These days, it is rare for a headteacher to stay at a large school in a tough, inner city area for very long, but Mike Kent has been at Comber Grove in Southwark for 25 years and still shows no sign of flagging. Perhaps this is because he has never lost sight of what the profession should really be about: the children. And he derives as much pleasure from teaching them now as he did at the start of his forty year career in primary education. When he started teaching, there was no national curriculum, no testing and schools were inspected, briefly, once in a blue moon. Mike has watched primary education - and his role as headteacher - spin through enormous changes over the decades. Some of the changes have been worthwhile. Many have not. But if he is unhappy with a new initiative, or an incomprehensible directive from above, he'll do what he does so well: pick up his pen and share it with his readers in a witty, accessible way. His column is the first thing many readers turn to in the TES. Here is an author who loves his job because every minute of every day is different. In this collection of his columns, he writes amusingly about not just things that make him mad but also the funny side of school life: a Butler sink full of unwashed mugs, challenging parents, a maverick fire alarm...and the father who tried to enrol his three month old daughter in the Reception class. Here is a book that will be enjoyed by everyone with an interest in education and a sense of humour.

Author Biography

Mike Kent, headteacher of Comber Grove Primary School in south London, is one of the most popular columnists on The TES.