March 2011

The know zone

• Setting parameters
  Goggles to play conkers, candy floss caution and banning flip-flops are some of the myths attributed to health and safety. In the end, says Richard Bird, there’s no danger in acting responsibly and thoughtfully. More
• Hotline
  The ASCL hotline is a completely confidential service available to answer members’ questions on issues that arise in school/college. More
• Pressing numbers
  Sam Ellis unveils a new spreadsheet to help leaders calculate their affordable pupil-teacher ratio. More
• Lead vocals
  Quotes from Albert Einstein, Marry Browne, Anton Chekhov, Winston Churchill and Alan Autry More
• A richer mix
  Whole Education brings together almost 30 charities and other bodies whose joint goal is to offer students a broader, deeper learning experience. More
• Adding value
  Most of us look forward to spring and putting our clocks forward. Unfortunately our biological clocks take a little longer to reset. More
• Smart choice
  Allison Crompton is headteacher of Middleton Technology School, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, which was singled out by Ofsted as one of 12 outstanding schools which excel against the odds. She was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours List 2011. More
• Sticking with CPD?
  With renewed emphasis on sharing good practice around the system – and with budget cuts to make – leaders share their thoughts on how they are ensuring value for money in CPD. More
• Leaders' surgery
  The antidote to common leadership conundrums... More
• The challenges ahead
  With the appearance of a Curriculum Review and Education Bill already in 2011, ASCL Council had a packed agenda in February. Not surprisingly, pensions, funding and the English Bac were high on the agenda. More
• The gap years...
  Steps by the government to dismantle Connexions, abolish the EMA and allow universities to raise tuition fees threaten to lock the middle classes out of university, says Brian Lightman. And it undermines the coalition’s aim to improve social mobility. More
• Busman's holiday...
  It requires team-working, careful monitoring, effective skills development and strong leadership. So how would Ofsted assess a joint family holiday asks Catherine Szabo. More