News
Planet 50-50: Women’s leadership in politics and beyond
April 11 2016
Best Practice Network joined Womankind Worldwide supporters and activists at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate International Woman’s Day and to look ahead and #PledgeForParity, for equal gender representation – Planet 50-50.
A key learning tool on display was Suffragette Roulette, where scenarios from both developed and developing countries highlighted the struggle faced by all women who want to have their say, as well as the work Womankind Worldwide are doing to support, guide and facilitate opportunities. Have a go online and let us know how you get on. If you would like Suffragette Roulette to visit your school, please email Rosey Ellum.
What should a learning platform do for your organisation?
April 04 2016
I remember doing my NPQH way back in 2003, the joy of being with like-minded professionals eager to develop, the thrill of learning new ways of doing things and the anxiety of that final assessment! The trouble was I only met with these folks either on the face-to-face days or the occasional meeting with my study group.
What kept me going was the ability to use the discussion networks on the then National College virtual learning environment so I could get some feedback on my own thoughts from colleagues and get some solutions for the issues I faced.
Let’s build on TAs' commitment to making a difference
March 22 2016
Teaching assistants are a major part of the schools workforce today, with around 240,000 working in England’s schools and 10 per cent of the education budget spent on employing them each year.
But there have for some time been concerns that TAs aren’t always used as effectively as they could and should be.
Time to make the big decision
March 16 2016
The government has sounded the starting gun on academy status for all schools, but don’t be tempted to rush to a decision, says Best Practice Network’s Jeff Hart.
Trusts: Mind how you grow
March 15 2016
Multi-Academy Trusts, or MATs, are now a familiar feature of the school landscape. By summer 2015 there were 846 across England, compared to under 400 in March 2011.
Retention: How to keep teachers teaching
March 03 2016
Research is showing that the numbers of teachers leaving full-time teaching and those considering leaving the profession are at an all-time high. This research highlights the vital problem of keeping teachers teaching, which is currently experienced within the industry especially by school leaders.
Get the most out of your Teaching Assistants
February 24 2016
Dean Boyce, programme leader for HLTA and Support Staff programmes, discusses where schools can turn for more guidance on the best use of TAs, in the absence of national standards.
New classic books initiative launched
February 15 2016
Penguin has published a new list of 100 books as part of a new Classics initiative. They will be offering secondary classroom sets of 30 copies of each of the titles for a total cost of £3,000. Simon Winder, Publishing Director, Penguin Classics said:
"We have chosen 100 books from the Penguin Classics series to continue our tradition of engaging the next generation - to surprise, provoke and delight young readers. The opportunity to work with schools to make these 100 books available to their students is a unique one and we are thrilled to be involved."
A vision for character education - Secretary for Education Nicky Morgan
February 01 2016
On the 21st of January 2016, the Secretary for Education Nicky Morgan gave a speech on her vision for education.
She referred to the Prime Minister’s recent speech on life changes that the aim in politics should be “...to give every child the chance to dream big and the tools - the character, the knowledge and the confidence that will let their potential shine brightly.”
This article is a summary of what what was covered in the speech:
National Teaching Service pilot gets underway
January 30 2016
On January 29th 2016, Secretary for Education Nicky Morgan announced that talented teachers and middle leaders are being invited to apply to join the National Teaching Service (NTS) and work in schools across the North West, which are having trouble retaining teaching professionals. The national teaching service will see 1500 of the country’s top teaching professionals matched to the schools which need them most by 2020.