Creative Thinking in a Community of Enquiry
Aim: The aim of this project was to investigate to what extent the thinking skills approach known as the Community of Enquiry could stimulate and support creative thinking in young children.
The Evidence People
Primary
Improving writing through a creative approach
Aim: The main aim was to build and implement an approach to raising achievement using a creative strategy based on the current evidence about improving childrens motivation for writing. Specifically the objectives were:
To raise the attainment in writing of an underachieving Year Two class through a creative approach.
To improve pupils attitudes towards, and engagement with, the writing process.
To make clear links to the Primary Framework Objectives for text, sentence and word level within an integrated approach.
The teaching of reading in Years 6 & 7
Aim: To describe and evaluate methods used in the teaching of reading in a primary Year 6 Literacy Hour
and a secondary Year 7 English lesson.
Curriculum continuity between primary and secondary school
Aim: To investigate teachers opinions of measures currently in place to ensure curriculum continuity between primary and secondary school.
Reservoirs of Hope as a metaphor for spiritual and moral leadership in headship, and why some headteachers leave headship early 'when reservoirs run dry'
Aim: The study aimed to:
Describe the perceived spiritual and moral bases of headship in a range of heads;
Explore the use of the metaphor of reservoirs of hope in describing the preservation of individual values and institutional self-belief against external pressures;
Promote practitioner reflection on critical incidents when spiritual and moral leadership was tested;
Codify heads individual strategies for sustainability, replenishment and development; and
Analyse why some headteachers leave headship early due to the possible failure of their sustainability strategies when reservoirs of hope
Narrative Writing Project
Aim: The overall aim of the first phase of the project was to raise attainment in narrative writing for children in Year 6. The second phase involved extending the project to all children in Key Stage 2. The first phase is complete and the second phase is still being evaluated.
Lets work together supporting mathematics subject leaders through clustering
Aim: To provide a supportive network for mathematics subject leaders, to develop approaches to teaching mathematics and to share effective strategies and resources between schools.
Teacher confidence and teaching and learning in data handling
Aim: To examine the effect of teacher confidence on pupil confidence and hence achievement in the teaching and learning of mathematics with particular reference to data handling.
Is there truly a shirt of happiness or not? Developing thinking through a Community of Enquiry approach.
Aim: To consider whether a Community of Enquiry approach would improve the ability of Y5 and 6 pupils to discuss issues arising from texts by asking relevant questions. Individual teachers were keen to:
Develop written responses to comprehension texts; or
Improve the quality of questioning and discussion.
Using action learning to support the development of primary teachers mathematical knowledge
Aim: The aim of this doctoral project (with Sussex University) was to improve the mathematical performance of an inner city primary school by developing the subject knowledge, pedagogical skills and the curriculum content knowledge of its teachers.