Mick Waters

Details the insightful and transformational steps that a school can take towards designing and delivering a rich, rigorous and wide-ranging curriculum.

Foreword by Mick Waters. The Trojan Horse affair sent shock waves across England's education system in 2014. The affair centred around an anonymous letter that contained instructions on how to take over schools with a majority Muslim population by influencing their governing bodies and undermining head teachers. The authenticity of the letter remains hotly disputed, yet its publication generated huge turbulence - both in Birmingham's schools and communities, and in Parliament and the national news. Edited by Colin Diamond, The Birmingham Book offers fresh perspectives based on unique access to information from within the city, written by respected educationalists who have worked successfully in Birmingham for many years during the Trojan Horse era and since. It explains what led to the publication of the letter, its profound consequences for education in Birmingham, and how Trojan Horse activities continued in the city after 2014 - albeit from outside the school gates once new policies and regulations made it impossible to influence schools from within. The book also opens up an informed discussion around the issues raised during Trojan Horse, such as delivering a well-rounded curriculum suitable for a diverse school community, developing working partnerships in the local area, and boosting the attainment and aspirations of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Through revealing interviews with most of the main protagonists in education since the Ruskin speech of Jim Callaghan in 1976, including nearly all Secretaries of State, Sir Tim Brighouse and Mick Waters explore several revolutions in state education. In doing so they extract what we can learn from the observations gleaned and assess where we should go from here to enable teachers and schools to raise the competence, learning and horizons of each and every one of their students, whatever their talents,challenges, advantages or problems. Tim and Mick have both spent a lifetime in state-provided education - first as pupils, then as teachers, and finally in various leadership and policymaking positions, both in and out of schools. About Our Schools is born out of their shared love for education and their appreciation of how schooling can be a transformative element in the lives of children and young people.

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co-ordinating English within their primary school, this concise and practical volume provides a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable materials.

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co-ordinating a subject area within their primary school. Each volume in the series conforms to a concise style, while providing a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable material that teachers can use immediately. subject they are called on to co-ordinate, these books provide guidance and examples to tackle the job. There are special volumes dedicated to dealing with OFSTED, creating whole school policy and the demands of co-ordinating several subjects within a small school. The entire set of 16 volumes is available for £185.

One of the UK education's most influential players tells it how it is. Mick Waters has consistently been a down-to-earth voice in the increasingly complex world of education for many years. He has regularly endeared himself to school communities in the UK and overseas by talking the sort of sense they needed to hear - practical, challenging, inspiring, insightful, engaging. His unique perspective, closeness to the classroom and ability to see innovation in terms of its impact on learners mean his views are always worth listening to. In this long-awaited book, Mick tells it how it is. The things he believes in. The things he wants to see differently. Wry reflections, humorous insights, astute asides and simple ideas to change the system - and the future - for young people everywhere. This is the book you have been waiting for!

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co-ordinating a subject area within their primary school. Each volume in the series conforms to a concise style, while providing a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable material that teachers can use immediately. subject they are called on to co-ordinate, these books provide guidance and examples to tackle the job. There are special volumes dedicated to dealing with OFSTED, creating whole school policy and the demands of co-ordinating several subjects within a small school. The entire set of 16 volumes is available for £185.

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co-ordinating English within their primary school, this concise and practical volume provides a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable materials.