This is the text of a talk I gave as part of an excellent and interesting panel at the London Festival of Education, 28th February 2015, some of the words below might be different to those uttered! To paraphrase Mary Shelley: “It may…be judged indecent in me to come forward on this occasion; but when … More True grit? Whose job is it to build resilience and character?

“I’m wild again, beguiled again A simpering, whimpering child again Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I…” Oh to be wild again, beguiled again, a child again… bothered, bewildered – the state when ambiguity, uncertainty takes over… Drinking brandy, falling in and out of love, full of foolish charms, not quite asleep… Schroedinger’s catnap… a place … More Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered: Betwixt and Between

In order to reduce workload the Government has decided to do nothing to reduce workload. This will come as a relief to many hard pressed, end of tether teachers, who were fearing free time to spend with their friends and family as they haven’t seen them for so long except in a drunken stupour they … More Workload: A Load Off My Mind

Ofsted judges schools to be 1,2,3,4 (‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Bloody Awful, Sort it Out! (Inadequate)). Many school leaders, teachers, children and parents baulk at this, knowing full well the system is flawed and that a number or an equivalent word cannot reflect the complexity of what a school does. We all know, full well: … More Prisoners