If there is one phrase I hear to justify any kind of policy in education, it's "high expectations". Whilst "high expectations" itself is something we can all aspire to maintain, how it is defined is often unclear, ill-fitting and, in some cases, unreasonable. The culture of high expectations is often announced alongside a new initiative
They say you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Some, transferring this concept into education, may say they feel they are smothering the horse with water, bringing the water as close to the horse as possible. The concept of holding the horses head under the water may seem appealing
If behaviour is a choice, is it truly a free one? "They know what they are doing" "They are doing it on purpose" "They are choosing not to do it" These three common phrases, throwaway yet internalised, are often heard in corridors and classrooms across the country. But what does it really mean to say
No topic generates more debates than approaches to behaviour. It's a part of the teacher's role that is mostly (if not entirely) learned "on-the-job". Every encounter, every word is an experience and lesson in what works and what doesn't. We all find our own way, our own character and our own boundaries to maintain. They
The idea of celebrating failure is a bizarre one, but bear with me. Schools put a lot of work into celebrating excellent practice, sharing great resources and holding high performing colleagues in high esteem, visible examples for the rest of the school to aspire to. This is essential to improving any school. Colleagues getting credit
In December 2017 the Green Paper regarding young people’s Mental Health was released by the government with positive and forward thinking ideas for improving mental health. A designated lead was identified as being required within schools as well as mental health support teams working more closely with schools. Whilst it is definitely a step in
In a world that is increasingly better connected and where information can travel across the globe in the blink of an eye, the connections we form in school in passing can seem almost insignificant. However the basis on which we form connections with our young people is incredibly important in understanding their needs. I am
Teachers who are lucky enough to have found the time to become “attachment/trauma aware” will know the incredible power of relationships on children with attachment and trauma issues. (If you do want to read up on this area please see Betsy De Thierry, Margot Sutherland, Dr Tina Rae or the fantastic book on attachment I
The Russian philosopher and write Dostoyevsky once said, “To live without hope is to cease to live”. In my experiences within school, the power of hope is widely underestimated as a wellbeing intervention yet has the power to underpin all the good work that is done day to day in a school. As much as
Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper - Mental Health Leads - Opinion The long awaited mental health green paper is finally out. Will it make a difference? Only time will tell. I've been looking through it and here are my thoughts on the first of the three key themes: Designated
