The staff at Sawtry Community College are constantly developing professionally. At present there are a number of staff members carrying out Active Educational Research to further their educational development and raise standards of teaching at the college.

Research Projects:

Stephen Hughes – Art Teacher and Pastoral Leader
Working towards a Masters in Education. Anglia Ruskin University

Project Emphasis: Access to the predominantly practical curriculum for students with visual and other impairments.

This research project is currently ongoing from June 2009. It has started with a project investigating a student with visual impairment and her access to the modern art curriculum. I hope that this ethnographic research will uncover coping strategies for the student involved and also start my next area of research in giving students a voice and a say in how they are taught if they differ in any way to the mainstream genre of student. I hope to conclude my research with an exhibition of work from students who are affected in this way and celebrate their abilities instead of focusing on their disabilities.

 

David Bridgeman – ICT Teacher
Working towards a Masters in Education. Bedfordshire University

Project Title: ‘The effectiveness of a school website as a tool for parental communication’

This research project is currently ongoing from September 2009. The research covers how effective a website can be as a whole school communication tool with parents. Also looking at parents perception of the site and what content they most desire. Data collected from both parents and the website itself will construct the foundations of the analysis.

 

Sarah Wilson - Deputy Principal
Working towards a Masters in Education. Anglia Ruskin University

Project Title: Enjoyment equals achievement: Is it possible to link lack of student enjoyment at school to underachievement?

This research project was completed as a pilot in September 2009. 
The research covered research methodology and analysis of student data which may be linked to underachievement at school and how this may affect enjoyment

 

Suzanne Hunstone - Teacher of German, French and Spanish and Pastoral Leader

Working, from November 2008, towards a Masters in Education at Anglia Ruskin University.
Module 1 completed April 2009: A critical review of pupil mentoring and coaching within a pastoral system

 

Simon Parsons - Assistant Principal

First MA in Education module title:

Towards embedding mentoring and coaching within a high achieving Physical Education Department.

Abstract
This paper set out on an initial journey of exploring the notion of what makes a good mentor, the difference between a mentor and coach; and then coupling this theory with qualitative data from trainee’s experiences within a secondary Physical Education department.  As my research broadened it became more apparent of the delicate nature of what good mentoring should strive to be.  Some of the most simplistic and obvious details such as the relationship and communication with a trainee teacher are sometimes the most important.  There is also a need not to view training to become a teacher as purely meeting a set of standards that can be quantified and measured easily.  A more holistic approach to mentoring people as individuals, which in turn allows them to develop personally and professionally, will have a far more profound and lasting effect.