Use evidence-led and structured conversations to quality assure the curriculum, teaching and learning.
Credited as influencing the Ofsted Deep Dive methodology, Pupil Book Study has reshaped national policy on how to best understand the endurance of learning.
Breathtakingly thorough, eminently sensible, purposeful and meaningful. Whatever you have been doing before, stop it and do this instead. Clare Sealy
It became apparent to me throughout my years in education that the most obvious thing we don’t do as teachers is the very thing we should be doing more of – talking to pupils with their books. The question was how to do that without feeling overwhelmed, underprepared and wasting valuable time asking questions that lack structure and impact. This is how Pupil Book Study began, with the need for a systematic toolkit that enables leaders and teachers to focus on evaluating their curriculum, teaching and learning in a precise, evidence-rich environment.
It repositions how schools evaluate the quality of education and guides us to avoid the traps of making assumptions and, as Professor Rob Coe articulates so well, using weak proxies for learning that lack evidence and rigour. It aims to provide leaders and teachers with an insightful guide to talk with pupils and to study their work. Pupil Book Study helps schools deconstruct the working components of the curriculum, teaching and learning for its parts and aims to provide educators with a world-class evidence and research-focused route map towards excellence.
It illuminates strengths as well as focusing the user to possible limitations and traps to avoid.
The benefits of Pupil Book Study are realised professionally, academically and socially between staff and pupils. It serves as a manual that prioritises evidence to inform curriculum design, effective teaching methods and tasks that generate learning.
Alex Bedford, Curriculum Development Director (CUSP)
Alex and Lauren have modelled Pupil Book Study to Senior HMI and Policy makers at Ofsted as part of CUSP’s support to improve the quality of education and pupil engagement.
