, the mind often jumps straight to subjects — the programmes of study, the knowledge maps, the progression models. But the true curriculum of a school extends far beyond the timetable. It is every experience, opportunity, and encounter a child has within the life of the school. It is,Continue reading “The Holistic Curriculum: the entirety of the school’s education offer”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
How Do I Know? They’re Attending to Learning
In the classroom, attention has to be everything. Without it, meaningful and purposeful learning can’t take place. As part of our How Do I Know? series (see my previous post on How Do I Know? Crucial Question for Teachers and Leaders) , the release of Steplab’s Video couldn’t have come at a better time. WeContinue reading “How Do I Know? They’re Attending to Learning”
What Now? Life After SATs
The pencils are down. The papers are packed away. SATs are over. So, what now?For Year 6 teachers, this post-SATs season is a rare and precious window. It’s not an ending, but a golden opportunity: a time to celebrate how far your pupils have come, prepare them for the journey ahead, and reflect on yourContinue reading “What Now? Life After SATs”
Actualise Potential – be the instrument to change.
In the ancient story of Exodus, the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites, not because they were weak but because they were strong. They feared that, if left free, they might grow, multiply, and become powerful that one day, they may rule over the Egyptians. Their solution: suppress their potential through control and forced labour. This meantContinue reading “Actualise Potential – be the instrument to change.”
Heart, Soul, and Relentless Purpose: Leading something that Deserves Your Best
Leadership in education isn’t just a job. It’s a calling – one that demands every part of you. To truly serve a school as its headteacher, you must invest your heart and soul into being the leader your community deserves. Anything less won’t do. I’ve always believed that to lead well, you must live byContinue reading “Heart, Soul, and Relentless Purpose: Leading something that Deserves Your Best”
How Do I Know? A Crucial Question for Teachers and Leaders
How do I know? This question sits at the heart of both effective teaching and school leadership. For teachers, it means ensuring that every child is attending to their learning and securing new knowledge. For leaders, it means asking, How do I know that teaching and learning is of high quality? and How do IContinue reading “How Do I Know? A Crucial Question for Teachers and Leaders”
Feedback Culture That Needs Feeding!
A strong culture of responsive feedback is essential for ensuring that assessment is not just a stale summative measure of learning, or worse – performance, but a tool that purposely captures what children have learnt and provides useful next steps to improve future learning. It shifts our focus from assessment of learning (measuring outcomes) toContinue reading “Feedback Culture That Needs Feeding!”
Scheduling/ Timetable – the cry for order
Creating an effective school timetable is essential to ensure every child receives the best possible learning – they deserve to have every minute accounted for. A well-planned timetable brings consistency, alignment, and coverage across the school, which supports curriculum delivery and helps both staff and children perform at their best. Over the past few years,Continue reading “Scheduling/ Timetable – the cry for order”
The Seating plan – the underrated elephant in the room.
In the hustle and bustle of a classroom, the seating plan might seem like a trivial detail, but its impact on learning outcomes and student engagement cannot be overstated. I have had years of trialling different layouts, ability groupings, behaviour groupings and still it remains an important consideration for me every term. A well-thought-out seatingContinue reading “The Seating plan – the underrated elephant in the room.”
Striking a Harmonious Balance: Excelling at Work and Home
In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding a balance between excelling at work and nurturing a fulfilling personal life is a constant challenge. In recent weeks, I have found myself facing a new reality with the welcome of my newborn daughter. The delicate equilibrium between professional success and personal well-being is crucialContinue reading “Striking a Harmonious Balance: Excelling at Work and Home”
Teacher Out Loud 