Teachers Criticise New Remote Learning Government Guidelines

The recent updates to the government’s guidelines regarding remote learning have been branded as “unrealistic” and “a distraction” by heads and teaching profession leaders. The non-statutory guidance has triggered some teachers who feel as though the expectations set out by this new guidance system are unreasonable. Key expectations include: to deliver high-quality remote education when…

Teachers Pressured by Lockdown Parents

A report has revealed that 1 in 4 private school teachers felt stressed by remote learning, due to parental pressure, during the lockdowns. Undoubtedly, the parent-teacher boundaries became blurred during the remote learning period, with some parents taking a more active approach to their child’s learning, much to the dismay of some teachers. Many felt…

Pupils Will Receive a Choice of Topics to Make Exams Fairer

GCSE and A-Level pupils will be given a choice of topics and advance information in order to “maximise fairness”. According to the Department for Education (DfE) the decision was influenced by the learning disruption caused by Covid. After a consultation that amassed over 6,000 responses, the decision is that for GCSE English literature, history and…

Covid Leaves Science Teachers Unprepared to Teach Practicals

A new survey conducted by the Royal Society of Chemistry has revealed that trainee and first year science teachers feel unprepared to teach science practical lessons due to Covid restrictions. More specifically, the research shows that more than half (52 per cent) of trainee and first year chemistry teachers said that they felt unprepared to teach…

Homeschooling Numbers Rise by 75%

According to research, within the first eight months of the current school year the number of children being registered for homeschooling rose in the UK by 75%, with the main reason being due to anxiety around Covid. The Department for Education says it supports parents that are homeschooling and it plans to launch a registration…

Williamson Outlines Catch-up Plans, Exams and Ofsted

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has recently outlined his plans for Ofsted, exams and catch-up funding. Here are some of his key education objectives for the near future: Accelerated Ofsted Inspections Williamson is considering accelerating the timetable of Ofsted inspections. There are some schools that have not been inspected for 14 years, and many of them…

Why Some Teachers Are Happy With Hybrid Teaching

Since the pandemic, many teachers have naturally moved into a hybrid teaching and blended learning model. Whilst some may still prefer more traditional methods, others have fully embraced the new approach. For many it has become second nature to use a mixture of online learning resources with homeschoolers, and face-to-face teaching with those in school….

Why Teachers Fear Relaxing Covid Rules

With lockdown rules relaxing in the UK this month, some teachers are concerned that this will discourage students from following Covid safety rules. Teachers’ leaders have warned that a potential third wave of Coronavirus cases could threaten schools after Easter unless strict safety measures remain in place. The NASUWT teachers’ union have suggested that the government…

Will Online Exams Become a Reality?

Since the dependency of online learning due to Covid, some are predicting that it could lead to the transitioning of paper to online exams much sooner than expected. The Department for Education (DfE) has suggested that a shift in attitude towards digital GCSEs has occurred due to the cancellation of summer exams. Sources close to…

Summer Schools Planned to Help Schools Catch-Up

With months of missed face-to-face teaching due to Covid, secondary schools in England may be asked to consider summer schools in order to help students make up for lost time. The government plans to provide extra funding to facilitate catch-up projects that will ensure “no child is left behind”. Teachers and unions agree that the…