Key stage 3 (KS3) in secondary schools has always been the squeezed middle when it comes to school improvement. Jammed between high stakes assessments in KS2 and GCSEs at KS4, it has often been shrunken and or jammed-full with GCSE practice, and rendered an afterthought for curriculum design, staffing,
High-quality talk routines in the classroom matter. They can build understanding, foster engagement, aid behaviour, promote critical thinking, and much more. It is no surprise then that oracy has risen to prominence once more given the potential benefits of purposeful classroom talk. But year after year, we see evidence
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Stephen King, 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft' Everybody knows that there is a special language that you find in books. The special language and vocabulary students encounter when they read books - whether it is fiction or non-fiction - is more
Literacy is a perennial concern in education. Standards are lamented, strategies launched, policies revised, and detailed plans drafted—yet year after year, the same issues persist with little meaningful progress. There are many reasons for this, but two are particularly salient. First, literacy is not a single skill but a
After more than seven years at the Education Endowment Foundation, I’m stepping into a new chapter. It’s been a privilege to work alongside such a talented, purpose-driven team, deepening my understanding of how research evidence can meaningfully support teachers and improve outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Leading and
Where do teachers start when it comes to supporting students who struggle with reading and writing? There is so much written and argued about reading and writing, that busy teachers can feel a little lost about here to start or what to do. Many teachers can feel like King Cnut
Engagement matters to learning. Without it, students are unlikely to focus and invest in their learning. If teenage students in England are increasingly disengaged, we should want to know the causes and what can be done about it. In a recent large scale survey entitled, 'Mind the Engagement Gap:
I have spent more than a decade writing about vocabulary and working with a range of teachers across primary, secondary and colleges. Over that time, I've come to think differently about one of the most important, but tricky aspects of vocabulary instruction: deciding which words to explicitly teach.
