Changing GCSE – an opportunity in a crisis
30 September 2020
Just consider, for a moment, what it must be like to be in year 11 right now, in the midst of a pandemic, after a summer of exam chaos, with… Find out more
HMC Blog
Could an army of volunteers help our schools through the pandemic?
28 September 2020
My handwriting is notoriously poor. For the last half century, I have blamed my parents’ decision to move home. I was parachuted into a new school where everyone had already… Find out more
De-risking the 2021 exams: finding a credible Plan B
24 September 2020
Other than the occupational hazard of the ubiquitous school raffle ticket, I’ve never been much of a gambler. This lifelong lesson was learned at a young age amongst the slot… Find out more
Perspectives on the awarding of exams
23 July 2020
See below for blogs which discuss issues surrounding the awarding of exams: HEPI blog, Hindsight is a wonderful thing: Ofqual, gradings and appeals, (Dennis Sherwood), 23.07.2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Members’ blog – Perspectives on the pandemic: heads share the lessons of the lockdown
29 May 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Members’ blog – Perspectives on the pandemic: heads share the lessons of the lockdown: See here. (Member Zone access required).
HMC schools in action: Supporting the NHS and local charities
30 April 2020
The work of HMC schools to support the NHS and their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing. This includes examples of HMC schools which have been running, and… Find out more
Let’s not just follow the scientists out of the coronavirus crisis
28 April 2020
I’m sure none of us would really like to be running the country’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, and I have to say that on the whole I think… Find out more
Managing Uncertainty: Looking for Opportunities
16 April 2020
HMC Member Duncan Byrne (Loughborough Grammar School) shares a blog written for his boys’ school community. It is very easy for fear to become our overriding emotion as we digest… Find out more
HMC schools in action: supporting the NHS and local communities
8 April 2020
The great work of HMC schools since the COVID-19 outbreak is continuing with many examples of schools supporting the NHS and their local communities. These are just a few examples… Find out more
HMC schools in action: supporting their local communities and beyond
2 April 2020
HMC schools have been providing great support to their local communities – and delivering national initiatives – following the COVID-19 outbreak. These are just a few examples of HMC schools… Find out more
When did you last #TrySomethingNew?
6 December 2019
In the run up to what may be the most depressing election ever, the real joy of working in schools is the capacity to constantly learn from the young people… Find out more
Three steps to heaven – How to truly ensure we are enabling our pupils to live their best lives
2 October 2019
While achieving the best grades is at the forefront of most sixth formers’ minds, it’s often what happens next that troubles them. They wonder where their path will lead them… Find out more
Where’s Wally?
6 September 2019
Sitting in a cafe in North Devon this summer, my 11 year old daughter, on spotting a passing stranger in a stripey jumper, suddenly shouted, ‘Look, it’s wally!’. When I… Find out more
Oxbridge Blues
25 August 2019
Earlier this year, Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford, announced two major initiatives to help increase the number of students at the university from disadvantaged backgrounds. One enables pupils with weaker… Find out more
Unconditional offers? No thanks
2 July 2019
In recent years, universities have had to walk a difficult line. On the one hand they are, or should be, upholders of academic standards and virtues – ethical, philosophical and… Find out more
Sutton Trust report “Elitist Britain”
25 June 2019
Today’s report by the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission rightly raises some fundamental issues about the state of play for equal opportunities in the UK. One might take… Find out more
Professor Robert Plomin and independent schools
6 June 2019
The claim by leading geneticist Robert Plomin that academic success is largely fixed by genes has prompted newspaper headlines such as ‘Top schools add nothing to grades’. In fact, Professor… Find out more
Inquiry Learning isn’t a ‘bolt on’
6 June 2019
At a time when exams are already underway (for IB Diploma students) or looming for others, it’s a good time to think about how, exactly, do we prepare students for… Find out more
Reflecting on recent interest in the comparability of GCSEs and International GCSEs
7 May 2019
This blog from HMC Executive Director, Mike Buchanan, provides further information about the qualifications available to schools in England. International GCSEs and GCSEs in England are different qualifications. So too… Find out more
The importance of sport in boosting the mental toughness of pupils
25 April 2019
The Youth Sport Trust’s Impact Report 2018 highlights a number of shocking statistics relating to the physical health of the nation’s young people. It is depressing to read that over… Find out more
