Half term always provides an opportunity to refresh and recharge ready for the long half term ahead. The band played as part of a twelve hour brass band marathon raising money for Children in Need at the start of the week and I'm finishing the week sorting out the Christmas music! In the middle I've been reading more of Mark Plan Teach and reflecting on how I can use the ideas within it to move forward my staff who are overworking and wearing themselves out mostly through over marking. It's a hard habit to break, particularly with those staff teaching in a sixth form environment. As part of our move to flipped learning we do have time to incorporate meaningful assessment and feedback into lessons so I'm determined that we will move the issue forward. It takes us the first half term to get to know our new students and I always feel that it's in the second half term that we really help them establish good habits and study routines that will stay with them for the whole two year A level programme.