Steve Rollett, Deputy CEO, Confederation of School Trusts
We see this in lots of places: the number of teachers who (pre-pandemic) would turn up at ResearchEd events and the like on the weekend, the hum of blogs and tweets discussing and debating aspects of education, the promise of the Early Career Framework, to name just a few.
And we also see it in the booming quantity and quality of literature our education system is producing. It’s truly remarkable, not least because much of it is being written by practicing teachers and leaders.
As Dylan Wiliam reminds us, our best bet for improving the quality of our education system is improving the quality of our teachers, and I think the growing body of professional literature has a key role to play in this: translating research and theory into the classroom, sharing practical examples, and providing material as a stimulus for debate, challenge and refinement. I know that a growing number of Trusts are establishing reading groups and using this literature as part of the Trust’s approach to CPD.
All of which I mention as context for an exciting partnership taking place at CST’s annual conference next week (April 28th -30th): an inspiring series of presentations from some of our system’s best writers, provided courtesy of John Catt Education.
I’m very excited we’re be able to share this, not only because of the incredible material that will be available to conference delegates, but also because it represents CSTs ongoing commitment to supporting the development of professional knowledge.
Each of the sessions is focused on content from recently published books and will provide you an overview of what’s in the book, an insight into the underlying theory and some practical steps you might take. We have an incredible line up covering a huge range of issues. The books and writers featured include:
- Walkthrus – Tom Sherrington & Oliver Caviglioli
- Back on Track: Fewer things, greater depth – Mary Myatt
- The ResearchEd Guide to Leadership – sessions from Tom Rees and Jen Barker, and Jon Hutchinson
- Symbiosis: The curriculum and the classroom – Kat Howard and Claire Hill
- Leading Academy Trusts – Sir David Carter
- Let’s Talk About Flex – Emma Turner
- Putting Staff First – John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
We’re so pleased to have worked with John Catt and this fantastic group of writers to bring conference delegates additional high-quality content and we hope you enjoy it. With less than a week to go we’re getting excited about conference and looking forward to seeing you there.
