Naylor's Natter

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Knighted in 2003 for his services to education, Sir John worked most of his professional life in challenging schools across the North West of England, his last post being the head-teacher of a large secondary school in Merseyside.

Sir John is:

I am committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals and in the sustained development of organisations by:

Types of work

Work in which John has been engaged:

The book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Weaving-Business-Finding-Learning-Teaching/dp/0956376029/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=59057008211&dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAgc-ABhA7EiwAjev-j6VVlqLAD-bM8jUe7ZsWZ7lCIvVAOBRXU2MWaazAcIEfYcauHbPfVRoCAlAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=259059100500&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9046715&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1801148813880316383&hvtargid=kwd-314451253387&hydadcr=10808_1789872&keywords=the+magic+weaving+business&qid=1611921368&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-21

There are no secrets to school improvement. There are no silver bullets and no magic answers. It is far less glamorous. It is a question of identifying numerous actions and applying effort ‘day in, day out’ to improve them. This book contains 89 strategies which leaders have successfully used in primary and secondary schools to make the difference to their pupils.

'This brilliant book is a ‘must have’ for any school leader. It is packed full of realistic strategies that can be adopted, adapted and implemented' - Sarah Paul, Headteacher, Wyberton Primary Academy.

‘Packed to the brim with practical advice for school improvement that is founded in his real-life work.’ - Jayney Cooksley, Headteacher, Briar Hill Primary School.

‘Really resonates with me, the strategies are particularly useful for new Headteachers and those working in stand-alone schools’ - Rebecca Walker, Primary Director, West Norfolk Academies Trust.

‘The title of the book is perfect – there are no ‘silver bullets’ but this strips the mammoth beast of school improvement back to a toolkit that focuses on doing fewer things really well. No bandwagons to jump on, just relentless consistency in tried and tested strategies to provide a great education for all learners.’ - Donna Tandy, Deputy Chief Executive, The Focus Trust.

‘Each page bristles with rich examples of school improvement,’Abby Byford, Director of the ATT Institute

‘Provides simple and easy-to-access advice to school leaders, will be very much welcomed by many,’Rowena Hackwood, CEO, Astrea Academies Trust

'This book is a must have for any school leader looking to bring about positive change, with tried & tested ideas.’Liz White, School Improvement Advisor.

‘Everything I know of Paul’s work is nothing but excellence and ‘No Silver Bullets is no different’Julie Keyes, The Education Consultant.

‘No Silver Bullets offers a valuable and pragmatic approach to ensuring that school improvement strategies ‘stick’. Grounded in Paul Ainsworth’s extensive experience and expertise, this book will be an invaluable resource to any school leader seeking to make sustainable improvements in their school community.’ - Zoë Elder, author of ‘Full On Learning’

‘A book to not just read once but act as a reference, challenge and reflection as to where you are at on your School Improvement journey and context.' - Stephen Logan, Deputy Head, Malet Lambert School.

‘No Silver Bullets is an excellent guide to key strategies that really make a difference when it comes to school improvement from someone who “walks the talk” with school leaders each and every day.' - Gavin Booth, CEO, Infinity Academies Trust.

‘No Silver Bullets is a reassuring and realistic message that school improvement relies on day to day hard work and clear focus and not an external quick fix being adopted by the school.’ -Leann Lynch, Strategic Teaching and Learning Leader, L.E.A.D. Equate Teaching School Alliance.

‘I have supported over sixty schools in the last six years as I have worked in Director of School Improvement roles across for four Multi-Academy Trusts. I help Headteachers and school leadership teams make their school the best it can be. I rarely suggest drastic changes, instead on each visit, I look for little tweaks which will make the difference to their school. This book contains the suggestions that I make the most often. They are quickly adopted and help drive school improvement.' - Paul K. Ainsworth

So whether you are a school leader or a system leader, read through the actions and see which of these small changes can make a big difference to your school.

Daniel Muijs is Head of Research at Ofsted. Prior to his current role, Daniel was Professor of Education at the University of Southampton, and Associate Dean Research and Enterprise in the Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences. He also previously worked as Professor of Pedagogy and Teacher Development at the University of Manchester, Professor of School Leadership and Management at the University of Newcastle and as senior lecturer in quantitative research methods at Warwick Institute of Education.

He is an acknowledged expert in the fields of Educational and Teacher Effectiveness and quantitative research methods and has published widely in these areas. He is co-editor of the journal 'School Effectiveness and School Improvement', and has held key advisory posts in a range of academic and professional organisations, including currently the executive council of the European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction and the Questionnaire Expert Group for the OECD TALIS survey.

Daniel holds a PhD in Social Sciences from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), an MSc in Managerial Economics (Catholic University of Leuven) and a BA in Communication Sciences (Catholic University of Leuven)

OFSTED guidance 

As we move into a third national lockdown, with remote education for most pupils once again the default, we are of course very aware of the heroic efforts of leaders, teachers and staff in developing remote education.

Likewise, we know there are difficulties and challenges that schools, colleges and teachers face in doing so. This short guide, which draws on findings from our interim visits, research and literature review, aims to provide some useful tips.

FULL TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE HERE

https://wordpress.com/home/pna1977.wordpress.com

Simon Cox is the Director of Blackpool Research School and in this episode will be discussing the best evidence on supporting students to learn remotely

Blackpool Research School at St Mary’s Catholic Academy is an exciting development and part of the evidence-based journey that St Mary’s Catholic Academy has been on. We have supported schools at the forefront of making evidence-based practice the norm and Research School status is the natural next step for us.

As the Research School for the Blackpool Opportunity Area, our aim is to develop an evidence-based profession, empowering teachers to use accessible tools based on research evidence to improve outcomes for all pupils.

Our core purpose is to:

The EEF's rapid evidence assessment examines the existing research (from 60 systematic reviews and meta-analyses) for approaches that schools could use, or are already using, to support the learning of pupils while schools are closed due to Covid-19.

When implementing strategies to support pupils’ remote learning, or supporting parents to do this, key things to consider include:

This research was funded by The EdTech Hub – as part of the partnership between the EdTech Hub and the Education Endowment Foundation. It has been published as a global public good – to support the global response to the education impacts of COVID-19. The EdTech Hub is a Global Initiative led by the Department for International Development (DFID), The World Bank and The Gates Foundation.

In this episode we discuss how Headteacher Janice Allen was an early adopter of a pioneering blended learning offering . Jan explains in detail:

We have 3 more specials in our blended learning series to come from Simon Cox (Blackpool Research School) , Daniel Muijs (OFSTED) and Doug Lemov.

About Ros 

Primary, middle, and secondary school teacher

Extensive experience working with pupils for which English is an additional language (EAL)

Many years in Senior Leadership

Head of Primary overseas

Advisor for Assessment for Kirklees Local Authority

Primary Strategy Manager for Education Bradford

12 years as an Ofsted inspector

Five years as an Advanced Skills Assessor

20 years as an independent consultant supporting schools

Creator of Big Writing, VCOP, and The Criterion Scale

Published several books on primary writing and assessment with Oxford University Press

Ros has written a number of publications on writing, talk, curriculum, and assessment. Her latest books are published by Oxford University Press. Ros has recently written an exciting and amusing biography which centres on her journeys and adventures through life. She is also working on a series of illustrated children’s books that are fun and educational.

Ros is active on Twitter and has made many great friends and professional connections. Ros has also had the pleasure of speaking at many grassroots events such as BrewEds through colleagues met on social media. Ros was listed as one of the top ten educational voices.

Through Twitter, Ros has developed a lasting friendship with Dame Alison Peacock and Professor Sam Twiselton OBE, CEO and Vice President respectively. Ros is proud to be an Affiliate Member and strong advocate of the Chartered College for Teachers.

In November 2019, Ros was delighted to participate in a BBC Teach Live Lesson. The topic was remembrance and covered cross curricular learning, the difficulty of discussing conflict and loss, and how to get children to think critically and analytically. She has since edited and proofed scripts for subsequent recordings.

Ros was proud to be on the Global Advisory Panel for Harrow International Schools. Take a look at their great work here.

A Headteacher since 2007 with a passion for improving outcomes and opportunities for young people & educators. I am passionate about Arts & Creativities in peoples' lives & the transformative power of Education to change the lives of individuals, communities, society & the world to make an even better place.

About Rae in her own words

Hi Everyone! My name is Rae Snape. I am a Headteacher and National Leader of Education based in Cambridge, England.   I have been the Headteacher of the Spinney Primary School since 2007. The Spinney is a happy, welcoming, creative and OfSTED “Outstanding” school in Cambridge. The school has been described as "forward thinking and outward reaching" and we connect with the local, national and international ecosystem in order to secure an exciting, dynamic and successful curriculum for our pupils. The Spinney is a National Teaching School and the lead school of the Kite Teaching School Alliance. I am passionate about the positive and transformative power of Arts, Culture and Creativity in young people’s lives and the Spinney is proud to have achieved Arts Mark Platinum from Arts Council, England. Along with other key Cultural Leaders, I was one of the initiators of "My Cambridge" a Cultural Educational Partnership for the City bringing together The Universities, The City Council, County Council, Schools, Businesses and Enterprise. Objectives include ensuring more young people have experience of and participation in high quality cultural opportunities, access to Arts Award programmes and the chance to experience viable and exciting pathways into the Creative Industries. I am the Chair of Cambridgeshire School Improvement Board, and a member of Cambridgeshire Culture which, with support from the bridge organization Festival Bridge aspires to connect all the regional Local Cultural Education Partnerships to “Champion raised aspiration for Cambridgeshire, to include a cultural entitlement for all the County’s young people.” I am the Festival Designer of Cambridgeshire Festival of Education an annual optimistic celebration of teachers and teaching whihc takes place at the Faculty of Education Cambridge University. I have been a member of the Department For Educations’s Primary Headteachers’ Reference Group since 2010 and am the Vice Chair of this group. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. You can find me tweeting @RaeSnape and my mantra is #OnlyConnect