CONTENTS Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue!
Somehow, it’s May already. And that can only mean one thing for schools across the UK - exam season
has begun. Pupils will be sitting their GCSEs, AS and A Levels - and university students will likewise be taking exams which determine whether they make it through to the next year of their studies, or what degree classification they’ll be leaving with. It’s without doubt a trying time, not just for students, but for educators too. So much prep work goes on for months in advance - and for some students, the pressure on the day can leave them with a result that isn’t a true reflection of their abilities. Is it time for a change in the way exams are delivered? Or are there ways teachers can help pupils to better deal with the stress of exams? Our Feature Focus this month examines these questions and more, as we hear from Colin Hughes, CEO of AQA; Josh Blackburn, CEO at TLC LIVE; and Alice Hendy MBE, CEO and Founder of R;pple.
Our Outdoor Learning feature explores the merits of bringing the outside into the classroom. Dr John Allan, Head of Impact and Breakthrough Learning at PGL Beyond, makes the case for Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) and its role in enabling children to become more adaptable and resilient. Meanwhile, Sarah Holyoake, Head of Early Years, and Jenny McLeod, Deputy Head Co-Curricular at Stephen Perse Cambridge, focus on opportunities for outdoor learning in urban environments. In our regular Buildings, Maintenance & Refurbishment feature, Neville Radford, National Education Sector Manager at Baxi, explains why schools hoping to decarbonise through adopting heat pumps should consider a hybrid approach first. Plus, find out what to expect from The Schools & Academies Show on 15 May at London’s ExCeL. Of course, there’s also the usual news, views and expert insights - and as ever, we always love to hear from you, so please get in touch via email, or you can reach us @EdTodayMag on X.
Enjoy!
Charlotte Westwood Managing Editor
Comments and insights from across the sector In this issue... 6-12 NEWS
The latest from across the sector 14-16 SCHOOLS & ACADEMIES SHOW A look at what to expect in London 22 ASK THE EXPERT
With Amy Husband from Academy21 24 BESA CORNER
With Pupil Pathways and Speech & Language Link
25 VIEWS
With BESA and BBC Bitesize for Teachers 26 CONTRIBUTORS
With Class People’s Naomi Howells; and journalist Sal McKeown
27 SEND
With Options Autism’s Emma Sanderson; and Chris Davis of Ethos Academy trust
28 WELLBEING
With Mark Solomons, creator of Welbee 30-31 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
With Gavin Hamilton, Headteacher at Shipley CE Primary School 32-34 WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
44-45 FEATURE: BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
With Neville Radford, National Education Sector Manager at Baxi
46 FEATURE: COMPUTING & IT
With Roc TechnologiesInfrastructure Solutions Group
36-37 FEATURE FOCUS: EXAMS
With Colin Hughes, CEO of AQA 38 FEATURE FOCUS: EXAMS
With Josh Blackburn, CEO at TLC LIVE 39 FEATURE FOCUS: EXAMS
With Alice Hendy MBE, CEO and Founder of R;pple 40-41 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING
With Dr John Allan, Head of Impact and Breakthrough Learning at PGL Beyond
42 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING
With Sarah Holyoake, Head of Early Years, and Jenny McLeod, Deputy Head Co-Curricular at Stephen Perse Cambridge
On the cover...
Business Director: Carl Hearnden Managing Editor: Charlotte Westwood Artwork Editor: Kirsty Hood Secretary: Tracey Ballard Published by:
Datateam Business Media Limited, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY Tel: 01622 699128 (Advertising) Tel: 07969 141997 (Editorial) Fax: 01622 757646 Email:
education@datateam.co.uk Circulation: Curwood CMS Ltd
datateam@c-cms.com Tel: 01580 883844 Fax: 01580 883849 Subscription Prices 2020 Number of editions per year: 11 UK: £52 Overseas: £132
The Publishers cannot accept responsibility for any discrepancies either in copy or between products and/or services listed. Nor can they be responsible for illustrations and/or copy for products which lead to infringement of copyright
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