Category Archives: Education

From ‘slumming’ to solidarity.

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The evolution of responses to urban poverty and inequality. Part 2. From London to Chicago and back again Two selective and interlinked chronologies: London 1884: Toynbee Hall in Whitechapel was founded by Canon Samuel Barnett and his wife Henrietta Barnett … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History | Tagged Barack Obama, Beatrice Webb, Canning Town, Charles Booth, Chicago, Citizens UK, Clement Attlee, East london, George Lansbury, Henrietta Barnett, Hull House, Jane Addams, London citizens, Mansfield House, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, Percy Alden, Plaistow, Rebecca Cheetham, Saul Alinsky, TELCO, Toynbee Hall, Universities, University of East London, university settlements, William Beveridge | Leave a comment

Informed careers education.

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Using our data to inform excellent careers education information advice and guidance. In common with all post-16 providers, we want all our students to be ambitious and progress to positive outcomes. It’s one of our key values – Ambition: we have … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged careers education, CEIAG, data, HE progression, progression, university progression | Leave a comment

The University of Nowhere

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Announcement: April 1st 2017 As the United Kingdom launches the process of leaving the European Union with little clarity about its destination, a new kind of higher education provider launched today is set to re-define the university destination. The University … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged anywheres, global citizenship, somewheres, Universities | 3 Comments

In conversation with Eugenia Cheng

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

We were delighted to welcome Dr Eugenia Cheng, the author of Beyond Infinity and How to bake pi to Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) last week to talk about her passion for maths and her mission to rid the world of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, NewVIc, Science, Students | Tagged Beyond Infinity, Education, Eugenia Cheng, GCSE Maths, Infinity, Maths, maths education, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, STEM | Leave a comment

Sixth form resolutions for 2017

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Like its predecessor, this year will no doubt be full of challenges and opportunities for colleges and sixth forms. 16-19 year-olds remain the worst funded full-time students in England while rapid qualification and assessment reform continues to affect almost every course … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged 16-19 curriculum, Area-based Reviews, Education, further education, Post-16 funding, purpose of education, Sixth form | Leave a comment

Abdellatif Laâbi: attesting against barbarism.

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The brilliant Moroccan poet, novelist and playwright Abdellatif Laâbi is the epitome of the engaged writer. Born in Fez in 1942, he studied at the University of Rabat and was one of the founders of the literary magazine Souffles in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Poetry | Tagged Abdellatif Laâbi, citizenship education, English PEN, France, hope, I attest, Morocco, Poetry, Solidarity, terrorism | 2 Comments

What future for Sixth Form Colleges?

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I was asked to give a personal view on the future of sixth form colleges at the 2016 FE Staff Governors Conference on 2nd December, organised by a group of education unions: UNISON, ATL/AMIE, UCU and NAS/UWT together with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged Area-based Reviews, Colleges, competition, Education, further education, marketisation, Post-16 funding, Sixth form, Sixth form college | Leave a comment

Going beyond.

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Going beyond what is expected. What do we expect from the education of 16-19 year olds in England? Judging from the funding available, the qualifications on offer and the accountability measures which inevitably steer our work, our national aspirations for … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged ambition, aspiration, citizenship education, Critical thinking, Cultural heritage, curriculum, Education, liberal education, National baccalaureate, Post-16 funding, Sixth form, vocational education, young people | Leave a comment

University Gold.

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

With some help from the Jackson 5: The proposal to classify English universities as Gold, Silver or Bronze is a stroke of genius. The perfect expression of the English obsession with ranking. So obvious, one wonders why we’re not already … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged class, Equality, Jackson 5, meritocracy, selection, Social mobility, university | Leave a comment

Crick reloaded: citizenship education and British values.

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

“We aim at no less than a change in the political culture of this country both nationally and locally: for people to think of themselves as active citizens, willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life and … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged 16-19 curriculum, Bernard Crick, British values, citizenship education, curriculum, Education, Gordon Brown, values | Leave a comment

‘Pick your own’ performance measure.

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

England’s school and college performance tables are full of fascinating information. This information gives a profile of different providers and the idea is that this can help us make judgements and comparisons. Any tables based on data, assuming they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged achievement, Education, performance tables, post, Sixth form, value added | Leave a comment

Your dogma, my principles.

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Simplex and Sapiens are discussing the government’s plan to open more selective schools. Simplex: Our mission is to build a country that works for everyone. Sapiens: Sounds like a good starting point. Sim: Yes, it’s a vision of a truly … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy, Politics | Tagged comprehensive education, dogma, Education, grammar schools, principle, schools, selection | Leave a comment

University for all

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

This August I was asked to contribute a short piece for our local newspaper, the Newham Recorder, as part of a debate about the benefits of a university education. I did my best to summarise the case in 220 words … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged Cultural heritage, economy, Education, employment, London, Newham, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, Universities, university progression | Leave a comment

Theodore Zeldin on ‘what is worth knowing?’

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

What is worth knowing? It’s a good question, given how much there is to know and the impossibility of knowing more than a tiny fraction of the total. Theodore Zeldin’s latest collection of essays, ‘The hidden pleasures of life’ (Quercus, 2015) … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged conversation, dialogue, Education, knowledge, liberal education, specialisation, The hidden pleasures of life, Theodore Zeldin, What is worth knowing? | Leave a comment

Arguments against selection

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

It looks like the ‘grammar school debate’ is about to be revived within government, so it seems a good time to dust down the case against selection. Here are links to 4 of my posts on this from last year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy, Politics | Tagged comprehensive education, Education, Equality, grammar schools, selection | Leave a comment

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