I think there are two separate issues here - one is whether or not it is helpful to the system overall for schools to publish data. There is no overall correlation between the proportion of schools doing this in a country and PISA results, so it is not an automatic good as is sometimes assumed by politicians. For me the answer to the first question depends on what kind of data is being published, which is the second issue. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. I did visit some beautiful schools and some schools which made learning more difficult (one without walls between classrooms which seemed to distract the children), but these were atypical. Most schools were fairly traditional in their set up, with a board of some description at the front and desks facing it. In Japan junior high school classrooms were 'owned' by the students, who were responsible for the displays and included their own slogans, but I'm not sure this had a direct effect on learning.

in PISA. But I did not feel that I could get a deep understanding of what that actually meant and looked like in the classroom; Externally the property is accessed over a paved driveway providing off road parking for 3 vehicles with access to the garage. Very much enjoyed your book and the accessible way you approached the subject. Do you have any comments on the different physical school environments ie classrooms that you encountered on your travels? Did they make any difference to learning outcomes? The conservatory can be accessed from both the kitchen and the dining room and enjoys pleasant views of the rear garden whilst offering an additional reception space. In this book, I’ll take you on a guided tour of these education systems, painting a picture of school life, and making sense of the theories, facts and figures through the stories of real teachers and children. I’ll invite you to reflect on the goals of education in light of these varying possibilities, and provide you with some clues about how these countries came to be so successful.On entry, the large hallway, with a tiled floor, leads through to the good-sized living room which has a wood effect laminate flooring and a feature woodburning stove. Welcome to Clevelands Preparatory School, where education is more than just a classroom experience! At Clevelands, your child will be nurtured in a family-orientated environment and encouraged towards exceptional individual attainment.

I ‘pledged’ to buy this book in summer of 2015 after hearing Lucy describe her ‘geeky gap year’. I was impressed with her get up and go, her understanding of education in a global context, and her considered approach to evaluating education practice. All these qualities shine through in the book. It is even handed in its treatment of wholly different educational cultures (not an easy task) and deftly references an extensive body of supporting research. Yet, whilst it is academic and analytical as required, it is very much a personal odyssey – and all the more engaging a read as a consequence. Through this series we bring together a range of commentators - academics, politicians, practitioners, policy wonks - and pushing them to bring some radical new thinking to some of the apparently intractable issues within education, not least the English education system. I have worked very hard gathering resources for others to use and coming up with new activities. Please ask permission before copying and please give appropriate credit. The copycatting is getting ridiculous and tiresome.Anyone can join and participate in the challenges or readings at any time. Challenge participation is not a requirement of joining. Anyone who loves reading books from around the world is welcome here.

The master bedroom, with modern en-suite, has fitted wardrobes, and access to the sun trap balcony featuring stainless steel fittings and glass balustrade, overlooking the rear garden. Lucy Crehan, author of ‘Cleverlands’, will share her fascinating experience of high-performing school systems work across the world and how we can be aspirational for all our pupils. These kinds of experiences made me become interested in policy and the huge effects that policy can have in the school andThe utility room has space for a washing machine and tumble drier and has a range of floor mounted units with worktop space over. The integral garage features an electric roller door and an access door to the property via the utility room. The property has underfloor heating throughout which is provided by an efficient and economic Air Source heat pump and further benefits from solar assisted hot water. This can help all of us reflect on the status quo, celebrate progress but also consider how we might change things for the better to achieve commonly held goals for our education system and what it can do for us all. Listen again If they enjoy reading and are motivated to read outside of school, they are more likely to become expert readers than those who were put off books by being forced to learn to read before they were ready. When I was in a Finnish primary school, I peeked my head into one classroom to see Grade 1 children silently reading to themselves.” what it actually felt like as a teacher, and how each of those policies interacted in a particular cultural context to affect

Stay up to date with our upcoming public engagement events programme for the IOE Coffee Breaks, IOE Debates, and Professorial Public Lecture series. There are too many books I haven’t read, too many places I haven’t seen, too many memories I haven’t kept long enough.” Since returning from her ground-breaking trip around the world’s ‘top performing’ education systems, she has published a report on teacher career structures for IIEP UNESCO, advised the UK government as part of a working group on teacher workload, and spoken about her work at conferences in the UK, US and Sweden. She now works as part of a team advising foreign governments on education reform at Education Development Trust. Lucy lives Lucy is a qualified teacher, an education explorer, and an international education consultant. She taught science and psychology at a secondary school in London for three years before turning her sights to research and policy, and gaining a distinction in her Master of Education at the University of Cambridge.Hi David. I too feel that the UK education system is misguided, in that they are focusing on the wrong things. I think part of the problem is that in the UK the decisions are made by politicians and civil servants that don't necessarily have any education experience, whereas in many countries (e.g. Singapore and Finland) the majority of policy decisions are made by experienced educators. First up was Finland, a country oft cited by more progressive educationalists as a system from which the UK could learn. I have never quite bought the Finland story – a country with a frighteningly high suicide rate, unemployment figures at over 8% and only five Nobel Laureates in its history can’t be doing that well in education terms – so I was looking forward to learning more. Besides explaining the linguistic advantages Finland enjoys by having a language with great orthographic transparency (I’m sure you don’t need me to explain) and a heritage of reading – even in the sixteenth century you weren’t allowed to marry in Finland unless you could read a section of religious text – the author explains that Finns achieve impressive reading results perhaps because of, rather than in spite of, starting school at a later age. There is also discussion of the high quality Special Needs provision and explanation of the high quality textbooks which Finnish teachers utilise to good effect. Certainly, I could see much to admire in the Finnish model, though, like the author, I remain unconvinced by the argument that ‘the brightest kids, they’ll learn anyway, whatever you do with them’. in the classroom. So I went to study for a Master’s Degree in education and read many of the wonderful reports produced by