Latest thinking

No School Left Behind

Video

17 Jun 2013

Shadow Education Secretary for the Labour party

The future's so bright, I gotta wear protective goggles: five thoughts on vocational education

Blog

10 Jun 2013

Joe Hallgarten

I spoke this morning at the annual IBO conference for those schools who are piloting the career-related International Baccalaureate - the IBCC. We're proud that our RSA Academy in Tipton is at the forefront of this exciting development.

Could Hackney be the answer to Suffolk’s educational problems?

Press release

24 May 2013

An investigation by the RSA into Suffolk’s ‘stuck’ underperforming schools has called on the borough to encourage greater collaboration, stronger leadership and introduce radical new partnerships in order to turn things around.

An inspector keeps calling

Blog

15 Mar 2013

Joe Hallgarten

Is there anything Ofsted won’t do? Fresh from Michael Wilshaw’s ‘Damascene Moment’, changing his mind to pitch for Ofsted sticking around to support school improvement (aided by their new regional directors), David Laws claimed last week that Ofsted would make sure that the Pupil Premium was well spent.

A Lambeth school excelling against the odds

Press release

04 Mar 2013

A south London school that was once famous for all the wrong reasons has become the second school in the capital to be graded as outstanding in every area by OfSTED, since the new harder inspection process was introduced in September 2012.

Rising numbers of disadvantaged pupils moving school in-year

Press release

01 Mar 2013

Disadvantaged pupils are 40 percent more likely to be admitted ‘in year’ due to either moving homes or changing family circumstances, according to figures released by the RSA.

The Power of Fellowship Connections

Blog

05 Feb 2013

Richard Pickford

I was struck by just how powerful the work of a few individuals can be to create and sustain an idea following a meeting recently with Ian Jamie, a Fellow and School Governor at Whitley Academy.  Through personal experience and insight of the local situation he has begun to work with the Academy to help support Year 12 students as they begin to consider their next steps.  Having experienced the power of support from a network of alumni and family friends as he developed his career he has seen the value of connectivity.  Ian and the staff that are working with the 6th form are keen to take the best from their experiences to offer similar opportunities for 6th form students at Whitley Academy.

Find a Voice Not Read a Script: Looking for the Heart of English

Video

23 Jan 2013

With Michael Boyd, Chris Meade, Roger Billing, Jenny Lubuska and Sue Horner

We would say that, wouldn’t we?

Blog

18 Jan 2013

Joe Hallgarten

When I was a primary school history coordinator (in those heady, deluded days before literacy and numeracy targets swept most other priorities away, and QCA schemes of work did the rest), I had the delightful job of planning a whole-school history scheme of work. One of the many attainment targets for history was for children to be able to ‘distinguish facts from opinions’ by the time they got to secondary school. Given their collective seniority and expertise, I am hopeful that the Education Select Committee has the same ability, even if some of their witnesses struggle with this distinction.