Your son failed to complete the homework assigned this past Thirdday. As I discussed with the class, the task was pretty simple — watch a documentary and answer a short page of multiple choice…

Earlier this week I got sucked into a stupid ‘debate’ about subject knowledge after making some comments on X and replying to some other posts. It seemed to me that various people ̵…

School officials often work with families to resolve problems that hamper attendance. But students may also be found “truant,” which can lead to more-severe consequences.

However, the Christian students at Rashbi Elementary School are not quite done with their Christian chagim. Even though we all just got back from Fall Break, they may be asking for some days off…

In a Friday letter to the U.S. Education Department, New York officials said they will not certify that the state is eliminating DEI in schools, despite threats to pull federal funding.

Challenge The thesis as a diagram (page xix)”Aboriginal Pedagogies: at the cultural interface” (PhD. thesis) by Tyson Yunkaporta In education, there is often a tension between our willi…

Hello, Tappsters! The majority of teachers have now officially broken up for the summer — to those already on holiday: we hope the rain isn’t ruining your ice cream too much! 🎉☔️ As for the **39%** of Teacher Tappers still in school this week — _you’ve got this!_ The finish line is in sight, the sun _might_ come out, and that first proper lie-in is calling… 🙌 #### Referrals are GO! Teacher Tappers ❤️ referrals — and last week alone, you helped raise an amazing **£715** for **Education Support**. That means we’ve now crossed the **£1,000 mark** in donations to support teacher wellbeing! 💖 Referring is super simple. In the app, you’ll find your unique referral code to share with friends. When someone signs up with your code and answers two days of questions, **£5 gets donated**. You can trigger up to **£25 in donations** , and the total pot is **£5,000** — so let’s get moving before it runs out! The campaign runs until **July 31st, 2025**. 🚨 And here’s the best bit: if every Teacher Tapper referred _just one person_ , we’d hit our target. Easy peasy. Let’s do it! 💪📱 ## 1. Gifts The end of the school year often means gifts FOR teachers – but what about the gift-giving that goes on between teachers TO their students? 80% of EYFS/KS1 and 71% of KS2 teachers gave a gift – but in secondary this practice was far less common. English teachers were the most likely to buy gifts (25%) and science teachers were the least likely (17%). When it came to the cost of the gifts, more than a third of primary teachers spent between £21-40 on their gifts (35%), whereas only a quarter of secondary school teachers did the same (25%). However – 21% of secondary teachers were spending more than £40 on their gifts, compared to 13% of primary teachers. #### Gifts FOR teachers Of course, we also asked you about the gifts you had recieved. It turns out that the best gifts aren’t the biggest or fanciest — they’re the ones that show students _noticed something_ about you. Teachers told us about all sorts of memorable presents that stuck in their minds because they were personal. Think Harry Potter socks (for the superfan), a signed photo of James May (yes, really), or a conductor’s baton for the steel band teacher. One teacher got a book from their favourite genre, another received a plant they’d once mentioned offhand. Gifts linked to pets were especially heart-melting. Dog towels with the pup’s name stitched on, or a dog bowl because the teacher had talked about getting a puppy. Even tiny things like a mango — because the student saw the teacher snacking on one — or a bottle of Pepsi Max (a classroom staple) meant the world, simply because they showed thought and care. So if you’re wondering what makes a gift truly great? It’s not the price tag — it’s the fact that someone paid attention. ❤️ ## 2. Word of the year 2024-25 We recently asked teachers to pick their _word of the year_. The results? Let’s just say they won’t be appearing in a feel-good Christmas ad any time soon. The most common word by a long way was **“exhausting”** – mentioned over 600 times – closely followed by other cheery choices like _challenging_ , _tiring_ , _hard_ , _long_ , and _relentless_. There were a few brighter sparks — _rewarding_ , _fun_ , _successful_ — but they were often paired with a sigh, as in: “exhausting but satisfying”. Teachers painted a picture of a year that felt like running a marathon with no finish line. Many described constant upheaval and instability — _chaotic_ , _rollercoaster_ , _intense_ — often thanks to Ofsted surprises, split sites, budget cuts, or SEND paperwork gone wild. Frustration bubbled up too, especially around staffing shortages, poor leadership, and inconsistent expectations. And yet, buried under the fatigue, a sliver of pride and purpose shines through. The word _rewarding_ popped up enough to remind us that, even in the hardest moments, teachers still find meaning in their work. It just comes at a serious cost. ## 3. Row rows 🪑 Are you sitting comfortably? And more importantly… in a row? The popularity of rows in classrooms varies quite a bit across phases. In primary, KS2 teachers are far more in favour than their EYFS/KS1 colleagues — which makes sense, of course. It’s a lot easier to herd 10- and 11-year-olds into neat lines than it is a group of wriggly 4- and 5-year-olds. But here’s what’s interesting: over time, support for rows has been _growing_. This is a question we’ve asked regularly since the early days of Teacher Tapp, and a clear pattern is emerging. Back in 2018, just **21%** of EYFS/KS1 teachers favoured rows. Today, that’s jumped to **31%**. In KS2, the rise is even steeper — from **39%** in 2018 to a whopping **56%** now. Rows may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re definitely having a bit of a moment. #### 🏫 Secondary schools: still big fans of rows Over in secondary, rows were already popular back in 2018 — and they’ve only grown more so. Seven years ago, **72%** of secondary teachers agreed that rows were the ideal classroom layout. Today, that’s nudged up to **79%**. But the real story lies in the strength of feeling. In the chart above, we have grouped the responses for ‘strongly, slightly and somewhat’. The proportion who _strongly agree_ has jumped from **39%** to **49%** , suggesting that while overall support hasn’t shifted dramatically, those in favour are now even more convinced that rows rule. However, despite the popularity in secondary schools, not every subject is equally keen on the row revolution. Science teachers are leading the charge — a whopping **89%** agree that rows are ideal (perhaps it’s all those Bunsen burners and careful instructions!). At the other end of the spectrum, it’s the creative crew putting up resistance. Just **64%** of art, design, and technology teachers are on board — maybe because group work and working away from your desk is much more common in these subjects. ## + Bonus finding 💰 Balancing the books: a mission impossible? Now that teacher pay rise costs are confirmed, school leaders can finally get to work finalising their budgets. But just how tough is that task this year? The answer: pretty grim. **37%** of leaders told us it’s _impossible_ to balance the budget, and another **43%** said it’s _harder_ than last year. Only **17%** think it’s about the same — and a minuscule **3%** are finding it _easier_. In short: red pens are poised, but not for marking… ## Daily Reads Last week it was the seating blog that sparked your interest with the ‘elephant in the room‘ from Teacher Out Loud being clicked by 12% of Teacher Tappers. Have you seen a great blog you think would make a great daily read? Let us know by emailing england@teachertapp.co.uk and we will check it out!