26 Sep 2019
Delegates from over 240 schools representing 59 countries attended the first Cambridge Schools Conference of the 2019/20 series focussing on 'Evaluating Impact: How effective is our school and classroom practice?'
Those attending the conference, which took place at The Perse School, Cambridge, from 14-15 September, heard a number of thought-provoking keynote speeches.
Rob Coe, from Evidence Based Education, looked at how an evidence-based approach to great teaching can be developed, and how research can result in invaluable insights.
Dr Gerard Calnin, a scholar-practitioner with The Education University of Hong Kong, spoke about the importance of maintaining a positive outlook in evaluating a school’s plans for improvement, while Dr Sue Brindley, a senior lecturer at Cambridge University and a visiting Professor of Education at Anglia Ruskin University, showed how practitioner research can boost teacher morale and confidence.
Helen Morgan, Executive Director at HM Education Consultancy Ltd, looked at the changes that need to be made in thinking and in practice when evaluating impact.
During the conference, there were breakout sessions looking at different approaches to teaching, and, giving delegates the opportunity to learn more and talk about other initiatives to change schools for the better.
With much discussion and sharing of ideas, the conference enhanced the sense of community among Cambridge schools and teachers.
Feedback from the event was very encouraging, with 92 per cent of respondents saying they felt they had learnt something they could take back to their schools and implement.
Saniya Kareem Shaik, Vice-chairman at Elate International School in India, said: ‘Being a new school that has recently introduced Cambridge (programmes), the Conference was an invaluable experience for me.
'I have had the opportunity to discuss with the Principals of prestigious international schools who shared their experiences with me. I have realised that the area of improvement in my school is the need to focus more on teacher training and motivation as it is the major factor that can improve the learning of the students.
'I have also realised the need to involve teachers and students more in the process of evaluation. I'm proud that Elate International School is a part of Cambridge community and I have left the conference inspired and motivated to implement the Cambridge values in the school.'
Jonathan Jones, from Mougins School in France, said: ‘It was a first conference for me, and I left with a sense that I was part of a community within Cambridge International, which you don’t feel as much with online courses.'
You can see highlights from the conference in our video and more photos from the event on Flickr
The next Cambridge Schools Conference
takes place in Bali, Indonesia, on 9-10 December.