Authors

Sue Palmer
All articles by Sue Palmer
How plans for multi-school heads could sideline early years
Secondary headteachers most likely to fill controversial ‘executive head’ roles, says Sue Palmer
General
5 May 2022
Multi, head, sideline, early, years
P1 testing must focus on development, not the three Rs
National standardised tests, if scrapped, must not be replaced by council literacy and numeracy assessments, argues Sue Palmer
Primary
3 July 2021
Why do so many educators dismiss the early years?
When a respected educationalist refers to early years as ‘herding kittens’, it makes me want to scream, says Sue Palmer
31 October 2020
Early years education shouldn’t include testing
Assessing for literacy and numeracy in P1 raises the question of the most appropriate educational ethos for five-year-olds. Sue Palmer argues that the tests could damage the wellbeing of children still only halfway through their early childhood, and that a more holistic approach is required
22 November 2019
‘Market forces risk widening the attainment gap’
Nothing good will come of testing the youngest pupils in Scotland, says this campaigner and former primary head
5 February 2019
Literacy encounters technical difficulties
6 April 2012