Blogs

AI: The End of Civilisation?

When I was scribing for a student doing his GCSEs in the summer I pondered on the instrument that I was using. A ball-point pen – or biro as we used to call it. When I was at school we had to use fountain pens for all writing. The use of a biro was forbidden and even the slightest hint...

Independent schools and VAT – and us

There has been an interesting development from the proposed 20% VAT imposition on independent schools. We are getting interest from parents who had originally chosen an independent school given the problems in state schools. They can see that if they have to take their child out of such a school due to cost, there is a possibly superior option...

Could Self managed Learning Be What Your Child Needs?

In her blog post, Hayley from Sparkles and Stretchmarks delves into the world of education, focusing on self-managed learning. Titled "Could Self Managed Learning Be What Your Child Needs?", her article explores her shift in perspective after homeschooling her three children for over six years. Hayley's view on education has evolved significantly. She used to prioritise academic success measured by...

SML College Newsletter October 2023

Update by Dr Ian Cunningham Appointments Luke Scott Martin was appointed as the full time Premises Supervisor at the end of July and has already been working hard over the summer on premises improvements and repairs. Jessie Beagley started as Learning Support Officer at the end of August to provide much needed full time support for students. The College premises Over the summer there have been...

The Future of Education & The Role of AI: The SML College President's Lecture by Rose Luckin

Watch this fascinating talk from Rose Luckin, a superstar in the AI world and SML College's President. We're honoured to have Rose Luckin as our President. Every year she gives a lecture at the college and this year the focus was on AI in education. During the talk, she explored... What can AI offer education? Is it really part of the...

You can’t judge a book by its cover

In conversation with a father he used the old expression: ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’. He was referring to his daughter, who is profoundly deaf. The daughter is now 40 and running a successful business. However, in her childhood, she was grossly underestimated, because she was defined by her deafness. This made me think about many young...

Quantum Theory and Self Managed Learning - and the relevance of this to education

I once heard a distinguished physicist describe Quantum Theory as a major problem because: It accounts for all the known facts. It makes no sense. His error was to attempt to live in a Newtonian world and not recognise the paradigm shift necessary to appreciate Quantum Theory. I experience the same issue when we talk to traditionalist teachers and educators...

Let’s scrap the myth of progress in learning

I meet many parents of school-age children. Most seem to worry about the progress of their child. The pressure from Government and from schools tends to be to expect neat linear progression. The requirement seems to be for a steady upwards curve of learning. But experience (and research) shows that this can be unrealistic. Here are some examples of...