An imposter's guide to effective schools
The trouble with schools is that they are just too difficult to change – or are they? It’s just over a year since I retired from headship, and I have to say it hasn’t been easy. I miss the buzz and excitement of school so much. I also miss the feeling of being useful and … Continue reading It’s time for a new focus
The trouble with schools is that they are not given the space, time, or (dare I say) the permission to deliver a curriculum that really is in the best interests of young people either collectively, or as individuals. I want to begin a series of blogs on curriculum content, which will explore areas I believe … Continue reading What do our children need to flourish? Part 1 – Putting the curriculum into context
The anatomy of a school year The trouble with schools is that when things get tough we often think we are the only ones going through a particularly bad patch, which leads to us blaming the school in some way. Lift your head up and look around you when things are bad and think about … Continue reading The Anatomy Of A School Year
The trouble with schools is that their leaders and teachers can sometimes forget the value of keeping ethical thinking to the forefront of decision making, behaviours and actions. In my mind, leadership is not about being kind. It is about being ethical in your decision making and day to day actions. By nature, I’m someone … Continue reading Ethical Leadership In The Classroom
The trouble with schools is that not everyone wants their child to go to them. In 2019 when I was writing my book (let me get the plug out of the way) “A Head Full OF Ethos”, I quoted a Government statistic[1] that reported in 2018 roughly 52,770 children in England were being educated at … Continue reading Is home schooling filling a gap in our curriculum offer?
The trouble with schools is that their staff could run the world if they put their minds to it. From the outset, I accept that I might be over stretching it with this one, but I hope you’d all agree that there’s quite a bit that needs sorting out in our world and who better … Continue reading Give Schools A Chance
The trouble with schools at the moment is that they are surrounded by a society which seems to frown upon curiosity, critical thinking and the art of debate. Are schools following suit? The only fond memory I have of the Brexit fiasco was that it was the last time we saw any form of genuine, … Continue reading Where’s the curiosity and debate?
The trouble with schools is that we can too easily underestimate the value of the experiences we have before entering the profession. This is certainly true in my case. It's only now after retiring that I begin to realise that the years I spent working in my parents fish and chip shop equipped me with … Continue reading Why the chip shop helped me
The trouble with schools is that they are bombarded from all directions, by various theories of education, and educational experts, telling them that ‘this is the way to do it’. This can often result in the values and principles that a school aims to uphold and use to inform its vision, being compromised. This can … Continue reading What’s in “A Head Full Of Ethos”?
The trouble with schools is that they have been knocked in all directions during 2021. Let’s ensure 2022 brings back stability and effective learning. Hi, apologies for the long gap since last writing, but I’ve had a lot on with my book. If you’re a regular reader of these blogs, you will have some idea … Continue reading A wish for 2022
The Trouble With Schools 