BET Futures

BET Futures is the think tank arm of Bourne Education Trust. Launched in September 2021, it looks to draw on existing research and best practice and produce its own findings to ensure our schools are innovative, impactful, efficient and exciting places to learn and work.

All members of staff, regardless of whether they sit on the education or business side of the organisation, can join a research project and participate in a research team. This brings together practitioners at different phases and levels in the organisation to discuss the latest thinking in education forums, complete research and share their findings with one another. BET Futures will formalise, scale up, publicise and prioritise what is working best in our Trust and beyond.

This academic year, BET Futures will be answering three big and important questions:

1. Is our curriculum fit for the demands and challenges of 21st century life? How can we best respond educationally to the challenges of, for example, COVID, climate change, Black Lives Matter and Everyone’s Invited?

2. How can technology be best harnessed educationally and organisationally? How do we ensure our students have the competitive edge in the future in terms of technological skills? Is our organisation as efficient as it could be? If remote education continues to advance at the pace the last eighteen months has shown, should teaching ever revert to how it was pre-COVID?

3. What are the most impactful ways to close COVID related gaps and needs? Is money the answer? Where are the gaps and which one’s matter? How can we close them without overwhelming staff and students?

As the year unfolds, our research teams will drill down into each question looking at the work of other schools locally, nationally and globally as well as hothousing new ideas in our primary and secondary schools. The findings will be shared across the Trust and externally via the website, educational blogs and vlogs and social media.

The experiences of the last eighteen months have demonstrated the real power of collaboration and learning from one another. Lockdown has accelerated both cultural and systemic changes in the Trust, many of which are positive and to be retained. Adapting to change, sharing what works and what doesn't and thinking innovatively have all been key characteristics of successful schools during Coronavirus, and discussions around 'what works' in teaching and learning have never been as frequent or as meaningful. Whilst there is a huge amount of existing research available in the education sector, it does not always translate into practice 'on the ground'. BET Futures aims to shrink the gap between research and practice.

If you are interested in learning more about BET Futures, please email Penny Alford, Executive Leader: alfordp@bourne.education.