Fear of failure

February 28, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

This week I spent time with a group of fellow psychologists that devote at least some of their time working in education. Aside from spending an afternoon swapping resources, building links and sharing our experiences, a few key themes emerged in our discussions. One topic that was revisited repeatedly was fear of failure, or more […]

Why is Arts Education important

February 7, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

There appears to be a growing narrative in our education system, which questions the impact of narrowing the scope of education to focus on what some see as the fundamental and easily measurable outcomes of schooling – reading, writing and numeracy. From multiple quarters, writers are asserting that the creative thinking skills that can be […]

The Holocaust teaching us that young people have a voice

January 31, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Although I have visited a number of ghettos and camps in Poland, I struggle to picture the sheer numbers of people involved, so, when I consider the impact of the Holocaust, I find case studies of individual families much easier to comprehend and with whom to connect. I draw on the story of Sir Ben […]

Managing Nerves

January 17, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

A senior pupil who is undertaking tests and exams, shares similarities with an athlete taking part in a competition. Both require the ability to perform under a certain amount of pressure – sometime pressure we have put on ourselves – and turning our hard work and preparation into a one-off performance. Both can make young […]