2023-08-31-accounts

Collaborative Lesson Research (CLR)

Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Number 1183454 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD ENDING AUGUST 2023

The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the period starting 1[st ] September 2022 and ending 31 August 2023.

I. Objectives and Activities

CLR’s ultimate objective is to improve student learning through school-based action research into classroom teaching and subject knowledge. More specifically, our aim is to promote: (a) practical knowledge about how best to teach, how to build curricular coherence, and how to produce better textbooks; (b) professional development of teachers; (c) professional networks and communication channels through which new teaching-related knowledge can be shared. This is to be achieved through the implementation of a form of Japanese lesson study, adapted to the UK environment. We also strive to inform and influence the wider public and policy makers about teaching and learning processes with a view to improving the educational context.

Our activity reported in this annual report has continued to be affected badly by the Covid 19 pandemic which persisted during the period and continued to be disruptive in schools and consequently affected our ability to work with teachers in pursuit of lesson study in schools. Consequently, most activity in this period, as last year, took place online.

We continued to work closely with the CLR group led by Dr. Akihiko Takahashi in Chicago and colleagues working as IMPULS at Tokyo Gakugei University. In shaping the objectives and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Events that took place in this period included

1. October 2022 Tsukuba Teachers

We held an event to showcase Japanese Lesson Study conducted by Japanese teachers in the UK. This had been originally planned for October, 2021 but due to Covid restrictions this was reorganized and took place in October 2022. Tsukuba University Primary School is one of the leading ‘model’ schools in Japan, well known for their innovative lesson design and their role in professional development of Japanese primary teachers, both of which are based on Japanese Lesson Study. Tsukuba teachers play a key role leading Japanese primary schools i n this practice through their open Research Lessons, and often assist other schools as advisors and commentators).

The project aimed to provide an opportunity for teachers and other educators to engage directly with expert Japanese teachers working with English pupils in a Japanese-style mathematics lesson and lesson study processes. This provided participants with the experience of Japanese Lesson Study in the U.K. The project took place at the University of Cambridge Primary School on 13th and 14th October 2022.

13th October – 35 visiting participants.

The morning focussed on an open research lesson on geometric reasoning with a Y2 class. Prior to the lesson there was a discussion and chance to ask questions based on the translated lesson plan provided. The post-lesson discussion was managed by a member of the CLR UK group, and a final comment was given by another member of the group. In the afternoon the visiting teachers held a workshop exploring the teaching of fractions in Japan, the progression within the curriculum which is different to England.

14th October – 35 visiting participants (many the same as 13th but with some changes).

The morning focussed on an open research lesson on multiplicative reasoning, introducing the idea of multiplication as scaling, with a Y5 class. Prior to the lesson there was a discussion and chance to ask questions based on the translated lesson plan provided. The post-lesson discussion was managed by a member of the CLR UK group, and a final comment was given by another member of the group.

This is the first time we have been able to host Japanese teachers in England, observing them teach, and it allowed for close observation of both curriculum and pedagogical approaches to the teaching of mathematics. One of the striking things about the event is that even though the experience required another teacher to be translating from Japanese this in no way had a negative impact on the experience for the learners and in fact exposed places where assumptions might be made by the UK observers and challenged these assumptions.

The event also allowed us to explore how we use lesson study and lesson study events to

provoke thinking about the teaching and learning of mathematics; this was a unique opportunity for two English educators to provide the final comments on lessons taught by Japanese colleagues and this provided a sharp focus on how the curriculum is shaped differently in the two countries and the impact on thinking and understanding.

The two days flowed as had been hoped and stimulated more thinking, discussion and learning than we had anticipated. Comments from participants reflect this: “A really stimulating and interactive (although cerebrally tiring_:-) event! Thank you so much for all the time and effort in organising it.!” “Absolutely the professional development highlight of my year, thank you” “I asked a number of attendees WHY they had chosen to come to the event and they all said it was because they knew they would learn SOMETHING. Lots of work goes into planning events like this but it was appreciated and was definitely worth it! Thank you!”

Outcomes from the event have included blogs “Thinking Space - for both pupils and teachers” and “Reflections on a Collaborative Lesson Research cycle” by participating teachers on the CLR website at: https://www.collaborative-lesson-research.uk/blog and a conference session titled “Trusting learners to think mathematically: learning from observing Japanese teachers in the UK” at the Joint Conference of the Mathematics Subject Associations in April 2023.

1. Visit to IMPULS Japan of Chair of Trustees

Geoff Wake, Chair of Trustees of CLR and Professor of Mathematics education at the University of Nottingham attended the IMPULS Level 2 Immersion programme in Japan in June 2023. His visit was funded by the University of Nottingham and focused on leadership in Lesson study. This was of benefit to CLR: in particular in re-establishing contact with our Japanese partners and in gaining insight into issues involving leadership in lesson study.

This personal re-establishment of

3 Writing of a book with editing and contributions from/by CLR members including members of the Trustees and the Strategy Group.

The Mathematics Practitioner’s Guidebook for Collaborative Lesson Research Authentic Lesson Study for Teaching and Learning

Edited By Akihiko Takahashi, Geoffrey Wake

This book to be published in the next reporting period was worked on substantially by many members of the CLR community.

II. Organisational development

Organisational development was again an important focus for CLR during this period of

operation. We continued to consider strategic directions to ensure the effective participation of volunteers in shaping the organisational work.

Strategy Group (SG) our executive advisory group comprises 5 Trustees with up to 10 additional members. There has been some change in membership of the SG and they continue to (a) help shape our charity’s vision, (b) commit time and energy to advise on the future direction of CLR, and (c) take on key roles to plan and organise activities/events as and when appropriate.

Development Group (DG) The work of the DG has been heavily curtailed because of our inability to work directly with schools. We have considered disbanding the DG at least until conditions are more supportive towards making this operational.

III. Financial review (financial year ends 31[st ] August)

Balance as at September 1[st] 2022 £11909.88 Balance as at August 31[st ] 2023 £9430.43

Income for the period September 1[st ] 2022 – August 31[st ] 2023

Total £1095.56

Expenditure for the period September 1[st ] 2022 – August 31[st ] 2023

TOTAL £3575.01

V. Structure, governance and management

Charitable Incorporated Organisation: Charity Registration Number 1183454 Governing document: constitution effective dated 16 May 2019

Trustees:

16 May 2019 for the term of 3 years renewable up to 5 years Geoffrey Wake, Chair Sarah Seleznyov, Secretary Rachael Horsman, Treasurer Matt Lewis, Trustee

1st December 2021 for the term of 3 years renewable up to 5 years Prof Mike Askew, Trustee

• Dr. Ruth Trundley, Trustee

Strategy Group Members in period 1[st ] September 2022 – 31[st ] August 2023: all Trustees plus

• Dr. Julie Alderton, University of Cambridge

• Dr. Rosa Archer, Manchester University

• Laurie Jacques, Educational Consultant

• Luke Rolls, Assistant Head, Cambridge University Primary School

• Bob Sawyer, Independent Advisor

• Matt Woodford, Nottingham Trent University

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 15 June 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Trustee 1 Geoffrey Wake

Trustee 2 Matt Lewis

CLR Annual accounts 2022-23

Balance at start of period period £ 11,909.88

Date	Event	Notes	Speaker fees	Speaker hotel/meal	Transport	Event hospitality	other	Event
07/10/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	Refund aspaid twice					25.00 £
10/10/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	Teacher supprt	1,190.00 £
10/10/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	charge for international transfer					25.00 £
14/10/2022	N/A	gift for Sachi(ex-Chair of trustees)					30.00 £
14/10/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	Hotel for Japaneseguests & Tfujita, meal andgifts		1,218.41 £
24/10/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	Fees from Eventbrite for attendance						1,095.56 £
02/11/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	train travel			149.90 £
02/11/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	refund					15.00 £
17/11/2022	CUPS/Denmark/Tsukaba	refreshments at CUPS				840.00 £
02/12/2022	CLR strategy groupmeeting	CLR strategy groupmeeting			47.30 £
02/12/2022	CLR strategy group meeting	CLR strategy group meeting			34.40 £
1,190.00 £ 1,218.41 £ 231.60 £ 840.00 £ 95.00 £ 1,095.56 £ Expenditure 3,575.01 £ Income 1,095.56 £ Profit Loss 2,479.45 -£

Balance at end of period period £ 9,430.43