Ambition is a predictable 1hr per week of self study and 1hr coaching so we focused on making sure we gave enough protected time to meet that and other supportive touches where possible (eg ECT study time p5 so can be done at home). My take is that grass isn't always greener.
Sorry I'm not directly answering but we moved to Ambition from another provider (BPN) as our colleagues really struggled with the unbalanced workload and pinchpoints of that provider and general hassle of using inferior platforms than Steplab....
+1 for Silo. Having to wait until Friday for the finale is painful!
This also made me reflect on how much data we share with parents through school apps and how they know so much more about their child's day to day achievement and behaviour. We see lots of positives but it could be fueling parental anxiety about their child's experience of school
I wanted to see this too as it's on IDSRs but on reflection would it risk schools considering the impact on league tables before putting a child on the SEN register? It's more controllable than prior attainment/PP etc. Could be problematic.
This is a superb resource for A-Level Sociology teachers to use in the Education unit - thank you!
Did you feel that was the right decision? I'd be interested to know whether senior leaders invested the time in systems to tackle non-attendance and creating and implementing escalation rules. When it went back to teachers was attendance monitored centrally or left to individual teachers?
TeacherTapp results show 28% of respondents must oversee at least some detentions they set
Thousands of teachers still giving up breaks, lunches and after school to supervise their own detentions. If this is your school, is it a committed decision by leaders or just a case of doing things the way they always have? @teachertapp.bsky.social #edusky
Thank you, Adam, really timely. Lots of students told us that they are more motivated by regular communication and celebration of achievement points with their parents over big ticket rewards - we're going to make this a focus this year.
I think that's where local context is key. A lot of the discussion around state v private education is dominated by ideology but it can be as simple as choosing between two specific schools in your area and their provision, record and suitability
I also think we get a first-hand understanding of the impact of recruitment difficulties - if your local private school can demonstrate strong retention and comfortably filling vacancies then that's attractive compared to your child potentially being taught by non-specialists in key subjects
I think the sense of awe and wonder changes from 'wow that's magical' to 'wow, how do they do that?'. Maybe the challenge is maintaining an inquisitive mind when quick fix answers are so readily available. There is a sense of wonder in learning things more slowly and thoroughly
I’m relieved you’ve written that, it’s the same lines as my talk for rED…😂
Basically, good teaching is hard, but get it right and you’re generally inclusive. If you can master it, you will free up time for those who need very specific and targeted support. (With a few idea to cut workload)
Great words of wisdom for us in planning for the new term and not getting carried away believing things are better just because we want them to be or because we worked hard
'Getting a true sense of what the school is like takes time. Also, challenging one’s own assumptions and biases is hard'
I'm sceptical about the transition to online exams but this could be one area where we can speed up the marking/admin process and gets results earlier, at least for A-Levels.
100% this. Support for students is also inconsistent across schools, eg. Careers advisors, remark advice, guidance for parents. All depends on who is in and for how long - it's unfair that this depends on discretionary effort of staff who already give so much. Results in July = full support network.
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Looks great, thanks for posting. The photos on their website don't do justice to the size of it. We'll definitely go now
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My 9yr old daughter is her new biggest fan and it feels both weird and wonderful
NEW POST: The AI Ate My Homework - Fixing the timetable problem. <- I'm trying to write shorter posts. This is 724 words. My goal is 500. Must try harder next time! #edusky #edublogshare rebeccaallen.co.uk/2024/08/14/t...
I'll be teaching KS3 Computing as a non specialist for the first time this year. Thanks for sharing these links - I've got lots to learn
We've had a lot of staff go through new NPQs and I feel this has helped a lot with management development with the explicit focus on implementation - staff are thinking and acting much more on how to sustain rather than just the big bang introduction and developing their managerial skillset
The spark fades over time and culture slips if we don’t have systems to back up your vision for what you want to school to be.
We're fortunate with the space we have that we don't have many hotspots as everyone spreads out. My previous school was 2000+ and half the space and that made breaks/lunches more challenging - explciit expectations and culture setting as well as plenty of activities were key
I arrived on Sunday to so many high calibre blogs on curriculum and leadership and it felt at odds with my job that day - writing the duty rota!
Inspired by the generosity of others, I've written about it.
Reflections on organising duty rotas and leading duties
shorturl.at/l56jt
#Edusky #UKEd
Impact of budget cuts also key. DT often has smaller class sizes as well as expensive equipment/machinery. If high-spec equipment is broken/obsolete and not replaced then curriculum may narrow and make it a less appealing option at KS4/5 or simply unaffordable for schools.
I did this yesterday, whatever progress we walk into, we're guaranteed to find a happy site team as they haven't been distracted by demanding teachers for the past three weeks!
I sometimes find mentors express confidence in a trainee by 'leaving them to it' much too soon. Feels good as a trainee that your mentor has that belief but I know that I developed bad habits as a result that took a long time to undo in early career. More regular obs and feedback would have helped.