Home Bright Spots Awards
The Bright Spots Awards give teachers and leaders the funding and expert support to create, trial and iteratively develop new ways of working and innovative practices in schools and early childhood centres.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
In addition to funding support, the 18-month programme includes:
- A two-day training workshop focusing on clarifying, planning and preparing the project for implementation: problem definition, innovation development, and creating robust measures and processes for testing impact
- A one-day session at the start of the year to ensure the first round of implementation and testing is ready to commence
- Regular sessions in the participant’s own school/centre or online to discuss progress and to support the iterative development of each participant’s innovation
- A mid-year meeting in year one to discuss data collection and to develop data analysis skills
- Innovations that have demonstrably led to strong outcomes will be supported to scale up – for example, implemented and evaluated in a greater number of schools or centres – in Year 2 of the programme.
The Bright Spots Awards gave us the support, development and access to profession al development that really solidified our belief in our ideas. We are now implementing in-school research, practices and skills in the leaning environment.
Sharne Quickenden - Burnside Primary School / 2018 Bright Spots Awardee
Find out more
Information about how to apply for the 2020 Bright Spots Awards will be available in Term 1. Register your interest now and we’ll keep you posted.
SUPPORTED PROJECTS – 2019
Raising Scientific Literacy in Primary and Intermediate Schools
House of Science NZ
This charitable trust is busy developing and delivering resources to improve science programmes in New Zealand's primary schools
This charitable trust is busy developing and delivering resources to improve science programmes in New Zealand's primary schools
Seeing Learning Better
Auckland Grammar School
Developing a more impactful way of providing guidance to new teachers, to ensure they receive more support and mentoring
Developing a more impactful way of providing guidance to new teachers, to ensure they receive more support and mentoring
Removing barriers to success in learning; Understanding neurodiversity to enable success
Lake Rerewhakaaitu School
This initiative involves understanding the strengths of each student and building the capacity of teachers to work effectively with diverse learners.
This initiative involves understanding the strengths of each student and building the capacity of teachers to work effectively with diverse learners.
SUPPORTED PROJECTS – 2018
Oracy Framework
BSA Burnside Primary School
A partnership with a speech language therapist is enabling teachers to explore how they can improve pupils' language skills of new entrants
A partnership with a speech language therapist is enabling teachers to explore how they can improve pupils' language skills of new entrants
Te Waka STEM Innovation Hub
Tauhara College
A pilot programme for Year 9 students aims to improve engagement and enrolment in STEM subjects among Māori girls in particular.
A pilot programme for Year 9 students aims to improve engagement and enrolment in STEM subjects among Māori girls in particular.
The Student at the Centre
Wellington High School
Maths teacher Bernie Wills proposed “flipping” teaching and assessment practices in order to put the student at the centre of their learning.
Maths teacher Bernie Wills proposed “flipping” teaching and assessment practices in order to put the student at the centre of their learning.
Unlock achievement
Mt Aspiring College
Micro-credentialing in secondary school classrooms aims to make the language of NCEA assessment more engaging for students and their parents.
Micro-credentialing in secondary school classrooms aims to make the language of NCEA assessment more engaging for students and their parents.
Enhancing Student Achievement through Teacher Inquiry and Collaborative Quantitative Analysis
Gisborne Boys’ High School
Through an innovative reporting tool, Gisborne teacher Darcy Fawcett is working to help teachers evaluate their initiatives and improve student outcomes.
Through an innovative reporting tool, Gisborne teacher Darcy Fawcett is working to help teachers evaluate their initiatives and improve student outcomes.
