Author Archives: Eddie Playfair

About Eddie Playfair

I am a Senior Policy Manager at the Association of Colleges (AoC) having previously been a college principal for 16 years and a teacher before that. I live in East London and I blog in a personal capacity about education and culture. I also tweet at @eddieplayfair

The college of the future.

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Launch of NewVIc 2020 at The ArcelorMittal Orbit, Stratford. 16th March 2016. This is both a celebration and a launch. A celebration of what NewVIc has achieved since it opened 24 years ago and also the launch of our vision … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education Futures, NewVIc | Tagged Anish Kapoor, Arcelor Mittal Orbit, comprehensive education, Education, Eiffel tower, elections, Equality, London, Newham, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, NewVIc 2020, NewVIc alumni, Sixth form college, Tatlin tower, university progression, vocational education, young people | Leave a comment

A-level Drama in London.

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Drama / Theatre Studies is an important area of study. It enriches the sixth form offer and provides students with opportunities to develop their cultural education, their understanding of the human condition, their confidence and ability to communicate well and work … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Education policy | Tagged A levels, Colleges, curriculum, Drama and Theatre Studies, Education, liberal education, London, Sixth form, Sixth form college, young people | Leave a comment

Classical Capital.

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Studying early civilizations helps us understand how people built sustainable ways of living together and made sense of the world many centuries before us. These civilizations have contributed so much to our own that studying them must form part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged A levels, Classical Civilization, collaboration, Colleges, curriculum, Education, Greek, history, Latin, liberal education, London, partnership, Sixth form, young people | Leave a comment

A sixth form profile for the ‘Local London’ area.

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

‘Local London‘ is one of London’s subregional local authority groupings. It consist of 8 boroughs and corresponds roughly to the East London sub-region for the post-16 area review. School sixth forms will not be part of the reviews but the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged Area-based Reviews, Colleges, Education, Local London, London, Newham, Sixth form, Sixth form college, vocational education, young people | Leave a comment

‘Carthage’ by Joyce Carol Oates.

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Joyce Carol Oates’ brilliant novel ‘Carthage’ carries the reader along on a compelling looping, zig-zag narrative which starts and finishes in the heart of a sympathetic comfortably-off family in the small upstate New York town of Carthage. Along the way, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Fiction, Reviews | Tagged American Pastoral, books, Carthage, Joyce Carol Oates, Philip Roth | Leave a comment

Skill shortage, training shortage or job shortage?

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Unpicking the ‘skills gap’ narrative. “The number of job vacancies unfilled because employers cannot find candidates with the appropriate skills has risen by 130% in 4 years” (UK Commission for Employment and Skills UKCET report, January 2016) When employers or … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged curriculum, economy, employment, liberal education, skills, skills shortage, Thijs van Rens, training, vocational education, young people | Leave a comment

A level languages in London.

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

What is the condition of A-level language provision in London’s sixth forms? Data from the 2015 performance tables show that: Over 5,500 London sixth formers entered A-levels in 19 different languages last year. Over two thirds of these were entered … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged A level languages, A levels, collaboration, Colleges, curriculum, Education, language learning, London, partnership, Sixth form | 1 Comment

Accessing the IB diploma

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is a well-established internationally recognised qualification which provides students with an excellent grounding across a broad and balanced curriculum. It is based on a core; theory of knowledge, creativity, activity, service and an extended essay … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged citizenship education, collaboration, Critical thinking, curriculum, Education, global citizenship, IB Diploma, International Baccalaureate, liberal education, London, partnership, Post-16 funding, Tony Blair | Leave a comment

W.E.B. DuBois, black liberation and liberal education for all.

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The great African American academic, socialist, peace and civil rights activist William Edward Burghardt DuBois (1868-1963) wrote about philosophy, sociology, history, race equality and education as well as writing fiction. He is best remembered for his The Souls of Black … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History | Tagged African American, curriculum, Democracy, discrimination, Education, Equality, liberal education, Martin Luther King, Race equality, vocational education, W.E.B. DuBois | Leave a comment

A level minority report: Dance, Music, Philosophy.

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I start from a belief that Dance, Music and Philosophy are wonderful A level subjects which should be accessible to sixth form students not too far from where they live as part of a broad educational offer. The published performance tables provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Education policy, music | Tagged A levels, competition, curriculum, dance, Education, London, marketisation, music, philosophy, Sixth form, Sixth form college, young people | Leave a comment

More sixth formers doing research projects.

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The continuing growth of Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) entries in England’s sixth forms is a sign that student research is increasingly valued. However, still only 9% of advanced level sixth formers have the opportunity to achieve it and many are … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, NewVIc | Tagged Critical thinking, curriculum, Education, England, extended project, London, National baccalaureate, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, research, Sixth form, Sixth form college, Tech Bacc, Universities | 2 Comments

Jane Addams and Toynbee Hall.

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Toynbee Hall, Commercial street, Whitechapel, 1921. Jane Addams of Chicago (aged 60) is visiting Europe. She is in conversation with a young Whitechapel schoolteacher while preparing for the arrival of four other eminent educators. If I may ask, Miss Addams, are … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History | Tagged Chicago, Hull House, Jane Addams, London, Toynbee Hall, university settlements | Leave a comment

Escher in Corsica.

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The Dutch artist M.C.Escher (1898-1972) is well known for his meticulous geometric and ‘impossible’ prints, his optical distortions, his extreme viewpoints and his tessellated patterns which seem to move from two to three dimensions. His early work is perhaps less … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged Art, Bonifacio, Calvi, Corsica, Corte, M.C.Escher | Leave a comment

Is vocational education in England really ‘inadequate’?

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The case for the prosecution: “Educational provision for the many children who do not succeed at 16 or who would prefer an alternative to higher education, is inadequate at best and non-existent at worst.” Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged Education, England, Michael Wilshaw, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, Ofsted, Russell group, UCAS, university progression, vocational education | Leave a comment

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