If you are new to Chisnell Chatter, this publication has a range of hyperlinks embedded in the text. Where you spot an underline or highlighted text, click to find out more information. My back catalogue is available here:
Chisnell Chatter Edition 1. Chisnell Chatter Edition 2. Chisnell Chatter Edition 3. Chisnell Chatter Edition 4. Chisnell Chatter Edition 5 Chisnell Chatter Edition 6 Chisnell Chatter Edition 7 Chisnell Chatter Edition 8
If I can help you in any way then do get in touch, you can email me chisnellg@gmail.com or call / text me on 07825149535.
For more information about my consultancy offer, please visit my website here. My latest consultancy offer includes Coaching for Appraisal as a course that prepares leaders and staff for impactful appraisal. This course is co-facilitated with HR expert Gary Edwards. I will also be running two courses in 2025 with Gary and the details of these are outlined in this edition. Do get in touch if you are interested in training, consultancy or any other training or coaching support.
Ofsted MAT Summary Evaluations and DfE MAT Assurance Framework
The Ofsted Summary Evaluations (MATSE) are undertaken by Ofsted to check in on how Multi Academy Trusts to ‘recognise a trust’s positive impact on the quality of education in its academies, and to give the trust helpful recommendations on aspects of its work that could be improved’. Ofsted 2023.
Ofsted will consider inspections undertaken in MATs over two terms before visiting the trust. This means that inspections in a MAT may be clustered together to inform the MATSE. While these have been paused, it is plausible to think that the clustering of inspections in MATs may continue as this can inform MATSE from April 2024.
For more information about MATSE visit the Ofsted site here where you will find the latest MATSE document updated in March this year.
The MAT Assurance Framework is a tool provided by the DfE for trusts as a self evaluation tool. This is a super document that I had the privilege of appearing in as an exemplar practice. Here is a link to the framework’s criteria. This provides a really helpful set of prompts for MAT self-evaluation and asks you to RAG your current self assessment. I have used this tool with trusts and trustees to review the strengths and areas for development. If you are interested in developing the self assessment for your trust, then contact me.
Questioning
Questioning is one of the most powerful tools in the teachers’ toolbox. It can engage pupils, support their understanding, develop their vocabulary and strengthen their pace of recall. Questioning can also act as the most powerful form of formative assessment. However, I so often see questioning used as a bolt on to learning rather than a driver for learning.
Here is a link to an article by Kate Jones on questioning. In the link Kate provides a link to the Evidence Based Podcast with Michael Chiles. Mike talks about his book relating to questioning. The episode explores the purpose of questioning and the use of strategies to engage pupils in questioning. While this is a secondary focus, there is some useful points made.
The EEF have also produced a helpful information on feedback. The report outlines six key recommendations:
1 Lay the foundations for effective feedback
2 Deliver appropriately timed feedback that focuses on moving learning forward
3 Plan for how pupils will receive and use feedback
4 Carefully consider how to use purposeful, and time-efficient, written feedback
5 Carefully consider how to use purposeful verbal feedback
6 Design a school feedback policy that prioritises and exemplifies the principles of effective feedback
Here is a link to a downloadable poster of the key recommendations.
The use of effectiv feedback is powerful for teachers in checking in on gaps in knowledge and understanding as well as purposeful for the pupils as a tool for learning and affirming their own understanding. Feedback is therefore a win-win scenario. Coupled with effective questioning, which is amongst the most powerful tools in a teachers’ toolbox.
If you would like further support for developing a culture of questioning then please get in touch.
Reflections on a good read – You’re not listening by Kate Murray
A colleague recommended Kate Murray’s book, ‘You’re not listening’ to me recently. The book is an easy read and makes some great points that resonate with so many roles within schools. The book starts with a super quote by Epicteus, a Greek philosopher:
‘Nature hath given man one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.’
Kate makes the point in her book that hearing is not the same as listening, and too often we engage in a passive process of hearing rather than an active process of listening. In my opinion, this can also resonate with our approach to teaching and questioning in the classroom. Kate urges us to listen to our own curiosity and become interested in the conversation you are undertaking. She talks of ‘assumptions as earplugs’. This is a great concept and links with cognitive bias. The idea here is that when you make an assumption that you know what someone is talking about, you can switch off. In ensuring that you remain open to truly listening to your colleagues, you can learn something new about them, the issue being discussed and yourself.
Kate makes another valuable point that there is merit in listening to opposing views. It is easy to slip into just speaking to colleagues that echo your own professional ideologies and practice. This may include connecting only with like minded colleagues on social media. Kate urges us to ‘accept the legitimacy of another person’s viewpoint’. A powerful message for any school leader as they strive to connect and understand their team and allows us all to pick up on the differing perspectives on offer by our colleagues. This can lead to staff’s strengths emerging and being valued and the team being strengthened.
If you want to read more, then follow this link to Kate’s book. (I don’t get commission for this, honest!).
The Diamond 9 – research methodolgy
When thinking about your research methodology, you can choose to collect data through a single research method, or combine a range of research methods. I have used the Diamond 9 research method in many research projects as it provides a really helpful tool to gain helpful data that unpacks your research question.
How does it work?
Research in schools should be engaging, simple and enjoyable for both the researcher and the participants. The Diamond 9 provides a resource that ticks all three boxes.
The Diamond 9 research tool encourages your research participants to order their preferences to a range of images or statements linked to your research question. The statements or images are given to an individual or group and they are asked to rank them using the Diamond 9 format to define which statement or image is the most and least important to them.
For example, consider a teacher researching the question, ‘Do children favour similar play-based interests in home as they do in school?’. She produced a range of 12 images on postcards and asked the children to rank them in a Diamond 9 pattern. The children placed their favourite activities at the top of the Diamond 9 and those with similar preferences were placed in the middle rows with the least preferred form of play at the bottom. Pictures that were not of interest were discarded as were any that remained after the Diamond 9 was complete.
The teacher talks to the child throughout the activity and encourages them to order their preferences. The teacher recorded the final Diamond 9 in a photograph, noting the comments made during the discussion with the child as they grappled and reasoned with their choices. The researcher can record both the final Diamond 9 but can also transcribe the children’s discussion as they consider where each image is placed, providing additional data for analysis.
Using the Diamond 9 with different respondents can also provide an interesting opportunity for analysis of data. With the example above, the researcher could select differing groups of pupils, perhaps selecting gender, disadvantage or ability; to see if there is any correlation between the choices made by the different groups.
The Diamond 9 activity builds a fascinating bank of data that when analysed, helps the researcher to move forward with their curriculum, pedagogy and practice.
Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities
Here is a link to the recent announcements regarding the transition to the National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinators.
SENCOs who have already obtained the NASENCO will not need to complete the new NPQ.
From September 2024, all SENCOs and aspiring SENCOs will:
- need to take the NPQ if they have not completed or started the NASENCO
- still need to complete training within 3 years of appointment – schools and SENCOs must ensure they enrol on training that will meet this requirement
SENCOs appointed before 1 September 2009 will not be required to take the NPQ but will be expected to ensure compliance with the regulations.
Here is the link to the SEND NPQ standards document published in September 2023. The document outlines a range of ‘learn that’ and ‘learn how to’ statements that can also provide a useful self-review on all SENCos in role.
Coaching skills for school leaders 1 & 15 March 2024
I have joined with HR expert Gary Edwards to offer a two day course to develop coaching skills for school leaders. The course draws on over 20 years of experience as professional coaching trainers, our wider knowledge of school and trust leadership, the Ofsted inspection framework and research into organisational change. Take a look at the flyer below. Places are restricted for this course to 15 participants to ensure this remains highly effective and practical, leaving delegates with the skills and attitudes to apply the skills learned in a wide range of leadership scenarios. Places are limited so don’t miss out! <a href="http://<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=42CDEDDD0E9681D5&resid=42CDEDDD0E9681D5%2111879&authkey=APiKJy1qr7syFRg&em=2" width="476" height="288" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">Click this link for the flyer.
Headspace – 27 and 28 June 2024
Headspace is a two day conference for school and trust leaders. It is held in the beautiful setting of the Hythe Imperial Hotel and spa. The conference is centred on leader wellbeing and provides breathing space for your leadership thinking. <a href="http://<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=42CDEDDD0E9681D5&resid=42CDEDDD0E9681D5%2111877&authkey=AHNDcBO09jl2Eus&em=2" width="476" height="288" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">For more information click here.
Irresistible Learning 