CoMPasS
Registered Charity No: 1141329
I always tell the children that their job at school is to be learners and to keep becoming better and better learners and our job is to teach them to be amazing learning superheroes! Through the lens of metacognition, we aim to enable children to gain knowledge of themselves as learners, knowledge of the task they are undertaking and knowledge about which strategies they should select to complete the task. In so doing we want children to be purposefully planning, monitoring and evaluating their own learning and making adjustments where needed. Of course, if we are asking children to become proficient in the learning process, we need to understand what we mean by learning. So exactly what do we mean by the concept of learning? This question is a conundrum that educators constantly grapple with. After all, we are constantly learning and striving to reflect, refine and improve our practice. Educational research provides a multitude of theories revealing the complexities of learning with all its ambiguities and idiosyncrasies. Something we can all agree on is, that as humans, learning is life long and an integral part of acquiring new knowledge, skills and understanding, often subconsciously, using this to adapt and survive throughout life. In its earliest
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form the function of learning was literally about firstly surviving and then thriving. Learning is all around us and takes place beyond the classroom and in all endeavours whether planned or unplanned. Often learning in schools is defined by test scores and exam results as a measure of cognitive ability and learning as the delivery of knowledge from teacher to pupil. However, several theories of learning focus on the process of learning and describe an intricate enterprise which includes cognitive ability, but also having powerful emotional, environmental and relational aspects. Learning can be challenging, frustrating and joyful in equal measure, but when we create the right conditions for learning, such as ensuring learners feel safe and comfortable and a sense of belonging, we open up a world of possibilities for the children. This is explained in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs where learning cannot be maximised unless the basic physiological and psychological needs are met first. Seeing the children in the playground, in their classrooms, in music, PE, clubs and more, it is so clear that the children know that this is their school and they belong here. This week I had a wonderful chat with a child in Reception who was designing and making an instrument. He described his detailed plan and how
he had gone about making it. In a Year 1 classroom, I saw an incredible model where a group of children have worked collaboratively and gone back reflecting on and refining the design. In Year 2, children were working with such care, detail and pride, eager to teach me their newly acquired skills of how to make an illuminated letter. In Year 3, I saw children transferring knowledge and skills between subject areas to explore materials, inspire writing, create art and use an app to create animated content. This is the process of learning in evidence, not easily measured as test scores are, but so valuable and powerful in impact and for the futures of our learners. In other news, this was the final week of the visit by Austrian teaching students. I’d like to say a big thank you to them on behalf of the staff and children. They’ve delivered lessons on Austrian culture, listened to readers, supported clubs and assisted with learning. We wish them success as they embark on their teaching careers back home in Austria. Thank you too to our FoSP volunteers for holding a Macmillan Coffee Morning and a second hand uniform sale this week. This was very well supported.
With best wishes,
Friday 29th September 2023
DIARY FOR WEEK COMMENCING
Council
Year 1 Cricket*
Year 1 Animals & The Environment
Year 2 IT
Year 2 & 3 Football*
Year 3 Cookery
Year 1 Lets Get Moving
Year 2 STEM
Year 2 Cricket*
Year 3 Swimming (Cancelled)
Year 3 Tennis*
Year 2 & 3 Dance Club*
Yeat 2 & 3 European Cultures
Year 3 Hockey
Year 3 STEM
1 Lexia
Year 1 Street Dance*
Year 2 & 3 Lioness Football*
Year 2 & 3 Running Club
Year 2 & 3 Board Games
Year 3 Cricket*
