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Evidence-informed teaching has been a focus for the UK government since 2014 and whilst there is a suggestion that engagement with research to inform practice can enhance the quality of teaching, access to high quality research is a challenge for school-based practitioners. Successful schools make research more accessible to staff by building research resource banks and by collaborating with universities. Whilst stronger schools also support teaching staff to become more independent in their engagement with research, there can be a tension between access to research and the judgement of its quality. Furthermore, teacher workload has been highlighted as a concern across the education sector and this includes that of trainees engaged in initial teacher education. Lesson planning has been identified as something that can be burdensome for trainees and the expectation that they develop individual lesson plans should be reviewed to help address workload issues.

This seminar will explore our paper on the Banality of Education Policy, which draws on the work of Hannah Arendt (1963), Elizabeth Minnich (2017) and Simona Forti (2014) to problematise the increasing use of zero tolerance behaviour policies in schools as part of a neoliberal education regime. \ud We explore the empirical and conceptual background of our paper, then examine the use of ‘Zero tolerance’ and ‘isolation’ as banal education policy. We conclude with the implications for our future research project "Understanding and undoing the neoliberal-neoconservative nexus in education".

Action research is a methodology in which a professional improves or develops practice in a cyclical way, by planning the next step of action as a result of analysis of the previous action or development. It therefore involves reflective practice. It is distinct from other forms of research in that the professional looks at his or her own practice, and develops an aspect of it, rather than producing new knowledge, and is thus ideally suited to the classroom practitioner, whether at primary, secondary, FE or HE phases. This workshop will describe the mechanics of action research and consider types of evidence that might be collected to demonstrate impact. Through the workshop, participants will discuss and plan a piece of action research that they can carry out.

During this workshop, we will consider the different aspects comprising key features of the Ofsted School Inspection Framework standards for 'good' and 'outstanding'. Through reflection on the current practice of individuals and science teaching team, you will audit your provision to help agree a model for future action in your institution.

Outstanding is a contested term, viewed through the various lenses of Ofsted, teachers, students and researchers. The UK has a world-acknowledged tradition of educational research, often leading global education. But much of it rarely filters down into actual teaching and can be fashionable, political and contradictory. This workshop will engage with the evidence-base of ‘what works’ to learn what the ‘literature’ says is outstanding and participants will reflect on the implications this will have for their own classroom practice, and make targets for future action.