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Posted By Rob Lightfoot,
12 July 2022
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NACE CEO Rob Lightfoot outlines NACE’s core research themes for 2022-23, and opportunities to get involved next term.
It’s been a difficult time for everyone as we moved out of Covid restrictions this academic year. The spring term was one of the most challenging for schools since the start of the pandemic, and we can only hope that – after a well-deserved summer break! – we can now really begin to refocus our energies on planning to meet the needs of learners going forward.
NACE research themes for 2022-23
It is early days as we begin to unpick the impact of the last two years for learners and school staff alike, but we have chosen to focus our research next year on two areas:
1. Oracy for high achievement: this strand will explore whole-school oracy strategies in the context of cognitive challenge, in addition to effective oracy practices for high-achieving classrooms.
2. Rethinking assessment: this strand continues our investigation of effective assessment practices in the classroom, across all phases of teaching, including assessment through questioning, dialogic discourse and improved oracy.
Get involved…
If the themes above sound of interest, you can sign up to participate in the 2022-23 NACE R&D Hubs programme. This will comprise a Hub on the two themes above, along with a third Hub focusing on cognitive challenge within the new curriculum for Wales. To learn more, register for the online launch event, taking place on Tuesday 27 September. Sign up here.
Registrations are also open for our first member meetup of the new academic year, “Speaking Up – Developing Oracy for High Achievement”, which will take place in Didcot on Tuesday 18 October. Sign up here.
And finally, next term will also see the launch of our new Challenge Award Ambassador Schools programme, which will be open to all schools who have been accredited with the NACE Challenge Award on two or more occasions. Further details coming soon!
I wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer break and I hope you get the chance to recharge your batteries ready for the new academic year.
Tags:
assessment
cognitive challenge
collaboration
CPD
enquiry
language
leadership
networking
oracy
professional development
research
school improvement
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Posted By Rob Lightfoot,
15 February 2022
Updated: 14 February 2022
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NACE CEO Rob Lightfoot outlines our research themes for this year, including opportunities for member schools to get involved.
As the first half of the spring term draws to a close, we know many schools are still struggling with staff absence – but things are starting to improve for many, and we are all looking forward to planning ahead over the coming months. Here at NACE, we are particularly excited to be developing our two key research themes for the year: assessment and language.
Rethinking assessment
The focus of our next member meetup, at New College, Oxford on 23 March, will be “rethinking assessment”. Spaces are limited, so register now if you would like to join us.
Ahead of this event, NACE Research and Development Director Dr Ann McCarthy’s latest article explores the question: “How does a focus on metacognition impact on assessment practices in the classroom?” Many people still view assessment as an activity which is separate from the art of teaching – simply a list of checks and balances required by the education system to set targets, track learning, report to stakeholders and finally to issue qualifications. However, those who are using assessment routinely, and at all points within the act of teaching and learning, understand the true power of assessment.
Read more:
Language in learning for high achievement
Our second research theme for this year is around the use of language in learning for high achievement. We are seeking to examine best practice in advanced comprehension, literacy and oracy, allied to high achievement, within our NACE member schools. We want to develop an understanding of the current backdrop to the development of comprehension, literacy and oracy skills in schools, including the effects of the pandemic on teachers and learners.
As part of this theme, we are keen to explore the key role of language across all subject areas – and this month we are focusing on the importance of language in mathematics. Having spent nearly 30 years teaching the secondary mathematics curriculum, I know the importance of language in this subject is too often overlooked. If we want to take our students on a pathway to being mathematical and thinking like mathematicians, we should build in language acquisition and precision reading at every stage of their learning.
Read more:
Get involved: share your school’s experience
The contributions of NACE member schools have been central to the first phase of our Making Space for Able Learners research initiative and will remain so as we develop the second phase of this project.
If you are interested in learning more about or contributing to any aspect of our research work this year, please contact communications@nace.co.uk.
Tags:
assessment
cognitive challenge
CPD
language
maths
metacognition
professional development
research
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Posted By Rob Lightfoot,
14 January 2022
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NACE CEO Rob Lightfoot shares an update on current NACE initiatives and opportunities in the year ahead.
I hope you all had an enjoyable winter break. I expect it already feels a long time ago, as many of us are continuing to face daily challenges due to the ongoing issues with Covid. We can only hope that the situation will improve quickly, and that we are within sight of an end to the pandemic. As we progress towards the spring, and hopefully a period of less disruption in our schools, I hope that we can begin to refocus all our efforts on improving learning and outcomes for all our students.
Challenge Award successes: celebrating challenge for all
At NACE, we continue to witness outstanding provision for all learners within our growing network of Challenge Award-accredited schools. As stated in the core principles which underlie NACE’s work, we strongly believe that addressing the needs of more able learners will raise achievement for a much wider group of learners in a school. This is one reason we are so pleased to see schools attaining and maintaining the Challenge Award, as a mark of commitment to high-quality provision for the most able, within a whole-school context of challenge for all.
In 2021, despite the pandemic, 17 schools and colleges were accredited with the NACE Challenge Award for the first time, while 20 achieved accreditation for the second, third or fourth time. At these successful schools, there is a consistent ethos of high expectations and aspirations, and the education of more able learners is a whole-school endeavour which is embraced by school leaders at all levels.
Understanding and sharing what works: opportunities to get involved
The contributions of Challenge Award schools have been central to the first phase of our Making Space for Able Learners research initiative, and will remain so as we develop the second phase of this project. We are focusing on two areas over the coming year: the role of language in learning for high achievement, and the effective use of assessment. Within the assessment strand, we are studying new and effective practices which enable teachers to understand how their learners are progressing on a lesson-by-lesson basis and communicate this to the learners, enabling them to develop their learning more rapidly in the future.
If you are interested in learning more about or contributing to any aspect of our research work this year, please contact communications@nace.co.uk.
We are also pleased to be reintroducing our face-to-face meetups, free for our members, which will focus on our research themes. There will be the usual opportunities to share effective approaches with colleagues through the “speed-sharing” segment: an agenda item that is always valued highly by our members. Our first meetup of the year, on the theme “rethinking assessment”, will take place on 23 March at New College, Oxford. Limited places are available; if you would like to attend, please register here. Creating cognitively challenging classrooms: new modular courses
Returning to our core principles, we know that teachers are central to providing a challenging and enriching education for their learners, and their professional development is paramount. Following on from our conference in November ( recordings available now if you missed the live event), we are developing a new set of on-demand courses exploring key aspects in creating cognitively challenging classrooms. You can learn more and register your interest here.
Some of our operations team are currently working from home, so please contact us via email if you need an urgent response. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can be of help in any way, and we look forward to supporting you and your school during the coming year.
Read more:
Tags:
aspirations
assessment
cognitive challenge
collaboration
CPD
language
leadership
professional development
research
school improvement
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Posted By Keith Watson FCCT,
29 September 2020
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Dr Keith Watson, NACE Associate
Having trained and mentored NQTs for two decades, I am reflecting on the specific challenges they face this year. As I was writing the NACE Essentials Guide for early career teachers (available to preview here or read in full when logged in as a NACE member), I considered how NQTs in particular will be dealing with less preparation than usual as they start their careers. Even in normal times, training on the teaching of more able learners can be marginalised on some teacher training programmes, and as the Early Career Framework does not specifically refer to the more able, this group is at risk of being overlooked.
In discussing this with experienced colleagues, there is a feeling generally of teaching being focused on ensuring pupils meet the expected standard, with priority given to pupils close to the expected line. 97s must become 100s. There is less focus on the needs of those already at 114. This is the context for all teachers, but what does this mean for NQTs?
Identifying gaps in training and experience
Going into this year NQTs will, to an extent, have had a training and experience deficit – although I do not believe it is insurmountable. An appropriate body assessor I spoke to reported that some headteachers are saying this autumn term is like the NQTs are doing their third training term. The summer term would usually have seen many trainees having taught the full curriculum, including more foundation subjects. Chances are that this time round they didn't. An NQT trainer commented to me that when her cohort rated themselves against the teaching standards the gaps were in assessment and foundation subject knowledge. A lack of subject knowledge is problematic when it comes to extending pupils, particularly for more able pupils where a knowledge of the next stage in the curriculum is vital.
With this in mind, I am designing a three-session twilight course for NQTs and reflecting on what this group needs in order to effectively support more able pupils. Understanding what it means to be more able may not be clear to NQTs. This could be an issue if there is a lack of specialist expertise in the school. Is there a designated lead for more able in the school, or is it buried in the job description of an inclusion leader? Reduced focus on more able at the training stage makes it even more important this year that NQTs are clear on the rationale for more able provision. Supporting NQTs within, across and beyond the school
It takes a whole school to raise an NQT, but a respected, fully trained mentor with time allocated to support the individual NQT is essential. This allows time to focus on specific areas such as more able learners. Training needs to cover all areas, including how to challenge the more able. NQTs may have less contact with other experienced colleagues because of COVID restrictions and there may be problems with observing colleagues and visiting other schools this year to see high-quality more able provision. Using video recordings and being able to talk with experienced teachers about more able is therefore vital, even if at times remotely.
It will be important that NQTs do not become stressed over the progress of their more able pupils. They are dealing with enough. Leaders and mentors need to understand mental wellbeing, including stress, and alleviate this by guiding NQTs on what greater depth looks like and the key teaching techniques needed to achieve it. Support is vital.
Given these thoughts, my upcoming course needs to ensure that NQTs understand why more able provision is important, guide them on identification, planning and provision, but also be creative in providing practical examples of the type of tasks that will challenge pupils. This needs to be delivered in a supportive and encouraging way with the emphasis on building ideas and techniques without overwhelming NQTs. Sessions will be spaced out across several months to allow for experimentation with ideas and ensure that where gaps existed, they are carefully filled. Challenging for all (not least me!), but achievable.
Join the course… Dr Keith Watson’s three-part online course provides CPD and support for new and early career teachers, with a focus on understanding how to identify and meet the needs of more able learners. Find out more and book your place.
Tags:
assessment
CPD
curriculum
early career teachers
leadership
lockdown
myths and misconceptions
wellbeing
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