Unity Research School Newsletter

Issue #1

spring term

1. Efrat Furst - expert in the science of learning, frequently sharing insights with explanations, illustrated models and concrete examples @EfratFurst
2. Phil Naylor - TDT Expert Adviser @pna1977
3. Sam Twiselton - OBE,  Professor of Education, Vice President Chartered College of Teaching @samtwiselton
4. Neil Selwyn - professor researching/teaching the place of digital media in everyday life, and the sociology of technology (non) use in educational settings @Neil_Selwyn
5. Karen Wespieser - Director of Operations, Driver Youth Trust @KarenWespieser

1. In this second episode of the EEF's Trialled and Tested podcast, Jamie Scott from Evidence Based Education speaks to the EEF's joint heads of programmes, Eleanor Stringer and Matthew van Poortvliet, to find out more about their approach to identifying projects to fund, commissioning evaluations, and scaling-up promising projects.
2. Phil Naylor introduces his new podcast series Naylor's Natter where with guests he muses, explores and discusses the latest developments in teaching and learning, CPD and evidence based teaching.

NEW YEAR – NEW WEBSITE
It's a new year and everyone is talking about fresh starts and self-improvement, and the Research Schools Network is no different! Over the past few months we have been working with Percipio to develop a new digital home for the Research Schools Network. Alongside all the regular features from our Research School, we hope that the new website will provide easier access to information about what’s going on across the Research Schools Network.

Take a look at our new Unity RS website

The power of disciplinary literacy: How it can support instruction of challenging knowledge - Ruth Everett

There’s a significant difference between learning to read and reading to learn. Secondary teachers understandably focus on imparting the knowledge required in their subject discipline. However, when youngsters start their secondary school careers, they are often overwhelmed by the plethora of subjects they need to navigate. Often these consist of daunting specialist vocabulary and complex language.

Read More of Ruth's blog here

Time to Advantage the Disadvantaged; Focus on Reading

In this insightful blog, Stephen Tierney outlines how .. 'It’s difficult to refute the idea that being able to read fluently and grasp key ideas within a book or text will help a child be successful in their learning. The challenge for many schools is moving beyond the obvious logic to the systematic and rich development of reading...'

Read More of stephen's blog here

Explanation made easy

This great blog by Fran Haynes, Durrington Research School summarises the findings from the NSW Department of Education’s recent paper ‘Cognitive Load Theory in Practice: Examples for the Classroom’ which we utilised in our USP Conference earlier this month. This paper provides seven teaching strategies that teachers can employ to help ensure that students’ working memories are neither dealing with too much cognitive load nor too little. When this balance in explanation is struck, students’ learning is optimised.

Read the blog here

Becky Allen's deliberately one-sided perspective on CPD is a great challenge to rise to for all of us committed to securing the vey best professional learning for colleagues .... 'If CPD is so important, then why is so much of it so bad?'

Read More and rise to the challengE!

Early Career Framework, Recruitment And Retention - new DfE policy announcement ... what it means for schools

Yesterday the DfE published details of a number of policies to support teacher retention and recruitment. Included amongst these was the Early Career Framework - an exciting opportunity to formalise the support, guidance and professional development from ITT through NQT and in to the first years of teaching. David Weston, CEO of the Teacher Development Trust, summarises the main elements ....

Read David's really helpful summary here

WHY YOU MUST BEWARE OF ENORMOUS EFFECT SIZES
How do you know which interventions will actually work in your school? In this article for Schools Week, the Institute for Effective Education director, Jonathan Haslam, gives some tips for schools trying to implement approaches that have research evidence to support them.

Read More

BLOG: PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT

Bridget Cox, assistant headteacher at The Blue School, considers Recommendation 1 of the recently published EEF guidance report “Working with parents to support children’s learning”, and offers examples of some of the work carried out over the past year at The Blue School where they have thoroughly reviewed how they work with parents.

Read More

BLOG: PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT: SLOW-BURN LEADERSHIP NEEDED
In his latest blog post, Norwich Research School's Roger Higgins also writes about the EEF's latest guidance report, and outlines his school's cautious reaction to the recommendations.

Read More

BEST EVIDENCE IN BRIEF FAVOURITES
Each year, the IEE publish the #12studiesofxmas. They’re not necessarily the most important research studies reported in Best Evidence in Brief over the past year, but they’re the ones that have caught the IEE’s attention.

Here are the favourites from 2018

FIND OUT HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PUPILS’ METACOGNITIVE SKILLS
The EEF are launching a new weekly email series designed to support teachers in changing classroom practice to improve your pupils’ metacognitive. The content is drawn from the EEF's guidance report, 'Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning', published last year.

Sign up here

IMPROVING MATHS AT KS2/3

Brought to you by the Eastern Research Schools in collaboration with Norfolk and Suffolk Maths Hubs, this FULLY FUNDED COURSE utilises the EEF’s guidance report, associated resources and is firmly rooted in the latest research. As a result, this professional development programme will help participants improve maths teaching across Key Stages 2 and 3, pupil progress, and both KS2 and GCSE outcomes.

Book your fully funded place here

EVIDENCE INFORMED APPROACHES TO CLOSING THE WORD GAP

This brand new training programme will explore approaches to reading, writing and vocabulary development which Ruth Everett, the course leader, has been involved in creating with Alex Quigley, EEF Senior Associate (formerly Director at Huntington Research School, York). The three sessions are built around research-based evidence and draw upon the 2018 Oxford Language Report ('Why Closing the Gap Matters') and current EEF Guidance reports ('Preparing for Literacy' and 'Improving Literacy at Key Stage 2')

Book your place on this new programme

ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT

This brand new three day programme is led by research informed author Dr Gary Jones and will provide school leaders with a structured approach to addressing the matter of making judgements. Utilising his recent book and resources from the Education Endowment Foundation and the Center of Evidence-Based Management participants will examine the issues associated with professional judgment. Blending theory and practice this programme will also focus on a range of current, real issues within your school which require judgment calls to develop evidence-informed next steps.

Secure one of the remaining spaces here

Following the success of our sell out event in November, researchED Ipswich will return to One Sixth Form College in 2019.

SAVE THE DATE

SATURDAY 16th NOVEMBER 2019

Limited early bird tickets released soon!