Teaching headlines

[gloobe]

What would you say are the top topics in (secondary) education for this academic year? Returning to teaching and the UK after a long long time away and wanting to dip my toes into all the changes. For a start, progress 8 ‘happened’ whilst I was away and that’s not even to mention covid…so please drop me your buzzwords/policy/observations & opinions below!
thanks in advance hive mind 😄

Big headline for this year is obviously budgets vs pay.

I'd say progress 8 has almost been and gone? It doesn't feel like the be all and end all at the moment?

The big emphasis in a lot of departments is on curriculum maps and intent, as this is seen to be "what Ofsted want" and students being able to articulate their "learning journey". There's also a bit of stuff about prior knowledge- what prior knowledge is needed for the topic, and how do you know students have it, etc.

If you've been out of secondary education for a long time, I do think it would be a good idea to try and visit some schools to see what things are like before e.g. committing to returning to work in a secondary school. I'd imagine you'd find class sizes larger, less SEN support but more SEN in the classroom- plus since Covid, more extreme behaviour and more complex safeguarding issues more often.

If you teach KS4/5 you will also see the massive gaps in learning from Covid- but students are being held to the same standards via assessment.

What is your subject?

Knowledge-based curriculum, incorporating retrieval
Understanding of the simple model of memory
Adaptive teaching

Subject is Science

Depending on when you left, are you familiar with the new GCSE specs, including the required practicals etc? If you would be looking to teach A-level, are you aware of the practical endorsement?

I know these things have been around for a while, but I seem to think the practical endorsement came in a similar time to when progress 8 was a big deal?

Teaching to the top, scaffolding. No more 3 way differentiation or different learning objectives (all, some and I have actually forgotten what the 3rd one was).

@PenOrPencil most -filed away alongside of Walt wilt and VAK

Deep Dive
Framework
Learning journey
Pupil voice
Work scrutiny
SEND
PP/ disadvantaged
Literacy / reading matters
Scaffolding
Typicality of teaching

Deep dive
Progress
What is the learning?
Work life balance
Mental health