Getting your ducks in a row: The necessary steps in securing one school’s journey of improvement
JON BISHOP, HEADTEACHER, ROBERT BAKEWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK MARK HIBBERT, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER, ROBERT BAKEWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK KATIE DIXON, PHASE LEADER, ROBERT BAKEWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK Following a research-backed process of school improvement over several years at Robert Bakewell Primary School, we felt it timely to share our approach: our hurdles, challenges and successes. Throughout […]
Building adaptive expertise to improve outcomes for learners with SEND
SOPHIE DICKIN AND AMELIE THOMPSON, GIPSY HILL FEDERATION, UK Introduction The proportion of pupils identified as having a special educational need or disability (SEND) has risen from 14.9 per cent in 2019 to 16.6 per cent in 2022 (DfE, 2019, 2022). There is an increased demand for special school places without a corresponding increase in […]
We have a voice! Developing oracy across the geography curriculum
GEORGE DAVIES-CRAINE, SUBJECT LEADER FOR GEOGRAPHY AND DIGITAL LEARNING LEAD, DR CHALLONER’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL, UK Introduction Oracy is a vital aspect of a student’s education and way of learning, covering all verbal communication skills from presenting and questioning to storytelling, negotiating and listening. Teaching students effective oracy, ensuring that they are able to articulate themselves […]
‘But what can I do about it?’ Using design thinking in the classroom to increase advocacy in Year 11 girls
Adam Giblin, Northwood College for Girls, UK Introduction Problem-solving has always been a fundamental aspect of education. In the humanities, the problems with which we deal are often centred on society and justice, with no clear right or wrong solutions – only better or worse ones. Many of the better solutions relate to particular advocacy […]
Supporting early career teachers through an evidence-based coaching programme
Beng Huat See, Durham University Evidence Centre for Education, UK Leslie Blanchard, Leadership Development Institute, Louisiana State University, USA Kulwinder Maude, Durham University Evidence Centre for Education, UK David Kryštof, Institute of Lifelong Learning, Mendel University, Czech Republic Christine Callender, University College London, IOE, UK Samantha Wilkes, Leeds Trinity University, UK Introduction One of the […]
Staff experiences of pupils’ self-harming behaviour in an independent girls’ boarding school
Emma Margrett, Head of the Prep School, Radnor House, Sevenoaks, UK Background In recent years, a number of pieces of research have been published that suggest that self-harm in adolescence is increasing (Hall and Place, 2010; Beauchaine et al.,2014; Garcıa-Nieto et al., 2015). Heath et al., (2006) found that a majority of school teachers shared […]
Trauma-informed schools: A case study
This case study is part of a bitesize CPD learning unit on trauma. In this audio clip, we hear from Jules Sanders and Megan Hornsby from School for Inspiring Talents. They discuss how they meet the needs of students who have experienced trauma in their specialist setting. Further reading Burke Harris N (2014) How childhood […]
Developing mathematical graphics in the Early Years
Young children’s graphical representations are as valuable to mathematical learning as their early mark-making is to their writing development (Carruthers and Worthington, 2011). They support deep-level learning and provide an important foundation for the future. In this article, we explore the development of children’s mathematical graphics in the Early Years, how this can be supported […]
Decolonising and diversifying the Early Years curriculum
Chandrika Devarakonda, Associate Professor of Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty of Education and Children’s Services, University of Chester In this video, Chandrika Devarakonda discusses approaches to decolonising and diversifying the curriculum in early childhood education, including: the actions practitioners can take to decolonise and diversify their practice how we can move beyond tokenism the barriers […]
Engaging parents in play
Polly Crowther, Co-Founder, Early Insights, ELE, East London Research School, UK What parents do at home makes a huge difference to children’s progress (EEF, 2021). We know that play is a powerful way for young children to learn, and we know that sometimes parents find play difficult (Gutman and Feinstein, 2008). Research into the barriers […]
Early Years leadership: Creating the enabling conditions for effective professional development
Rebecca Curtis, (Associate Dean, Learning Design) and Helena Moore, (Dean, Learning Design) Ambition Institute The important role that professional development and training can play in raising quality in Early Years provision is well reported (Callanan, 2017; Kalitowski, 2016; Mathers and Smees, 2014, OECD, 2012), just as it is for teaching quality (Fletcher-Wood and Zuccollo, 2020; […]
In it for the long haul: Building trusting relationships with parents
Jean Gross, independent consultant and author, UK Nicola Noble, co-headteacher, Surrey Square Primary School, UK; Trustee, Magic Breakfast, UK Liz Robinson, Co-Director, Big Education, UK; Trustee, National Literacy Trust, UK A large body of research (Castro et al., 2015) has found substantial associations between students’ attainment and the extent of their parents’ engagement with their […]
Curriculum in the Early Years
Ofsted’s consultation about its new education inspection framework (2019), with its focus on the curriculum, is leading Early Years practitioners to wonder what a curriculum for the youngest children might look like. It is, perhaps, useful to begin the discussion by outlining some of the things that we do not yet know – despite ongoing […]
ECFEST: Strategies for managing behaviour and creating an effective classroom culture
In the second webinar of ECFEST 2021, Joe Treacy (Head of Membership, Chartered College of Teaching) was joined by Karl C Pupé (Author and Speaker, Action Hero Teacher) who gave a presentation on strategies for managing behaviour and creating an effective classroom culture. The ‘Trust Mountain’ model of Behaviour Management and how it can help […]
Establishing behaviour systems and routines
The Mill Primary Academy has developed a culture of celebration that rewards excellent behaviour. Clear, consistent behaviour systems reward kindness and responsibility, as well as academic achievements. Establishing these routines from the start, and being clear about what good behaviour looks like in practice, sets high expectations in the classroom and raises aspirations. Teachers have […]
A look at the link between classroom arrangement and cooperative learning
Where are we now? Having worked at the same school for almost two decades, I have witnessed many changes over the years. Seating plans, for example, have evolved from being mapped out in your head, to being scribbled down on a piece of paper, to finally being entered onto complex digital templates. What was once […]
Lost in translation? A look at how Lesson Study has been interpreted outside Japan
Many research projects about Lesson Study outside Japan miss its core components. Translated from the Japanese words jugyou (instruction or lesson) and kenkyuu (research or study), Fernandez (2002, p. 394) describes Japanese lesson study as ‘a systematic enquiry into teaching practice…, which happens to be carried out by examining lessons’. In its simplest form, we […]
