Building Belonging: A Whole School Approach Beyond Slogans
At Townley Grammar, our commitment to racial equality isn’t a slogan or a policy document it’s something we live out daily in our classrooms, corridors, and community.
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From Strategy to Impact: Embedding Metacognition and Collaboration at Ryders Green Primary
Rebecca Jarrett is Teaching and Learning Team / Art Lead / Writing Lead (Mat cover) / class teacher at Ryders Green Primary School. She was successfully re-accredited as an SSAT Lead Practitioner in March 2025. In this case study she shares how her work leading on developing metacognition across the school has impacted pupil learning.
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Hard Cases: Why we need to talk about behaviour
Everyone is talking about behaviour, and what they are saying is worrying.
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Race to the Top
Why are Black and Global Majority teachers underrepresented at all stages in teaching? How can the teacher and leader workforce be more representative of the diversity of the pupil community?
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Beyond the flags: How can we nurture inclusive, anti-racist school communities?
A couple of weeks ago, I visited the northern town where my son and grandson live. I arrived just before 10pm. By the next morning, as we drove down the neighbouring streets, each lamppost had a George Cross attached, and Union Jack bunting hung on railings at crossings along the main road.
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Reflections on the new inspection framework: Old wine in new bottles or a vintage year?
So, the new Ofsted inspection framework is finally with us, almost exactly two months before it will be used in earnest for the first time.
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In an age of the robots, why oracy education has never mattered more
I’ve long believed in the importance of oracy education. As a young teacher, I was inspired by the Bullock Report, which made the case - beautifully and unarguably - for the importance of language across the curriculum.
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A tribute to Dave Baker
There will rightly many tributes to Dave Baker. He was much loved and admired, he brought people together in a way few can do. His height and colourful bow ties meant he stood out in a crowd, and reflected his stature among those who knew him, his warmth and sense of fun.
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Student Leadership: A more nuanced approach to participation and empowerment
Since the turn of the calendar year, I have been responsible for SSAT’s offer for supporting schools in supporting student leadership. When I took on this role, I couldn’t have been more delighted because my first brief as a newly appointed assistant headteacher was to build our school’s student leadership offer. Exactly twenty years later, I was being asked to return to where my whole-school leadership journey started.
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Inspection Insights: How have improvement needs changed between 2023/24 and 2024/25?
SSAT have been tracking every ‘need to improve’ comment from every inspection conducted since September 2023. This post looks at what has changed between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, offering some insights into the impact of changes to the inspection framework in response to the Big Listen.
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