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Joan Foster obituary21 February 2012, 5:11 pm
My mother, Joan Foster, who has died aged 70, was a gifted and versatile teacher and local historian. Energetic and creative, she brought history to life for countless adults in Newcastle and shone a light on the lives of children in the north-east in the 19th and 20th centuries.Born in India, where her father was a lieutenant colonel, Mum spent her childhood in Yorkshire before reading history at Bristol University and moving to Newcastle to live with our father, David, who had begun his career...
Examiners could be banned from attending seminars with teachers21 February 2012, 3:16 pm
Exam boards consider new curbs on examiners after claims that teachers were being tipped off about questionsExam boards are considering imposing strict new curbs on examiners in the wake of allegations that some are divulging to teachers the questions pupils will be asked.Mark Dawe, the chief executive of one of the country's leading exam boards, OCR, told MPs that in future examiners could be banned from attending seminars with teachers.Each year thousands of teachers go to seminars organised b...
Who'd be a headteacher in 2012?20 February 2012, 8:00 pm
Ofsted head Michael Wilshaw's comment that 5,000 headteachers lack leadership comes at a time when it is already proving difficult to recruit heads due to a 'football manager mentality'"I wanted to be a headteacher because I knew it would be a fantastic job. As a teacher, you've got control over the 30 children in front of you in the classroom ... but as a head, you can shape the future for more than 1,000 children." That's the view of Francois Van Rensburg, now in his second year as headteacher...
How to teach … Sport Relief20 February 2012, 6:45 pm
This week the Guardian Teacher Network has lots of resources to help you get pupils involved in Sport Relief fundraisingInspired by the build-up to Sport Relief – one of the UK's biggest fundraising events – and the London 2012 Olympics, the Guardian Teacher Network this week brings you a wealth of resources aimed at getting young people moving.This year, Sport Relief takes place from 23-25 March. For primary pupils, What is Sport Relief? is a great place to start. It contains an assembly sc...
Eleven treated in hospital after fatal French coach crash20 February 2012, 11:35 am
Tests show driver was not under influence of drink or drugs when the coach flipped over near Reims, northern FranceEleven people remain in hospital in northern France after a coach crash involving 29 British schoolchildren and 13 adult supervisors on Sunday.A teacher, Peter Rippington, died in the accident near Reims, which happened as the party was returning from a ski trip.Six people were said to be seriously injured although their condition was not life-threatening, according to a local prose...
Academic ebooks can succeed but publishers must play their part19 February 2012, 7:15 pm
The era of academic ebooks is imminent, says Jonathan Wolff, but there are still improvements to be madeSurprisingly, there comes a time in life when the discussion of house prices and the quality of the local schools loses its charm. One then turns to marvelling at the bargain price of off-the-shelf reading glasses and the not-unrelated question of whether it is legitimate to purchase a Kindle if you already own an iPad.The electronic revolution is edging its way into the classroom. The ebook i...
Agatha Christie cut down for language students15 February 2012, 3:17 pm
New versions of 20 detective novels produced for 'upper intermediate' English language learnersFrom Queen of Crime to Queen of the Classroom: a new series of simplified, abridged Agatha Christie novels are set to introduce non-native English speakers to the glory of the British murder mystery.Publisher Collins has cut down 20 of Christie's detective novels – including Poirot's first case, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and Miss Marple's debut outing The Murder at the Vicarage – by 60%, sim...
Tim Beck obituary14 February 2012, 3:15 pm
Tim Beck, who has died aged 49, was a polymath and bon vivant. I first met this distinctive and dishevelled figure quite by chance in 1988 in Bristol Craft Centre (now known as Centrespace). He liked to chat – and a cuppa in a cafe often turned into a voluble session in the pub. At closing time he delved into one of the many plastic bags he carried about him, hauled out a pile of papers – and announced that he had just completed a play, and would I read it? "It's a bit like Ibsen. Not as goo...
Attachment disorder: The families struggling to stay in control14 February 2012, 2:07 pm
Families of violent and disruptive children with attachment disorder are finding that support for the condition is in short supplyOn a good day, Amy Robson's 14-year-old stepson James is just like any other teenage boy – he'll happily regale you with the latest footie scores or challenge you to a game on the PlayStation at his home in Cumbria. But on a bad day, the same teenager has been known to threaten classmates, attack teachers and even defecate in the classroom.Two years ago James was di...
Teaching council drop Miss Rusty case14 February 2012, 1:00 pm
Relief for Leonora Rustamova as the General Teaching Council drops the case against herThe General Teaching Council has dropped its case against Leonora Rustamova, it has emerged this week.It said there was no case to answer against her. Rustamova said it has given her confidence to take her appeal against unfair dismissal, which will be heard by an employment tribunal at a later date. Although she had previously felt very cynical about the justice system, she added, the GTC decision has made he...

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