2020-21 | Language Education Research and the Department for Education

About
Department for Eeducation logo displaying the coat of arms on the top left

'Language Education Research and the Department for Education'

 

Knowledge Exchange Fellow:
Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson   |   Faculty of Classics   |   University of Oxford

Partner Organisation:
Department for Education

 

 

Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson is a TORCH Knowledge Exchange Fellow 2020-2021 working with the Department for Education. This partnership allows officials with responsibility for humanities and languages curriculum policy in England to engage with the research evidence on the likely benefits of teaching ancient languages in primary schools, given these are part of the national curriculum. In considering the long-term impact that the study of an ancient language can have on subsequent language study, this knowledge exchange partnership has the potential to inform future policy development on both the teaching of ancient and modern foreign languages in schools in England.

This partnership connects research evidence to policy enactment and contributes to the co-production of tools and resources that facilitate solutions for 1) better teaching of the KS2 languages curriculum in schools; 2) improved transition in languages between KS2 and KS3; and, ultimately, 3) the EBacc ambition at KS4.

Via her Knowledge Exchange Fellowship, Dr Holmes-Henderson is sharing the strength of the existing evidence from her award-winning Classics in Communities project, and wider research, on the impact of learning ancient languages on KS2 children's cognitive development. The feedback, insight and questions from policy colleagues will directly contribute to Dr Holmes-Henderson’s evolving research agenda, for example by making it more responsive to gaps in policy delivery.

Knowledge will be shared widely throughout this Fellowship. Dr Holmes-Henderson is the Outreach Officer of the Classical Association (the national subject association for Classics), she sits on the British Academy’s National Languages Advisory Group alongside colleagues representing modern languages, she chairs the Classics Development Group (the umbrella body for learned societies in Classics), she is a member of the British Curriculum Forum, a member of the OCR Classics consultative forum and a Schools’ committee member of the Roman Society. She aims to improve communication between these organisations as part of this Fellowship, and will help to connect the Department for Education with a more diverse network of stakeholders in language and humanities education.

Past Events

2020-21 | Language Education Research and the Department for Education

 

The future of languages logo depicting different coloured speech bubbles with the word 'Hi' translated in 32 languages.

 

Conference | Crossovers, Covid-19 and Corporeality (December 2020) 
Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson presented her paper 'Crossing the boundary from research to curriculum policy: Classics education and Covid-19' at the international Conference ' Crossovers, Covid-19 and Corporeality - Crossovers, COVID-19 and Corporeality Life, Death and Rebirth in the Classical World and its Reception in an Age of Academic Innovation'   
 
The Evolution of Knowledge Exchange Practice in Higher Education (January 2021) 
'The Evolution of Knowledge Exchange Practice in Higher Education’, an online event co-organised by hosted by The Culture and Capital Exchange and Kingston School of Art, Kingston University. 
Speakers included: 
  • Suzie Leighton, Co-Director, The Culture Capital Exchange and the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange 
  • Dr Sara Jones, Director, Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice, City University 
  • Professor Lizzie Jackson, Director of Research of the School of Arts and Creative Industries  |  London South Bank University 
  • Adele Roberts-Hunt, Head of Business Engagement, Kingston University 
  • Matthew Guest, Policy Manager, Guild HE 
 
Knowledge Conversations: The Power of Collaborative Action (February 2021) 
The online launch of the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE). 
  • David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England (a council within UKRI) opened the event by highlighting the importance of knowledge exchange to society, the economy and the arts.  
  • Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University and Knowledge Exchange Champion for Research England, spoke about the development of the Knowledge Exchange Framework.  
  • Other members of the NCACE ‘Sounding Board’ gave presentations about the importance of sharing expertise beyond academia, showcasing examples including from the Crafts Council. 
 
Linking Languages Festival (February 2021) 
Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson spoke to 16-18 year-olds across Wales as part of the Linking Languages Festival organised by the MFL National Student Mentoring Project. Her presentation provided an introduction to Classical languages and cultures. 
 
Launch of the The Forum on the Future of Language Learning in English Schools (February 2021) 
The launch of the Forum on the Future of Language Learning in English schools, attended by Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson and convened by Dr Charlotte Ryland, Oliver Hopwood and Ruth Wilkes. They sought to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders and professions covering: 
  • education - both primary and secondary10 
  • research - education, applied linguistics and cultural studies 
  • policy 
  • translation 
  • access & outreach 
 
Teaching Classical Languages Conference (February 2021) 
International conference hosted online by Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia. Her paper was titled ‘Policy, practice and the pandemic: teaching Classical languages in the UK’.  
Dr Holmes-Henderson presented at the ‘Teaching Classical Languages: Vitae Discimus’  
This three-day event included papers on the teaching of Classical languages by thirty speakers from nine countries and four continents (Europe, Asia, North and South America). Approaches to Classics teaching were discussed by representatives from Colombia, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, USA, UK and Ukraine.   
 
What Can the Humanities Bring to the Study of Dialogic Education? (February 2021) 
An experimental interdisciplinary session, members of the Speaking Citizens initiative shared methods, questions and ideas, to discuss what the project might add to CEDiR’s work on dialogic and oracy approaches.  University of Cambridge Faculty of Education. 
Speaking Citizens is a group of historians, linguists and social scientists working together to discover what a deeper knowledge of the past, present and future of speech education and its relationship to citizenship can bring to the crisis in speaking in contemporary Britain. 
 
Scotland’s Languages Landscape: equity in diversity (February 2021) 
Event hosted by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages and Education Scotland. The programme for the event brought together politicians, policymakers, academics, teachers and community languages advocates to exchange knowledge and ideas to improve access to high quality languages education for all young people across Scotland. Attended by Dr Holmes-Henderson who shared her research into the learning and teaching of classical languages in primary schools.   
 
Classical Association Annual Conference (April 2021) 
Who has Access to Classics in Schools Today? 
Classical Association Annual Conference 
A paper that revealed which Classical subjects (Latin, Greek, Classical Civilisation and Ancient History) are available in various types of schools across England (fee-paying, state-maintained [selective] and state-maintained [non-selective]). 
 
Classical rhetoric in Scottish classrooms: an opportunity to cultivate responsible citizenship? (April 2021) 
Dr Holmes-Henderson examined how the Classical rhetorical method can be used to underpin and enrich school learners' development of speaking and listening skills. 
 
What if we taught Classical languages in place of modern languages in primary schools? (April 2021) 
Dr Holmes-Henderson gave a paper at the Languages Future conference hosted by the Language Acts and Worldmaking project at King’s College London. 
 
Policy Engagement as a Pathway to Impact (May 2021) 
Humanities and Public Policy Workshop 
Workshop that explored the rewards and challenges of public policy engagement from the perspective of humanities researchers at different career stages and considered practical ways to plan for policy engagement as a pathway to research impact. 
Speakers: 
  • Arlene Holmes-Henderson 
  • Helen Small, Merton Professor of English Language and Literature 
  • Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China
  • Charlotte Medland, the Innovation, Impact & Evaluation Facilitator for the Humanities Division 
 
Transforming Evidence for Policy and Practice (May 2021) 
Social Science and the Media: How can journalism provide an effective bridge between research and policy? 
An online event explored how we can grow a more supportive relationship between journalism, research and policy. 
AGENDA 
  • Welcome and introduction to Transforming Evidence  |  Professor Annette Boaz  |  Co-lead Transforming Evidence 
  • Introductions  |  Jonathan Breckon  |  Chair 
  • What more can social scientists do to provide relevant and high-quality news content?  |  David Walker  |  Contributing editor Guardian Public, and ex-ESRC Board Member 
  • The role of academic expertise in media debates on Europe in post-Brexit Britain  |  Professor Catherine Barnard FBA  |  Deputy Director, UK in Changing Europe 
  • Educational research for the media; how best to inform policymaking for schools?  |  Fran Abrams  |  Chief Executive, Education Media Centre 
  • Academic rigour and journalistic flair: what role can intermediary organisations play between journalist, academics and policy makers?  |  David Levy  |  Trustee, The Conversation UK and Senior Research Associate, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford 
  • Chair led a discussion with speakers & audience Q&A
Class and Classics Historiography, Reception, Challenges: Towards a Democratisation of Classical Studies (May/June 2021) 
A two-day conference. Academic conference and general assembly on popular reception, Marxist historiography, and future challenges for Classical studies 
  • Reflections on Class as an Analytical Category in Discussing Classics and its Reception, Edit Hall, King’s College, London 
  • The Aberrant Antiquity of Jack Lindsay and Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Henry Stead, University of St. Andrews  
  • Nativism vs. class denigration: Athenian autochthony between exclusion and inclusion, Mirko Canevaro, University of Edinburgh 
  • The Ancient Prince: Searching for the Subaltern History of Augustus, Richard Alston, Royal Holloway, London 
  • Arthur Rosenberg: Ancient History and People’s Education in the German Revolution, Vittorio Saldutti, Università degli Studi di Napoli, “Federico II” 
  • Ancient Greece and Marxist Pedagogy in Mario Alighiero Manacorda’s Thought, Luca Silvestri, Università degli Studi Roma Tre 
  • Resisting Romanisation in 1970s Paris, Federico Santangelo, Newcastle University 
  • Cultural Hegemonies: Subaltern Agency through Greek and Roman Texts, Lorna Hardwick, The Open University  
  • The End of Eternity: a Short History of Long Classics, Christopher Stray, Swansea University 
  • Classics Poverty: the Unequal Access to Classical Subjects in Schools in England, Arlene Holmes-Henderson, University of Oxford/University of Sussex/King’s College, London 
  • The Public System Is Not (Necessarily) Enough: Material Obstacles to Classical Education in Italy, Gramsci Research Network 
 
What do UK Policymakers want from the humanities and what can humanities researchers offer? (June 2021) 
Humanities and Policy Workshop 2 
Chaired by Dame Helen Ghosh 
Speakers included: 
  • Melike Berker, Business Manager to the Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Culture, Media and Sport 
  • Edward Hicks, Committee Specialist, House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee 
  • Alasdair Love, Clerk, House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee 
  • Stefano Pozzi, Assistant Director, Department for Education, EBacc and Arts Unit 
  • Matthew Flinders, Chair of UPEN and Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield 
 
How does research influence educational policy? (June 2021) 
A virtual panel discussion focusing on the interplay between research and education policy. 
Panellists: 
  • Kathy Sylva, Honorary Research Fellow (Department of Education). 
  • Ian Thompson, Associate Professor of English Education and Director of the PGCE course (Department of Education).  
  • Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Senior Research Fellow in Classics Education (Faculty of Classics).  
  • Naomi Eisenstadt, Honorary Research Fellow (Department of Education).  
Moderated by Olga Ioannidou, Postdoctoral Research Officer (Department of Education). 
 
Towards a More Inclusive Classics II | Conference (July 2021) 
Online international workshop organised by Dr Alexia Petsalis-Diomidis (University of St Andrews, UK) and Professor Barbara Goff (University of Reading, UK) 
Speakers: 
  • Professor Jennifer Ingleheart (Durham University, UK)  
  • Dr Naoko Yamagata (Open University, UK)  
  • Dr Marchella Ward (University of Oxford, UK)  
  • Serafina Nicolosi (PhD Candidate, University of Liverpool, UK) 
  • Dr Fiona Hobden (University of Liverpool, UK) 
  • Professor Peter Kruschwitz (University of Vienna, Austria) 
  • Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson (King’s College London/University of Oxford, UK) 
  • Anna McComish (Aldridge School, UK) 
  • Peter Wright (Blackpool Sixth Form College, UK) 
  • Ray Cheung (Undergraduate and President of the Christian Cole Society, University of Oxford, UK) 
  • Vijaya-Sharita Baba (Petroc College, UK)  
  • Sanjay Sharma (Heinz-Brandt-Schule, Berlin, Germany) 
  • Professor Kunbi Olasope (University of Ibadan, Nigeria), Dr Monica Aneni (University of Ibadan, Nigeria), Dr Idowu Alade (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) in conversation 
 
 
News
Blog