13. Overcoming cognitive bias as an educator

A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that occurs when people are processing and interpreting information in the world around them and affects the decisions and judgements that they make. When you are making judgements and decisions, you like to think that you are objective, logical, and capable of taking in and evaluating all the information that is available to you. Unfortunately, these biases sometimes trip us up, leading to poor decisions and bad judgements. It can be difficult to avoid biases as they are often ingrained. In education, staff may be implicitly biased towards or against a group of pupils, but be unaware of this. This could have a negative impact on those we teach.

This staff meeting starter encourages staff to consider how biases might influence their thinking and actions.

12. Using reflection to boost teacher practice

Teacher reflection helps you move from just experiencing a lesson, to understanding what happened and why. Taking the time to reflect on and analyse your teaching practice helps you to identify more than just what worked and what didn’t. When reflecting with purpose, you can start to challenge the underlying principles and beliefs that define the way that you work.

Reflecting on your practice creates an environment of collaboration as teachers question and adapt both their own practice and that of their colleagues. Teachers can team-up, drawing on expertise and offer each other support. This helps to develop good practice across the school, resulting in a more productive working environment. 

This staff meeting starter encourages staff to reflect on their teaching and consider ways to improve both individually and collectively.

11. High-quality PE provision

Ofsted’s PE subject report found that most schools do not provide ‘clearly defined and broad’ PE lessons, with many not meeting the scope and ambition of the national curriculum. 

Where the curriculum was planned to include ‘first and foremost’ particular physical activities and sports, it sometimes ‘lacked coherence’. This means that pupils were not given enough time to build knowledge and develop proficiency before moving onto a new activity. The report noted that the curriculum gives pupils brief experiences of a wide range of sports of physical activities, but what pupils know and can do as a result of what they have been taught is often limited.

This staff meeting starter encourages discussion about the school’s PE curriculum to ensure pupils are becoming proficient in the subject.

Linked resources

Premium subscribers can access a training module where we take you through Ofsted’s research review into PE. In the video we share the key elements from the PE research review including the pillars of progression; the importance of vocabulary; the difference between declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge; and the organisation of the PE curriculum.

10. Managing radicalisation and extremism safeguarding concerns

Whilst there are no new legal requirements or additional responsibilities, the Prevent duty guidance has been refreshed and updated. The changes provide greater clarity, practical advice and signposting to best practice. The first objective of Prevent has been changed to “tackle the ideological causes of terrorism”. The guidance recommends education settings consider ideology when delivering all aspects of Prevent. A new section has been added on information sharing, to reiterate that sharing information on Prevent should be treated the same as wider safeguarding.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Prevent duty guidance: England and Wales (2023) comes into force on 31st December 2023, replacing the 2015 guidance.

This staff meeting starter encourages staff to consider how well they provide a safe space to discuss terrorism and extremist ideas.

9. Music curriculum organisation

Ofsted’s music subject report highlighted that the weakest aspect of the music curriculum was teaching pupils to become better at composition. Very few schools had considered the underpinning knowledge that pupils need in order to learn how to construct and deconstruct music. This indicates that schools should revisit their music curriculum to check its content, especially in relation to composition.

This staff meeting starter encourages discussion about the content of the school’s music curriculum to ensure the precise knowledge pupils need to know is clearly set out.

Linked resources

Premium subscribers can access a training module where we take you through Ofsted’s research review into music. In the video we share the key elements from the music research review including curriculum planning and the pillars of progression – technical, constructive and expressive. 

8. Maths anxiety in pupils

Although maths anxiety usually increases the older you get, the first signs tend to appear in children in key stage 1. Pupils may use avoidance techniques, such as going to the toilet, or asking lots and lots of questions, to prevent them from having to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills.

The link between maths anxiety and maths performance is clear: if a child suffers from maths anxiety they are more likely to perform poorly; if a child performs poorly they are more likely to suffer from maths anxiety.

This staff meeting starter encourages staff to consider ways to break down barriers to mathematical learning to alleviate anxiety.

7. Is geography fieldwork underdeveloped?

Ofsted’s geography subject report has revealed that fieldwork is underdeveloped in many schools. Whilst many leaders believed pupils were doing fieldwork because they visited places, there was a lack of planned geographical work. A major benefit of fieldwork is it immerses pupils in relevant thinking, supporting key geographical knowledge to stick in their memory.

This staff meeting starter encourages discussion about the frequency, quality and impact of fieldwork in your school.

Linked resources

Premium subscribers can access a training module where we take you through Ofsted’s research review into geography. In the video we focus on the importance of place knowledge, geographical skills, and fieldwork in developing pupils’ understanding of the subject.

6. Supporting pupils who are LAC and PLAC

Looked-after children (LAC) are those who are in care of a local authority. Previously looked after children (PLAC) are those who immediately after being in care became subject to an adoption order, child arrangement order or special guardianship order (SGO). Adopted and looked-after children are one of the most vulnerable groups. Fewer LAC and PLAC pupils achieve age-related expectations compared with their peers and are much more likely to be excluded from school.

This staff meeting starter encourages staff to consider how high the school’s culture of aspiration is for pupils in the care system.

5. Boosting staff wellbeing

Have you ever wondered why you remember the one small negative thing from some feedback, an incident, conversation or interaction and manage to forget the many positives? It’s probably because of your brain’s ‘negativity bias’.  Our brains have this bias thanks to our hunter gatherer ancestors. This staff meeting starter focuses on how we can ‘rewire’ our brain to notice and savour the positives, which will boost staff wellbeing.

Linked resources

In the resource bank you will find a staff wellbeing survey which has been designed to help senior leaders in school address staff wellbeing and promote a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Select survey from the ‘drop down ‘document type’ category or type ‘wellbeing’ in the search bar.

4. What does good behaviour look like?

While it may be easier to describe behaviour in relatively objective terms, describing good behaviour is difficult, especially in a classroom setting. Negative good behaviour is the absence of misbehaviour. For example, negative good behaviour is when pupils don’t use foul language whereas positive good behaviour is when pupils respect each other and form positive peer relationships. This staff meeting starter focuses discussions on the balance and impact of both negative behaviour and positive behaviour in your classrooms.

Linked resources

Premium subscribers can access two training modules about managing behaviour.

Behaviour Management – part 1 aligns with this week’s staff meeting starter. It focuses upon behaviour theories and how these often influence the rewards and sanctions systems which school put in place. The types of rewards and sanctions used in school can impact upon the behaviour of pupils and in the video we share the top 3 rewards children would choose. We consider the importance of building relationships with pupils and creating a climate of respect which then stands teaching staff in good stead when setting up rules and routines and delivering sanctions.