Let this be your ‘Call to Action!’
If the current lockdown has afforded you the time to sit and reflect and come to the decision that you do not want to return to your life before – now is the time to take action. If you have followed my journey or that of the other franchisees in the network and have […]
Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There’s a lot we’ve got right with our current education system.
Now the dust is beginning to settle a little bit with the Covid-19 lockdown, it is and rightly so, giving people the opportunity to reflect upon how we have done things previously. Looking specifically at our current education provision from reception, right the way through to A-level and university entry, there is a lot we […]
It is not your job to homeschool! Parents- back away from the blackboard.
Since Boris Johnson announced that all schools in the UK are to close, one of the most high frequency vocabulary words that has been banded around on social media has been that of ‘homeschooling.’ There have been posts from parents, there have been memes, threads and hilarious photographs with parents who have been attempting to […]
Kids go free at Art of the Brick Lego exhibition in Manchester this February
Kids go free at Art of the Brick Lego exhibition in Manchester If you didn’t already know, there’s a huge LEGO exhibition on in Manchester at the moment that features almost 100 pieces of artwork and over 1 million bricks. The Art of the Brick, a globally renowned touring exhibition, came to Manchester at the […]
Study and Revision – these are not the same thing
I don’t actually want to hear the word ‘revision’ until at least April next year. If you are a child embarking upon your GCSEs; if you are a parent desperately trying to support them through this process, can we have an agreement that the word revision will not come into play until the actual study […]
The End is in Sight
The six week holidays – nearly over! I have yet to fully understand the significance of why, in 2019, we still adhere to an academic school calendar that appears to be structured around the exploitation of child labour within the agricultural industry. Six weeks summer holidays so that the children of farmers can help with […]
GCSE Results – Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
Let’s do worst case scenario. Thursday morning arrives and the envelope or the email containing your GCSE results is the biggest shock you have received in your life and the numbers staring back at you bear no resemblance to the grades you need to progress you to the next level of your journey. Blind panic […]
The Guilt of the Working Mum – how I have almost mastered the art of self-forgiveness
The Guilt of the Working Mum – how I have almost mastered the art of self-forgiveness. I remember vividly my very first thought when I saw the positive read on my pregnancy test… ‘Oh My God, I can’t believe it, not – ‘I am pregnant’ but ‘I drank loads of wine at the weekend!’ Boom […]
Don’t get me started on the Secret Examiner’s ‘Whistle Blowing’
Don’t get me started on how angry I am at the so called ‘whistle blower’ and the timing of their decision to tweet their concerns as an exam marker. In true Paper 2, question 5 style or Speaking and Listening topic – I feel the need to respond to the recent furore regarding the so […]
Moving from the classroom to the boardroom – My exit strategy from teaching after 20 years.
I was 22 years old in 1994 when I was appointed to my first ever ‘proper’ job, an English teacher in a secondary school in Runcorn in the North-west of England. I had my own classroom; my tutor group ; full-time salary; 13 weeks holiday a year and a pension scheme. Wow! My Dad was beyond […]