Andy mellor's Blog (25)

I've been intrigued by the language of "catch up" which has come from government ministers and even the Children's Commissioner. The idea that lockdown has resulted in lost learning and a widening of the gap can't be disputed but it is the solutions put forward by government which has revealed the reductive nature of the government's attitude to learning and to young people. To reduce education and learning to an accumulation of facts devoid from any contextual influence is just simply…

For some time now I have believed very strongly that the profession should help to regulate and support itself.

On Friday Dame Alison Peacock from the Chartered College, Sir Kevan Collins from EEF and I presented to 50+ school leaders in the North West on a vision for more autonomy for schools and more self regulation.

I covered the outcome of the NAHT Accountability Commission which talks about school leaders stepping up and taking responsibility for themselves and their peers…

Horror show of a budget for schools!

I genuinely believe in the democratic processes we have in this country but the Chancellor’s failure to respond to lobbying from parents and school leaders whilst clearly responding to the lobbying of his peer party MP’s makes you wonder how fair the system is.

This was clearly a budget primed to prepare the road for a journey to the next general election. Stay with me whilst I extend the road metaphor although I know you probably know what…

Giving pupils the green light!

Improving outcomes for all pupils through independent learning.

As we returned to school this September and undertook the latest exciting chapter on our journey into pupil focused independent learning, I was left wondering why more schools aren’t engaging with this agenda.

At a time when Government and OFSTED are telling…

Resilience is a buzz word which has been used (and abused) for years. Football teams have been described as being resilient. The same word has been used for refugees. Hardly the same word really.

One thing about the word fascinates me though. Can it be taught or is it inherent?

The recent and not so recent research below seems to suggest that it is probably both. Some people just seem to be more resilient to the knocks that life brings and have…

Will the real OFSTED please stand up!

(a Headteacher’s perception of the current framework, having just been inspected!)

I think all schools, Headteachers and governors fear the OFSTED call. Phones are kept visible and audible until 2pm each Wednesday just in case the call comes (OFSTED can’t inspect that week under Section 5 inspection framework,  if they don’t notify schools…

22nd December 2011

This week having broken up from school for the Christmas break, I asked my Twitter Learning Community what it was that they felt most contributed to raising standards in their schools.

The following summarises their contributions for which I'm very grateful personally as we try to raise standards along with every school in the country.

@KingEdVIsport use Year 12 literacy leaders to work with younger students using the sport education…

I'm on the train back to Preston after a very inspiring but in some ways frustrating two days at the schools network conference.

Don't get me wrong, the conference is and always has been phenomenally successful in promoting thought by providing world class speakers and practitioner workshops to stir and stimulate our schools to become the best that they can be.

This year my own learning journey of inspiration was again fuelled by Sir Ken Robinson (I…

On Wednesday there will be many an educational professional wrestling with their conscience. Do I strike to make the only protest I have against the cuts to my pension and the financial well being of my family or do I go in and make sure that my kids at school get the best that I can offer as a teaching professional.

This is the mindset of the vast majority of education professionals and within that term I capture all those dedicated public servants who work in schools.

As the…

The Government cuts in public services have hit all Local Authorities (LA's) hard, although it is arguably the smaller Unitary Authorities and the schools within them who have lost the most.

Being in Blackpool we have seen school support teams decimated to the point where the officers within the service are spread very thinly…

For generations, the Great British public have become used to the stereotypical headteacher and have revered them as being strong, committed, principled and leading from the front often taking no prisoners. 

I can't help but think that headship must have been a lonely place in those days. It still can be remote but the days of heads…

Ultimately ICT is critical for a number of reasons.

1) The world in 20 years time is going to demand that everyone has a working knowledge of how technology can be used for work, rest and play....the Mars phenomena!

2) Some children will need a…

We have often criticized the National Curriculum and the Government for not allowing the freedom to teach children skills for life, or for allowing teachers to create space for children to direct their own learning in a way which is so successful at Foundation Stage. (By the way, children directing their own learning doesn't mean the children do what they like).…

As Marius in Les Miserables says " Our time is here!" The Government are asking for our opinions of any new National Curriculum, our time is here, the time is now to have our voices heard.

There will be those who say that whatever we say, will fall on deaf ears as the Government already have their ideal for education. However this…

Amid a fanfare of musical instruments, (incidentally taught in school) Mr Gove has announced a marvellous new review of the curriculum. Clearly the curriculum must be so broken that it needs the "expertise" of Mr Gove to fix it. I guess it is probably teachers, or the Labour party or the quangos who are to blame for the curriculum not doing what it should.

 …

It's now 23 years that I've been in education. In that time we've had a Conservative Government, a Labour Government and now a Coalition Government.

Education has moved forward and I firmly believe that kids get a better deal with better teachers now than then although the teacher I worked under on teaching practice proves that there were outstanding teachers back in 1986!

Jane Parkin put the children first, went the extra mile to make learning interesting and…

About a year ago I undertook a visit to Robin Hood Primary School in Birmingham. They had just joined our network and we were keen to learn about each other. What I saw was beyond inspirational! The most striking aspect was the can do attitude which was imprinted into the DNA of every child and staff member. This attitude allowed everyone to succeed and led to a confidence which enabled everyone to challenge the status quo…

Having just read the Guardian article on the demise of BECTA and the preceived opportunities that this brings I feel compelled to correct some miscomprehensions.

Whenever, there is a wrong which needs righting, and let's face it, there is much about ICT learning which is wrong, we always tend to look for a one hit magic bullet. Today it is the demise of BECTA which will ensure that standards rise.

Interestingly the article talks predominantly about secondary ICT…

The following blog post is not party political, merely a commentary on 23 years experience of the education system in this country under 4 different governments.

Our school has always and will always challenge bullying where they find it and yet there is a system of institutionalised bullying which damages children, demotivates and intimidates staff and creates bullies as it moves through the system.

Have the Government legislated against it? No, they promote…