INSET: Carefully Crafted Lessons

Now we have 'done away' with groups we need to get even better at crafting lessons and task design to ensure stretch for high attainers and scaffolding for others. Teachers should be thinking precisely about every example we use and every question set for pupils. This ensures slow but steady progression, by varying just one component of the questions at a time. Pupil work time should be regularly punctuated by teacher-led discussion and examples, so frequently ‘reels the kite back in’ after letting children run with it in their own work. We used an example from Wroxham School in Potters Bar: https://vimeo.com/69709930

In the example lessons, students are given the input as a whole class 

Children then self-select the task they feel best suits their confidence with the content. 

If they feel the challenge they picked was too hard or too easy, they are free to go back and pick another one. 

Children were taught to challenge themselves but also not feel ashamed of picking the easier challenge if they want to. 

They can work through all 3 challenges during the lesson if they wish so can build confidence during a lesson.

INSET: No Child Left Behind!

One of big themes this year is about progress and leaving no child behind. Our INSET was focussed on classroom strategies that allow equal and equitable opportunties for all children to learn. The cartoon below illustrates the message well.

To highlight this principle in our school, one of the actions we felt necessary was a big change to the way we group children in lessons. Talking to our children, there is a perception of the 'red' table that we feel is not justified or serving any purpose in a truly equal and equitable education system. This can have implications for children's self-esteem and can lead to a focus on the group rather than the individual. Here are some of our comments:

Flexible seating allows pupils to work with different children in the class which encourages them to work independently and cooperatively with a variety of personalities.

Having a concept explained by a peer is extremely powerful and equally; articulating methods to others embed concepts more thoroughly.

Flexible seating allows the teacher to accurately target the pupils who need it in response to on-going assessment.

Coloured grouping cultivates an ethos of fixed mind-sets.  The children know where they stand in the class – there is very little movement or opportunities for them to go beyond these groupings.  Their tasks and activities are set for their table; however, there is no real personalised challenge.  This puts a ceiling on children's learning.

Grouping children by presumed ability rests on the assumption that teachers know exactly what each child will achieve in a lesson. In reality this is rare, as completing tasks does not always equate with achievement.

Children may be sat next to the same child/ren year after year or may be kept on a table to make up the numbers.

Reviewing Our Learning Behaviours...

Teachers (in years 1 to 6) will be sharing at parent evenings their reviews of children's learning behaviours in class. This is something we started last year as a means of discussing our children's strengths and areas that we need to work on in lessons. We will be working on these throughout the year and our aim is always to help children to learn to be the best they can! While this isn't an exhaustive list and neither does it equate to high or low attainment - it is something that we do believe has a strong link to the good or better progress pupils are able to sustain in school.

Being Brilliant...!

Another element of our INSET day was to review the things we do well as a school. We hold our reputation as a school very dearly and I liken this to the BBC... not that we have the same values but that we have a set of core values and principles by which we are well known for. To be an outstanding school is a privilege but it comes with great expectations and responsibilities! We need to continue to be brilliant at the basics and remember our core purpose - teaching and learning. We need to "let the systems take the strain" meaning we're so good at doing things they become second nature. Next and very importantly, we need to care about what we're doing and take pride in the work we do. Let's also be good about communicating this to each other! In other words: learning to be the best we can... now, where have I heard that before?

The Marshmallow Test...

Could you take the

Marshmallow test?

Success in the 'Marshmallow Test' is a significant predictor in how well children will do in school and later life. Often referred to as delayed gratification, it is a key behaviour for learning. Why? Put simply, if you can learn to be patient and wait for something, you’ll often get something better at the end.  For example, if you spend all your pocket money every week, what can you buy?  On the other hand, if you save for a week or even a year, what will you be able to afford?  Children need to learn to work at things before they succeed – they might not be brilliant at first but if they persevere and have patience they are more likely to achieve something better.

Being Resilient!

We've been working hard to embed our Learning Values into everything we do in school. Children have been making 'bounce back' figures to remind them about keeping going when things get challenging. In KS1, teachers have been using eyes (...plastic ones!) with their class to say 'I like what I see!' which is really reinforcing positive behaviours. We also have more learning targets to share below which are really highlighting what children think they have to get better at.

New Learning Targets

We've been reviewing how we incorporate our School's learning values to become more meaningful for pupils. We are going to trial a new target idea where children reflect on what they need to do to improve their learning. Children will be supported to select targets which link to our 'Hands, Hearts and Heads' values - the things they need to do to better. Here's a really good example from a pupil in KS2. We'll be reviewing these regularly to see what impact they're having and see if it's making a difference.

Examples of Resilience...

The Learning Pit from Kenilworth Learning on Vimeo.

This is a really good example of someone very well known thinking about resilience! This fits in perfectly with our current focus on this value and how it it such an important learning behaviour to encourage in our children.

Inset: Importance of Resilience

Part of our INSET day on Monday was to launch a focus on our next learning value: Resilience. Partly inspired by Team GB success and other successful famous individuals, we began by defining resilience and why it is such an important quality. We also wanted to work our thinking around to the classroom and why it's such an important learning behaviour. Teaching children well being and happiness is important and the ability to 'Bounce' back when things don't go so well is a vital part of this. We also considered how to teach and model this in the classroom. What do children do when they find something hard? How can we support them in getting off and beyond that first step? Over the next few weeks, each class will be looking at building resilience into their work and we hope it encourages pupils to take a more positive view of themselves and how they learn.

Inspiring Leadership Conference

The not so sunny banks of central Birmingham's canals saw us attend this year's Inspiring Leadership conference at the ICC. We were inspired by several speakers, not all of whom were from the world of education, and they provided us with much to think about! Some of the best quotes from the conference are below. A favourite is in the picture above - '100 things 1% better' from Humphrey Waters who supported the England Rugby team to World Cup success!

1. Look for the gap in the wave

2. Grown up restless leadership is not a matter of age but of attitude

3. The mountain isn't ready

4. Bureaucracy is terrified of leaving free time in your schedule

5. This conference is all about nourishing the spirit

6. People who have...an unerring ability to go straight to the periphery of a problem

7. Sometimes you need to solve 50 little problems to solve one big problem

8. The higher the stakes, the bigger the instinct to blame

9. In business we touch people's wallets, as teachers you touch their soul

10. Children should go to school with open minds and return home with shiny eyes

Getting Better Never Stops!

There is something hugely satisfying as a school when we hear of the achievements of our ex-pupils. While we don't wish to take any of the credit or claim any responsibility, there is a sense of pride amongst us that one of our own has gone forward and done so well. Recently, we were extremely pleased to hear that Callum has gone on to do so impressively well in Athletics and that another of our ex-pupils, Macy, has just been made Head Girl at Bitterne Park. We're proud of the achievements of all of our pupils and it's really nice to hear about what they're doing now.

A Strong Team!

We have a had a very busy few days and the dust is settling after our visit from Ofsted. While we await the full report, expected in a couple of weeks, we take a moment to reflect on our experience. We are not allowed to provide any details of the inspection judgements but we can say how very proud we are of our school, our staff, our children and the community which we serve. We are looking forward to being able to share Ofsted's findings with you all soon! Thank you for all the support you have shown.

School leadership... crises as the norm?

We thought we might share some perspectives on current leadership practices both locally and nationally made by Steve Mumby in a recent presentation to schools in Southampton. He has a interesting take on the acceptance that crises is the norm and that we shouldn't be phased by it! Obviously, this is heavily summarised but we particularly liked this advice for schools:

• Regard crises as the norm and complexity as fun
• A bottomless well of intellectual curiosity
• A complete absence of paranoia and self-pity
• Unwarranted optimism

The Role of the Pupil...

A key thought around our new curriculum is the role of the pupil. We led an assembly for our pupils on making learning look effortless recently which emphasised the need for 'grit' - the stuff that makes you stick at things when the going gets tough and stops you giving up - the grit that makes you flow to do the things you aspire to do. For more details head here! Consequently, the new curriculum is tough on learners - it's a tough love curriculum or TLC! An interesting idea recently espoused at a Southampton conference which we are pinching... our pupils need to be:

• Taking greater responsibility
• Developing the language to communicate learning - being articulate
• Identifying and discussing their own next steps
• Working collaboratively
• Questioning
• Growing their mindset!

Getting our heads around feedback and progress...

We have been contemplating the issue of how we demonstrate progress in the new curriculum within a lesson, across a series of lessons and across a year. We would also like to be able children to understand that their learning behaviour and attitude contributes towards this. The removal of levels does not necessarily provide that something to aim for. Where does that inspiration and aspiration for pupils to aim for that higher achievement now come from? We have begun to think around how we can use the B-W-S to provide a model for our olders pupils to achieve '6S+' or '6-cess'! We feel for some of children, feedback on their progress through their classwork that is linked to something more tangible will give them something to aim for. It's a work in progress!

Valuing Reflection

Example of a Reflection Bubble from Year 6

We are continually developing our learning values and this terms focus is 'Reflection'.

What are we doing already as a school?

• Reflection bubbles with checklists to check work against
• Reflection bubbles with key questions to prompt
• Getting the children to explain a process/their thinking
• Reflect on next steps at the end of a piece of work
• Reflect on prior learning. E.g. children generate their success criteria at the beginning of a piece
• Reflect on previous learning through the use of photographic evidence

What do we also need to develop this term?

• Reflection in other subjects e.g. Science to explain a process; PE to reflect on routine/performance from previous week.
• More opportunities to reflect on previous learning. E.g. use them to prompt application of skills across the curriculum; use them as a way to improve a piece of work.
• Children learning the importance of reflection and how it supports their overall teaching and learning.

What evidence will we see?

• Reflection bubbles/speech bubbles across the curriculum
• Children becoming better at reflecting on their learning
• Teachers responding and using them to support teaching and learning. E.g. use them to inform next steps in planning
• Opportunities for reflection being built into the curriculum map/timetable

Poker Chips...?

We think you might enjoy this clip about strategies for improving children's behaviour. 

Class Identities...?

The school is trying something a little different for next year's class names. Having the conundrum of what to call our two new reception classes has allowed us to think of providing each class with a little bit of an identity. After much deliberation and consultation with the staff and children we've arrived at the following ideas:

Reception: Puffins & Kingfishers

Year 1: Robins & Finches

Year 2: Swifts & Swallows

Year 3: Nightingales & Skylarks 

Year 4: Rooks & Jackdaws

Year 5: Owls & Woodpeckers

Year 6: Kestrels & Merlins

This will be both a celebration of the natural world, a link to our school badge and give each class a symbol or mascot to represent them. We would also like to source a mascot for each of the birds - so if anyone has any ideas...?

The 'Key Jar' Resource

This is a fantastic resource for parents and staff we were given by our school nurse. We can't print all of it here but the link is here if you want to find out more.

We quote: 'Unlock the hearts of your little ones using these keys to a great family conversation. Cut out the label below, affix it to a jar, and fill the jar with the question strips on pages 3-5. Simply pull a question from the jar during a family meal and listen to the magic unfold!'

Here are some examples: 
Who in your class is lonely?

Who in your class is a leader?

When is it hard being a friend?

Who is somebody you’d like to be friends with who isn’t yet your friend?

Adopting Our Values

Here is a good example of one of our staff adopting a practical approach to how our learning values can be used and applied by pupils in lessons - in this case, PE & Games.