Latest thinking

Collectively thinking about the curriculum

Blog

01 Mar 2010

As promised, Friday's seminar on the implications of social brain theory for how we think about the national curriculum resulted in a fascinating discussion.

The social curriculum - how who we are affects what we learn

Blog

25 Feb 2010

Social brain theory, which looks at insights from a range of disciplines that deal with human brain, mind and behaviour sciences, posits that our rationality is more emotionally driven, that we are more socially responsive, and that our decisions are made more unconsciously than simplistic models of rational, individualistic beings making rational decisions allow.

Michael Gove's response

Blog

19 Jan 2010

Matthew Taylor

Here is Michael Gove’s reply to my July Questions. As I said yesterday, I am very grateful to him for finding the time. Instead of giving my response to his response today – which would make an already long post even longer – I’ll wait until tomorrow, by which time I hope also to be able to draw on comments from other readers.

Schools - back to basics

Blog

09 Jan 2010

Matthew Taylor

Sometimes a series of unconnected events conspire to turn a vague conviction into a firm opinion. Try these three:

Still no response from Michael Gove

Blog

18 Aug 2009

Matthew Taylor

I have given up hope that Michael Gove will reply to the questions I posed to him – on his invitation – last month. I’d like to say this is because he is on the run from my brilliant interrogation but I suspect it’s just that I’m not worth bothering with (even if other bits of the Conservative Party are quoting me!).

An open letter to Michael Gove

Blog

16 Jul 2009

Matthew Taylor

Dear Michael

Why did I have to be so Frank?

Blog

30 Jun 2009

Matthew Taylor

I need a holiday. I keep making mistakes. I did it again today.

Has the National Curriculum had its day?

Blog

03 Apr 2009

The government's defensive response to the select committee's recommendation that the National Curriculum take up no more than 50% of the timetable is as frustrating as it is predictable.

The importance of judgement

Blog

12 Feb 2009

My leg is somewhat like the chair I sit in: they are both constituted by atomic particles; they both occupy space-time; they are both to the East of Ireland. How interesting are these similarities? Not very.