• Digital natives? Using technology to improve learning and assessment

    This is a blog by Mary Richardson. The role of new digital learning technologies is not a vision of the future; it is now firmly embedded in education systems from the nursery to the university. The development of digital resources is fast-paced and it can seem overwhelming to navigate the tsunami of sales pitches promising everything from reduced workloads to perfect assessment. However, step back and remember the wise words of educationalist Dylan Wiliam that “everything works somewhere; nothing works everywhere – so we need to ask ourselves, under what conditions does x work?”

  • Closing the word gap with Jean Gross CBE

    I rarely meet a teacher these days who isn’t concerned about the growing number of children with speech, language and communication needs. 

    It isn’t likely to get better any time soon if we look at what is happening in the cohort of children who will soon be working their way through the school system. In a recent survey 82 per cent of health visitors reported seeing a year-on-year increase in children with speech, language and communication delays in their pre-school caseloads. And last year, Speech and Language UK estimated that at least 1.9 million primary- and secondary-aged children were struggling with talking and understanding words. That equates to one in five school-aged children – the highest number ever recorded.

  • Grime Opera: A Musical Synthesis

    A False Binary 

    Grime is a style of British rap music that emerged from the UK Garage scene during the early 2000s. The genre is defined by complex syncopated raps over fast beats, initially made famous by a generation of East London artists such as Wiley and Dizzie Rascal, and more recently, revived by the likes of Stormzy, who became the first British black solo artist to headline Glastonbury in 2019. On paper, Grime is perhaps not the natural bedfellow of Classical music. Grime Opera strives to challenge this assumption, uniting young people from a diverse range of backgrounds in pursuit of an authentic musical experience.  

  • Are we missing a trick in primary assessment? with Jean Gross CBE

    What gets measured tends to get done. In primary schools this means a curriculum driven largely by English and maths.

    But perhaps assessment needs to help us look below the surface of these headline measures. Why? Consider these research findings:

    • Children with poor language at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in literacy at age 11 than those with good language, and 11 times less likely to reach the expected standard in maths.
    • Children’s reading ability is dependent on their oral language skills – their vocabulary and language structures. The contribution of spoken language skills to reading is not confined to reading comprehension; it also predicts how easily they will learn phonics.
  • Power of Maths Spotlight... Improving accessibility for SEND learners

    Building independence through maths for every student
    By Karen McGuigan

    I was one of these children who just loved maths – even now I see it everywhere in life – but I know that’s not a talent most people have. Maths is so important. It helps us understand money, unpick practical things like our shopping and phone contracts, and make informed decisions.

    Yet the way most schools teach maths, especially to learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and additional needs, means many children are leaving education without the key maths skills they’ll need to live independently.

    In 2019, after working on maths with my then 7-year-old son who has Downs Syndrome, I started a programme called Maths For Life with the aim of creating a differentiated approach to the current maths curriculum; one that delivers essential maths that all children need for life. I believe what I’ve learned could really improve maths accessibility for every child, whatever their needs and ability.

  • Climate-conscious schools: how can you make a difference?

    Continuing our focus this month on all aspects of sustainability, from menu evaluations to energy-saving initiatives, Clare Cox, Sustainability Lead at Pearson, shares with Education Today some of the steps schools are taking to become more sustainable, and collates key tips and advice from leading voices across the sector.

  • Helping our young people become sustainably minded citizens

    Featuring this month in Education Today is Becki Huth, the Sustainability and Forest School Lead at Cutteslowe Primary School, which is part of the Riverside Learning Trust in Oxford. She tells us about the wide-ranging sustainability initiatives that have been implemented at her school and the surprising impact they have had on both the pupils and the school community.