QualityFirstEducation

Helping children become confident, independent learners.
- Child development and Learning
- Resources, Insights and Support
- Founder of QFE

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

The children who make the most progress are rarely the ones with all the answers. They're usually the ones asking the best questions.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Every major human achievement began with a question.
The Moon Landing wasn't the result of certainty. It was the result of curiosity.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Looking back, was there a teacher who understood you when others didn't? What made the difference?

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Emotional literacy deserves the same attention as academic literacy.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Working as a SENDCo reinforced that: Behaviour is communication.
The question isn't "What's wrong with this child?"
It's "What is this child trying to tell us?"

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Children communicate long before they can explain.
Behaviour often speaks first. Words come later.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

What's a piece of advice you were given at school that turned out to be wrong?

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

New Blog: Educational Benefits of Puzzles

https://t.co/gX61QmA6Dw

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

One of the biggest misconceptions in education is that high-attaining pupils automatically thrive. Many become experts at hiding struggle.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Some children need more support.
Some need more challenge.
Most need both at different times.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

What's one thing you found confusing about phonics when your child started learning to read?

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Being "average" at school tells us almost nothing about future success.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

We focus too much on reading speed and not enough on reading accuracy. Fast guessing isn't reading.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

One of the biggest breakthroughs I see in struggling readers is when they realise: "I can work this out myself."
Decoding builds independence and Independence builds confidence.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

Reading isn't taught when children memorise words. Reading is taught when children understand the relationship between sounds and letters. That's why strong phonics instruction matters.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

New Blog: What Bastille Day Can Teach Children About History, Revolution and Democracy

https://t.co/OgQtRE9uCX

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

We teach too much information and not enough interpretation. Knowing what happened matters.
Understanding why it happened matters more.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

The pupils who engaged most with history were rarely interested in timelines. They were interested in stories.

[QualityFirstEducation @QualityFirstEd]

History isn't about memorising dates. It's about understanding people, decisions and consequences.