The Schools & Academies Show 2024: Plan. Procure. Prosper.

The Schools & Academies Show 2024

The Schools & Academies Show 2024 provides the education community with a one-stop shop of everything they need to further strengthen their strategic business and school improvement plans for a lasting impact. Join thousands of educators on 1st May 2024 at ExCeL London, for over 30 hours of CPD accredited content and access to 150+ […]

Are mobile phones being banned in UK schools?

School children looking at a mobile phone

The UK government has issued new guidance to schools amid a call for a total ban of mobile phones in schools. Research has found that almost all secondary age pupils have a mobile phone. The Department for Education says 97% of 12-year-olds carry a smart phone and they are concerned that they can be a […]

Overlooking School Sprinkler Systems – The High Price Of Short-Term Thinking

sprinklers in schools

School sprinkler systems are still relatively rare. Fewer than one-in-six new schools have been built with a sprinkler system installed yet the fire incident statistics for England in primary/secondary and other educational establishments has seen a rise from 250 in 2020/21 to 341 in 2021/22.   This begs the question as to why are we […]

Managing school behaviour – the power of positive parental engagement

School behaviour

Engaged parents can help schools deliver positive behaviour strategies says Paul Featherstone, former primary school teacher and product manager at SIMS from ParentPay Group.  How often are teachers diverted away from teaching to encourage a group of pupils to stop chatting and focus on their learning or take quick action to prevent a playground altercation from spilling over into a lesson?  According to the DfE’s 2023 National Behaviour Survey, 62% of school leaders and teachers reported that misbehaviour interrupted teaching in at least some lessons and two thirds of pupils had experienced lessons disrupted by poor behaviour. However, families can be powerful allies for tackling issues – parents were […]

RAAC crisis: innovative modular buildings are the solution

Modular buildings are surging in popularity due to the RAAC crisis

With the RAAC crisis causing chaos at schools across Britain, modular classrooms are reshaping the future of education. These highly adaptable architectural solutions are designed to meet the ever-changing requirements of regulations, students, and education facilities. Due to its versatility and flexibility, modular buildings have recently seen a surge of popularity amongst schools.  Additionally, there has […]

LiteracyPlanet Introduces Free Back-to-School Resources for UK Teachers on Pinterest

LP Teach Literacy Fun Debbie Bradley

As the new school year beckons, LiteracyPlanet, a fun curriculum-aligned digital literacy tool, has unveiled a treasure trove of back-to-school resources specially designed for UK educators. These invaluable resources are now available for free download via the LiteracyPlanet Pinterest page. With teachers gearing up to return to their classrooms, the pressure to innovate and engage […]

Editor’s blog: If AI failed to ace Year 6 SATs what chance did the kids have?

You may be aware of the controversy surrounding the recent SATs. The headteacher at my own children’s school described the reading test as the “hardest” he “could remember” and the maths papers as “challenging”. Those are strong words for teachers, who are typically trained to communicate in the most neutral ways they can. He wasn’t […]

DFRobot to showcase its IoT-enabled ‘Smart Garden’ at Bett 2020

DFRobot - micro:bit-designed ‘smart garden’ at Bett 2020.

DFRobot, a world-leading STEM education solution provider is boosting engagement with STEM with the help of their micro:bit-designed ‘smart garden’ at Bett 2020. Embracing the power and versatility of micro:bit throughout its range of STEM resources, DFRobot is blending ‘smart garden’ design with Internet of Things (IoT) technology to show students and teachers how to […]