DISCO West, held in Cheltenham on 7th February 2025, was our first event this year, and the seventh since we started running them in Autumn 2023. DISCO (Data In Schools Conference) was conceived as an opportunity to review and discuss the use of assessment and data in schools in the decade since Levels were removed from the national curriculum.
Our Cheltenham event was packed with insight from a range of experts. Josh Perry (SmartGrade and Carousel) talked about the importance of aligning assessment with the curriculum and updated us on changes in the MIS market. Our first guest speaker, Emily Hobson (Primary National Lead for Strategy and Innovation at Oasis Community Learning) showed how a trust-wide digital strategy and approach to assessment will enhance curriculum and learning for all pupils. This was followed by Charles Livesey (Head of Educational Analysis Unit at the DfE) who looked at patterns of attendance and demonstrated the department’s new tools for monitoring it. And of course, we heard from Insight team members James Pembroke (Director of Strategy) and Richard Selfridge (Education Data Consultant).
James presented a history of problems with progress measures before providing practical advice on navigating the SEND data minefield and top tips for analysing data to report to various audiences including parents and governors. Richard delivered a deep dive into the mechanics of standardised assessment and wrapped up the day with a step-by-step guide on developing a school data strategy. Another fantastic DISCO done, we are looking forward to the next events in Southampton (14th March) and Newcastle (21st March). See you there.
