Suzanne CoulsonJan 12, 20214 minSame-same, but different: the more things change...My three-week honeymoon – also an opportunity to catch up on missed backpacking experiences – took place in Thailand, where my shiny new...
Jonathan KayMay 14, 20206 minEstimating and Ranking in FEOn 18th March, the government announced that all GCSE and A level exams would be cancelled for 2020. In the frenzied days afterwards we...
Jonathan KayFeb 13, 20206 minSuccess, TES Awards and the power of consistencyIn 2018/19, I was lucky enough to be part of an enormously successful FE English and math team. With national average grade 4+ rates for...
Jonathan KayOct 23, 20193 minTeaching Structure - A Simpler ApproachEvery time I've taught structure under the new spec (with AQA), I've had a sneaking suspicion that I'm teaching far, far too much and...
Jonathan KayOct 8, 20194 minWhat To Do When You Want To Leave TeachingWhether entering the infamous NQT year (with 1 in 7 dropping out during this year), or an experienced teacher who has seen it all, most...
Jonathan KaySep 18, 20193 minInitial assessment in English - a different approachWe've all heard the transition day assessment horror stories - a sprightly bunch of 11 year old students head up to their local Secondary...
Jonathan KaySep 12, 20194 minThey said what?! - The things we say to each otherRecently, I've been thinking about the language we use in schools (for example, how we communicate/ outline expectations), heavily...
Jonathan KaySep 1, 20193 minEssential Tips For Newly Qualified TeachersSeptember is finally here. How has this happened? Surely, it was only yesterday that we were wishing students ‘good luck’ for exams and 5...
Jonathan KayJul 15, 20193 minReflections on 2018/19, hopes for 2019/20 After what has seemed like an eternity, the end of 2018/19 is somehow upon us. When I started this blog a few months ago, I did it with a...
Will CowellJul 8, 20194 min'The hallowed uplands of progress are not so neatly measurable'As society and employment evolve at breakneck pace, educational revolution must follow, writes Will Cowell Most of us have seen the...
Jonathan KayJul 5, 20193 minBlack box thinking for lecturers ‘Black box thinking is the willingness and tenacity to investigate the lessons that often exist when we fail, but which we rarely...
Jonathan KayJul 2, 20194 minInitial Assessment: vital starting point or more harm than good?I remember my first experience in an FE college well. It involved presiding over enrolment season in late August/ early September with...
Jonathan KayJun 26, 20193 min5 ways to build relationships with ‘the re-sitters’ As an English teacher and leader in FE, I spend my time working with GCSE English and maths students who have achieved less than a grade...
Jonathan KayJun 17, 20194 minCurriculum planning – are we training or teaching? A reflection Exams have been and gone, students have departed, and an air of calm has descended. Mercifully, we now have time to properly reflect on...
Jennifer WebbJun 6, 20195 minCultural poverty: how to mint your own coinsThursday afternoon. We are at the end of a lesson; it has been a good one. I’ve shared a poem, explored meaning, modelled analysis. They...
Jonathan KayMay 29, 20195 minNQT without a role? Top tips to plan next stepsHaven't found a role for September yet? Don't worry - there are lots of options Final PGCE assignments are handed in, goodbyes are shared...
Jonathan KayMay 25, 20195 min7 GCSE Revision Tips to Help Your Students Succeed “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out” – Robert Collier Your lesson begins. You present your students with a...
Jonathan KayMay 18, 20194 min5 Books Every Teacher Should Read Over the last few years, a range of books have been released espousing ideas to support teachers in being more effective in the...
Jonathan KayMay 17, 20193 minEffective Feedback - Why Less Is More'Marking has evolved into an unhelpful burden for teachers, when the time it takes is not repaid in positive impact on pupils’ progress'...
Jonathan KayMay 16, 20192 min An Introduction to the Blog'Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on' - Louis L'Armour Hello there and welcome to my...