Keeping Schools and Students Safe in the Cloud
A few years ago information security expert Thomas Parenty warned, “You have no idea who is managing the computers with your information. You have no idea where they are. You have no idea…
Seeing the Light – Super fast broadband for less than the LEA
Craig McKee reflects on his school’s decision to take a leap into the unknown by moving away from their LEA broadband provider. Why change broadband? Well, the first point I would make in this time…
Applying for headship – the application form and beyond!
Advertisements for headteacher posts are seasonal, appearing near the start of each term so applicants need to be prepared for a fair amount of work to secure an interview! Those hoping to secure…
Communication Matters – Supporting Pupils with Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Effective communication is a prerequisite of effective teaching and learning, but a broad range of speech, language and communication needs are stopping many pupils from achieving their potential at school. Speech, language and…
Health & Safety Considerations for Schools
Schools are obliged to provide and promote a safe environment; to protect pupils, staff and visitors; to look after their health, both physical and mental and to ensure their safety at all times…
Leading CPD Effectively
In these days of tight budgets and external pressures to improve, it is more important than ever for schools to get the most out of their continuing professional development budgets. When professional learning…
Impossible feat – Balancing workload as a school manager
I’m not sure if I really believe in work-life balance. I do for staff, of course. Not for Senior Leaders – I truly don’t believe that you can reach Outstanding with half an…
About Face – Can schools use social media positively or should they steer clear?
Social media and social networking sites often get a bad press when it comes to schools. It seems that any mention of Facebook within the school gates sends senior staff scurrying for the…
Keeping the wolf from the door – Can schools expand curriculum while facing funding drop?
In what some would say was a proactive move, and others cite as another lot of hot air, education secretary, Michael Gove commissioned a comprehensive review of vocational education in England. The final…
Paying or Praying – Do parents really need to go to such lengths to get a good education?
At a time when parents and carers are finding out which school their child has been allocated, recent press articles suggest that aspirational parents such as Andy Hamilton, to whom the quotation above…