Going to university used to be a path that was on offer for everyone regardless of class, wealth or even intelligence but the cost of going to university is high and leaves students in debt for decades so it is vital that someone wanting to go into higher education chooses the best course and the best university for them.

Choosing the best subject to study at degree level is probably the most important thing as you may be studying it for three years or more depending upon the course you choose. It is a good idea to select one that will give you the best chance of employment in the future rather than a subject that may be interesting but is not recognised by employers. Some universities specialise in certain subjects, so it is important to do your research beforehand and choose the university with the best reputation for your chosen subject.

Some students prefer a university in a city location so that they can enjoy the nightlife that a city can offer whilst others prefer a countryside or coastal university site. This is really a matter of personal preference but as you may be spending the next few years of your life there it is important to get this aspect right.

Over the last couple of years, pupils may have missed out on various school trips, whether that be day trips or small breaks where they stay away overnight. As Covid restrictions are starting to ease, many schools are able to resume these sorts of trip again and give the students the opportunity to experience what it is like staying away from home, but how much educational value to these trips have? This often depends on where they go and what they are doing but sometimes the educational value is not the main reason they go. Often these sorts of trips teach fantastic life skills. It helps children to learn how to be independent, how to be organised and how to stand on their own two feet. It allows them to grow and to learn how to interact with others and also to build confidence. Many people believe that these skills have many more benefits than the educational skills they may get. If you work in a school and feel that it is lacking in what it offers, why not do some research for some local places that you could take the children out to. If you want to do a residential, it doesn’t have to be miles away, somewhere local can be just as fun and often less hassle.

We are seeing more and more data that is suggesting that it is not only pupils that have been affected by the pandemic in terms of their mental health but also many educators too/

Even before the pandemic, there were concerns around mental health issues of young people and teachers due to the pressure they were being put under especially in education but this has been ramped up even more over the last two years to worryingly high levels.

Constant disruption to children’s education has had a huge impact not only academically but also mentally. IT has also seen pupils at home a lot more some of whom do not have great home lives and have had to endure physical or mental abuse. This year has seen a huge increase in referrals to mental health services compared to previous years.

It is not just children that have suffered, also many teachers and others working in the education sector have felt the pressure. They have been expected to work throughout much of the pandemic and not only have they had to teach in class but they have also had to set and mark work that was being done at home. Any lesson plans they had gone out the window and there were not given any extra time to deal with the increased work load.

The job of a supply teacher can be very fulfilling and rewarding but it can also be extremely challenging at times. One of the biggest challenges a supply teacher is likely to face is classroom control. It may be that they have never met the children before and have no idea what they are like. Some pupils can take advantage of the fact that they have a supply teacher and will use this to their advantage to play up and try and get away with it.

It can be very daunting as supply teacher having to go into a classroom you have never been in before but you need to have an air of authority about you to ensure that you gain respect of the pupils from the offset.

If you have previously worked in a permanent position in a school, you will have had the opportunity to bond with the class and work out what works best in terms of keeping them interested and keeping a correct level of control.  You need to establish ground rules from the first moment the children enter the classroom. It is easier to lighten up as you go along rather than try and get stricter.

If you have just been offered a job teaching in a new school you may be a little nervous about starting. It could be that you have taught in your previous school for a while or that you are going to be teaching a different year group to what you are used to. All of this can make it feel rather daunting but you often find that you will adjust and settle in quickly.

Planning and preparation is key to holding back those first few days’ nerves. Make sure that you know exactly what you want to do with the children and be sure to have everything printed off and collected up that you need for your lessons.

If you have got a bit of a drive to get to the school, then be sure to set off in plenty of time to allow for traffic. The last thing you want is to be late in on your first day. Spend the first few days settling in to the school. Make an effort to speak to the other members of staff and find out what the school rules are and how it is ran. Be sure to go in quite firm with your class initially as you can always lighten up a bit as the week goes on but it is harder to go back the other way.