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BET Futures
BET Futures brings together teachers, leaders and support staff from primary, secondary and SEND schools to research the key topics of the day and make recommendations to the Trust for change. Each year three different teams visit schools within and outside of the Trust, explore existing research and discuss ideas to make informed proposals to move the Trust forwards. We believe that collaboration, openness and innovation are key in providing the best opportunities for our community and BET Futures ensures this is rooted in action.
BET Futures was launched as the think tank arm of BET in September 2021. Whilst there is a huge amount of existing research available in the educational sector, it does not always translate into practice ‘on the ground’. BET Futures aims to shrink the gap between research and practice. Our key questions for 2024 – 25 are:
- Technology (How can AI chatbots be effectively integrated into the classroom to empower staff and students?)
- The inclusive curriculum (Which groups are and are not represented in our curriculum? Is this important? How do we ensure our curriculum is fit for the community it serves?)
- Sustainability (What could this look like in our school environment and curriculum? How can we best bring the Trust together through Green Week? What are the quick and longer wins we could have as a Trust?)
Our Aims
| BET Futures serves four purposes: |
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| 1. Ensures the Trust is an organisation whose ethos is to be innovative, evidence led and committed to the best outcomes for our pupils. |
| 2. Improves the offer for all of pupils by reviewing and sharing what works internally but also from other schools and wider research. |
| 3. Influences the Trust’s priorities, policies and in-school CPD offer to ensure it reflects the latest thinking and intellectually challenges our staff. |
| 4. Retains excellent practitioners who may not wish to progress via leadership roles. They gain a breadth of experience and network outside of their school which informs other qualifications and CPD, for example NPQs or MAs. |
Our research areas and impact
| During 2023-24, BET Futures explored the following three questions: |
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| 1. Technology (what are the opportunities and challenges posed by AI? How do we ensure a level playing field across our schools?) Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| 2. The inclusive curriculum (which groups are and are not represented in our curriculum? Is this important? How do we ensure our curriculum is fit for the community it serves?) Click here to read our blog summarising the findings |
| 3. Sustainability (what could this look like in our school environment and curriculum? What are the quick and longer wins we could have as a Trust? What can we change and influence?) Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| During 2022-23, BET Futures explored the following three questions: |
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| 1. How can technology be best harnessed educationally and operationally? Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| 2. How can we guarantee all BET pupils have the same opportunities beyond the curriculum? Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| 3. How do we ensure our pupils are learning to behave? Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| During 2021-22, BET Futures explored the following three questions: |
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| 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? Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
| 2. How can technology be best harnessed educationally and organisationally? How do we ensure our pupils 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? Click here to read our blog, summarising the findings. |
| 3. How can we tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of our pupils at transition points? Click here to read our blog summarising the findings. |
At the end of each year findings are shared with headteachers, chairs of governors and the BET board with researchers presenting their ideas and recommendations.
How to get involved
If you are interested in learning more about BET Futures, please email Penny Alford, Deputy Chief Executive Officer: alfordp@bourne.education.
