Class size ... does it matter?

Intuitively, it seems obvious that reducing the number of pupils in a class will improve the quality of teaching and learning, for example, by increasing the amount of high quality feedback or one-to-one attention learners receive. There is no doubt that parents like small class sizes. However, Professor John Hattie in his book, Visible Learning: a...

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Focus on ... The Teaching Schools Council

With its network of over 600 teaching schools across nine English regional networks, the Teaching Schools Council (TSC) has a regional and national-facing school improvement role. Its belief that great teaching is at the heart of a self-improving school-led system underpins its ambassadorial role in 'developing, improving and changing education' so...

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A teaching assistant explains why she thinks teaching staff shouldn’t shy away from discussing current affairs with young pupils

By Siobhan Woodhouse Children are never too young to start learning about the world around them. I soon learned this after discussing topics such as the war in Syria and the EU referendum with children as young as six. Friends, family and even teachers recoiled in horror as I talked about these discussions – how could I possibly discuss horrif...

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The Academy Question

In this week's EdExpert blog, Patrick Watson, director of the think tank The Centre for the Study of Market Reform of Education asks a straightforward question, but one without a straightforward answer: academies are here to stay, but have they genuinely succeeded in improving student outcomes? Patrick Watson, director of the think tank The Centre ...

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David Didau and the discipline of cognitive psychology

David Didau is one of a small but growing band of practising teachers who promote the importance of research informed practice. His popular blog The Learning Spy seeks to identify the most interesting and practically oriented research on teaching and learning that can support classroom practice. Didau is never afraid to challenge wel...

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