Heads Up on...

Michelle Gay Headteacher at Osborne Primary School, talks about her experience of the post lockdown Ofsted visit.  She discusses all aspects of the process and offers some helpful advice for schools.

Three Special School Headteachers Vicky Miller from Oscott Manor Chris Wilson from Queensbury, Simon Harris from Mayfield discuss their thoughts on Home Learning and share what has worked well and how they have overcome the challenges that home learning brings for pupils in Special Schools.

Karl Rogerson Headteacher of Billesley Primary School and Sonia Thompson Headteacher of St Matthew’s CE Primary, the two research schools in the city, discuss how they have developed their home learning strategies and how they have used education research into home learning to develop and improve their provision. Both would welcome contact from colleagues who are interested in following up on any of their ideas.  They speak clearly about the need for quality over quantity and the need for pastoral support as well as academic lessons.  Both discuss the importance of consistency of format of on line lessons and the need to revisit learning.  For those of you who are interested in developing the use google classrooms, they can also support you.  They have both invested heavily in staff CPD related to on line learning and they discuss some helpful pointers.

Following the announcement on May 10th for primary schools to reopen on June 1st, Tracy Ruddle Director of Continuous School Improvement at Birmingham Education Partnership discusses the issue.  Steve is CEO of Robin Hood MAT and has 4 primary schools in the city to prepare for the return.  He discusses his intended approach and offers some practical advice on what he is going to do both in the short and medium term.  He also voices some worries that are shared by Headteachers all over the country.