Anthony Cockerill

One thing I never understood as an English teacher is why there was so much focus on talking in groups when so much of the meaningful experiences in English happens through the solitary act of reading books, imagining worlds and making connections. The main reason I'm not a social constructivist is that almost everything that has been intellectually meaningful to me since the age of 12, I have learned on my own; mainly through reading books.

Another progressive education myth has been demolished - The evidence is now overwhelming: selecting children by academic ability works. Nick Gibb As a qualified teacher with years in the classroom, this has been obvious for decades. The EEF study confirms what we saw daily: setting by prior attainment works. High-attainers make 2 months more progress, disadvantaged pupils are not harmed, and mixed-ability classes often pitch lessons to the bottom; limiting stretch for everyone. Time to move on from the old mixed-ability ideology.