Teach Secondary -Issue 15.1

36 WHAT’S NEXT? With the Curriculum and Assessment Review having now delivered its final report, Andy McHugh analyses the key points and considers what kind of curriculum you’ll be teaching once the 2028/29 academic year rolls around... 38 HOOK, LINE AND LITERATURE As the government prepares to carry out formal literacy assessments at Y8, Meera Chudasama looks at what some schools might be missing when it comes to helping students become engaged readers 43 THE MOST PRESSING PRIORITY OF ALL Hannah Carter surveys the obligations schools are under with respect to safeguarding, and offers her suggestions for ensuring that nothing gets missed 47 SEE TOMORROW’S CLASSROOMS TODAY We look ahead to the showcase of future- facing edtech and coming together of educational minds that is Bett UK 2026 52 BEST CASE SCENARIO There’s nothing stopping us from envisioning a genuinely positive vision for AI technology, and the breakthroughs it can deliver for our students and ourselves, writes Kit Betts-Masters 64 TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME. . . If AI’s broken your homework assignments, set homework assignments that break the AI, suggests Anthony David 68 AGAINST EXTREMISM Aaron Swan sets out a strategy by which teachers can temper the increasingly extreme ideological messaging that now routinely reaches students via YouTube, Discord, Instagram and elsewhere TS Special – GCSEs 28 YOU’VE GOT THIS. . . Katharine Radice outlines what teachers should be focusing on as their Y11s count down the months and weeks until exams season 31 DEPENDS HOW YOU ASK The process of providing the correct answer in an exam begins with taking the question apart, writes Sam Holyman 32 CONSISTENCY COUNTS Every school knows how important it is to allow for reasonable adjustments in the exam hall – but it’s how you negotiate the obstacles in the way that really matters... CONTENTS Regulars 11 DICTIONARY DEEP DIVE David Voisin examines the hidden origins and surprising behaviours concealed within our everyday vocabulary 14 MELISSA BENN In some ways, the Curriculum and Assessment Review sets the stage for some welcome improvements to England’s education system – but in others, it doesn’t go far enough 21 NATASHA DEVON With rates of obsessive compulsive order among students on the rise, educators need to be aware of what the condition is, and what it isn’t 40 OFF THE SHELVES Brilliant titles for you and your students to explore 70 MAKING SENSE OF… SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS Show your students how to fill in the gaps based on context alone when tackling simultaneous equations 82 LEARNING FROM THE BEST There’s lots of hugely inspiring leadership and teaching practice are out there, writes John Lawson – such as that found at The Duston School, Northampton Features 12 STAY FOCUSED Dave Clements makes the case for why some efforts by schools to support students’ mental health risks impeding their core educational mission 17 IB GONE There are many educators who won’t mourn the end of International Baccalaureate, but here’s why they should 19 WHAT I LEARNT AT SCHOOL Ade Adepitan remembers the underpowered school computers of the 1980s, and reflects on the learning to be had from a ‘good miss’ 22 ROLE CREEP How the SENCo’s role has grown over time, and why that’s affected schools’ SEND provision for the worse 24 HEARING BOTH SIDES How a new intervention seeks to address boys’ domination of political debate and discussion in the classroom 34 TRY, TRY AGAIN Mistakes play a critical role in the learning process, but we should take care when telling that to students, advises Colin Foster JAN/FEB ‘26 Publishers: Joe Carter, Sam Reubin, Richard Stebbing Editor: Callum Fauser, callum.fauser@artichokehq.com , 01206 505115 Group Advertising Managers: Samantha Law, samantha.law@artichokehq.com , 01206 505499 Hayley Rackham, hayley.rackham@artichokehq.com, 01206 505928 Deputy Advertising Manager: Hannah Jones, hannah.jones@artichokehq.com , 01206 505924 Senior Account Manager: Matt Gilley, matt.gilley@artichokehq.com , 01206 505992 Art editors: Richard Allen, Sarah Barajas Customer services: secondary@artichokehq.com Accounts: artichokemedialtd@integral2.com Published by: Artichoke Media, Suites 2 & 4, Global House, Global Park, Eastgates, CO1 2TJ The views in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. We try to ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and services mentioned in this publication, and the details given are believed to be accurate at the time of going to press. However, no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence or repercussion of responding to information or advice given or inferred. ©Artichoke Media Ltd TS Focus – The Arts 58 THE COMEBACK STARTS HERE The findings of the government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review suggest a bright future for arts education, and music in particular says Matthew Rudd 60 LIGHTS, CAMERA, LEARNING In an age of content algorithms and misleading representations, the knowledge students can absorb frommedia lessons is more vital than ever, argues Jose Sala Diaz 62 EMBRACE THE STRANGE Alice Guile on how ‘creative thinking’ art workshops can provide students with the best opportunities they’ll ever have to get properly weird – in a good way... Learning Lab 71 BE INSPIRED The role that joy can play in students’ learning; ideas for keeping students motivated in MFL lessons; and what effective CPD for ECTs looks like in practice... 04 teachwire.net/secondary