Welcome to the second edition of Chisnell Chatter for the academic year 2024-25. Life in education continues to move at a sterling pace, as such here is the second edition this month!
In this edition, I will explore Bridgette Phillipson’s plans for education, DfE curriculum and assessment review, Ofsted’s updated handbook, juicy EEF guidance reports and resources and much more.
Bridgette lays out her education stall
In this TES article, Bridgette Phillipson explains her vision for education. This gives us a helpful steer as to the direction of political travel in our schools and trusts. The full article can be accessed here. Therein, she talks of a quiet revolution in education. While being honest about the financial challenges of reform, she does make clear commitments regarding SEND provision, early intervention.
Ensuring a smooth start to a lesson – the wisdom of Kate Jones
In this article, Kate Jones writing for Evidence Based Education, explores the importance of the first steps in a great lesson. She reflects on the merits of a ‘do now’ approach, quizzing, think-pair-share, free recall and entrance tickets. If you are interested in powering up your children’s memory and recall, this is worth a read.
The Scout Mindset
Having read the Scout Mindset by Julia Galef, it was great to come across a TED talk on the topic. Julia explores the importance of having an honest and open-minded perspective towards information in order to make better decisions. It teaches readers to abandon biases and approach situations with curiosity to see what’s really there. For an easy walk through this concept, follow this link to her the TED talk.
DfE Curriculum and Assessment Review
On Friday 19 July 2024 the DfE launched the wide ranging Curriculum and Assessment Review to help drive high and rising school standards. The independent review will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, supported by an expert panel.
The review will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve – in particular those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, or with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
Specifically, the Review will seek to deliver:
• An excellent foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths.
• A broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, art, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.
• A curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.
• A curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented.
• An assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum, with the right balance of assessment methods whilst maintaining the important role of examinations.
Ofsted Updates
Ofsted have now released the updated Education Inspection Framework handbook. This outlines key changes to the process of inspecting schools, in particular relating to the removal of the overall effectiveness judgement and the manner in which schools will be inspected for ungraded inspections, also known as Section 8 inspections.
DfE release key documents for the Early Years
Some key documents have also been produced by the DfE relating to the Early Years and are worthy of a read by all school leaders, subject leaders, governors with responsibility for early years and early years practitioners. Click on the following links to read these documents:
Strong foundations in the first years of school – this document outlines the most current thinking and research into the foundations of early knowledge acquisition. Therein you will see key information about foundational knowledge, get to know this terminology and share this with your teams. Foundational knowledge refers to the knowledge that children need to be able to retrieve accurately and automatically in order to carry out complex tasks.
Best start in life: a research review for the early years – this series of documents outlines the importance of the four specific areas and three prime areas of learning int he early years. Here are the headlines from the reports:
- The specific areas of learning are connected. They give the context for much learning in the prime areas. Learning in the specific areas should prioritise vocabulary and language comprehension. It should give children opportunities to develop their executive function.
- To deliver a high-quality curriculum in their settings, practitioners need to know how children develop and learn. They need to have a clear understanding of the possible next steps in children’s development and learning. They need to know how to teach young children and how to assess their learning. This requires ongoing guidance and professional development.
- All children need a fair opportunity to learn. The quality of the curriculum is especially important for children who have less help at home with their early learning.
- Early literacy development gives children lifelong benefits. Stories, rhymes and songs help with children’s language and vocabulary development. They also develop children’s emotional understanding. Early literacy is linked to better academic achievement, mental well-being and empathy.
- Effective early mathematical learning combines deliberate teaching with opportunities for learning through play. Understanding both number and spatial reasoning is crucial to later achievement, as is encouraging positive attitudes to maths.
- Understanding the world is a broad area that includes the foundational knowledge for many later curriculum subjects. It is not helpful to think of this area as a number of later subjects ‘squashed’ together under one heading. For babies and young children, learning in these areas needs to connect. Children learn new things, and the vocabulary to talk about them, in a range of interesting contexts. This helps children to develop deeper knowledge and conceptual understanding.
- Expressive arts and design (EAD) should give children opportunities to learn new skills, appreciate the arts and use this knowledge to be creative. These activities give practitioners opportunities for quality interactions with children. Talking with children about their art can help practitioners understand what children think about the arts and the world around them.
Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools -EEF
The EEF have continued to ramp up their research papers this month. They have produced three helpful documents that explore issues relating to SEMH needs in pupils. It is worth noting that the report authors include Jonathan Baggaley from the PSHE Association. Nevertheless, I have seen the PSHE Association materials for primary schools used really well, particularly when contextualised for the school by leaders. The report is fronted by Sir Kevin Collins, former lead of the EEF and a favoured advisor to the DfE. As such, the report is likely to influence government policy and is well worth a read by any leaders in school with a responsibility for PSHE and pupil wellbeing.
Here is the link to the guidance report.
The report suggests six key teaching strategies to teach pupils about social and emotional learning.
- Teach SEL skills explicitly
- Integrate and model SEL skills though everyday teaching
- Plan carefully for adopting an SEL programme
- Use a SAFE curriculum (Sequential, Active, Focused & Explicit)
- Reinforce SEL skills through a whole school ethos and activities
- Plan, support and monitor SEL implementation
If you are thinking of developing your offer for social and emotional learning, a great place to start is to use the EEF self assessment tool available here.
Ofsted Handbook updates
Here is a really helpful guide by Schools Week on the key changes to the updated Ofsted handbook. If you are due an inspection over the coming months, this will update you to the changes afoot.
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