This summer around 45,000 exam grades were changed due to the examining body being challenged by the school. The alarming fact being that this is up by 15% from the previous year (50% more than in 2011). The number of results that were challenged in total was also up, by 48%. These worrying statistics are adding to the general lack of confidence that there now is in the current examination system. The examining watchdog Ofqual had received many complaints regarding the poor quality of marking that resulted in such a high amount of grades being changed this year and are... Read More »

With the recent changes to progression pay for teachers, there is concern out there that not many teachers will receive their pay rise based on performance. Pay is now directly linked to appraisal outcomes that are carried out by the head teachers etc. It may be that schools try to put higher hurdles in place for pay progression or even try to limit it on funding basis. Government guidelines on pay appeals now state that if heads believe teachers have not met the standards to progress, they should allow them to attend the governors’ decision meeting. All teachers have the... Read More »

Obtaining good grades in core educational subjects is extremely important. The group of core subjects include English, Maths and Science. Many employers or indeed further education institutes as for a GCSE pass of a minimum grade C in these subjects to allow you to attend or apply for a position. These core subjects are important and widely recognised as they assist everyone in day to day living. Maths, English and Science is used in our everyday life and it is essential to have a good understanding of these subjects in order to progress in education or a career. Also these... Read More »

If you are teaching in a school as a supply teacher it may be that it is the first time you have taught there or at least the first time you have taught those pupils. There are some important rules that you need to enforce immediately if you wish to retain control of the classroom. If you think back to your school days you will probably remember that often when a supply teacher was brought in, the class tended to play up a little more than usual and push the boundaries. From the first moment to walk in to the... Read More »

One of the popular current debates is whether the current summer school holidays (typically 6 weeks long) should be shortened and spread throughout the year more evenly. This has come about for many reasons but the main one being that the government and teachers / schools are concerned that pupils having some much time off in one go is damaging their learning ability. Many teachers feel that students tend to forget a lot of what they have learnt prior to the holidays when returning to school. This means that they have to spend a lot of time recapping on subjects... Read More »