| Making space for able learners | Cognitive challenge: principles into practice | NACE |
|
Making space for able learnersCognitive challenge: principles into practice
Available to purchase for your school
To ensure the best provision and outcomes for students, school leaders and practitioners seek to base their approaches on sound evidence and proven practice. In the field of education for more able learners, however, this is not always easy to find. For this reason, NACE launched the “Making Space for Able Learners” research project, aiming to help close the existing evidence gap in policy and practice for the more able. Alongside a review of related pedagogical frameworks and research, the project draws on effective practice at schools holding the NACE Challenge Award – an accreditation granted in recognition of excellent whole-school provision for more able learners, within an ethos of challenge for all. Summarised in this 100-page publication, the first phase of the project focuses on what NACE refers to as “cognitive challenge” – outlining approaches to curriculum and pedagogy which optimise the engagement, learning and achievement of very able young people. Copies of the publication can be purchased for your school CPD library (£13 incl. delivery within the UK / £17 outside the UK). Preview the report:Reviews
Belle Wallace November 2020 NACE has always promoted the ideal of an education policy that promotes the development of good practice that includes developing the gifts and talents of all learners; whilst recognising the most able across all the curriculum areas. The NACE Challenge Development Programme supports whole-school development and this report draws on the experience of accredited Challenge Award schools across the country. This text essentially provides very practical guidance on school leadership, policy and practice; suggesting successful strategies for extending the curriculum and enhancing teaching and learning. The emphasis is on joint teacher and learner reflection of successful practice so that learners are fully engaged in metacognition and ownership of their learning. The main points throughout the text are presented in clear, colourful figures – ideal for enlarging and discussing with learners, teachers and parents. Two main strands emerge from the research: practical recommendations for achieving cognitive challenge for all learners according to their needs; and guidelines for establishing a ‘safe climate’ so that both teachers and learners feel secure and able to tackle innovative change with confidence. The essential value of this text is that it is based on research of successful teaching and learning strategies; with an emphasis on practical activities based on key values in education. Other schools can adopt a range of strategies that have proved to be successful. Belle Wallace's full review is published in issue 37/2 of the Gifted Education International journal. Access online here. 
Tracy Goodyear, BA (Hons), FCCT December 2020 This NACE report gives school leaders at all levels an accessible toolkit for putting some principles of cognitive challenge into practice in their classrooms. It acts as a ‘one-stop-shop' for neat summaries of key educational research and gives models for how this has been implemented in different settings. The four areas of focus – cognitive challenge, rich and extended talk, design of challenging learning opportunities, and curriculum organisation and design – highlight the interconnectedness of these factors in a successful education. Each section usefully includes graphics that highlight aspects of key research and there is also a useful summary at the end of each chapter. What’s useful about the write-up is that it considers how schools could/do go wrong in their implementation of some of these models and effectively warns against common ‘traps’ when trying to make improvements. This report is an ideal text to dip into when instigating school improvement or when considering reviewing current practice. It is a useful compendium of educational research – Vygotsky's zones of proximal development rightly get a mention, as does the Fisher and Frey model and Rosenshine, alongside graphics of findings from NACE’s own research. Perhaps most useful are the examples from NACE Challenge Award schools, which show some of the principles being applied in various contexts. Whilst these may not be for everyone, seeing how these elements have been applied in a range of ways is useful and may give ideas for practical implementation in your own settings. […] In summary, this text works hard at bringing key cognitive research into focus and supports schools in filling in the missing gaps in research into improving outcomes for all pupils. It’s an essential guide for anybody working to improve the quality of teaching and learning in a school setting. 
Dr Jonathan Doherty February 2021 I really enjoyed this book. It is a highly informative publication and superbly written. It is underscored with key research and disseminated in an accessible way to readers. The ideas in the publication provide a wealth of information and lead the reader through the concept and its direct application to learning in schools. The chapters are very clearly laid out with highlighted features and figures to provide further clarification and the pace of writing is highly engaging. I love the collaborative nature with the involvement of schools. It makes an excellent and long-awaited contribution to knowledge. I thoroughly recommend it to all those concerned with the learning and development of more able children in classrooms. Super! |
Print Page