2023 is loud. In Tesco, you can buy ear defenders at the till in recognition of the fact that everywhere is loud. There is constant background noise, whether it be music, traffic, advertising, apps, screens, or people just screaming to be heard. There is noise. In our homes, Black Mirror is creeping into our lives... Continue Reading →

Through some hazy childhood memory, I can see faces glaring at me over dining tables and teachers’ desks. Disapproving glares magnified by 1980’s spectacle lenses furiously melting any hope of my voice being heard in the next few minutes. Scorn, anger, and derision rained down in Biblical showers from their mouths, as the value of... Continue Reading →

I realise that I sound like a real misery, but I passionately dislike the word 'joyful' (which I realise seems controversial when you consider it's meant to convey a heart full to the brim with overwhelming appreciation and...joy).  My strong aversion to 'joyful'  exists for a number of reasons.   Joyfully, is how Timmy would have greeted... Continue Reading →

Having access to a varied and ambitious lexicon of vocabulary is undoubtedly a successful pathway to achieving high aspirations. In their rationale for robust vocabulary instruction, Beck, McKeown and Kucan state that “A rich vocabulary supports learning about the world, encountering new ideas, enjoying the beauty of language. A rich vocabulary enhances an interview, allows... Continue Reading →

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. From Lao Tzu to Oxfam’s 2007 fundraising campaign, the received wisdom of the “Give a man a fish” proverb has been to educate the world’s population into understanding that providing one-off... Continue Reading →

In a recent article in The Time (July 5 2023) it was reported that Sir Kier Starmer has pledged that Oracy will be put at the heart of the curriculum under a Labour Government. “Starmer says: “The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something that every child is entitled to and should... Continue Reading →

According to research carried out by The Bell Foundation, although many EAL learners recognise familiar notation in Mathematics, “for the majority of EAL Learners there is still a lot of English required to access Maths lessons, and an understanding of the key features of mathematical language is essential for success in the subject. Word problems... Continue Reading →

Try, Try and Try again. Is emotional resilience an unachievable goal for many children? Increasingly desired, yet increasingly elusive, resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. It is a core psychological strength that enables us to face difficult situations, and to build on experiences to make us emotionally stronger and better prepared for... Continue Reading →

Every year, without fail, the opening sequence of The Apprentice treats us to a masterclass in high self-esteem, self-belief and self-worth. Presented before us, we inevitably see, a dozen relatively young (and as it always transpires) inconceivably naïve people, who fail to convince us, but almost certainly convince themselves, that they are the most sought-after... Continue Reading →