Internal promotions into school leadership: how to lead those who used to be your colleagues

Every professional who is new to leadership – or takes up a new leadership role – needs to consider how they develop relationships with those they lead. The same is true if you are promoted internally. There are many benefits and potential drawbacks to being promoted to a leadership position within a school where you are already employed. What is i...

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School's out, sofa's in. Teachers share their favourite education films and books

One of our NQT surgeries looked at how new teachers can spend the holidays wisely – with the overwhelming advice being to relax, recuperate and not think about work. We know that's easier said than done, however. But rather than taking on mountains of planning or crafting intricately annotated seating plans (which you'll almost definitely have...

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Classroom fad or fix? Checking the value of performance-related pay

What is it?  Performance-related pay (PRP) is the policy, introduced in September 2014, that links teachers' pay increases to their performance, rather than them automatically moving up the pay scale (as they had previously done). The criteria for awarding a pay increase lies with each school's governing body, although the government recommend...

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Dear students, thank you for being so wonderful that I forget about the stress and enjoy my career

Dear students, Thank you. You may not know it, but you're fantastic. As the teacher, it is my job to create an environment that's as conducive to learning as possible. This may include considering seating arrangements, presentation of material, my attitude in class, how I handle discipline etc and, as much as I consider all of these aspects of the ...

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I nearly left teaching after the first term – 30 years on, here’s my advice for those considering quitting

Growing up, the only thing I ever wanted to do was to be a teacher. I loved my subject, English, and wanted a career that let me continue to read and discuss, think and learn, and convey my enthusiasm for my subject to others. As a child I played "school" with my dolls and my friends and always took the teacher role. I completed a PGCE after m...

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