Detailed Vocabulary Modules built around individual Science, Geography and History modules supporting language acquisition, including: Tier 2, Tier 3, etymology and morphology teacher guides and pupil vocabulary toolkits.

Pupil Book Study is a window into the ‘lived experience’ of pupils, as opposed to just the observed experience. It is also a mirror in which to reflect professional practice and identify what helps learning, and what hinders it by outlining clear and coherent structures in which to talk with pupils and look at their books. Leaders reconsidered curriculum design and implementation – informed by evidence-informed practice and research;

Summary

Pupil Book Study is a guide for schools that offers 7 specific and fully exemplified areas to focus quality assurance systems. Teachers embedded retrieval practise in the form of quizzes and specific opportunities planned for children to demonstrate what they know on a regular basis. With more than 29 years of experience in education as a teacher, headteacher and leading adviser for school improvement, Alex Bedford now supports Unity Schools Partnership and its Research School, working across the UK and abroad. Alex is the creator and author of the highly acclaimed Pupil Book Study series (originally published in 2021) and has worked as an associate consultant for the Institute of Education, UCL. His curriculum writing and resources have been highly praised by Professor Rob Coe and by Clare Sealy (head of education improvement, Guernsey). A long term sequence of learning provides coherence to the CUSP sequence. Learning Modules are written for each area of the Art and Design curriculum. The primary goal of our project is to better understand the pattern of pupil learning, particularly amongst vulnerable groups, and in doing so improve pupil outcomes. Targeted professional development and improved practice and systems will support the delivery of these improved outcomes.

High quality teacher videos provide support for technical skills and exemplification of the process and outcomes. CUSP is guided by evidence-led curriculum structures, such as retrieval, spaced retrieval practice and interleaving. It is underpinned by explicit vocabulary instruction and research-focused pedagogy. Combining these has led to exceptional outcomes for pupils, as a result of coherent curriculum design and instructional teaching. It also gives you, as school leaders, consistency and expectations. CUSP is unapologetically ambitious – it will not only improve outcomes for pupils, but also teacher subject knowledge. A whole school approach to modelling writing was applied – using discourse markers to sequence ideas, applying tier 2 and 3 vocabulary appropriately; using a variety of sentence openers for effect. Pupils were given structured opportunities to analyse, define, connect and use words in context. Teachers focused on using and displaying Tier 2 (multiple meaning or high frequency) and Tier 3 (subject specific vocabulary) within vocabulary organisers in books. Explicit vocabulary instruction was embedded in all lessons and assessment focused on evidence of this in pupils’ written and spoken outcomes. It also includes the Point of Practice and Reflection to develop learning about Art and learning from Art.The examples above are reflective of practice across school; the schools developing shared pedagogy and commitment to further refining teaching and learning has led to evidence-informed task design across school which promotes hard thinking. Practitioners are more skilled in using and applying evidence-informed practice to improve day to day classroom practice;

The keystone between teaching, learning and the curriculum, Pupil Book Study offers schools the tools to explain why things are as they are and presents solutions to the areas that limit or hinder progress. Leaders have engaged in a rigorous process of school to school, peer to peer moderation and evaluation to ensure and secure the accuracy of outcomes (this process of evaluation would be transferable and made available to other future Newcastle Research School projects);The insights provided from pupil book study direct teachers and leaders to specific areas upon which to focus their improvement. It is the clarity of these insights which pave the way for improve pupil outcomes. Once areas for improvement have been identified, leaders and teachers are then directed to high quality CPD in evidence-informed practice focused around improving the quality of teaching and the quality of pupil participation or engagement. Over time, outcomes improve as leaders and teachers shift their focus to evidence-informed practice proven to help pupils progress and improve their attainment. Pupil Book Study is a guide for schools that offers 7 specific and fully exemplified areas to focus quality assurance systems. The keystone between teaching, learning and the curriculum, Pupil Book Study offers schools the tools to explain why things are as they are and presents solutions to the areas that limit or hinder progress. Leaders are proficient in using and analysing the outcomes of pupil book study - following training, coaching and observation with Alex Bedford; Infused with cognitive science research and evidence-informed practice, it offers schools the architecture for excellence; helping remove the risk of making assumptions.