How do you find solutions to your challenges?
Asking for help is one great way. But often it’s easier said than done.
This week’s edition is a round up of the questions members have been getting answers to inside the community lately.
Find questions about the projects you’re working on. Then join the conversations to learn from them.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we ask and answer questions).
🤔📍16 questions school leaders are asking.
Looking for subject specific support?
If you’re a subject leader or want your subject leaders to join subject specific discussions, we gathered 36 threads here.
💼 Careers
“Hi all, I am really interested in looking at what a highly effective careers provision looks like. Can anyone recommend any programs or websites which might support this?”
🔒Vocational
“With the new vocational courses and tightening up of students access to their assignments, how are schools going about keeping students work secure to sp that it isn't able to be accessed outside of lessons?”
🗳 Yr 9 Options
“Hi, I am looking for informative ways to promote GCSE options for a year 9 cohort - Especially option subjects where they have not studied the subject previously. Just so they can make informed and appropriate decisions. From previous experience students select subjects they have not done enough research on and are unhappy.”
6️⃣➡️7️⃣ Transition
“I'm researching different strategies schools use to help transition from KS2 to KS3 and would love to hear from anyone who works on transition either in primary or secondary education. I'm launching our first transition summer school this year for the new Y7 cohort and I'm considering other events to help pupils and parents settle in. The main areas I would like to develop are minimising the 'big pond small fish' effect our students feel when they start secondary school, and also helping our lower ability students to make faster progress sooner.”
🛑 Anti bullying
“Hello! I'm doing some research on schools' approaches to anti-bullying with a particular focus on bullying that victimises pupils with protected characteristics, namely racism, homophobia/biphobia/transphobia and sexism. I've been out to school websites to see what's out there and I haven't found much referencing these issues.”
🤝 Behaviour
“Hi, I am looking for strategies and policies for students who are internally excluded within school.”
🙌 Culture
“As a new Head of Year I am looking for new ways to praise pupils and build group cohesion. Additionally, any interventions ideas to boost pupils academically. (Year 8)”
6️⃣ 6th Form
“Hi, is there a specific 6th Form Leadership Group on here? Would be very useful to share 6th Form specific resources and advice / support.”
🦸♀️ SENCO
“Hello all, does anyone have any good benchmarks to evaluate the SENCO role in schools for part of their yearly professional review. We have the teacher standards for teachers but I would love to see something specific to evaluate the strengths and areas to develop for the role of a SENCO. Does anyone have any thoughts or good practice on this? Many thanks.”
📝 Line management x 3
“Does anyone have a simple but effective line manager agenda/ minutes pro forma for Secondary please? For SLT to use with subject leads and possibly pastoral leads as well? I've got ideas but need something for the short term. Thank you!”
“Looking for examples or recommendations of line management agendas (secondary) for middle leaders and SLT meets. Standardised and consistent topics already on the agenda? Would be great to see if you would share. Thank you.”
“I am looking for ideas for agendas for forward thinking curriculum focused 'support and challenge' meetings with heads of faculty.”
1️⃣1️⃣ Year 11 intervention
“I have been tasked with raising pupil outcomes for our current year 11s. We have lots of exciting intervention strategies ready to go but I am also keen to see what other schools are doing to support their year 11s. Currently we do compulsory revision sessions after school from February, all pupils go into subject specific tutor groups from January, Saturday school, holiday sessions, mentoring etc. What successful strategies does everyone else have in place?”
🧠 Subject knowledge
“Subject Knowledge Audits: has anyone used a successful framework for carrying out a 'subject knowledge audit' across subjects, eg identifying skills and knowledge to be taught, pedagogical content, resources, identify staff subject enhancement needs? I'd be glad to hear from any curriculum leader who has some experience or ideas please.”
📊 Numeracy
“Hi, is anyone here a numeracy coordinator or is running numeracy intervention in their school? Would love to have a chat and share ideas!”
📚 English sequencing
“Morning everyone! Has anyone in the English community looked into the 'ideal sequence' of curriculum at KS4 please? Our schools currently have variation but I think I have identified a trend amongst top performing schools and the order they teach texts/language at GCSE in - any thoughts/experiences would be very welcome!”
☀️ Half term relaxation
“Happy Half Term to all my fellow teachers. Hope you all get the much needed break....REST, RELAX you deserve it.’”
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Got a question?
Imagine what schools could achieve if every member of SLT and every Head of Department had an executive assistant.
If you don’t already, I encourage you to see the We Are In Beta team as your outsourced assistant - helping you find what you need when you need it.
We invest 30+ hours a week helping you to get answers: keeping an eye on what’s happening, researching, replying, making introductions, signposting resources and updating our databases.
NB: due to the volume of questions asked, we now prioritise members of the Curriculum Thinkers Community and founding members of the Pastoral Champions Community.
Not a member?
On a personal note
A tale of questions. And two fifteens.
In 2019, about 15 people tuned into the first episode of the We Are In Beta podcast. A pretty disheartening outcome to show for months’ of prep.
But as it grew, it enabled us to scale providing answers to the questions we were asking our guests.
But there was a problem.
I was the bottleneck in scaling the questions you wanted to ask. Readers could talk to me via the newsletter. And I could talk to you. But you couldn’t talk to each other.
That’s why we opened the community in March 2020.
In the beginning, people didn’t ask questions that often. But as we approach 15,000 members it’s fantastic to see so many open and hungry school leaders and teachers asking for, and offering, help across schools in a way that just wasn’t possible before.
Huge shout to everyone who has asked a question. An even bigger shout out to those of you who’ve helped answer them. You make the community what it is.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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🆕 New here? Catch up with previous editions, podcasts and webinars via the archive.