Author Archives: rosmcm1962

If you believe, as I do, that there is no better job than that of being a teacher then we should have all been surprised, horrified and baffled when listening to the news this morning that there is a crisis … Continue reading →

There are three good things about motorway journeys: the latte stops, the political podcasts you have time to listen to and, above all, the time to think.  The blog that caused me the most thinking was one from my friend … Continue reading →

It is that time in term for the NQTs: half-term seems a long way away (it isn’t but it feels like it) and the honeymoon is over.  Sorting through my files last week I came across notes I made following … Continue reading →

I was in Italy this summer when Twitter seemed to go bonkers about the reintroduction of grammar schools.  I did consider adding my thoughts then, but the sun was shining and the wine was good and I didn’t want to spoil … Continue reading →

I have seen a number of ‘open letters’ and advice to the new SoS and it lead me to thinking – what would my approach be? 1. Take the heat out of it There is an enormous amount of ‘heat’ … Continue reading →

It is a long time since I wrote about something very practical, but this summer I’ve been looking back at my timetabling days. I wrote my first timetable in 1995.  I had joined the school as the ‘timetabling deputy’ at Easter.  My … Continue reading →

Many years ago someone who was on the periphery of my circle of friends was in distress, behaved badly and ended up in gaol for a short period. He wasn’t a close friend and along with many others I made … Continue reading →

I went to RC schools as a child and, after a period in my 20s and early 30s of being a “lapsed catholic”, I am now a practising catholic.  I was told around the time I was beginning to apply … Continue reading →

When I first started teaching in the 1980s we talked about management a lot. I think the earliest course I was allowed out of school on was “Women into management”, schools had senior management teams and we referred constantly to … Continue reading →

I don’t think it is a secret that I am a Labour Party member. You have a simple choice as a public sector leader: you can worry that you risk your employer and your community discriminating against you as a result of your political … Continue reading →