Tes Scotland

Could a fast-growing maths qualification change attitudes to the subject and overcome the phenomenon of “maths anxiety”?

Senior reporter Emma Seith talks about the rise of “applications of maths” in Scotland, and how it makes a more explicit connection between the maths of the classroom and the maths of the world beyond the school gates.

There is growing demand for Gaelic-medium education and the numbers involved are already far higher than they were a few decades ago, but significant barriers remain to the language’s progress in Scottish schools.

In our new episode, senior reporter Emma Seith talks about her long read on Gaelic-medium education and – in the midst of a consultation on a Scottish Languages Bill – the prospects for the language in the years ahead.

It was perhaps the strangest story ever reported by Tes in our 122-year

history. In 1995, the world’s media descended on a school on the

outskirts of Glasgow after it emerged that a teenage pupil called

Brandon Lee – or so everyone thought – had actually been a man in his

thirties.

Now, the bizarre tale makes it onto the screen in a

highly entertaining new film, My Old School, which gets its UK release

today. We speak to director Jono McLeod – who was also one of the pupils

who sat in the same classrooms as Brandon Lee.

With the return of results for national exams last week, it may seem like another step has been taken towards a post-Covid normality for Scottish schools – but the truth is far more complex.

In the first episode of a new season of the Tes Scotland podcast, Emma Seith and Henry Hepburn talk about their latest long read. They spoke to teachers, school leaders and other key education figures about what lies ahead in 2022-23 – and what needs to happen to make it go as smoothly as possible.

In the final episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school, teacher Alan Gillespie talks about the classic 2003 comedy School of Rock, featuring an unforgettable performance from Jack Black as wannabe rock star and (very much unqualified) teacher Dewey Finn. He dupes his way into a job at an expensive prep school where he is aghast at the priorities of his pupils’ families and teachers. Dewey starts out a disgruntled clock-watcher but when he sees the untapped musical talent in his class, it lights a fire in him – and sets off a hilarious and ultimately inspiring chain of events.

Film Schools plans to return for another season later in the year.

In our latest episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school, teacher Kerry Fraser talks about the 1995 drama Mr Holland’s Opus, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance from Richard Dreyfuss as the titular music teacher. The film follows his career over 30 years, from an inauspicious start when he reluctantly goes into teaching to make ends meet, to a rousing finale – he finally sees the profound impact that he has had on countless students.

There are countless depictions of schools and teaching in the movies. In each episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school – a special Tes Scotland Podcast series for the summer – we speak to a teacher about a memorable cinematic depiction of a school and its staff. We look at what it gets right and wrong about teachers and schools – and whether any of the teaching approaches on display are remotely applicable in their own classroom.

In our fourth episode, teacher Gillian Freeland talks about 2007’s Freedom Writers, based on real events and starring Hilary Swank as a naive young teacher in California. We see her initial fumbling attempts to connect with a difficult class – but also the ultimate impact of her perseverance, unconventional methods and profound commitment to her students.

There are countless depictions of schools and teaching in the movies. In each episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school – a special Tes Scotland Podcast series for the summer – we speak to a teacher about a memorable cinematic depiction of a school and its staff. We look at what it gets right and wrong about teachers and schools – and whether any of the teaching approaches on display are remotely applicable in their own classroom.

In our third episode, teacher Athole McLauchlan talks about the classic documentary Être et Avoir, which immerses viewers in the ups and downs of life of a tiny French village school.

There are countless depictions of schools and teaching in the movies. In each episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school – a special Tes Scotland Podcast series for the summer – we speak to a teacher about a memorable cinematic depiction of a school and its staff. We look at what it gets right and wrong about teachers and schools – and whether any of the teaching approaches on display are remotely applicable in a real-life classroom.

In our second episode, teacher Sammy McHugh looks back at the beloved Scottish classic Gregory’s Girl with the benefit of expert knowledge – she actually worked at the Cumbernauld school where it was filmed.

There are countless depictions of schools and teaching in the movies. In each episode of Film Schools: what we learn when cinema goes to school – a special Tes Scotland Podcast series for the summer – we speak to a teacher about a memorable cinematic depiction of a school and its staff. We look at what it gets right and wrong about teachers and schools – and whether any of the teaching approaches on display are remotely applicable in a real-life classroom.

In our first episode, secondary headteacher John Rutter casts a sceptical eye over the pros and cons of working in the most famous wizarding school of them all: Hogwarts.