British Council to widen access and remove financial barriers to UK’s top universities
Students applying to top-ranking universities in the UK will benefit from a new collaboration between the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The new arrangement for the university admissions tests will focus on widening access and removing financial barriers for eligible students. Students who need to take a Cambridge Assessment Admissions test for their university application will be able to take the tests in British Council exam centres in 29 locations across the UK in October and November. The admissions tests are already sat in schools throughout the UK, but the British Council centres will provide additional access to the tests, particularly for students who are not in school or where the school is unable to run the tests. The British Council already delivers admissions tests globally, but this will be the first time the organisation will deliver the sessions in the UK, bringing its extensive experience of delivering high-stakes tests to students. A standardised, straightforward registration system and high-quality testing experience will be offered for candidates at the start of their higher education journey. Every year, millions of people take international exams with help from the British Council. Students and professionals gain qualifications that can open doors at leading academic institutions and improve their employment prospects around the world. Through its globally trusted status and embedded values, the British Council will ensure that the candidate’s experience remains in safe hands. Its Quality, Compliance and Assurance (QCA) framework which monitors and audits compliance with over 100 standards across all areas of exam delivery, will ensure the highest standards of operational delivery, exams security and integrity. Cambridge has worked hard to remove financial barriers for eligible candidates as part of their commitment to widening participation and having the British Council provide an open centre network will ensure that candidates will have the opportunity to sit the test in a venue that’s convenient for them. Martin Lowder, Head of Global Examinations Services at the British Council, said: ‘We are delighted to be administering the delivery of Cambridge Assessment Admissions Tests in the UK for the first time. Our presence in over 100 countries means our partners benefit from our extensive network and experience in exam delivery and administration. Partners value our association and trust us to deliver the highest standard of support to help them deliver life changing exams for students.” Gwendydd Caudwell, Head of Test Development and Delivery at Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, said: “Every year thousands of sixth formers start applying to universities and for many this means taking an admissions test. We’ve worked with our colleagues at the British Council to ensure everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or where they are based can get access to a test. This includes making sure the test is available in multiple locations and removing financial barriers where needed. For example, eligible candidates can have the registration fees waived as part of our commitment to widening participation.”
Using the Forest School approach for children’s mental health
Carl Dutton is a newly qualified Forest School leader, mental health nurse and psychodrama psychotherapist. Here he introduces the Forest School provision at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and how they use the approach to support children with mental health needs. Our Forest School is used for therapy for those young people who might need a different approach and where traditional talking only therapies might not work. The Forest School has been developed in our local park attached to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital which serves the children of Liverpool but also the wider North West, North Wales, and the Isle of Man. The park is a mixed use space which includes grassed areas, playground, adventure trails and a mixed wooded area which we use for our Forest School. It has a wide range of trees including rowan, sycamore, wild cherry, crab apple and Alder, which the hospital is named after. It has an open area where we have a parachute to cover/protect us from too much sun or rain. Philosophy The underlying philosophy for the Forest School is using a child centered approach with the emphasis on play, creativity, and problem solving as the model of therapy. The sessions are run by my colleague Louise who is a dramatherapist and Forest School Leader and myself. We both have experience in delivering dramatherapy groups in clinic and school settings but believed that this could be done outdoors with nature as our therapy space. Central to our model is to follow the child’s lead and be open to the numerous possibilities to be together in the park space. The model has the Forest School philosophy around exploration, play, and learning by doing and reflecting on what has been done together. We also use the 5 Ways to Well Being approach as an overarching way of thinking about the sessions and encourage the young people to reflect on each session with those things in mind – Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Learn and Give. The 5 Ways to Well Being is a recognised public health model of maintaining mental health and well being and we find that young people are able to use its principles easily in discussion or to mark down in writing or drawing in the sessions. The other measures we use to help gain valuable feedback on progress are the Connectedness to Nature Questionnaire by the RSPB and the Edinburgh Warwick Well Being check cards. They are an important part of the process in helping to see and show how young people have developed during the sessions. Sessions Each session has a ritualistic aspect which helps with those young people who may suffer from anxiety or neurodevelopmental conditions such as ASD. It gives a sense of predictability and psychological containment also for those whose emotional regulation may be impacted by traumatic events or attachment issues. We always start with a check in with each other, this can be verbal or non-verbal, to gauge how each young person is feeling/thinking but also how the group is as a whole. It might mean that we are aware that the group might need more time to work together with some drama/play based exercises to help with connectedness to self, others and the wider physical environment – maybe checking the space, how has it changed, parameters (boundaries), and previously created nature based art in the wooded area. This is a very important aspect because it allows the young people time to arrive, be present physically and emotionally in the session, and allows them to reconnect with the space. Ideas generated from previous sessions are offered to be done but this may also be ‘parked up’ if new thoughts/ideas are created and we then go with what the moment requires – a spontaneous approach which allows new ideas/possibilities to unfold and develop – this leads then to more creativity, which enhances a sense of locus of control but also self esteem. “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.” Alfred Mercier During this time we often spend lots of time being playful in the space with different drama based activities which bring the group together. It might be that those drama games lead to the development of a drama based enacted story with woodland based activities included. Example In one session we were struggling in a biblical downpour under our tarpaulin and the group decided they wanted to make different containers to collect the water off the tarpaulin. This developed into a group based story about boats on the sea, creatures from the deep, and songs about rain. Each young person in the group developed the story some more with the whole group wanting to contribute by making containers from leaves/mud, boats to float on the collected water, and developing songs together about the rain. Collectively we also learnt which leaves in the woods made good containers and also that some pieces of wood made as boats floated better than others. As one young person said in a session: “The adults in Forest School are very friendly and helpful and always make it lots of fun. I have learned so much in the outdoors and I have learned many skills that I can use in the future. I think Forest School can be for other children too as it will teach them that it’s fun in the outdoors and you can make fun things with fun ideas. You can give your creative ideas to anyone and they won’t doubt it.” During these times our role as therapists is to facilitate ideas, be a mindful guide, and offer support/encouragement and feedback so that the young person can dream again with their thoughts and ideas. Psychologically, as therapists we are finding ways for the young people to explore, test out, work on their own but as a group, reflect back what we notice about them in relation to the sessions, and share their frustrations but also delight in what they do. “Finding the medium that
Everything you need to know about Multi Academy Trusts
By Jeff Marshall, Managing Director of J&G Marshall Ltd. The recent White Paper has brought once again the academies programme to the fore. All schools must now consider what this means for them and all existing Academy Trusts must now consider what Trust growth looks like. All schools wish to retain control. No school wants their identity diminished. Now, more than ever, every school and academy needs to gather as much information as possible. Getting this information will help you make better decisions and better decisions lead to better outcomes for children. Getting support from day one is so important to ensure your planning is robust and fit for purpose. That is where we come in. From your very first thoughts around academies all the way through to post conversion, we are with you every step of the way, forming a partnership for the future. Context and Direction of Travel The Academies Act 2010 changed the face of education for ever. Bold statement but true. Over the next 5 years Secondaries converted in droves and some Primaries. The White Paper of 2015 gave the Tories a majority and with it, we heard phrases like ‘fully academised system’. Up to that point, when schools converted, they did so as Single Academy Trusts. In 2016, the last but one White Paper, started the growth of Multi Academy Trusts and schools being unable to convert alone. In October 2018, we went past the point of having more than 50% of children educated in academies. In December 2019, Boris won an 80 majority and the DfE dusted off plans for a fully academised system with all schools in a Multi Academy Trust. The latest White Paper gave us a date of 2030 for all schools to be in a MAT. It also talked about a trajectory of 10 schools or 7,500 pupils. It also gave us a definition of a strong Trust. Trusts are now mapping themselves against that definition and wondering how to hit that 10 school or 7,500 pupils goal. Growth Audits and Growth Plans Trust growth does not start with another school. Just as conversions don’t start with finding a law firm. Growing your Trust starts with a critical look at yourself and then having an external agency assess whether you are capable of upscaling and up-skilling your mindset, your infrastructure, your processes and systems to be a potential 10 school MAT or will you still have a 2 school mentality. It then moves on to how you will grow. How will grow your central team capacity before you grow the Trust? What is your USP for schools joining you? Can you offer a bespoke scheme of delegation? What will be your finance policy – Topslice, GAG pooling or a mixture of both? What does your School Improvement Plan need to look like? What, in fact, should your growth plan look like to satisfy an RSC that you are set for growth? Who and where are the schools you would like to take in? What does due diligence look like and can you survive due diligence done on you? What does the onboarding process of a new school look like? If you are a group of schools looking to create a new MAT, all of this is as important and all of this needs to be done well before you start the actual process of forming a MAT. Due Diligence Never underestimate the amount of work involved in conducting due diligence whether you are a Trust looking at taking a school in, two Trusts merging, a group of schools looking to create a new MAT or a school looking to join an existing MAT. Getting the right support early will be key to making sure you make the right decisions. Due diligence is not an afternoon’s exercise. It should cover at least Standards, Teaching & Learning, Financial Sustainability, People & Leadership, Risk Management & Mitigation, Vision & Growth Plans to allow you to better understand yourselves and your potential partners. It can seem daunting this sector of education but that is why our two companies were created in the first place. From your very first thought to supporting your Multi Academy Trust post conversion, we have been there, seen it and done it and we will be your long term partner. Check out what we do here: https://www.academyconversion.com/ https://marshall-pd.co.uk/
Teachers working many hours each week through the holidays as lesson planning dominates their time
A majority of teachers are continuing to work for several hours each week during the summer holidays in contrast to popular perception, a new survey from education giant Tes has shown. 61% of teachers who responded to the survey admitted spending 7 hours or more per week working during the summer break, while more than 1 in 8 said they worked more than 21 hours a week. While these figures won’t surprise teachers, they do show that the popular perception of teachers ‘on holiday’ through the summer is a myth. By far the most common activity keeping teachers busy during the holidays is lesson planning, with 40% of survey respondents saying they spent most time doing this. But teachers do miss the day to day of the classroom: 37% of respondents say the thing they missed most during the holidays is interacting with pupils. The survey also asked respondents for a piece of advice for teachers preparing for back to school. Many of the responses encouraged teachers to get proper rest and look after their own mental health ahead of the busy first few weeks of term. One teacher responded: “Clear the decks during the first week of the holiday so you can unwind sufficiently to enjoy your break. Remember ‘holiday’ is the wrong word to use. During the last week of the break start to prepare yourself for the return so you’re not overwhelmed.” While another said: “Batch-make similar resources e.g. sets of tests, mind map templates, a particular structure for a worksheet, that you can use throughout the year. It is quicker and more effective to make the same style resources in one go and will also lead to more consistency.” Meanwhile another respondent said: “Get everything up together before term starts so that you can focus completely on the pupils once they return – settling them in, establishing a happy working atmosphere in your class and building the trust of their parents.” Over 1,000 teachers responded to the survey on tes.com, ahead of the back to school rush beginning. More than 3 quarters of a million UK teachers visited the Tes Resources platform every week during the back to school period last year, as educators spent their own time planning lessons. The resources platform contains over 900,000 teacher-made resources to help teachers succeed in the classroom. Stephanie Burke, Head of Resources at Tes said: “This survey shows that teachers put in hours of their own time during the holidays, to plan lessons and prepare for teaching. This won’t surprise those who work in schools, who care so passionately about children’s education. “At Tes, we are here to support teachers, with our resources platform, news service and a whole range of CPD opportunities. We know how hard teachers work and we want to empower you as you prepare to go back to school.”
Explorer Dome brings hands-on science shows to schools
Explorer Dome is an internationally known, vibrant, popular science outreach organisation. Based in Bristol and London, we travel across the UK presenting live science shows for schools, festivals and special events. Hands-on demonstrations and stunning visuals combined with knowledgeable, enthusiastic and professional presenters: Explorer Dome is presenter-led, lively, interactive and fun! Hands-On Science We believe that the best way to learn is by doing – that’s why all of our shows are fully interactive, making Explorer Dome shows 100% presenter-led, hands-on and unforgettable! “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” (Confucius) Lively, Knowledgeable Presenters Our brilliant presenters are at the heart of everything we do here at Explorer Dome. When you book a visit from us, you are signing up to receive the best quality science shows from presenters who are experienced, highly trained, passionate and rigourous about the science and, most importantly, fun! Science for Everyone Discover a huge range of topics that bring science to life for audiences of all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities. Inclusive education is at the heart of what we do and we visit schools, colleges, adult education, teacher training, festivals and special events and, as we pitch the show for your group, no two shows are ever the same! A Brief History Explorer Dome has been around for over 20 years! From our humble beginnings in 1998, we have come a long way with four domes, chemistry presentations, workshops, a team of specialist presenters and a base in Bristol and now the Midlands. Explorer Dome reaches 50,000 children and adults every year. Each person coming to our shows has a ~45 minute, immersive experience where new ideas, scientific interests and identity can be explored. We cover hundreds of schools and events across the whole of England, Wales and beyond. Over the years we have visited thousands and places from the Highlands to the Channel Islands, met over 1 million children and enjoyed every moment! All you need to know to plan a visit Where do we travel? We regularly travel throughout the Midlands and the South West of the UK, from Northamptonshire and Leicestershire down to the tip of Cornwall and from Oxfordshire across all of South Wales. If you are out of our normal area, we can still come! We will charge a minimum fee of our full day rate which of course includes a full day of shows. We also travel internationally. Why not have a look at a map of our recent travels to give you an idea of where we have been! What about Coronavirus? We have adapted the way we work to allow for coronavirus risks and look forward to seeing you soon. We are currently taking bookings for online delivery, physical visits without the dome to allow for greater distancing and for ‘normal’ dome visits where we can work with you to comply with your risk assessments and current guidance. We have a flexible cancellation policy in case local situations change, will review the situation regularly and do what we can to help you keep science lively, interactive and FUN! Visit our dedicated Coronavirus page for more information, or for more detail see our current Risk Assessment. How big is the Dome? Our Standard Dome takes up a floor area of 6 metres x 7 metres. The height is 3.5 metres – and it is worth checking for surprise hanging projectors and lights! As a rule of thumb, we can fit about 30 people inside the Dome per show, but if you have older students or adults, you will need our larger Dome (which still requires 3.5 metres height, but takes up a larger 8 metres x 9 metres floor area). If you have classes of infants or juniors, you can get up to 40 inside this larger Dome! Chemistry and Rocket Science shows do not use the Dome and so can accommodate up to 70 per show. What does a venue need to provide? Dome visits need an indoor space large enough with a smooth, clean floor and access to mains power. The Dome can only be outside if housed in a floored marquee… otherwise it will blow away! Chemistry and Rocket shows require a space large enough to accommodate your audience and access to 2 tables and mains power. Chemistry shows also need hot water, but it does not need to be in the same room. If some of your audience would benefit from being on benches or chair, it would be really helpful to have these nearby or set up at the start of the day. How does a timetable work? Shows last between 40 and 55 mins, depending on your audience and timetable requirements. We can usually fit 2 or 3 shows into a morning and 6 or 7 shows into a full day visit, but capacity of shows and timetables vary depending on the type of show you choose. If you visit the page for a particular show topic from the menu above, each show summary has detailed information of the capacity of each show, length and national curriculum links. We can certainly bring an array of different show topics in the same visit, but this may reduce the number of shows possible to fit in a single day. What else should you know? We will need reasonable vehicle access to the hall – let us know if access is likely to be poor (e.g. many steps or long distances) as this will affect the schedule and the preparations we need to make for the day. At least one member of staff must accompany the children during the shows but we promise they will enjoy it! For family shows, all children under 7 should be accompanied by an adult. If you prefer, do feel free to get in touch and we can help with your plan. Schools for Children with Special Needs We love the work we do with SEN schools as the
Is RE in schools a route to stopping the rise in religious hate crime?
Religious education isn’t part of the National Curriculum, but it is compulsory in all maintained primary schools. RE sometimes seems to be more like an add-on than an integral part of what takes place in the classroom. But learning about other faiths and beliefs is key to fostering tolerance in young minds. Is your child’s school embedding RE in learning? Former primary school teacher Emma Shingleton of education resource experts PlanBee has some great ideas. RE displays Look out for a display board, or even on a table tucked in a corner. Children can be engaged in designing the board, linking it to the RE theme being taught at the time. The board could even be given to a different group of children every half term to keep it updated. What about a small table displaying books and religious artefacts related to the theme/religion? A big question box is also a great addition. A shoe box covered in wrapping paper with a cut-out post hole would work fine. Children can be supplied with slips of paper that they can use to write big questions relating to what they are learning about and how it links to their own experiences. These questions can be discussed at the end of the day or saved for a dedicated lesson. Daily reflections Religious prayer is a time for reflection. One way to ensure RE is embedded in the classroom is to introduce a time each day where children are able to reflect, whether on their learning, how they are feeling or something that happened that day. This could become part of the daily routine. The teacher might even like to link this to a daily question based on a religious story. These could be provided or thought of by the children. Making connections Rather than thinking of RE as a stand-alone subject, it’s great if teachers create links across other subjects to embed the learning further. Some examples: • Geography: link learning about countries to their religions – e.g. the most popular religion in the UK is Christianity closely followed by Islam. • History: compare ancient religions to modern religions and how they have evolved and changed. • English: share and compare stories from different religions. • Maths: make links to religious stories such as calculating how much fish and bread would be needed to feed 5,000 children. • Science: when children are learning about animals and life cycles, this can be connected to beliefs about animals in other religions, such as animal symbolism in Hinduism. • Religious values can be related to school values. Making comparisons There are often two strands of objectives in RE – learning about religion and learning from religion. Being able to compare children’s learning to their own experiences is an important skill when learning about religions other than their own. What does it mean to learn ‘from’ religion? By the end of KS1, children should be able to talk about and suggest meanings behind different beliefs and practices, including some religious and moral stories, as well as being able to express their own ideas and opinions. By the end of KS2, children are expected to build on this learning by being able to reflect on and respond to the significance of the meanings of these beliefs and practices in addition to expressing their view on why having a faith may be valuable (within this, understanding that those with no faith also have a belief system). Celebrating religious days It is important to consider the diversity of the children in the classroom and celebrate a wide range of religious celebrations with them. Some of these could include: • Islamic festivals such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan • Holidays from Christianity such as Christmas and Easter • Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi • Hanukkah and other religious celebrations from the Jewish faith
National Effort Required To Get Children And Young Adults Writing After A Wave Of Poor Literacy Results
Five to 18-year-olds across the UK are struggling to put pen to paper. As writing and literacy skills are so important to success both in school and post-education, a national effort is required to get children (enjoying) writing again, a campaign group says. Key Stage 2 SATs in 2022 showed the highest drop in writing with only 69% of pupils meeting the expected standard, down from 78% in 2019. The National Literacy Trust’s Annual survey of over 70,000 children showed the enjoyment of writing declining over the last five years with no sign of recovery. Young Writers has conducted several surveys with teachers this academic year and found the main reasons pupils struggle with writing is due to lack of confidence, inspiration, and meaningful impact – they don’t see the use of it. Director, Morgan Walton, said: “Since 1991 Young Writers has been committed to creating inspirational, free resources to give children and young adults a reason to write. In our latest survey 75% of children were more engaged with writing after getting involved in one of our competitions and 72% of parents agreed. We’re proud we can give kids a safe platform to be creative.” This summer children aged 4-18 are invited to take part in The Young Writers’ Annual Showcase. They can enter any piece of writing from poems and stories, to blog posts or plays and anything in-between. A prize of £100 per age category and the opportunity to be published gives children a purpose for their writing. Over the next four weeks Young Writers will publish a series of creative writing tips to help children and young adults craft their own piece, the first ‘How to write a blog’ is live now on their website and will be followed by ‘How to write a story’, ‘How to write an article’ and ‘How to write a script’. Parents can sign up to receive the free tips at www.youngwriters.co.uk/subscribe. Young Writers will be reaching out to other businesses urging them to support the encouragement of creative writing and help bridge the gap the pandemic has exacerbated. “Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility.” Teachers can request free postal resources here: www.youngwriters.co.uk/info/teachers/resources-sign-up
Dramaworks helping schools with drama teaching and exam-oriented resources
Dramaworks has been trading for twenty-one years and now has 48 drama resources geared to examinations at 16 and 18 plus, as well as numerous plays, including many especially written for examination purposes. There are also resources aimed at the lower end of secondary schools which will ensure that all the relevant work for future examinations are covered. All resources, excluding some of the plays, are written by Jeni Whittaker, a former Chief-Examiner, who has also been a professional actor and director as well as having taught, and pilot-taught, syllabuses at the top end of schools and colleges. For many years Jeni also travelled around the UK with workshops on practitioners, set texts and more general performance and theatre techniques. Her working life has given her a set of skills spanning both education and theatre which make these resources unique in their quality and usefulness. Twenty-six of the Dramaworks’ resources are on texts that are commonly studied at Advanced exams such as A level and the IB though some crop up at GCSE also. The plays include older classics such as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Trojan Women and more modern ones such as Berkoff’s Metamorphosis and Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good. There are also resources on plays by Brecht, Arthur Miller, Lorca, Ibsen, Chekhov and many others, old and new. Every play is thoroughly covered from an actor’s, a director’s and a designer’s perspective. Different pathways of approach are suggested, such as a Physical Theatre approach, an Epic Theatre approach or a Naturalistic one, so that students can make their own choices. This approach helps students and teachers to fit a play to a particular practitioner’s style, from the vast list currently suggested by exam boards. No resource dictates what, say, an actor MUST do, but encourages experimentation, trial and error, throughout. All plays studied go through the whole text from beginning to end and make suggestions for follow-ups, themes and the types of question that may be asked. There are a large number of resources on practitioners also. Practitioners covered are: Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Grotowski, Peter Brook, Boal, Laban, Lecoq, Barrault, Berkoff and Kneehigh Theatre. The approach to these is, like all of Jeni’s work, ‘through practice.’ Jeni believes absolutely that students remember what they DO, backed up by what they read and hear. In this spirit, study of every practitioner is done practically, trying and testing every theory and approach the practitioner holds to. Each section starts with a clear explanation of a theory followed by creative exercises to try each one out in the class, after which there is discussion and written diary work is suggested to keep tabs on what has been learned. A number of resources deal with more general subject matter. These include Devising Skills, Exploring Physical Theatre, Performing Text, a practically-based history of theatre called Understanding Drama, plus shorter resources to help with understanding the difference between Genre, Style and Context and with the Reviewing of Plays. Again, this is not a full list and as always, even when the subject-matter will lead to a written component in an examination, much of the content in all of these resources is ‘through practice.’ And yes, there is some material that can be used for lower down the school: there are complete year-long lesson-plans suitable for Years 7, 8 and 9. These were written in answer to many requests from drama teachers who were so busy teaching exam classes non-specialist teachers had been handed the task of teaching drama to the lower school. The Drama Plans, therefore, can be followed pretty slavishly and if done that way will ensure that students going into a drama examination class at a later date will have all the skills they need at their disposal. Apart from the resources written by Jeni Whittaker, the Dramaworks website hosts a large number of plays, seven of which were written by Jeni, but most of which are written by others. There are plays there for all ages, including a few for primary schools. Of the others, some are long and suitable for the school-play but more of these are specifically written for exam purposes, both for GCSE and for more Advanced levels. They have proved very popular. Those written for advanced examination purposes have ISBN numbers, as cited by some of the exam boards. There are many sample pages offered when you look at the site, so that an informed choice can be made. The Dramaworks resources are treasured by teachers and the practical methods suggested have proved so successful that one Chief Examiner told Jeni a few years ago that she had single-handedly turned drama-teaching around from being book and desk based to being taught largely through practical means. There are a large number of free resources now available on the web but none offer such full, careful and accurate explorations of their subject matter as these. The full catalogue of Dramaworks resources can be found at: www.dramaworks.co.uk where the Store offers digital downloads or hard copies can be ordered directly from Jeni. Any questions to Jeni can be addressed to: jeni@dramaworks.co.uk
Major Failings Uncovered Across UK Schools During COVID-19 Closures
At a time when the effect of COVID-19 on learning outcomes is attempting to be measured, policies and professional development in education specialist Dr Ryan Thomas Williams is speaking out to end the assumption that remote and in-person learning experiences were equivalent during school closures. The University of Sunderland Associate Lecturer has uncovered major failings in leadership across UK schools during the pandemic, particularly in relation to the differing experiences of children learning in school, and from the home. Between March – July 2020, it is estimated that up to 10% of children were still attending school in person, either as dependents of designated key workers, or due to the presence of additional learning needs. Having undertaken significant research into this particular area, Dr Williams reports an underlying leadership crisis in schools surrounding internal policies and the inconsistencies in how these policies applied to children in school, and to remote learners. For example, Dr Williams’ research found that behavioural policies in the remote setting did not align with those policies that were being utilised within the school environment, such as the prohibition of mobile phones in school, and the encouragement of those same devices for remote engagement. Similarly, Dr Williams noted that while schools have traditionally fought against the use of social media, they often relied on this for remote communications. One of the most concerning failures noted by Dr Williams, however, is the decline in continuing professional development (CPD) during school closures. From the start of the pandemic, teachers were forced to shift their approach from the long established method of face-to-face teaching to a much more contemporary and alien method of delivering lessons online. And with UK schools being closed for longer than those in most other countries, teachers spent 44% of their time teaching online, often without necessary support. While the research by Dr Williams concludes that many schools did implement new technologies to help support remote learners, the CPD sessions that were run alongside these new implementations were focused more on the technology itself – what it was, and what it did – rather than on the pedagogical side of things – how educators could use that tech to teach. This is something very close to Dr Williams, who has previously penned an Engineering International article exploring the vital importance of continuing professional development as a key component of educational success. Ultimately, Dr Williams’ research concludes that, while school leaders have traditionally focused on ‘getting the job done’, this approach did not prove beneficial during the pandemic. Dr Williams firmly believes that leaders have shied away from making important decisions during the global health crisis, and that a willingness to change could have improved learning outcomes. Dr Williams, who has previously served as an educational consultant, says, “Whilst it is difficult to criticise school leaders and their role and responsibility during a pandemic, the general idea or value of just trying to finish the job is relevant in discussions around TEL. I believe that professional development is underdeveloped in schools, particularly with regards to technology. School leaders tend to focus on the ‘wow factor’ of technology, such as the cost implications of iPads on the school budget. There is little thinking about how teachers can teach with that new technology in a truly transformative way”. The UK Government notes that there were ‘wide disparities in young people’s home learning experiences’ during the pandemic. And while a significant part of that disparity certainly comes from a child’s home situation – for example, whether they had access to technology and devices, as well as parent support – the differing abilities of schools and teachers to provide the necessary learning experience to home learners must also be considered. It has become abundantly clear that, on the whole, the ability of teachers to deliver the in-school experience to home learners was not especially high, with the United Nations reporting that ‘teachers across the globe were largely unprepared to support continuity of learning and adapt to new teaching methodologies. This sentiment is backed by research showing that 70% of primary and 60% of secondary teachers were forced to postpone or cancel their CPD during the pandemic, and that the majority felt that they needed additional support to use the technologies being implemented by schools. So what does Dr Williams advise to address these failings? “I recommend that school leaders present opportunities for professional development to be focused on solid pedagogical strategies rather than on the technology itself. In this way, teachers will be able to adapt to the changes and developments that new technologies may bring and prepare themselves for the future”. To find out more about Dr Williams, visit https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7708-8907 or follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WilliamsR_T