A beginner’s guide to: Professor Eric Donald Hirsch

Best known for: His book 'Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know', which argues that the majority of children in the United States are not being taught the basic cultural knowledge that allows them to participate fully in contemporary society. Quick biography: Born: 22 March, 1928 Nationality: American (born in Memphis, Tennessee). Wh...

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A beginner’s guide to Doug Lemov

Best known for: Lemov has become something of a household name in teaching circles following the success of his 2010 book Teach Like a Champion. Based on best practices from experienced teachers, the book provides practical knowledge and proven techniques to help teachers teach better. Now in its second edition, Lemov's guide to '62 techniques that...

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Can school leaders rely on Kotter's change management model?

A few weeks ago I wrote about the need for school leaders to be appropriately critical of educational and management gurus. One such guru is John Kotter, whose name is often found on lists of the world's leading management thinkers. But Kotter's influence is not just limited to business – last month, leading educationalist Andy ...

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Progess 8 and Attainment 8: an overview

What are they? Up until 2016, all students and schools were measured on how many good GCSE's they achieved at A*- C, including English and mathematics. In October 2013, the government announced that a new secondary school accountability system would be implemented from 2016. It included two new headline measures, Attainment...

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Classroom Fad or Fix? The many sides of mixed-ability grouping

What is it? The process of putting students into classes that have a mix of abilities, rather than streaming them into sets alongside others of a similar attainment level. The practice is still quite rare in England's schools (both primary and secondary), with most leaders opting for the more traditional approach of setting by ability, particularly...

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