30 August - 5 September 2014
Saturday
Simon v Strictly
Dulling the pain of the start of term, The X Factor returned to our screens. But will the wailers and warblers still be pulling in the viewers when Strictly Come Dancing begins on 6 September?
Sunday
A politician to the core
And we thought her brief was to placate teachers ahead of the general election. England’s education secretary Nicky Morgan said state schools must enter all pupils for “core GCSEs” or be marked down by Ofsted.
Monday
Coming to terms
After six weeks away, it was back to school for many teachers in England. The vagaries of local term dates meant some returned as early as last week, while others were blessed with a few more days to prepare.
Tuesday
Inside the Trojan Horse
MPs discussed how to tackle extremism in schools, inviting former counter-terrorism chief Peter Clarke to speak to the Commons Education Select Committee about his report on Birmingham’s “Trojan Horse” scandal.
Wednesday
Man or Machine?
“Intelligent teaching machines” will be up for debate at the Association for Learning Technology’s conference in Warwick. But would a robot teacher be any better at putting dirty cups in the dishwasher?
Thursday
Price of privilege
The richest parents are four times as likely to pay for extra classes than the poorest, according to a Sutton Trust report. And students in London are more likely to have had a private tutor than those elsewhere.
Friday
Follicular fun at the fair
Are you strawberry blonde, ginger, auburn or none of the above? Whatever your hair colour, it’s time to celebrate as thousands of people descend on the Dutch town of Breda for its annual Redhead Days festival.
6-12 September 2014
Saturday
Now you see it.
.now you don’t. A coveted trophy and prize money will be up for grabs as top tricksters and masters of sleight of hand battle it out to be named Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year.
Sunday
Going the extra mile - or 13
Trainers: check. Shorts: check. Vaseline liberally applied to chafing zones: check. The Great North Run kicks off in Newcastle, with more than 50,000 competitors taking on the half-marathon course.
Monday
On the write track
Unesco’s International Literacy Day will be marked around the globe. This year the event focuses on literacy and sustainable development in a world where 775 million adults are still unable to read or write.
Tuesday
Forbidden fruit
The rumour mill is in overdrive in anticipation of the launch of the iPhone 6, due to be unveiled by Apple today. Will it be big? Will there also be a watch? Will the internet collapse through sheer hype?
Wednesday
A Teaching Moment in Time
Take part in a global teaching experiment by sharing what your class is up to at 11am local time. The event follows the success of last year’s A Teaching Moment in Time. www.tesconnect.comteaching-moment
Thursday
Return to Ground Zero
The 13th anniversary of the 911 attacks in New York City and Washington DC will be commemorated today. Almost 3,000 people died after four commercial passenger planes were hijacked by terrorists.
Friday
Brush with the past
In 1940, the cave paintings of Lascaux in France were discovered by four boys when their dog, Robot, stumbled on the entrance. Inside was a “cavalcade of animals larger than life”. A bit like your classroom.
