Getting into a groove: the power of routines.
How routines can be built to support teaching and learning.
How can we teach further independence?
My students don’t seem to have a desire to do any independent work. One student last week stated, ‘you’re going to go through the answers, aren’t you? I’ll wait until then’. As a teacher of a subject that is always centred around enquiry, this has been frustrating. In addition, when presented with assessments or homework…
To NPQ or not to NPQ?
It can be tricky to think of positive things introduced in education in recent years (current Education Secretary, anyone?) but the ‘golden thread’ of teacher development from the Core Content Framework for initial teacher education to the Early Career Framework to the new suite of NPQs is a positive we should grab with both hands.…
Supporting SEND Students Through Revision
Supporting SEND students through revision We often ask ourselves whether or not SEND students actually require anything additional to, or different from, when it comes to revision. Generally speaking, the strategies that you would apply to support atypical students are just as effective with SEND students. When considering how to support SEND students, the most…
Experts needed!
If you know me at all, you probably know that I love to bake. Some people tell me I should apply for the Great British Bake Off, which is flattering but it’ll never happen. Why? Because although my ego is almost big enough to make it seem like a good idea, and I am a…
Dialogic Teaching and Powerful Knowledge
The ideas of Michael Young relating to powerful knowledge seem to have gained traction in discourse around education in England. The concept is referenced by Ofsted, the Department for Education and their ministers, and several books have been published by teachers exploring the implications in their subjects and across the school. However, whilst a great…
The transition to part time and lean lesson planning
When I left Heathfield for maternity leave, I really struggled. I felt lost not being in the classroom, I missed the staff and students massively and it definitely took me a little while to adapt to “motherhood”. By the time 10 months had passed, I was fully enjoying all the coffee and cake with my…
Embedding retrieval practice in science – a departmental effort!
In our most recent blog post, Lesson in Revision Part 2 by Emma Smith, we explored the idea of effective revision and looked at how we are using the Heathfield Revision Clock to model effective revision to our students. In our most recent collaboration cycles, we have all shared in planning and delivering a revision…
Best Bets in Remote Learning
I am writing this post in bits and pieces over the course of a couple of days during any time I can snatch in between: juggling recording lessons on Loom, narrating on PowerPoints, meeting pupils live on Teams, checking pupil work on Firefly, giving them feedback, logging missed work, responding to questions and answering emails.…
‘Her work is excellent but she’s very quiet.’
An exploration of Jamie Thom’s ‘A Quiet Education’ and what it looks like in practice.
Lessons in Revision (Part 2)
In Mark’s recent blog, Lessons in Revision for Heathfield Teach Share, he explained how he had been using the Heathfield Revision Clock to model revision for students and to get them into the habit of revising effectively. Mark ends his blog with a summary of his key principles that he now follows in regards to…
Heathfield Teach Share Blog 