EdBlogs

Here are a few tips for getting the most from your classroom accessories. You will quickly learn the importance (and associated stress) of having an adequate supply of whiteboard markers. You can ensure that yours are always nearby by attaching a strip of velcro to the side of your whiteboard, and a little to each pen for safe storage. (An add...

In the context of GCSE, AS and A level exams in England, two important events took place shortly before the holidays, on 12 December. One was Ofqual's publication of their statistics concerning the numbers of grades challenged and changed following the summer 2024 awards in England, of which more shortly; the other was the pre-appointment hearing b...

A few weeks ago, Ofqual introduced six new principles within their "General Conditions of Recognition", the rules with which awarding organisations must comply. Two of these new principles are: Principle 1 – An awarding organisation must act with honesty and integrity.Principle 5 – An awarding organisation must act in an open, transparent and co-op...

Back in 2021, our curriculum was topic-based, creative and our children enjoyed it. As an approach, it had served us well, but we had begun to sense it had taken us as far as it could. In a topic-based model, the subject is often a servant to the theme. You start with "The Rainforest" or "The Victorians" and build activities around it. It looks coh...

In my blog last August, posted shortly before the exam results, I suggested that there "may be more marking errors than you think". That all depends, of course, on what you might think; but now that Ofqual have published their statistics on reviews of marking following challenges to the results, we know exactly how many marking errors were discover...