General
Friday
10 questions with...Sheila Laing
The virtual school headteacher for East Lothian talks about how her time at primary made her feel invisible, her fond memories of a difficult school merger and the importance of a child-centred approach to behaviour management
Engaging lesson plans require compromise
The argument over the best way to engage children in learning continues to rage – but the choice is not as binary in practice, writes the Tes editor
10 questions with...Li Wei
The new dean and director of the UCL Institute of Education talks about his lack of a formal education as a child and the importance of learning languages
Neuroscience isn’t a holy grail for learning
Contrary to popular opinion in education circles, neuroscience does not hold the key to improving the efficiency of students’ learning, teachers do, argues Kester Brewin ➧
How to include more people of colour in your curriculum
A new report reveals that very little of the prose used in the teaching of English in key stages 2 to 5 is by writers of colour. So, what can educators do to ensure students are exposed to a more ethnically varied and representative selection of texts? Christina Quaine finds out
Why I prefer a pick ’n’ mix approach to teaching styles
Direct instruction was always Cassandra Millington’s favoured method – until, that is, she was asked to design a project-based learning scheme
Friday
Outdoor learning has improved our pupils’ attainment
Covid lockdowns had a damaging impact at this school – and outdoor learning has been a big part of the solution
What is teaching? Let’s settle the centuries-old debate
Dialogic or didactic? The tug-of-war dates back to Socrates, but Mark Enser says the end may be in sight
Northern schools: the truth behind the myths
Claims that the ‘North-South divide’ in student attainment is down to poor school leadership and weak teaching could be used to drive the government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda. But research suggests such arguments may be flawed – and that the real culprit is long-term economic deprivation. John Morgan reports
Can repeating a year of school be a good thing?
Much of the research shows that getting a child to redo the previous 12 months can be detrimental to their academic achievement and wellbeing. But, in certain circumstances, might the practice be beneficial? Irena Barker finds out
PE teachers should face the music and dance
Shimmies and body rolls may not come naturally to some PE teachers, but Phil Mathe believes they should overcome their dance hang-ups and embrace an activity that can be of considerable benefit to students
