Category Archives: Comment Blog

GCSEs 2013: an emerging picture

Bill Watkin, SSAT Operational Director, writes… Unlike last year, when by midday on ‘Exams Wednesday’ dozens of headteachers and principals had come together with an almost identical experience, the picture this week appears to indicate a greater variation. Last year,
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Welcome back from all at SSAT

Sue Williamson, SSAT CEO, writes… Dear all, We hope you have had a restful and enjoyable summer break. We hope also that your examination results were what you were expecting and that, as they receive their results today, the majority
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DfE Consultation: Primary Assessment

Glyn Barritt, SSAT Learning Technologies Coordinator, writes… On 20 July 2013 the Department for Education launched its consultation on Primary Assessment and Acccountability under the new Curriculum. Media headlines focused on the national ranking of primary school children through decentile banding,
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‘If it is too easy the scholar would not exist…’

Sue Williamson, SSAT Chief Executive, writes… Six chefs, all under age 30, were competing for the scholarship – some were participating for the second or third time. The challenges they faced throughout the competition tested both knowledge and skills. The
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SSAT’s Annual Lecture 2013

SSAT’s Annual Lecture 2013 was generously hosted and sponsored by BT on Thursday 23 May 2013. ‘Our nation’s key asset for a future of sustained growth is education,’ declared CBI director-general John Cridland, in his SSAT Annual Lecture. Education is
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Performance management and performance-related pay

Bill Watkin, SSAT Operational Director, writes… School leaders are now – if they have not already completed the exercise – developing their strategies for the introduction of a new pay policy. They are considering how they might gather evidence of
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A Speed Learning report – Cholsey Primary School

Nicola Hughes, Deputy Head at Cholsey Primary School, writes… Back in January of this year, we agreed to host SSAT’s first event of the The Primary Network – Speed Learning Series. “It’s like speed dating for teachers,” we were told and “a
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