Doubt being thrown at the accuracy of the KS2 tests. Again. Bearing in mind that these tests cost somewhere in the region of £45-50 million a year to administer (plus the time, staffing and resources primary schools put in) surely there are better, cheaper ways of monitoring pupil progress? Secondary schools frequently ignore data coming from primary and SATs results only seem to have a use in the equally questionable activity of predicting GCSE outcomes.

As a parent of a Year 6 child, I’ve been horrified at the pressure put on children and then - once the SATs were over - hardly any teaching going on (my son barely had a maths lesson after the tests and his time at school filled with “fun” activities like watching movies). I’d prefer my son’s education to be focused on his learning, not some high-stakes test. And I’d like it to carry on to the point he left school.

Teacher pay rise: all you need to know

The government has offered a 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers from September 2023. What will happen next?

The Department for Education and all four major teaching unions issued a joint announcement today that teachers will receive a 6.5 per cent pay rise from September 2023.

The announcement comes after a long-running dispute over pay and months of strike action by teachers.

But how will the pay rise be funded? Is it affordable for schools? Will all teachers receive a raise and will it mean strikes will now not go ahead next term?

Here’s everything you need to know:

1. What pay rise has the government awarded to teachers?

The government has decided to accept the reported School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendation of a 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in England from September this year.

This is more than the DfE had originally proposed in February (3.5 per cent) but for the second year is less than the “fully funded, in

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Teachers, junior doctors and police to get 6% pay rises Sunak will make schools and hospitals find the money for public sector pay deal Sunak will make schools and hospitals find the money for public sector pay deal

Rishi Sunak will give millions of public sector workers including teachers, junior doctors and police officers pay rises of at least 6 per cent.

The Times has been told that the prime minister has accepted the recommendations of all the independent pay review bodies despite concerns that raises could fuel inflation. The government will not borrow more to fund the raises, meaning departments face a £3 billion squeeze on their budgets.

Teachers will be given a 6.5 per cent pay rise in an attempt to end industrial action that has forced thousands of schools to close. Junior d

Nice extract from a great book "How to Talk so Kids will Learn at Home and at School" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

Great book for reflecting on how we can use our talk as teachers in a productive way in order to get the best responses from our students.

Lots of fantastic tips for classroom management. Really makes you think about how as a teacher our response can escalate a situation very quickly. Alternatively, we can respond in a way to de-escalate. Make students feel valued and heard and then redirect to learning. Not always that easy of course but still very effective.

Just got sent this while I'm off sick.

These are bits of my newly put up display board.