Great Heights Research School: West Yorkshire

Great Heights Research School: West Yorkshire connects teachers and schools to evidence informed practice.

We work to provide a professional learning offer to schools and MATs across the region in addition to the remit of training research informed colleagues. Additionally, we sit on several boards to support future and further research informed programmes and offers across schools and early years settings.

We see our keys specific areas of expertise as literacy, metacognition, implementation and Teaching Assistants. We have a flexible and knowledgeable team of SLEs/ELEs who have helped us to build capacity and future proof our work.

At a management level the Research Lead supports each of the Principals within our Trust in finding and using research evidence to inform decision making, for example in choosing diagnostics and interventions for speech and language delay. Each of our Trusts school development plans are underpinned fully by the evidence on both implementation and on the evidence surrounding effective teaching.

Notable Successes:

  • 2019-20 Asked to present at National Research Conferences about the work of the Research School, working with TSC to ensure synergy across delivery partners for Lancashire and West Yorkshire.
  • 2019-20 Provided research informed professional learning for more than 50 of Oldham’s schools to date.
  • Working with the LAs and to develop and support an authority-wide strategy.
  • Supported Teaching Schools as part of the SSIF bid processes and school support offers, delivering joint workshops with the TSC and directly supported local bids in the recent rounds – contributing research information for the successful school to school support bids.

The Head of Great Heights Research School: West Yorkshire is Jess Mellor.
Great Heights Research School: West Yorkshire can be contacted via researchschool@greatheightstrust.org.uk

  • 2019 curriculum development programme for primary history for Focus Trust across all their schools.
  • 2020-21 personalised development programmes and support for two large MAT chains, The Co-op Trust and South Pennine Trust.
  • 2019-20 and 2020 -21 Research breakfasts in Tameside and Oldham to support Leadership knowledge of evidence. We have regularly seen attendances of between 45-55% of serving headteachers attending and this being maintained over the term.
  • Additional support for schools experiencing challenge or high gaps in attainment for disadvantaged pupils such as support with more effective assessment tools and interventions.