Ben Ward
@mrbenward.bsky.social
Secondary Deputy Headteacher; Primary Chair of Governors; MA Education Leadership; SLE; MCCT; NPQH; Instructional & Leadership Coach; Visiting Fellow; Timetabler; disce doce
It’s worth also remembering that a significant proportion of the students on both tiers will be faced with questions they are unable to do and need to learn not to be knocked by that - that is the very nature of any exam paper that distinguishes students based on the difficulty of questions.
August 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
It’s worth also remembering that a significant proportion of the students on both tiers will be faced with questions they are unable to do and need to learn not to be knocked by that - that is the very nature of any exam paper that distinguishes students based on the difficulty of questions.
No we’re just a little further away so we can only hear the bass and odd notes that carry…
August 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
No we’re just a little further away so we can only hear the bass and odd notes that carry…
Somewhere over to your right I think…
August 9, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Somewhere over to your right I think…
I have used it to help with writing policies. Prompt included the old policy, new information information, statutory elements, principles, processes etc. & asked it to formulate it into a policy. Needed tweaking &tidying, but I would say it cut my time by half. It's all about the quality of prompt.
June 5, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I have used it to help with writing policies. Prompt included the old policy, new information information, statutory elements, principles, processes etc. & asked it to formulate it into a policy. Needed tweaking &tidying, but I would say it cut my time by half. It's all about the quality of prompt.
I did enjoy the candidate who used the ‘any questions’ bit of the interview to offer some feedback on the interview process and our interview technique…
April 4, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I did enjoy the candidate who used the ‘any questions’ bit of the interview to offer some feedback on the interview process and our interview technique…
2/2
10 years or so. Previously, we had a range of quals & had more freedom to vary the curriculum to meet needs. Now many of those courses are not accredited & Ofsted would view a bespoke offer as a narrowing. So all students study 8-9 largely academic subjects where before there were alternatives.
10 years or so. Previously, we had a range of quals & had more freedom to vary the curriculum to meet needs. Now many of those courses are not accredited & Ofsted would view a bespoke offer as a narrowing. So all students study 8-9 largely academic subjects where before there were alternatives.
February 28, 2025 at 5:22 PM
2/2
10 years or so. Previously, we had a range of quals & had more freedom to vary the curriculum to meet needs. Now many of those courses are not accredited & Ofsted would view a bespoke offer as a narrowing. So all students study 8-9 largely academic subjects where before there were alternatives.
10 years or so. Previously, we had a range of quals & had more freedom to vary the curriculum to meet needs. Now many of those courses are not accredited & Ofsted would view a bespoke offer as a narrowing. So all students study 8-9 largely academic subjects where before there were alternatives.
I feel like everyone has missed the fact that it’s our doing that we got PSG in the next round. Had we won our final group match it would have pushed PSV down and meant PSG would not have been one of the 4 teams we could have faced.
February 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I feel like everyone has missed the fact that it’s our doing that we got PSG in the next round. Had we won our final group match it would have pushed PSV down and meant PSG would not have been one of the 4 teams we could have faced.
Absolutely agree! It would be hugely problematic with a high stakes/ cliff edge framework. I was thinking more hypothetically, if paired with an appropriate framework, to enable the expertise of the HMI to be invested in support and next steps etc. rather than data gathering and collation.
February 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Absolutely agree! It would be hugely problematic with a high stakes/ cliff edge framework. I was thinking more hypothetically, if paired with an appropriate framework, to enable the expertise of the HMI to be invested in support and next steps etc. rather than data gathering and collation.
To be clear, I think the huge expertise of HMI is vital and we should never remove the human element. I also think you need a framework which doesn't lean towards 'checklist'. But the best inspections are when I have had time to actually talk to the HMI, and gain from their wisdom and reflections.
February 25, 2025 at 12:15 PM
To be clear, I think the huge expertise of HMI is vital and we should never remove the human element. I also think you need a framework which doesn't lean towards 'checklist'. But the best inspections are when I have had time to actually talk to the HMI, and gain from their wisdom and reflections.
I can see value in a system that can collate and catagorise inspection data and could significantly increase the consistency of the experience and outcomes of inspection. Too many times I have had an inspector who has a particular 'been in their bonnet' and confirmation bias dictates the rest...
February 25, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I can see value in a system that can collate and catagorise inspection data and could significantly increase the consistency of the experience and outcomes of inspection. Too many times I have had an inspector who has a particular 'been in their bonnet' and confirmation bias dictates the rest...
Still trying to get into the top 20… suspect not quite there yet!
February 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Still trying to get into the top 20… suspect not quite there yet!
I would quite literally have got a better score of I’d have flipped a coin!
February 5, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I would quite literally have got a better score of I’d have flipped a coin!