My last blog focused on the policy, in my granddaughter’s Lancashire high school, of teaching some lessons in mixed ability classes. I ended that blog with the plea – ‘let’s not separate children unnecessarily.’ The latest (2025) SEND Inquiry Report further stresses the need for inclusive mainstream education, as did the previous report of 2019….

My granddaughter, having just started Year 9, has informed me that some of her lessons are ‘mixed ability’. Having previously been educated in top sets, she is now in classes with children of differing abilities – including those with special educational needs. On first hearing this, her mother was, understandably, alarmed, fearing that the achievements…

Reading – task or pleasure? A post by Alison Tarrant, CEO of the School Library Association, quotes some interesting research: that 50% of 3/4 years olds, 41% of 5/7 year olds and only 22% of 8/10 year olds read every day, or almost, at home. A gradual decrease in reading habit. Tarrant also reports that…

Despite decades of research, some schools still rely on outdated reading strategies—like encouraging children to guess words from pictures. This method, while well-intentioned, can hinder proper reading development. This recent article featured on ITV news highlights the troubling consequences of such practices. What Actually Works? The gold standard remains:Systematic Synthetic Phonics. Systematic -following a logical,…

A recent article in the Times (James Marriott) speculates on this dire situation. Imagine! No books!No magazines! No newspaper articles! The evidence is clear, reports James: ‘those who don’t read, or who outsource their essays to AI, lose the facility for complex thought.’ I agree.  I have always maintained that reading is linked to thinking….