for parents
Here I post a variety of information, advice and other material for parents. You can reorder the table to aid your search by clicking any of the headings.
-
Let’s support the summer reading challenge and get every child reading!
The Summer Reading Challenge is a really cool project which aims to get schools, libraries and parents working together so our children might actually do some reading they like this summer! For an English teacher like me, this is the Holy Grail: if one of my pupils actually enjoys reading, then everything else follows; happiness […]
-
How to cope with secondary school trauma
It may be a year away, but parents need to act now to get their child into a chosen school There was an atmosphere of panic among the parents in the sticky assembly hall with all of us secretly worrying: would we find the right school for our children? Being the parents of Year 5 […]
-
How to get a foot in the door at Oxbridge
With the deadline of October 15 looming, it’s a crucial time for students applying to Oxford and Cambridge universities. They’ve got two days to fine-tune applications and little more than a month to prepare for the infamous Oxbridge interviews. For some parents, this time of year is the culmination of years of blood, sweat and […]
-
Should parents take their children out of school during school time?
I argued on BBC Breakfast that they should not. I cited the example of ‘Katie’ (not the pupils’ real name) who had missed weeks of school because her parents were taking her out regularly of school during term time, going on cheap holidays. They lied to the school and said that she was ill. There […]
-
🎓 Should You Hire a Solicitor to Help You Get Your Child Into the Right School?
The truth about lawyers, school admissions, and what really works in 2025 Every year in England, thousands of parents are disappointed when their child doesn’t get into their first-choice school. It’s stressful, emotional — and confusing. One question often comes up immediately: 👉 Should I hire a solicitor or education consultant to help win my […]
-
How you can win your school appeal
I wrote this article to support parents across England who feel overwhelmed and disappointed after learning that their child hasn’t been offered a place at their chosen state school. Each year, thousands of families find themselves in this difficult position — and while the government advises that they can appeal, many are unsure where to start, what to say, or whether it’s even worth the effort. This article demystifies the school appeal process and offers clear, practical guidance on how to improve your chances of success. Drawing on my experience as a teacher, author of Parent Power, and education expert, I explain what really matters to appeals panels, how to avoid the most common mistakes, and how to present your case with confidence and honesty. Whether you’re facing secondary or primary school placement issues, the piece outlines the key principles behind successful appeals — from understanding admissions criteria to gathering the right evidence and highlighting your child’s specific needs. Above all, it’s a message of reassurance: while the system can feel impersonal and bureaucratic, there is hope. With preparation, persistence, and support, many parents do win their appeal — and your voice, when clearly and thoughtfully expressed, can make all the difference.
-
Give children rewards and they’ll soon fleece you
As a teacher, I’ve tried every bribe in the book The news that a mother rewards her 13-year-old daughter with cigarettes when she behaves has confirmed what I’ve been thinking for a while – rewards are, at best, ineffectual and, at worst, positively damaging. A jobless single mother, Tracy Holt, 43, of Gosport, Hampshire, is […]
-
One long SATS test
In this emotional indictment of our education system, the writer and teacher Francis Gilbert explains how an obsession with testing has broken enthusiasm for learning The decision by the Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls, to kill off the Sats exams for 14-year-olds is arguably the most momentous decision taken by a politician since Gordon Brown became […]
-
How to make your child succeed at GCSE
The truth about exams So just what is the key to success at GCSE? As a teacher in various state schools for the past two decades, I still chew over the issue virtually every day! Just recently, I was talking late into the night at a Year 11 Parents’ evening. The parents of these sixteen-year-olds […]
-
How a good headteacher can save a school
Without leadership and discipline, chaos rules. But this is exactly what the Government is allowing to happen, argues Francis Gilbert A few years back, I taught at a school that terrified me. Just walking down the corridor was hazardous. Frequently, children would rush up behind me and hit me on the back of the head, […]
-
Worrying about schools
The worrying has started! My child is in Year 4 but already I’m worrying about where he might go to secondary school. Living as I do in Tower Hamlets, the choices are rather stark. There’s an Academy which all the parents want their child to go to; there’s a pretty good Local Authority comp but […]
School choice – an overrated concept
As a teacher for 20 years, I can tell parents that with their support children can flourish anywhere The agony of waiting is over. Yesterday was national offer day, when parents learnt if their children had got into their favoured secondary schools. Unfortunately, as many as 100,000 children and their families have been bitterly disappointed. […]