This issue’s problem: Alex Spotswood finds that the activities that he devises tend to involve him, rather than his students, doing all the real thinking and processing of information.

Alex Spotswood is well established in his main placement and has taken responsibility for regular GCSE and Key Stage 3 teaching. He is highly organised and recognises the need for clear objectives to drive his planning. His mentor, Anne, was impressed by Alex’s initiative in downloading the relevant exam specification as soon as he knew he would be working with Year 10. The regular class teacher, Hugh, has also commented positively on Alex’s awareness of the specific demands of different kinds of exam question. Alex has been similarly committed to finding out about the formal assessment tasks used each half term with Key Stage 3 classes so that he can plan appropriately.