Turbocharge your school – Using
evidence to improve outcomes
John Tomsett and Jonathan Sharples
and support
schools
“We must give educators and
politicians the information they
need to make wise decisions for
children”
Baroness Estelle Morris
Where is evidence-based policy?
National Strategies scrapped
Increased freedom/choice… and
responsibility for schools
Peer-to-peer path to school
improvement – teaching
schools, federations etc
Research
Evidence
Peer
High-quality information to inform decisionmaking and support interactions
What works…. and what doesn’t? (eg
Struggling Readers) How to get the
evidence working?
Peer
Teaching
and
Learning
Current moves towards more evidence-informed policy/practice…
Royal College of Teachers
Cabinet Office
‘What works’
centres – NICE for
education
EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit
• The Toolkit is an accessible, teacher-friendly
summary of educational research.
• Practice focused: tries to
give schools the
information they need to
make informed decisions
and narrow the gap.
• Based on meta-analyses
conducted by Durham
University.
Are all schools spending
the £1.25bn Pupil
Premium as cost
effectively as possible?
David Laws MP and
Michael Wilshaw call for
schools to use ‘what
works’… Reference Pupil
Premium ‘Toolkit’
Effective classroom
strategies for closing the
gap in educational
achievement for children
and young people from
poor backgrounds,
including white working
class boys
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Our review vs Toolkit
Quality of teaching that matters most – e.g. ‘phonics’ not enough, pedagogy is crucial
Developing evidence-based teaching methods makes the biggest difference –
e.g. co-operative learning, thinking and learning skills, formative assessment
Just changing curriculum or mode of delivery (ICT) is less effective
Applying new strategies is difficult – requires extensive professional development
Devil is in the detail – ‘how’ is important as ‘what’. Implementation gap for proven
vehicles to get the evidence working in practice, at scale (eg AfL support)
Overview table
Independent learning
“The three approaches that showed the most benefit for a relatively low investment are what the
report calls the ‘proven classroom approaches’ of providing effective feedback on pupils’
performance, encouraging pupils to think about their own learning strategies, and getting
pupils to learn from each other.”
Primary Literacy Example – Cross-Age Peer Tutoring
• What is it? An instructional strategy in which upper primary students
(Year 6) are paired with younger pupils (Year 3/4) to provide explicit
reading support.
• How does it work? Pick an intermediary text. Tutor corrects errors,
encourages review and ask questions, and praises - encourage highlevel feedback and understanding.
• What are the benefits? Proven outcomes on attainment (tutor also).
Wider benefits include increased motivation/confidence,
social/emotional benefits and development of metacognition/learning
skills
• How do I implement it? 30min/week. One day’s CPD (2 sessions).
Very cost-effective. Fidelity matters
What is metacognition?!
Metacognitive strategies are teaching approaches which make learners’
thinking about learning more explicit in the classroom.
This is usually through teaching pupils strategies to plan, monitor and
evaluate their own learning. Includes:
• Identifying questions to answer
• Planning and hypothesising
• Exploring problems from different perspective
• Generating ideas
• Questioning their own and others’ assumptions
• Assessing themselves and others
• Organising time and resources
Great teachers do this without realising…. knowledge AND skills
Entity view
Incremental view
Fixed mindset
Growth mindset
Fixed vs Growth mindsets
Fixed mindset - less motivated to
learn, less resilient
Growth mindset - more
motivated and resilient
intelligence
Blackwell et al (2007) Child Development, 78(1) p246
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to
another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Google: NAIS Brainology
Year 7 – Maths
“Study and learning skills are inert until
powered by motivation”
Carol Dweck
Improving metacognitive awareness of learning can
help light the fire!
Vehicles to get into practice…??
Example: Teaching Assistants
Strategies for Struggling Readers
0.7
Weighted Mean Effect Size
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Teachers
Phonetic
Teachers Nonphonetic
Teaching
Assistants
One-to-one tutoring
Volunteers
Small Group
Tutorials
Instructional
Process
What do schools need to apply this knowledge?
High-quality reviews/meta analyses are necessary but not sufficient. Need converting
them into meaningful materials for schools.
Trustworthy
assessments of
evidence – What are
the proven
outcomes?
Practical information
on training, costs,
school links – How
do we get it to work
in practice ?
Accessible overviews
of effective
strategies – What is
it? How does it work?
Apply a
strategy
with
confidence
Acting on the Toolkit..
How about speaking to an expert in this
area? eg Rose Luckin on iPads
www.betterevidence.org
Best Evidence in Brief
Get involved in an EEF project? eg
SPOKES, CASE, TEEP
Ok, but little evidence… gap around
rigorously evaluated CPD/interventions.
Evaluate within your own school/across YEP?
Use DIY guide to evaluate your PP spending.
Research-use is a social process
… Also provide practical support to schools to apply
this information with confidence
Support for schools identify and implement evidence-based strategies in
line with their own data, targets and practices – YIPI project
Establish school
targets/objectives
Support schools to
implement
approaches
Identify a range of
evidence-based
strategies
Look at children’s
outcome data
Identify areas to
improve
Successful pilot in primary/secondary schools – eg Peer Tutoring, Grammar writing
Fullan on change
I found that the single factor common to successful
change is that relationships improve. If
relationships improve, things get better. If they
remain the same or get worse, ground is lost. Thus
leaders must be consummate relationship builders
with diverse people and groups — especially with
people different than themselves. This is why
emotional intelligence is equal to or more
important than having the best ideas. In complex
times, emotional intelligence is a must.
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Huntington School
•
•
•
•
2007: 59% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2008: 60% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2009: 57% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2010: National Strategies Raising Achievement
Plans (RAPs) in English, Mathematics and
MFL…
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Leading Edge Email: July 2010
I am looking for schools that can tell their story
at the next round of events in focussing upon
Medium to Longer term strategies for
maximising achievement at Key Stage 4.
I was very impressed with their KS4 Maths and
particularly English interventions to raise achievement.
Their head is very good - John Tomsett, and asked them
to come up with new strategies this past year to raise
achievement. Leadership is very strong at this school
and John has put in place a number of whole school
training days to create the right culture.
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My return email: 29 August 2010
Hi Dominic
I'm afraid our strategies did not have the impact
we hoped.
Sorry not to be able to help.
Sincerely
John
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Huntington School
•
•
•
•
2007: 59% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2008: 60% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2009: 57% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2010: National Strategies Raising Attainment
Plans (RAPs) in English, Mathematics and
MFL…
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Nov 2010: The crux of the issue
Why do some students think, when they have
seven hours of English lessons in Years 10 and 11
a fortnight, that ten one hour lessons, one a
week leading up to the examinations, held after
school when they and their teachers are tired,
will suddenly transform them from D grade
students to C grade students and make up for
their lack of effort in their seven hours of lessons
a fortnight over the past 18 months?
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We have to refocus the majority of our effort on
classroom lessons, let the students know that is what
we are doing and target our extraordinary support
strategies more intelligently. As we develop the
curriculum, over time we will grow independent
learners and we will get to the point where there is no
Year 11 examination run-in frenzy.
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LITERACY &
NUMERACY
OUTSTANDING TEACHING
PROGRESS
REVIEW
INTERVIEWS
BIG 8 & THE
CURRICULUM
When we know what we want…
…we have to make it happen!
Huntington School
•
•
•
•
•
•
2007: 59% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2008: 60% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2009: 57% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2010: 55% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2011: 63% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
2012: 65% 5 A*-C GCSE grades E&M
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Huntington School: %age 5A*-C EM
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
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2013
2014
2015
2016
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The Key Issue 2013
How we will become
a truly great school
DS1: How we will all become great
teachers
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teacher-coaches: Jenny;
School-wide coaching programme: Music Dept.;
IRIS video technology: Nigel;
Reshaping SOLCs: Garry;
360o student appraisals: Claire & Karl;
Student Digital Leaders: Alex.
DS2: How do we create a genuine
Growth Mind-set in School?
• Can students develop their abilities through
dedication and effort? Penny
• Code of Kindness: Betsy
• Why? Steve & Chris
• Teacher Toolkit for highly effective feedback: RJG
• Targeted Leadership Programme: Nicky
• Celebrate achievement at every turn: Tim
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Ben Goldacre
Michael Gove has expressed huge enthusiasm
for these ideas. But many teachers say he
ignores evidence, and challenge him to subject
his own edicts to rigorous testing. Fair enough: I
think good-quality evidence matters, whether
it's in education, medicine, or public policy, and I
will stand on the barricades with anyone who
wants to make that happen.
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Ben Goldacre
Any health minister who tried to force doctors
to use a treatment that doesn't work would be
laughed out of town. If teachers really want to
force all education ministers to follow the
evidence, there is one thing they can do today:
work towards making evidence-based practice
the everyday, unarguable routine – starting now.
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