Blogs

Trip Report: Leeds City Academy
For reasons I’ve not yet figured out, Yorkshire is a bit of a PTE hotspot, with loads of people and schools from across the whole region tapped into to what…
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The transformative effect of weekly knowledge tests
Colin McKenzie is a science teacher who is starting a tutoring agency in Lancashire Prof Tom Burkard is the principal author of the Sound Foundation decoding and spelling programmes and…
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The “Phone-Free School” Campaign – An Open Letter
(If you are a school leader & wish to add your name to this letter, please get in touch with us.) “Mobile phones have changed day-to-day life for almost everyone…
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The PTE “Phone-Free School” Campaign
There’s no doubting the benefits that smartphones have brought to their owners. That said, we know that schools function best with as few distractions as possible – and it’s hard…
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SATs don’t stress children – adults do
[Context: As the PTE network grows, I am lucky enough to meet and talk with so many interesting people with a wide range of experiences. This blog came out of…
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Trip Report: Cottenham Primary School
At PTE we like to visit schools up and down the country. We feel it’s important to get a feel of how schools work in certain areas, what unique challenges…
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Why Avengers: Endgame Supports Knowledge-Led Curricula
WARNING: the following blog contains full, gigantic spoilers for Avengers: Endgame and all preceding films. Do not read it if you don’t want to know intimate details about the plot…
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Return to Charter
When I visited Great Yarmouth Charter Academy last spring, I was blown away not just by what I saw myself, but also by the testimonials of staff and students who…
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Open Letter Regarding SATs
Assessment is a vital part of the school system, and it is right its implementation is debated. However, Labour’s pledge to scrap SATs without any idea of a replacement could…
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