Session 1: Wednesday 21 September 2022, 10.00 – 11.30 am – Curriculum Intent – having a specific plan of what children need to know in total, in every subject.  Why this, why now?’ – Emma Adcock and John McConnell

Session 2: Friday 25 November 2022, 10.00 – 11.30 am –  How what pupils know determines what they learn – Sarah Cottingham, Associate Dean, Ambition Institute

“The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly” – Ausubel (1968).

In this session you’ll see why what pupils know determines what they attend to, initially learn and retain. When pupils connect new ideas to their prior knowledge they can learn meaningfully and develop bodies of knowledge. We’ll look at how teachers can influence this process through curriculum planning, lesson preparation and in-class instruction.

Session 3: Wednesday 18 January 2023, 10.00 – 11.30 am – Ensuring that pupils with SEND achieve well – Fyfe Johnston, SEND Associate

During this session Fyfe, will discuss best practice models taken from his work supporting colleagues nationally.

This will cover the core challenges we face from working with pupils with communication and interaction needs, autistic spectrum conditions, and social, emotional and mental health needs.

It will also look at how pupils with SEND are represented in data at a national level in areas such as persistent absence, within the pupil premium cohort, and for pupils having internal isolations, suspensions, becoming permanently excluded.

He will also work with colleagues to make sense of the changing context of SEND at a national level. This will include the trends seen over the last ten years and what colleagues can do to prepare for supporting pupils with SEND in coming years.

Session 4: Tuesday 7 March 2023, 10.00 – 11.30 am – Improving learning and retention using testing as learning – Kristian Still, Deputy Head at Boundary Oak School

This session will detail the most up to date research into improving learning and retention – focusing on the use of testing as learning, rather than of learning.

We will start by providing an outline of the mechanisms for learning before moving on to explain why and how testing enhances learning and can be used to promote a positive class climate. You will get to experience that emotively and practically for yourself. Finally, we will take a closer look at ‘retrieval practice,’ and connect with it other areas of cognitive science (spaced learning, successive relearning, interleaving, feedback, metacognition and motivation).

The session will provide a blueprint for all teachers and schools to use testing as learning, to improve the academic outcomes of their students.

For more information about this approach please follow this link.

Kristian Still is a Deputy Head at Academic Boundary Oak School, an independent private school in Hampshire. He has over 20-years’ experience as a head teacher and senior leader with a MsEd in Kinesiology, BSc in Sports Science, and a Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring. Kristian shares a keen interest in education leadership, evidence informed practice and the author of “Test-Enhanced Learning: A practical guide to improving academic outcomes for all students.”

Session 5: Tuesday 23 May 2023, 10.00 – 11.30 am – Prioritising Reading to allow pupils to access the full curriculum offer – Sonia Thompson, Director/Headteacher/Director of St Matthew’s CE Primary Research and Support School

In this session, Sonia will examine how evidence-informed reading for progress and pleasure practices have supported powerful outcomes for children at St Matthew’s. She will look at what makes a rich reading curriculum and outline the importance of placing reading at the heart of any curriculum offer.

Session 6: Wednesday 28 June 2023, 10.00 – 11.30 am – Assessment in Foundation subjects: using assessment wisely – Emma Turner, Deputy Director of Education, Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust.

In this session Emma Turner will provide an overview of principles of best practice in curriculum design, assessment and curriculum review based on the bestselling books “Simplicitus” and “Simplicitus Altius”.
Drawing on research and 25 years of primary experience, Emma’s session will support schools, teachers and leaders at all stages of their curriculum and subject leader development. Used by thousands of colleagues nationally and internationally, the principles and practices within the approach will provide a robust lens through which to review and develop your primary offer.

Please book the first session below – this will sign you up to the entire series. The Zoom link you will receive will be the same for each session.

This event is for VNET members only.