EdBlogs

Literacy is one of the most influential factors in students' attainment in science, according to a recent report from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). This is just one of the interesting findings that researchers from Oxford University and the Department for Education discovered in their large-scale data analysis of science education. The ...

Talking at a number of conferences recently I've suggested that we've got to stop reinventing the wheel and use research wisely. Research provides signposts towards what might work for us, based on what has worked elsewhere and to what extent. The following suggestion, improving attendance by using simple letters home with key information,&nbs...

A new report from the Education Select Committee has criticised assessment in primary schools, saying its close link to school accountability is creating a "high-stakes" system that is harming teaching and learning. The group of cross-party MPs confirmed what many primary school teachers have been saying for a long time: that the new SATs system is...

Common sense suggests, scientific research tells you, and Pisa proves it; what makes the biggest difference to student outcomes is the teacher in front of the class. That means if you really want to improve the school system, you need to focus on teacher training and professional development. Teachers need the core knowledge to plan, deve...

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...