Earlier this month, the TES published my article on Open Evenings which, I think, have become a bit too much about making believe.

Open evenings: No place like ordinary school life

In Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz appears to Dorothy as a giant head on a big throne of green marble that sparkles with gems. He appears to her companions – the scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion – as a lovely lady, a terrible beast and a ball of fire. Imagine their surprise, then, when they return from destroying the Wicked Witch and Toto knocks over the screen to reveal a little old man, a humbug. The Wizard’s defence? He had been “making believe”.

The surprise and dismay of Dorothy and her friends at this discovery might well be mirrored by Year 7s across the country, who have discovered that their lessons don’t quite live up to the awe and wonder they were sold on open evening the year before.

You can read the rest of the article here.