The scope of the research will make for interesting reading for both policymakers and professionals within good schools aiming to become outstanding. It will also be useful to heads wishing to discover more ways to support their staff in delivering excellent teaching.
To the next level: improving secondary teaching to outstanding
Synopsis
Building on the 2011 CfBT Education Trust report, ‘To the next level: good schools becoming outstanding’, this new study focuses on schools that have either achieved and maintained high-quality teaching, or succeeded in rapidly improving the effectiveness of their lessons. Through school observations, interviews with experienced educators, and a review of literature, it explores the question of teaching excellence.
The report identifies five common traits in excellent teachers, including the ability to respond and adapt planned lessons to meet the needs of the learners; excellent subject knowledge, especially a pedagogical subject knowledge that recognises how to engage students with the subject; and knowledge of how to use their subject expertise in a way that connects with the students’ level of understanding to foster genuine enthusiasm for the subject.
The report concludes with practical comments on how schools can assist great teaching.