With the new academic term fully under way, for many teachers this period can be very stressful. With work/life balance has been highlighted as the biggest reasons why teachers are leaving the profession or even refraining from entering the profession. Being a teacher is one of the most rewarding professions and yes it does come with stress and pressure.However an exhausted teacher is no good to anyone, especially to yourself. Here are our top 10 tips on ensuring you remain as powerful and as best as you can be throughout the academic year.

1. Keep your to do list up to date

This is one of the biggest stress relievers and really helps you to plan and structure your week. Best of all it feels great to be super organised and tick off completed tasks!  

2. Talk to other teachers and seek advice

A problem shared is a problem halved, so do not keep it to yourself. There are experts in the field who can help you. Make time to get to know other teachers and build yourself a network you can rely on.

3. Take one day at a time and take time to reflect

No Teaching role is the same, every class, every student and every school is different. It takes time to build up experience and know what methods work for you. Allow yourself to fail and learn, it is important you take time to reflect so you can improve yourself next time. 

4. Communicate with parents

Getting parents on your side will be one of your biggest strengths. Parents love to be acknowledged, simply keeping them informed, engaged and even a simple smile will work wonders. 

5. Respect and reward your students

Students will only respect you if you respect them. Positive recognition is known to encourage positive behaviour. When providing negative feedback always start with something positive to break the ice.

6. Keep it fun in the classroom

Learning is fun so make it fun! Decorate the classroom, crack a joke, start and finish the class with a song – whatever you do make it interactive. Your students will appreciate it and be motivated to come into your class.

7. Avoid negativity

Surround yourself with positive people. There will always be people who moan about work – simply avoid them! Negativity will drag you down and make you feel unhappy. Positive vibes will rub off on you so make sure you are around those. 

8. Do not try to be perfect

Nobody is perfect and you will fail trying to be. Just be yourself.

9. Make time for yourself

You are a human being and we all need to recharge our batteries. It is great to plan something you can look forward to i.e. a holiday, cinema or a night out. If you find yourself having a tough day, go for a walk at lunch or read a book - do something to take your mind off work. Eating and sleeping well is crucial to the delivery of your work. Try not to go to bed with unfinished business on your mind. Your thoughts will race and your sleep is likely to suffer so get into the habit of writing down your worries before you go to bed.    

10. Remember why you are doing the job

When the going gets tough remember you decided on a teaching a career in the first place. Keep special gifts you have been given, think about all the happy times you have had and the difference you have made to all your students.  Always remember you are leading the class and you are the best person for the job. You can’t control everything, or everyone. Nonetheless, you can really excel at what you’re doing as long as you remember to make time for yourself and time to relax.

You’re doing a great job, keep it up!  

Teaching Assistants from Derby and Durham held a strike yesterday Wednesday 14^th September over plans to change their contracts which will result in a loss of up to £6,000 a year in pay. Plans to only pay Teaching Assistants during term-time has sparked outrage leading members of Unison to walk out and lobby MPs in Westminster. Unison said unlike teachers, many assistants only get paid during term time following more Government spending cuts. Durham County Council said many other councils had adopted term-time only pay and it was fair to pay staff for the hours that they actually worked. Derby City Council say budgets are under pressure and they have no alternative but to implement the plan. This latest strike is a major blow to an already fragile industry that is facing its biggest challenges of expansion of grammar schools. In the way that teachers are paid, the union wants assistants to be also paid during the holidays.  

Teachers are one of the lowest paid workers yet their role is invaluable. Even during the holiday, teachers and teaching assistants do not stop working; from lesson planning, marking, putting together classroom displays to preparing for the new term they are always working round the clock putting the needs of their pupils first even though it costs them their own time.  

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "School support staff are among the UK's lowest paid workers, yet they are paying the price of continued Government spending cuts. "The squeeze on finances from Westminster means that councils are operating within a financial straitjacket, but penalising some of the lowest paid workers in society is quite simply the wrong decision.”
"The impact on family budgets will be huge and could mean people end up in debt and relying on benefits. Teachers couldn't teach without teaching assistants, and parents - who know only too well the value of the work they do - will be horrified at the way they are being treated. These employees deserve much better.” "When Theresa May became Prime Minister, she said her Government would be driven by the interests of ordinary working class families. If that's true, she should start by calling time on spending cuts and start funding our public services properly. Then councils wouldn't have to hammer low-paid school staff."  

In a letter last week Derby City Council chief executive Paul Robinson said the council had met with Unison several times to try to end the dispute.  “Let us be clear we are not blaming the trade unions for not reaching an agreement.”
“We appreciate that there are some aspects of the package that the trade unions did not agree with, however unfortunately we saw no option other than to implement it…”

“We have met with Unison several times to try to end this dispute and we have put additional money on the table, money which is in very short supply.”   For now this is a regional matter, only time will tell if this becomes a national epidemic in an industry that’s already suffering. Many teachers have already taken a 40% of NQTs left the teaching profession before even starting. Could this latest fiasco lead to more teachers and teaching assistants leaving the industry altogether?  

There is another route teaching assistants can undertake and that is register your details and we will be in touch.

Yesterday in Parliament Justine Greening presented the new plans to create a 21^st century school system that works for everyone.

Ms Greening said since 2010 1.4 million more children are in good or outstanding schools and her intention is to build on this progress by increasing the number of good school places and making sure there is a school system that "works for everyone, not just the privileged few." It would help families who could not afford to buy houses in the catchment areas of good schools. In her statement, Ms Greening said the Government would 'look again at selective schools' but vowed there would be no return to a 'binary' education system. The proposals would create a 'truly meritocratic' system. However Labour are opposed to the new plans claiming it would in fact create the opposite and instead produce more segregation.

"Segregation, Segregation, Segregation!"
Disapproving Labour's shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said “If I may I would like to start by offering some advice to the Government - stop your silly class war.” Her words were met with loud jeers from Conservative MPs, but Ms Rayner revealed she was quoting David Cameron who had used the phrase while speaking out against expanding grammars. “He was the future once, but this Prime Minister wants to hark back to the past.” “Where once under Labour we had 'education, education, education' this Government's mantra is segregation, segregation, segregation.” Ms Rayner asked the education secretary to explain who would decide which non-selective schools should be able to convert to become selective. Ms Greening said: "We want to look again at selective schools and how they can open up excellent places to more children - particularly the most disadvantaged.” "We will therefore look at how we can relax the rules on expanding selective schools, allow new ones to open and non-selective schools to become selective where there is a demand." 

“Ms Hypocrite”
Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan spoke out against the plans on her Facebook page. “The prime minister is absolutely right to place creating a more meritocratic society at the heart of her agenda for government… However, I believe that an increase in pupil segregation on the basis of academic selection would be at best a distraction from crucial reforms to raise standards and narrow the attainment gap and at worse risk actively undermining six years of progressive education reform,”. “The evidence is now incontrovertibly clear that a rigorous academic education does not need to be the preserve of the few.” MS Morgan the first high-profile Conservative MP to speak out is urging both Theresa May and Justine Greening not to push ahead with the grammar plans. 

However, Tory backbenchers were quick to point out that last year she trumpeted the fact she was allowing an existing grammar in Sevenoaks, Kent, to expand to a new site. One MP said "she went to a selective private school, talked about sending her children to private school, and when she thought it might help her become PM she supported a grammar in Kent. She used to be Ms U-turn. Now we call her Ms Hypocrite." Ms Morgan said “Instead of pursuing greater selection, I would urge the government to build on the reforms of the last Government and to reaffirm the focus outlined in the Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper on tackling areas of entrenched academic underperformance." Ms Morgan's own flagship education policy - forcing all schools to become academies - was sunk this year by a backbench rebellion by Conservative MPs. But another former education secretary, Michael Gove, gave his backing to the plans, however he is expected to welcome the expansion of grammar schools.

What the education proposal includes

Selective School

• £50m will be set up by the government to help existing grammar schools expand

• Allow new selective schools, which would have to be set up in response to local demand. They would have flexibility to select 100 per cent of their intake on the basis of ability

• Selective schools can expand on the explicit condition they provide support to ensure “good quality non-selective places locally”. These conditions include:

-Taking a share of pupils from lower-income backgrounds

-Setting up a new non-selective secondary or primary school

-Backing an underperforming academy

-Engage in outreach activity, including teacher and pupil exchanges with local schools

-All state schools in England will be allowed to select pupils by academic ability "in the right circumstances" and where there is demand

-Selective schools could be stripped of access to additional funding, remove their right to select by ability or be stopped from further expansion if the school does not deliver good or outstanding education alongside their new education places

• All state schools in England will be allowed to select pupils by academic ability "in the right circumstances" and where there is demand

  Universities

• Universities will be required to sponsor a state school or set up a new free school if they want to charge higher tuition fees

  Independent schools

• Independent schools will have to play a bigger part in supporting state schools or sponsoring free schools, in return for maintaining their charitable status. They should either:

-Sponsor academies or set up a new free school in the state sector, or, offer a proportion of places as fully-funded bursaries to those who are not wealthy enough to pay the fees

  Faith schools

• The rules for faith groups opening free schools will no longer mean that they can only allocate 50% of places to people within their own faith community - they can give all places on grounds of faith. They must meet the following conditions:

-Prove that parents of other faiths would be happy to send their children to the school

-Establish twinning arrangements for other schools not of their faith

-Consider setting up mixed-faith mutli-academy trusts and placing an independent member or director of different faith or no faith on the governing body

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: “This government is making the case for social reform to build a true meritocracy in Britain, and education lies at the heart of that ambition. The proposals I have published today build on the government’s successful reforms to our education system. We want to make more good school places available in more areas, ensuring we give every child an excellent education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. I would urge everyone to look at the detail in the consultation."  

Theresa May this morning announced the biggest shake up to the education system in decades.
In her pledge to ensure the UK is a country that works for everyone, Mrs May will give every school an opportunity to become a grammar school. Reversing the ban on grammars Tony Blair introduced in 1998, Mrs May says the ban on new selective schools has been in place too long and has held many pupils back. Funding the £50m change, her plans come with strict conditions, any school wishing to become a grammar - selecting pupils on the basis of academic achievement - must abide by quotas for children from low-income homes. Or they will be forced to build a “high quality, non-selective” free school or set up or sponsor a primary feeder school in a deprived area. There will be no “return to the past” of mass 11-plus tests to ensure that schools do not separate children into “winners and losers”.

Universities charging fees of more than £6,000 will be required to establish a new school or sponsor an existing underperforming school – a significant change to higher education policy. Similarly, if private schools want to keep their tax breaks they will also have to do more to help the state sector either by sponsoring state schools or opening new ones.

 Asked at her speech at the British Academy in London how many new grammars she wanted to see opened, Mrs May said: “I’m not setting a quota for the number of schools that are suddenly going to become grammar schools.” “This is about local circumstances, it’s about what parents want locally. There will be institutions that will come forward, there may be groups of parents who want to set up a new free school as a selective school. This is about opening the system up to a greater diversity.” As part of her shake up; faith schools will be given permission to select more than 50% of pupils on the basis of their religion. In her first major speech, the prime minister said: "We are going to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. A fundamental part of that is having schools that give every child the best start in life, regardless of their background.” “For too long we have tolerated a system that contains an arbitrary rule preventing selective schools from being established - sacrificing children's potential because of dogma and ideology.”

"The truth is that . That is simply unfair.” "That is why I am announcing an ambitious package of education reforms to ensure that every child has the chance to go to a good school.” “This is not a proposal to go back to a binary model of grammars and secondary moderns, but to build on our increasingly diverse schools system.”

“It is not a proposal to go back to the 1950s, but to look to the future, and that future I believe is an exciting one. It is a future in which every child should have access to a good school place. And a future in which Britain’s education system shifts decisively to support ordinary working-class families.”   An Act of Parliament may be needed for the ban to be lifted on new selective schools opening, but a change in the law may not be required for grammar schools to expand. A consultation is to be held on ways to make new selective schools and expanding grammars more inclusive so that places are not limited to families who can "pay for tuition to pass the test."    

The prime minister concluded in her speech "This is about being unapologetic for our belief in social mobility and making this country a true meritocracy – a country that works for everyone."  

In light of a confirming Theresa May’s plan to create new grammar schools and expanding existing selective schools Ms May has been forced to defend herself in yesterday’s Prime Ministers Questions. The PM told Conservative MPs she wanted to create a “21^st century education system” with an “element of selection" in the education system, but that new grammar schools would not be forced on areas that did not want them. Labour said creating grammar schools would lead to "social segregation."

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner described the Conservatives' education policy as "shambolic." She said: "The prime minister talks about social inclusion while at the same time advocating social segregation through grammar school selection.” "No child's life chances should be defined by a test they sit at the age of 11. The priority for our education system should be investment to raise standards not investment to create social exclusion." Mrs May’s plans would stop the best state schools becoming the preserve of wealthy families who are buying homes in the catchment area.  

Responding to critics she answered: “We have already got selection haven’t we – it’s called 'selection by house price’.” A report this week found that living near a good state school helped to increase house prices by up to 74 per cent compared to other properties nearby. According to research from Lloyds Bank many parents are willing to pay an average of £53,000 extra to secure homes close to schools with the best academic outcomes. Average house prices have now reached £366,744 in the catchment areas surrounding England’s top 30 state schools, compared to a general average of £313,318 elsewhere. 

Education Secretary told MPs in the Commons: "To complain about one aspect of our schools system and say we shouldn't have a debate is untenable. We do believe that selection can play a role.”

"We need to look at how grammars can work effectively with those that don't get to them." Asked by a Conservative MP for an assurance that there will be no return to the 11-plus, Ms Greening said that there will be "no return to the past."   Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the government would "widen choice" but this would not mean children who failed entry exam going to "sink schools." Supporters of grammar schools say that children from poor backgrounds are helped to make the most of their potential because entry to such schools is on the basis of raw ability. But many argue that, in fact, the vast majority of those doing well in entrance tests are children whose parents have paid for them to be privately tutored outside school, something the parents of children from poorer backgrounds would not be able to afford.  

Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of schools watchdog Ofsted, this week said the idea that poor children would benefit from a return of grammar schools was "tosh" and "nonsense."  

After telling MPs in last night PMQs she wants a new generation of grammar schools to be “inclusive and not exclusive,” Mrs May will publish a green paper later today. The PM wants an education system that “catered for the different needs of all children” and indicated that grammar schools have a role to play. She suggested that some of the Government’s 500 new free schools, announced by David Cameron shortly before he stepped down, could be grammars. “She said she didn’t want a situation where parents wanted a selective school only to be told they couldn’t have one,” a source at the meeting said. She concluded to say under David Cameron, 1.4 million children were now in good or outstanding schools. But “there are still far too many who are missing out on quality education – it is all about access to opportunity.”  

A photograph taken accidently of an internal memo further confirms the government’s plans to open more grammar schools despite Labour and teaching unions being opposed to the plans. Written by Jonathan Slater, the DfE’s recently appointed permanent secretary, the memo proposes expanding current grammars although with the provision that they would have to “follow various conditions”.  

The memo reads: “The con doc [consultation document] says we will open new grammars, albeit that they would have to follow various conditions. “The SoS’s [secretary of state’s] clear position is that this should be presented in the con doc as an option, and only to be pursued once we have worked with existing grammars to show how they can be expanded and reformed in ways which avoid disadvantaging those who don’t get in. “I simply don’t know what the PM thinks of this but it sounds reasonable to me, and I simply can't see any way of persuading the Lords to vote for selection on any other basis.”  

Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, said the photograph had “let the cat out of the bag.” She argued that any expansion of grammar schools, which limit access to students who pass an academic exam at age 11, would be “regressive”. Liberal Democrat education spokesman John Pugh said: “It looks like a desperate plan to avoid parliamentary scrutiny and their inevitable defeat.” Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, added: "Theresa May said on the steps of Downing Street that she wanted 'a country that works for everyone'. "Yet now we hear of proposals to take education back to the 1950s, when children were segregated at age 11 and their life chances determined by the type of school they attended. "Opening new grammar schools would not only be a backward step but is also a complete distraction from the real problems facing schools and education. For every grammar school there are three or four 'secondary modern' schools."  

The Government refused to comment on the document but did not deny its contents. A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been clear that we need to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.” "We are looking at a range of options to allow more children to access a school that lets them rise as far as their talents will take them.” "Policies on education will be set out in due course and it would be inappropriate to comment further on internal government documents."   Whether or not Mrs May’s the expansion plans will be selective or nationwide we know one thing, and that’s to ensure it favours pupils from deprived areas.  An official announcement is expected to be made in October on the controversial plans.  

It’s September, the start of a new term and your first proper teaching job. Thinking how you will get through your first few weeks, let alone the first year can be quite daunting. The first few weeks in a new job can be both mentally and physically draining, for new teachers this can be very overwhelming. It is important you put yourself first during the induction period to absorb as much information about the school, taking in lots of advice and getting to know the staff – it is almost being like one of the children and will become an invaluable part of your new life at school. Teaching can be one of the most rewarding careers for you and life changing for the children you teach. But it does take a lot of dedication and a lot of work behind the scenes to help make it work.    

Here are our top 10 tips to help you get through your first year…  

1. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

Lesson planning is crucial to your success. Understand the curriculum and prepare exciting, engaging and challenging lessons. Be your own teacher - take time out to experiment and take risks to establish your own technique. Think back to your own school days and how the teachers who inspired you made you love your subject. Learn from experienced colleagues, find out what’s worked for them and also see what other NQTs are doing. Have ‘back up’ lessons plans ready in case something does not go to plan, always have something hidden up your sleeve and be ready to pull it out if needed in an emergency. It is also a good idea to build a portfolio of lesson plans, the portfolio should include your lesson plans, notes, activities, worksheets, quizzes, exams, etc. It will be time consuming to start with but this will save you a lot of time in the future and you will have a comprehensive teaching resource that will make your job much easier from that point on. This is your chance to put into practice all that you've learnt.  

2. Get to know the class

Understanding the children you are about to teach is invaluable and can really help you in the long run. Firstly you will need to remember all the children’s names which can be quite difficult and then their interests, their behaviours, family members and what they like to do. You can do this through in a number of interactive games and classroom activities. It will show the children that you care about them, gain their trust and also help the children get to know on another.  

3. Networking

All first year teachers should rely upon a mentor teacher to assist and guide them through the first year. Having a support system of other teachers is invaluable. It is also essential to forge healthy relationships with all personnel in the school. Each staff member has a particular area of expertise that you will likely need at some point. Make sure you go into the staffroom regularly and talk to your new colleagues. Where possible take part in school functions and projects. The best schools are based on teamwork, and while everyone appreciates you have a lot to do, it is important to build positive relationships. It will make it much easier to ask for help and support when the time comes.  

4. Tidy classroom, tidy mind

Your classroom will be your home away from home therefore being organised and ready is key to getting through each day. Once you have planned all your lessons ensure you have enough resources in the classroom, it is kept clean and tidy.  Set classroom furniture up according to your teaching style (traditional rows, clusters or a horseshoe shape) and position your desk where you can see all the children and they can see you. Spend some time making the most of an extra space i.e. create a reading area with a selection of books, or a building area with construction equipment.  

5. Establish a relationship with parents

Parents are always wary when a new teacher joins a school and it’s vital to put the parents at ease as soon as you can. To ensure you have prosperous relationship with the children take time out to get to know their parents. It will help you understand the children better, provide both sides a clear channel of communication and builds a solid partnership through the year. Your school may have a ‘meet the teacher’ evening at the start of term and if so, try to get to talk to as many parents as possible. You could write a welcome letter to all parents detailing information about yourself, how you can be contacted, school policies, classroom rules and curriculum overview.  

6. Use social media and the Internet

The internet has a wealth of useful information you can use to help you get through your first year and beyond. There are hundreds of websites full of teaching resources and forums, spend some time find one that work for you and keep referring to them throughout the year. Follow the right people on social media will also be very beneficial. There are many supportive teachers on there who will help you. Surround yourself with the positive, helpful teachers. Take as much as you can, ask questions and you will be answered. There is always someone willing to share plans and resources. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Take full advantage of this help and remember to publicly say thank you. A little thanks goes a long way as we all know.  

7. Maintain a healthy work/life balance The first year is exhausting and you will need to dedicate a lot of time to it. But you must learn when to stop. Prioritise your life over anything else. You won’t be as effective of useful if you are worn out. If you are struggling speak to your mentor, peers and colleague, don’t suffer in silence; there is always help out there.  

8. Understand mistakes happen and it’s ok

Recognise that the only true way to learn is by making mistakes. The important thing to do is reflect on how you can improve and spend some time each week to your own development. Revisit notes from your teacher education programme on learning theories, talk with and observe colleagues that are known for making excellent use of behaviour for learning strategies, and evaluate your own practice. Don't hide your mistakes, share and embrace them. It may seem surprising but your colleagues have all made mistakes, and probably far worse ones than you have.  

9. Keep a journal

A journal can be a valuable tool for a first year teacher. There is no way that you can remember every important thought or event that happens throughout the year. Writing it down makes it simple to access and review at any point. It is also gratifying to look back and reflect at how far you have come at various points throughout your career.  

10. Enjoy it

The most important you should do is simply to enjoy teaching. Each day is different and rewarding from a child finally ‘getting it’ to the thank you card or cake on your desk in the morning. Teaching is tough but for most of the successful, happy teachers, it is a vocation, not just a profession – and don't forget the long summer holidays!  

Good luck and enjoy the epic journey you are about to begin…  

Following a series of high-profile financial abuses uncovered by whistle-blowers, council leaders are calling for local authorities to oversee academy budgets.  

The demand comes after two scandals were uncovered; Kings Science Academy in Bradford where two members were convicted of fraud for transferring £150,000 of government grants into their own bank accounts and the Chief Executive at Perry Beeches Academy in Birmingham paid £1.3m to a third party supplier without any contracts.        

The Education industry is already making headlines with issues of excess workload and budget cuts. These cases of fraudulent activity are adding further negativity to an industry already in crisis. Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the Local Government Association children and young people board, said parents had a right to know that “money for teachers and equipment isn’t instead being spent on first-class train tickets or topping up chief executive salaries”. “We are told that academies and free schools are subject to more financial scrutiny than council-maintained schools, yet we keep hearing that millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, which has been earmarked to make sure our children get a good education, is disappearing into the back pockets of those in charge.”

Cllr Watts raised concerns that many recent abuses of academy finances had been uncovered by whistle-blowers rather than the Education Funding Agency, which is responsible for their financial oversight. “The National Audit Office has raised serious concerns about the ability of the Department for Education to effectively monitor academy trusts’ spending, even before the planned expansion of the academy programme, and we don’t believe it can possibly have effective oversight of spending in more than 20,000 schools,” he said. “Centralising control of schools isn't working; oversight needs to be devolved down to local councils.” Council leaders are urging Education Secretary Justine Greening to restore local oversight of all school finances "providing democratic accountability so that parents and communities can be confident their children aren't missing out". They say the Education Funding Agency, the official body responsible for the financial oversight of academies and free schools, lacks the capacity "to provide the level of scrutiny necessary to ensure value for money and catch out fraudsters". In April, a report by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee raised concerns that the rapid expansion of the academies programme in England had made it difficult to keep track of spending and land. In May, the government abandoned controversial plans to force all England's schools to become academies.

The Department for Education says all academies operate under a strict system of oversight and accountability which is more robust than in council-run schools and ensures any issues are identified quickly. "Unlike other schools, their accounts are scrutinised by an independent auditor and we have considerably more financial information about academies than we ever had for council-run schools," said a spokeswoman. "The academy programme puts control of running schools in the hands of teachers and school leaders, the people who know best how to run their schools. "They also allow us to tackle underperformance far more swiftly than in a council-run system where many schools have been allowed to fail for years."

Brandy Young, a primary school teacher in Texas has banned homework for her pupils and instead asked to spend more time at home with their families.

In a letter distributed during a parent-teacher night in she explained her decision to do away with homework for the school year.  

“After much research this summer, I am trying something new,” the letter reads. “Homework will only consist of work that your student did not finish during the school day. There will be no formally assigned homework this year.” Ms Young said that there were a lack of studies which demonstrated that homework improves the academic performance of students."

She recommended instead that parents “spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success.” “Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside, and get your child to bed early,” she said. Ms Young said her students “work hard all day.” “When they go home they have other things they need to learn there.”
“I’m trying to develop their whole person; it’s not beneficial to go home and do pencil and paper work.” Samantha Gallagher, whose child attends the primary school posted the letter on Facebook which has since gone viral. She praised the ‘innovation’ of Ms Young and said she believes the new policy will benefit students greatly.  

It’s official, David Hoare has resigned from his position as the chair of Ofsted, the Department of Education has confirmed.

Following his recent description of the Isle of Wight as a “white ghetto” that suffered from “inbreeding, Mr Hoare has been under intense pressure to step down from his role at the inspectorate. It is understood many senior figures at the watchdog were also unhappy with the former City businessman’s comments that he “particularly did not want a teacher” to become the next chief inspector. Amanda Spielman, the chair of Ofqual, who has no teaching experience, was appointed to the top job last month.  

Education Secretary Justine Greening said in a statement: "I have accepted David Hoare's resignation from the post of Chair of the Board of Ofsted.” "I would like to thank David for his hard work in this role over the past two years." A statement released by Ofsted this confirmed he would be stepping down with immediate effect. Mr Hoare said: “It has been a great privilege to chair the Ofsted Board for the past two years.  I am pleased that the organisation now has an excellent Board in place with expertise across all of our remit areas, including early years and further education.”
“I am also pleased that Ofsted has recruited a strong new Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, who is due to take over from Sir Michael in January." “We have also been able to agree the strategic priorities for Ofsted, focusing on improving the life chances for the disadvantaged children of our country.  I will miss working with an excellent team, making a real difference.” James Kempton, a senior non-executive board member has agreed to take on the role of chair on an interim basis. Ms Greening will now begin the process of appointing a permanent successor to Mr Hoare.