Ofsted versus Early Years? The debate about ‘poorly planned play’
November 26, 2024
In this post, Lauran Doak reflects on current debates around the status of play in Early Years settings Ofsted and play in Early Years ‘Play-based learning in Reception classes sometimes does no more than occupy children’s time. If it does not challenge their thinking, problem-solving, persistence and collaboration, it is ineffective in developing their executive …
We need to talk: four implications for primary schools of the Oracy Education Commission’s report.
October 21, 2024
This month has seen the publication of We Need to Talk, the final report from the Oracy Education Commission. In this blog, I reflect on some immediate takeaway messages for primary schools. The work of the Oracy Education Commission has examined a mass of evidence over a busy six-month period. I’ve been fortunate to have …
Social Justice, Anti-racism, and Decolonisation: what place do they have in Teacher Education?
February 19, 2024
In this post, Balbir Kaur (PGCE tutor), Charlie Bird, Mary Scoular and Shannon Bains (PGCE student teachers) reflect on their understanding of Social Justice (SJ), decolonisation and anti-racist approaches to teacher education. These reflections stem from their engagement with academic literature, taught sessions on the Primary PGCE course and a personal commitment that …
How can we support male primary teachers?
January 15, 2024
At a time of intense focus on a ‘crisis’ of teacher recruitment and retention, Esther Fulton considers why the proportion of males in primary teaching remains stubbornly low and how we might respond. It is well documented that there is a lack of male primary teachers worldwide. For all ITE providers across the UK, …
Playing with possibilities at the Nottingham Playhouse
October 25, 2022
On Thursday 11th October, Aisling Walters (Secondary English PGCE course lead at NTU) and Helen Victoria Smith (Primary PGCE Course Leader at UoN) joined some PGCE students and tutors to spend a fun-filled two hours at the Nottingham Playhouse. This marked the first in a series of enrichment events taking place across the city for …
Oracy in the classroom: making space for authentic voices
September 26, 2022
In this post, Rupert Knight reflects on recent visits to classrooms to observe practice in oracy (or the skilled use of spoken language) and considers how we can ensure that learning through talk involves authentic pupil voices. The importance of oracy In a previous blog in this series, I outlined some features of oracy, particularly …
Making History Count in the Primary Classroom: digging deeper into Ofsted’s primary history review.
July 22, 2022
Over the last year, Ofsted has published research reviews into a range of different subjects, designed to collate the most current and most helpful research. In the second of our University of Nottingham Primary Education Network meetings for 2022, Victoria Crooks led a session with a group of school leaders and tutors from the Primary …
Under the Microscope: a closer look at Ofsted’s science research review
March 9, 2022
Over the last year, Ofsted has published research reviews into a range of different subjects, designed to collate the most current and most helpful research. In the first of our University of Nottingham Primary Education Network meetings for 2022, our colleague Jo Hancock led a session with a group of school leaders and tutors from …
Why don’t you build me up, buttercup? A Forest School recovery plan.
January 21, 2022
As schools continue to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on their learners, former Deputy Headteacher, Rachel Peckover, explains how her three-form entry, suburban junior school in the East Midlands, set up Forest School provision. The school aimed to tackle issues around pupils’ social development as a result of lockdown, as well as the rise in …
What are the signature pedagogies of teacher education?
August 13, 2021
At a time when teacher education is under the spotlight, Rupert Knight revisits Lee Shulman’s idea of signature pedagogies as a way of developing shared, ambitious principles for the education of beginning teachers. Learning to teach in England In the last year, the process of learning to teach has come under renewed scrutiny in England. …
