It’s not just schools that have to look for additional funding these days; teachers also have to look for additional ways to augment their salary to make up this deficit. When you consider the stack of marking you crush through every night, you’re already working a second job – so that’s out of the question. Fortunately, as a classroom teacher, there are ways to boost your salary without breaking your back....
How many mobile phones have you confiscated this term alone? An annual computing education report from the University of Roehampton has found that only 12% of this year’s GCSE students have opted to study Computing to GCSE level; more worryingly, only 2.7% have continued this through to A-Level. This may seem like an odd statistic when you consider the small stack of impounded phones sitting in your desk drawer....
Health and wellbeing is a key issue in today’s schools, and its importance is supported by a wealth of pedagogical publications. Schools are turning towards health and wellbeing programmes to help them boost attainment and students’ grades, but without the proper funding, these attempts often fall short of the mark. Culturally, Britain is sport-obsessed, but this doesn’t always translate to a school environment. There’s no doubt that more can be done to address this, but how can we improve sports provision – and, in turn, student health and wellbeing – without breaking the budget?...
We spend so much time focusing on the outcome of examinations and students’ results, it’s easy to forget about the impact this is having on their mental health. In this country, 80% of young people believe that exam pressure has significantly impacted on their mental health. When you consider that three quarters of long-term mental health issues start in childhood, that’s indicative of a huge problem facing today’s youth....
School pursestrings are getting tighter, and we’re all looking for alternative sources of funding. Fortunately, there are ways to raise non-statutory school income, whether by hiring out school premises or by hosting fundraising events. Grants and funding pools offer a handy third option. But which grants should you be looking for to supplement your school funding?...
What’s in your desk drawer? The marking you’ve been putting off? An assortment of paperclips and rubber bands? Maybe it’s the staff handbook you’ve never opened? It’s time to take back control of your desk. Stock it up with the right stuff, and that drawer will be transformed into an irreplaceable teacher survival kit....
It’s usually agreed that the earlier children acquire a second language, the better their cognition and language acquisition skills in later life. In support of this, the findings of a journal recently posted to online news outlets suggests that, to acquire native fluency, it is best to start before the age of 10....
Today's blog was written by Chris Walsh, a Year 12 student visiting the SPC offices on work experience. He's presented some interesting and potentially helpful points on setting and marking homework....
We are in the grip of a teacher stress epidemic. 3,750 teachers were signed off on long-term sick leave last year due to stress. That’s one in every 83 teachers, so chances are, you already know somebody who’s at the tipping point. In fact, 75% of teachers report high levels of stress, which is a significant margin over other occupations. The outcome is clear: teachers – particularly NQTs – are leaving the profession in droves....
How much Easter revision is too much for a secondary school student? How about seven hours a day?...