Primary First Issue 18

PrimaryFirst The journal for primary schools Issue 18 £5.00

“Children are people: they are more than a score.”

National Association for Primary Education in association with

Editorial The government’s position in education is in limbo. As always there is much huffing and puffing, particularly concerning the removal of the ban on extending grammar schools, but an absolute dearth of action.

The White Paper which promised action to compel all schools to become academies was quickly cast into outer darkness by Justine Greening, the new Secretary of State. It would seem that Greening is in listening mode having quietly discarded or postponed a number of her predecessor’s measures.

Retaking the phonic test in years 2 and 3, abandoned, retaking SATs in year 7, abandoned, the 2016 assessment data considered not comparable with previous years and rejected as a basis for intervention in schools, the continuation of the EYFS profile until 2017/18 and a promise that no new tests or assessments will be introduced until 2018/19. A formidable list indeed which coupled with the earlier move from the assessment of levels related to the national curriculum to the assessment of individual progress signifies a major shift in government thinking. We should not underrate the importance of the shift. Formerly the state set arbitrary levels of attainment which all children were required to reach at predetermined points in their schooling. Those who didn’t and the teachers who taught them were categorised as failures. The damage wreaked by such a deficit model of learning has been incalculable. Now the focus of our attention moves to individual children and an acknowledgement that each one is unique and that

personal circumstances should be taken into account as we evaluate progress.

It is too early to put the flags out because there are more than enough politicians who cherish a golden time which never existed and who are determined to keep us in the past. However all those who are working for a more enlightened education system should be greatly encouraged. Perhaps, who knows, this includes a secretary of state who comes from an unusual background compared with the rest of the cabinet and who has already demonstrated an independence of mind.

There is a new and vibrant part of the education scene which Justine Greening will have to consider as she emerges from her self-imposed purdah. In May of last year several thousand parents withdrew their children from national assessment. This spontaneous action prompted by social media was the first sign that families were organising to reject an education system which had reduced itself to cramming for repeated testing.

Our children are worth more than a score is the rallying cry and parents’ organisations such as Rescue Our Schools and Let Our Kids Be Kids have joined unions and voluntary associations to put together a determined campaign which grows in power and influence with each passing week.

Education research should never have been conceived as principally dedicated to evaluating the efficacy or impact of ‘present practices’... The master question from which the mission of education is derived is: What should be taught to whom and with what pedagogical object in mind? Jerome Bruner

About us

Editorial Editorial Board

John Coe Peter Cansell, Malini Mistry, Stuart Swann, Robert Young

Primary First journal is published three times per year by the National Association for Primary Education in association with the Association for the Study of Primary Education.

Primary First, 57 Britannia Way, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS14 9UY Tel. 01543 257257, Email. nape@onetel.com ©Primary First 2017 No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written permission of the publisher.

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Parent Power

by Debra Kidd

CONTENTS

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Understanding history. Marjan de Groot-Reuvekamp, Anji Ros, Carla van Boxtel and Frans Oort construct a developmental model.

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Susanne Walan considers the teaching of science.

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What children like about their physical activity by Suzanne Everley and Tony Macfadyen.

Malini Mistry introduces the ASPE pages.

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Reviews by John Coe.

Fostering creativity by Vassiliki Riga and Elena Chronopoulou.

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Using digital technology by Christine Preston and Marion Scott Baker.

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Editorial About Us

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Debra Kidd puts the parents’ point of view.

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The need for play by Pam Jarvis.

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Saxon primary school looks at global issues.

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The Book Page by Carey Fluker Hunt.

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Let me set the picture. When I went to see their Yr 5 and 6 play at Christmas time, the head stood up before the children began.

When my youngest was in Year 4, I decided to boycott the SATs. He’s now in Year 5. I strongly believe that the SATs tests, as they currently stand, are damaging to children and to schools and that the only reasonable option for parents who are concerned, is to refuse to allow their child to sit them. If you’re a parent of a primary aged child, please consider this as an option available to you.

“You’ll notice that Year 6 pupils are reading their lines from pieces of paper,” she explained, “This is because they have been working so hard for their SATs, they’ve not had time to practice.”

The tests are not until May. Surely, they could have spent some time on their play? The lines were short and they had one each! In the last week of term, leading up to Christmas, the Year 5 class were told they could have their Christmas party only if they did a Maths test first and on the first day back in January, they sat two practice SATs tests and a comprehension test. Happy New Year! Like many schools, Maths and English fill the long morning of curriculum time and all the rest (Art, Music, Languages, Science, History, Geography, PE, RE and anything else) are crammed into a short afternoon usually lasting no more than 90 minutes. There are literally not enough hours in the day to cover them all, so some get lost. By no stretch of the imagination is this the “broad and balanced” curriculum that is a statutory requirement of all publicly funded schools.

The picture I describe is not an isolated one. There is relentless pressure put on young people to perform all over the country. In one school I visited last year, the whole of year 6 were in exam halls doing a mock paper on a beautiful, sunny day.

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In another school Year 6 were told by their teacher that if they didn’t pass their SATs she would cancel their planned play day - a supposed reward for hard work over the year. All across the country, stressed teachers are imposing expectations on stressed children that are completely unrealistic and unfair. And for what? Of course English and Maths matter and there’s a strong case that they should take priority over other subjects, but an hour of each per day should be more than adequate - still way more than other subjects and more than they’ll have in secondary school. It’s what my older boys (now 24 and 18) got. So what has changed?

The new tests are so demanding and the results from last year so unreliable that schools are in a blind panic about not meeting the floor target. They are concerned that poor data will lead to a poor Ofsted inspection.

They are right to be worried. This is the government that declared they wanted all pupils to be above average, demonstrating a poorer understanding of mathematics than they expect of their 11 year olds.

Take this exchange at the Education Select Committee in 2014 when the changes were first being introduced by then Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Q98 Chair: One is: if “good” requires pupil performance to exceed the national average, and if all schools must be good, how is this mathematically possible?

Michael Gove: By getting better all the time.

Q99 Chair: So it is possible, is it?

Michael Gove: It is possible to get better all the time.

Q100 Chair: Were you better at literacy than numeracy, Secretary of State?

Michael Gove: I cannot remember.

There are no excuses for failure, yet the writing results show a frightening level of inconsistency across the country in terms of moderation and marking and overall the number of pupils meeting “expected standards” last year fell from 80% to 53%. Let me

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be clear, when half of our children are told they are failing to meet “expectations” at the age of 11, there is something wrong with the expectations, not the children.

Now, I’m as pushy a parent as any middle class woman I know. One child went to Oxford, another is off to Edinburgh. The youngest juggles three instruments with his school work. If not quite a Tiger Mom, I’m a dragon.

I don’t mind tests. I value knowledge. But I resent my children being put off school. I resent the fact that all the skills my eldest son, who is now grown and working in London, needs for work - presentation skills, report writing over time, holding his own in meetings, managing his own time, thinking both critically and creatively - all those skills are being undermined by the current education system. I resent that my youngest is constantly being told that SATs matter, when in fact they matter not a jot to a child - only to the school and to a system obsessed with measuring him in a linear way. So I’m boycotting.

A quick scout on Mumsnet shows I’m not the only one wondering this. And over in the US, 53% of parents across Long Island refused permission for their children to sit the Common Core exams - a pattern repeating itself across the US. I’ve mooted the idea on twitter and to friends and had a very mixed response.

“You’re brave - I don’t think I’d dare have that conversation with the Head” said one parent, who was brave enough to take on the school about bullying, but not about the fact that her child weeps in Year 6 at the thought of going to school.

Others expressed concern that it may impact on Year 7 sets. This is a fallacy that needs to be challenged. Most secondary schools administer low stress CATs tests on entry, not trusting the SATs results. Many don’t set at all in Year 7. Either way, your child will find their way into the right group based on the internal assessment of the school. But if they do enter secondary with a SATs score, that mark will lead Ofsted inspectors and government to judge the child’s projected performance from that day forward. Based on their SATs results, their GCSEs will be predicted. Yes, even in subjects like Art

and PE where there is little connection to the tests. It is this nonsensical belief that a child’s future is set in stone; that their capacity to grow, change, develop is irrelevant, that really pushes me over the edge. I want my child to be assessed based on their performance at the time they are assessed. Not for an old score to follow them like a shadow. In our local secondary school, Year 9 children are placed in sets based on their SATs results. What about basing it on their performance in Years 7 and 8? If there isn’t a SATs score, they’ll have to do just that.

they can to ensure that children take them. But they can’t force them to. Strictly speaking, there is nothing in law to say you can’t refuse to allow your child to take them. And I can see that being in school on the day that everyone does the tests might make your child uncomfortable and create a difficulty for the school.

So the best option seems to be to keep them off and make sure they’re getting a great home schooled experience in the meantime. I don’t think mine will complain too much if we spend time in museums, galleries and libraries on those days.

Some of the parents I spoke to worried that the law said they had to agree to their children doing the tests.

It’s true that it is the law that schools must administer and report the tests, making the assumption that parents agree. They are also expected to do everything

We have created a society which is beginning to demonise children. Labelled the “snowflake generation” they are deemed to be flighty and overly sensitive. These labels come from adults who have not experienced first hand anything like the pressure our

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We, the older ones, went through a system where you could get into a Russell Group university with a couple of Bs and a C. We walked into a strong graduate job market with no student debt. We were allowed a childhood without endless external, high stakes testing.

We took for granted the fact that we would own homes, have job security. None of these things are true for our children. It’s no wonder we’re facing a mental health crisis among the young, and more worrying still are the huge rises in calls to ChildLine from children under the age of 11, many of them citing pressure of tests as a source of their anxiety.

To rub salt into the wound, the government and exam boards seem bent on not testing what they know and understand, but on catching them out - even when they are only six or seven years old. Look at this KS1 practice paper:Spot the verbs in this sentence She was wearing her running shoes.

Now you and I know that running in this context is an adjective. It’s a trick question. What kind of human being tries to trick a 6 year old in a test? And let’s not even go into the farce that the DfE admitted to last year when it was revealed that the actual KS1 tests the children were about to sit contained the same questions that were in a practice paper published on their website.

SATs don’t benefit children. Private schools don’t do them and where they have the Common Entrance Exam, the tests are very different, encouraging a level of independent and creative thinking in children.

I absolutely believe that we, as parents, are colluding in a system of abuse if we don’t stand up and speak out about such inconsistency and conflict of interest.

That’s not to say we should all boycott - that’s a matter

of personal choice, made between each parent and each child. But we should certainly question the habit of teaching to the test, the narrowing of the curriculum, the belief that the performance in one test is transferable to another to be sat in five years’ time and to any suggestion at all, that failure to perform in a test will lead to a punishment. That is not acceptable under any circumstances.

On a final note, in response to the parents who have said to me “but what does your child think?” in all honesty it’s not been easy. He would do well. He’s starting to dislike school, but he’s compliant enough to endure it and pass the tests. We’ve discussed it at length and he feels guilty that his friends will be taking tests that he doesn’t have to do. He thinks it won’t be fair for him to eat the sweets they get as a reward and he’s worried his teacher will dislike him for it. While I have pointed out to him that every one of his friends and their parents have the choice to do what we’re doing, these concerns made me question our decision.

No-one really wants to put their child in a position where they’ll feel guilty or bad. It would be easier for him to sit the tests. But then he said - “but sometimes you have to do what you think is right, even if it seems a bit scary. So it’s ok.” And I think that’s true of all of us. Standing moaning in the playground to one another will never change the world. Teachers on their own won’t change it - they’re too compromised and when they strike they’re demonised. Parents are the only group with the power to make a difference. It’s time we used that power.

Debra Kidd writes as a parent of children in primary school.

Neurons and narratives: the human need for free play in early years development

by Pam Jarvis The arena of early years education has, over the past decade, been pitched into a situation where we seem to constantly swim against a relentless tide of inappropriate policy ‘initiatives’. This situation appears to have developed because those charged with policy development are not developmental specialists.

They have learned the lessons of the impact of early environments upon neuronal development, but appear to think that the way to respond to this is a fast pace of adult-directed activity at the earliest possible stage. This belief is highly misguided, and contrary to both theory and empirical research evidence, which will be summarised below.

What are the issues?

The current median school entry age in England, fourand-a half, is one of the earliest in the world. In 2014, the Chief OFSTED inspector, Michael Wilshaw, called for two year olds to be taught in schools ‘to improve their education’, primarily through a closely adultdirected agenda. The Early Years Foundation Stage, a statutory national framework for children from birth to five, currently stipulates 17 early learning goals against which a progress report must be made at age two, and a summative assessment must be made on entry to Year 1. In 2012, the government added a compulsory phonics test during Year 1, which children are required to repeat until they reach a designated ‘pass’ mark.

The early years sector is currently resisting an effort to bring in ‘baseline testing’- formal tests of children’s competency in literacy and numeracyon their entry to the Reception year of schooling,

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which for some children, those born in the summer months, arrives shortly after their fourth birthday.

Successful ‘performance’ on all of these tests predisposes education managers to place children in highly adult-directed situations, where they are carefully coached ‘to target’. So what is the problem with this? In essence, human beings are not factory constructed mechanisms; they are complex biological organisms; naturally evolved creatures who have an inborn developmental schedule. There is no empirical evidence to support an ‘earlier is better’ approach; in fact, a range of research in the fields of anthropology, neuroscience, psychology and education tells us that play-based learning is more effective in developing the core skills upon which later academic achievements are based.

However, the EYFS document refers to ‘planned, purposeful play’, cementing the dominant role of the adult in young children’s activities, particularly given the DfE ‘s relentless emphasis upon an ‘accountability system’ in which adults are blamed when children do not ‘perform to targets.’ Such a regime comes down particularly hard upon those with summer birthdays, the youngest of whom will be just 48 months old when they don their school uniform for the first time. There is robust evidence to indicate that summer born children are more likely to be diagnosed with special needs, and that many never fully emerge from the problems caused by being pitched into a formal education environment at such an early stage in their development. In the event of a child experiencing a condition that results in developmental delay or difference, there is an

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even greater impetus to diagnose an additional or ‘special’ need as soon as possible to avoid the staff or institution being held responsible for any ‘failure’. This raises the spectre of early labelling and all that this situation entails.

Human ‘biocultural’ development: why young children need to play Jarvis et al (2014) cite a range of evidence from a variety of academic disciplines to illustrate that human beings are, at base, members of a highly evolved, linguistic primate species, born with a highly plastic neuronal architecture which subsequently undergoes a huge amount of development in interaction with the environment. In common with other, non-human animals, children principally achieve such development through collaborative play activity, spontaneously engaging with both peers and adults. Within the field of biology, an ever-growing body of experimental evidence suggests that ‘play appears to provide young animals the opportunity to finely tune their behaviour in a contextually relevant manner with peers and so

modify the brain mechanisms that underpin social skills’ (Pellis and Pellis, 2012).

‘storying animal’ making sense of thoughts and events via such narratives, initially learned in early childhood.

Human beings differ from other animals in that they have the ability to communicate in a richly symbolic language, and this in turn underpins the deeply-rooted organising role that narrativecohesive stories- play within human societies, which are steeped in complex networks of collaboration, co-operation and competition. Early childhood is a natural developmental stage in which children have a deep need to explore and practice their interaction skills. Consider the everyday example of small boys engaged in rough and tumble playwhich is undertaken by all primates, pretending to be superheroes- which is only observed in human primate play. Ellen Jordan (1995) identified a male ‘warrior’ narrative that she proposes is likely to be part of a ‘tradition stretching from Hercules to Beowulf to Superman and Dirty Harry that depicts the male as the warrior, the knight errant, the superhero,’ while Lyle (2000) proposes that human beings are a

It is proposed that physically active, collaborative free play creates important neuronal connections in both non-human animals and human beings.

Naravaez et al (2012) propose ‘natural social play may be an experience-expectation process that helps certain forms of neural maturation with benefits for the development of higher executive brain functions.’

For human infants, such interactions need to be freely undertaken in a style that Suzanne Zeedyk refers to as ‘a jazz duet... partners are not dancing to someone else’s tune but are creating one of their own’ (Zeedyk 2006). Such interaction mirrors the flexible turn-taking of human linguistic conversation; and as language develops, the need to practice this skill in a natural context of spontaneous mutual exchange intensifies. For example, Pellegrini and Blatchford (2000) concluded that, for five year old

boys, the amount of time spent in active social play with other boys directly predicts their level of success in social problem-solving one year later.

In the early 21st century, bio-psychologists discovered ‘mirror neurons’ which fire when we simply imagine ourselves taking part in activities.

A practical example of this process may be found in the narrative that a child, or group of children might typically construct in making a towel ‘stand for’ Superman’s cape and consequently the child or children concerned, for Superman and other ‘superheroes’. In this way, children become able to flexibly view the world from a number of different positions and perspectives, a key human skill which most importantly underlies the development of ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM). ToM allows us to guess what other people are thinking and use this knowledge to collaborate, co-operate or compete with them.

The ability to fluidly and flexibly exchange meanings with other human beings, by ‘putting ourselves in their shoes’ is central to our species, and is used in Photo courtesy of Sam Carpenter Photography & Design

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all our interactions with each other, from playgrounds to committees to international negotiations.

The over-riding quality of free play-play in which the child chooses his/ her activity freely from the surrounding environment- is that the narratives that unfold are open-ended, as are the uses of objects within them. The child has to flexibly respond from moment to moment, to stay in the game. This is crucial for building effective interaction skills, which cannot be directly ‘taught’ by relentless immersion in adult-directed activity. Internationally renowned psychologist Alison Gopnik found that direct teaching at an early stage in a child’s development was less successful than play-led activity, because adult domination of the teaching and learning agenda ‘leads children to narrow in, and to consider just the specific information a teacher provides’. If children are not confronted with open-ended problems, they will not effectively learn how to find open-ended solutions; all problems will be perceived as having one fixed solution that only an adult can ‘tell’ you.

There is no deep learning accomplished through such ‘telling’ as there is no linkage of words to concrete events and activities, most particularly highly variable responses from other human beings. Therefore, ‘the teacher will tell you’ narrative is terminally impoverished from the very beginning.

If we continually constrain children into highly adult dominated situations at this stage of their development, we condemn them to an insoluble maze of ‘alienation and confusion’; a situation predicted by Jerome Bruner almost 40 years ago. What ensues is an Alice through the looking glass world where the focus is not upon developing children’s natural human capacities to generate independent and collaborative problem solving narratives linked to action, but to ‘drill’ them to individually regurgitate rote-learned ‘right’ answers in response to artificial, disembedded assessment events. This, in turn, sets up a range of problems for them as childhood progresses and they are expected to competently engage in more formal modes of interaction, many of which they will meet within increasingly structured teaching and learning environments.

Emergent Issues Practically-derived, comparative data on the ineffectiveness of the current English state education system has been ignored by successive governments.

Nations in which children start formal education later (up to the age of seven) achieve better results on average than those where they start formal education earlier. For example, Finland, where children start formal schooling at seven, are allocated a substantial amount of time for play, and not formally tested throughout the entire primary school period is ranked fourteen places higher than the United Kingdom in the most recent PISA comparisons.

These were undertaken in 2012, following 23 years of an increasingly monolithic National Curriculum in England, and its extension to younger and younger children. There is also compelling practice-based evidence to suggest that a heavy reliance on phonics can actually impede later reading fluency. This is not surprising, when the importance of narrative to human beings is taken into account: the meaning is the key aspect of any human communication (which is, of course, what is intended by the writer).

Expecting a human being to grasp the process of reading as a set of technical skills is inevitably counter-intuitive.

It is highly likely that, if our government persists in forcing through education reforms which utterly ignore research evidence from myriad academic disciplines, forcing children into artificial, adultdirected activity at earlier and earlier ages, we will continue to exacerbate problems that are already becoming apparent in our society. We have an approximate rate of 1 in 10 children under 16 suffering from a clinically diagnosed condition at any given time. More recent research undertaken in the US, whose child mental health situation closely mirrors our own, suggests that over the past ten years, there has been a slow but steady increase in this statistic. In 2012, the Children’s Society and the University of York estimated that year about ‘half a million children in the UK in the eight to 15 age range have low well-being at any point in time’. Correspondingly, two successive Unicef reports focusing upon the richer nations, in 2007 and 2013,

have found British children to have very low levels of ‘well-being.’ UNICEF suggests that some of the feedback indicates feelings of isolation connected to the pressure of being continually assessed in competitive situations: yet again, alienation and confusion. The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the 2015 election pledged an extra 1.25bn to deal with the ongoing deterioration in juvenile mental health; yet another ‘through the looking glass policy’ which, however well meaning, attempts to provide a sticking plaster without considering how to heal the wound.

It is additionally becoming increasingly apparent that not only children are suffering from anomic despair within the current state education system; there is a tsunami of anxiety and depression rolling through the teaching profession. A letter to the Independent on 24th April 2015 signed by 1,200 teachers proposed that their working lives were ‘increasingly difficult and for many, unbearable [with] a constant fear of being judged to be failing’; yet further evidence of alienation within a deeply dysfunctional system.

Conclusion In conclusion, an overwhelming body of evidence from a range of academic disciplines, alongside international comparison data, indicates that the provision of time and space for collaborative free play

is a non-negotiable developmental requirement for young human beings. They cannot deal with formal instruction before they have sufficient experience to ‘boot’ the system that underpins engagement with the complex modes of interaction that underpin all human societies- of which formal instruction is one.

Expecting them to do so without the benefit of such experience is the equivalent of artificially training an animal whilst keeping it in a cage, then wondering why it later struggles to effectively interact in a natural environment. This is a situation that would cause public outrage should it be enacted upon any species other than our own.

Whilst literacy and numeracy are clearly vital skills within a highly technological post-industrial society, these abilities emerge from more ancient human interaction skills, which depend upon both evolved and environmentally mediated factors: nature via nurture.

We attempt to ignore or truncate such processes at our peril. Parents and teachers should be acutely aware of this issue, and the current danger that, within state education environments in England, children are being systematically deprived in this respect.

Dr Pam Jarvis is a Senior Lecturer in Education Studies at Leeds Trinity University.

Christopher Jarman It is with great sadness that we report the death of Christopher Jarman who was a founder member of the National Association for Primary Education.

Christopher made an important contribution to the development of the modern primary school. Froebel trained, he was an outstandingly successful primary head teacher. The children he taught responded to him with affection and enthusiasm and his great talent was to see the potential for learning in the reality of children’s lives. The arts informed his teaching and he always sought to release the creativity of his pupils. Headship was followed by an equally successful appointment as an adviser to teachers in Oxfordshire. Once again he forged strong and productive personal and professional relationships and his influence was described as inspirational.

Right from the early days of his career Christopher showed a ready willingness to contribute to the wider primary scene. He became a prolific writer of articles published in the educational press and his expertise in the field of calligraphy led to the publication of materials for the teaching of handwriting which remain in use in many hundreds of primary schools today.

Chistopher Jarman, teacher, 1934 -2017

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Enhancing learning and values through global issues

By Pippa Kober

Following two years of involvement in the Global Learning Programme (GLP), Saxon Primary School in Surrey shares the positive impact that global learning is having on pupils’ learning, engagement and values.

The GLP is a government-funded programme of support that is helping thousands of teachers in primary, secondary and special schools deliver effective teaching and learning about development and global issues at Key Stages 2 and 3.

Why global learning?

The GLP offers opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world around them, and their place within it, which echoes Saxon Primary School’s ethos. Pippa Kober, KS2 Phase Leader for Saxon Primary School, explains what drove the school’s decision to introduce a focus on global learning in the school’s curriculum: ‘Our school vision is to enable all children as lifelong learners who are able to make informed choices for their future. This aim is at the heart of all decisions made, all teaching and learning opportunities, and the enrichment activities we provide for our pupils.

Our ethos matches the aims of the GLP, including: enabling children to understand their role in a globally interdependent world; and developing their understanding of the impact of global issues such as poverty, development, globalisation and social justice.’

As a result, Pippa and the other members of the Senior Leadership Team chose to use the GLP to support their delivery of social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) learning. They felt that Saxon’s strategic aims supported those of the GLP, as the school seeks to: • create diverse opportunities for growth • develop children as global citizens with a positive sense of self • support parents as partners

• strengthen and enhance collaboration between all school stakeholders • celebrate diversity • pursue excellence in teaching and learning.

Mary Ellen McCarthy, Executive Principal of the Lumen Learning Trust (of which Saxon is a part), explains why she felt that global learning should be an important feature of children’s learning: ‘At a time when there is so much unrest and displacement of huge numbers of people as a result of a war of one kind or another, the GLP feels like a truly meaningful opportunity to ensure we are providing our children with the insight they need to play their part positively in a multicultural society.’

The school began its global learning journey as a GLP Partner School in 2014. As GLP Co-ordinator for Saxon, Pippa facilitated a whole-school approach to the implementation of global learning. Following a year of developing their understanding of the programme and exploring how they could embed it within the curriculum, Saxon was then able to progress to becoming a GLP Expert Centre in 2015–16.

The impact of global learning and the GLP Through both observation and assessment, it can be seen that the children are now more aware of their responsibilities as global citizens, and they enjoy

and understanding of global learning. opportunities to challenge their perceptions and understanding of the wider world and their impact on Exploring activities to promote values it. As one Year 6 pupil explains: Pippa explains how the school approached global ‘I like that we learn about other countries and how we learning: can help them with what they are struggling with.’

‘Saxon is not a values-based school, however we With a global perspective on the school’s values and continue to review and explore the values that we when developing children’s SMSC understanding, work to promote in children in order for them to the staff have enabled the children to see beyond succeed in the future as well-rounded, informed themselves and begin to recognise their place within adults.’ the world. Through all these activities and the school’s During a recent INSET day, the staff considered the culture of empathy, inclusion and fairness, the school values that are important to them was able to demonstrate to Ofsted and those that they would wish to their commitment to developing With a global perspective exemplify in school so that the pupils children’s global awareness, as on the school’s values could make them their own. the Ofsted report from June 2015 and when developing Following the discussion, the following demonstrates: children’s SMSC core values were shared by most ‘The school has a strong track understanding, the groups: respect, trust, happiness, record of tackling inequality and staff have enabled the empathy, honesty, resilience, loyalty, discrimination, and promoting very children to see beyond tolerance, safety, sense of belonging, good relationships. Pupils from courtesy, determination, perseverance, themselves and begin different ethnic backgrounds are curiosity, enthusiasm, positivity and to recognise their place respectful of each other’s beliefs and politeness. All staff agreed that the within the world. cultural heritages. Older pupils are implementation of the GLP had played knowledgeable and keen to share a pivotal role in enabling children their opinions of the benefits of democracy and the to develop their understanding of these values by rule of law, and able to relate these key aspects exploring them in context. of fundamental British values impressively and The staff went on to identify areas in which they confidently to their day-to-day life in school. felt the current provision in school reflected the ‘Pupils are provided with good opportunities to values selected. At Saxon, the provision reflects the consider and question their wider contribution and responsibilities as members of society. Teachers weave importance of SMSC learning as all children have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and aspects of cultural and religious education into the understanding of SMSC concepts across the curriculum. wider curriculum in a meaningful way. Consequently, These learning opportunities enable children to pupils have well-developed ideas of how to respond understand and apply their knowledge of a range of to discrimination or intolerance in their own school values including equality, diversity, creativity, sensitivity and are well prepared as they move forward into and morality. SMSC learning is particularly highlighted secondary education.’ in assemblies where a different strand is focused on All staff ha ve benefitted from the CPD involved in each half term, and the themes within that strand are delivering the GLP and, as a result, the children’s explored in detail. understanding of global learning has developed For example, at the start of the academic year, significantly. To monitor the impact of the GLP children’s assembly learning focuses on ‘moral on children’s values and attitudes, the school has learning’. During this half term, stories and discussion in repeatedly used the GLP Pupil Assessment Tool (PAT) assemblies focus on themes such as ‘right and wrong’, with small groups of children from each year group. ‘the consequences of our actions’, ‘forgiveness’, The scores from the PAT have continued to improve ‘judgement’, and ‘fresh starts’. and they have seen all classes’ scores increase so that During assemblies, children have the opportunity to all children are now ‘developing’ in their knowledge take part in debate and philosophical enquiry to help and understanding of global learning. The Year 6 class them develop their critical thinking skills and consider results revealed them as ‘secure’ in their knowledge

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‘big’ issues, such as: ‘Can anyone be beautiful?’; ‘Can anyone achieve their dreams?’; ‘Do you have to be a certain age to achieve your dreams?’ and ‘What does it mean to be young?’. These opportunities support children in forming their own opinions as they consider the views of others within their school community, as is highlighted by pupils from Years 4 and 5: ‘The assemblies are interesting because they help you to learn things. I like it when they act it out, it is very clear.’

‘I like that we all come together to share our thoughts and ideas. We work together to try to find an answer, but we don’t always and that is OK.’ Exploring pupils’ global connections Children at Saxon have also taken part in activities such as ‘Do one thing for diversity and inclusion’, an initiative set up by the United Nations to encourage children to broaden their understanding of different cultures. This involved a week of planned activities to enable their exploration of cultures and traditions from around the world, including: learning to write their names in Chinese characters; learning about the Mexican culture and history, and tasting Mexican food; learning about the art of judo and its importance in Japanese culture; and learning to speak Russian, and about Russian culture.

The school’s newsletter has highlighted how these activities help strengthen and enhance the collaboration between the whole school and the wider community: ‘This week the children have been developing their understanding of equality and inclusion, helping them to celebrate the diversity in our school and in the local community. We have been lucky enough to have many visitors into school from our own community and beyond to share their culture and languages with us.’

During the diversity and inclusion week, pupils also worked together to plot their ‘global connections’ on a map of the world. This experience engaged them in thinking about where they come from, and helped to highlight our similarities, as well as celebrating our differences.

As part of the week, children also explored their understanding of stereotypes and preconceptions. Using the Youth Parliament programme ‘Don’t hate, educate’ helped to highlight the importance of learning about, and understanding, one another’s viewpoints, opinions, beliefs, cultures and traditions. Children documented their values and responses to the learning, all of which

have been gathered to create a whole-school display.

Pippa summarises why she feels all schools in England should be part of the Global Learning Programme, and how to get the most out of it: ‘The GLP is the most fantastic tool for supporting children to become more aware of the world around them and to develop their sense of self within it.

For it to be most effective, it should be embedded within all aspects of the curriculum and so stakeholder buy-in is key. Even if, like us, you are not a valuesbased school, staff, parents, governors and children all buy into the values that the school promotes. The GLP supports the values that we would all want the children to understand and express in their actions and interactions with others.’

Why join the GLP Over 6,000 schools across the country are benefiting from the positive impact that global learning can have on pupils’ engagement, knowledge, skills and values.

The GLP is encouraging as many school as possible to get involved and benefit from the free training, guidance, resources, and funded CPD provided by the programme.

Hundreds of school-led GLP networks have been set up across the country to help schools support raising standards by incorporating a global element into their teaching. These networks are led by hub schools, known as GLP Expert Centres. The final wave of Expert Centres is now setting up new GLP networks. You can find your nearest Expert Centre at www.glp-e.org.uk/ support.

Each of the new GLP Expert Centres is inviting schools in the local area to join their network and gain access to the free school-led training sessions that they will run over the coming year. This is the last chance for schools to join a network and get access to this governmentfunded training opportunity.

How schools can join a local GLP network To join a GLP network, schools simply need to register their school for free at www.glp-e.org.uk. If a school is unsure which Expert Centre network they should join, they can email glp@pearson.com or call 0844 372 2126 for more information.

Benefits of joining the GLP In addition to free training sessions run by the local GLP

Expert Centre, being a GLP Partner School also gives teachers access to: • up to £500-worth of funding to support further training • a personalised action plan • curriculum and subject guidance • an abundance of free online resources Saxon Primary School is an average-sized primary school in Surrey that is growing to become a twoform entry primary school. Pupils are from a variety of backgrounds including minority ethnic groups and the Romany or Gypsy community. The number of children supported by the pupil premium is around the national

average, and the proportion of children with special educational needs is slightly above average.

Pippa Kober is a KS2 Phase Leader at Saxon Primary School, Surrey.

The GLP is funded by the UK government. All schools can join the programme, but funding is only available to Key Stages 2 and 3 in state schools in England. The GLP in England (GLP-E) is managed by a consortium of partners: Pearson (lead), Geographical Association, UCL Institute of Education, Oxfam UK, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), SSAT and Think Global.

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The Book Page

by Carey Fluker Hunt

I’ve been talking to children and teachers, and a couple of things stand out for me: the number of Year 6s complaining about the way SATs dominate their classrooms, and the number of keen and motivated teachers who rarely read aloud, for pleasure, to their children.

Much as I would like to wave a wand and fix those SATs for good, I can’t. But helping Year 6 teachers share some cracking novels with their classes (not to mention poetry and an amazing picture book or two) might be more achievable, and would go a long way towards dispelling the frustration and boredom that many eleven-year-olds are currently experiencing in school. It would also result in more independent reading, better written work, and probably raise their test scores, too - but that’s another story.

So what’s stopping Year 6 teachers - and others from reading aloud in class? Time is clearly a factor.

Given the pressures, a shared class story can seem like the icing on the cake – something that’s nice but not entirely necessary – and if it features at all, it’s likely to be shoehorned into the last five minutes of the day. But reading aloud to children, for enjoyment, can have a dramatic impact on their motivation to read independently – particularly children who struggle to form positive relationships with books – and given the impact of reading for pleasure on a child’s attainment, surely we should be reading aloud more frequently, not less?

Research shows that adult support in creating ‘lifetime readers’ is critical. Rarely does a child’s reading-for-pleasure habit emerge without the support of at least one enthusiastic modeller. If you want children to read for pleasure, then show them what that means. Give them a taste for different types of books and stories, and help them become

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confident explorers in this magical world by making reading aloud a priority in your classroom, rather than an ‘extra’. For maximum benefit, choose a prime-time slot, give yourselves long enough to ‘get into it’ and make it regular. And while you’re at it, find ways to share books with children on a more informal basis, too. There are organisations and initiatives who’ll offer ideas for out-of-hours clubs and schemes, and any support you can give families will be time well spent.

But time isn’t the only barrier: lack of confidence can play its part. Without an effective whole-school reading culture to support them, teachers can feel exposed when reading aloud, particularly to older children. I would argue that teachers need, want and deserve more training in sharing books with children of all ages, but I would also argue that children (even Year 6s) are more open to listening to books being read aloud and less inclined to criticize a performance than teachers think. It is easier when the habit is formed young, but a book is a doorway to something special – another place, another time, a whole new way of thinking – and the power of a good story will do most of the work for any adult willing to share.

your routine, you’ll also need to think about challenging your listeners. You wouldn’t choose to feed a child entirely on jam sandwiches, so don’t allow yourself to do the same with books. Children who are never offered the literary equivalents of sprouts and gorgonzola may struggle to develop an independent taste for them, and some of the most rewarding books are the ones that grow on people slowly, like olives. A relationship with them may require an advocate to nurture it, and it’s our

responsibility, of course, to be those advocates and help our children find the books they didn’t know they’d like. There’s nothing more enjoyable than trying something new and finding that it’s awesome – and having an opinion on why you don’t like it can be empowering, too.

We want our children’s behaviour around books to be engaged, informed and motivated, and reading aloud to them, whatever their age, for pleasure, is an essential part of that.

Carey Fluker Hunt is Creative Development Manager at Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s books based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Carey writes in a personal capacity.

Choosing the best material can be a barrier, too.

Some teachers are out-of-touch with current titles and don’t know what will work. But getting stuck in with a story is better than holding off until you’re equipped with exactly the right book. Sharing something that’s already familiar or builds on previous experiences (the collected works of Roald Dahl, for example) can be a good way to start. As long as you discuss your responses, you can discover what pleases you, together, as a team.

But pleasure doesn’t necessarily reveal itself up front. Once you’ve taken the plunge and established

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Learning from each other: creativity in subjects Malini Mistry, Editor of ASPE articles

The educational world is dynamic and ever changing.

We are all striving to improve our practice to give our pupils the best possible educational experience by learning from each other. One way this happens is through collaboration and the sharing of good practice between, local, national and international primary institutions.

The following articles explore a range of issues associated with how creativity in learning can transpire.

Firstly, we look at how music and movement can support creative thinking in pupils. Secondly, we look at pupils understanding of historical time. Next, we look at how teachers reflect on inquiry and context based teaching in science. Finally we look at pupil’s perceptions of physical education.

Photo courtesy of Sam Carpenter Photography & Design

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Strategies and conditions to foster creative thinking and creative behaviours in young children

by Vassiliki Riga & Elena Chronopoulou, Hellenic Open University, Greece

strategies that integrate creative skills while the other direction implies the necessity to broaden educators’ comprehension on creativity and encourage them to explore and cultivate their own creative potential in order to incorporate creativity in the daily curriculum.

The significance of current research is the specific framework proposed with the presence of four aspects (press, product, process and personality) that can be used to design educational methods that facilitate creativity. Furthermore, it suggests new perspectives and point of views in order to lead to further research.

Full article can be found at:

The purposes of this research were: • to identify the effect of a music and movement program on the creative thinking of young children, • to recognise how a spherical comprehension of creativity may apply in educational settings, and • to provide extensive pedagogical and practical implications on conditions and strategies that facilitate creativity in school.

Recurring findings on creativity research in school settings indicate that creative thinking in young children can be fostered when students are exposed in creative activities and stimuli within the original curriculum. More specifically, the contribution of music and movement activities in children’s creative thinking has been suggested by many researchers (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 2000; Niland, 2009).

The rationale of this research is innovative as it goes beyond the interpretation of the effect that music and movement have on creative thinking. The current study attempts to explore certain strategies and conditions that should co-exist during creative teaching and to suggest how a music and movement programme can be applied in school in order to enhance creative thinking of young students.

The basic theoretical frame for this research refers to the four dimensions of creativity, press, product, process and personality (MacKinnon, 1965), which interact and operate as an entire system. Isolating these dimensions may provide misleading conclusions, thus, creativity should be considered and analyzed as a multi-faceted phenomenon (MacKinnon, 1970). Relations and effects of these 4 directions (4P’s) during a music and movement educational program in preschool students are examined in this study though a quasi-experimental research.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004279.2 012.692700

References Burton, J. M., Horowitz, R., & Abeles, H. (2000). Learning in and through the arts: The question of transfer. Studies in Art Education, 41(3), 228–257.

MacKinnon, D.W. (1965). Personality and the realization of creative potential. American Psychologist 20(4), 273–81.

MacKinnon, D.W. (1970). Creativity: A multi-faceted phenomenon. In J.D. Roslansky (ed.), Creativity: A discussion at the nobel conference, pp. 17–32, Amsterdam: NorthHolland.

Niland, A. (2009). The power of musical play: The value of play-based, child-centered curriculum in early childhood music education. General Music Today, 23(1), 17-21.

Torrance, P. E. (1974). The Torrance Tests of Creative ThinkingNorms-Technical Manual Research Edition-Verbal Tests, Forms A and B-Figural Tests, Forms A and B. Princeton, NJ: Personnel Press.

The research was conducted with a sample of young children aged 5 to 6 years old. One group of students (experimental group) was engaged in a music and movement educational program, while another, equivalent group of students (control group), followed the original curriculum. Sixteen educational interventions with 45-60min duration have been held to the experimental group. Pre/post evaluation was applied in both groups and provided a variety of outcomes. To obtain reliable results both qualitative and quantitative evaluation were used through the following complementary research tools, Torrance’s tests (Torrance, 1974), participant’s observation and semi structured interviews.

The findings suggest that in order to foster creativity, teacher should constantly encourage children’s freedom of expression and exploration. Through movement and music improvisation, music play, role playing, circle discussions an atmosphere that supports communicational and emotional interaction is created and creative behaviors revealed. Apart from the educational tools that foster creativity, teachers’ perception of creativity and their ability to identify and support creative potential is more than significant.

The impact of this research is that it highlights the need for redefining creativity education in two directions.

One direction refers to the design of the educational

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Primary School Pupils’ Performances in Understanding Historical Time

by Marjan de Groot-Reuvekamp, Anje Ros, Carla van Boxtel and Frans Oort The aims of this research were: • To construct a developmental model with stages on pupils’ understanding of historical time; • To investigate how primary school pupils in grades 3 to 8 (aged 6 to 12) perform in a test with regard to their understanding of historical time.

This research was innovative because there is no description available on stages along which pupils develop their understanding of historical time. Furthermore the instrument, based on the developmental model and consisting of a test with which we measured pupils’ performances, is innovative as well. The model and the test can help teachers to improve the understanding of historical time of their students. This is useful, since data from national reports, in both the Netherlands and England indicate that the teaching of historical time is not always very well implemented in the curricula (Wagenaar, Van der Schoot & Hemker, 2010; Ofsted, 2011; De GrootReuvekamp, Van Boxtel, Ros & Harnett, 2014).

Supporting theory looked at empirical studies that give insight how children aged 5 to 12 show their understanding of historical time in the use of the vocabulary on time, in how they understand and use dates and in how they use historical knowledge (Levstik and Pappas, 1987; Harnett, 1993; Barton and Levstik, 1996; Hoge and Foster, 2002). These studies, next to descriptions in English and Dutch curricula (De Groot-Reuvekamp, et al., 2014) were the basis for the construction of a developmental model with three stages: emergent, initial and continued understanding of historical time. For each stage we defined skills and knowledge for five objectives: vocabulary and dates; sequence; timelines; characteristic features and compare and contrast. Based on this model, we constructed an instrument, with which we measured how pupils perform.

Our sample consisted of 1457 pupils aged 6 to 12, from 65 classes (grades 3 to 8) in 7 schools situated in the south-east of the Netherlands in smaller and larger cities. They all took the test that we developed with multiple choice items, based on the objectives and the stages in the developmental model.

model. In particular the chronological sequence and the dates of historical periods can be addressed more explicitly and the use of timelines can be intensified and improved.

Full article can be found at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2015.1075053 Reference list: Barton, K. C., & Levstik, L. S. (1996). “Back When God Was Around and Everything”: The Development of Children’s Understanding of Historical Time. American Educational Research Journal, 33, 419–454.

De Groot-Reuvekamp, M.J., Van Boxtel, C., Ros A., & Harnett, P. (2014). The understanding of historical time in the primary history curriculum in England and the Netherlands. Journal of Curriculum Studies.

De Groot-Reuvekamp, M. (2014). Historisch Tijdsbesef.

Theorie en Praktische Voorbeelden voor het Basisonderwijs.

[The Understanding of Historical Time. Theory and Practical Examples for Elementary Education]. Retrieved from http:// www.historischtijdsbesef.nl/en/ Harnett, P. (1993). Identifying Progression in Children’s Understanding: The Use of Visual Materials to Assess Elementary School Children’s Learning in History. Cambridge Journal of Education 23 (2), 137–154.

Hoge, D. J., & S. J. Foster. (2002). It’s about Time: Students’ Understanding of Chronology, Change and Development in a Century of Historical Photographs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, April 2002.

Levstik, L. S., & C. C. Pappas. (1987). Exploring the Development of Historical Understanding. Journal of Research and Development in Education 21 (1), 1–15.

Ofsted. (2011). History for all. History in English schools 20072010. Retrieved from www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/historyfor-all.

Wagenaar, H., Schoot, F. van der & Hemker, B. (2010).

Balans van het geschiedenisonderwijs aan het einde van de basisschool. PPON-reeks nummer 42. Arnhem, the Netherlands: Stichting Cito, Instituut voor Toetsontwikkeling.

[Balance of history teaching at the end of primary school.

Arnhem: Foundation Cito, Institute for development of assessment].

Marjan de Groot-Reuvekamp, Fontys University of Applied Science, Hertogenbosch Anje Ros, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Hertogenbosch Carla van Boxtel, University of Amsterdam Frans Oort, University of Amsterdam

The findings showed that on all three stages pupils in higher grades significantly outperformed pupils in lower grades. In stage B and C girls scored just significantly lower than boys whereas the effect of reading levels was significant. In all three stages the effect of parents’ education was small but significant. In all grades there seems to be room for improvement, especially in grades 3, 4 and 5, where pupils have hardly had any teaching on the understanding of historical time.

However, also in the grades 6, 7 and 8 pupils could improve in the stage of continued understanding of historical time.

The impact of this research was that the model with three stages of understanding of historical time together with the instrument that we constructed, appeared to be useful to describe and measure along which stages primary pupils in grades 3 to 8 develop their understanding of historical time.

This research is useful in primary settings and for teacher trainers and students in initial and in-service teacher training.

We recommend that teachers in primary schools engage their students in activities that help to reach the objectives of historical time as outlined in the 25

Enhancing Primary Science: An Exploration of Teachers’ Own ideas of Solutions to Challenges in Inquiry and Context-based teaching

by Susanne Walan

Welcome to the Association of the Study of Primary Education (ASPE) ASPE was founded in the belief that one of the best ways to advance primary education is through professional collaboration and action. ASPE was launched in 1988 to address the demand for establishing a national association to help advance the cause of primary education by promoting its study. ASPE’s objects are to advance the education of young learners by enhancing the development of primary education through:

Promoting Primary Education

Promoting collaboration

Holding Events

MEMBERSHIP OF ASPE INCLUDES: • The only primary education organisation • Subscription to 3-13 • Online journal access • Promote reflective practice • Priority access to ASPE events • Access to research funding

Publishing materials

Reflection on practice

Promoting information

FOR INFORMATION ON JOINING ASPE, PLEASE CONTACT THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY AT:

The aim of this research was:

• To investigate how primary teachers reflect on the use of inquiry and context-based science education.

The study is innovative since there are very few studies on primary teachers’ experience of inquiry- and context-based science education.

This study can serve as a demonstration of how science education in primary school can be developed.

This whole project is grounded in theories and experiences of inquiry- and context-based science education (e.g. Bennett & Holman, 2002; Bennett, Lubben & Hogarth, 2007; Crawford, 2014; Gilbert, 2006). The study is of particular interest since earlier research has reported how primary teachers lack knowledge about instructional strategies when they are teaching science (Roth, 2014). Therefore, the study is of importance because it shows how primary teachers reflect on instructional strategies that are new to them. Inquiry as a method is of particular interest when it comes to teaching science and many primary teachers have little, if any, experience of inquiry-based science education (Leonard, Boakes & Moore, 2009). The use of contexts in science education has mainly been reported as an instructional strategy used at secondary school level in earlier studies rather than at a primary level.

ASPEinfo@aol.co.uk or write to: ASPE, PO Box 308, Cheadle, SK8 9ER For further information on ASPE, please visit

www.aspe-uk.eu

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The sample for this study consists of twelve primary teachers who participated in a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme in which inquiry- and context-based instructional strategies were presented. The teachers volunteered to participate and explained that they had a need for more knowledge about instructional strategies of how to teach science. The CPD programme lasted for five months and meetings were held one full day each month. During the meetings, data was collected through audio-recordings of group-discussions with the teachers. Between the meetings the teachers were writing portfolios, reflecting on the process. The audio-recordings and the portfolios were analysed by two researchers independently and content analysis were made to process the data. During the programme the teachers tried out the strategies with their students and reflected on the outcome during discussions and in their portfolios.

The results show that at the beginning of the programme, the teachers focused on all the problems they were expecting, such as lack of time and being afraid of losing control in the classroom. However, after the teachers had used the new strategies, they did not discuss constraints anymore. Instead, the focus of the discussions among the teachers was now how they could solve different kinds of challenges and all of the teachers reported a positive student outcome. There was no chaos in the classrooms and the fear of losing control was not mentioned anymore. Furthermore, the teachers had ideas of how they could cooperate even though they were working in different schools. They presented the idea of sharing lesson plans based on the new teaching model through a common web-based platform.

Time-consuming issues could be solved by using already existing materials and problems handling big classes could be solved through the use of station systems.

Introducing new instructional strategies is one thing - implementing them in school practice is another.

The CPD programme was designed in such a way that the teachers could try out the new strategies of inquiry- and context-based science education with their students during the programme. While doing this, they also had the opportunity to share

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their experiences, questions and ideas with other teachers. The most surprising result was that the teachers moved from discussing constraints to developing their own ideas for solutions to practical issues in science education. They presented ideas of how they could share lesson plans based on ICBaSE with each other on a common web platform.

The teachers also had ideas of how they could avoid chaos in the classroom by working in intervals, for instance by giving the students 10 minutes to work on their own, then 5 minutes of gathering all, checking status of the work, 10 minutes of student work again etcetera. Teaching science using inquiry is demanding. Collecting materials and planning takes time. If new teaching ideas such as inquiry are to be implemented, we need to address the issues of practical constraints in teacher education programmes for both pre-service and in-service teachers. Sharing experiences of activities that work with primary school students is also of interest for the teachers. Without exchange of ideas, there is a risk that inquiry-based teaching will be too demanding for the teachers. However, if they are also well prepared for the practical aspects, there is a greater chance that this kind of teaching will take place in the primary science classroom.

To include discussions about practical issues in the science classrooms during both pre-service teacher education programmes and in CPD programmes is highly recommended to support primary teachers.

Being prepared for the challenges and having ideas of how to solve them are essential if teachers are to choose inquiry- and context-based approaches as their instructional strategies.

Full article can be found at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/030 04279.2015.1092456 Susanne Walan, Karlstad University, Sweden

‘I like playing on my trampoline; it makes me feel alive.’

Valuing Physical Activity: Perceptions and Meanings for Children and Implications for Primary Schools

by Suzanne Everley and Tony Macfadyen The aims of this research were: • Understanding what children value in being physically active could provide the basis for schools to design effective health behaviour interventions.

• Assessing children’s experiences and perceptions of being active in order to understand how this might be used to inform policy.

Within the UK only 21% of boys and 16% of girls meet the minimum recommended guidelines for physical activity (Scholes & Mindell, 2013). The research endeavoured to give children, frequently disenfranchised in health planning, a voice in terms of identifying what physical activities they might be interested in engaging in within a school context and how. Drawings and interviews were utilised to empower children in the research process.

Affording them the opportunity to have a determining role in the research process potentially has a two-fold impact. Firstly, in terms of ensuring children feel valued as integral to the study (Einarsdottir, Dockett & Perry 2009) and, secondly, in extending possible outcomes and more meaningful information as a result. Inviting children to create a representative drawing that is used as the stimulus

for further discussion allowed them to specify what is important and to retain control over their contribution to the study. It further affords the child more than one method of conveying meaning thus creating depth to the data generated.

The supporting literature for this research included seeking to gain an understanding of the social and cultural contexts of physical activity valued by children, this research utilised some of the key concepts within the analysis of ‘capital’ (Bourdieu,1989).

Research was conducted across two urban, predominantly white, primary schools in the south of England, each had received an overall Ofsted grade of 2 (good); specifically, school A had been rated as a 2 with respect to the ‘extent to which

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pupils adopt healthy lifestyles’ and school B as a 1 for this category (Ofsted 2010). Children (n = 83) were in their usual class environment during normal school days when the research took place. 33 girls and 50 boys, aged 6-10yrs, from years 2 (n= 28), 4 (n=26) and 5 (n=29) took part in the study. The data gathering process took place over two phases; in phase one children drew themselves being physically active and in phase two, which took place 5-7 days later, they were interviewed about their pictures and emerging issues.

Data generated focussed on two categories and four experiential themes. Categories which emerged as of high cultural value to the children were related to the location and type of PA engaged in. Themes concerned PA as social engagement, social identity and as cultural and social capital. Children took part in culturally desirable activities outside of schools and within a playground context; they utilised physical capital, displayed through participation in playground PA to develop networks and hierarchies which served to support foundations of selfesteem all associated with concepts of ‘capital’ in adults (Bourdieu, 1989). PA provides ‘locations’, (environmental, social and temporal) for children to generate and display different forms of capital. What was the impact of your results on primary education? (policy / practice etc). Therefore, the findings have meant that the schools concerned have investigated ways in which to encourage children’s activity within a school setting in free play by providing culturally desirable activities led by group leaders selected from the year 6 cohort.

The research informs primary school practitioners responsible for promoting sport, physical activity and health.

Full article can be found at: http://www.tandfonline. com/loi/rett20

References Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J.G. Richardson (Ed). Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. New York: Greenwood Press:241-258.

Einarsdotti, J., Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2009). Making meaning: Children’s perspectives expressed through drawings. Early Child Development and Care, 179(2), 217–232.

MacPhail,. A. (2011).Youth voices in physical education and sport: what are they telling us?. In Armour, K (ed).

Sport Pedagogy: An introduction for Teaching and Coaching. Harrow: Prentice Hall.

NICE guidelines [CG189] Published: November 2014; http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg189/chapter/ introduction. Accessed: 15.1.15 Scholes, S. & Mindell, J. (2013) Health Survey for England. http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/ PUB13218/HSE2012-Ch3-Phys-act-child.pdf

Suzanne Everley, University of Chichester Tony Macfadyen, University of Reading

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Reviews by John Coe

Early Childhood and Neuroscience

The Children’s Garden

by Mathew Appleby published by Frances Lincoln

by Mine Conkbayir published by Macmillan The subtitle to this groundbreaking book is Theory, Research and Implications for Practice and teachers working with older children in primary schools should not feel for a moment that they are excluded.

New insights into children’s minds gained from neuroscience are highly relevant to all stages of education. The key stages are but stereotypes of children’s development and good teaching requires that we look beyond the organisational stage reached by our pupils and understand them, really understand them, so that we can help them learn.

It is enormously sad that one of the most damaging impacts upon the professionalism of teachers stemming from the highly instrumental “what works” political policies pursued in recent years has been to deny us sufficient time to keep abreast of research and other critical studies which can inform our practice.

Neuroscience is still relatively new and we should contrive time, however pressured we are by daily demands, to read and understand what is being discovered about children’s growth and development.

This book would be a most useful start. At present

there is a gulf between current neuroscience and direct applications in the classroom and we should not delay in building a bridge between the two.

The author begins by introducing the definition and history of neuroscience. This is followed by chapters concerned with building a healthy brain, developing language and communication and the nature versus nurture debate. The approach is totally professional and uses the findings from research to debunk some of the wilder claims emanating from the mass of scientific information which has become available over the last twenty years. The point is made that the field of neuroscience is wide open to misinterpretation and commercial exploitation. Brain Gym is forensically examined and the verdict is that the claims made that the exercises promote learning are unsupported by research into either the outcome (improved learning) or in changes or the mechanisms (altering brain activity in a specific way).

It is reassuring that the book’s consideration of the nature versus nurture debate confirms our awareness that the genes we are born with are only an initial determinant of our intelligence and personality.

What matters more to parents and teachers are the changes we can bring about as children grow up.

Now we have confirmation from neuroscience that nature and nurture should not be pitted against one another but are interrelated. These two key aspects of growth into maturity are mutually dependent. This is a vitally important message for those who favour the segregation of young children in classes based upon perceptions of ability.

Mine Conkbayir’s book should rightly find a place in every course of initial training but it also has a significant part to play in later professional development.

It is a little sad that this attractive book is marketed as the perfect companion for families. Yes indeed, but what about primary teachers as well? There are many schools, perhaps more in the countryside than in the city, who continue to cherish a children’s garden as an essential part of school life and learning.

Growing children should always share experience with other growing things. All that goes with the nurturing of growth and care for the living carries important messages for the young and adds much to their affective development. Unduly protective health and safety considerations have denied many schools the creatures which were once found in so many classrooms. This reviewer has fond memories of the head’s labrador who spent his days with the top class and was always pleased to see me on inspectorial visits to the school. But we mustn’t look back to the days of high standards before too many schools became examination factories. Today, the more cramming holds sway ,the more the school garden gains importance and this book deserves a place in every staff room library.

gardeners among them will take great pleasure in helping to keep an adult eye on the children as they get to grips with the garden.

You can tell the author has taught young children, he has that essential quality of seeing the learning potential which is there, not in an on-line lesson plan but in the world itself. His book is strongly recommended.

The author is an ex primary teacher and his well argued introduction indicates the availability of tried and tested ideas which will stimulate children’s imaginations, provoke discoveries, be creative and use their senses.

The links with a rich and challenging school curriculum are clear and, above all, a garden filled with living plants requires care and attention in order to promote healthy growth. A much needed lesson for every child.

52 hands-on projects arranged in in tune with the seasons are offered and these are suitable for primary children of all ages. The projects range from quiet and indoors to outside and gloriously mucky. If your parent volunteers are bored with hearing reading then the

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Reluctant to use digital technologies in the primary classroom?

One teacher’s learning journey Christina Preston and Marion Scott Baker

In 2016, teachers with reservations about computers should not be classified as technophobes or as professionals with limited computer skills. Recently, I interviewed 20 teachers who were considered excellent in the classroom: they all had an email address and they were all able to use basic computer software and search the web efficiently. In particular they all used computers for personal tasks: booking tickets, downloading music or audio books and engaging in social networking.

Their professional reservations, however, which were carefully considered and well articulated, covered a range of issues: • threatening e-safety considerations; • fears around security and data collection; • poor quality of equipment and internet support; • unreliable administrative systems; • draconian and illogical filtering systems; • lack of demonstrable pedagogical benefit; • clashes between interoperable systems; • the lack of pedagogical principles which promote deep learning in educational software design; • the lack of time to experiment with new ICT tools; • lack of appropriate formal or informal CPD and support; • the sense that computers were not important for the very academic student; • the difficulty of finding networks of colleagues working on similar issues.

Some of these points are illustrated by one interviewee who was reluctant to engage with computers. She explained that she was introduced to computers very late in her career.

The trouble for people like me in coming to computers late is that this is a journey of discovery in the basics because they have not been covered soon enough in our careers.

I explored this subject with Marion Scott Baker. This head teacher who is now retiring, was reluctant to use digital technologies when she first started teaching but is now a Senior Fellow at MirandaNet. Her story is similar to many dedicated teachers.

In this interview, she goes on to say, “Without my

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husband’s ‘deadly digits’ and encouragement from my daughters I would have been permanently shut out of the digital world. My sister is also a teacher, educator and researcher in this field and my mother who is 91 has researched and written her memoirs on her laptop. These family members have maintained my interest even though I do not find computers intuitive and would have been content to avoid them altogether from a professional point of view.

Watching my family persuaded me that digital devices are valuable in terms of life skills as they become more pervasive. We use technology personally all the time from sharing calendars to emailing friends and family. I download films and e-books and enjoy computerised machine embroidery so have learned to program designs. I belong to lots of online craft interest groups and even purchase online lessons. I am addicted to eBay and regularly Skype family and grandchildren.

I cannot get through a day without computers and recognize that technology is part of every pupil’s everyday life. As they have become more accessible and easier to use I have seen how technology can support our pedagogy rather than interfere with it and that it has an important place in today’s classroom.”

Training issues A key challenge was that computers did not figure in Marion’s initial teacher training, or for the next 10 years. Few teachers had more than two days training with computers in classrooms during the 1980s and 1990s (Preston 2004). Marion had had none, and is of the opinion that learning how to use a computer as a pedagogical tool is difficult to absorb formally Time for learning is usually pressured and one-day courses can raise teachers’ anxiety levels as they limit time for practice and embedding skills.

The first software Marion was offered in her early career and the remoteness of the computer room threatened to disrupt her relationship with her pupils and the practical play-based curriculum that was central to her child-centred teaching approach.

Shared learning is one element of her pedagogy where the children have talk-partners to help and teach each other. What was offered in early computer

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programmes seemed divorced from important lessons like self-esteem and respect for others.

The trainers did not even mention that the children might use the board to present to other children.

As an alternative to ineffective training, Marion and Marion’s view of teaching primary children requires some of her staff joined the MirandaNet Fellowship, a a very practical, hands-on approach to learning that free online community of practice where practitioners conflicted with computer use. “In those early days choose to share with other professionals. Educators when I was less confident I did not want the added complication of introducing computers that were hard share their experience in several ways, whether it’s online, or face-to-face, and this is important when to use and unreliable. This did not help with workthere is neither the time nor the finance to attend flow or discipline. Sharing computers meant that half our children were wasting time and available ‘games’ formal courses. were often educationally unsound. I was particularly Systemic change in practice and pedagogy unenthused by lessons in internet use by the junior It was Marion’s international work that changed her school ICT coordinator who had not realized that views about digital technologies. “My real awakening small children would spend a whole lesson typing was when I realized the potential of the internet for their names to log on. The most important aspects bringing learning to life. My exchanges with other of primary learning in those days was to learn how countries started when I worked with an American to learn, encompassing a interpersonal teacher on a project that skills, speaking and listening and fine Children regularly broadened the children’s learning and gross motor and organizational record their learning in a very real way. By exchanging skills. I could not see how these aspects emails, they researched topics on of learning could be done better on via video and ‘talk homes, food and Thanksgiving, computers.” tins’, enabling them fascinated by the lifestyle Technical problems also compounded differences between the two to listen to facts her suspicions that computers were a countries. We ran parallel cookery that they are not distraction from learning. Despite the classes and each class produced fact that an ICT technician was always a recipe book for their friends yet able to read. on-site, things often went wrong or across the Pond. We got to know failed completely. However, significant each other, and the excitement government funding for the UK software industry was palpable. One incident I remember is when the during the early 2000s resulted in an increase of children could not understand why they could not talk innovative packages that do more than drill and to their American friends on Skype in the morning: I practice. Many of the famous early titles like Mike explained about time zones; the children retrieved an Matson’s Granny’s Garden were designed by teachers old and dusty globe from the cupboard and I used a and provided a new kind of interactive learning. “We torch to show them how the sun moves around the used Granny’s Garden as a bolt-on activity that the earth. I have continued similar projects with the Podar children could play as a reward if they completed schools in India because I believe in the value for the their work” says Marion, “but I did not see software pupils. (Scott-Baker, Kaur and Preston 2011). as an essential part of their learning.”

This has also prompted systemic change in the When Marion became headteacher, she tried to develop digital professional development by employing a company to teach the staff how to use interactive whiteboards - but the training was skillsbased and the software suite provided was based on an information-transmission model of learning, bearing little relationship to the necessary pedagogy.

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school. In administration there is no doubt about the difference the internet has had in making software use easier for the individual teacher who used to maintain their own library of programmes that they largely bought themselves.

Our computer system is vital for managing the learning of our pupils. Our Learning Management

System (LMS) is also essential to sharing or lesson planning, especially in literacy and maths, and we also collate records of progress and scores. Now, as well as sending letters and newsletters, we contact parents by email and text. We even have our own school app.

Also emerging from our strategy is the enrichment of pedagogical practices. The children are now using the interactive whiteboards all the time to present their work. They progress at their own pace in learning using numeracy and literacy packages: Junior Librarian software allows children to borrow and return library books independently, taking over the tedious cataloguing of books and allows us to monitor reading; Bug Club e-books help to encourage reluctant readers to practice reading and comprehension skills at home. Children regularly record their learning via video and ‘talk tins’, enabling them to listen to facts that they are not yet able to read. Teachers refer frequently to vast banks of lesson plans, using resources like Sparkle Box. These resources help us approach topic work in really creative ways by sharing hundreds of good materials that are topical, inexpensive and disposable: often made by other teachers”.

The impact of new policies “A significant impact on our primary practice has been the completely different style of learning that became statutory in Early Years and Special Needs. Research about children’s development, government policy both before and after the 2010 election, as well as the quality of personalized materials, has changed the nature of what teachers do. It was found that one third of children enter school with delay in social, language and listening and/or physical skills, so the Revised Statutory guidance emphasises development of these three EYFS ‘Prime Areas’ in a curriculum that is based on ‘Play to Learn’ with much of the learning taking place outdoors. Key to this curriculum is the children being able to pursue their own interests and being given time to problem-solve, supported by the teachers in contrast to the traditional situation where learning is teacher-led. In this context, technology plays a

vital part in recording and planning next steps in the learning journey of each pupil child’s learning but is less relevant as a teaching tool.”

With a quarter of a lifetime’s difference in learning experience compounding the differences in intelligences and learning styles, at the Foundation Stage, children follow very individual curricula. We use the digital camera to observe the children’s learning, recording it and understand it in the place where each child is. We record when a child has learnt something as well as what they do not yet know and use this to plan their development. Monitoring learning journeys for each child has improved teachers’ understanding of learning. It has been easier to personalize each child’s learning programme and support them make their own decisions about what they need to learn next. Children have greater ownership of their learning.

Classrooms can be baffling, but the way in which we use technology helps to make the world clearer and more accessible to children who do not read, whether they are pre-readers or children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexis autism and dyspraxia.

For such children, digital photography enables them to anticipate transitions through visual timetables; resources are easily found if boxes have pictures on them, for example. This makes pre-reading children and those with special needs more independent and more confident to negotiate their way through a demanding day.

Empowering young children Using technology, and in particular touch screens, ensures that children without good reading and writing skills are able to interact effectively with multimodal text on the computer. They can respond to aural instructions by dragging and dropping instead of having to type words, and they can do number exercises even if they cannot write numbers very well. They can match and organize shapes without the need for good motor skills. The formation of a grapheme or number becomes much more understandable on a screen when colour, animation and sound are available to help.

Teachers also have such a bank of illustrations at their fingertips. They can immediately display a relevant

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context - you can always find out facts like the dates of Kings and Queens of England on the internet, so memorising these facts is now unnecessary. Education needs to train children to see these facts in context and to have a vision of the history that lies behind them. It is more important to emphasise the broader picture; to develop children who love themselves enough to be generous to others, who understand how to collaborate and to leave behind what they know in order to explore the new.

We need to embed these thinking skills before they are seven. Making sense of the world based on a good vocabulary, ability to classify thoughts and to model clear thinking.

What I ask as I retire is: ‘will reading and writing be seen as core skills in the future and what broader skills, visual, such as teaming and tracking and fine motor skills will we lose if we do not practice reading and writing?’ But if assessment does not change, then many of the new skills we are nurturing in the early stage of primary education will be lost when children enter a more formal junior school setting. Is this what we want as a nation? picture from a resource bank when children are sharing their experiences during ‘show and tell’.

In addition, some of our classes were prepared for a trip to Windsor Castle by using online illustrations of what they should look out for. Once there, they were able to interview the soldiers following the Changing of the Guard. They tried on bearskins, saw where the soldiers ate and slept, examined the musical instruments and saw a view of the castle from the roof. Throughout the visit, teachers took videos and photos of what interested the children.

Back at school the teachers used these materials as a basis for maths, craft, writing and reading exercises that stemmed directly from the children’s experience.

Relevant resources collected in this way are easy to store and retrieve online. Immediate, fresh and bright, they are better for learning than traditional resources; we can work so much more from the experience of the children.

Our pupils are all engaged and excited by this kind of self-driven learning. I worry about how they will cope

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with the more desk-bound and subject-led learning post seven when they will have little opportunity to make their own choices, solve problems and work with others’.

What is empowering for these very young children is that they can record their thoughts in so many ways, using pictures and sound to be articulate even if their reading and writing is not yet very mature.

They are encouraged to express thoughts and feelings in far more detail at a younger age than they could do before. The advantages for children with special needs are particularly impressive.

This is a double-edged sword, however, because there is less motivation to practice the very difficult skills of reading and writing. On the other hand children are decoding and encoding across a wider range of media and developing concepts and ideas that are way outside the realm of experience of the average child some years ago.

I am excited about how children can learn now.

Successful people have transferable skills to use in

Our pupils live in an ever-changing world of colour and action and cannot be motivated by last year’s materials dragged out of the cupboard. Materials need to be bright, professional and updated.

There is more to do. We still have our laptops in a charging cupboard, but I want to have them available in the classroom all the time. I would love to have touchscreen devices so that the children’s activities are not limited by their ability to control a mouse. I would also like robust, child-friendly, permanentlyaccessible devices. We need better training as well.

Teachers try to keep current, but lack of finance and support puts them at a disadvantage.

The world is a very different place now from when I first started teaching and schools needs to reflect this. We are no longer training children for factories: compliant and unheard. A good classroom today is not silent; it is one where children are talking as well as listening. We make sure that they practice how to be selective, how to respect other people’s points of view and how to be critical of information too.

We are also asking them to present information in

different ways, to be creative and to have confidence in themselves.

I wonder how many traditional jobs will be replaced when computers are even more powerful. Without these jobs, our pupils will need to see opportunities and to be inventive. It is frightening to think that we are educating them for jobs that we can scarcely envisage. However, it seems obvious that digital technologies are bound to be part of that mix.

References Greenfield, S. (2011) You and Me: the Neuroscience of Identity. Notting Hill editions http://www. susangreenfield.com/ Greenfield, S. (2008) The Quest for Meaning in the Twenty First Century. Hodder and Stoughton Ltdhttp://www.susangreenfield.com/ Pachler, N, C. Preston, J. Cuthell, A. Allen and Pinheiro Torres (2011) The ICT CPD Landscape in England, Becta http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk/cms/ index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363 &Itemid=87 Preston, C. (2004). Learning to use ICT in Classrooms: teachers’ and trainers’ perspectives: an evaluation of the English NOF ICT teacher training programme (1999-2003): summary, full evaluation report and emergent trends for teacher educators and staff-trainers. London, funded by the Teacher Training Agency www.mirandanet.ac.uk/tta <http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/tta>

Dr Christina Preston, Founder of the MirandaNet Fellowship and Professor at the Institute for Education Futures, De Montfort University Marion Scott Baker, retired head of Cheam nursery and pre-prep for 4-7 year olds.

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