Spill The News

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Australia captain Pat Cummins indicated he might skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year to prioritise a heavy Test schedule and the one-day international World ‌Cup. The 33-year-old fast bowler first played in the ​IPL in 2014 and…

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Australia captain Pat Cummins indicated he might skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year to prioritise a heavy Test schedule and the one-day international World ‌Cup. The 33-year-old fast bowler first played in the ​IPL in 2014 and…

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Hey there Tappers! The final half term of 2025/26 academic year has begun! This is the half-term when there are transition days, sports day, and external exams, and end-of-term dinners, and goodbye speeches, and new starter inductions, and…

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Cafe owner says UK police tried to recruit him to spy on Palestine Action A cafe owner in northern England has said British police offered him financial incentives and promised to turn a blind eye to some low-level offences if he informed…

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I have been reflecting on my visit last week to Cardinal Newman College in Preston last week, as I visit children all around the country as part of The Big Future . While there, I spoke to children about their views on a range of topics,…

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Aged 16-18? The Children’s Commissioner is recruiting a new Youth Advisory Board for the Department for Education for you to share your experiences with AI and views on AI in Education. Apply here . About the AI in Education Youth Advisory…

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Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Young people want a good job and that should be our starting point. I’ve heard from hundreds of thousands of children – they are ambitious, they want to do well, they want to work. I’m…

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The post SATs Are Measuring A Version Of Education That No Longer Exists appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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Hey there Tappers! It’s half term for almost all of you this week – and boy, isn’t it a scorcher! With record May temperatures, we hope you’re staying cool and enjoying it while it lasts! 🙏 Don’t forget, we’re continuing to run a prize…

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A London, Ont., doctor who assessed a patient with inflammatory bowel disease and a history of mental health issues for MAID outside a Tim Hortons location and later personally drove the man to the place his life was ended has agreed to a…

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Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “The rape of two teenage girls in Fordingbridge is deeply disturbing and has shocked people across the country. My thoughts are first and foremost with the two girls and their families,…

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I launched my biggest and final survey of England’s children: The Big Future by going for a walk with some brilliant young people. I travelled to Cumbria, the first leg on a journey that will take me all over the country. I hiked with…

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Forecasters say a potentially “super” El Nino is rapidly taking shape in the Pacific — but whether it evolves into a history-making event could hinge on fickle winds and other volatile atmospheric shifts. The fast-warming tropical Pacific…

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A social media influencer and former Hong Kong resident is walking back to Hong Kong from Scotland with the goal of raising £1 million (HK$10.5 million) for Scottish charities. Kate Barr is walking from Scotland to Hong Kong. Screenshot:…

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Hey there Tappers It’s the final run-up to the half-term, but things are still super busy: SATs are over, but preparation for the writing moderation has begun, and GCSEs, A-levels and other external exams continue. The good news is that we…

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Last week, I launched my biggest survey yet of England’s children: The Big Future . But surveying children was not enough. I knew I wanted to continue to speak to, and crucially hear from, England’s children personally. I began that work…

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Last Friday, I hosted my second Our Future, Our Voice: Festival of Childhood in collaboration with the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester. The event built on my inaugural Festival of Childhood , continuing my mission to make sure…

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Today, I am in Carlisle, starting a journey across England with a simple but important purpose: to hear directly from children about their lives. I want to find out what they love, what worries them and what they want decision makers to do…

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The post School Absence Fines In England Continue To Operate As A Postcode Lottery appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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The post UK Schools Embracing AI But Students Still Lack Digital Confidence appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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Hey there Tappers Bad news – this week has FIVE days in it. Good news – this month has a half-term in it! If your PPA was skipped because of the Bank Holiday last week, whether or not you had that time made up depends really on whether…

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Netflix's splashy take on Lord of the Flies has renewed interest in the tale, which follows a group of British boys descending into savagery after getting stranded on a remote island. So let me repeat what the great psychologist Peter Gray…

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On Friday 8th May, the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza hosted her second Festival of Childhood in collaboration with Science and Industry Museum, Manchester. Below is the transcript of the Commissioner’s opening keynote…

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To honor the UK's Mental Health Week, we take a look back at the Mental Health Monday posts in The Scholarly Kitchen with calls to action, practical tips, and tools for “taking ACTION.” The post Mental Health Awareness Week: Revisiting…

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With plans to lower the voting age to 16, Children’s Commissioner’s polling shows widespread disengagement, low confidence and uncertainty about political participation among young people Commissioner’s new data on young people’s voting…

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“Make it safer for Jewish people and take hate on social media and in person more seriously” – Child, 14 Recently the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza spoke to Jewish children to hear about the impact of anti-Jewish racism in…

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Hey there Tappers We hope the Bank Holiday gave you a chance to unwind – 44% of you saw family and friends – but we can’t NOT mention the fact 40% also spent the day doing school work 😢. This is the tough part of teaching that those…

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7Gold Casino has the benefit of a made on the internet playing sense to own United kingdom users exactly who well worth high quality, equity, and you can consistent benefits. The game have fun with authoritative random number generator…

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Prize Draw Overview You are the most important part of Teacher Tapp, and we want to say thank you for your valuable contribution. Between 1 May 2026 and 31 May 2026 , everyone who answers questions on Teacher Tapp, will be entered into the…

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As Children’s Commissioner for England, my goal is to make sure every child grows up safe, happy, healthy, and with the best possible chances in life. Across my work I have heard from a million children about what they need to thrive. The…

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Well done, ECTs! The Summer term has begun! Our tracking has continued here at Teacher Tapp, and we have more insights to share with you. You can read our first blog here . Now, let’s take a look at how Spring term 2026 went for ECTs… 1.…

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Hey there Tappers Judging by the messages from Tappers in our inbox, this is the busiest term of the year! So many of you have been writing in to request data for presentations and staff CPD, and we’re always thrilled to help. If you’d…

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Listen to this post as a podcast: Sponsored by Renaissance and Erikson Institute This page contains Bookshop.org links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to…

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Health What to make of ‘AI psychosis’? ‘Until we know what the term really means, we can’t even begin to understand what’s happening.’ Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer April 24, 2026 6 min read John Torous. File photo by Veasey Conway/Harvard…

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Every child should be safer after an interaction with the police. But for thousands of children – especially Black children – who have been strip searched as part of the police’s stop and search powers, this isn’t the case. Public…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: If, like us, you are set against the proposals in the SEND part of the Schools White Paper that aim to limit your child's rights, then you MUST take action … The post Join the May 9th…

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Racial disparities continue in the use of strip searching, worsening for Black children. Black children were more likely to be strip searched and have force by police used against them Nearly half of strip searches result in no further…

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Hey there Tappers We’re all back at work now…The summer term has begun! The good news is that only 2% of Tappers predicted April would be the hardest month, though perhaps that’s a decision some are reconsidering now. Among primary…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: One of the most promising-looking initiatives to emerge from England’s SEND reform proposals is the Experts at Hand initiative. Funded with £1.8 billion over three years, the Department for Education…

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Tens of thousands of children are spending long chunks of their childhoods in unsuitable shared accommodation – sharing bathrooms with strangers, often in unpleasant conditions and cramped together in one small space without privacy. Since…

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The post Tackling The Big Issue Of Wellbeing In Small Schools appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: It has taken time to work through the government’s SEND reform proposals in detail. As both a parent and foster parent of children with special educational needs and disabilities, I … The post SEND…

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If your staffroom feels a bit quieter on the recruitment front this year, you’re not imagining it. Job ads for secondary teaching posts are at their lowest level in nine years of data — down 32% on last year and 46% below pre-pandemic…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: SEND has been in the spotlight in Parliament once again this week. The Education Select Committee spent Tuesday morning having a look at the Government’s proposed SEND reforms in order … The post The…

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The post England’s Education Workforce Shows Mixed Recovery But Deep Structural Pressures appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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This week, Teacher Tapp stats have been used in a BBC Radio Four programme, File On 4 Investigates: Are white working-class girls falling behind? The BBC asked Teacher Tapp to help investigate. We asked senior leaders about the caring…

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More than learning new routines and policies, entering a school for the first time requires understanding how the organisation functions. Schools are structured environments with defined roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability.…

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The post Can Music Help Revision? Study Finds ‘It Depends’ appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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The post Only Three In Ten Young People Feel Prepared For Adult Life appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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The post Creative Pathways Narrow Sharply For Young People, Cambridge Study Finds appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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The post England’s Education Workforce Shows Mixed Recovery But Deep Structural Pressures appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: Hope is not a luxury in the SEND system. It is what keeps families going through years of assessments, exclusions, appeals, and meetings that too often feel adversarial. Hope is … The post When hope…

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The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza responds to findings from the first phase of the Southport inquiry, released today by Sir Adrian Fulford. “The findings from today’s inquiry into the terrible events in Southport in summer…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! Big news for edu podcast fans – we have compiled our very own Teacher Tapp Podcast Chart 2026 Primary teachers 🥇 Two Mr Ps in a Pod(cast) 🥈 Teach, Sleep, Repeat 🥉 Thinking Deeply about Primary Education…

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Teaching in England operates within a clear legal and contractual framework. Still, many teachers – particularly those early in their careers or new to the system – are uncertain about their rights. This uncertainty can lead to overwork,…

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Teaching in England operates within a clear legal and contractual framework. Still, many teachers – particularly those early in their careers or new to the system – are uncertain about their rights. This uncertainty can lead to overwork,…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: This is Part two of yesterday's article about EOTAS, the out of school EHCP package that's been completely ignored in the SEND proposals of the Schools's White Paper. One of … The post Part 2: The…

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The post Ofsted Inspection Changes: Inclusion appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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As we approach the end of the Easter holidays and look ahead to another school term, my thoughts turn once again to the children for whom attending school is a challenge. For some, returning to school can be daunting. In my research as…

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The post Ofsted Inspection Changes: Inclusion appeared first on TeachingTimes .

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: There is no denying the Government's Schools White Paper is a lengthy document with considerable detail about the reforms Labour wants to implement to our SEND system. But there is … The post The…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! We hope you had a lovely Easter weekend – our numbers tell us… 🐣 Most of the Easter egg hunts took place in the South West. 🍫 North West was were the chocolate eating was most likely to happen. 👨‍🍳 🥘…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! We hope you had a lovely Easter weekend – our numbers tell us… 🐣 Most of the Easter egg hunts took place in the South West. 🍫 North West was were the chocolate eating was most likely to happen. 👨‍🍳 🥘…

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When I speak to children in care, they share the same hopes and dreams as their peers but are often not able to access the same opportunities. Things that other children might take for granted are not easily available to those in or…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: By Matt Walker, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) We've covered the newly-renamed "Inclusion Bases"— previously known as resourced provision or SEN Units—quite a few times. They make…

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Throughout my time as Commissioner, I have met children across the country who speak to me about what they love, what they want from life and the challenges they face. I have met children who have experienced severe adversity, witnessed…

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Dame Rachel de Souza responds to the case of ‘Alice’, a young girl at risk of sexual exploitation placed in an illegal home and subjected to abuse by carers. The case was jointly reported by LBC and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.…

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What worked in elementary school often assumes a level of adult scaffolding that middle school systems quietly remove.

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: By Dr Andrea Honess, Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology The government’s Schools White Paper and SEND consultation set out some welcome ambitions…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: By Dr Andrea Honess, Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology The government’s Schools White Paper and SEND consultation set out some welcome ambitions…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: The Department for Education doesn't seem to know whether it's coming or going. Yesterday it was forced to issue a "clarification" over its consultation; specifically, the bit where it said … The post…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: The Department for Education doesn't seem to know whether it's coming or going. Yesterday it was forced to issue a "clarification" over its consultation; specifically, the bit where it said … The post…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: Today, we’re looking at a number of different research reports—most of them the Government’s own—that point to a growing mismatch between its mainstream inclusion ambitions and schools’ ability to…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! Easter holiday is on the horizon for many of you now, but exactly how long you have to wait before your break begins varies around the country. For the vast majority of teachers in London, East of England, South…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! Easter holiday is on the horizon for many of you now, but exactly how long you have to wait before your break begins varies around the country. For the vast majority of teachers in London, East of England, South…

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Children’s Commissioner Dam Rachel de Souza said: “Children are growing up in a world where screens are everywhere. Parents tell me they want clear, non-judgemental information about why limiting screen use is important, given in a way…

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New article from Special Needs Jungle: It’s been a month since the government announced the Schools White Paper and their consultation on SEND reform. The consultation’s still ongoing. If you need some inspiration or motivation to … The…

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Reading time, 2 minutes: Can you define “metacognition” and provide some examples? Metacognition in the classroom refers to students’ ability to adapt, monitor and transfer their thinking when faced with new problems… … closely linked to…

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This month I began my final year as Children’s Commissioner and today I am unveiling my new Youth Ambassadors who will play a central role in holding decision makers accountable for the change we need to make England the best place for…

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Think you know schools? Try our NEW Teacher Tapp quiz! The post TappIt – ups and downs appeared first on Teacher Tapp .

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! Easter holiday is on the horizon for many of you now, but exactly how long you have to wait before your break begins varies around the country. For the vast majority of teachers in London, East of England, South…

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Children left waiting for discharge from hospital because of delays with housing or care packages, shortages of specialist placements, or inconsistent community health services New analysis shows more than 260,000 children spent three or…

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Hey there, Teacher Tappers! Easter holiday is on the horizon for many of you now, but exactly how long you have to wait before your break begins varies around the country. For the vast majority of teachers in London, East of England, South…

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Today we published updates to our inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. These changes will apply to inspections and visits from 1 April 2026. Removing the overall effectiveness judgement We have carried out…

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Referral Incentive Terms and Conditions Overview Thank you for being part of Teacher Tapp. To say thank you for helping us grow, we are rewarding you for inviting new teachers to join the app. Between 13 April 2026 and 30 April 2026, you…

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Training on how to teach gets plenty of attention in teacher training, but what about how to manage teachers? This is often overlooked, and to the detriment of teacher wellbeing. In our first blog on managing teachers, we looked at line…

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In The Research Files Episode 105, Jo Earp is joined by Dr Alexandra Hennessey from the University of Manchester to talk about a research study exploring how different schools in the UK have adopted the Well Schools framework. Their…

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Throughout my time as Children’s Commissioner, I have heard from a million children and know how socially aware and engaged young people today are – as well as being full of practical ideas to make England the best place to grow up. But as…

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Reading time, 3 minutes: Are you being asked to “do adaptive teaching” as if it’s a new initiative? There are lots of teachers, schools and colleges searching for ‘adaptive teaching’ ideas and support. There are just as many misconceptions…

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Reading time, < 1 minute What one teaching technique can transform classroom learning? I recently hosted a livestream with Patrice Bain, co-author of Powerful Teaching, to explore what actually improves learning without adding to teacher…

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Reading time, 2 minutes: Is live feedback reducing workload, or just changing the paperwork trail? Live feedback isn’t a marking strategy. It’s a response strategy! Schools have embraced live feedback (often called “live marking”) to…

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Reading time, 3 minutes: Do you create seating plans for your classroom to improve learning? Seating plans are not just for the start of the year or for unruly year 9 and 10 students; they are one of the most underused teaching tools in…

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Reading time, 2 minutes: What if 11+ tuition was actually curriculum-led? Teachers and school leaders are often asked for guidance about 11+ tuition. Families want something structured, interactive and affordable, but without it feeling…

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Already struggling to get help, families with children with special needs are concerned changes could make things worse At the age of 12, May Race’s son Joseph spends almost all of his time in his bedroom, too anxious, burnt out and – she…

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Reading time, 4 minutes: Can one teaching and learning strategy really strip school improvement back to basics? This post offers a teaching and learning strategy for secondary schools. More and more schools get in touch with me and repeat…

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Reading time, 6 minutes: What do Ofsted say about teaching and learning in their new report cards? This post explores recent Ofsted reports focused on curriculum and teaching, highlighting key findings and solutions for schools. I’ve…

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Reading time, 6 minutes: What do Ofsted say about teaching and learning in their new report cards? This post explores recent Ofsted reports focused on curriculum and teaching, highlighting key findings and solutions for schools. I’ve…

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Reading time, 5 minutes: Is CPD in your school or college still fit for purpose, or are you full up with professional learning? There is an emerging shift from fragmented CPD to sustained professional learning that builds teacher expertise…

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Are you planning to register a children’s social care service, or register as an early years or childcare provider? We’d love to hear from you! Ofsted is running user research sessions to explore how we can improve the application process.…

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Following an unprecedented and sustained rise in applications to register children’s homes, on Thursday 18 September, we published our revised policy for prioritising children’s homes applications . The revised policy sets out the criteria…

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Residential family centres (RFCs) are establishments where vulnerable families are given accommodation, their capacity to parent safely and effectively is assessed, and they can be given the advice, guidance or counselling they need. RFCs…

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In this blog, I want to talk to providers of children’s homes, residential special schools and boarding schools about what we’re currently seeing on inspection when it comes to restraint and restrictive practices. I want to emphasise how…

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We want to address some concerns in the sector about registrations for children’s homes and supported accommodation taking longer than normal. First, I want to thank you for applying to register (whether you already have or are intending…

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Back in 2018, we first set out the ingredients of effective multi-agency safeguarding arrangements , using what we had seen working well in our reviews and inspections. Over time, through our inspections, we’ve learned more about what the…

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Our goals for oral health in children’s social care We've been working closely with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to look at the importance of good oral health for children. We want to tackle oral health inequality by driving…

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As part of the children’s social care reforms, the Department for Education (DfE) has published its Families First Partnership (FPP) programme guide. The guide is aimed at safeguarding partners who are implementing reforms around family…

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Next month, we will be making a small number of changes to our social care common inspection framework (SCCIF). These are mainly aimed at children’s homes and fostering agencies. The changes are intended to encourage more providers to look…

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Do exclusions work? There’s an ideological battle going on nationally over whether schools should exclude more, or less. But it’s the wrong debate. We will review the media/policy context around exclusions and consider case studies (some…