Philip Marples Philip Marples

Reflections on the death of Ruth Perry

There is the nature of Ofsted and what happens to some inspectors who are given such power when inspecting schools.

There is the isolation that heads in particular can feel, not only during an inspection but in their daily working lives.

Read More
Peter Cansell Peter Cansell

Learning to live in sustainable manner

Many councils across the UK, including Brighton and Hove, declared a climate emergency in 2019.

Uniquely, Brighton and Hove had the commitment and vision to see that education is the key to us finding the solutions to address this emergency.

Read More
Peter Cansell Peter Cansell

Teacher Agency

This Blog by Bridget Knight describes the ways in which Teachers skills are being eroded and what can be done to reassert the values of education.

Read More
Peter Cansell Peter Cansell

Music Hubs

An explanation of the structure, expectations and value of the Music Hubs described in our recent Out of the Box Newsletter.

Music can be the beat and rhythm which helps drive so much of learning. The concern is that music education in English primary schools is in peril.

Read More
Peter Cansell Peter Cansell

Towards creativity and oracy in the curriculum.

It is great to hear that Keir Starmer is addressing some key issues which were also highlighted in the 2023 OST Report in his recent education speech to improve opportunities for all children.

Read More
Philip Marples Philip Marples

Local authority advice – still fit for purpose?

Local authority advisers used to work with schools to mitigate the worst excesses of government imposition, allowing the establishments to creatively develop an environment conducive to expanding learning appropriate to the children in their schools.

Read More
Philip Marples Philip Marples

OFSTED’s box of ticks?

On the premise that criteria suspend all reasonable judgement, our schools have suffered long enough from the tick box, one word, bureaucratic speak form of inspection.

Inspectors have allowed themselves to be straight jacketed by OFSTED style thinking: one way of doing things, one way of describing things, one way of deciding things.

Read More
Philip Marples Philip Marples

Environmental education is essential in our primary schools

There is now no more important issue in our lives than addressing the problems posed by climate change.

If children in schools are not informed they will lack the knowledge to act.

If they are not given experience, they will not know how to act.

If they are not prepared their future could be bleak.

Read More
Peter Cansell Peter Cansell

Testing, testing…..

More than a Score is a campaign group of educationalists who are trying to persuade the DfE that testing in primary schools is wrong. This video campaign addresses the serious matter of how children are tested in primary schools

Read More