Dr Nikki Booth

Researcher in Music Education

Email:: Nikki.Booth@bcu.ac.uk

Nikki Booth has been a part-time researcher and educator at Birmingham City University since 2021. His interdisciplinary teaching experience in secondary education spans music, Spanish, mathematics, and physics. Over the course of his career, he has also held leadership roles including Head of Music, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, and Head of Assessment.

Nikki’s academic journey includes undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Keele University, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and Birmingham City University. He earned a Master’s in Teaching and Learning, which sparked a strong research interest in music education, educational assessment, and teacher development. Supervised by Professor Martin Fautley and Dr. Victoria Kinsella, his doctoral work – completed in 2023 – focused on the use of audio recordings in Key Stage 3 music group composing, exploring formative assessment and learner engagement.

Beyond academia, Nikki contributes to professional development in schools, leading workshops for teachers and school leaders across the UK. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences and authored over twenty publications on educational assessment. He is also a co-editor for the Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (10th edition, 2026 publication) and Mentoring Beginning Music Teachers (first edition, 2025) books.

Following the completion of his PhD, and in addition to his BCU role, Nikki transitioned from a 15-year teaching career to join NEBOSH as Head of Assessment Development, where he supports the development of assessment and assessment practices for learners worldwide.

Areas of Expertise

Qualifications

Memberships

Research

Publications

Book chapters

Booth, N. (in press) Unit 6.3: Using assessment data effectively. In: S. Younie, E. Hidson, J. Lawrence and N. Booth (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (10th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (in press) Unit 6.1: Developing effective formative assessment practice for high impact teaching. In: S. Younie, E. Hidson, J. Lawrence and N. Booth (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (10th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (2025) Chapter 14: Facilitating and leading discussions effective discussions with beginning music teachers. In: M. Wolfe, S. Younie & N. Booth, Mentoring beginning music teachers. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (2025) Chapter: 15: Using formative assessment effectively to see the wider picture. In: M. Wolfe, S. Younie & N. Booth, Mentoring beginning music teachers. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth N. and Fautley, M. (2025) Assessment and pedagogy. In: C. Philpot and G. Spruce (eds) Debates in music teaching. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (2022) Unit 6.3: Using assessment data effectively. In: S. Capel, M. Leask, S. Younie, E. Hidson and J. Lawrence (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (9th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (2022) Unit 6.1: Developing effective formative assessment practice for high impact teaching. In: S. Capel, M. Leask, S. Younie, E. Hidson and J. Lawrence (Eds.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (9th edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Booth, N. (2021) Chapter 13: National assessment choices. In: B. Hudson, M. Leask & S. Younie, Education System Design. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

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

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.

Journal articles (peer reviewed)

Booth, N. and Kinsella, V. (2022) The importance of threshold concepts within formative assessment during lower-school group composing. British Journal of Music education. 39, 145–156.

Booth, N. (2022) The significance of formative assessment for pupils’ spiral progression in English lower secondary school group composing. British Journal of Music Education, 39, 120–124. doi:10.1017/S0265051721000255

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.

Online only

Booth, N. (2024, April) How formative assessment can enhance learning. Available from: https://www.nebosh.org.uk/our-news-and-events/our-news/how-formative-assessment-can-enhance-learning/

Booth, N. (2020) Threshold concepts and formative assessment within Key Stage 3 group composing. Birmingham City University blog available (free) at: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/education-and-social-work/research/cspace-blog/threshold-concepts-and-formative-assessment-within-key-stage-3-group-composing

Booth, N. (2020) Assessment: Formative and classroom-based. MESH Guide available (free) at: http://www.meshguides.org/guides/node/1712

Other

Booth, N. and Nenadic, E. (2023) Removing instrumental barriers. Music Teacher Magazine, May 2023, pp.30-31.

Booth, N. (2021) Be Wary of Hattie’s Use of Meta-Analyses and Effect Sizes. Birmingham City University Education Journal magazine, 1 (2), pp. 80-83. Available at: https://bcuassets.blob.core.windows.net/docs/bcu-ejm-12-spring-2021-132609969047214309.pdf

Public panel discussions

July 2023: Learning styles: fact or fiction? https://www.shponline.co.uk/webinar-2/webinar-learning-styles-fact-or-fiction/ [Last accessed October 2023].

Public presentations

19 June 2025: Creating a high-impact learning environment: Unpacking ‘learning’ and ‘assessment’, Presentation at the Health, Safety and Wellbeing LIVE, London Olympia.

05 June 2025: Creating a high-impact learning environment: Unpacking ‘learning’ and ‘assessment’, Presentation at the Health and Safety Magazine Event, Coventry Building Society Arena.

08 April 2025: Creating a high-impact learning environment: Unpacking ‘learning’ and ‘assessment’, Presentation at the Health and Safety Event, Birmingham NEC.

05 February 2025: Learning unleashed: Embracing diverse style for success. Presentation for the Norwich & Safety District Group, University of East Anglia, Norwich.

01 May 2024: Formative assessment in Health and Safety Training: Why, What and How? Presentation at the Health and Safety Event, Birmingham NEC.

26 March 2021: Mapping Educational Specialist Knowhow (MESH): Connecting researchers and teachers to share research knowledge worldwide on music education. Co-presented with M. Wolf, G. Schellberg, and H. Ruck Keene at the 28th EAS/8th ISME European Regional Conference, Freiburg University of Music and Freiburg University of Education, Germany, Online.

23 March 2021: Identifying and crossing Threshold Concepts in Key Stage 3 group composing. Presentation for the Listen Imagine Compose away day training, Online.

23 March 2021: Why we need better assessment procedures to make better inferences about teaching and learning. Presentation at the Osiris World Education Summit, Online.

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.