The Focus of Childhood: Informal Learning Through Experience and Reflection
I am currently enjoying the joy of walking my grandson Barney to nursery in the morning. The fifteen minute walk is a new voyage of discovery every morning. We discuss … Continue reading
Inspirational School-Based Rewards
Brian Mendler with a stroke of lateral thinking genius here: One of my fave ways to build culture is to reward everyone in honor of one. “Because Jenny had such … Continue reading
Critical Child Development Sequences and Milestones, via Charlotte Davies
I have long taken an interest in the posts of Charlotte Davies. Her specialism is in cognitive and development issues and the impact of underdevelopment on the potential of young … Continue reading
The Paucity of Aspiration in National Educational
Unfortunately, the fact that all politicians have received an education of sorts and can spout such nonsense as former Education Secretary Michael Gove’s “we’ve heard enough from experts!” makes for … Continue reading
Just for Fun… a Quiz for the Summer Break
Source: WrongHands – Cartoons by John Atkinson on Facebook
Testing 3, 2, 1: Michael Lawrence Calls Out Standardised Education Practice
Like myself, my colleague Michael Lawrence is very taken with the Finnish education system and the reflection and professional thought that has gone into its creation. The welfare and development … Continue reading
Planning a Better Future with Fabienne Vailes
Another week, another great conversation with an educator passionate about change in education and learning. Fabienne Vailes has experience of education in most of its phases and can see clearly … Continue reading
If you do one thing to end this school year successfully, watch this seminar.
It has been a long and difficult academic year bringing disruption and challenges which have, between them, thwarted the scope and pace of school development planning. End the year on … Continue reading
Critical Mass: Forces for Change in Education Worldwide
I have been much heartened over the previous months by conversations I have had with educators worldwide who are rejecting the premise of current educational models. Increasingly they are putting … Continue reading
The Emotional Needs of Learners
If school is to be an effective place of learning it must cater for many dimensions of need in its pupils. The need for emotional and physical security is paramount. … Continue reading
Insights into the Parent Relationship with School and Learning from Liz Keable
I found a conversation started recently by Liz Keable on LinkedIn very insightful regarding the relationship of the parent and the school in supporting learning of the individual child. Improving … Continue reading
This is Why I Drink Tea…
Thanks for sharing this Daniel Sobel… made me laugh!
The International Teacher Recruitment and Retainment Crisis
There has always been a ‘churn’ rate in teachers in school… a rate at which teachers entered and left the profession, many after the first few years of teaching. When … Continue reading
Thought For The Day: Michael Rosen Rejects Data-led Learning
You know your curriculum is in trouble when even poets are taking up pens against it… Here poet and author Michael Rosen deplores the direction of the reductionist school curriculum. … Continue reading
A Curriculum for the Future…
What at first sight may appear to be a rather Utopian mission statement for a forward-looking school is in fact nothing of the kind. This is the pre-amble to the … Continue reading
I Did. You Can: The Phil Crompton Interviews
I was both flattered and inspired to be asked by my old friend, Phil Crompton to take part in his series of interviews with people he considered to be ‘movers … Continue reading
Empathy in Schools – A Basis for Constructive Change #EmpathyDay
I am indebted to Dr Debarshi Roy FRSA, author of Skinned Knees and ABCs, for this insightful model of how empathy can be embodied in the school curriculum as a … Continue reading
Building the Curriculum of the Future: Can you help? An Appeal to Education Leaders Worldwide
Noting the general malaise in education reported in the Western world I’m keen to explore solutions. In the past, the standard response to widespread teacher dissatisfaction has been a pay … Continue reading
Recovering from Learning Loss: Opportunity in a Crisis
The Coronavirus has given schools some daunting challenges, not least of which is the learning time lost due to illness and closed schools during the pandemic. There is an urgent … Continue reading
A Small Victory for the Creative Arts in Wales
At a time when the creative subjects are under threat by the march of the ‘basics’ brigade, it was very encouraging to see Huw Jones picking up this under-reported piece … Continue reading
Interoceptive Input and Sensory Processing Disorder
This issue is beyond my expertise and experience, but I include it to show how our growing understanding of the science and neuroscience of life and learning has the ability … Continue reading
Trauma and Learning – Where Two Worlds Collide
Thanks to Daniel Sobel for sharing Ruth Culver‘s infographic from the Calm Heart website on the physiological effects of trauma. It is good to see the extremely nuanced world of … Continue reading
Transformational Change: From Random School Initiative to Capacity Building and Whole-School Cultural Development
An initiative is needed in your school. It might be needed to plug a deficiency identified internally, or, more alarmingly, in response to a critical report. Most usually the … Continue reading
Finnish Education – A Practical Example
My good antipodean friend, musician extraordinaire, Phil Rooke brought this post by Kateryna Matiushchenko to my attention and I am glad he did. It shows Finnish education in action dealing … Continue reading
Some Vital Neuroscientific Information For the Classroom
Here’s a thought… in planning learning, what if the structure of the lesson was based not on Into, Body, Plenary or some such structure, and instead aimed to achieve that … Continue reading
I Did. You Can. A Podcast with Phil Crompton
I had always expected to have a linear career as an educational professional aspiring to lead my own school, which I did. However, forces beyond my control then took over … Continue reading
Some Key Developmental Factors in Adolescent Learners… Ignore Them At Your Peril!
Teenagers can be annoying, can’t they just! Daydreaming, emotionally charged, refusing to sit still and just listen… the list is endless, as any teacher will tell you. However, if you … Continue reading
The Learning Renaissance 
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