Let's Hear It from the Boys: What boys really think about school and how to help them succeed

Description

The definitive guide to raising boys' achievement in secondary schools by leading expert Gary Wilson. What better way to raise boys' achievement than to hear the issues from the students themselves? Let's Hear It from the Boys encourages readers to take matters into their own hands and listen to the boys in their school. Gary Wilson offers tips to help start a conversation with boys, and guides secondary teachers in placing the needs of boys firmly on the whole-school agenda. It's a well-known fact that girls outperform boys across every stage of the UK education system. Of the boys who underachieve, white working-class boys are consistently in last place. In this unique practical guide to raising boys' achievement in secondary settings, Gary lets the students do the talking through real-life testimonies. Tackling various aspects of learning in the secondary classroom, from exams, essay-writing and academic setting to punishments and rewards, this book offers a fresh perspective on boys' experiences of education, helping teachers to understand the various reasons why boys may underachieve and how teachers can tackle this. Complete with expert advice and practical strategies, it will spark new ideas in teachers and school leaders to support boys in their settings and create the best learning environment for all students.

Gary Wilson is one of the country's leading experts on raising boys' achievement. He is a freelance education consultant, speaker, trainer, author and former teacher with 27 years of experience. Gary has advised and delivered training in over 1,000 schools and over 30 local authorities across the UK, and was Chair of the National Education Breakthrough Program on Raising Boys' Achievement for over a decade. His bestselling books include Breaking Through Barriers to Boys' Achievement and Boys Will Be Brilliant.

This is a superb book. Gary is one of the country's leading authorities on raising boys' achievement. Let's Hear It from the Boys is full of insight and helpful practical approaches. I recommend it very highly. -- Graham Tyrer * Literacy consultant and former secondary headteacher * I know Gary's work and use it in my workshops. I like his down-to-earth approach. Any teacher would learn useful ideas from this action-oriented book, which is both amusing and sensible. It shows how listening to boys can help us make their learning more productive and lead to less hassle for teachers and parents. -- Dr Peter West * Consultant on boys' education, boyseducation.com.au * Gary Wilson's practical and passionate guide to raising boys' achievement tells us how to improve the experience of boys, girls and teachers while enhancing whole-school culture and results. -- Lucinda Neall * Author of 'Bringing the Best out in Boys - Communication Strategies for Teachers' * Raising boys' attainment is a real issue that has certainly been on our agenda. Let's Hear It from the Boys gets to the heart of the pressures and problems boys face. It provides useful actions to ensure boys are keen to learn, well-qualified and socially adjusted when they leave school. -- Lesley Bishop * Principal of Atlantic Academy, Portland * Gary Wilson's book is a down-to-earth, hard-hitting and honest account of the plight of boys that is caring, compassionate and challenging. Full of hope and energy, it gets us thinking about the relationships between engagement, self-efficacy and academic aspirations and how we can change the deficit narrative of low achieving boys living precarious lives on the margins of school. Boys will be boys? Forget that. Boys will be brilliant, thanks very much. -- John Dabell * Teach Secondary * The book offers a great selection of reflective questions, resources and strategies that can positively impact on boys' underachievement, for the benefit of all pupils. -- @digicoled * UKEdChat *