Education

Black British History – Hidden faces, important stories

Black people have played key roles in shaping British history for centuries, but all too often their stories and contributions have been forgotten or overlooked. To mark Local History Month, we are highlighting some of the incredible people included in our Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack… Read More

Getting comfortable with unseen poetry

Of all the different forms of writing that we study in English, poetry often seems to be the one with which students feel the least comfortable.  The fact that it simply doesn’t look like prose creates an instant barrier.  It’s unsurprising then that young people find the requirement to explore… Read More

Academic writing for GCSE

Academic writing just means that our students need to write in a formal manner that reflects their level of educational and is distinct from how they would converse orally or via text.  A good approach is to gradually introduce students to a range of ways in which they can ensure their writing is more academic.  I find it helpful to divide these into three aims: being concise, being precise, and being sophisticated. Read More
Male teacher stands in front of a white board in a classroom. He is smiling with his arms crossed.

Practical ways to improve teacher wellbeing

By Suzanne Allies We all know that teachers are extremely busy, and when workload and expectations from school become overwhelming, this can be very detrimental to the wellbeing of you and your colleagues, especially if stress and exhaustion continue in the long term. Wellbeing is such a personal matter; activities… Read More
Teacher with students at a desk

Getting GCSE maths revision right!

The run up to GCSEs can be a very difficult time for Year 11 students. Often, they are still learning new material but are aware of the need to practice and consolidate earlier learning so they are ready for their examinations. This year’s Year 11 students may feel even… Read More
a row of school students writing and using a calculator in an exam

Setting your students up for equations success in GCSE Science

By Peter Edmunds When I was a trainee teacher back in 2017, I was frustrated by how much my students were struggling with calculations. Really frustrated. Calculations were the easy part of physics, I thought. Of course, I now know that I was suffering from expert blindness. Just because I… Read More
Dorian Gray looking at his reflection

Scandal and storytelling in The Picture of Dorian Gray

‘The love that dare not speak its name’ is generally understood to be a euphemistic reference to homosexuality. The phrase is commonly associated with Oscar Wilde; indeed Wilde was cross-examined about it by the prosecuting counsel Charles Gill when he was put on trial in 1895. But the phrase has… Read More
Union Jack Flag

Black history is British history

Simon Henderson and Teni Oladehin, authors of the new Collins Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack, explore how you can integrate Black British history into your KS3 curriculum. Why is it crucial that all students learn about Black British history? Teni Oladehin: Any study of British history today… Read More