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Along with being a primary school teacher and leader, blogging is where this all started for Aidan. If it wasn't for his passion for writing and sharing his learning and experiences, he wouldn't be working as an education consultant with schools across the country today. Shared best practice should be available to all and here on the Aidan Severs Consulting blog you can get ideas for making a difference in your own school. The blog is also a great place to learn exactly the kind of work that Aidan can partner with your school on.
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What Primary Schools Need To Know From The Curriculum And Assessment Review (Updated Based On Government's Response)
The only Curriculum and Assessment Review headline that really matters is this:
It's c200 pages of suggestions FOR THE GOVERNMENT, not for you, your school, your trust or your educational organisation.
However, most of us want to remain abreast and poised, ready to make changes when the time comes. So, what is there to know?
Aidan Severs
Nov 514 min read
The Challenge of Challenge: Defining What It Means in Your School
I recently started off a teacher training session with the following questions: What do we mean by challenge? Who should we be challenging? How often should we challenge them? I'd asked roughly the same questions of senior leaders earlier in the day and it led to some interesting discussions. We realised that there was a chance that when talking about challenge we could be talking at cross-purposes. When I asked the leaders the questions, I was trying to clarify the purpose o
Aidan Severs
Oct 203 min read
Why You Don't Need An Intent Statement (But Why It Is Actually Useful To Have One)
Why don't you need an intent subject for your subject's curriculum? Because no one says you have to, not even Ofsted... However, whilst ‘intent statements’ aren’t a necessity they can help curriculum makers and teachers. How so? Well, they provide a touchstone (a test, or benchmark) for any curriculum development and teaching.
Aidan Severs
Oct 64 min read
One Thing Your Curriculum Documentation Doesn't Need (Unless You Also Provide Lesson Plans)
Garbled title aside, this blog post is a very simple one. And the message is this: You don't need to mandate pedagogical choices. You...
Aidan Severs
Sep 162 min read
Replacing Onerous Primary Assessment with Better Monitoring and Evaluation (Part 1)
If you read my recent post on assessing foundation subjects in primary and were left wondering about the lack of evidence and data that...
Aidan Severs
May 194 min read
How Do I Make The Most Of My Team Members' Expertise?
How Watership Down and a unique experience transformed my leadership Looking for leadership advice from a rabbit In the Richard...
Aidan Severs
Sep 10, 20244 min read
How Can I Support My Team in Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance?
Actually I prefer the phrase life-work balance, and in reality I'm not sure there wisdom in framing it as a balance at all, but that's...
Aidan Severs
Jul 30, 202411 min read
How Do I Get My Staff To Stick To Deadlines?
I love a deadline, and chances are if you're reading this you do too. It's how we get things done! When I say I like a deadline I mean...
Aidan Severs
Jul 9, 20244 min read
What Can Go Wrong When Writing Your Own Curriculum?
I've seen first-hand what can go wrong in developing curricula, and the additional time and resources that are wasted as a result. Here...
Aidan Severs
Jul 2, 20243 min read
Can Codifying Teaching Really Improve Teachers?
Can we really codify teaching, simplifying it into a set of easy-to-follow steps? Is it possible to see a video, a diagram or read about...
Aidan Severs
Jun 4, 20244 min read
The 4 Ps Of The Design & Technology Curriculum
Discover how to revolutionize your design technology curriculum with the 4 Ps approach and learn to teach DT effectively.
Aidan Severs
May 28, 20243 min read
What is substantive knowledge?
Discover exactly what substantive knowledge is. Check out some examples of disciplinary knowledge.
Aidan Severs
May 23, 20242 min read
What is procedural knowledge?
Discover exactly what procedural knowledge is. Check out some examples of disciplinary knowledge.
Aidan Severs
May 23, 20242 min read
What is disciplinary knowledge?
Discover exactly what disciplinary knowledge is. Check out some examples of disciplinary knowledge.
Aidan Severs
May 23, 20242 min read
Curriculum: What Is The Best Kind Of 'Big Question'?
Unlock the secret to crafting the perfect 'Big Question Curriculum' with the ultimate guide. Learn the best question types and their impact.
Aidan Severs
May 21, 20245 min read
How To Write Good Curriculum Statements (And Why I'm Not Calling Them Objectives)
Learn how to craft effective curriculum statements and why they are more than just objectives.
Aidan Severs
May 13, 20244 min read
Curriculum Drivers and Disciplinary Knowledge - What's The Link?
Uncover the vital link between curriculum drivers and disciplinary knowledge.
Aidan Severs
May 7, 20244 min read
Wellbeing in Schools: A Framework
When one thinks of an empowered teacher, one does not call to mind the image often linked with that of a teacher; frazzled, harassed,...
Aidan Severs
Mar 5, 20247 min read
A SEND-First Approach... To Everything
Imagine a world where children with SEND really were the priority. What would that look like and what would the impact be on all...
Aidan Severs
Feb 6, 20243 min read
SEND Provision Across The Curriculum: Start and End Points
“All pupils should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum . The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement states that teachers should set high expectations for every pupil , whatever their prior attainment. .. In many cases, such planning will mean that pupils with SEN and disabilities will be able to study the full national curriculum. ” - 6.12, The SEND Code of Practice "Schools should know precisely where children and young people with SEN are in their learning a
Aidan Severs
Jan 30, 20246 min read
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