Physicist Dr Jess Wade made headlines this summer for her campaign to get a copy of Angela Saini’s book Inferior into every UK school. The campaign aims to help schools break down gender stereotypes, challenging and supporting all young people to develop their abilities in all fields and to choose from a full breadth of career options. In this blog post for the NACE community, Dr Wade explains what motivated her to launch the campaign, and suggests six steps all schools can take to reduce gender bias.

This is a big year: 2018 marks 100 years since (some) women got the vote and 70 years since women could graduate from the University of Cambridge. For completeness: it is almost 200 years since the majority of men could vote and 809 years since they could graduate from Cambridge.

In many ways, we have come a long way since Charles Darwin wrote “the average of mental power in a man must be above that of a woman” in The Descent of Man (1881). But gender bias and stereotypes still impact young people’s self-confidence and subject choices, which is limiting their career opportunities and damaging the UK economy.

Despite boys and girls doing equally well at physics GCSE, girls only make up 22% of the physics A-level cohort (and this is the highest it has been for almost 10 years). The Institute of Physics (IOP) has been researching this for decades. In 2012 it found that more half of state-maintained secondary schools had no girls in their physics A-level classes and in 2013 that schools which had the fewest girls in physics A-level also had the fewest boys in psychology.

The Opening Doors report, published in 2015 by the IOP and the Government Equalities Office, offers teachers guidance and support in their efforts toward gender equality. In 2016, the Improving Gender Balance project recommended whole-school interventions to stop gender inequities in A-level choice, recognising that a school-wide approach is needed to make a difference.

The Inferior campaign

Last year Angela Saini published Inferior: The True Power of Women and the Science that Shows It. The book is a powerful collection of evidence that challenges the notion of differences between men and women. From parallel parking to an innate ability in maths, the science behind stereotypes is often dodgy and experiments are rarely reproducible.

Reading Inferior changed my life. It armed me with the facts to take on even the fiercest of naysayers and inspired me to speak up and fight harder. I’ve been taking it with me ever since – to every conference and every new research lab – and when I see someone impressive speak I give them a copy. Inferior has been so well received by the scientific community that last year Saini did a tour of UK universities, filling lecture theatres with passionate students and academics.

In mid-July I realised we should get Inferior into schools, so I set up a crowdfunding campaign with my friend Dr Claire Murray, hoping to get it into every all-girls state school in the country. We reached that goal in less than 24 hours, so raised the bar even higher: every state school in Britain.

Thanks to Saini’s epic publishers (4th Estate), who agreed to match any funds we raised and manage distribution, it took less than 12 days for 800 people to donate enough money. At some stage over the next academic year, Inferior will be finding its way to your school library. Instead of just telling young people about stereotypes, we want them to read about the science, history, individuals and societies behind such stereotypes for themselves. I want them to get as excited as I am about challenging bias, and as motivated as I am for a fairer future.

6 changes all schools can make now

When you receive your copy of Inferior, I hope you use it as the stimulus for discussion with young people, and to plan activities within and beyond the classroom. A bunch of people who donated to the campaign didn’t want to just stop there; together we are creating a set of resources to help teachers make effective use of Inferior (sign up to help out here).

In the meantime, here are six changes you can make straight away:

1. Stop using sexist and gendered language

Whether it is “we need a couple of strong boys” or “you girls will be good at this creative part”, such sentences stick around in young people’s consciousness and affect their perception of themselves and others.

2. Collect data

Compare your school to national averages and identify areas for concern – then act on them.

3. Build careers guidance into lessons

Make sure it is up-to-date and gender neutral. If you’re keen on using “role models”, plan this carefully; try to make their relationship with the school more long-term and invite parents along. A lot of early-career scientists and engineers hang out on Twitter – find us there!

4. Stop saying subjects are “hard”

Some people find art impossible and some can’t add up the tab at a bar – and that’s ok. Teachers are incredibly influential and their biases can have a profound impact on young people’s perceptions. Instead of characterising certain fields as inherently difficult or referring to natural talent, talk about each individual working to the best of his/her ability.

5. Acknowledge unconscious bias

Teachers need to be aware of how they might inadvertently send gendered views to their students. Schools can support this through formal training, by signposting resources such as online tests designed to highlight unconscious bias, and by establishing a norm of acknowledging and discussing these issues.

6. Don’t try and do it all by yourselves

Get students and parents involved too. Discuss gendered aspirations at parents’ evenings. Get students to read Inferior and discuss ways to change school culture so that it is more equal for everyone.

For a more comprehensive list, read the IOP’s Opening Doors report.

Finally, remember you are NOT alone. 800 people raised £22,000 in less than two weeks to get Inferior into your classrooms. Read, share, discuss, and make a difference!

Dr Jess Wade is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial College London. She is a member of the WISE Young Women’s Board and the WES Council, founder of Women in Physics at Imperial, and has worked with teachers across the country through the Stimulating Physics Network. Her significant work in public engagement and school outreach has been widely recognised, recently through the Daphne Jackson Medal and Prize. She tweets @jesswade.

Seeking ideas to support exceptionally able learners in mathematics? Based on the guidance provided by the University of Cambridge’s NRICH project, here are five important steps you can take to ensure exceptionally able learners are effectively challenged and supported…

1. Offer a challenging task related to the class activity.

The idea here is to offer an extension task which is sufficiently challenging, while still related to the mathematical concepts on which the rest of the class is working. This should help exceptionally able learners to feel included within the wider group, while being given the breadth and depth they need.

For ideas of challenging tasks linked to the maths curriculum, take a look at NRICH’s primary and secondary resource pages.

2. Tailor homework to the learner’s interests.

Just as in the classroom, it’s important to ensure exceptionally able learners are adequately challenged during independent and home-based learning. Offer a more challenging version of the homework set for other learners, and where possible tailor work to match exceptionally able learners’ interests to keep them engaged and motivated.

3. Consider setting work usually covered later in the key stage.

This should only be considered once other avenues have been explored and the learner has achieved mastery of current content. While acceleration can be beneficial in some cases, it can lead to exceptionally able learners being left with little support, with limited opportunities to discuss mathematics with peers, or feeling isolated if moved to work with older learners. If considering this option, ensure that the learner is ready academically, emotionally and socially, and that sufficient support is in place.

4. Have a long-term plan for the learner's mathematical education.

This is key when considering acceleration and other options. Discuss the long-term plan with the exceptionally able learner, his/her parents or carers, and other providers. If covering Key Stage 3 work with a primary learner, for example, ensure that a plan is in place so that s/he will not simply cover the same material all over again once arriving at secondary school.

5. Support the learner's interest in mathematics outside school.

There are lots of opportunities for exceptionally able learners to pursue their interest in mathematics outside of school, and to meet peers with similar interests and abilities. Keep an eye on opportunities provided by the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) and the Royal Institution Masterclass series, for example. The UKMT also offers a free mentoring service, providing mentors to help young mathematicians develop their problem-solving skills.

More free resources from NRICH:

• Be a Mathematician! (for primary learners)
• Thinking Mathematically (secondary)
• Recommended books (primary)
• Recommended books (secondary)

Stefan Pearson, Teacher and Challenge Coordinator at Bradford’s Copthorne Primary School, shares five key takeaways from this year’s English for the More Able conference…

 Last month I attended the English for the More Able conference in York, run by NACE in partnership with Rising Stars. The conference explored a range of approaches to support, engage and challenge more able learners in primary English, with an opening keynote from author Anne Fine, interactive workshops, and opportunities to share ideas with fellow primary teachers, coordinators and school leaders.

Like most delegates, I left the event with a pile of notes and a head buzzing with ideas – some of which I’ve already begun to test out in my own classroom. Here are five of my main takeaways from the day – offering fresh perspectives to keep primary English relevant and engaging for learners of all abilities.

1. Oracy skills can – and should – be taught in schools.

Among the keynote speakers for the day was Neil Mercer, Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge and Director of Oracy Cambridge. Professor Mercer’s talk reinforced my belief that oracy skills are an essential foundation in learning and life, which can – and should – be taught in schools.

To communicate successfully, young people need to develop language and skills to reason and reflect, express ideas clearly and confidently, listen carefully, and talk and work well in a group. Most children’s home experiences will not provide opportunities for them to develop all the oracy skills they need, making it even more important that oracy is taught in schools.

The aim, Professor Mercer believes, should be to engage children in “exploratory talk” – characterised by active listening, asking questions, sharing relevant information, challenging ideas and giving reasons for doing so, and building on what has already been discussed. In exploratory talk, all participants are encouraged to contribute, ideas and opinions are treated with respect, and the group works within an atmosphere of trust and with a shared purpose, seeking agreement and joint decisions.

2. We need to talk about listening…

Just like skills for effective talk, listening skills also can and should be taught in schools and discussed with learners from an early age. For me, a key takeaway from the conference was the decision to talk more about listening in my classroom. The most effective types of listening are attentive listening – in which the listener is interested, takes in facts, and checks information – and active listening – in which the listener responds with questions and relevant comments, gathers facts and ideas, and attempts to understand the feelings of the speaker.

3. … and provide effective Talking Points.

Dr Lyn Dawes, also a member of Oracy Cambridge, shared her work on Talking Points – thought-provoking statements that encourage children to talk about a topic, promoting discussion, comparison, analysis, reasoning and negotiation. Through participation in Talking Points discussions, learners explore a curriculum topic in depth, generating shared understanding and establishing areas for further investigation. Most importantly, they develop skills for effective group discussion, practising sharing their opinions and giving reasons, listening and responding to others, and collaborating to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.

Talking Points can be used across any curriculum area and can be created by both teachers and learners – a fantastic resource to support effective learning and develop oracy skills, which can then form the basis of written work.

4. Grammar really can be fun!

NACE associate Christine Chen ran a workshop on grammar games, sharing lots of practical ideas. One of these involved writing a six-word sentence and numbering the words 1-6. Learners are then asked to roll a dice, identify the word class of the corresponding word, and replace the word so the meaning of the sentence alters.

I’ve already tried this with my class and the children really enjoyed it. This kind of game also builds in differentiation, providing scope for challenge while reinforcing learners’ understanding of the different parts of language.

Another idea from this session which I’ve also tried out is the challenge of writing descriptively without using adjectives – meaning other word types must be carefully selected to convey mood, pace, emotion and so on. This prompted my more able writers to rethink their approach to description, and they really relished the challenge.

5. Engaging parents can be as simple as this.

My fifth and final key takeaway from the conference is in fact a resource developed by my own school. During her plenary talk, headteacher Christabel Shepherd mentioned our reading mats for parents. These proved in-demand amongst conference delegates, with many schools recognising the importance of engaging parents in developing children’s reading and comprehension skills.

We give the reading mats to parents and carers as laminated resources to use at home. They provide explanations and examples of different question types – for example, questions to retrieve information, to comment on language choices, or to relate texts to wider contexts. The sheets include question frames, which can be adapted for any book.

At Copthorne, where 98% of our learners are EAL and many families speak little English at home, we’ve found these reading mats very effective in supporting parents. In addition to encouraging shared reading at home, the mats enable parents to make effective use of questioning to develop their children’s understanding.

How does your school support more able learners in primary English? Contact us to share your approach.

Next week NACE and Rising Stars are hosting the English for the More Able conference in York, bringing together educators, researchers and advisers from across the country to explore strategies to challenge more able learners in primary English. In this blog post, Victoria Burrill, author of Rising Stars’ English for the More Able activity book series, picks out 10 texts with a lasting power to engage, inspire and challenge young learners – plus recommendations of what to read next…

The Twits by Roald Dahl

I am yet to meet a child who doesn’t love Roald Dahl’s stories and I think it’s because they make you laugh, cry, grimace, cower and cheer all at once. You will meet characters like none you’ve met before and you will want to read this book over and over again.

If you like this, try: Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy Who Ran Away from the Circus (and joined the library) by A. F. Harrold

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

This is a simple tale of adventure and friendship. The relationship between the eponymous child and his ursine companion will enchant you and teach you that not all adventures are the same.

If you like this, try: Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

If you want to experience the power of imagination, this almanac of wondrous beasts will whisk you away and hopefully encourage to create your own incredible creatures.

If you like this, try: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo

This charming tale will take you around the world, both under and over the sea. The protagonist, Edward, will enchant you and show you how some characters can capture your imagination and your heart.

If you like this, try: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Di Camillo

Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird

This is a story to make you think, to make you feel grateful and safe, and to help you understand that good can come from tragedy. It will open your eyes to the lives of others.

If you like this, try: The Garbage Kid by Elizabeth Laird

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

A story like no other. Told from a number of perspectives, this is a story of facing difficulties and finding friends. This book will make you feel something that you won’t forget.

If you like this, try: One by Sarah Crossan

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Prepare to be spooked! This book is beautifully written and will teach you the power of words in creating atmosphere.

If you like this, try: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

An old story with a message which remains current and important. This simple tale is full of storytelling power. It has a moral to which we can all relate, whether we are the children or the giant.

If you like this, try: The Little Prince by Anton de Saint-Exupéry

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

This story offers its readers the ultimate “What if?” It will make you think and wonder about things you may have never wondered about before. Join the protagonists in making the ultimate life or death decision.

If you like this, try: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

This book uses words and pictures in an usual way to tell a very human story and one which is very relevant to our modern, global society. It will make you think and might open your eyes to the experiences of others.

If you like this, try: Coming to England by Floella Benjamin

Victoria Burrill is Head of English at Newton Prep School in Battersea, London. She teaches Years 5 to 8, preparing children for pre-tests and entrance exams for London day schools at both 11+ and 13+ and Common Entrance at 13+. She has written for both Rising Stars and Galore Park for the past four years and her catalogue includes the English for the More Able series, 11+ Practice Papers and Revision Guide, and the Galore Park English textbook series for Years 3 to 6. Her particular passion is to instil a love of literature in her students and she plans her lessons around whole novels, using them to teach key skills and to evoke a love of a good story.

Lesley Hill, headteacher of NACE member Lavender Primary School in North London, explains how the school’s approach to marking and feedback has evolved alongside the development of a strong learning mindset culture.

Our marking and feedback policy cannot stand alone. It only works because we have embedded the learning culture on which it depends.

About five years ago, we were proudly using assessment for learning (AfL) strategies, such as no hands up, colourful cups, and thumbs up, thumbs down and thumbs somewhere in between. None of this was particularly useful for those learners who were unable to be honest about where they were in their understanding. This became apparent to me during a Year 2 literacy lesson. I shook my lolly-stick pot and was ready to pick a child to answer my question, when a higher achiever visibly shuddered. That said it all.

We turned to the work of Carol Dweck and immediately introduced growth mindset, understanding that higher-achieving children can often be those with the most fixed mindsets, causing barriers to learning.

Developing skills for effective learning

We knew that embedding a growth mindset culture was essential, but we also realised very quickly that the skills of being a good learner had to be taught too. A school full of determined children chanting (albeit sweetly) “We can do it!” doesn’t necessarily mean better outcomes. We introduced themes around Guy Claxton’s work, Learning to Learn, and our children learnt to be resourceful and reflective, as well as resilient.

We also understood that if children were truly going to understand where they were as learners, we needed to examine our success criteria. Hours had been spent trying to put English success criteria into a hierarchical order with a must, a should and a could. Whilst our lower-achieving children stayed safely with the “musts”, some of the higher-achievers completed the “should” and “coulds” and missed some basic “musts” altogether. We ditched MSC for toolkits, after attending a Pie Corbett course.

Giving children ownership of their learning

The same training also prompted us to establish cooperative reviews, which offer a focused and structured peer assessment strategy. We have trained our children to give effective feedback and to have useful discussions around their learning. This is key. Our current marking policy includes lots of peer assessment and reflection, which begins to give ownership to the child. We firmly believe that ownership of learning impacts positively on children’s motivation to challenge themselves.

This ownership was previously promoted by allowing learners to choose their own level of maths tasks, where they would be encouraged to make decisions about the levels of challenge they could manage. We have since bought a Singapore Maths scheme; the reflective approach and decisions around which strategy to use to solve a problem fit perfectly with challenge and ownership.

Learners also have ownership over the marking of maths. The answers are on the tables and learners check after solving a few problems. If they have some wrong, they will unpick the steps they have gone through to understand where they have made an error or have a misconception. This deeper-level thinking can enable them to change their approach to get a solution. Should they not be able to see where they have gone wrong, the teacher will step in to guide or re-teach through a face-to-face conference.

Moving on from written marking

Conferences have taken the place of written marking. It was apparent to us for some time that reams of written marking or rows of ticks and dots, carried out away from the learning context and delivered back the next day, was, at best, hard for children to relate to and, at worst, a meaningless waste of time. With teacher workload high on the agenda, our decision to stop written marking altogether, for every subject, was not difficult to make. Our children already owned their learning, they knew how to self- and peer-assess effectively, and they were reflective, resilient and skilled learners. It was an easy step to hand over the pen.

Our marking and feedback procedure is simple. Children mark their own work according to the success criteria and they write a reflection on their learning – commenting on their understanding, successes and difficulties. They are also challenged to consider how they have approached the work and what they might do differently. Teachers look at the books every day and identify where there is a need to support or extend children’s learning. They plan in targeted 1:1 or group conferences for the following day, or hold spontaneous conferences, to address misconceptions, clarify points and extend thinking. During conference discussions, children are encouraged to consider where they have met their targets and to choose new ones, and to talk about the reflections they have made.

Children’s reflections are a window to their understanding, not just of concepts, but of themselves as learners. They provide teachers with far greater insight than a piece of work on its own and thus teachers can cater far more effectively for each child’s needs. Our approach to marking is not a stand-alone. It is an extension to the learning culture we have worked to create: a culture of learners who can recognise and be honest about where they are, who know where they need to go, and who are not afraid to share the responsibility for getting there.

Lesley Hill is headteacher of Lavender Primary School, a popular two-form entry school in North London, part of the Ivy Learning Trust and a member of NACE. She has taught across the primary age range and has also worked in adult basic education and on teacher training programmes. Her current role includes the design and delivery of leadership training at middle and senior leader level, and she also provides workshops on a range of subjects, such as growth mindset and marking. Her forthcoming book, Once Upon a Green Pen, explores approaches to create the right school culture.

Read more: log in to our members’ area to access the NACE Essentials guide to learning mindset, and the accompanying webinar.