CONTENTS Dear Reader,


Welcome to the latest issue of Education Today. In the magazine this month we focus on the future of assessment, and take a look at prospects for outdoor learning to resume. Both areas have been hugely affected by the pandemic - centre- and teacher-led assessments are taking the place of more traditional exams, and in our first feature James Grant, Co-founder of MyTutor, looks at what this means for the future, in the company of educational experts Dame Alison Peacock and Tim Oates CBE. Meanwhile, in our first look this month at outdoor learning, we hear from Steve Anderson, Head of Activities at outdoor education and adventure provider Kingswood, who outlines the benefits of getting children back outdoors after months of lockdowns and restrictions; while in our second, Dawn Miskelly, Operations Director at Ulster Wildlife, examines the link between learning outdoors and positive mental and physical wellbeing, and offers some suggestions for increasing the exposure children have to the great outdoors. Elsewhere, we have all the regular contributors, news, views and collaborations you’ve come to expect, and a lovely View from the classroom piece from Kate Thomas and Helen Greenway, assistant SENCO and teaching assistant respectively, at Rainford High on Merseyside, who discuss how the school’s SEND pupils are supported and encouraged to develop. One final thing – this year’s Education


Resources Awards will be announced at 3 p.m. on Friday 21st May, hosted by well-known comedian Zoe Lyons. We’ll be announcing the login details via Twitter soon, so make a note in your diary to join us to find out who’s won! Remember, we love to hear from you, you can get in touch with us via Twitter @EdTodayMag, as well as by phone or email. Enjoy the issue!


Jonathan Swift - Managing Editor


In this issue...


4-12 NEWS Highlights from the UK education sector 13 VIEWS


With Jane Considine, author of The Spelling Book: Transforming the Teaching of Spelling; and Julia Garvey, Deputy Director General at BESA


14 BESA CORNER With BESA members The Link Live and Sir Linkalot 16-17 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


We hear from Kate Thomas and Helen Greenway from Rainford High


18 CONTRIBUTORS


With Abby Irving from Edge Hill University; and regular contributor Kirsty Bertenshaw 19 SPOTLIGHT ON SEND With regulars Joanne Gladders and Kate Sarginson


20-25 VIEWS & OPINION Featuring comment and insight from the UK education sector


26-27 FEATURE: EXAMS With James Grant, Co-founder of MyTutor


28-29 PARTNERED CONTENT FEATURE: WELLBEING


From specialist insurers Wesleyan 30-31 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


We hear from Steve Anderson, Head of Activities at Kingswood


32-33 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


With Dawn Miskelly, Operations Director at Ulster Wildlife


34-37 BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


Including insight from Jamie Southam, Business Manager, Smart-Space 38-42 COMPUTING & IT RESOUCRES 44-45 IN OTHER NEWS


46-IBC RECRUITMENT Selected job opportunities from talentedteacherjobs.co.uk


Publication Manager: Carl Hearnden Publishing Director: Paul Ryder Managing Editor: Jonathan Swift 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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