Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) is an integral part of a child’s education. PSHE is currently a non-statutory subject. However, the Department for Education does expect all schools to teach PSHE to their students. And, some parts of PSHE are compulsory; for primary schools, it is compulsory to teach relationship education and in state-funded primary schools it is also compulsory to teach health education.
Reading is so important, but in a world full of games consoles, screens, and other distractions, it’s harder than ever to get children to sit down with a book. Many children go through the motions of learning to read, but never learn to love reading. Why?
While the end of July takes a long time to arrive, the same can certainly not be said for September! Whether you’re just about to start the summer holidays, or if you’ve suddenly realised you’ve just got a few weeks left, it always seems like September is just around the corner.
Back-to-school time is right around the corner and for ECTs (early-career teachers) it’s a time full of anticipation and excitement. Over the next few weeks, it’s time to celebrate all your successes that have led you to this new school year, continue recharging your batteries, and start your preparation so you don’t have to deal with any last-minute stress.
Whether you’re a new teacher embarking on your first adventure or a seasoned pro looking to make a change, finding the right teaching job can sometimes be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Too often, we accept the first role that comes our way, without questioning whether the school will work for us in the long term. Our teachers at Pango have put their heads together to list their top tips for finding your dream school.
It is generally accepted that teachers should first learn to teach in a mainstream setting before moving into a specialised Special Educational Needs (SEN) role, but this is not always possible. My own experience in teaching highlights this. My first job out of university was in the school I had completed my final year placement in. I loved the school and had done well in my last observations and received top grades. The day before term started, I was invited back to cover sick leave in the school's Senior Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) class. Nothing could have prepared me for the weeks that followed. I questioned how I had ended up in a position where, after four years of study, I knew nothing.
Teaching is a notoriously difficult profession and the breaks throughout the year are certainly hard-earned! By the time summer rolls around, most teachers are ready to switch off entirely for a few weeks.
While there’s no doubt that the use of technology in classrooms and learning environments has grown steadily over time, the pandemic was the event that hit the accelerator and brought EdTech to the forefront of every learning environment. The EdTech sector grew by 70% in the UK alone in 2020 as educators rushed to establish quality learning environments for their students remotely.
It’s no wonder that only 32% of primary teachers strongly agree that they are “confident in teaching science”. (The Wellcome Trust’s State of the Nation report of UK Primary Science Education)
Computers play an intrinsic role in all our lives; they’re necessary for almost all types of work, we use them during our downtime, and their role in our lives is only getting bigger. We use apps to organise our lives, to do our jobs, for reference, communication, and entertainment. In fact, it is hard to remember how society functioned before the computer revolution.
