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 […]
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 […]
Holding back the tide – The Trauma of the Year 6 Leaver’s Assembly
Within the last couple of weeks my year 11 son completed his GSCES and my response to him leaving school was “thank god!” As my year 6 daughter prepares to leave her primary school, all I keep saying is “oh my god!” I don’t know whether it is because she is the youngest and this […]
Why don’t we have Study Leave any more?
I try to keep pretty neutral in my role as Director of a tuition company. We work in multiple catchment areas, serving many schools so I am fortunate in being able to gather a cross section of feedback regarding most educational practices. I try to please all of the people, all of the time. Parents, pupils, […]
GCSEs – Half-term and half way there.
This half-term break, signals the half way stage of the GSCEs. Despite it manifesting differently for most, the run up has undoubtedly been the most stressful period in my relationship with my son. Yet, I must say, the build up was worse than the actual exams themselves. Once they got started and the momentum kicked in; […]
Why I can’t move on from “Of Mice and Men”
May 2016 and I returned my copy of “Of Mice and Men” to the shelf and there it has stayed gathering dust. This was as a result of one of the biggest shake ups the GCSEs had seen since their introduction in 1988. We are all aware of Gove’s changes: removing the coursework component; favouring […]
How many “Power and Conflict” poems can you spot hidden in the text? There are 15 to find.
Here goes… Some advice for all you students of AQA English and not just those in London. All that remains to be said is now that year 11 is drawing to an end, grab a tissue and get emotional remembering all the good times. Don’t go into Kamikaze mode and do daft things like burn […]
GCSE month – The New Role of the Parent
This is it. They are finally here and they will come thick and fast. The GCSEs begin this week with some ‘biggies’ and for those of you who have reaped this whirlwind before will understand that this week is now a game changer. For months we have been locked in conflict regarding revision, ironically with […]