VIEWSVIEW S From the pen of... Bob Cox


Opening doors t o opportunity


ty!


Our regular series looking at authorsworking in UK


education thismonth hears from Bob Cox, author of ‘Opening Doors to a Richer English Curriculum’.


In a career of teaching, coaching, presenting, advising on schoo l nd supporting about 500 schools in-house I’m often arise what I think is most important about teaching


asked to summ improvement a


and learning.


I’m saying everywhere I speak ‘make sure you open doors’. That can be taken as a metaphor for the big decisions taken in schools: curriculum design; policies and philosophy; vision; entitlement; classroom environment; ethos. The notion of a challenge for all learners can be a thread running right through the school.With ambition, high expectations and inclusion for all learners in a shared quality curriculum then the doors can open to the unexpected and to the exciting; and that applies as much to teachers as pupils. The imagination be comes more open to a new question, to greater depth and to the next stage of knowledge acquisition. A teacher asked me once about advice finding a scheme, a package, a method and I replied that it was worth devising a shared vision first for richer, deeper learning. After that, construct a framework for delivering it and use a range of methods as appropriate to fit obj


bjectives.


In the ‘Opening Doors’ book series we have woven ideas and strategies for English through 80 units of work across 5 books.We are working at conferences and in schools to show HOWhigh pitch approaches with layered interventions can work creatively.Most importantly, the doors are opened via the quality texts themselves. Access and exploration are supported by question layouts which are radial and can be distributed as needed; by writing for reading in taster drafts; by excellent success criteria; by a range strategies: visuals, music, drama, slivers of text, one l many more.


ine of text and of access


In our new books ‘Opening Doors to a Richer English Curriculum’, written with co-authors Leah Crawford and Verity Jones, we have continued to open opportunity for quality reading by suggesting focussed link reading around a concept. So, as an example, why not teach about connotation via Edward Lowbury’s ‘Prince Kano’ and link with ‘TheWatchers’ by Joseph Coelho or ‘The Sea’ by James Reeves? The unit in the 6-9 book has many other suggestions. I have never liked the ‘wider reading’ phrase as it always seemed to imply an op tion which many would not take up.


It also suggest s


that reading widely is an extra rather than a core expectation.We have been thrilled to see schools place the link reading on tables in the classroom and give curriculum time for reading, questioning and browsing – then deciding which ones to take home. Please take a look, via ‘blog’ on my website, at three


schools/proj stimulate further the ideas that were taking root!


book, I’ve tried In the ‘Open


‘….it isis th opportuniti op


ojects where the opening doors strategies have helped to It is heartening and fascinating that they are all different.We


explore key principles with schools, not one model for English. ing Doors to a Richer English Curriculum 10-13’ to sum up the central tenet of ‘Opening Doors’: es


the ri richness


www.searchingforexcellence.co.uk ‘Op


ties you need to teach fo


Cra rawfo Verity Jones www. rown


Opening Doors tors to a Richer Englisish Curr Leah Cr


w.crownhouse.co.uk or www Decemb e r 2019 2019


ford and Ve ty Jo es isis ava ww.


ss of the tex th to


ext that will give yove you th ch more


vailalable fr


rriculum’ by fro


rom w.amazon.co.uk www. wwweducation-today.co.uk.co.uk 31 the sp space an d re and teach deeplyly’ (p(p103)3) by Bob Cox Co with ox with Fromthepenof...BobCox ox British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) BritishEducational SuppliersAs


Working behi nd the scenes atWestminster


Thismonth, in her regular column for Education Today, Julia Garvey,Operations Director at BESA, explains howthe organisationwo


workswith


government to champion the education sector’s cause, encompassing the needs of suppliers an d teachers alike .


With the country gripped by election fever, or


overwhelmed by election apathy, depending on your point of view, this seemed a timely opportunity to


highlight the work that the British Educational Suppliers Association does with government.


As a trade body, it is our role to look after the interest s


of our members – those companies who supply goods and services to schools. In many ways the concerns of our members are inextricably tied up with the concerns of teachers, and much of that comes down to funding.


We work closely with the Department for Education, and other government departments, to provide insight and on-the-ground feedback on the challenges teachers face every day.We present evidence, both anecdotal and research-based, on changes in funding and the impact that is having in schools, and on children’s outcomes.We focus on how schools spend money on resources, goods and services, because that is our remit, but we also collate data on staffing levels and shortages. Our role is to present the facts and to help guide the conversation in the direction indicated by our members as being of the most benefit to teachers. Our influence has resulted in initiatives such as the LendED platform, giving teachers the opportunity to try out education technology resources in their classroom before committing precious funds on something unknown. This was born out of feedback that it’s hard to know what resources really work, or where to turn for advice. Couple that with reduced budgets and teachers told us they were looking for tangible evidence of the positive impact a new resource will have b precious funds.


We have also provided input to the gov


ernment’s recently efore committing


published EdTech strategy which aims to help improve and increase the effective use of technology in education to raise attainment and reduce teacher workload.


Much of what we do goes on behind closed doors, and never results in anything tangible, because our objective is to help government steer a different course. In these cases, we are delighted to be the unsung hero, because we know our influence has helped refocus attention where it is most needed. So, although BESA is a trade body made up of furniture manufacturers, software developers, playground equipment suppliers, publishers and the like, we believe we are also an association for teachers and schools. Because at the end of the day we all want the same thing – a decent level of funding fo r schools so that every child can fulfil their potential.


LendED.org.uk julia@besa.org.uk


rs Association(BESA) A)


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