As a former Deputy Head and class teacher for 22 years I read with interest the article in the Daily Telegraph about 15,000 teachers being off sick from school every day. I often coach teachers and Senior Management Teams on leadership skills and I see many highly stressed teachers battling paperwork, insolent kids, disaffected parents […]
Children sleep an hour less today than 30 years ago – and it’s having a dramatic effect on their intelligence, behaviour and obesity levels according to surveys by the National Sleep Foundation, yet 90% of American parents think their child is getting enough sleep. “It is an overlooked fact that children get an hour […]
We live in a world of growing perfectionism. From selfies to photo shop, young people are under pressure. They are under pressure at school to perform due to our obsession with data driven learning. They are under pressure on social media – mocked, scorned and ridiculed for looking a certain way or acting a certain […]
I’m appearing on Sky News today discussing this: Children in England are unhappier with their lives than those in 13 other countries including Israel and South Africa, with only South Korea lagging behind according to a comprehensive international piece of research based on a survey of 53,000 children aged 10 and 12 in England, […]
I read with horror the article in today’s Guardian that the UK child death rate among worst in western Europe, say experts with only Malta having more deaths of children under five. Children in the UK are more likely to die before they reach their fifth birthday than in any other western European country except […]
My 21 year old son rang for a catch up just before he was off with his Dad to watch Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It was great to hear his voice, hear his news and to hear how busy he was juggling writing his dissertation, working at his journalist placement and planning his climb […]
Watch me talking about smacking on ITV “This Morning” with Holly Willoughby and Eamonn Holmes. Smacking is back in the news again and I was interviewed on BBC Radio London about smacking as Children’s Commissioner Maggie Atkinson claims that under current law here in the UK pets and adults have better protection than children. Bringing up happy, healthy, […]
Jamie Oliver has banned his children from social media – and in many families there is a constant battle between demands for privacy and safety. Here, parents share the lessons they have learned and the techniques they use. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/03/internet-children-parents-safety How do you cope? All out ban? I teach the parents I work with to “Talk […]
I was on LBC Radio today discussing the fact that today’s middle-class children are on track to be the first in more than a century to be materially less well off in adulthood than their parents, a government commission is expected to warn this week. Leaked findings reveal the existence of a national trend not […]
As a former Deputy Head and class teacher for over 22 years I actually favour less holidays in the Summer as I always dreaded the first few weeks of the new Autumn Term – as kids had forgotten loads over the 6 week break. But where do you stand over the proposals? Michael Gove floated the idea […]
I know just how this teacher feels as a former Deputy Head ! Schools quake in fear of Ofsted instead of seeing it as an opportunity to get inspiring new ideas and positive feedback. The culture of blame and shame really doesn’t help schools or teachers feel valued or improve morale as everyone has become […]
I had the great honour of being invited by my friend Melanie to be with her on Friday as she had her first scan of her growing baby at 12 weeks. I can’t tell you the joy we both felt as Mel is 41 and this is her first longed for child. To see the baby kicking their little […]
I was interviewed by LBC Radio again today about the latest survey by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation about underage drinking. Here is the article in The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/17/children-parents-binge-alcohol For me it’s all about how you pass on your values, experiences and attitudes to everything and drinking is no exception. It’s about realising that kids are […]
The days of not talking to strangers and not accepting sweets from them have long gone, as your child can make friends with people from around the global community in an instant. But how do you know who they are talking to and how do you monitor and keep a watchful eye on their activity? […]
