Tag Archives: learning

Rebecca Solnit on Hope.

Posted on April 23, 2020 by

In a crisis, it is easy to despair. ‘Don’t mourn, organise!’ is a good mantra in such situations. Mourning has its place, but our response should be neither blind despair nor blind hope. We need to understand the objective reality … Continue reading →

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10 things which could improve education

Posted on July 28, 2017 by

I’d like to offer the following tentative 10 point charter to improve education at all levels as an initial contribution to the debate about the future of education in England. 1. Build a comprehensive system rooted in equality: We should … Continue reading →

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Design for Learning.

Posted on May 20, 2017 by

Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and we are delighted to be unveiling a wonderful new building for our Silver Jubilee. In nearly a decade this is the only substantial new permanent addition to our … Continue reading →

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Capital as metaphor

Posted on June 13, 2016 by

The economy of ideas #4 We talk about social capital, cultural capital, creative capital, even ‘emotional capital’. It seems that capital can stand in for almost every human capacity. Why is this? Given its role as a real currency, it’s … Continue reading →

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Primo Levi on work and education

Posted on May 15, 2016 by

In his wonderful La chiave a stella (The Wrench) published in 1978, Primo Levi shares with us an exchange of stories told by Faussone, the itinerant Piedmontese rigger, and a narrator who, like Levi himself, is an industrial chemist at the point … Continue reading →

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Blogging as learning: review of 2015.

Posted on December 31, 2015 by

What went well… I’ve enjoyed my second full year of blogging and have continued to write about whatever interests me, resulting in a fairly eclectic collection of posts on a range of topics with education at the top of the … Continue reading →

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Learning by walking about.

Posted on November 29, 2015 by

It was just a walk; teachers and students following a circular 20 mile route around central London. It was also a personal challenge for each of us; to keep going, to keep up, to map-read, to learn new things and … Continue reading →

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The outstanding lesson

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

We were lucky enough to have Harriet Harper deliver a NewVIc lecture at Newham Sixth Form College on 14th October. Harriet is a former HMI and now helps to train teachers for the post-compulsory sector. We were delighted to be … Continue reading →

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Sharing the secrets of success

Posted on September 13, 2015 by

This is what I say to all new students at Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) after welcoming them on their first day: Now you’ve enrolled and you’re about to start your first year as a sixth form student here, what … Continue reading →

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London: a global learning city

Posted on June 30, 2015 by

Next May, London will elect a new mayor and Greater London Authority (GLA). The mayor has no statutory education powers but the fact that they are directly elected by the people of London gives them a legitimacy and convening power … Continue reading →

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The skilled learner DOES

Posted on June 25, 2015 by

Our mission at Newham Sixth Form College is ‘to create a successful learning community’. Each of the three ideas; success, learning and community are important to us and we make sure we define what each one means for all our … Continue reading →

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Listening to our post-16 conscience.

Posted on May 23, 2015 by

Frank Coffield is the conscience of the post-16 sector. When faddishness or instrumentalism threaten, he is there to remind us of our values and our purpose. A decade ago, Coffield was one of the first to question ‘learning styles’ and … Continue reading →

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Gulliver’s levels

Posted on May 4, 2015 by

Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, first published in 1726, mocks the travel journals of its day with their increasingly fantastical adventures. It is also brilliant social satire, mercilessly tearing through contemporary conventions and pretentions.   It can also be read as a thought … Continue reading →

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Learning is dialectical

Posted on April 9, 2015 by

An attempt to start from first principles… There is now, there is before and there is after. Whatever time is, our awareness of it helps us distinguish between past and future. Within our own lived experience we understand the difference … Continue reading →

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Valuing student research

Posted on March 8, 2015 by

The continuing growth of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in England’s sixth forms is a sign that students, teachers, universities and employers value what it offers. However, less than 10% of advanced level sixth formers have the opportunity to achieve … Continue reading →

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