Enhancing R&D capacity in schools: North of England conference January 2013

1. Enhancing R&D capacity in schools: North of England conference January 2013 Toby Greany Acting Executive Director, Leadership Development, National College An executive agency of the Department for Education

2. Key drivers: autonomy, collaboration, freedom, diversity, self-improvement, accountability The challenges: building capacity, confidence and trust The goal: that elements of a devolved system are held in balance so that … Autonomy doesn’t become isolation Diversity doesn’t act as a barrier to collaboration Accountability doesn’t become regulation The big picture

3. How will research and evidence be created, collated and communicated in a self-improving system?

4. “Education has never had really effective links between research and practice. Education research is the great unreformed parts of the system. Too little has an impact on children's learning, and too few teachers use research evidence to inform their teaching. Teaching schools could change that. Initial training should include how to use research and evidence and teaching schools should hold a research budget to fund teachers as researchers.” Estelle Morris, The Guardian, 26th July 2011

6. Toolkit of strategies to improve learning¹ ¹ Summary for Schools (selected lines), Professor Steve Higgins et al, Durham University, May 2011

7. A model for knowledge mobilisation? Carol Campbell and Ben Levin; Developing Knowledge Mobilisation to Challenge Educational Disadvantage and Inform Effective Practices in England, EEF; 2012

8. But how do teachers learn and adapt? “The significant people for a school teacher are other teachers, and by comparison with standing in that fraternity the good opinion of students is a small thing and of little price. A landmark in one’s assimilation to the profession is that moment when he decides that only teachers are important”. Willard Waller, The sociology of teaching (1932) “There is a ‘discussion culture’ among teachers… interspersed with timid attempts at the level of actual implementation… To get from a peer discussion to its enactment in one’s classroom is a phenomenal leap.” Michael Huberman, Teachers as artisans and tinkerers

9. An alternative model for evidence informed practice¹ The plan for teaching and learning Improvisation where the plan does not work Personal tinkering + inflow from researchers? Systematic tinkering with partners Systematic innovation with partners Distributed innovation to partner schools From common practice to full JPD Self-improving school system ¹ From David Hargreaves

10. An attempt to learn the lessons from thinking on knowledge mobilisation and from previous attempts at R&D innovation networks • 1000 flowers bloom • - no overall tight theme, planned outcome • Topics too narrow or parochial • - no breakthrough potential • Different projects don’t join up • - no jigsaw, no body of new knowledge • Agenda annexed by academic researchers

11. Role of teaching schools As well as offering training and support for their alliancethemselves, teaching schools will identify and co-ordinate expertise from their alliance, using the best leaders and teachers to: 1. play a greater role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession 2. lead peer-to-peerprofessionaland leadership development 3. identify and develop leadership potential 4. provide support for other schools 5. designate and broker Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) 6.engage in research and development

12. Professional continuum Teacher Continuing Leadership training professional development development

13. What makes great pedagogy? What makes great professional development which leads to consistently great pedagogy? How can leaders lead successful teaching school alliances which enable the development of consistently great pedagogy? Closing the gap… National research themes -2012-14

14. Making a difference in schools and alliances • link research explicitly with developments in learning and teaching - teachers as innovators not researchers • keep a sharp focus and make sure it is manageable • find ways align individual, departmental, whole-school and alliance interests • seek out opportunities to foster pupil/teacher dialogue • share the process, capture the learning and use the outcomes of research beyond the project – push and pull • plan for the longer term development of research engagement (link research and CPD) • be ambitious and confident about using research to secure gains in pupil achievement • adapted from Sharp and Handscomb, 2008

15. Questions and discussion • What is your experience of developing research and increasing the use of evidence in schools? • what are the challenges? • what works well?