Classroom fad or fix? Are attendance prizes a bad bet?

What is it?  The use of rewards given to pupils who have not missed many days of school (often 98-100% attendance). The nature of these gifts varies from school to school; for some it is a certificate, while many other schools opt for pricier prizes such as iPads, bicycles and trips. Earlier this month, writer and mother Rachel Wright's b...

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Classroom Fad or Fix? We investigate homework

What is it?  ​It depends who you speak to. For some, homework is a way to develop students' independent learning skills and ensure they have understood – and then consolidate – work from the classroom. Others, meanwhile, contend that it's a largely pointless tradition that brings stress to young people and their families, robbing them of much-...

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#NQTsurgery: advice for the summer – Twitter chat round-up

The holidays are here! While this should be a time for recuperation and relaxation, NQTs be tempted to get ahead of the game, only to find their precious break swallowed up by work. Our latest Twitter chat asked a few experts for their advice on how to make the most from the summer, preparing for a new school year and those awkward moments when you...

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Twitter NQT surgery: the secrets of a productive summer

It's summer! For teachers, that means the holidays are either incredibly close or already here (for a lucky few). But for those on either side of their NQT year, it may not be the most relaxing time. If you've just wrapped up your final term as an NQT, you may be looking towards September with a mixture of excitement and apprehension as increa...

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A practical approach to tackling pupil absences

Talking at a number of conferences recently I've suggested that we've got to stop reinventing the wheel and use research wisely. Research provides signposts towards what might work for us, based on what has worked elsewhere and to what extent. The following suggestion, improving attendance by using simple letters home with key information,&nbs...

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