Specialist Schools and Academies Trust National Conference event blog https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/ The event blog for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust National Conference Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:13:16 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Speaking Up about Conflict: An Oracy Intervention https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/speaking-up-about-conflict-an-oracy-intervention/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/speaking-up-about-conflict-an-oracy-intervention/#respond Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:11:50 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97478 Oracy: the new buzz word in education. As oracy lead for a comprehensive school in Greenwich, the benefits of oracy to our students are not lost on me.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/speaking-up-about-conflict-an-oracy-intervention/feed/ 0 A Game-Changer for Teaching and Learning https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/a-game-changer-for-teaching-and-learning/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/a-game-changer-for-teaching-and-learning/#respond Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:55:36 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97461 At Mounts Bay Academy, we are always seeking professional development opportunities that are not only grounded in evidence but also practical, sustainable, and capable of driving meaningful classroom change.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/a-game-changer-for-teaching-and-learning/feed/ 0 Bridging the gap between secondary, further and higher education – a tale of three sectors https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/bridging-the-gap-between-secondary-further-and-higher-education-a-tale-of-three-sectors/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/bridging-the-gap-between-secondary-further-and-higher-education-a-tale-of-three-sectors/#respond Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:40:12 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97426 There is an urgent need for the secondary, further education and higher education sectors to interact and collaborate more effectively to create a better understanding of student learning at these levels of study – helping to more effectively bridge the transition of students.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/bridging-the-gap-between-secondary-further-and-higher-education-a-tale-of-three-sectors/feed/ 0 Recognition: The Secret Sauce for Enhancing Student Leadership https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/recognition-the-secret-sauce-for-enhancing-student-leadership/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/recognition-the-secret-sauce-for-enhancing-student-leadership/#respond Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:47:06 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97321 As a English and History teacher, I adore etymology, which to my mind is nothing short of an archaeological dig into language. And so, I want to begin this blogpost on SSAT’s recognition schemes for student leadership with some etymological analysis of the word ‘recognition’.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/recognition-the-secret-sauce-for-enhancing-student-leadership/feed/ 0 A tribute to our colleague, Jenny Berge https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/jenny-berge-tribute/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/jenny-berge-tribute/#respond Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:13:27 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97405 We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jenny Berge, a highly respected and much-valued colleague who has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to SSAT over many years.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/jenny-berge-tribute/feed/ 0 Double Trouble: What Ofsted reports tell us about doubled disadvantage for schools https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/double-trouble-what-ofsted-reports-tell-us-about-doubled-disadvantage-for-schools/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/double-trouble-what-ofsted-reports-tell-us-about-doubled-disadvantage-for-schools/#respond Thu, 21 May 2026 12:30:12 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97278 New Ofsted data suggests schools facing double disadvantage receive greater scrutiny and lower gradings, especially on attendance and achievement, raising questions about whether inspection is reducing or reinforcing inequality.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/double-trouble-what-ofsted-reports-tell-us-about-doubled-disadvantage-for-schools/feed/ 0 Six Months Later: What we are learning about the new inspection framework https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/six-months-later-what-we-are-learning-about-the-new-inspection-framework/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/six-months-later-what-we-are-learning-about-the-new-inspection-framework/#respond Thu, 21 May 2026 07:52:29 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97288 This week marks the half-year anniversary of the introduction into inspection practice of Ofsted’s new inspection framework. SSAT’s Inspection Tracker is the most thorough attempt to get under the bonnet of the inspection process. This short post identifies what appear to be consistent patterns and established trends within the data, and notices microtrends that potentially show how the new framework is evolving in response to actual inspections.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/six-months-later-what-we-are-learning-about-the-new-inspection-framework/feed/ 0 The reach of a Lead Practitioner – moving beyond school-wide impact to multi-academy trust and international influence https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/the-reach-of-a-lead-practitioner/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/the-reach-of-a-lead-practitioner/#respond Tue, 05 May 2026 06:24:52 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97169 Being a Lead Practitioner is about more than strong classroom practice; it’s about using that expertise to improve teaching and learning at scale. Verity Merryweather reflects on her journey as a newly accredited LP.

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/the-reach-of-a-lead-practitioner/feed/ 0 Blowing Hot and Cold: The New Ofsted Framework and the Challenge of Leading on Behaviour https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/blowing-hot-and-cold/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/blowing-hot-and-cold/#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:05:03 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97027 Analysis of inspection reports since 2023 indicates Ofsted’s growing ambivalence toward behaviour. While attendance dominates the joint judgement area, low behavior coverage masks serious risks for schools issued specific "next steps."

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]]> https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/blowing-hot-and-cold/feed/ 0 Global connectivity: Introducing Mandarin Chinese in your school https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/global-connectivity-introducing-mandarin-chinese-in-your-school/ https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/global-connectivity-introducing-mandarin-chinese-in-your-school/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:54:15 +0000 https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/?p=97009 In England, schools are engaging with the Department for Education’s Consultation on Progress 8 and Attainment 8, as well as dealing with significant financial constraints. What do our children need? This blog post makes a case for Mandarin Chinese (Mandarin), giving a run through of the support available and catching up with a teacher from a language college, who taught Mandarin there for 23 years.

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