Jonathan Mountstevens
@mrmountstevens
Deputy Head and History Teacher. Mostly here to discuss curriculum, assessment, school leadership and history. Views my own. Blog:
I feel like the latest DfE survey has scope for improvement in its question design.
The 16% should be careful what they wish for. Can you imagine the insane preparation that would end up going in, the performative stuff that would get asked of staff, the pressure to do well since the date had been picked to show the school in its best light etc?
‘Tis the obligatory theme park visit day of the residential trip and you will find me reading, having Kaffee und Kuchen and staffing the naughty student station. I’ll see you at the end.
Popped up to the roof terrace of our trip accommodation to watch the sun go down over the castle. Nice to pretend there aren’t over 100 Yr 8s with us for a few minutes.
Made me laugh. I wonder how much time was devoted to the state school consideration. Can you imagine them rocking up to open evening and asking for a tour?
You might think you’ve got exciting Sunday plans, but we’re about to crack open this Barcelona ‘92 Olympics jigsaw puzzle that @drmountstevens.bsky.social found at her parents’ house.
Excellent commentary here on the debate about schools' role in developing work readiness by @steverollett.bsky.social for @cstvoice.bsky.social, looking at the longue durée of employer criticism of the curriculum. cstuk.org.uk/resources/fe...
On another note, I’m furious about the implication that academic learning is just for people who want to go to university. Have we really ended up back there?
Also was wryly amused by these comments about school, and GCSEs in particular. Couldn’t help thinking it makes it all sound like pretty good preparation for a lot of stuff young people are likely to experience in the workplace.
Alan Milburn had lots of interesting things to say on @thenewsagents.co.uk but deeply frustrating to hear him trotting out old chestnuts like this about how schools should shift from qualifications to ‘work readiness’ like communication, collaboration, confidence, agility and adaptability.
Glorious sunshine, sweltering temperatures, Mediterranean architecture, pizza for lunch followed by gelato. We could only be in North Wales. Portmeirion’s always like this, right?
Imagining the scene from this vantage point with the Parliamentarian forces in 1646, firing the artillery across the river at the Royalist defenders in the castle.
Is this including morning briefings because if not I’m surprised?
Enjoying this Ten Commandments board from the 1562 in Ludlow, pre-dating King James Version. Interesting translation, featuring ‘Thou shalt not desire…’ rather than ‘covet’. Not sure what the official text was then. Great Bible?
One of my Sixth Former’s takeaways from being in my class this year. I feel like I can’t have taught that badly.
Got the winter suit and waistcoat back out of the cupboard today.
What are these teaching-related tattoos of which you speak?
This doesn’t mean a lot unless we know what people propose to replace it with or how to reform it.
I say this every time modular exams come up, but I wonder how many of their fans have been in the profession long enough to remember students missing your lessons regularly for them, telling you they couldn’t do your homework because they have to revise, resitting endlessly etc.
I don’t know if it’s permitted to make confectionery for Mini-Mountie’s school bake-off but I feel pretty proud of our efforts.
Isn’t this the job of the curriculum rather than the teacher?
There's so much in the White Paper but this really worries me. It's not so much what's said, which sounds nice, but what it might mean in practice, especially taken alongside implications of SEND reforms for schools. Complaints are already an obstacle to effective leadership in schools.