I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about why a song speaks to my soul. According to Seamus Heaney, when a writer’s work speaks to you directly, “you hear something in another writer’…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about why a teacher's job is more important than ever. One of my favourite reads of the past year has been Richard Holloway’s “On…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about helping students avoid making nonsensical interpretations of poems. One of the most frustrating misconceptions I hear from English Literature students goes something like this: “I can…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about what I am doing to make my Alastair Campbell jam jar taller. To say I know Alastair Campbell would be an exaggeration. I have met him…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about witnessing all the vulnerabilities of our health service up close, first-hand. It began with a tick bite. I never gave it much thought; insect bites are,…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about why OFSTED should stop making 1-4 judgements of schools. Cartoon by Stan Dupp "Schools with good judgements can be brave and develop their curriculum in…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about how to model the answer to an AQA English Language Paper Two, Question 5, 40 marker. I know I bang on about modelling the thinking-writing-thinking-writing process,…
I have been a teacher for 30 years, a Headteacher for 15 years and, at the age of 54, this much I know about how our school’s values underpin how we all behave. It is hard to find a colleague head teacher who does not think that student behaviour…