What learners need now
Prior to the pandemic, mainstream schools were saying they were unable to get timely support for students who needed more than they themselves could provide – particularly in respect of learners who needed CAMHS support and special schools were telling us that they were operating with over-commissioned places.
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How can we help students and staff recover from Covid
Since the pandemic, we know that behaviour has become a greater concern for many schools and this is inevitably impacting on the wellbeing of staff. We partner with a number of organisations who work with schools. This piece shares the experiences of the team at humanutopia.
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One thing that Ofsted could do right now
Everyone in education’s thoughts this week are with the family, friends and colleagues of Ruth Perry, the Reading headteacher who took her own life in January. No one at this stage can know the thoughts that were in Ruth’s head at the time and it would be completely wrong to speculate.
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SSAT Statement following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
We would like to offer our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of Ruth Perry.
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SSAT Statements
The latest tranche of messages between Matt Hancock and Gavin Williamson shows a shocking disregard for teachers and children. School leaders suffered from a lack of clear direction from the DfE during the pandemic. School leaders, teachers and all staff worked incredibly hard to educate children and young people, and to keep them safe. Today, teachers and young people are still suffering from the effects of the pandemic. Our teachers deserve respect for the incredible work they do.
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Should we be spending more time focusing on culture than strategy?
Peter Drucker, the management consultant, author and educator, is quoted as saying “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. You may have heard this phrase before, but culture can be difficult to pin down.
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Teacher morale and retention
The key issues relating to teacher recruitment and retention were considered by our CEO Sue Williamson and Professor John Howson in a conversation last term. It is significant that teachers are striking for better working conditions due to a perceived crisis in education, a crisis of teacher retention most likely linked to low morale and high workload. A large number of teachers don’t stay beyond the five-year mark according to DfE figures.
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Women in Leadership and Education – Marva Rollins
After more than 24 years, Marva Rollins OBE retired from her role as headteacher in 2019. Marva now uses her wealth of experience of leading schools to support school leaders in schools in challenging circumstances.
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Women in Leadership and Education Profile – Bethan Morgan
Bethan Morgan is an Assistant Headteacher at Pate’s Grammar School who leads on Co-curricular and Inclusivity. A geography specialist, Bethan is in her fifth year of teaching.
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Free school meals for all?
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a £130m scheme to provide all London primary aged pupils with free schools meals during the 2023/24 academic year. The plan, which will provide a lunchtime meal to around 270,000 pupils across the capital, will save families around £440 per child across the year at a time when living costs are increasingly challenging.
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