Sometimes you can feel like you have no control of your day to day activities and that you are merely a passenger on someone else’s bus. Here’s three ways which will give you the feeling of being in the drivers’ seat and having more in control of your time. Diary The key to having a [...]

Do you get that feeling that the clutter in your life is dragging you down and you have too many things in your classroom, too many tasks queuing up and needing your attention? We all have clutter, whether its books, files, stationery, clothes, posters, food, videos or even thoughts that we have stored safely around [...]

If you are thinking of becoming a headteacher within the next 18months and you are thinking about applying got the NPQH then you need to know that the next application round for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is currently open and will close on 6 January 2009.  More information is available on the [...]

We all have different management styles which affects the way we work with people and the relationship that we develop with them. To get the most out of people you need to understand what motivates them and then appeal to this.   Research has shown that the top three things which motivate people are appreciation, [...]

A cottage by the sea where the grandchildren can visit? A holiday apartment overlooking a sun-drenched Mediterranean bay? We can all dream of an idyllic retirement, but the only way your dreams can turn into reality is if you start planning for retirement early. It’s no secret that the credit crunch is putting a strain [...]

A revised Code that strengthens the admissions system and puts children and parents firmly at the heart of the process was presented to Parliament today.  The School Admissions Code, which all admissions authorities must comply with, sets out legal requirements for setting fair and transparent admission arrangements, ensuring fair access for all. It incorporates changes [...]

Work life balance is a common goal we all aspire to but what does it really take to achieve and maintain it?   Some teachers like to exert all their energy at school, often leaving little time for friends and family. You hear the term work life balance, almost as though our work is separate from [...]

Empathy is at the heart of teaching and is an essential social skill for any teacher.  You need empathy to understand and interpret your students’ needs, feelings and concerns or to demonstrate sensitivity when talking to parents about a difficult issue. Empathy is also about sensing what is needed and making people feel comfortable and [...]

Yesterday ministers gave the go-ahead to Primary Capital Programme funding from April 2009.  This is the first steps toward rebuilding or refurbishing half of all primaries within 15 years.  More than 1500 primary school building projects also got the go ahead in projects worth £3.55billion. Ed Balls confirmed that more than 1500 planned rebuilding and [...]

Coaching is now a well regarded tool for teachers to develop themselves both personally and professionally and is growing in popularity because it’s short, sharp and effective. Getting coaching for yourself is one thing but developing your skills to coach others is another and requires self awareness, understanding and practice. Coaching should be a non-judgemental [...]