Matthew

I am an education writer and advisor with over twenty years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher and principal, FE college vice principal, and MAT director. I also work as a public speaker, trainer, and school improvement lead, and I am a primary school governor.

I have a strong track record as a teacher of English at key stage 3, GCSE and A Level, and as a private tutor for children ranging from key stage 2 to A Level. I have also been an English examiner for AQA for a number of years.

I write for various newspapers and magazines including SecEd, Headteacher Update, SEN Leader, TES, School Business Manager Magazine, Children & Young People Now, Attendance Matters Magazine, and School Inspection+Improvement Magazine. I sit on SecEd’s editorial board and co-host their podcast, as well as write most of their monthly pull-out best practice supplements.

I am the author of numerous best-selling books for teachers including ‘How to Become a School Leader’, ‘Teach’ ‘Making Key Stage 3 Count’, ‘How to Lead’ and ‘School & College Curriculum Design’.

I regularly speak at national and international conferences and events, and provide education advice to charities, government agencies, training providers, colleges and multi-academy trusts.

I have three daughters and enjoy reading and long walks with my border collie.

Availability: I travel across the country to support schools and colleges but my diary is fairly flexible and I accommodate most days and times with sufficient notice.

Willing to travel: 10 miles

Experience: As well as being an experienced school leader including as a Head of English, I have taught English Language and Literature, and Media and Drama, in secondary schools for twenty years and have a strong track record of exam success, not only in the sense of high grade achievements but also value added scores.

Though I have always taught - and tutored - GCSE and A Level, I have a keen interest in tutoring key stage 2 and key stage 3 children because I believe getting it right at this stage of a child`s education is essential if they are to build the foundations needed for subsequent exam success.

I have privately tutored children from key stage 2 up to A Level.

As a teacher-trainer, I lecture on the importance of direct instruction and of applying what we have learnt from the field of cognitive science to our classroom practice. My approach to tutoring is no different: I believe in providing clear explanations, of modelling high quality work whilst `thinking aloud`, of providing opportunities for guided independent practice and of giving actionable formative feedback.

Effective tuition, I believe, begins by agreeing clear intended outcomes and then by focusing on marginal gains. Effective tuition also provides opportunities for frequent retrieval practice and allows children to become increasingly independent over time, developing metacognition skills so that they can monitor their own learning and progress.