1st Edition

The Toxic Classroom And What Can be Done About It

By Richard Steward Copyright 2021
    188 Pages
    by Routledge

    188 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Toxic Classroom offers a wide-ranging look at education today and explores in detail the pressures children experience as a result of constant change, digital technology and political interference. Beginning with what it is like to be a child in the classroom, the book goes on to provide a detailed analysis of the curriculum, assessment and accountability, school structures, educating for global citizenship and the plethora of social issues schools are now expected to solve.

    Written from the perspective of a successful headteacher with over 30 years' teaching experience, the book considers what needs to be done to put things right and outlines a more equitable and effective school system. Each chapter outlines the steps schools can implement immediately and the longer-term policy changes that are needed de-toxify the classroom and facilitate a genuine love of learning.

    Offering a challenging yet compelling argument for putting education back into the hands of teachers, this book will be of great interest both to the general reader and to those working within education such as teachers and professionals who wish to improve the ways in which children learn and develop.

    Introduction

    1. What is it like to be a child in school today?
    2. An early start

      Working with others

      Parents

      Poverty and neglect

      Fear of failure

      Social media

      Mental health

      Boredom

      Schools are the answer

      Toxic schooling

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    3. The curriculum
    4. The background

      Where are we now? The foundation stage

      Where are we now? Primary education

      Where are we now? Secondary education

      Where are we now? Post-16 education

      Destination university

      What should children be learning in school?

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    5. The core subjects
    6. English

      Mathematics

      Science

      Computing

      Languages

      The humanities

      Conclusion

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    7. Beyond the core
    8. The arts

      Design technology

      Physical education

      PSHE/citizenship

      Studies and ‘ologies’

      Vocational subjects

      Extra-curricular

      Conclusion

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    9. Assessment and accountability
    10. Early years testing

      Primary testing

      Secondary assessment

      Assessment post-16

      Ofsted - a new hope?

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    11. Structures
    12. Academies

      Free schools

      Multi-academy trusts

      Grammar schools

      Independent schools

      Faith schools

      Beyond the mainstream

      Admissions

      Departures

      A final thought on age

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    13. A wider view
    14. What happened to the learning culture?

      Education, childcare or social service?

      Educating for global citizenship

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    15. A vision for the future
    16. Independent, grammar and faith schools

      Structural confusion

      Age and stage

      Governance

      What can schools do now to put things right?

      What should policymakers do to put thing right?

    17. A 21st century curriculum
    18. The curriculum

      A modest proposal

      Summary: a curriculum model for the future

    19. Conclusion: detoxifying the classroom

    What are children learning for?

    Putting things right

    Painting in oils

    Appendix

    Index

    Biography

    Richard Steward is an educational consultant with extensive experience as a teacher and headteacher. He has taught in a variety of schools in a 30-year career and has worked as a part-time lecturer with The Open University. He has worked with the National College for Teaching and Learning and been involved in a wide range of national educational research projects. His previous book is titled, The Gradual Art of School Improvement, and he can be found on twitter @StewardRichard.