Well, what do you know, Ofsted has done it again. My social feeds and inbox have been flooded with outraged educators over the last week or so, and I can’t say I blame them.
The goalposts have shifted once again, folks, and nobody’s quite sure whether we’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire or not. Now, that’s not for me to say, but your colleagues sure have plenty to talk about on the topic of the new inspection framework.
One such educator is Claire Harley, who has written an open letter to school and MAT leaders across the country, in order to implore them not to give in to Ofsted’s apparent encouragement to play the blame game with one another (page 17).
In other, somewhat related, news, our leadership section for this issue focuses on how to recruit and, importantly, keep your best staff at a time when the rates of teachers leaving the profession are through the roof. Check out what three experts have to say on the matter from page 43.
“We have some fabulous ideas on how to make PE more inclusive.”
On a lighter note, we have some fabulous ideas on how to make PE more inclusive (it’s not as tricky as it sounds) on page 27, as well as pointers on how to spot a whispering talent – and what that is – on page 35.
Our music special this month also gives you a plethora of tips on everything from helping pupils appreciate classical music (page 53) and combining creative subjects with a knowledge-led curriculum (page 58) to managing behaviour in a chaotic practical music lesson (page 63).
If you’re focusing more on developing core subjects at the moment, our six-week plan on states of matter for KS2 is a perfect way to tie in celebrations for British Science Week (page 22), and we have a very special interviewee on page nine, who is sure to add a bit of celestial sparkle to your lessons…
Enjoy the issue!
Charley Rogers – Editor
Charley.rogers@theteachco.com
