Category: Blog
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The Hidden Barrier to Inclusion Is Often Leadership
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The Hidden Barrier to Inclusion Is Often Leadership by Amanda Archbald International schools speak confidently about inclusion. Mission statements celebrate belonging, equity, wellbeing, diversity, and pupil voice. Policies reference accessibility, multilingualism, neurodiversity, personalised learning, and safeguarding. Staff are encouraged to innovate, advocate, and collaborate. Yet behind closed doors, many educators working closest to inclusion experience…
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Leadership Without Reflection Is Just Authority
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Leadership Without Reflection Is Just Authority by Amanda Archbald Schools are exceptionally good at evaluating teachers. Lessons are observed. Data is analysed. Books are monitored. Targets are set. Performance is reviewed. Staff are expected to reflect constantly on their practice, respond to feedback and demonstrate professional growth year after year. Yet one question is rarely…
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The Illusion of Inclusion
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The Illusion of Inclusion by Amanda Archbald International schools often describe themselves as global communities. Their websites celebrate diversity, multilingualism, and international mindedness. Flags line corridors. Dozens of nationalities appear in prospectuses. Pupils are encouraged to embrace cultural identity and global citizenship. Yet beneath that language sits a question many schools are still uncomfortable answering.…
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Why hire expertise if it isn’t going to shape practice?
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Why hire expertise if it isn’t going to shape practice? by Amanda Archbald Someone asked me recently why schools hire experienced practitioners and specialists if their insight is not consistently taken into account. It is an uncomfortable question because most schools would confidently say that they value expertise. They invest in it, they appoint for…
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Why “We Write How We Speak” Doesn’t Hold in Multilingual Classrooms
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Why “We Write How We Speak” Doesn’t Hold in Multilingual Classrooms by Amanda Archbald There is a phrase many of us were taught early in our careers, and one that still quietly shapes how we think about literacy. We write how we speak. In many contexts, that holds true. When a pupil’s spoken language is…
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Inclusion Isn’t a Department
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Inclusion Isn’t a Department by Amanda Archbald At its core, inclusion is simple. It means that every learner is supported to access, engage and thrive within the mainstream classroom. Not occasionally, and not only with additional help, but as a consistent expectation of everyday teaching. Despite this, there remains a persistent misconception in schools that…
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Why an EAL Specialist is Not an English Teacher
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Why an EAL Specialist is Not an English Teacher by Amanda Archbald There is a persistent assumption in schools that EAL sits within English. It is an easy conclusion to reach. Multilingual pupils are learning English, English teachers teach English, so the responsibility must sit there. In practice, this is where provision begins to weaken.…
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When Fluency Misleads Us
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When Fluency Misleads Us by Amanda Archbald There are pupils in every school who unsettle our assumptions. They speak confidently. They participate. They follow instructions, at least on the surface. There is nothing immediately concerning when you hear them contribute to a discussion. Yet, when you read their work, something does not align. Their writing…
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What Do We Really Mean by “Good English”?
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What Do We Really Mean by “Good English”? by Amanda Archbald I have been thinking about English recently. Not the subject, but the language itself. The way it sounds. The way it shifts depending on who is speaking. The way it is judged. It shows up in small moments. A raised eyebrow at a pronunciation.…
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Who Gets to Be a “Native Speaker”? And Why It Matters in Our Classrooms
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Who Gets to Be a “Native Speaker”? And Why It Matters in Our Classrooms by Amanda Archbald In many schools, the term “native English speaker” carries an unspoken weight. It signals fluency, confidence, and, often, assumed proficiency. But this assumption does not always hold. A pupil may grow up speaking English at home and still…
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