School Should Be Blog

Blogs

Own your voice, have your say and learn a few things along the way! Blog contributions are welcome - get in touch!

A Student's Perspective: Celebrate the Good Things in Life!

Aleha is a year 12 student, currently completing her EPQ project on hidden disabilities. Aleha has a hidden disability and her project...

Zahara Chowdhury

Male Role Models for Teenage Boys

Last week I featured on the Middle East Eye's The Big Picture Podcast talking about how parents and teachers can talk to teenagers about...

I asked my grandad why you shouldn’t ask someone where they’re from. Here’s what he said.

Zahara Chowdhury

I asked my grandad why you shouldn’t ask someone where they’re from. Here’s what he said.

To caveat this blog and the ‘lessons’ within it: this is personal. It may sound emotionally fuelled but I make no apology for that. My...

What does Islamophobia look like in schools - and what can schools do about it?

Zahara Chowdhury

What does Islamophobia look like in schools - and what can schools do about it?

This is a difficult and sensitive piece to write because it is about my identity too. By no means are the lived experiences shared here...

5 ways students can prioritise their mental health and well-being

Zahara Chowdhury

5 ways students can prioritise their mental health and well-being

Covid-19, has left a very concerning legacy for the mental health and wellbeing of young people. According to Young Minds, ‘one in six...

What it really feels like to be a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Lead

Zahara Chowdhury

What it really feels like to be a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Lead

When I was given a DEI Lead role, I genuinely jumped with joy. It’s my dream job and dream career long term. I’ve delivered workshops,...

How can students engage with social media at school?

Zahara Chowdhury

How can students engage with social media at school?

First things first: Should social media be a part of the school curriculum? Short answer: yes; children need to learn how to use social...

Noor-ul-Huda Sheikh

A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi

Trigger warning: mental health, homophobia and suicide are mentioned in this blog post. Support information can be found at the end of...

Should Shakespeare be optional at school?

Zahara Chowdhury

Should Shakespeare be optional at school?

Photo by Matt Riches on Unsplash Is Shakespeare still relevant in 2021? is by far the most read on the School Should Be blog. It's a bit...

5 books about Intersectional Feminism for Students

Kirsty Went

5 books about Intersectional Feminism for Students

This International Women's Day, 8th March 2022, the theme is #breakthebias. In order to recognise, overcome and ally with women as we...

Emma

Opinion: Secondary School Survival - a Sixth Former's experience

If I had to describe secondary school, I’d probably call it a journey. In the sense that, the person you are when you collect your GCSE...

Poppy

Opinion: How Teenagers Can Practice Self-acceptance

Have you ever felt bad about yourself for what felt like no reason at all? Do you sometimes prioritise the opinions of others more than...

P D Green

Slaves, Statues and Scapegoats

Retired Leader in Education, Consultant and previous HMI Inspector, Peter Green, writes a poetic response, on the 22/12/2021, to a...

4 of the best podcasts every student should listen to

Zahara Chowdhury

4 of the best podcasts every student should listen to

Podcasts are the new(ish) way of learning. In fact, I'd go so far to say some of them can be life changing. Not only do they support the...

Zahara Chowdhury

Networking Tips and Advice for Students

The term networking has become a bit of a buzzword over the last few years. Like with so many words, it is now an everyday, go-to verb. I...

2022: lessons to help secondary school students learn better.

Zahara Chowdhury

2022: lessons to help secondary school students learn better.

What a year. So much change in what feels like a never-ending Groundhog Day. But, amidst the uncertainty and boredom of lockdown, remote...

How to deal with cancel culture at school

Zahara Chowdhury

How to deal with cancel culture at school

Block. Delete. Call-out Culture. Woke Culture. Cancel Culture. Several terms we’ve probably heard or are becoming more and more familiar...

P D Green

Diversity, politics and education. A personal (re)view.

There is more than meets the eye in efforts to bring appreciation of diversity into the curriculum. Attempts to decolonise the curriculum...

Zahara Chowdhury

How to communicate with a teenager

When I introduce myself as a secondary school teacher, I am often greeted with, ‘how do you do it?’ Or, ‘teens are hard work’. And, my...

Phil Sharrock

Hope - the Words of a Wise Headteacher

Hope by definition is (noun) a “feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen” and (verb) “want something to happen...

Maximising student potential and outcomes through welling, fitness and health

Support for your child in English Literature, English Language and developing a positive approach to work-life balance

Maximising student potential and outcomes through welling, fitness and health

Support for your child in English Literature, English Language and developing a positive approach to work-life balance

Maximising student potential and outcomes through welling, fitness and health

Support for your child in English Literature, English Language and developing a positive approach to work-life balance

Blogs