How can schools create a sense of belonging for beginning teachers?
February 13, 2025
In this blog Esther Fulton looks at the importance of the sense of belonging in schools. Although there is a plethora of research around a sense of belonging for children, this blog focuses specifically on the role and responsibilities the teachers have in creating this belonging for themselves and the beginning teachers they …
Map-making, path-finding, and bridge-building: closing the gap between working-class pupils and their peers.
January 6, 2025
In this post, Brittany Wright from L.E.A.D. Academy Trust reflects on ways to improve educational outcomes for pupils from working-class backgrounds. As teachers and leaders, we know how important our work is to the lives and life chances of our pupils. As well as providing a high-quality education for pupils during their school days, …
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 …
