18 May 2020

NASBTT Article on COVID-19: “Whilst we are geographically distant, we have been able to remain ‘intellectually close through Thinking Moves”

posted in: News |

COVID-19: “Whilst we are geographically distant, we have been able to remain intellectually close through Thinking Moves”

Diane Swift is Executive SCITT Director of Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education

Beginning teachers across the country are feeling bereft of the opportunity to develop their scholarship of teaching through being in school.

Providers have rapidly responded to the national effort in relation to Covid-19 by developing programmes that enable trainees to be as well prepared, but the 2019-20 cohort have experienced an ITE programme like no other.

We simply cannot pretend to replicate school-based elements of the programme online, but we can offer high-quality professional learning and development. At Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education, part of Shaw Education Trust, we appreciated that it is eminently unhelpful to think of any trainee as being ‘behind’; such a perspective prioritises a lack over a difference. In difference there are opportunities, in a deficit model there is a burden.

We would rather carry an opportunity. So with our trainees we wanted to openly acknowledge that their experience is exceptional and, in doing so, be conscious and explicit about the opportunities which we have sought for them.

As part of this we have considered how best to embrace a metacognitive framework called Thinking Moves, developed by Roger Sutcliffe and the team at Dialogue Works, (https://dialogueworks.co.uk/thinking-moves/).

Thinking Moves offers a toolkit, which is not a set of tips and tricks but rather one that embraces the significance of vocabulary carrying meaning. It utilises the alphabet, so for each letter there is an associated Move; for example, Thinking AHEAD for A, Thinking BACK for B and so on. The clarity of the scheme is that each Move is associated with key partner verbs and synonyms. Additionally for each Move there are associated icons or ideograms.

This shared vocabulary has become an essential resource for us. Whilst we are geographical distant, we have been able to remain intellectual close. Our trainees have been asked to apply a Move to a subject area by planning a 5-10 minute activity, with their current placement class in mind. They then teach this via Zoom to a group of peers, who take on the role of the pupils.

Click below to read the full NASBTT article & learn more about Thinking Move on NASBTT site.

Member Voice: COVID-19: “Whilst we are geographical distant, we have been able to remain ‘intellectually close through Thinking Moves”

10 Apr 2020

COVID-19: “ITT providers and trainees are pulling out all the stops to make things work."

posted in: News |

Here is the untold story from The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) of how Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers, like ourselves, have completely altered delivery models for our current trainees. Diane Swift, Director here at Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education, features in the article and highlights how our programme adjustments were established to support our Associate Teachers (ATs) in being able to demonstrate that they continue to be on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards and so secure their award of QTS.

 

NASBTT Article:

"It is just over two weeks since the government announced that schools would be closed to the majority of pupils for a prolonged period of time.

an untold story is the efforts of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers who have responded to confirmation that they will be able to award QTS at the end of a programme in the normal way, based on the trainee’s trajectory at the point their programme was interrupted.

In only a matter of days ITT providers have had to completely change their delivery models for current trainees as well as overhauling all processes for recruitment and interviews – and they are pulling out all the stops to make things work. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight what they and their trainees are doing during these challenging times to ensure that we continue to provide a flow of new teachers into the profession by shining a spotlight on their hard work, which goes above and beyond the norm."

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

 

KNSTE featured in the article:

“In the light of exceptional circumstances with respect to the Covid-19 situation, the safety and wellbeing of the SCITT community and partner schools were our highest priorities as we rapidly implemented reasonable alternatives to replace face-to-face sessions and school placements. The following programme adjustments were established to support our Associate Teachers (ATs) in being able to demonstrate that they continue to be on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards and so secure their award of QTS:

  • A clear programme of professional enquiries that relate to the knowledge that underpins the Teachers’ Standards.
  • A subject knowledge programme, so that ATs continue to develop their own curriculum understanding and the appreciation of the significance of this.
  • Weekly group tutorials to share teaching experiences so that each AT widens their understanding, by contributing to discussions and learning from others.
  • Weekly Zoom-teach opportunities. These enable our ATs to continue to develop their practice and pedagogy. We have used a metacognitive framework called Thinking Moves: https://dialogueworks.co.uk/thinking-moves/. Each week the ATs either teach in relation to a move and a subject or co-analyse the teacheing of others, so that they continue to develop both their teaching and their reflective capabilities.
  • One-to-one contact from PTs to ATs each week with a focus on wellbeing and progress through set tasks from the Zoom Tutorial and Adjusted Timetable Guide timetable.
  • Support for the final assignment included in the weekly online group tutorial and the revised reading list to include online sources.
  • Alternative enquiries have been provided for Lesson Study, Switch on Reading, Post Key Stage experience, Phonics and Safeguarding.
  • ATs are maintaining PSHE, Behaviour and Ethics enquires online and in discussion with their tutor and colleagues.
  • A new enquiry was created for British Values.
  • Specialism tutors crafted enriched curriculum knowledge using online group work and associated tasks.”

 

Diane Swift, Director, Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education

19 Feb 2018

Measures announced to ensure talented trainees get into teaching

posted in: KNSTE, News |

Changes to professional skills tests will make sure the best and brightest can pursue a career in teaching.

Aspiring teachers across the country are set to benefit from a number of changes designed to allow them to begin training, and make a difference in the classroom, more quickly.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb has today (12 February) announced that thousands of would-be teachers are now eligible for three attempts at the professional skills tests they must pass to begin Initial Teacher Training (ITT) before they incur any cost, rather than one.

On top of this change – worth up to £77 per candidate – the government has removed the lock-out period that previously prevented candidates from re-taking tests for two years if they had been unsuccessful in two re-sits.

The changes follow feedback from the teaching profession and remove financial and administrative barriers – ensuring capable trainees do not give up on their hopes of becoming a teacher while they wait to re-take the tests.

Since the government introduced the more rigorous skills tests in 2012, the entry requirements to teacher training have remained unchanged so that only the very best and brightest enter the profession. Today’s announcement builds on a number of measures to recruit and retain high-calibre teachers, including a £75million investment in teachers’ professional development and follows the recruitment of 32,000 new trainees in 2017.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

Standards are rising, with 1.9million more children in good or outstanding schools since 2010 and a record number of teachers in our schools – 15,500 more than in 2010.

In 2012, the government introduced more rigorous skills tests for teachers to ensure they have the highest standards of English and maths. The bar for entrance to the teaching profession remains as high as ever, as parents and pupils would expect, and this is evidenced by the fact that the quality of new entrants into the profession is at an all-time high, with 19% of this year’s cohort holding a first-class degree.

It is absolutely right that aspiring teachers can begin training as soon as they prove they are ready and these changes - backed by the profession - will help ambitious graduates to join the profession.

Professional bodies such as the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) and the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), have welcomed the changes.

Emma Hollis, Executive Director of NASBTT, said:

NASBTT welcomes these changes to the administration of the skills tests. We have seen all too many examples of candidates with excellent potential being locked out of the profession for the sake of one or two marks on a test. This move will keep the profession open to those who deserve the opportunity to train to teach.

James Noble-Rogers, Executive Director of UCET, said:

This is a sensible and pragmatic move. It will allow potentially good teachers who would otherwise have been kept out of the profession to begin their training.

In the past good candidates have been prevented from re-taking the skills tests because they failed by just one or two marks, often because of the pressure they experience having reached their final attempt.

The measures announced today will be effective from 15 February, but are relevant to all applicants who applied on or after 24 October 2017 - with refunds offered automatically. Candidates still need a degree for graduate training and all assessment criteria for Qualified Teacher Status remain unchanged.

The recently published 2017 Initial Teacher Training census showed that more than 32,000 new trainee teachers were recruited in a competitive labour market, with historic low unemployment rates and a growing economy, showing that the teaching profession continues to be an attractive career.

In full today’s changes are:

  • The removal of a lock-out period that previously prevented aspiring teachers from re-taking tests for two years;
  • No limit on the number of tests, and the first three tests are free of charge to all candidates; and
  • Refunds for anyone who has already paid for tests in this year’s recruitment cycle – on or since 24 October 2017.

Today’s news adds to a growing number of initiatives to attract the brightest and best into the teaching profession, including:

  • Increasing bursaries to £26,000 for all trainees with a 2:2 or higher in the highest priority subjects; physics, languages, chemistry, biology, computing, geography and classics.
  • Offering a £20,000 bursary for maths trainees followed by two additional early-career payments of £5k each (£7,500 if teaching in local authority areas where teachers are most needed) in their third and fifth year of teaching, if they have taught in a state school in England since completing their teacher training course.
  • Offering scholarship schemes in six subjects for 2018/19; physics, maths, languages, chemistry, computing, and geography. Successful scholars will receive £28,000 tax-free in all subjects except maths, where scholars will receive £22,000 tax-free.
  • Offering bursaries for English trainees have been increased to £15,000 for all trainees with a 2:2 or higher, and bursaries in all other subjects are unchanged for 2018 to 2019.

Source: www.gov.uk

14 Feb 2018

Multiplication tables check trials to begin in schools

posted in: News, Uncategorised |

Government follows up phonics success with new multiplication tables trial.

A select number of schools across the country will start trialling the multiplication tables check from next month, the Schools Standards Minister Nick Gibb has announced today (Wednesday 14 February).

The multiplication tables check is designed to help ensure children in primary school know their times tables up to 12 off by heart. As well as being critical for everyday life, knowledge of multiplication tables helps children to solve problems quickly and flexibly, and allows them to tackle more complex mathematics later on in school.

In the primary assessment consultation run by the government last year, the majority of the sector said that Year 4 would be the best point to run a check on progress being made.

The check follows the successful introduction of the phonics screening check in 2012. There are now 154,000 more six-year-olds on track to become fluent readers than in 2012 and England’s recent rise up the international PIRLS rankings puts the success of the government’s reforms on a global scale.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

Academic standards are rising in our schools thanks to our reforms and the hard work of teachers, with 1.9 million more pupils in schools rated good or outstanding than in 2010. It is important to have an assessment system that continues to drive this improvement.

Just as the phonics screening check helps children who are learning to read, the multiplication tables check will help teachers identify those pupils who require extra support. This will ensure that all pupils leave primary school knowing their times tables by heart and able to start secondary school with a secure grasp of fundamental arithmetic as a foundation for mathematics.

The new on-screen check will last no longer than five minutes and is similar to the checks many schools use already. It will enable teachers to monitor a child’s progress in a consistent and reliable way but has been carefully designed to avoid causing additional stress for children and teachers.

It will be sat by 8 and 9 year olds in Year 4, after teachers and schools told the Government this was the best point for it to be introduced. Results from the check will not be published at school-level, and will not be used by Ofsted and others to force changes in schools.

The system is being developed in active partnership with schools, with two trials already completed. This consolidation of basic mathematical knowledge is in line with the principle of the maths ‘mastery’ pedagogy, which is successfully practised by world leaders in mathematics, Shanghai and Singapore and is now being introduced to schools in England.

In the most recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), England’s mean score was 546, compared to Singapore which scored 618, topping the study for maths at both year 5 and 9. Approaches like this aim to close that gap and raise national standards in mathematics.

The multiplication tables check was announced as part of the government’s response to its primary assessment consultation last year. This consultation proposed a number of other changes to make assessment in primary schools more accurate and reduce the burden of tests on teachers and children.

This trial comes ahead of the national voluntary roll out of the multiplication tables check for all Year 4 pupils from June 2019, before it becomes mandatory in June 2020. A national sample of schools has already been selected to participate in the trials and they will soon receive their invitation to participate. The trials will ensure the check is robust, accessible and minimises any additional burden on schools as a new assessment.

The trials follow a recent commitment from the Education Secretary to continue to improve academic standards in order to deliver a truly world-class education that not only inspires young people to make the most of their lives but also gives them the opportunity to fulfil their ambitions, no matter where they live.

Multiplication tables trials will make a positive contribution to the government’s commitment through the Industrial Strategy to drive up the study of maths, ensuring that more students leave education at age 18 with a basic level of numeracy, improving the take up of maths qualifications and tackling STEM skills shortages in the economy.

Source: www.gov.uk

19 Jan 2018

Revealed: £6m plan to transform education in Stoke-on-Trent

posted in: News |

Primary pupils will be offered careers advice and be encouraged to run their own mini-businesses as part of a £6 million plan to transform education across the city.

The ideas are linked to Stoke-on-Trent’s status as an ‘opportunity area’, which will trigger extra Government investment over the next three years.

Now its delivery plan has been published, containing a series of steps to raise standards in the classroom, instil aspirations in young people and close the gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their better-off peers.

The focus on improving the quality of careers guidance will see employers target children as young as nine and 10. It could involve workers going into schools to give youngsters an insight into their own jobs and the qualifications they needed. And there could be a primary version of the popular young enterprise scheme too.

Organisations already keen to help develop young people’s employability skills include Adecco, Michelin and the NHS trust running Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Professor Liz Barnes, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University, is jointly chairing the board overseeing the developments. She said: “This offers us an opportunity to really make a difference.”

Other priorities in the plan announced today include:

  • Improving support for children in nursery and reception to help build their speech and language;
  • Offering more training for teachers to raise standards in English, maths and science, with a particular focus on key stage two;
  • Providing an additional £2 million worth of enrichment and ‘life skills’ activities to young people throughout the school week, at weekends and during the holidays. Cultural and sports groups are expected to bid to run some of these projects, which could include music and drama productions and even painting and sculpture sessions.

The Government has picked Stoke-on-Trent as one of 12 opportunity areas across England – all identified as social mobility blackspots. The aim is to use them to trial new ways of raising achievement and also give them priority access to other grants for research and teaching innovation.

Newly-appointed Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “I want all children to get a truly world-class education that not only inspires them to make the most of their lives, but also gives them the opportunity to fulfil their ambitions, no matter where they live.”

It comes as the Government has also announced the latest projects to benefit from the Strategic School Improvement Fund.

One of them – thought to be worth £500,000 – will involve 12 schools in Stoke-on-Trent and 18 schools in Staffordshire County Council’s area. Their staff will be working with a local teaching school, which will lay on training sessions to help them bring literacy to life in the classroom.

Councillor Janine Bridges, cabinet member for education at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, welcomed both announcements today.

She said: “This shows confidence in our ability to deliver real changes for young people in Stoke-on-Trent. It will make a significant contribution to raise social mobility for our city’s children.”

 

Source: stokesentinel

29 Nov 2017

Could desk cycles help pupils to learn in lessons?

posted in: KNSTE, Research School, Seabridge |
The project is one of many being explored by teachers involved in Stoke-on-Trent's new research school
Could desk cycles improve pupils' performance?

 

Teachers could soon be joining national trials to explore the best ways to help children learn after Stoke-on-Trent launched its own research school.

The new partnership is set to involve dozens of primary and secondary schools across North Staffordshire.

It will look at training staff in so-called ‘evidence-based’ techniques that have been shown to have an impact in raising standards in the classroom.

As part of the work, schools will also have the chance to join pilot projects overseen by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and submit bids to carry out their own innovative research.

The Stoke-on-Trent Research School – officially launched this week – will be backed by £200,000 of Government funding over the next three years.

Director Russell Spink said they planned to have a particular focus on improving children’s literacy skills and the transition from primary to secondary education.

He added: “We know there’s a significant dip when they get to high school. We want to explore having more summer schools and ‘live’ projects that are shared by teachers in key stages two and three.”

But some of the ideas are likely to be more offbeat. A PE specialist at a city school is hoping to secure funding for research into using ‘desk cycles’ in children’s lessons.

The small equipment would be placed under pupils’ desks to encourage them to exercise while they study. Evidence from elsewhere has shown pedalling in class doesn’t just improve fitness levels – it can have an impact on young people’s concentration and academic success. If the project proves successful in several Stoke-on-Trent primaries, it could be taken up more widely.

Stoke-on-Trent Research School is being led by the Keele and North Staffordshire Alliance, which has grown out of the work of a teacher training centre set up by Keele University and Seabridge Primary School. Although it will primarily target Stoke-on-Trent schools, it is also open to those in Newcastle and the Moorlands.

Phil Reynolds, assistant principal of Biddulph’s Woodhouse Academy, has already been involved in research into how to improve pupil behaviour. He said: “My masters specialism has looked at the use of restorative justice.”

At Goldenhill Primary Academy, staff have been experimenting with a catch-up programme in maths.

Headteacher Steve Martin said: “It involves one-to-one sessions three times a week. All the children who have been doing it have made additional progress.”

Ellison Primary Academy, in Wolstanton, is hoping to get involved with one of the national trials.

Headteacher Nichola Gibson said: “Research can have lots of benefits.”

Source: stokesentinel

25 Jul 2017

Chartered College of Teaching opens up its regional network

posted in: Chartered College, News |

This week the Chartered College of Teaching has launched its founding group of Chartered College networks. This network programme will help the Chartered College to build up the professional knowledge base of teaching and provide centres to bring together members to work on issues of direct concern to classroom practice, wherever they are located and whatever their setting, interests and experience.

 

Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive, Chartered College of Teaching, says, ‘A key element of the Chartered College’s mission is to support teachers in engaging with research evidence. Our network programme has been carefully designed to offer flexible, high quality opportunities to ensure that as many teachers as possible can enjoy access to professional collaboration and development.’

 

The Chartered College network programme includes a broad range of stimulating face-to-face events and online forums. There are three types of network: local, thematic and hub networks, and these differ in scale, focus and the types of opportunities they will be presenting. Local networks are mainly school-based and, as the name suggests, they will be working within a specific location, allowing teachers to hone in on issues that reflect their particular communities and settings. Thematic networks are more diverse in format and focus: some are organised in collaboration with subject associations whilst others explore aspects of practice such as inclusion and early years education with the support of expert organisations and experienced practitioners. Hub networks are bases for larger-scale events and activities, supporting collaborative knowledge-sharing via groups of schools, universities and other educational organisations across the country.

 

The Chartered College of Teaching is delighted to announce that networks are being established in collaboration with the following schools and organisations:

 

  • Acorns Teaching School Alliance, Hertfordshire
  • Albert Village Community Primary School, Leicestershire
  • Alfred Sutton Primary School, Reading
  • Ashlawn School, Rugby
  • Ash Manor School, Surrey
  • The Association for Science Education (ASE)
  • Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln
  • Bury Church of England Primary School, West Sussex
  • Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent
  • CHARTER
  • Devon Teaching School Partnership
  • Didcot Girls’ School, Oxfordshire
  • Dunraven School, London
  • Eardley Primary School, London
  • Early Education
  • Endeavour Academy, Oxfordshire
  • English and Media Centre
  • Essex Thames Primary SCITT
  • The Evolve Trust, Nottingham
  • Great Sankey High School, Cheshire
  • Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
  • The Holy Family Roman Catholic High School, West Yorkshire
  • The Howard School, Kent
  • Keele & North Staffordshire Teacher Education
  • Kingslea Primary School, West Sussex
  • Learning Academy Partnership, Devon
  • Liverpool John Moores University
  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Merton Special Teaching Alliance, London
  • National Star College, Gloucester
  • Netherthorpe School, Derbyshire
  • North Bridge House, London
  • Oakmeadow Church of England Primary School, Shrewsbury
  • Orchard School, Bristol
  • Oxfordshire Teaching School Alliance
  • St Gregory the Great School, Oxfordshire
  • St Thomas More Catholic Teaching School, Bedfordshire
  • Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, Northamptonshire
  • Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT
  • The Royal Masonic School for Girls, Hertfordshire
  • The Springfields Academy, Wiltshire
  • The States of Jersey Education
  • The University of Derby
  • The University of East London
  • The University of Exeter
  • The University of Manchester
  • The University of Portsmouth
  • The University of Sussex
  • The University of Winchester
  • The University of Wolverhampton
  • Windsor Academy Trust, West Midlands

 

More information on forthcoming events and activities of the Chartered College’s network programme will be available at chartered.college

 

- ENDS -

 

For further information, please contact:

Katie Crabb, Head of Communications, Chartered College of Teaching

t: +44 (0)20 7911 5589, e: kcrabb@chartered.college, chartered.college

 

 

 

Notes to editor:

The Chartered College of Teaching has been established by Royal Charter, succeeding and taking on the history of the College of Preceptors, originally established in 1846. The Chartered College works to raise the status of the profession and put it on a par with other respected professions with chartered representation. Our aim is to support teachers gain the expertise they need to maintain genuine excellence – achieving the best outcomes for children and young people.
The Chartered College will combine teacher-led professional standards, a platform for knowledge mobilisation and a commitment to continuous professional development that will underpin the professionalisation of teaching.

We are an organisation that works in partnership with all associations, unions and learned societies to build on the best of practical pedagogy and leadership, combining this with existing and emerging research evidence. The Chartered College stands above party politics, speaking with authority based on evidence about professional issues related to inclusive teaching, curriculum and assessment. We shall represent the expertise of our members whilst always keeping the interest of children, young people and adult learners at its heart.

Membership is voluntary and offers a pathway of professional development to support teachers in their career. Covering all phases of education and subject specialisms, the Chartered College brings together a diverse community of teachers to share ideas and knowledge and provide an independent, authoritative voice for the teaching profession.

19 Jul 2017

Keele University to help develop a ‘research school’ to improve learning outcomes in Stoke-on-Trent

posted in: News, Research School |

Keele University is working to establish a ‘research school’ in Stoke-on-Trent, which aims to pilot innovative ideas for improving young people's learning and achievements.

The research school, which is set to receive £200,000 over the next three years from the Government, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), and the Institute for Effective Education, will involve a network of schools across Stoke-on-Trent, including teachers from more than 70 primary, secondary and special schools.

Led by the Keele and North Staffordshire Alliance, the research school will start to deliver a range of projects from September this year.

Diane Swift, director of the alliance, commented:

“We know the biggest factor in a child's achievement is the quality of teaching. That's where we can make the impact.

“There is already some very effective practice in Stoke-on-Trent that needs to be shared nationally and this will give us an opportunity to do that."

Diance is also Director of Keele and North Staffordshire Primary School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), which is a teacher training centre operated between Keele University and many school partners in the area.

The research school is one of 11 announced last week by Education Secretary Justine Greening, as Stoke-on-Trent has been identified as an 'opportunity area' for closing the social mobility gap.

Staffordshire University is also joining the new research network, along with schools across the Potteries, Staffordshire Moorlands and several other parts of the county.

Sir Kevan Collins, chief executive of the EEF, said: “Research schools are breaking down barriers so that research doesn't stay in the pages of academic journals, but has a real impact on classroom practice."

Source: Keele University

12 Jul 2017

Justine Greening unveils new EEF/IEE Research Schools at the Social Mobility Summit

posted in: News, Research School |

 Eleven schools to support social mobility ‘coldspots’ – including in Bradford, Blackpool and Norwich - have won funding to boost the quality of teaching in their region through better use of research.

The new Research Schools – part-funded through the Government’s Opportunity Areas programme and part of a joint initiative between the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Institute for Effective Education (IEE) - were unveiled by the Education Secretary Justine Greening at a summit hosted by the Sutton Trust today.

The schools will each receive £200,000 over three years to become focal points of evidence-based practice in their region and build networks between large numbers of schools. They’ll develop a programme of support and events to get more teachers using research evidence in ways that make a difference in the classroom.

The 11 new Research Schools, appointed following a competitive application process, are:

  • Hastings Research School at Ark Blacklands Primary Academy
  • Stoke-on-Trent Research School by The Keele and North Staffordshire Alliance
  • Norwich Research School at Notre Dame High School
  • Oldham Research School by The Greetland Academy
  • Blackpool Research School at St Mary's Catholic Academy
  • Doncaster Research School by Partners in Learning
  • Scarborough Research School by Esk Valley Alliance
  • Derby Research School at Wyndham Primary
  • West Somerset Research School at The Blue School, Wells
  • Bradford Research School at Dixons Academies
  • East Cambridgeshire and Fenlands Research School at Littleport CP School

The schools will join a growing network of Research Schools across the country. The first five were announced in October 2016, with a second six established in January 2017.

Since then, they have delivered a wide range of activities nationally to help teachers to use research to improve their teaching. They include programmes to help schools make the most of teaching assistants, training to support literacy in the early years and backing to develop Research School leads to spearhead the use of evidence in the classroom. They’ve also hosted conferences for schools in their area and put together monthly Research Schools Network newsletters, sent to 3000 teachers around the country.

Justine Greening also announced today that Sir Kevan Collins, Chief Executive of the EEF, will become ‘Evidence Champion’ for the Opportunity Areas. He will support the regions to better use evidence to improve outcomes and social mobility prospects for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged homes.

Justine Greening, Education Secretary, said: 

Teachers are key to making sure that young people can reach their potential, regardless of where they start in life, so helping the profession be the best it can be will help tackle social mobility. By gathering evidence on what works in the classroom and sharing the best practice with teachers we can help to level up the opportunities for every pupil.

These Research Schools will accelerate the work that is already underway in our Opportunity Areas and as our 'Evidence Champion', I know that Sir Kevan will look to share these learnings with teachers across the country.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust and Chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

I’m delighted that Kevan is to become ‘Evidence Champion’. Under his leadership the Education Endowment Foundation has changed the landscape of education research in England. No one is better placed to support and inspire schools to use research to improve outcomes for their pupils.

Sir Kevan Collins, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, added:

We know that there are big differences in social mobility across the country. Reaching those ‘coldspots’ is one of the biggest challenges we face in our drive to improve social mobility.

Evidence of ‘what works’ is one of our most useful tools to do this. I’m looking forward to getting started as ‘Evidence Champion’ and bringing this to bear in these areas that need it most. By working with local partners, schools and organisations, we have the potential to really make a difference.

The new Research Schools will be crucial. They’ll help to break down barriers so that research doesn’t stay in the pages of academic journals but has a real impact on classroom practice. Putting teachers in the driving seat can make all the difference.

Professor Bette Chambers, Director at the Institute for Effective Education, said:

We have been very impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm of the first eleven Research Schools to using research evidence to enhance teaching and learning. The new Research Schools show similar enthusiasm and will contribute considerably to the growing Research Schools Network.

By supporting schools in their areas, and bridging the gap between research and practice, they will help to improve outcomes for children across the country

Research Schools Website: www.researchschool.org.uk

  1. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a grant-making charity set up in 2011 by the Sutton Trust as lead foundation in partnership with Impetus Trust (now part of Impetus–The Private Equity Foundation), with a £125m founding grant from the Department for Education. The EEF is dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. Since its launch the EEF has awarded £89.4 million to test the impact of 145 projects reaching more than 970,000 children and young people in over 9,400 schools, nurseries and colleges across England. The EEF and Sutton Trust are, together, the government-designated What Works Centre for Education.
  2. The Institute for Effective Education (IEE) is an independent charity working closely with schools, school leaders, academy chains, other third sector organisations, and policy-makers to promote the use of research evidence to inform and improve education outcomes for all children, especially the most disadvantaged.
  3. The EEF and the IEE have not appointed a Research School in Ipswich, the twelfth Opportunity Area. They will reopen the applications in Autumn and continue to work with schools in the region to support high quality applications.
  4. The first eleven Research Schools are:

Source: Justine Greening unveils new EEF/IEE Research Schools at the Social Mobility Summit | News

12 Jul 2017

Keele Graduation Summer 2017 — Day Two – Keele University

posted in: Graduation, KNSTE, News |

Our 2016-17 cohort attended their graduation Ceremony at Keele University on the 12th July where an enjoyable time was had by all.

 

 

Victoria Webb, 22, Stoke-On-Trent, PGCE.

“My time at Keele has been lovely, I knew the PGCE course had a great reputation and the course is very school focused, so I got to experience a lot of placements. I’ve already started teaching at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Biddulph where I originally was on a placement through my course.”

 

Source: Keele Graduation Summer 2017 — Day Two – Keele University

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