James Nottingham is an internationally known freelance trainer and educational consultant. Starting his own company, Challenging Learning, in 2005, he now leads a team of consultants based throughout the world. His books, Challenging Learning (for teachers) and Encouraging Learning (for parents and teachers) are available in English, Danish, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.

James was originally a teacher and leader in both primary and secondary schools. He was then co-director of an award-winning, multi-million pound regeneration project supporting education, business and community groups in north east England. Today he is a founding director ofp4c.com, the international resource and collaboration cooperative for Philosophy for Children, and is a member of the Future 500 – a 'definitive list of the UK's most forward-thinking and brightest innovators.'

PRESENTATION

Leading Learning to Maximize Progress

How much progress are your students making, and how do you know? These are two of the questions that ought to drive education, and yet, they often go unanswered. It seems we have many ways to report on student achievement – national tests, teacher tests, percentages and so on; whereas progress, more often than not, is talked about purely in anecdotal terms.

James Nottingham will show some ways we can redress the balance so that students come to school to improve rather than just prove; and that teachers have a better idea of what impact they are having on the intellectual growth of their students.

Key points will include:

· What is the relationship between achievement and progress?

· How schools can set up for an emphasis on progress.

· Why so much of what we do – grading, award-ceremonies, praise, and so on – gets in the way of progress and deters students from thinking.

· How feedback can be adapted to ensure students make full use of the advice they are being given.

PRESENTATION

Challenging Learning and the Learning Pit

The Learning Pit helps to explain to students why their lessons should be rigorous, challenging and thought-provoking. In this presentation, James Nottingham will cover all aspects of the Learning pit, including:

· Questioning and facilitation techniques for getting students "into the pit'

· How the pit enhances resilience, decision-making and higher order thinking skills

· Strategies for helping students out of the pit

· Why "eureka" moments are critical to the learning process, and why these are unlikely unless students experience the pit