Dr Stephen Newman

This paper examines the impact and implications on initial teacher education (ITE) of the crisis brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown of schools and universities from the perspectives of four university providers in England. The start of the pandemic meant that, in England, schools were closed to all but vulnerable pupils and the children of ‘key workers’, and so the normal placements of students in teacher education (ITE students) could not continue. The ‘virtualisation’ of the ITE programmes by, in some cases, both schools and universities, raised significant issues of both equity and pedagogy. The loss of time on school placement had the effect of lost opportunities for practising teaching but increasing the time for reading and reflection. We consider the effects on a teacher education programme when the practicum experience is abruptly curtailed, yet the programme is able to continue in a different way. We present a model framework for a new digital pedagogy for ITE and discuss the opportunities and affordances available as the post-Covid educational landscape emerges, and suggest that the Covid-19 crisis provides an opportunity to reflect on the idea that practicum experience may be a necessary but not, in itself, a sufficient condition for teacher learning.

The work of Vygotsky is widely used in teacher education and other education-related literature, in discussion of sociocultural perspectives, and in relation to themes such as second language acquisition, the teaching of mathematics, and approaches to teaching and learning. Much of this work gives the impression that Vygotsky’s work is unproblematic. This paper challenges that view. It is argued that Vygotsky’s descriptions of learning and teaching draw on sociocultural themes but that the theoretical account he proposed to explain those descriptions is disputable. The possible implications for thinking about child development, learning, teaching, and teacher education are then considered.

This chapter explores complex and controversial debates relating to the place of play in children’s lives in the early twenty-first century. It suggests that a lack of opportunities to play should be a central consideration within the debate, a point that is being increasingly raised within academic research in English-speaking nations, but is receiving very little attention from those with the power to create policy. The chapter addresses the question: why is collaborative free play so important, not only for children’s social development, but also for the full range of learning that they must undertake during childhood and adolescence? A statistical index used to represent the strength of a relationship between two factors, how much and in what way those factors vary, and how well one factor can predict the other; such conclusions are frequently drawn from opinion surveys.

The work of the late Donald Schön has become influential in the education of many professionals, including teachers. Yet, until recently, comparatively little attention has been paid to difficulties in Schön’s work. This article attempts a critique of Schön’s notion of reflection by interweaving philosophical concerns and empirical work, and concludes by suggesting that such a critique is capable of beginning to describe a new approach to reflective practice.

Arguably the notion of the school leader as the all-important person in school improvement in England still holds sway, despite the development of a huge range of leadership theories and perspectives which suggest a broader contextual approach may be appropriate. Reflecting on the development of a MA course in leadership and management, this paper argues that a philosophical approach based on the later work of Wittgenstein is helpful. The starting point for the approach used here is Wittgenstein’s notion of language-games, which gives recognition to the many different views, descriptions, definitions, and theories of leadership. Informed by Wittgenstein’s wider argument, it develops by bringing in the notions of family resemblance, social rules, and forms of life to suggest that Wittgenstein’s account of meaning is able to move us towards a better understanding of the range of views about school leadership.

One of the major themes of the book is that there are fundamental difficulties with Schön's work at a variety of levels, which call into question the often uncritical use of it made by others. Some of these Schön himself recognized but did not resolve; other difficulties (it is argued) occur at the epistemological level in Schön's work, and also in the use of case studies which Schön makes in his attempt to support his epistemological account. Argument is made for the view that any epistemology presupposes a theory of meaning and an account of language, and that the philosophical reminders of Wittgenstein are helpful and important in reassessing the importance and significance of the work of Donald Schön. Schön's claim to have identified a new epistemology is shown to be inadequate as a description purporting to account for convergence of meaning. An alternative description of convergence of meaning is offered, based on the later work of Wittgenstein. It is argued that, in spite of Schön's claim to be extending the work of Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein's later work anticipated that of Schön, and showed that the account of meaning that Schön was later to propose is incoherent. Schön's notion of reflection-in-action is rejected as redundant in accounting for convergence of meaning; the significance of context and of actions is highlighted and developed. The work of Schön is then reinterpreted and shown to be capable of being placed within the Wittgensteinian description of meaning and language which has been advanced. The book includes a comprehensive listing of the work of Donald A. Schön.

Philpott (2014) considered experiential learning and the reflective practitioner and drew attention to the work of Schön to ask how Schön’s model of professional learning might help develop practitioners’ critical understandings, what the limitations might be, and what might be the implications for initial teacher education. Philpott suggested that Schön sought to develop a view that “emphasises the importance of personally generated, contextually specific solutions to ever-changing circumstances” (p. 9). Philpott was worried that such ‘personal knowledge’ might be restrictive, that Schön’s account is “arguably over reliant on considering learners as decontextualised individuals” (p. 13), and that it pays insufficient attention to the “social aspects of professional learning” (p. 13). This chapter critically interrogates Schön’s account and addresses Philpott’s concerns. It is argued that, whilst Schön offers some interesting descriptions of practice in his case studies, the analysis that he gives of them is flawed and that Schön’s account cannot be accepted without qualification. An alternative perspective using the later work of Wittgenstein is considered, to draw out the implications for the organisation and practices of teacher education both pre-service, as posited by Philpott, and in-service. Philpott’s conceptualisation is itself reinterpreted to address the so-called ‘theory-practice gap’, which he characterised in terms of ‘supply-side and demand-side learning’. The implications for a new understanding of reflection for teachers’ learning and teacher education are considered.

Teacher professionalism has been much discussed over many years, not least by the contributors to this journal and others (see, for example, Creasy Citation2015; Tatto Citation2021; Wright and Bottery Citation1997; Zhao and Liao Citation2024). The papers in this issue can perhaps be seen as contributing to the discussion of professionalism as ‘a global concept that is conceptualised, cultivated, measured, and realised in regionally specific ways’ (Liu, Conner, and Li Citation2023, 36) and constantly changing (Sachs Citation2016).

This chapter provides an introduction to what teachers do. It considers Teachers’ Standards and Codes of professional practice in the UK, then their role as a teacher, including their role in raising attainment and improving life chances and their work in the classroom. The chapter then considers professional knowledge for teaching generally, including their personal subject construct, followed by specific consideration of one aspect of general pedagogic knowledge – aspects of managing the learning environment. It also focuses on effective teaching, introducing classroom rights and responsibilities. The purpose of teaching is, of course, related to the role of the teacher. On the surface, teaching may appear to be a relatively simple process. The reality is somewhat different. Classroom teaching is only the most visible part of a teacher’s work. Subject content knowledge is a declared body of knowledge about teacher's subject. Shulman and Grossman define an educational context as any setting where learning takes place.

This offers a critique of how the National Curriculum for Geography was developed, and encourages information to be placed into the public domain for scrutiny.

An invited presentation to the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Paper given to Carnegie School of Education/Centre for Research and Innovation in Childhood, Education, and Society Annual Seminar Series 2017-2018, Leeds Beckett University

Presentation for Bath Spa University

Presentation for UCET Conference

Paper given at UCET R&I Symposium

The literature on second language acquisition makes many links to theories purporting to account for first language acquisition. This paper argues that those theories, and the links between them and accounts of second language acquisition, are often not fully understood, resulting in complexities and confusions about both first and second language acquisition. It is suggested that one name conspicuous by its absence from many such accounts is that of Ludwig Wittgenstein. It is argued that Wittgenstein’s later philosophy provides a perspective which dispels confusions about, and gives us a clearer insight into, the issues, with implications for those teaching and learning first and second languages.

The aim of the project was to enhance the peer review scheme by the development of critical incident analysis.

Background: This bibliography, compiled by Stephen Newman and Karel van der Waarde, is based on details first published in: Newman, S. (1999) Philosophy and Teacher Education: A reinterpretation of Donald A. Schön’s epistemology of reflective practice. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate. The bibliography has been updated, extended, and corrected in March 2015. Please contact us if there are mistakes or omissions. Notes: Works are here listed by year of publication or presentation, though within each year the order is not always strictly chronological. This is in order to facilitate cross referencing with the reference list in the book, and enables relevant texts (such as the 1970 Reith Lectures) to be grouped together, the better to trace the development of Schön’s work. The bibliography is also available on a website: http://www.graphicdesign-research.com/Schon/bibliography.html The text on the website adds some additional information, such as ISBN numbers and links to some other publications.

This new text is the only resource out there to address the needs of today's early years students/trainees and support them through every stage of the early years research process.

Published in 1999, this text sets out to give a reinterpretation of Schon's work. It breaks new ground by looking systematically at the entirety of his writings, by identifying critical difficulties with Schon's work, and by subjecting his work to reinterpretation.

Ask anyone what ‘education’ means, and the answers are likely to be varied. Many primary-aged children might suggest that it ‘helps them to learn’, whereas secondary-aged children often think that ‘education helps to get a job’. Adults have varied views, often based on their own experiences of the education system. Thus the term ‘education’ is not an easy one to define, often being wrapped up with the idea of ‘schooling’, ‘learning’, and ‘training’. This chapter examines the debates about the nature of education and the possible definitions of the meanings of ‘education’. It looks at the different ways philosophers have analysed education and asks the reader to do some philosophical thinking about the different ‘language games’ played by educational thinkers and policy makers.

Ask anyone what ‘education’ means, and the answers are likely to be varied. Many primary-aged children might suggest that it ‘helps them to learn’, whereas secondary-aged children often think that ‘education helps to get a job’. Adults have varied views, often based on their own experiences of the education system. Thus the term ‘education’ is not an easy one to define, often being wrapped up with the idea of ‘schooling’, ‘learning’, and ‘training’. This chapter examines the debates about the nature of education and the possible definitions of the meanings of ‘education’. It looks at the different ways philosophers have analysed education and asks the reader to do some philosophical thinking about the different ‘language games’ played by educational thinkers and policy makers.

Despite the expense and effort expended on ‘Every Child Matters' (2003), England produces some of the unhappiest children in the western world (UNICEF 2007). Significant factors underlying this issue relate to the national culture of care and education; in particular ‘over a quarter of children do not look forward to going to school' (The Children's Society 2012, p.60). This is not a new debate. In the early years of the twentieth century, Margaret McMillan proposed that it was impossible to effectively educate tired, dirty, infested, diseased and hungry slum children for whom compulsory schooling consequently became a source of abuse (Mansbridge 1932). McMillan's criticisms and subsequent development of early years practice eventually spawned an enduring range of public initiatives relating to children's physical health. However, concern for children's psychological well-being is less well developed; this can be seen by the dominance of the transmission style of learning within the English National Curriculum, a style that “does not adequately recognise ... the need for to-be-learned material to be embedded within cohesive narratives” (Jarvis 2009, p.66), and in the lack of attention paid to the impact of attachment difficulties upon the entire developmental period (Wetz 2009). This paper will argue that the focus for early twenty-first century educators should be a thorough and holistic exploration of evolutionary, psychological, philosophical and sociological perspectives relating to human development and, in particular, how these may conflict with threads of political pragmatism in state education, where policies often seem “to be more concerned with the welfare of the national economy than with the welfare and protection of young children” (Alderson 2008, p.53). The perspectives of Bruner (1990), Wittgenstein (1953) and Bowlby (1988) will be at the centre of this debate.

There can be little doubting the importance in teacher education of the notion of reflective practice. One of the most widely cited authors in the field is Donald Schön. In English teacher education, some have seen Schön's work as justifying a move toward school-based training in an attempt to bridge the alleged gap between the theoretical and practical aspects of teacher education (Furlong et al., 1988, p. 123). In this paper this view is challenged; it is suggested that Schön's work, once placed within the context of a Wittgensteinian description of language, can be reinterpreted to support a wider notion of teacher education and professional development.

There are many different notions of social justice in education. For example, some argue that social justice in education means giving individuals the opportunity to succeed; for others, it means seeking equality of outcome so that everyone does succeed. So great is the diversity of views that it has been suggested the term has become meaningless, or that it can mean anything people want it to mean. This has led some to argue that trying to define social justice in education is a hopeless task. This chapter argues that an approach informed by the later philosophy of Wittgenstein can be helpful in dealing with such issues. In particular, attention is focussed on Wittgenstein’s epistemology and theory of meaning in the Philosophical Investigations. It is argued that these are helpful in understanding the multiplicity of meanings of the term social justice in education. This multiplicity however, it is argued, does not lead to a situation where the term can mean anything its users want it to mean. Nor does it lead to a situation where all attempts to define the term are ruled out, or where only one definition is acceptable, presumably to be imposed on all users of the term. Instead, the significance of contextual understanding and meaning in different language-games is highlighted. Wittgenstein’s theory of meaning is then allied to Gallie’s notion of an essentially contested concept to advance the idea of engagement between those with different views, and of the need to recontextualize rather than decontextualize the notion of social justice in education.

Persistent under-recruitment and poor retention continue to threaten the sustainability of England’s education system. Despite repeated policy initiatives, teacher shortages remain acute, particularly among early career teachers. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concepts of power, discipline, and governmentality, this paper argues that these problems extend beyond workload or pay, reflecting systemic disempowerment. Through successive reforms, the Department for Education has consolidated control over curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher education, creating a regime of surveillance, accountability, and performativity that restricts professional autonomy. Teachers are positioned as implementers of state-mandated practices—such as systematic synthetic phonics—validated through prescribed ‘evidence-based’ methodologies. This disciplinary framework produces ‘docile’ teachers who self-regulate under constant inspection and performance monitoring. The erosion of professional agency diminishes identity, morale, and commitment, fuelling recruitment and retention crises. From a Foucauldian perspective, such disempowerment is not incidental but a structural feature of neoliberal governmentality, where teachers operate in marketised systems governed by data and compliance. Situating England within global patterns of neoliberal reform, this article shows how performative accountability and policy convergence—promoted by organisations such as the OECD—have transformed teaching internationally into regulated, data-driven labour. Addressing England’s teacher crisis therefore requires more than financial incentives. It demands restoring trust, autonomy, and intellectual freedom by reimagining teachers as critical professionals rather than policy technicians. Universities internationally that offer initial and continuing teacher education are uniquely positioned to lead this re-empowerment through reflective practice, research engagement, and democratic participation in policymaking.

This paper considers the use made of Vygotsky’s work by many who take a sociocultural perspective and, in particular, by those who use his work to advance a particular view of second language acquisition and the ‘silent period’. It is argued that Vygotsky’s account as represented in Thought and Language (Vygotsky, 1986) needs to be thought of as consisting of two distinct aspects: first, the observations he made (or claimed to have made) and, second, the theoretical account he proposed to explain them. It is shown that some of Vygotsky’s observations are problematic but that, even if they are accepted, Vygotsky’s theoretical account suffers from fundamental difficulties. Thus the support claimed from Vygotsky in accounts of second language acquisition is misplaced, first because of those difficulties and, second, because many who claim support from Vygotsky, do not need or even use his theory but instead focus their attention on his empirical observations and assume incorrectly that if their own empirical observations match Vygotsky’s, then Vygotsky’s theory can be accepted. Wittgenstein’s later philosophy is shown to provide a perspective which dispels confusions about, and gives us a clearer insight into, the issues.

There are many different notions of social justice in education. For example, some argue that social justice in education means giving individuals the opportunity to succeed; for others, it means seeking equality of outcome so that everyone does succeed. So great is the diversity of views that it has been suggested that the termhas become meaningless or that it can mean anything people want it to mean. This has led some to argue that trying to define social justice in education is a hopeless task. This chapter argues that an approach informed by the later philosophy of Wittgenstein can be helpful in dealing with such issues. In particular, attention is focused on Wittgenstein’s epistemology and theory of meaning in the Philosophical Investigations. It is argued that these are helpful in understanding the multiplicity of meanings of the term social justice in education. This multiplicity however, it is argued, does not lead to a situation where the term can mean anything its users want it to mean. Nor does it lead to a situation where all attempts to define the term are ruled out, or where only one definition is acceptable, presumably to be imposed on all users of the term. Instead, the significance of contextual understanding and meaning in different language-games is highlighted. Wittgenstein’s theory of meaning is then allied to Gallie’s notion of an essentially contested concept to advance the idea of engagement between those with different views and of the need to recontextualize rather than decontextualize the notion of social justice in education.

Quality in healthcare is high on the political agenda in England. This paper examines the model of inspection used by the Care Quality Commission to inspect healthcare provision in England. The paper comprises a critical review of the literature to examine the model of judgement used by the Care Quality Commission in their inspection framework. It is argued that the model of judgement used makes various assumptions which throw into doubt the notion that such inspections provide an objective picture of quality in healthcare. However, the contrary view, that such inspections are highly subjective, is rejected in favour of developing a perspective informed by the later philosophy of Wittgenstein; one which recognises the importance of social agreement and understanding in developing meaning. This perspective highlights the importance of the different social groups that work in healthcare, and those who are treated in the healthcare system, for developing shared understandings and meanings of terms such as ‘quality’.

With many children in UK schools currently learning English as a second (or, often, as an additional) language, the needs of those young learners are becoming a focus for many teachers. We argue that too much attention has been focused on the why and how of additional language acquisition and insufficient attention paid to what is being acquired, and to links between second and first language acquisition. In the light of the reinterpretation offered, it is suggested that some second language practices can be better understood and so lead to innovative and motivating solutions to fit the needs of new-to-English second language learners in the 21st Century classroom.

Education Studies continues to grow as a popular undergraduate area of study. This core text addresses themes common to all Education Studies courses. It benefits from a large list of chapters from key contributors at key institutions. This third edition has been completely revised and updated with the addition of seven new chapters. Themes newly explored include gender, research, the power of money and status and alternatives to schooling. This fully comprehensive text is accessibly written, with learning features throughout to encourage students to approach issues critically. Fully up-to-date and covering a huge range of themes for Education Studies students.

Further and higher education have witnessed something of a paradigm shift in recent years. This article aims to examine the reasons behind, and the possible impact on, academic staff and students of one aspect of the so-called marketisation of education – namely, the increased importance of institutional marketing. Aspects of marketing theory are used to argue that gaps have developed in some cases between the marketing rhetoric and the experienced reality of staff and students. It is suggested that such gaps can create tensions and difficulties, that action needs to be taken to bridge any such gaps, and that there is a need to reaffirm some of the previously valued aspects of further and higher education.

Applying for and obtaining your first post is an important undertaking. Knowing the stages involved in the application and interview process will allow you to consider careful where and when you apply. This chapter provides clear guidance to support you in applying for your first post as well as what happens when you are offered a post. It encourages you to think about what type of post you want to apply for and provides insight into what is expected from applications from employers. It considers the interview process as a whole looking not only what take place during an interview, but also what might be expected of you once you have accepted your new role.

There is increasing concern about declining mental health amongst children in the UK and the USA. Evolutionary and anthropological theorists have begun to build a theory linking this situation to decreasing opportunities to engage in free play. This paper will explore typical contexts for children in these nations, concluding that a range of recently emerging environments have decreased opportunities for collaborative peer free play and ‘discovery’ activities for the current generation. We will draw the theoretical analysis from a broad area of research encompassing psychology, anthropology, education, sociology, marketing, and philosophy to offer a new blend of practical and theoretical perspectives that may shed further light upon this topic.

Practical, accessible and up-to-date, this book draws directly on the work of teachers and other professional trainers concerned with programs for continuing professional development.

In this submission I investigate the ways in which Secondary English teachers theorise the concepts of Literature, writer, and reader as they plan and teach literary texts to students in Key Stage 3. At degree level, the disciplinary codes, rules and conventions of literary study are deconstructed in formal courses on Literary Theory; I argue that an increased focus on these modes of operation at school level would help teachers and their students gain confidence in understanding the utility and implications of and alternatives to particular reading positions. It would also help both teachers and students re-appraise and validate their roles as stewards and contributory actors to the discipline, to rebalance the asymmetric relations of epistemological power. This research contributes new empirical findings to the literature on the disciplinary identity of school literary study, the ways in which knowledge is framed and authorised within it, and the status of teachers and their students as theorists. Via a sequence of semi-structured interviews, I explore the theorising trajectories of 4 experienced English teachers as they plan, teach and review a scheme of learning on a literary text at Key Stage 3. Using a Critical Pedagogy lens, I examine the participants’ acts of disciplinary framing, their conceptions of disciplinary power, authority and influence, and how they induct students into critical identities and dispositions. I conclude that epistemological awareness of the constructed nature of disciplinary codes and conventions can help teachers move towards a more inclusive version of school literary study, one which acknowledges the contextual contingency of any response and shows knowledge and meaning to be the products of ongoing discourses, including those which students bring into and create within the classroom. I present recommendations for practice in the form of a new framework for school literary study in its compulsory phase, and a call for an increased emphasis on epistemological questions as professional development for teachers of Literature across the sector.

Parenting and supporting children with autism spectrum disorder can be stressful for parents. Additionally, providing effective educational interventions for these children may prove more challenging because of the characteristic behavioural challenges associated with ASD. Whilst there is research relating to parenting children with ASD, there has been none that looked at parenting children with ASD and their educational experiences in Nigeria. Therefore, this research aimed to explore how parents of children diagnosed with ASD perceived the experience of caring for and educating their children in school. Four fathers and four mothers of children who had been diagnosed with ASD, with experience of mainstream school and specialist school participated in this research. Semi-structured, face to face interviews were carried out with these parents to explore their lived experiences of caring for and supporting children with ASD. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the chosen methodological approach. Interview data were transcribed and analysed using IPA guidelines. IPA methodology was utilised to enable an in-depth exploration of parents’ experiences. Four super-ordinate themes and their sub-themes were identified from the data analysis: (1) “a roller coaster of emotions”: the journey to diagnosis, (2) parental resilience, (3) parents challenging relationships with school and, (4) the power of the parental voice. These findings were discussed with regards to the main research question and existing literature and theories. The study provided a wider understanding of parents’ experiences of children with ASD in Nigeria, and the challenges parents go through in providing effective educational interventions for them. The implications for parents, educators, counsellors, policy makers, wider society and suggestions for future research were also presented.

Maria Montessori’s work remains popular and influential around the world. She provided fascinating descriptions of her observations of children’s learning. Yet at the heart of her work is a lacuna: the issue of how children learn their first language. For Montessori, it was a marvel, a miracle—but a mystery. We argue that the later philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein offers a way forward. With the clearer view offered by Wittgenstein’s reminders, we propose that Montessori’s work can be reevaluated to better understand Montessori’s contribution, child development and, in particular, how children acquire a first language.

This study investigates the educational experiences of African Zimbabwean males as they moved to England, shedding light on a previously understudied aspect of educational migration during 2000-2020. At this time, many Zimbabwean males transitioned into English schools and experienced the changing dynamics from majority to minority. Understanding the significance of prior education becomes crucial. However, little attention has been devoted to the lived experiences of African Zimbabwean males within these two educational systems. Employing the counter-storytelling research design of Critical Race Theory, this study investigates the lived educational experiences of seven African Zimbabwean males selected through purposive sampling. The data collection process involved audio-recorded semi-structured interviews conducted between December 2019 and February 2020. The narrative analysis revealed these individuals' challenges in navigating academic expectations and social and cultural shifts upon their transition to English schools. The study emphasises the need to address educational disparities affecting racialised migrant students transitioning into English schools, especially from marginalised communities. This study fills a significant gap in the research by examining African Zimbabwean students' practical challenges and academic achievements within the English education system. The participants' stories reveal African Zimbabwean males' unique linguistic and academic identities, often overlooked within broader Black African classifications. The study also highlights how racial biases in England affect the educational potential of African Zimbabwean males. The research emphasises how race, class, and gender intersect to shape the educational path of African Zimbabwean males. It also highlights the challenges faced by immigrants from a colonised nation in the immigration process and the English education system. This emphasises the need for policy interventions to promote inclusivity and equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their background or migration status.

Recent data reported via popular news media and teacher union surveys suggests that a significant number of teachers are overworked, stressed and unable to cope with the demands of the job, leading to what is now commonly referred to as a ‘teacher crisis’ of retention and recruitment. Academic studies regarding teacher stress are largely dominated by research into teacher agency, resilience and the impact of power, surveillance and accountability on policy and practice in neoliberal education environments. While these are clearly important, there is little academic research specifically focussing on the teacher’s voice, in relation to teacher stress. This study provides a detailed qualitative understanding of this ‘teacher crisis’ by using a narrative inquiry methodology to collect accounts, over several interviews, from nine teachers who share a common discourse. Their stories were analysed using a lens based on Wittgenstein’s language-games concept to go beyond what was simply being said and explore the layers of meaning. Language-games facilitate meanings, through the conversations and communications that form an individual’s network of discourses. Using this lens makes it easier to identify how the constant shifts in the various discourses of teachers’ lives are negatively affecting teacher agency and identity which can lead to experiences of stress, to differing degrees.  This study draws attention to the subordination of the social aspects of being a teacher and notes the impact of policy that reduces time for collaboration and peer support. In particular, it argues that policy makers and senior leaders take care to address the wellbeing of teachers by taking a closer look at the distinctive aspects of policy and practice, particularly in terms of surveillance and accountability, which can result in teachers lacking agency, feeling isolated, overworked and overly scrutinised.