Freddie Whittaker

Ofsted praises school with silent corridors and high exclusion rate

Would this work for you? Zero tolerance behaviour policies, silent movement around public areas of the school and exclusion of those who do not for the line? Critics flag up this approach as non inclusive, yet many SEND pupils state that they feel reassured and safer in quiet corridors. What do you think?

by John Roberts

Need to know: Having your say on Ofsted's new inspection plans Inspectorate will set out its plans to change the way it inspects schools

A framework underpinned by research? OFSTED plans no notice inspections focused on the quality and substance of educational experiences offered to pupils. Undoubtedly, although school leaders are initially cautiously optimistic about the move away from an over reliance data driven judgments, we wait with baited breath to see how the new framework supports school improvement fairly.

by Jonathan Haidt and Pamela Paresky

By mollycoddling our children, we're fuelling mental illness in teenagers

It's what I've suspected for a while... playing out, getting dirty, scraping your knees and experiencing some rough and tumble is good for you! And it's not just physical health were talking about here; having to dust yourself down ( mentally and physically) get up and get on with things is part of growing a healthy mind too. I love this analogy between building physical resilience and mental/learning resilience.

by Department for Education and The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP

Education Secretary sets out five foundations to build character

Four factors Damian Hinds identifies as 'character';

  • 1. You have to believe you can achieve.
  • 2. You have to be able to stick with the task in hand.
  • 3. You need to see a link between effort today and payback some time in the future, even if it’s uncertain or rather a long way off.
  • 4. You need to develop the ability to bounce back from the knocks that life inevitably brings to all of us.

Those four things would also set you up to a be a pretty good fraudster or bank robber. We want you to use strength of character to be good in the world and that is where virtues and values come in.

So character must be grounded in virtues, in strong values.

I have seen the growth of these traits time and time again when delivering Student Leadership training and development. These 4 aspects of character are crucial skills that stand us all in good stead, not just at school, in exams, at college and in the job market, but in life in general