Mentoring is a process of supporting others to develop through the provision of challenge, support, sharing relevant experiences and providing solutions. Knowledge bank Mentoring, as distinct from coaching, provides support and challenge for an individual or group from a mentor who has experience and expertise in the field in which they are helping. Mentoring involves [...]

The National Strategies for schools are a series of high-profile government-backed programmes to promote reforms to the education system and what is taught in schools. They include: The Primary National Strategy – launched in 2003 The National Literacy Strategy – launched in 1998 and now part of the Primary National Strategy The National Numeracy Strategy [...]

Research in education seeks to discover patterns, trends and truths that can inform the work of teachers and school leaders. Action research is a specific type of research which is designed to provide insights that will enable an improvement in performance – in the case of education, usually more effective teaching and learning. Knowledge bank [...]

Managing upwards is being proactive about supporting your line manager to do his or her job effectively, in supporting you to do yours properly. It involves building a positive rapport with your line manager, helping them to cope on a day-to-day basis and assertively stating your needs with regard to doing your own job. With [...]

Creativity is the process of finding and implementing new and appropriate ways of thinking and doing. People who are able to do so with ease are often said to be ‘creative’, but there are dangers of pigeon-holing people in this way. Knowledge bank Though traditionally thought of as referring to the ‘creative arts’ (music, art, [...]

Giving learners a voice refers to the process where the views of children and young people are used to improve the educational offering of schools. It involves actively listening to what learners have to say and then, within reason, acting on the suggestions they have made. A series of recent studies has shown that it [...]

Presenting skills are approaches to making maximum impact when introducing ideas to others. Knowledge bank A presentation is a fast and potentially effective method of getting ideas across to others. It is a key skill which can be used effectively in the classroom, though should be used sparingly. It will also be required at many [...]

More able learners are those who achieve, or have the ability to achieve, above average in any specific subject or domain compared with learners in the same year at their school. Such learners may be more able in National Curriculum subjects, as well as a whole range of domains which are termed ‘non-traditional areas’ (e.g. [...]

Oracy can be defined as ‘listening, speaking and spoken interaction’. The term ‘oracy’ was first coined in the 1960s as part of a research study into classroom talk by Andrew Wilkinson at Birmingham University which examined how individuals learn by talk, and particularly by working in small groups. Knowledge bank There is growing evidence that [...]

Oracy can be defined as ‘listening, speaking and spoken interaction’. The term ‘oracy’ was first coined in the 1960s as part of a research study into classroom talk by Andrew Wilkinson at Birmingham University which examined how individuals learn by talk, and particularly by working in small groups. Knowledge bank There is growing evidence that [...]