VIEWS From the pen of... Samuel Strickland


In our regular series highlighting authors in UK education, we hear this month from Samuel Strickland, author of “Education Exposed: Leading a school in times of uncertainty”.


I am currently the Principal of a large all-


through school and have helped to guide our GCSE results from the bottom 20% nationally to the top 20% and A Level outcomes to the top 5% nationally. My teaching career began as a history teacher in Bedfordshire having completed my PGCE in secondary history at the University of Cambridge under Christine Counsell. I became a Head of history and classics, before moving on to become a Lead Professional and working for a SCITT Consortium. During my time as Assistant Head, I had responsibility for the Sixth Form and led a Post 16 consortium arrangement. In 2015 I served as an Associate Principal, with GCSE and A Level results under my tenure receiving commendation from the DFE, Nick Gibb and the SSAT. I also served as a Vice Principal, and am the organiser of ResearchED Northampton. I have had educational resources and research published and have also delivered courses nationally and served as a lead facilitator for NPQSL.


Education Exposed serves as a transparent and forthright insight into


working in the education sector in 2020, focusing on the challenges of leading and of a leading a school in its broadest sense. The book is useful for anyone working within a school and applicable to all school settings.


The book is divided into five sections, each comprising two chapters.


The first section focuses on the importance and role of leadership, not just the leadership of the Principal but leadership at all levels. The book instantly opens up, challenging many of the accepted norms or common misconceptions about leadership. I also discuss in detail how to prepare yourself for your next role.


The second section of the book hones in on behaviour and Education


Exposed blows the lid off so many accepted and normalised practices. The two chapters focusing on behaviour really challenge the reader’s thinking, posing a lot of deep and probing questions. A huge driver in this section is a key buzz phrase ‘you permit what you promote and you promote what you permit.’


Section 3, aptly entitled ‘The curriculum is God,’ really draws out the


importance of knowledge. I really try to draw out that an activity led, facilitative biased curricular approach has deskilled the profession and that this is something that not only needs challenging but actively reversing. Chapter 3 really goes through the gears at speed. As section 3 merges into section 4, where the focus is on the teacher as the expert. The importance of knowledge, a knowledge based curriculum and the reduced role/importance of data are really emphasised. Chapter 8 tears apart the need for learning objectives, which have plagued the profession, and I champion the cause for the use of big questions.


The final section of the book focuses hones in on teacher workload


and staff CPD. Within this section of the book I focus on what needs to be done and what should be done to both support and train staff and ensure that they are not bogged down in the fog of unnecessary and time consuming activities that do not support pupil learning. None of this is tokenistic.


The whole book is authentic and very morally driven. With extensive


experience and drawing heavily on research around a knowledge -based curricular approach and warm/strict I hope you find the book to be enlightening, informative and challenging the educationally accepted norms.


“Education Exposed: Leading a school in times of uncertainty” is available now from John Catt Educational Ltd and online booksellers.


April 2020 British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)


How BESA can help you during the COVID-19 outbreak


In our regular update from BESA this month, we’re delighted to hear from BESA Director General Caroline Wright, who offers an update on the organisation’s LendED technology trialing portal, and what it means for you during the COVID-19 outbreak.


Even though the BESA offices in London are now temporarily closed that doesn’t mean the BESA team stops – we are fully operational, working remotely and available online. In these unprecedented times we have been refocusing all our


operations and activities to make sure we are still providing full support and guidance to our members and the wider education community. We have now relaunched and repurposed our online educational


technology trialing portal - www.LendED.org.uk which is supported by the DfE. Those of you who have used LendED before will now see the website focuses on amplifying members’ efforts to share many more general resources, guidance, and support to the UK’s teaching community and those who are looking for advice on how to continue effective teaching and home learning during the schools closure period. The benefit of using the LendED website, is that all companies and


products that are on the site are provided by BESA members and Launchpad subscribers and all product entries have been checked and approved by BESA before appearing. At this crucial time, it is now more important than ever for schools, colleges, teachers and parents to be able to rely on trusted, quality suppliers who adhere to the BESA Code of Practice and who follow quality standards. As a user of LendED you are able to search via a dedicated ‘Home


Learning Resources’ link on the homepage which will allow you to sort products that have identified themselves as ‘Home Learning’. In addition to this many companies are adding links on their product pages to their websites where you can access their resources directly – keep an eye out for products that have the ‘ACCESS HOME LEARNING RESOURCES’ button on them. Furthermore, a dedicated Tips & Advice page now provides guidance


on best practices in implementing home learning strategies, covering issues such as how to get the best out of existing technologies and ensuring online safeguarding. We will be looking to add new blogs, webinars and podcast content to this Tips & Advice page on a day to day basis. As well as helping companies to continue their business as normal


and sharing research, news and information on the COVID-19 situation, we are also flagging any specific challenges that industry is facing in their daily business with key Government departments, including DfE, DIT, BEIS and the Treasury. BESA is committed to lobbying for all necessary support to help companies provide their essential support and services to the education sector. Earlier in March, BESA wrote to the Secretary of State for Education


to flag some of the most urgent matters. Most importantly it called for the DfE to introduce ringfenced funding for learning and school resources (print, hands-on, and learning furniture as well as digital). Finally, do please look at www.LendED.org.uk and feel free to


promote and with your colleagues during this difficult period. We will also be actively flagging LendED on our Twitter social media channel @besatweet.


Stay safe and well!


uTwitter: @besaalexshea uwww.resourceourschools.org.uk


www.education-today.co.uk 13


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