EdBlogs

Robin Alexander gained his PhD from the University of Cambridge, beginning his career as a teacher before becoming a lecturer at the University of Leeds. He is currently a fellow of Wolfson College at Cambridge, honorary professor of education at the University of York, professor of education emeritus at the University of Warwick, and chair of...

Natasha Devon, until recently the government's mental health champion for schools, said before departing from her post: Time and time again young people – and the people who teach them – have spoken out about how a rigorous culture of testing and academic pressure is detrimental to their mental health. At one end of the scale we've got four year ol...

A recent Twitter conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of headteachers having a teaching commitment made me thoughtful. I was a head for 30 years and taught each class of year 7 one English lesson every week throughout this time. I was paired with the English teacher who taught them for the rest of the time. If I had to be out of...

Teacher Katherine Birbalsingh received a standing ovation at the 2010 Conservative Party Conference, when she said: "The [education] system is broken because it keeps poor children poor." She went on to condemn a "culture of excuses, of low standards"; "the chaos of our classrooms"; and a "sea of bureaucracy". Birbalsingh has since regretted her co...

by John Winwood  In the chaos of your first year at the helm of a classroom, it's good to take a moment to reflect and remember what supports great teaching and learning. In fact, whether you're a newly qualified teacher (NQT) or have been marking books for decades, it's always beneficial to remind yourself of the basics. So here are my top 10...