Past event
In light of the DfE’s concern for teacher workload, seen through the Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders report, the government’s stated objective of making all schools academies by 2030, and Labour’s commitment to revise the national curriculum should the party win the next general election, the time is right to consider the role of multi-academy trusts in deciding what happens within individual secondary English classrooms.
MAT curricula vary in the extent to which they guide and centralise the teaching of English in their schools. In addition to leading CPD, MATs may provide English departments with centralised schemes of work, lesson plans and resources, or otherwise support them with broader curricula frameworks allowing for flexibility. How do MATs address and balance issues of student learning, teacher workload and teacher agency in their curricula designs and frameworks?
This event explored the nuances of MAT structures for English, presenting perspectives from research and MAT subject leadership.
| 16:30 |
Welcome & Introduction |
| 16:40 | The place, purpose and production of English in Multi-Academy Trusts John Perry, University of Nottingham |
| 16:55 | Presentation Caroline Cresswell, The Joseph Whitaker School |
| 17:10 | “This was some time a paradox” : helping English teachers to spend less time on thinking about teaching? Andy Goodwyn, University of Reading |
| 17:25 | Discussion and Response to Questions |
| 18:00 | Event Close |
Associate Professor in Education at University of Bristol
Dr Lorna Smith is an associate professor in Education at the University of Bristol. A former Head of English, she has been involved in English initial teacher education (ITE) for 20 years and has led the secondary English PGCE course at Bristol...
Professor of Language Arts and Learning at University of East Anglia
I am Reader in English Education at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. I am an experienced English teacher educator, and came into teaching as a secondary-phase specialist in English and Media up to A-level. I currently lead a professional...
Professor at University of Reading
I taught English in secondary schools for 10 years, spending 1 year teaching in the USA. I became PGCE English course leader at The University of Reading in 1988, course leader of the MA in English and Language in Education in 1990, Head of...
Assistant Professor at University of Nottingham
John joined the University of Nottingham in 2017, following a career teaching secondary school English for over 20 years, including several years as a headteacher. Since joining the School of Education John has led the Secondary English PGCE; led...
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