Nikki Booth
Nikki is a senior leader, teacher, examiner, and early-career academic based in Staffordshire.
Having studied for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Keele University, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and Birmingham City University, he went on to spend several years as a Head of Music and Head of Modern Foreign Languages and Music before taking up his current part-time post as Head of Assessment and teacher of music, Spanish, and mathematics at Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
Since completing his Masters in Teaching and Learning with distinction, Nikki has had a keen appetite for research, particularly surrounding music education, educational assessment, and teacher education.
Since 2016, Nikki has been studying part-time for a PhD at Birmingham City University where he is supervised by Professor Martin Fautley and Dr. Victoria Kinsella.
Since beginning his doctoral studies, Nikki has presented at several national and international conferences, led many school teacher and leader development sessions, and has numerous national and international publications to his name.
Current Activity
- Assessment
- Assessment policy
- Assessment in music education
- Classroom composing
Areas of Expertise
- Music education
- Teaching and learning
- Assessment
- Teacher education
Qualifications
- BA(Hons) - Music and Spanish - Keele University
- BMus - Piano Performance -Birmingham Conservatoire
- MTL - Masters in Teaching and Learning - Birmingham City University
- PhD (Current) - Formative assessment in music education - Birmingham City University
Memberships
- Peer reviewer for Educational Journal
- Member of the Assessment Board for the Chartered College of Teaching
- Peer reviewer for the Chartered College of Teaching Journal – Impact.
- Peer reviewer for the British Journal of Music Education.
- BERA (teacher member)
Research
Formative assessment in England: Multi-site case-studies exploring the effects of using audio recordings during Key Stage 3 group composing
The formative use of audio recordings during group composing is a highly under-researched area in music education. Using a mixed-methods methodology, my research will explore the effects of how audio recordings can be used to develop teaching and learning of Key Stage 3 group composing.
Postgraduate Supervision
Publications
Book chapters
Booth, N. (2019) Chapter 14: Improving pupil progress through quality questioning and talk. In: S. Capel, J. Lawrence, M. Leask & S. Younie, Surviving and thriving – Continuing learning to teach. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Booth, N. (2019) Unit 6.3: Using feedback and data effectively to move teaching and learning forward. In: M. Leask, S, Younie & S. Capel (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (8th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Booth, N. (2019) Unit 6.1: In-school summative and minute-by-minute formative assessment in the classroom. In: M. Leask, S, Younie & S. Capel (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (8th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Booth, N. (2018) Assessment and inclusion in music education. In: V. Kinsella, M. Fautley, and S. Gray Musical Inclusion (p. 23). Birmingham, UK: Services for Education Music Service and Birmingham City University.
Booth, N., Kuppan, G., Longtin, J., & Nenadic, E. (2018) Assessing the international principles of assessment in music education. In: Selected papers from the 6th International Symposium of Assessment in Music Education (ISAME6). Chicago: IL: GIA Publications, pp. 543-550.
Books and journal articles
Hook, P., Booth, N., Fobister, L., and Price A. (2019). SOLO Taxonomy in Music Education. Growing high quality musicians through a reflective learning environment. Essential Resources Educational Publishers Limited, New Zealand.
Booth, N. (2018) What does research say about memory and how can it be used to enhance long-term learning in the classroom? Impact – Journal for the Chartered College of Teaching, 1 (2) [online version – members only].
Booth, N. (2017) What is formative assessment, why hasn’t it worked in schools, and how can we make it better in the classroom? Impact – Journal for the Chartered College of Teaching, 1 (1), pp. 27-30.
In-press publications
Booth, N. (in press) Chapter 10: National assessment choices: To support learning or as an end of learning check for learners and schools? In: B. Hudson, M. Leask & S. Younie, Envisioning a national education service. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Booth, N. (in press) Chapter 10: Facilitating and leading discussions effective discussions. In: M. Wolfe, S. Younie & N. Booth, Mentoring beginning music teachers. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Booth, N. (in press) Chapter: 16: Seeing the whole picture and how better formative assessment practice can help us do it. In: M. Wolfe, S. Younie & N. Booth, Mentoring beginning music teachers. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Public presentations
23 September 2019: Why teaching isn’t – and probably never will be – a research-based profession (and why that’s a good thing). Presentation for the Entrust Headteachers Conference, Staffordshire.
8 September 2018: What do teachers need to know about memory, and how can assessment be used effectively to support long-term learning? Presentation for the ResearchED National Conference, London.
30 June 2018: Formative assessment in Modern Foreign Languages: What is it, and how can we make it work for both teachers and students? Presentation at the Institute for Modern Languages Research, London.
15 March 2018: “Know thy Impact” Reflecting on policy and practice by embedding true formative assessment in the classroom at Wolgarston High School. Part 2: Using process success criteria as a formative assessment strategy. Presentation and workshop for the Entrust Headteachers Conference, Staffordshire.
15 March 2018: “Know thy Impact” Reflecting on policy and practice by embedding true formative assessment in the classroom at Wolgarston High School. Part 1: What is true formative assessment? Presentation and workshop for the Entrust Headteachers Conference, Staffordshire.
4 November 2017: What is formative assessment, why hasn’t it worked in schools and how can we make it better in the classroom? Presentation for the Chartered College of Teaching “Third Space” Event, School of Education, Bristol University.
9 September 2017: What is formative assessment, why hasn’t it worked in schools and how can we make it better in the classroom? Presentation for the ResearchED National Conference, London.
School-based presentations
26 February 2020: Why formative assessment hasn’t had the national impact it promised (and what we can do, in our own settings, to change this). Visible Learning Steering Group (first, middle and high schools) presentation to Head teachers and Teaching and Learning leads.
29 January 2020: Evidencing Pupil Progress: Problems and Solutions. Presentation for SERA’s NQT & RQT training day, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
18 September 2019: What every teacher needs to know about assessment. Presentation for SERA’s NQT & RQT training day, Perton Middle School, Wolverhampton.
3 September 2019: Developing an effective assessment system. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
26 June 2019: Validity, reliability, and all that jazz. Visible Learning Steering Group (first, middle and high schools) presentation to Head teachers and Teaching and Learning leads.
21 November 2018: Yes, we’re a “Visible Learning” Trust; but… (a critique of methods and methodologies). Visible Learning Steering Group (first, middle and high schools) presentation to Head teachers and Teaching and Learning leads
4 September 2018: Hinge-point questions: Eliciting the right thinking from the right multiple-choice questions. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
4 September 2018: The learning brain: Cognitive and neuroscientific lessons for education. Memory, forgetting and learning. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
10 April 2018: Making the most of formative assessment in the busy classroom. Presentation and training session for the North Bridge House Staff Development Day, London.
14 February 2018: To what extent do we really “know thy impact” and how can assessment be used more meaningfully to sustain long-term learning? Visible Learning Steering Group (first, middle and high schools) presentation to Head teachers and Teaching and Learning leads.
22 November 2017: Using learning intentions and process success criteria within formative assessment to build a bridge between teaching and learning. Visible Learning Steering Group (first, middle and high schools) presentation to Head teachers and Teaching and Learning leads.
5 September 2017: The SOLO Taxonomy. Why SOLO, and how can it be used effectively as a formative assessment strategy to enhance learner responses in the classroom? Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
5 September 2017: Formative assessment as “responsive teaching”. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
6 September 2016: Formative assessment and using rubrics to develop assessment capable learners. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.
4 July 2016: The formative use of process success criteria. Staff INSET, Wolgarston High School, Staffordshire.