Research Schools Network
 
Stoke-on-Trent Research School by The Keele and North Staffordshire Alliance
 

Stoke-on-Trent Research School by The Keele and North Staffordshire Alliance Newsletter

Issue #3

Autumn term

 

Welcome

 

A warm welcome to our third newsletter of 2018-19. The team here hope that you enjoyed a great half-term break and we are very much looking forward to promoting evidence-informed classroom practice in the coming weeks.

 

Headteachers and other senior leaders will find the event scheduled for the 30th November ('Creating Our Own Future') to be of particular interest. Please see the details towards the end of this newsletter.

 

Some of our training courses are already underway and communication events have taken place. It has been a privilege to work with colleagues during September and October. Other courses start after the Christmas break so, do please take a look and make your booking if you would like to engage with this CPD offer (Stoke on Trent schools can draw upon their 'virtual wallet' for all of the remaining courses). Full details of the courses can be found here.

 

 

Preparations for our forthcoming conference ('Informing and Challenging our Practices and Pedagogy') taking place on 4th April 2019 in Keele Hall at Keele University, are well under way. We are delighted that James Turner (Deputy Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation), alongside other expert key-note speakers will be presenting at the conference. For details, please click here.

 

Wishing you all the very best for a great half-term ahead!

 

 
 
 

Latest news

 

Recently, the Education Endowment Foundation published the latest batch of independent evaluations of five EEF-funded projects aiming to raise attainment and close the gap. You can read about the trial outcomes here.

 

Evidence

 

BLOG: TEACHING METACOGNITIVELY ISN’T A NEW PHENOMENON
In a new post on the Research Schools Network blog, Justine Paton examines how Rosendale School use metacognitive strategies to underpin effective teaching.

Read More

BLOG: THE IMPORTANCE OF WRITING (AND METACOGNITION, OF COURSE!)
As a Research School, we were delighted to see the emphasis being placed on metacognition in the new Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report; it felt like everything was joining up into a coherent whole!” Karen Roskilly. Sandringham Research School lead, discusses the recently-published EEF guidance report.

Read More

PODCAST: TRIALLED AND TESTED
In the first episode of the new EEF and Evidence Based Education podcast, Trialled and Tested, Alex Quigley (EEF) and Megan Dixon (Aspirer Research School) outline how metacognition and self-regulation approaches can be implemented in the classroom. The episode also features contributions from Caroline Creaby (Sandringham Research School and Roger Higgins (Norwich Research School).

Listen here

 

Get involved

 

APPLYING BEHAVIOURAL INSIGHTS TO INCREASE GIRLS’ UPTAKE OF STEM SUBJECTS AT A-LEVEL

The DfE and the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) have an exciting opportunity for state-funded secondary schools to test interventions to get more girls to take STEM A-levels.

Find out more

NEW EEF TRIAL: CAN ADVENTURE LEARNING IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SKILLS, BEHAVIOUR AND ACADEMIC RESULTS?

A new EEF trial, Adventure Learning, will test two different adventure learning programmes – one focused on outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing, another based on challenging activities with military veterans – to find out if they can help improve pupils’ behaviour and boost their attainment. Secondary state schools in England are invited to apply to take part in the project.

Find out about the project here

NEW EEF FUNDING ROUND TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The EEF is seeking proposals for projects which improve attainment and other educational outcomes, such as social and emotional learning, for children with special educational needs or disability (SEND). Pupils with SEND might face significantly greater challenges in learning than the majority of their peers, or have a disability which hinders their access to the teaching and facilities typically found in mainstream educational settings. There is a very large attainment gap between pupils with SEND and their peers.

Find out more and apply here

CEBE WORKING GROUP QUESTIONNAIRE
The Coalition for Evidence-Based Education (CEBE) has recently set up a new group focusing on the role of leaders in encouraging an evidence-using culture in their institutions. The group would like to find out what kind of evidence there is about this aspect of leadership. If you are aware of any evidence, based either on experience or research, they would like to hear from you.

This simple online questionnaire has a few questions which may take around 10 minutes to answer. It is open to education professionals in all sectors. The closing date is 31 December. CEBE will notify all who respond about the outcome of this exercise.

Click here to take part

 

Events and training

 

CREATING OUR OWN FUTURE
The Research Schools Network would like to invite CEOs of local multi-academy trusts, local head teachers and system leaders, including NLEs, SLEs, NLGs, Teaching School leads, LA/Diocesan leaders, to attend a symposium on the future of an evidence-informed school system, and add your voice and influence to the current education debate.


Join us on either 29 or 30 November at the following locations:

IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR CHANGE: HOW DO WE KNOW WE’RE SUCCEEDING?

The finalised programme for the IEE’s first Innovation Evaluation conference, Improving outcomes for change: how do we know we’re succeeding? is now published. Held on Friday 23 November, at the University of York, this conference will look at ways of developing, and evaluating, innovations and change projects in schools.

Book your place