School Based Curriculum Research

Research Based Approach to School Improvement

We use a research-based approach to develop our practice. Our research provides evidence to effect change in our teaching, our classrooms, our school, and beyond. There are a wide range of benefits to researching our own practice, whether directly feeding into improvement through action research or, more broadly, gaining understanding and knowledge on themes of interest and relevance. Our research makes a difference to our pupils and this is why research is embedded into our school practice.

School Research has helped us to:

• Underpin professional learning of knowledge, skills and understanding
• Connect us with sources of information and networks of professional support
• Clarify purposes, processes and priorities when introducing change
• Help us find solutions to particular matters in our classroom or school

We also use The Education Endowment Foundation to investigate specific areas of interest in greater depth. Their research gives us a solid basis on which to begin our work of identifying, testing, and then scaling those approaches and programmes with the best chance of making a real and enduring difference to our pupils: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/

School Based Research Projects

• NPQSL        The development of wellbeing in staff and pupils
• NPQSL        Leading teaching and organisational effectiveness
• NASENCo   Recognising autism in girls in the education context
• NPQLTD      Improving reading fluency in primary school
• NPDLTD      Leading teaching development 
• NPQLTD      Planning for implementation and addressing misconceptions
• NASENCo   How to achieve the best outcomes for pupils using effective employment of teaching assistants
• NPQH         Effective implementation using the Education Endowment's Model: Explore, Prepare, Deliver, Sustain
• NPQH         Ethical Leadership in Practice 
• NPQEL       Running a large organisation as a trust-wide leader
• NPQEL       How to embed effective teaching, curriculum and assessment across multiple schools
• SBM            Effective School Business Management

In addition, we have a number of staff partnerships with leading academic organisations.

• Leaders from St Vincent’s participate in the School Partnership programme, reviewing the practice of schools.
• The Headteacher is an Associate School Improvement Partner and Local Leader of Education.
• The SENDCos have delivered training to share best practice to SENDCos in the Local Authority.