From good to outstanding in English

Liz Harley-Easthope, director of English at Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School, Staffordshire, talks about her presentation at the forthcoming Achievement Show. Cheslyn Hay’s English results have been well above national averages for the last three years, at both
Read in full

Read now >>

Achievement Show 2014 preview: a free SecEd supplement

Ahead of this year’s SSAT Achievement Show (26 June 2014), this SecEd supplement describes some of the innovative practices that have led five SSAT Leading Edge schools to become outstanding. The case studies cover a range of crucial areas, including
Read in full

Read now >>

Life after levels – an ‘extraordinary opportunity for schools’

Professor Dylan Wiliam introduces his forthcoming pamphlet, to help schools design their own assessment systems… The premise of my forthcoming publication – Redesigning Schooling – 8: Principled assessment design – is that any assessment system should be designed to support
Read in full

Read now >>

Michael Gove hasn’t banned anything …

… but he has changed the emphasis of exams; does it really matter? Tom Middlehurst, Head of Research SSAT writes …  Hopefully we all now know that the Secretary of State has neither banned the teaching of American texts in
Read in full

Read now >>

SSAT partners with the Global Learning Programme to inspire and support whole-school improvement

Many schools across the country are already using global learning as a way to support wider school development. Sir John Lawes is just one of many now also participating in the Global Learning Programme for England (GLP). The GLP is
Read in full

Read now >>

Life after levels isn’t rhetoric – it’s happening

Tom Middlehurst, Head of Research SSAT, writes… In the past few weeks I’ve observed a greater volume of discussion around the reality of ‘life after levels’, which will kick in this September: there is excitement, confusion, optimism and anxiety in
Read in full

Read now >>

The importance of arts in educating young people

Matthew Smitheman, SSAT, writes… Recently there have been a number of voices adding weight to the argument of the absolute importance of arts in educating young people. Deda Say Mitchell, author and journalist, wrote in her recent article ‘It’s clear
Read in full

Read now >>

Putting students at the centre

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive SSAT, writes… I am very fortunate to visit many schools and to see some of the amazing work that is going on. There are so many outstanding, dedicated teachers, who are providing challenge, rigour and enjoyment
Read in full

Read now >>

Implementing the revised SEND code of practice – easy as 1 2 3?

No, that’s the number of days until it becomes statutory guidance! (As of 1 May 2014) Jessica Nash, Head of Special Schools Network and Special Education Needs SSAT, writes… Although we don’t yet have the final version of the revised SEND
Read in full

Read now >>

Pupil Premium: evidence-based decisions & planning for impact

Fiona Aubrey-Smith, Head of Primary SSAT, writes… Given Ofsted’s recent recommendation that schools should ‘prove it or lose it’, headteachers and governors are under pressure to provide hard evidence of the impact that pupil premium has had on standards. Here
Read in full

Read now >>