The QTS Debate
“So, is it a good idea to remove the requirement for QTS to be acquired eventually by all teachers? No, it isn’t. In my view, it’s a terrible idea that will have serious long-term consequences.” Tom Sherrington looks at the current debate on qualified teacher status.
Frontline stories – My darkest school days
“Over the years, working in a range of contexts, I’ve encountered some extraordinary scenarios that have challenged me immensely. Being a teacher isn’t always about teaching…” Tom Sherrington shares some challenging stories from his teaching experience.
OfQual insights: More thoughts on exams
“If ministers continue to insist on using blunt data instruments to hold us to account based on exams that are not designed for that purpose, we’ll never get the level of intelligent behaviour and integrity in the system that we need.” Tom Sherrington calls for a new way of thinking about school examinations and marking.
Exam reform. Another blog manifesto
I’ve written quite a few posts about exams and assessment in the last year. Some of the earlier ones were a bit of a rant; more recently, I think they are more measured. Through this blog and other related activities such as working with the Headteachers’ Roundtable, I’ve been able to meet some of the […]
Assessment, standards and the bell curve
After announcements about new proposals for KS2 assessment, the issues around relative and absolute standards are getting a working over. Director of The Institute of Education, Chris Husbands, has written a thoughtful blog on some of the issues. I’ve had personal reasons to engage recently as the parent of a Year 6 student who has just received […]
My blog manifesto
“Reforming our Qualifications and Assessment Framework to provide a unifying, inclusive umbrella for the achievements of all learners [and] reforming our accountability system so that schools and teachers are known, not measured by narrow data sets and inadequate drop-in inspections.” Tom Sherrington presents a manifesto for change in education.
The anatomy of high expectations
A lot has been written in the last week about the experience of able learners in state schools. The OfSTED report published last week was widely reported in terms of failure, despite using a small evidence base of 41 schools and subsequent articles and posts have focused on the issues in different ways: David Didau, @LearningSpy captures […]
Towards a proper English Baccalaureate
Before joining KEGS as Head, I used to work as Head of Secondary at the British International School in Jakarta. It was an extraordinary experience on many levels. One of the features of the school that gave us confidence that we were delivering an extremely strong educational product was that we ran the English Curriculum […]
Thoughts on school admissions
Having always been a comprehensive school student and then a comprehensive school teacher for 17 years, I still feel like an observer rather an insider now that I work in a selective school. I am challenged on the validity of selection by testing from time to time and, as I work very closely with colleagues […]
Raising the bar
From my perspective, a number of recent discussions and policy initiatives have missed the target when it comes to tackling the issue of educational under-performance in our schools. Even where I agree with the diagnosis, the prescribed medicine doesn’t seem to match. At classroom level, where it counts, there are a number of reasons why ‘raising […]
Accountability we can trust
I’m convinced that our existing accountability framework is preventing schools from improving at the pace that they could be or in the way that they should be. OfSTED and Performance Tables dominate the thinking of too many Heads and teachers to a degree that is unhealthy, unnecessary and counterproductive. I have written about these issues […]