Month: June 2007

It’s time to say goodbye to GCSEs, says Peter Mortimore.

The GCSE should be abandoned. So argues Peter Mortimore. It has outlived its sell by date. He gives five main reasons for this view.
Continue reading “Goodbye GCSEs”

It’s controversial, but at least it’s designed on mathematical shapes. I like it, but it seems few do and there is a petition to have it replaced! Could your children have done better – after all, it has cost £500 000 to produce.

Daily Mail 04.06.07

The Daily Mail highlights pupils at four primary schools who have become the first in Britain to be given the choice of starting lessons at different times of the day to fit in with parents’ busy schedules.

The pupils in Plymouth, Devon have two options. They can now start lessons at 7.45am or 11am rather than the traditional 8.45am, depending on which their parents prefer.

An obvious advantage is to reduce congestion on the roads – pretty bad where I am during school time. It has also been shown in some studies that older children do not learn as well first thing in the morning, so a well worthwhile experiment!

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Do you know how your children react in the classroom? Are they keen to put their hands up, or are they quiet and reserved, perhaps avoiding eye contact? This subject came to mind as the ‘hands up in the classroom’ debate was highlighted by Alan Johnson the Education Secretary, this week.

I’m sure most people remember their school days when the only way permitted to speak was via a hands up sign, and then only when selected by the teacher. Now this is coming into question and I can see why.

Continue reading “Hands up in class!”