Cowes Enterprise College CPD Journal 2019-2020

CPD journal 2019 - 2020 July 2020

Cowes Enterprise College

Welcome Victoria Wells, Vice Principal I'm very proud to welcome you to Cowes Enterprise College’s second CPD journal. We began the academic year developing our pedagogy with a sharp focus upon literacy and oracy. We worked with Voice21 and benefited from their Oracy Leaders Programme who gave us the insight into where the academy is on the journey to excellent oracy and we studied ways we can put oracy at the heart of the curriculum.

Staff selected to pursue one of three strands after a carousel of workshops on all - embedding tier 3 vocabulary direct instruction into their teaching, developing strategies to improve student oracy or supporting reading and writing more effectively thus developing academic literacy. These projects relied upon selecting effective, research-informed strategies and using them in lessons with students to gauge the positive impact. On March 23rd 2020 this approach became impossible.

We swiftly reviewed our CPD provision and moved all resources online to the CPD library. We invested in collating the best of educational research and evidence for staff to access remotely with the assistance of wealth of online articles and research reviews from the Chartered College of Teaching.

We set up online collaborative spaces where staff can discuss their findings and reflect upon their practice. Staff were given a wider choice of reading broadly categorised into seven distinct areas; tackling disadvantage, high challenge and expectations, SEND, student wellbeing, cognitive science, developing literacy and oracy.

Staff were encouraged, in addition to their online discussion, to complete a literature review summarising their findings on their topic. It is this work along with CPD undertaken in the first half of the academic year, you can find contained within this journal. Some staff were able to carry on with their original work and so you will find a literacy and oracy bias.

It is a great pleasure to introduce this year's journal which, in March, looked unlikely to come to fruition due to school closure but with the tenacity and flexibility of all staff we were able to produce the journal you see here.

I have been inspired by the deep reflection that all staff have engaged in and proud to present this journal as just the tip of the iceberg of the professional development that has taken place.

I completed a search of the journal and these are our most mentioned people and organisations, so if you want a start for your own reading these are our recommendations.

Education Endowment Foundation

Robert J Marzano @robertjmarzano

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ Alex Quigley @HuntingEnglish

Chartered College of Teaching https://chartered.college/

Jo Huchinson @JoJoHutchinson Andy Tharby @atharby

Doug Lemov @Doug_Lemov David Didau @DavidDidau

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Contents Tackling disadvantage .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Catherine Eriksson - What actions can teachers take to tackle disadvantage and the attainment gap?

Focus on Isle of Wight ................................................................................................................................. 5 Michelle Vidovic - How can we tackle disadvantage in PE, Health and Social Care and Children’s Play Learning and Development? ..................................................................................................................... 12 Lisa Pitman - How can we harness of feedback to tackle disadvantage in the classroom? Disadvantaged pupils and the attainment gap .................................................................................................................. 19 Hannah Wisniowski - A comparison of the impact of disadvantage on Canadian and British students and what this suggests for tackling the attainment gap ................................................................................. 23 Alexandra Duffin - Is education in the UK truly inclusive and successful? Is the gap being closed for disadvantaged students in secondary PE? ............................................................................................... 26 Adam Brown - How can parental support and cultural change close the gap?....................................... 32 Tom Harding - How can we tackle disadvantage through a knowledge –led curriculum? ..................... 33 Jess Lewis - Tackling disadvantage – literature review ............................................................................ 36 Jemma Harding - Tackling disadvantage ‘The magic key to unlocking the secret behind the gap’ ........ 38 Chris Rice - How should we best support disadvantaged students? ....................................................... 42 Antonio Gianotta - What is the most efficient way for us, as educators, to actively tackle the disadvantage gap? ............................................................................................................................................................ 46 High challenge and expectations ....................................................................................................................... 49 Laura Augustus - How can I get the balance of challenge? ...................................................................... 49 Justine Doughty - Let’s Hear it for the Boys: what is the best way to engage and challenge boys to excel in English? ...................................................................................................................................................... 52 Kristian Parker-Meadows - How can we set high expectations of behaviour? ....................................... 57 Oscar Artacho Esplugues - The importance of building relationships with students to promote good progress in Music....................................................................................................................................... 61 Fiona Ryan – How can I remove the stigma of algebra? .......................................................................... 63 Donna Brihmani - How can I set and maintain high expectations in Music lessons? .............................. 68 Helen Davis - How do I set high expectations by managing behaviour in Physical Education during first few years of teaching? .............................................................................................................................. 71 Claire Brooks - Ask yourself: “Will all children be challenged by this…?” ............................................... 74 David Sanchez-Brown - How do we nurture a resilient, hardworking attitude to sixth form study? ..... 77 Aaron Hartup - Managing behaviour and the strategies to ensure a productive learning environment80 Vanessa Wester - How does a mastery approach to fractions impact low ability learners? .................. 83 Cecelia Bloom - How does the change of instructions of a topic help lower ability students access the topic? ......................................................................................................................................................... 87 Eniko Rus - The importance of generalisation in developing Algebraic thinking .................................... 89 Hazel Walker - How can we overcome the Grade 6 Barrier in Maths? .................................................... 92 SEND ................................................................................................................................................................... 96 Tineke Rock – Understanding autism, Asperger’s and ADHD, University of Derby ................................ 96 2

Niall Hall - The SEND Code of Practice ...................................................................................................... 97 Danielle Homes - Education for all- Disability, diversity and inclusion.................................................. 102 Jackie Cooper - SLCN Reflective review .................................................................................................. 102 Lewis Pavey - Literature review on Dyslexia ........................................................................................... 104 Carrie-Anne Cooke - GriffinOT Sensory Processing training ................................................................... 105 Sarah Wyeth - What strategies can we use to support students with dyslexia? .................................. 107 Student wellbeing (including impact of the Covid 19 school closure) ............................................................. 114 Stella Ramsey - What impact has Coronavirus had on student well-being? ......................................... 114 Jane Bennett - What is the effect of social media/ screen use and sleep on young people’s mental health and wellbeing? ........................................................................................................................................ 114 Fiona Sheppard – How can we prepare SEND students to return to school after Covid?..................... 115 Julie Crane – What is the impact of high expectations and challenge for all on student mental health?117 James Goode - How is the coronavirus lockdown affecting the mental health of children with SEND?120 Charlene Davis - A review of children’s and young people’s mental health & support ........................ 122 Jo Rudd - Literature review: studies into the impact of sleep and screen/social media use on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. .................................................................................................. 125 Cognitive science.............................................................................................................................................. 127 Charlie Day - Literature Review of Three Cognitive Science Approaches to Teaching and Learning ... 127 Victoria Leonard - How can we developing metacognitive strategies to help students progress in MFL?131 Kelly Wiltshire - How can we help students to make meaning in geography? Using dual coding and graphic schemas ................................................................................................................................................... 134 Nila Pretty - How can we use metacognition to encourage students? .................................................. 148 Gemma Calloway - Pursuing Knowledge Mastery .................................................................................. 154 Julia Doughan – How can we developing writing skills among underachieving pupil premium students in year 10? ................................................................................................................................................... 158 Karen Beck - Cognitive load awareness in relation to Powerpoints in English lessons......................... 162 Louis Mircescu - Use of concrete versus abstract learning materials .................................................... 166 Kelly Daniel - Cognitive Load Theory: A robust and retentive long term memory................................ 170 Developing literacy .......................................................................................................................................... 172 Sarah Rouse - How can we face the challenge of mathematical homonyms? ...................................... 172 Catherine Coull – How can we support students in completing extended writing? ............................. 176 Jo Gibson - How can we support students to apply the information read and used in teaching to their assessed work? ........................................................................................................................................ 179 Natalie Lawrence - How can we using the Frayer Model to improve substantive vocabulary in History?181 Simon Hughes - How can I ensure that Year 9 BTEC Sport students use the tier 3 vocabulary to reach the highest level of attainment? ................................................................................................................... 184 Peter Johnson - Supporting the literacy requirements in A Level Further Mathematics...................... 187 Tamsin Jackson - How can the use of authentic target language (TL) encourage engagement in reading at GCSE MfL? ................................................................................................................................................ 189

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Craig Mussell - How can we improve extended written responses in GCSE Science? .......................... 192 Alex Kingswell-Cleaves – How can we assist students in accessing subject specific academic texts? .. 196 David Foster - How valuable is key vocabulary in increasing the ability of students solve mathematical problems? ................................................................................................................................................ 199 Lorna Churms - How can we help improve students’ writing? .............................................................. 201 Nick Wiltshire - Literature review: Developing vocabulary teaching in an educational setting ........... 204 Jay-Anne Tisdale - How can we support students with tier three vocabulary in Science? ................... 210 Bethaney Padden - How can we help students to decode and apply tier three vocabulary? .............. 215 Lynsey Greenfield – How can we help students learn and retain tier three vocabulary? .................... 221 Rebecca Price - Expanding Literacy and Vocabulary .............................................................................. 226 Rachel Kitley – How can we develop the modelling and scaffolding of complex writing expectations using FEAST?...................................................................................................................................................... 227 Becs White – How can we tackle the limited vocabulary, phraseology and sentence structures used in Academic Writing? .................................................................................................................................. 229 Victoria Wells - How can I be strict with everyone, including myself, in consistently using the tier 3 vocabulary that I’ve taught? ................................................................................................................... 233 Oracy ................................................................................................................................................................ 236 Sarah Welton – How can we promote high quality Oracy? ................................................................... 236 Laura Burnett – How can we help students access Shakespeare by harnessing Oracy? ...................... 240 Helen Cater - How can I use oracy to improve student participation and quality of responses? ........ 243 Ann Wright – Looking at Oracy in the Art room ..................................................................................... 246 Emilie Rajasingam - How can we develop listening skills in the MFL classroom? ................................. 250 Andy Green - Talking together – ‘Talk the Talk’ ..................................................................................... 252

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Tackling disadvantage Catherine Eriksson - What actions can teachers take to tackle disadvantage and the attainment gap? Focus on Isle of Wight The focus of my research and reading was on the identification and possible actions of tackling disadvantage within the classroom. From my point of view, the amount of reading I have done around this subject previously is minimal. I am aware, through media reports and school results, that the Isle of Wight is drastically behind academically compared to other areas of the country and that there are large discrepancies between those who are and are not disadvantaged. Therefore, I wanted to investigate the part I can play at addressing this attainment gap and ultimately, the role I have in helping students move towards a positive future.

I set out to explore a range of areas, including trying to find out how the Isle of Wight compares statistically to other areas in the country, what factors cause students to be classed as disadvantaged, and whether it is possible for groups or areas to slip through the gap and not be reported upon.

Ultimately, I aimed to uncover strategies that I can implement to reduce disadvantage within my classes.

To enable me to do this, I set out to research the strategies used by schools with the aim of applying to my own practise. I question whether there are opportunities to share ideas between different schools and to effectively work together to reduce disadvantage across the island, not just on an individual school level.

Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage; Jon Andrews, David Robinson and Jo Hutchinson, August 2017, Education Policy Institute Closing the gap between students is essential and I wanted to explore how significant the issue is. By reading Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage; Jon Andrews, David Robinson and Jo Hutchinson, August 2017, Education Policy Institute, it was emphasised immediately that their ‘first important finding is that the gap is closing, but at a very slow rate.’ However, despite significant investment and targeted intervention programmes, the gap between disadvantaged 16 year old pupils and their peers has only narrowed by three months of learning between 2007 and 2016. In 2016, the gap nationally, at the end of secondary school, was still 19.3 months. In fact, disadvantaged pupils fall behind their more affluent peers by around 2 months each year over the course of secondary school.

It is of course encouraging that the gap is closing but the rate at which this is occurring is worrying.

Why is this the case? There must be clear strategies available to enable schools to effectively work with the students to improve attainment to those who are classed as being from a disadvantaged background. At the current rate of progress, ‘it is estimated currently that the gap could take 50 years to close.’ This estimation does not of course take into account the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the scale of impacts of which are unknown. With it being reported that only a third of students have engaged with work set online, the repercussions are bound to be highly significant and long lasting. A BBC report released on June 16th 2020, reported on the findings from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The findings highlighted that the vast majority of teachers (90%) say their pupils are doing less or much less work than they would normally at this time of the year. The report says head teachers believe around a third of pupils are not engaging with set work. Limited or no 5

access to technology was a problem for around a quarter (23%) of pupils, school leaders told the NFER. Is this going to widen the disadvantage gap even further?

Government must play a major role in supporting those as disadvantage when resources to enable learning are part of the issue. ‘The government says it has committed over £100m to help home learning.’ The report raises particular concern about the impact of school closures, due to Covid 19, on the learning of pupils from the most disadvantaged areas, saying pupil engagement is lower in schools with the highest levels of deprivation.

Returning to the utilisation of further reading; Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage reported on the ‘large regional variation in closing the gap.’ Evidence shows that it is possible but the rate of change is much too slow. They continued to report that ‘in order to prevent the gap from growing throughout primary and secondary schools, we need to tackle the differential rates of progress that disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils make.’ These findings triggered me to read further to find out where the Isle of Wight is positioned in terms of the gap between those who are classed as disadvantaged and those who are not. The report revealed that the Isle of Wight falls into the following categories: •

Local authority attainment, by phase, in 2016:

•

Early Years: top 25%

•

Primary schools: bottom 25%

•

Secondary schools: bottom 25%

•

Progress in primary and secondary: bottom 25%

The Isle of Wight has the largest gap in the country at secondary school level of 29 months whereas the smallest gaps were in: ‘Newham for early years children (no gap), Poole for primary school pupils (5 months), Kensington & Chelsea for secondary school pupils (just 1 month). The data shows that on the Isle of Wight, there has been a reduction in the gap at primary school level but early years and secondary, the gap continues to widen; by 3.3 months at secondary level.’ I believe that there is a risk of the Isle of Wight being hidden within the south eastern region given that there is a lot of narrower gaps in surrounding counties.

It is important for us to understand where the issues lie and this can therefore move on to what strategies can be implemented to narrow this gap. The report found that ‘overall, EAL pupils have lower attainment than their non-EAL peers during primary school but, by the end of secondary school, this gap has disappeared altogether. ‘In fact, by this point EAL pupils are marginally ahead of their nonEAL peers. However, there are still many EAL students who are falling behind and the statement above does not apply to all.’ It is arguable as to whether this is applicable to the Isle of Wight, with 3.2% of students being classed as EAL compared to 16.9% nationally (LA Interactive tool, 2019). Equally, even though a percentage is low, it does not take away the importance and contribution that this group of students can make.

The report highlights that SEND groups area of course a wide group encompassing many different subgroups. Much more analysis is needed to fully understand the many layers with regard to SEND and

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further analysis is needed to gain a fuller understanding with individual strategies required to focus upon reducing disadvantage.

‘There has been some progress in closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils in England over the last decade. It has not, however, been either fast, or consistent.’ Without strong, long term interventions, the disadvantage gap will continue to exist for many generations to come and it is arguable as to whether it can ever be eradicated. While large disadvantage exists within society, disadvantage in schools will also continue.

Although opportunity areas have been identified by the government, this still leaves many areas and groups with a widening gap without the necessary funding to address the issue. Equally, it could be argued that even within those areas receiving funding, progress is still too slow.

It is clear that the gap in attainment has existed over a long period of time and it seems that to date, there has either not been the emphasis or resources to tackle the problem. Yet some areas have been able to improve the situation so the question is, why are some areas able to do this and others not? Is it due to economic wealth, engagement with government policy or other factors? Perhaps a combination which explains why it is difficult to find a one size fits all solution. Regardless, progress is too slow and change is needed. But will it get priority and focus? Especially in the current climate of lockdown 2020. The current situation will only exacerbate the problem but is it deemed important enough of the government’s agenda to address?

There are a range of factors causing the disadvantage gap and schools and local authorities must continue to research and address these range of factors. The Isle of Wight is clearly an area whereby significant gaps exist in attainment levels at both primary and secondary. Although primary schools are making slow progress, it does not appear to be happening in secondary schools. Why is there such a gap between the island and the mainland and what can be done about it? It also seems to be a potential issue that the Isle of Wight may not get the resources and attention it needs due to its geographical location in the south east of England where it is next to or close to other lesson problematic regions.

Impact Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching, Chartered College of Teacher, Designing a Curriculum to Nurture Compassionate Citizens, September 2018.

My reading progressed to exploring strategies designed to reduce the disadvantage gap. ‘Designing a Curriculum to Nurture Compassionate Citizens’ Emphasised the importance that curriculums should be designed to consider their local setting with an importance of an ‘ethic of trust and listening.’

The article focussed upon three strands: ‘Habits of mind, dialogue and oracy and playful enquiry. These ‘golden threads’ then influenced the values-led, text-rich and domain-specific structuring of curriculum knowledge and skills.’ It is clear that research, models and curriculum design across the fields of education place individuality and mental well-being at the core of their focus. I sincerely agree with this holistic approach and believe an individual’s mental health is paramount in allowing them to open up to be able to set themselves targets and aspire to reach them.

The intention of the curriculum design was to ‘develop a research-informed curriculum and a reactive professional community that takes nothing for granted.’ Linked from this I located further options to read, including Why should ‘powerful knowledge’ be a curriculum principle for schools in disadvantaged contexts? Robbie Burns, 2018. (https://impact.chartered.college/article/applying-powerful-knowledgeprinciple-curriculum-development-disadvantaged-contexts/). ‘Powerful knowledge can enable 7

students to acquire knowledge that takes them beyond their own experiences’ (Young et al., 2014, p.

7). This is particularly important in disadvantaged contexts in relation to the promotion of social justice. In Young et al.’s (2014) view, it is the educational right of the child to receive a comprehensive education committed to academic excellence – regardless of background or social standing.

Knowledge-led curricula attempt to provide young people with a school experience that enables them to be socially mobile, for this is at the core of what social justice is: enabling all people, regardless of socio-economic background, to be provided with the opportunities to succeed in life.’

This text really brings home the importance of providing experiences within education, giving students power to gain strength and confidence socially. I firmly agree with this and believe that we should look for opportunities for students to gain experiences and further their knowledge of the world that surrounds them. This of particular importance when students do now have opportunities for these experiences outside of the school environment.

My reading led me further to consider the key components and support networks in place for those who are considered disadvantaged. Education Endowment Foundation (https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ highlighted the critical role that teaching assistants (TA’s) have to play in education in all settings. Essentially, ‘TA’s are absolutely vital for tackling disadvantage.’ TA’s should be used to develop independent learning skills and communication with TA’s should form part of all elements of curriculum planning and lesson delivery; a point I wholeheartedly agree with. I believe that too often TA’s consider themselves to be in the way or not influential but if utilised, respected and integrated within the class, they are absolutely invaluable.

TA’s of course should be used to deliver tasks to small groups. ‘The key is to ensure that learning in interventions is consistent with, and extends work inside the classroom and that pupils understand the links between them.’ Support is needed to help the students make links. Staff at all levels in school are important to ensure TA’s are effectively utilised. A Scaffolding Framework can be used to support a student’s learning within a lesson with the TA being able to confidently guide and support a student through the lesson requirements. . Ideally, pupils should ‘self-scaffold’ which is the most independent option. ‘Self-scaffolding involves students planning their approach to work, problem solving as they go and reviewing their approach.’ If whole school, consistent approaches are used to integrate TA’s successfully into lesson time, their impact can increase and their value be tangible.

Lemov Setting High Expectations – Teach like a Champion (Doug Lemov (2010) ‘Teach Like a Champion’) ‘One consistent finding of academic research is that high expectations are the most reliable driver of high student achievement.’ I agree and believe that this should be the case across all student profiles. If students have the belief that they can achieve, their chances to do so will ultimately increase. Lemov provided 5 key principles outlined below.

1. No opt out: ‘Its not ok not to try.’ Sequence learning – give a student trying to opt out, the absolute chance to succeed. Sequence begins with a student unable to answer a question, should end with the student answering the question as often as possible. Note: I do think that teachers should be careful not to make students feel either picked on or self-conscious.

2. Right is right: Set and defend a high standard of correctness in your classroom. Insist on a high standard of accuracy. Don’t ‘round up’ for the student but encourage them to do it themselves.

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3. Stretch it: Reward right answers and then extend with further questions. How? Why? Go beyond the original answer.

4. Format matters: ‘The complete sentences is the battering ram that knocks down the door to college.’

- Slang - Full sentences - Good listening ‘It’s not just what students say that matters but how they communicate it. To succeed,’ students must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.’

5.

-

Without apology: don’t apologise for teaching worthy content.

Don’t assume and communicate that something is boring Don’t blame the syllabus/curriculum Accessible is acceptable Don’t apologise for something being too hard for students

Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage; Jon Andrews, David Robinson and Jo Hutchinson, August 2017, Education Policy Institute. I read about the significance of the regional gaps between students classed as being at a disadvantage and although there are efforts being made to close this gap, progress is too slow when there is potential to do so much more. The Isle of Wight stood out as being highlighted as an area where disadvantage is significant compared to other regions.

I wanted to move on to finding strategies I could practically use to support students in my lessons.

There were some useful resources with regard to this. One I found particularly useful was Lemov Setting High Expectations - Teach like a Champion. The strategies referred to were useful and summarised as: No opt out, right is right, stretch it, format matters, without apology.

There are a wide range of factors, of course, leading to disadvantage within schools and it is paramount that the right strategies are applied to overcome the issues, and to reduce the varying differences between regions across the UK. I would like my further reading to address strategies. My main goal is to be able to apply my findings and adapt them to my own classroom practise to enable no child to be at a disadvantage, irrelevant of their back ground and social position.

Tackling Educational Disadvantage: A Toolkit for North Yorkshire Schools, (Marc Rowland March 2017), provided me with the hope that this would be a useful resource for me to incorporate into my own practise; the project summarised in the report was deemed to have ‘provided (us) with a sharp focus to ask questions about our practice, trial new ways of working and has opened up lots of professional discussions about what we want for our disadvantaged pupils. We all feel reinvigorated by it and it has been the driving force behind both tangible and intangible shifts in culture and expectations across school.’ (North Yorkshire Senior Leader).

‘We have challenged ourselves to create opportunities for all, regardless of background or barrier to learning.’ (Secondary AHT). ‘Key vulnerable areas were identified and strategies recorded to address disadvantage within school. This included ensuring that disadvantaged pupils were targeted to highly skilled, experienced teachers with lows rates of absence.’ It was highlighted that teacher stress and absence has an impact upon the outcome of disadvantaged pupils. I would however like to acknowledge that although this may be the case, surely just a big an issue to address is staff well-being 9

and workload to ensure that staff are happy and attending their workplace. This is specifically noted in the document ‘staff wellbeing is prioritised. Disadvantaged pupils are disproportionately impacted by high staff absence/turnover.’ I hope that these strategies are permanent and consistent.

Again, similarly to the previous reading I have undertaken, the importance of the whole school team is essential; ‘senior leaders (including governors) are aware of appropriate funding sources to support need. Pupil Premium should not be seen as the answer to every barrier to learning.’ With a whole school understanding and the collaboration of all resources, disadvantaged can be tackled and outcomes can be fair for all.

‘Having high expectations is critically important. It is an entitlement for all.’ This is reflected also in the previous reading I have undertaking, exemplified by the strategies identified in Lemov Setting High Expectations – Teach like a Champion. ‘Children are expected to make the necessary progress they need to attain well. ‘Expected progress’ (or even better than ‘expected progress’) can still lead to underachievement if starting points are low or if progress has been disrupted. Open, whole school data matters. Terms such as ‘bottom set, low attainers and low ability’ are removed from school vocabulary. All school staff adopt a shared language around high expectations. I would question whether adjusting school language in this way is as valuable as suggested. Teachers must be able to identify those students who are underachieving and as long their language to the students themselves is appropriate and sets high expectations, I think it is ok for teachers to be open in their discussions.

However, equally, I would welcome alternative language as long as it was positive, pro-active and effective. A teacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School summarised the use of identifying and targeting students really well: “A key message has been not to look at the label of a child or even necessarily raw data but to consider where need is. For example, for intervention to consider where there is a skills gap or a knowledge gap rather than simply going of the results of one off tests. We also realise that we have been too hasty in attempting to ensure all disadvantaged students have a mentor when again we should look at need and ensure the skill set of the mentors is matched to the need of the student.” I believe as teachers, we get to know our students quickly and without data, we could discuss the student’s needs and match strategies effectively. The importance of seeing a student as a rounded individual is essential.

Disadvantage occurs for a wide range of factors. ‘Barriers can lie within schools, with learners and their families. An understanding of barriers should inform your school level, phase/subject level, class level and personalised strategies.’ This highlights the importance again of an integrated and holistic approach to tackling disadvantage with the role of all stakeholders of great importance, working together as a team for a focussed outcome.

Effective practice in tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools, (November 2012, Ann Keane Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales) proved to be an interesting source and provided an insight from a different geographical area, yet with strong points to evidence the key thinking mentioned in much of the reading within this literature review. This source (from a group called Estyn) had the purpose of inspecting quality and standards in education and training in Wales.

Regardless of the location, the content is still of upmost relevance.

‘The link between disadvantage and educational underachievement is still strong. In general, learners from poorer families do not achieve as well as their peers. Schools have a key role to play and serving all learners equally is not enough – there needs to be a specific focus on those children and young people who are growing up in poverty.’ A target was set to eradicate child poverty in Wales by 2018. I would argue that this has not been achieved. According to the BBC, Wales was the only nation of the UK to see an increase in child poverty according to research by charities 10

(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48259327). It suggested 29.3% of children were in poverty in 2017-18, a rise of 1%.

The report identified that some of the schools they inspected had effective strategies at tackling disadvantage and these strategies can be summarised in the following 10 points.

1 take a whole-school, strategic approach to tackling disadvantage – they have a structured, coherent and focused approach to raising the achievement of disadvantaged learners; 2 use data to track the progress of disadvantaged learners – they gather information from a range of sources and use it to analyse the progress of groups of learners; 3 focus on the development of disadvantaged learners’ literacy and learning skills; 4 develop the social and emotional skills of disadvantaged learners – they understand the relationship between wellbeing and standards and often restructure their pastoral care system to deal more directly with the specific needs of disadvantaged learners; 5 improve the attendance, punctuality and behaviour of disadvantaged learners – they have suitable sanctions, but find that reward systems work particularly well; 6 tailor the curriculum to the needs of disadvantaged learners – they have mentoring systems that guide learners through their programmes of study and help them to plan their own learning pathways; 7 make great efforts to provide enriching experiences that more advantaged learners take for granted – they offer a varied menu of clubs, activities and cultural and educational trips; 8 listen to disadvantaged learners and provide opportunities for them to play a full part in the school’s life – they gather learners’ views about teaching and learning, give learners a key role in school development, and involve learners directly to improve standards; 9 engage parents and carers of disadvantaged learners – they communicate and work face-to-face to help them and their children to overcome barriers to learning; and 10 develop the expertise of staff to meet the needs of disadvantaged learners – they have a culture of sharing best practice, provide opportunities for teachers to observe each other, and have performance management targets that are related to raising the achievement of disadvantaged learners.’

These strategies again highlight the important role that all school employees play and again emphasise the importance of knowing the individual social and academic needs of the students. I would identify the importance of ensuring there is time within the working week to be able to go through these steps and effectively communicate findings to members of staff who can then ensure their teaching practise adjusts to the individual needs of each individual.

The reading and research I’ve undertaking has allowed me to gain a wide insight into the current state of disadvantage across school in the UK, understanding the vast regional differences and unfortunately confirming that the Isle of Wight overall currently sits in a low position, struggling with a high proportion of students being classed as disadvantaged. Encouragingly, work is being done to address this issue but ultimately, the gap is not closing quick enough. The Isle of Wight has not currently been identified as an ‘Opportunity Area’ and I believe that potentially one of the reasons for this, is because 11

the Isle of Wight sits in a region of the country whereby geographically, it is surrounded by counties in a much stronger position. Does this mean that the Isle of Wight is excluded at this current time from receiving the necessary funding and resources to enable the advantage/disadvantage gap to be closed?

For strategies to be successful and effective, school leaders and teachers must have an intricate understanding of the students’ needs, vulnerabilities and specific requirements. As ‘Tackling Educational Disadvantage: A Toolkit for North Yorkshire Schools, (Marc Rowland March 2017),’ demonstrate in their well-presented toolkit, data is valuable in informing starting points, progress and weaknesses but equally, the strength of the relationship between students and teachers is extremely important.

For me personally, I wanted to be able to access a range of practical and relevant strategies to enable me to take forward strategies to apply to my own teaching practise. I explored a range of larger scale reports which highlighted the importance of a whole school approach and the importance of all members of the school and local community. With collaboration between a range of stakeholders, appropriate strategies can be adopted over the long time to improve attainment.

Strategies whereby there is efficient, consistent and proactive utilisation of LSA’s was discussed in depth in Education Endowment Foundation (https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/) and specific classroom strategies were suggested in Lemov Setting High Expectations – Teach like a Champion (Doug Lemov (2010) ‘Teach Like a Champion’). Although some of these strategies were reminders and confirmation of strategies I already use, I was provided with several fresh approaches and lines to use. I think that sometimes it is easy to ignore behaviour that reflects disengagement in students but being reminded that ‘it’s not ok not to try’ (Lemov Setting High Expectations – Teach like a Champion (Doug Lemov (2010) ‘Teach Like a Champion’) and students should always feel that they have the support and reassurance around them to always give everything a go. This opens the dialogue for further stretch and challenge.

To finish, what specifically will I be taking forward?

• • •

Continued use of LSA’s by meeting, staying in email contact and sending resources through to LSA staff prior to the lesson.

Reaffirming my strategy to stretch every individual and set high expectations, even when target grades are low.

Liaise with colleagues across the school (subject and pastoral) to collaborate and plan for individuals

Michelle Vidovic - How can we tackle disadvantage in PE, Health and Social Care and Children’s Play Learning and Development?

Ensuring that education and the curriculum are inclusive for all, continues to be a lead priority for all those in education. Professionals within the education system continue to want to provide experiences for all, where students can learn and achieve their potential. Of course the impact also goes further than GCSE and A-level results day for the individual and, whilst we want students to feel pride in their own achievements, there is evidence to support the fact that education and knowledge has a strong link to social mobility, health and long term prosperity for both the individual, their families and the British society as a whole (Montacute, 2018). This is supported by research that shows there is a 12

consistent link between economic status and science results at KS4, this was then extended to show the same link for Maths and English (Nunes et al., 2017), it therefore stands to reason that subjects across the curriculum would also be affected. This research also showed a link between economic status and study continuing at a post 16 level. Currently, although closing, we can still see year on year a significant gap in the data between the results of a cohort as a whole and those who are classed as disadvantaged. In order for education to be truly inclusive and successful, this gap must be closed and become not only insignificant but non-existent.

School is seen as a form of secondary socialisation, Bandura began to evidence the importance of social learning in 1977 where he showed that individuals will copy the behaviour of those they socialise with. Because of this, it is imperative that school’s provide an environment where students are constantly following rules, regulations and the norms of society as well as being shown that experiences can be open to all, allowing all students to achieve their best no matter their personal circumstances. Inclusion is therefore key to tacking the progress of those disadvantaged students in our settings.

Is simply using pupil premium money to supply students with text books and other resources enough or do we need to look at the way in which we approach teaching a whole class in order to successfully bridge the gap?

The first area to look at is behaviour as the teacher toolkit (Education Endowment Foundation, accessed: 15/05/20) shows that improving behaviour management (and therefore enforcing the rules and social as well as learning expectations of the classroom) can be just as effective as intervention as it allows for the development of an individual’s social and cognitive skills. This ultimately can only improve inclusion within the classroom and allow the teacher to do more assessment for learning which in turn will allow for more detailed and informed individual and class feedback, alongside the ability to gain the required information to plan at different levels with a variety of tasks and objectives for all to achieve progress within the given class. It is in fact, imperative that feedback is as accurate, consistent and as timely as possible. Well informed and presented feedback can increase progress by 8 months and so for students who may gain less support at home, this is a massive advantage to them and their overall KS4 grades (Education Endowment Foundation, accessed: 15/05/20). Increasing the individual’s cognitive abilities also allows them to take on board, process and apply information, again improving their progress within the content of the topic being covered. It was Maslow who began the most in depth work on this, stating that in order for children to reach their potential, they required a hierarchy of needs. These included the meeting of cognitive needs and the development of selfesteem. With this in mind, the learners sense of security within the class and therefore their development of self-esteem within the subject alongside the development of actual study skills and not just factual information must then also be seen as key to unlocking the potential of all, including those who are perceived as disadvantaged. This can also be supported by the work of Bowlby and Ainsworth who initially looked at a child’s attachment to significant others, but whose work could be seen to be applied to the classroom when considering the relationship between the teacher and the student (Tassoni et al., 2019). If the student feels they have a secure and trusting relationship with the teacher and peers in the class then their stress levels may be lower and self-esteem will improve, allowing for further concentration and absorption of information. They will also feel more comfortable in getting things wrong, which is again essential in order for the teacher to gain an understanding of where a student’s learning is. Therefore whilst improving behaviour alone, only allows for moderate improvement, it can also be seen that the time gained by teachers due to a lesser need to intervene with poor behaviour allows for more effective interventions to be put in place within the classroom 13

setting. It is therefore imperative from a pedagogical point of view that all those within the same institution consistently follow the same expectations and use the same behaviour system to intervene with poor behaviour and ‘socially train’ individuals in order to allow for the best possible progress for all. A main focus for this is to be able to follow the same start of lesson routines and learning expectations across the whole faculty, in line with those set for the college as a whole and so there must be a strict push on lines, kit and homework throughout all year groups and this must not change even with a more challenging group. In fact this is probably of more value in these instances than any other. The maintenance of high expectations in relation to bridging the gap is also supported by Becky Frances (Accessed 15/05/20).

However, having said this in order to completely close the gap, other interventions/changes in practice will also need to take place in order to tackle the problem further.

One thought is that mixed ability groups, allows for students to work together and develop different skill sets/knowledge based on their needs. For example higher achieving students learn to lead and apply knowledge where as they in turn help lower achieving students to gain and understand the knowledge being used to complete a task. There has been consistent evidence over the last 40 years to support this. In PE, the sport education approach would therefore fit in with this style of teaching well and allow our students to further improve, this is something that should therefore also be used within other areas of the faculty and not just within practical PE lessons. For example when deciding upon presentation group in Health and Social Care, it should not only be ability grouped together but a mix of ability, SEN and disadvantaged students as appropriate in order to allow students to gain a support and study network which will benefit them the most. This could also be beneficial in terms of resources, for example if a student cannot access the internet at home, another may research then pass on the notes to be formatted etc., allowing all students to have access to the same research information for independent study tasks. However, this would clearly need to be handled sensitively and the task set up by the teacher in a way that an individual’s personal circumstances/disadvantages are not known by others (unless the student wishes to share the information with their peers themselves).

From reading the literature it appears that access to knowledge is just as important as knowledge itself when looking at closing the gap, therefore by developing a more group work approach in lessons, there may be an opportunity for everyone to access resources which are limited due to cost.

Alongside this Francis (2018) shows that if the students’ experience at home is the same at school and is therefore homogenous, then evidence suggests this is a double disadvantage. Those who have a heterogeneous experience show further progress. This means that lower achievers perform better in a heterogeneous group, supporting a mixed group approach as discussed.

Competitive situations can also help to encourage students learning and so mini competitions within the classroom with plenary exercises such as Pictionary could help to also bridge the gap whilst looking at a whole class approach.

Having said all of this, there is of course inevitably the place to provide text books and areas of study outside of school hours in order to allow those who may not be able to use the internet, purchase text books or find a quite sport/desk at home to work at. Due to the need to work, parents may also find it hard to sit students down and ensure they are completing homework tasks/help them and so whilst support from those at home may still be present, providing research materials, homework clubs and

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desks to work at may provide students with the time and space they need to complete tasks and extend their learning, this is supported by the research of Nunes et al. (2017).

OFSTED (Burns, 2018) highlighted the work of Young (2014) and the concept of powerful knowledge.

This concept states that ‘knowledge is powerful if it predicts, if it explains, if it enables you to envisage alternatives’. This is the type of knowledge we strive to provide our students with so that they are able to take it away and apply it to different situations, allowing them achieve success in education and employment post 16. The knowledge imparted needs to be: 1. Distinct from common sense 2. Systematic 3. Specialised Using this to inform a knowledge based curriculum (based on options as we currently do), allows for an individual to gain powerful knowledge and be socially mobile as was previously suggested. This model fits well with the functionalists sociological perspective that states different institutions work together within society in order to allow for it to function at its best, highlighting again the importance of ensuring all have access to the same resources and learning experiences, something which would in contrast conflict with the Marxist point of view of a class divide based on economic status which is supported by the research of Nunes et. al. (2017), and so it can be seen in this way that whilst the gap between disadvantaged students and the rest of their cohort is closing, it is not yet where it needs to be.

In order to achieve this ‘powerful knowledge’ teachers must enable students to interpret and apply factual information and not simply just recall, active learning could be key to this. Allowing students the resources and scaffolding to build their own knowledge and academic skills with the support of a more knowledgeable other, allowing learning to go beyond what is already known (this would be supported by the theories of Vygotsky and Bruner). In this way, again the whole class approach to learning could be the best way to bridge the gap, rather than simply just a ‘one size fits all’ individual approach for those under the umbrella of disadvantaged.

As part of this approach, a sequence of learning throughout the key stages is important, this is already embedded within the core subjects. From a PE perspective the way in which the curriculum is being developed and should continue to develop is now allowing this to take place, with more thought going into developing confidence with the theory aspects and not just the practical element, this will allow for a higher self-esteem for students opting to take this subject which in turn should allow higher progress to be made. In relation to health and social care and child development there may be scope to incorporate some elements in the future within the PSHCE curriculum or in our case the Everyone Matters curriculum in order to provide the foundations for KS4 and KS5 courses.

With there being statistical evidence to show that school’s with lower pupil premium numbers having an increased progress 8 gap (Hutchinson et al., 2016), it could be seen that there are different priorities for schools in different social economic situations. This is why it is so important to consider an approach on how to enable these students as a group to progress and achieve their potential, however based on the research completed it is my opinion that this should be done not only by looking at the group as a separate learning body but by looking at the group in the context of the whole class and the way in which content is delivered and consolidated within the subject.

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One approach to look at extending the learning opportunities to provide further support is to provide interventions which are 6 weeks at a time and consistent and so staffing can be ensured, as security is essential for these students in order to maintain attendance and engagement. These sessions should focus on what is being studied in class and should not look at different topics which were done previously or are coming up, this is to ensure maximum impact. It must also be based on up to date and accurate data (Francis, Accessed: 15/05/20). The assessment for learning (AFL) within class could therefore inform staff topic by topic as to who should be invited to attend these sessions, this could be done through a ragging system over the first few lessons of a new area, or based on the ragging of a previously studied topic which has strong links to the current content.

It appears that access to knowledge is just as important as knowledge itself when looking at closing the gap, therefore by developing a more group work approach in lessons, there may be an opportunity for everyone to access resources which are limited due to cost.

The EPI report also shows that whilst the disadvantage gap emerges over time it does not follow a constant path. The biggest gap occurs before the age of 5 years old (again supporting the work of Maslow and Ainsworth) and again at 11-16 years of age. It is therefore essential that this group of students are not only catered for at secondary school but also primary, making a smooth transition between the two also essential for the individual. This could also be where stronger links with feeder schools and deeper conversation/increased communication between schools in relation to sibling’s progress may be beneficial in preventing the gap rather than closing the gap at a later stage. However, this of course has massive impacts upon GDPR, time, resources and funding for all institutions involved.

Rebecca Allen (Accessed: 15/05/20), supports the concept of progress for disadvantaged is about time and not always money as she shows that initiatives such as free school meals is not catching everyone at the same economic level. She states that poverty does not take into account ‘time-poor’ situations and so whilst some students homes may be financially stable even if they are not affluent, this does not mean that parents have the time and capacity to provide support in the home on a consistent basis, therefore supporting the idea that a space to study and the time to be supported in study outside of lessons, is often just as important as the factual input from the teacher or the money spent on physical resources such as text books. Not every disadvantaged student is the same and so a fixed approach doesn’t work but, if a variety of initiatives are put in place and aimed at classes as a whole then there should be progress seen from all. Sport already uses sports captains in order to try and provide further practical intervention time and opportunities for all, alongside some informal mentoring but in order to make the most of this intervention, it may be worth developing a more formal mentor system for those studying GCSE/BTEC in physical education and/or a lower school buddy system based on improving confidence, self-esteem and lowering stress levels. There is also scope to develop this within other areas of the faculty in order for Level 3 students to mentor those studying health and social care and child development at a level 1 or 2. They could also provide Q+A sessions for those considering taking them as an option in year 9, in order to further prepare them for their KS4 studies.

Having also reviewed the work of Daryn Egan Simon (Accessed: 15/05/20), it is clear that there is also an argument for more dialogue and less writing in the classroom. This requires more in depth knowledge from the teacher, allowing for it to be explained in a variety of ways if needed, it also requires further cognitive engagement from the students. Again, although a whole class approach could be a way of targeting this gap in progress. Differentiated and targeted questioning can be used, 16

along with techniques such as think, pair and share. This allows for both self, peer and teacher assessment and the student will achieve more if they are able to identify the gaps in their own knowledge and access the information to fill them from a variety of different resources. In order for this to work however, the content should be collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful, this therefore at times requires an element of trust on the teacher’s behalf that students are discussing the work at hand. However, if the skill is learnt and built up over time in a trusting and secure environment, this could be an extremely valuable tool for the class teacher to use in order to ensure all students, including disadvantaged reach their maximum potential. Having said this, it must be joined with an element of written work during the application and demonstration of knowledge stage due to the nature of examinations. The work of Chomsky in the 1950’s would also support this pedagogical approach as he theorised that the individual absorbs information through the Language Acquisition Devise of LAD (Tassoni et al., 2019), which if correct would make dialogic teaching imperative to the success of individuals.

In addition to this Beck et al. (2018), who show that students often stick to content which is introduced through vocabulary and so the use of key words is a powerful way in order for students to recall information efficiently. Through use of the Cowes Way power point template and the key vocabulary slide, this can be introduced in to lessons on a regular basis and used a discussion point with relevant examples, therefore combining these two approaches together and increasing progress as a whole with no expense. The use of time spent on recalling subject specific words in tutor time could also be beneficial as repetition is vital.

In conclusion, researchers such as Andrews et al. (2017), Montacute (2018) and Nunes et al. (2017) all agree that schools are a vital tool in closing the gap between the achievements of different groups including the disadvantaged and allowing social mobility to take place. Across the literature it is generally agreed that the gap (although there are anomalies) between the progress of students in the whole cohort in comparison to those seen as disadvantaged is closing but that the process is slow and could take more than three generations to accomplish. All agree that this needs to be challenged and the gap closed sooner if not only the individual is to benefit but the British society as a whole.

However, although this needs to be a priority as the aim is for inclusion, education and progress for all, other sub groups cannot be forgotten. For this reason I believe the whole class/cohort approaches discussed in this review will be key to ensuring that all students, no matter their ability, social economic status, SEN status or individual challenges gain the best education possible and reach their potential throughout their schooling, encouraging them to stay on for further education because as Francis (2018) implies, children who enjoy school, learn more, progress more and are more likely to want to continue with their education in other settings.

Overall, whichever approaches are undertaken, decisions need to be based on accurate up to date data and designed with variety in order to benefit all, as a one size fits all approach will not be successful and inclusive.

References Allen, B. (2018). The pupil premium is not working (part 1). https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/10/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

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Allen, B. (2018). The pupil premium is not working (part 2). https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/11/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working-part-ii/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Andrews, J., Robinson, D. and Hutchinson, J. (2017). Closing the Gap? https://epi.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2017/08/Closing-the-Gap_EPI-.pdf (Accessed: 15/02/20).

Beck, I.L., McKeown M., Hunton, J., Sealy, C. and Thompson, S. (2018). Deepening Knowledge Through Vocabulary Learning. https://impact.chartered.college/article/beck-deepening-knowledge-throughvocabulary-learning/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Burns, R. (2018). Applying the ‘powerful knowledge’ principle to curriculum development in disadvantaged contexts. https://impact.chartered.college/article/applying-powerful-knowledgeprinciple-curriculum-development-disadvantaged-contexts/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Education Endowment Foundation, Teaching and Learning Toolkit. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Francis, B. (2018). How setting can lead to ‘double disadvantage’. https://www.tes.com/news/howsetting-can-lead-double-disadvantage (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Hutchinson, J. Dunford J. and Treadaway, M. (2016). Divergent pathways: the disadvantage gap, accountability and pupil premium. https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/disadvantagereport.pdf (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Montacute, R. (2018). Potential for Success. https://www.suttontrust.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/PotentialForSuccess.pdf (Accessed: 15/05/20) Nunes, T.,Bryant, P., Strand, S., Hillier, J., Barros, R. and Miller-Friedmann, J. (2017). Review of SES and Science Learning in Formal Education Settings. https://royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/topics/education-skills/education-research/evidence-revieweef-royalsociety-22-09-2017.pdf (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Simon D., E. (2020). It’s good to talk: Moving towards dialogic teaching. https://impact.chartered.college/article/egan-simon-moving-towards-dialogic-teaching/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

Tassoni , P., Baker, B., Burnham, L. and Hucker, K. (2019). Children’s Play, Learning and Development.

Pearson Education Limited, First Published 2016.

Young, M. (2014). A Knowledge-led curriculum: pitfalls and possibilities. https://impact.chartered.college/article/a-knowledge-led-curriculum-pitfalls-possibilities/ (Accessed: 15/05/20).

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Lisa Pitman - How can we harness of feedback to tackle disadvantage in the classroom?

Disadvantaged pupils and the attainment gap The most persistently disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for Free School Meals for at least 80 per cent of their time at school, indicating that they have lived in households with little or no employment income, not just temporarily, but long term.

The disadvantage gap is measured by comparing attainment between pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding due to deprivation and the rest. This is consistent with the definition used by the Department for Education. The Education Policy Institute (EPI) report found that between 2017 and 2018, in secondary school, based on the headline figure of English language and maths, the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils widened by 0.2 months to 18.1 months. This demonstrates a reversal of the trend direction which from 2011-2017 had been narrowing albeit increasingly slowly, in recent years. The change in direction in 2018 means it may have reached a turning point, and if this continues in future years it could lead to the progress of recent years being undone.

Figure 1: Trends in the size of the disadvantage gap since 2011 (Education Policy Institute, 2019) If the recent five-year trend continues, it would take over 500 years for the disadvantage gap to close by the end of secondary school.

Figure 2: Trends in the size of the persistently disadvantaged gap since 2011 (Education Policy Institute, 2019)

Figure 3: Isle of Wight local authority disadvantage gap (Education Policy Institute, 2019)

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A secondary disadvantaged pupil on the Isle of Wight will leave education, on average, 21.5 months behind his peers in terms of attainment and 3.4 months behind the national average for attainment of disadvantaged pupils at GCSE. This is unacceptable.

There are many educational approaches that have been proposed as tools to be used in the classroom in order to help teachers narrow the gap and breakdown the barriers to learning between those pupils that fall under the criteria of disadvantaged and their peers. These range from whole school approaches and ethos to accommodations and strategies that can be implemented as a part of Quality First Teaching (QFT). Some examples include: • •

• •

Setting high academic expectations for pupils with the use of Doug Lemov’s five techniques for raising academic expectations in your classroom: No Opt Out, Right Is Right, Stretch It, Format Matters, and Without Apology.

The efficient use of Pupil Premium funding with the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) identifying seven ‘building blocks of success’ during research within schools that had been successful in improving their results.

Making the best use of Teaching Assistants as researched by the Education Endowment Foundation (EFF) The quality of feedback given to students. The EEF suggests that the provision of highquality feedback can lead to an average of eight additional months’ progress over the course of a year.

Feedback is information given to the student or teacher about the learner’s performance in relation to the learning objectives or outcomes. The aim of feedback is an improvement in students’ learning.

Feedback redirects or refocuses either the teacher’s or the learner’s actions to achieve the specified learning goals, by aligning effort and activity with an outcome. It can be about the output or process of an activity, the student’s management of their learning or self-regulation, or them as individuals.

Feedback can be given in a variety of ways be it verbal, written, through tests or via digital technology.

It can come from a teacher, additional adults, or from peers. Research evidence about feedback was part of the rationale for Assessment for Learning (AfL). It should be noted that feedback can also have a negative impact on student attainment, so it is vitally important that it is done well.

Shute (2007) proposes a range of advice to ensure that feedback is effective. Some of these are summarised here: • • • •

Let the learner go first - ask learners to specifically assess their performance in relation to the stated goals and objectives Focus on the task, not the learner - Give feedback on specific aspects of the learners work in relation to the task, with suggestions about how to improve Do not compare the pupil to other learners - Feedback should be fully personalised to what the individual pupil needs to achieve, without comparison to other learners Written feedback is more effective than oral feedback - Learners experience written feedback as less biased and therefore more accurate

(University College of London Centre for Leadership in Learning, 2019) found that the use of verbal/ oral feedback led to improved ‘engagement’ with students becoming more involved in lessons, homework, discussions and practical work along with demonstrating a better attitude to learning, the capacity to be more responsible for their own learning and a rise in enthusiasm, independence and resilience. The study also showed improvements in student attainment achieving at or above their Fisher Family Trust targets. The teachers involved in the study also reported changes in their practices 20

and attitudes with improved lesson planning and reduced workload. The conclusion of the study was that schools would be wise to invest in professional development in this area. Verbal feedback, when applied well, has a positive impact on the engagement of all students (including those who are disadvantaged.) It may also lead to gains in progress and achievement and – at the least – appears to have no detrimental effects.

Feedback is a term that is used daily within education however effective feedback is surprisingly rare. getting it right is difficult and takes time and planning. Verbal feedback is the quickest form of feedback and has its place, however it has proven not to be the most effective and so should be used in conjunction with other forms. However, it is immediate and therefore can guide a student to improve their learning in real time which is extremely valuable.

The EEF suggests that feedback is a high impact for very low cost, based on moderate evidence.

Indeed, they score it as +8 months on their Teaching & Learning Toolkit, higher than any other intervention. However, of the 17 projects tagged “feedback” very few showed a particularly high measurable evidence strength. A notable exception to this was the project Embedding Formative Assessment where schools made the equivalent of two additional months’ progress in their Attainment 8 GCSE score in addition to this the additional progress made by children in the lowest third for prior attainment was greater than that made by children in the highest third.

A key gap in the research seems to be that projects are named, and evidence of effectiveness is given but there is no real information on a practical basis of what teachers were doing differently, with concrete examples of how these strategies can be implemented effectively at a whole school level. It is great that a project got 2 months additional progress but what leaders really want to know is how they can replicate this effectively within their own settings. In order to implement these strategies for optimal efficacy then you need to sign up and buy a pack. This seems counterintuitive if this is a national concern and something that all schools should be focusing on.

Of course, you can research the different methods of formative assessment for example: • • •

•

•

Questions that teachers pose to individual students and groups of students during the learning process to determine what specific concepts or skills they may be having trouble with.

Specific, detailed, and constructive feedback that teachers provide on student work, the feedback may be used to revise or improve a work product, for example.

“Exit tickets” that quickly collect student responses to a teacher’s questions at the end of a lesson or class period. Based on what the responses indicate, the teacher can then modify the next lesson to address concepts that students have failed to comprehend or skills they may be struggling with. “Admission slips” are a similar strategy used at the beginning of a class or lesson to determine what students have retained from previous learning experiences.

Self-assessments that ask students to think about their own learning process, to reflect on what they do well or struggle with, and to articulate what they have learned or still need to learn to meet course expectations or learning standards.

Peer assessments that allow students to use one another as learning resources.

To be implemented successfully these strategies need planning to ensure, for example, the phrasing of questions in specific ways so as to elicit more useful responses from students. Approaches need to be employed consistently and coherently by all staff. Training in the use of high-quality feedback is paramount and a schoolwide focus on this during learning walks with links to professional

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development would be sensible. For formative assessment to truly have a chance of making a significant impact on closing the disadvantage gap then it must be a part of the wider school ethos.

References Andrews, J., Robinson, D. and Hutchinson, J., 2017. Closing the Gap: Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage. Education Policy Institute.

Education Policy Institute, 2019. Education in England: Annual Report. [online] Available at: https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/EPI-Annual-Report-2019.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2020].

Hutchinson, J. and Dunford, J., 2016. Divergent Pathways: The Disadvantage Gap, Accountability and Pupil Premium. [online] Education Policy Institute. Available at: https://epi.org.uk/publications-andresearch/divergent-pathways-disadvantage-gap-accountability-pupil-premium/ [Accessed 20 June 2020].

Lemov, Doug, 1967-. Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2015.

Sharp, C., MacLeod, S., Bernardinelli, D., Skipp, A. and Higgins, S., 2015. Supporting the Attainment of Disadvantaged Pupils: Briefing for School Leaders. [online] Department for Education. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4 73976/DFE-RS411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils__briefing_for_school_leaders.pdf [Accessed 20 June 2020].

Shute, V., 2007. Focus on Formative Feedback. [online] Princeton, New Jersey: Educational Testing Service (ETS). Available at: https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RR-07-11.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2020].

University College of London Centre for Leadership in Learning, 2019. UCL Verbal Feedback Project Report 2019. [online] London: UCL Access and Widening Participation Office. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/widening-participation/sites/wideningparticipation/files/2019_verbal_feedback_project_final_4_print.pdf [Accessed 18 June 2020]. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/school-themes/feedback-monitoring-pupil-progress/ 2020. Feedback | Toolkit Strand. [online] Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learningtoolkit/feedback/ [Accessed 19 June 2020].

2020. Feedback & Monitoring Pupil Progress. [online] Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/school-themes/feedback-monitoring-pupil-progress/ [Accessed 20 June 2020].

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Hannah Wisniowski - A comparison of the impact of disadvantage on Canadian and British students and what this suggests for tackling the attainment gap When I first arrived in the UK to teach, fresh out of teacher training in Canada, I remember sitting in on the meetings of the very first day at my new school and listening to the presentation about the previous year’s data. The volume of data and the acronyms for what it all meant completely confounded me, but I remember one piece of information sticking with me; the data showing the gap between the achievement of PP students and non-PP students. I turned to the person next to me and asked what a PP student was, requiring further clarification when ‘pupil premium’ was whispered back to me. Even before knowing what a pupil premium student was, I could tell from the data and the way that people talked about them this was an important group of students and this was a group of students who needed teacher support more than any others.

Pupil premium was not a term I had learned about in my teacher training in Canada and while I had learned about the challenges facing students from disadvantaged backgrounds, I had never seen the evidence of how much of a difference this could make in a student’s academic life. Furthermore, they were not a group of students singled out by Canada’s government in data analysis and it left me wondering whether this achievement gap was somehow less significant in the system I was trained in?

Or perhaps was it merely a result of the fact that the system didn’t have the same level of rigorous data collection and testing as the British system did?

While I would like to be able to answer all of these questions with some degree of certainty, I fear it would take far greater research. Instead I will content myself with taking the time in this literature review to examine just a few of the topics involving what often seems like the insurmountable goal of tackling disadvantage. First, my curiosity peaked by my initial lack of knowledge on the attainment gap of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, I will attempt to investigate why this issue is so much more prevalent in British schools compared to Canadian schools. I will then consider some of the strategies that have been presented in trying to tackle disadvantage in comparison with my experiences in the classroom.

Is the disadvantage gap more significant in the UK than in Canada?

Upon researching the disadvantage gap in Canada a few things have become clear; firstly, that the inequalities between the students who came from the top 10% highest earning families and bottom 10% earning families was very prevalent in the country as well. Secondly, that perhaps the reason that the gap was not talked about nearly as much was that it has a slightly different nature given Canada’s cultural context and history.

In an explainer written by a group of graduate students from the University of British Colombia it states that “according to the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Canada consistently ranks among the highest achieving and most equitable education systems in OECD countries. The public education system is praised for providing equal opportunity for all young Canadians to achieve elementary and secondary education.” (Bryce et al., 2016). However, despite this report there remained many significant differences between the top 10 percent and bottom 10 percent when it came to ‘readiness for school’ and the parents’ ability to support their child’s education. While this gap exists, it is more often than not connected to a child’s experiences before attending school and how that might affect the behaviours and abilities that are expected of children by the time they come of school age. (Bryce et al., 2016). They suggested that at a young age they 23

were being disadvantaged in not having the same opportunities to attend high quality childcare that would prepare students for learning in school. As a result, when these students enter school, they are already one step behind their peers from a higher socio-economic status. These findings suggest that that tackling disadvantage in Canada is not necessarily a task that must be undertaken within the schools themselves but in the initial childcare stages of a child’s development.

In contrast to this in an article written that examines the relationship between OFSTED results and White British students eligible for free school meals it was found that this particular group of students make worst progress in their time at secondary school than almost any other group with an average progress 8 score of – 0.72 and only 35% scoring a grade 4 or above in their English and maths GCSEs compared with 64% of all pupils. (Bradbury and Harford, 2018) These scores suggest an almost negative progress of pupil premium students in secondary schools. A similar study by Dr Rebecca Montacute (2018), which focused on highly able students from disadvantaged backgrounds, found similar results. Overall high attainers had a progress 8 score of 0.02 while those that came from disadvantaged backgrounds had a progress 8 score or -0.32. (Montacute, 2018, p.8) What this information suggests to me is that while the attainment gap between those from disadvantaged backgrounds and non-disadvantaged backgrounds was indeed an issue in Canada as well, it most certainly didn’t seem to be quite so significant. It was also interesting to me that the research on this issue in Canada was of a very different nature. It primarily focused on how students were being disadvantaged from a very early age and how that would then make it difficult to adapt to school life in later years rather than as a problem that would require intervention in secondary schools.

Another common thread through the research in Canada was that the majority of students who fit into the disadvantaged category were those of Indigenous heritage. The report by UBC students found that most First Nations families were found within the bottom 10 percent household income group with the median income within the aged 25 to 54 group is estimated to be some $11,000 lower than their nonindigenous counterparts. (Bryce et al., 2016). This draws me to the conclusion that at the heart of the discussion around the attainment gap in Canada must focus not just on the results and scores of these students but also on the inequities of a society that leaves the indigenous peoples marginalised in society and the education system.

Is disadvantage something that can be ‘tackled’?

In the UK a great deal of the research found that in secondary schools in particular it almost seems as though the students designated as PP were making negative progress, resulting in a series of government initiatives to intervene and try to close the gap when students became of secondary school age. In a series of blog posts by Becky Allen (2018) the author explained their perspective that the PP designation to certain students and the way in which it operated in most British schools was no longer effective. In the blog the author argues “the pupil premium is constructed in a way that encourages interventionist rather than whole class approaches to education improvement, and it does so for a group of students without a well specified set of needs.” (Allen, 2018, part II) The author also makes the point that the ‘gap stories’ allow us to stereotype students and think of them as one holistic group rather than a series of individuals with diverse needs and backgrounds.

At the core of my interest in the pupil premium designation in the UK was a moral dilemma. In my teacher training it was always impressed upon me how important it was not to single students out and to have the same expectations for all. After all, Canada was generally known to be a tolerant, welcoming and diverse country. A focus of our training was therefore that we would see students of 24

such a range of backgrounds that every single child should receive the same attention, care and efforts in our teaching and to achieve a ‘cultural mosaic’ where people of diverse backgrounds are integrated into Canadian society but where diversity is still retained, celebrated and valued. (Campbell, 2020, p.2) However, I now found myself being asked to highlight PP students in different colours on my seating plan in a different colour so that if someone walked into my classroom, they could immediately tell which students to focus on. I was also being asked to question these students more and monitor their achievements or difficulties more closely. It struck me as wrong that these students, who were potentially already distrustful of the education system, should be singled out and made to feel different from their fellow classmates. I also found myself beginning to sink into a mindset of being shocked when a PP student achieved well on an assessment. In Allen’s blog, The Pupil Premium is not Working (2018), it is argued that these strategies are not effective as they allow us to stick to the ‘gap stories’ and form interventionist strategies.

So what can be done? The literature paints a pretty grim picture and I often found myself feeling helpless in the face of the negative progress 8 scores and the difficulties of some of my disadvantaged students sitting in front of me. Allen (2018) states that money should not be the solution to tackling disadvantage; “Money does not matter to pupil attainment as much as we think it should. Money changes the way we educate. It changes the way that education feels to those involved and it changes the diversity of experiences we can give students in school, but that a different thing to saying it directly affects how students learn.” (Allen, 2018, part II). Allen then goes on to suggest that we should not be focusing on students based on socio-economic background. Rather, as teachers we should focus on cognitive function and how to close those gaps. (Allen, 2018, part III) This suggests a return to what my research into the Canadian attainment gap found. Students that come from a lower socioeconomic status are perhaps disadvantaged right from the start in terms of the childcare provisions the are able to access.

Ultimately, there is no one answer to overcoming the attainment gap. It is a complex issue with a large number of variables making it incredibly difficult to track and monitor. In the UK a range of strategies from quality feedback to teaching students metacognition and self-regulation have been suggested as low cost yet effective options for tackling disadvantage. (Education Endowment Fund (EEF), 2018).

However, most research seems to suggest that teacher retention, recruitment and training, which allows teachers to form lasting and meaningful relationships with students from disadvantaged backgrounds, might be the best way to try and overcome the gap in some way. (Bradbury and Harford, 2018).

In the light of the current context it is also important to take a brief moment to consider the impact of school closures on this vulnerable group of students. In an article published in the Guardian, Halliday (2020) states that “analysis by the Education Endowment Fund charity said that the closure of schools to most pupils 10 weeks ago was likely to reverse all progress made to close the gap since 2011.”

(Halliday, 2020) Some predictions have found that the gap might even widen from 9.2 months as of 2019 by 75% as a result of the pandemic. (Halliday, 2020).

With this in mind I would like to conclude with a closing thought about what can be done to support these students upon the eventual return to schools. My findings suggest that the answer is not a matter of investing money in interventions in these students but in perhaps changing the way in which we approach these students by understanding their diverse set of needs and trying to support those rather than an interventionist approach.

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References Allen, B. (2018, Spetember 10). The pupil premium is not working - parts I-III. Musings on education policy. https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/10/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working/ Bradbury, J., Harford, S. (2018, June 22). Deprivation, ethnicity and school inspection judgements.

GOV.UK blogs. https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2018/06/22/deprivation-ethnicity-and-schoolinspection-judgements/ Bryce, R., Blanco Iglesias, C,. Pullman, A., Rogova, A. (2016, January 19). Inequality Explained: The hidden gaps in Canada’s education system. Open Canada. https://www.opencanada.org/features/inequality-explained-hidden-gaps-canadas-education-system/ Campbell, C. (2020). Educational equity in Canada: the case of Ontario’s strategies and actions to advance excellence and equity for students, school leadership & management. Taylor & Francis.

Education Endowment Foundation. (2018, October 10). Teaching & Learning Toolkit. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/ Halliday, J. (2020, June 3). Decades of progress in tackling pupil disadvantage ‘wiped out’. The Guardian.

Montacute, R. (2018, July). Potential for Success: Fulfilling the promise of highly able students in secondary schools. The Sutton Trust.

Alexandra Duffin - Is education in the UK truly inclusive and successful? Is the gap being closed for disadvantaged students in secondary PE? Teachers have a fundamental responsibility to maximise the learning of all pupils, therefore we are required to work flexibly and creatively to design environments that are conducive to learning for all (Vickerman, 2002). Avramadis and Norwich (2002) assert that it is important to recognise as part of a modern society that equality of opportunity in all aspects of life, including education, is a social and moral right for all citizens. Therefore, it is important that teachers have an open mind, positive attitude and willingness to modify and adapt learning, teaching and assessment strategies (Morley et al., 2005).

However it is crucial that this does not involve trying to support all pupils in the same way, as Rogers (2007) stats in order to facilitate full access to the PE curriculum, you need skills to identify individual pupils’ needs and plan appropriately to their particular circumstances. Enabling equality of opportunity and inclusiveness should focus on celebrating different whilst creating systems in which pupils are treated equally, but differently (Mouratidis et al, 2008).

The Department for Education (2015) identifies disadvantaged pupils as:

• Eligible for Free School Meals or have been in the last six years.

• Looked after Children (LAC), or those who have previously looked after by the state, but are now adopted or are subject to a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order.

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• Children with parents in the armed forces. It is assumed that these children are disadvantaged in comparison to others because of low family income, little or no family support (LAC) or lots of school moves all of which have been proven to have a negative impact on progress and attainment when compared to others” Last accessed 18/06/2020.

The Government provides funding, the Pupil Premium, to allow schools to put interventions into place to try to close the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Disadvantage has a big influence on pupils’ life chances, as the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s (State of the Nation, 2014 Last accessed 18/06/2020) report highlights, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are: twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) and at higher risk of ending up in poverty as adults.

Figure 1: Education Policy Institute, 2019 (Last accessed 18/06/2020).

Due to the current pandemic of Coronavirus (COVID‑19) it has been reported by Frank field Chair, Tom Quinn CEO Frank Field Education Trust that pupils from disadvantage background are likely to have been disproportionately further disadvantage by the effects of lockdown, and the government “need to take action if social justice to prevail” (The Guardian, 2020) Last accessed 18/06/2020.

What can we do as educators to close the gap?

The social mobility commission (2014) explains that the most effect way of promoting high attainment have several things in common this relates to seven building blocks to close the gap for disadvantaged pupils: 1. Whole-school ethos of attainment for all 2. Addressing behaviour 27

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

High quality teaching for all Meeting individual learning needs Deploying staff effectively Data driven and responding to evidence Clear, responsive leadership.

I am now going to look in more depth of 2, 3 and 4 of the 7 building blocks and how they could be used to close the gap and lead to a more inclusive and successful attainment for disadvantage pupils.

Addressing behaviour is a key factor to ensure that effective learning takes place, therefore managing pupil’s behaviour leading to enforcing high expectations and giving clear rules will impact positively of the pupil’s behaviour.

“Teachers are expected to be good classroom managers. Administrators often consider teachers who exert strong control to be the best teachers, while parents and community expect students to be taught self-control. Likewise, students expect teachers to exert control and establish a positive learning environment”.

(Cruickshank et al., 1995:393).

Having good behaviour management, leads to developing a positive climate and a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere in which pupils have a clear understanding of the ILOs using positive reinforcement motivation for pupils to learn and enhance their self-esteem and develop as individuals leading to a stress free environment. By enhancing pupils self-esteem gives pupil’s a sense of selfworth and develops a sense of trust between then teacher and the pupils which is more likely to discourage negative behaviour, Francis (2018) suggests that pupils who enjoy school will learn more, progress are more likely to want to continue with their educational studies on to KS5.

Within Physical Education, pupils may be motivated intrinsically or extrinsically it is important as a PE teacher to remain realistic to the ILO set for pupils should therefore be different to meet the needs of different pupils and the meaning to each individual. To do this Piaget (1962), Vygotsky (1962) and Bruner (1960), helps to develop teaching tasks which are appropriate to pupils learning and which are appropriate to pupils learning. For example, Piaget (1962) explains that pupils only learn effectively if their own educational experiences are suitable matched to their current level of understanding therefore helping to close the gap.

By having consistently having high standards, through setting expectations, monitoring performance, tailoring teaching and support to suit pupils and sharing best practice. This approach is supported by a body of research (Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission, 2014). Which has found that good teachers are especially important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. At Cowes Enterprise College (CEC) PE department we have high standards for example the start of the lesson (Physical Education Handbook, 2020): Start of lesson routine- As stated to students on changing room doors All staff must follow the following guidelines when greeting and registering classes: 1. Line up in register classes. This should be done in alphabetical order.

2. Wait quietly for the register to be taken.

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3. After the register has been completed: A) B)

C)

D)

If you have the correct kit and are practically participating in the lesson, go into the changing rooms handing in your valuables on the way and change as quickly as possible.

If you are participating but do not have the correct kit, wait outside the changing rooms for your teacher to make a record and provide spare kit, for which you will need to leave your ID card as a deposit. You should then change as soon as possible in the correct changing rooms.

If you are not participating practically in the lesson but have the correct kit, wait outside the indoor changing rooms for your teacher to read your note and make a record. You should then go into the indoor changing rooms and change into full kit as quickly as possible, handing in your valuables on the way.

If you are not participating and have forgotten your kit, wait outside the indoor changing rooms for your teacher to read your note and make a record. You should then wait to be provided with spare kit, for which your ID card will need to be handed in as a deposit. You will then need to change as quickly as possible in the indoor changing rooms.

4. Once changed please complete the starter as directed by your teacher.

Changing room policy: When teaching any practical PE lesson and supervising the changing rooms the department have a walk through policy where staff are expected to either be monitoring behaviour from the changing room entrance or taking it in turns to walk through the rooms, wherever possible a minimum of 5 times over the 5 minute changing period, this will be done at random intervals.

“The effects of high-quality teaching are especially significant for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds: over a school year, these pupils gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning with very effective teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. In other words, for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s learning” (Montacute, 2018).

However, Hutchinson (2019) explains that class sizes are rising in secondary schools (partially due to rising pupil numbers), and teacher pay declined 10 per cent in real-terms since 2010. School staff report that teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, school trips, and IT equipment, have been cut for financial reasons in many schools. Francis (2018) has discovered that teachers who are highly qualified in their taught subject were less likely to be allocated to low sets. It has been discovered expectations make a difference to exam results, to careers and in allowing every child to realise their potential. Survey evidence shows that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds start out with high aspirations indistinguishable from those from better off backgrounds (Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission, 2014). This pattern was less evident in intervention schools recent budget cuts and changes have tended to disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils as teachers are not able to withhold continuous high standards of teaching.

It important to meet the individual learning need of are disadvantaged pupils , at CEC we have Everyone matters (E1M) PSHCE curriculum is designed so that any pupil can excel, so that no one is 29

disadvantaged, this enable a driving block for pupils to develop on to KS4 and Ks5. Pupils requires teachers to acknowledge and respond to diversity amongst pupils, which embracing social models though changing learning and teaching styles to fit the pupil rather than the other way round (Burchardt, 2004). As a PE teacher I set intended starter tasks appropriate to the group and the individual using bronze, silver and gold:

Figure 2: Example of starter for individuals in the class at different abilities.

As teachers it’s important that we seek out strategies best suited to addressing individual needs, rather than simply fitting pupils into their existing support strategies, at CEC we use class charts and we can identify who our disadvantaged pupils are and for example put in the correct Pupil Premium needs. Sir John Dunford (2015), explains that many schools have made excellent use of the Pupil Premium (PP), closing the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged children and others and even, in some cases, having a ‘reverse gap’ with the disadvantaged outperforming their peers, it’s important that schools have a high degree of autonomy in how they spend the PP money. Schools that serve more disadvantaged communities do need considerably more money to operate. Their students frequently have greater pastoral needs and they face higher costs of dealing with safeguarding, attendance and behavior as Allen (2018) explains if school don’t have the correct funding for PP this can widen the gap as pupils would not reserve the correct funding.

To conclude finding from Andrews et al (2017), explains that the gap is closing, but at very slow rate and has shown despite significant and targeted intervention programmes, the gap between disadvantaged 16 year old pupils and their peers has only narrowed by three months of learning between 2007 and 2016. In 2016, the gap nationally, at the end of secondary school, was still 19.3 months. While there has been some small improvement in closing the gap between disadvantaged pupil and their peers, it is taking far too long. If we carry on at this pace, we will lose at least a further 3 generations before equality of outcomes is realised through our education system, it is out role as educators to ensure that all pupils our treated equally enabling them to develop.

References Allen, B. (2018). The pupil premium is not working (part 2). https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/11/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working-part-ii/ (Accessed: 18/06/20).

Andrews, J., Robinson, D. and Hutchinson, J. (2017). Closing the Gap? https://epi.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2017/08/Closing-the-Gap_EPI-.pdf (Accessed: 18/06/20).

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Avramadis, E. and Norwich, B. (2002) Teachers’ attitudes towards integration and inclusion: a review of the literature, European Journal of Special Needs Education 17, 2:129-47.

Cruickshank, D.R., Beiner, D.L. and Metcalf, K. (1995) The act of teaching, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Department of Education. (2015). Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Available: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4 73976/DFE-RS411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils__briefing_for_school_leaders.pdf . Last accessed 18/06/2020.

Education Policy Institute. (2019). Determinants of the education disadvantage gap. Available: https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/EPI-circle-Infographic_Print-Ready.jpg. Last accessed 18/06/2020.

Francis, B. (2018). How setting can lead to ‘double disadvantage’. https://www.tes.com/news/howsetting-can-lead-double-disadvantage (Accessed: 18/06/20).

Hutchinson, J . (2019). Schools can no longer close the gap for disadvantaged pupils. Available: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-can-no-longer-close-the-gap-for-disadvantaged-pupils/. Last accessed 19/06/20.

Montacute, R. (2018). Potential for Success. https://www.suttontrust.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/PotentialForSuccess.pdf (Accessed: 18/06/20) Morley, D. Bailey, R., Tan, J and Cooke, B. (2005) Inclusive physical education: Teachers views, European Physical Education Review, 11, 1:84-107.

Mouratidis, A., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W. and Sideris, G. (2008) The motivating role of positive feedback in sport and physical education, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30:240-68.

Physical Education Handbook (2020) Cowes Enterprise College.

Rogers, C. (2007) Experiencing an inclusive education, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 28, 1:55-68.

Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission. (2014). State of the Nation 2014: Social Mobility and Child Poverty in Great Britain. Available: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3 65765/State_of_Nation_2014_Main_Report.pdf . Last accessed 18/06/2020.

The Guardian. (2020). School returns – a choice between danger and disadvantage. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/18/school-returns-a-choice-between-dangerand-disadvantage . Last accessed 18/06/2020.

Vickerman, P. (2002) Perspective on the training of physical education teachers for the inclusion of children with special educational needs: is there an official line view?, Bulletin of physical education, 38 2:79-98.

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Adam Brown - How can parental support and cultural change close the gap?

When thinking about the curriculum, one question we should attempt to answer is ‘what are schools for?’ In many cases this brings up the argument that schools are either instruments for reproducing capitalism’s social inequalities or providing modern economies with the skills and knowledge they are thought to need. Neither of these answers provides discussion on curriculum. As discussion surrounding curriculum amongst educationalist grows, more often than not the discussions become centred on ‘knowledge’. The general consensus is that the role of schools should be to provide knowledge that children would not have if they were forced to rely on their families, communities and workplaces. ‘Knowledge for all’ has become an increasingly popular slogan for schools. But getting the content of the curriculum right is only half the battle. If schools and teachers become, simply, transmitters of knowledge then we build a culture of assessing prescribed knowledge though examinations in order to critique the education community. This adds pressure on schools, teachers, pupils and families. The focus becomes more on examination outcomes and less on strategies to allow access to this knowledge. Access to learning for many reflects a social factor relating to upbringing and socioeconomic factors. For example, parents involvement in their children’s education and the access to technology to access the most engaging pedagogies. This paper sets out to review strategies that could be used by schools to ‘close the gap’ between those students who are disadvantaged in these ways and those not.

One advantage of schools in tackling disadvantage is the ability to separate children from their everyday experience, which for many will be a condition for them to acquire knowledge, beyond those experiences. To rely on the experience of pupils alone limits what they can learn to that experience.

Allowing pupils to select optional subjects and be taught be specialist faculties provides the structure to knowledge that will allow pupils to think beyond their experiences and to think the unthinkable.

This is not to deny the fact that many ‘disadvantaged’ pupils will be alienated from the curriculum. The problem is both a curriculum and pedagogic one, which schools need to address, but it is also a political problem reflecting wider social inequalities. It must be recognised that the problem of distribution of resources in society is far more than the problem of the distribution of abilities. When studying the curriculum found in the top public schools, they are highly resourced. Yes, there is also a cultural subsidy, but these schools get good outcomes from a knowledge-based, resource rich curriculum. This highlights the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged will continue to grow until the political / social problem of an unequal distribution of resources is addressed.

So, cultural change is necessary in order to close the gap. The Cambridge Primary Review 2010 (CPR) recommended that a school curriculum should carefully consider its local setting. The Cambridge University Primary School opened in September 2015 as the first university training school in the UK, designed to be research-informed and research-generating. It has developed a curriculum that is underpinned by a commitment to values. This creates a culture in a school that is vital in tackling disengagement, disaffection and alienation of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In order to change the culture and to offset the inequality in the distribution of resources, it is essential that schools build strong relationships with parents. This alongside schemes for providing additional technology to access knowledge is a strategy that might, over time, bring ‘knowledge for all’. One such intervention, which had a very positive impact on parents support throughout the duration of Year 11, centred on engaging parents in supporting their child’s revision. This was achieved through daily emails to parents providing quick and easy revision questions to be asked at home. The focus of this project 32

was on the core subjects and humanities. Parents reported feeling empowered by the email, giving them a specific role and increasing their confidence in engaging with their child’s education. Students reported feeling motivated by their parents’ active involvement, which supports finding of previous studies by Hoover-Dempsey et al. (2005). One project which reported an impact of one month of additional progress, was a pilot scheme by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF 2016). This intervention was designed to engage parents in their children’s learning by sending text messages informing parents of key information, such as what they were studying, homework and assessment dates.

At CEC a ‘gap’ exists between the disadvantaged students and those who are not. By considering a curriculum that prioritises the knowledge, skills and experiences that all should access, we can improve the chances of all students. Curriculum content alone will not achieve a closing of the gap.

Interventions, such as those discussed in this paper, to address the socioeconomic disadvantages at play will both engage parents in their children’s learning and begin to establish a new culture of equality, compassion and aspiration. By coordinating a consistent approach to the disadvantage divide, across all faculties in the academy, we can bring about change. In the long term, fully embed a new culture but in the short term, bring about positive engagement and cooperation between all key stakeholders.

References Biddulph, J. (2018). Designing a curriculum to nurture compassionate citizens. Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.

EEF (2016) Parent engagement project. ‘Texting parents’. Available at: www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk Hoover-Dempsey K., Walker, J., Sandler H. et al. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal 106(2): 105-130.

Hutchinson, K. (2019). Effective use of technology to support revision: Daily emails to parents. Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Young, M. (2018). A knowledge-led curriculum: pitfalls and possibilities. Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Tom Harding - How can we tackle disadvantage through a knowledge –led curriculum?

During the last few months, it has become increasingly clear how important education is for the most disadvantaged pupils in our country. ‘Closing the gap’ and ‘a focus on disadvantage pupils’ have always been key areas that have underpinned many discussions amongst educational professionals. As a result of the recent period of absenteeism from in-school education, the need to focus on our most deprived and low-aspiration students has now become one of the most important areas for schools to have a significant and rapid impact on.

Schools across the country have had a valuable opportunity to question their current curriculum, review schemes of work and consider ways in which their provision can ensure that disadvantaged pupils in every year group are supported by a curriculum that takes away the social ceiling and 33

supports students having high expectations of themselves and one another. Is it possible that a successful knowledge-led curriculum can close gaps and educate children in believing that they can achieve anything they want do to? How can my impact on KS3 and the development of a creative curriculum support these high expectations and aspirations?

It is important in this early stage to make it clear what the terms, ‘disadvantaged’ and knowledge-led’ curriculum mean. Both phrases have become almost ubiquitous in the ever-changing world of education. A clear definition is vitally important and reaching a consensus on understanding the terms allows for a universal approach to tackle an increasingly problematic cultural divide. Young’s use of the phrase. ‘invaluable knowledge we want the pupils to know’ (Young, 2018) seems to suggest the importance of knowledge for use at a later stage – both academically and socially. He further explains that knowledge should be ‘powerful’ which would further suggest that having great knowledge could lead to better life chances and hierarchical opportunities. Therefore it is important to recognise that knowledge is something that is obtained from other sources. Without the infrastructure, educational drive and support that is often missed by home environments, this knowledge has to be provided by a combination of other experiences: school, external professionals, mentors and peers.

Unfortunately, there is often a direct correlation between the lack of knowledge, or depth of knowledge and students who are classed as disadvantaged. The Department for Education defines disadvantage pupils as those who ‘come from families with low income, little or no family support, or lots of moves that have proven to have had a negative impact on progress and attainment when compared to others’.

From both these definitions, we find ourselves in a position where we need to remember the purpose of school and what it is to be a teacher. We can all adopt a new scheme of work, change a timetable or introduce a new marking policy but what appears to be even more important is how we part with our own knowledge, expectations and common purpose in order to tackle this clear social divide. Biddulph talks about the term ‘metacognition’ (Biddulph, 2018), where providing knowledge is not just about telling stories, providing information or helpful anecdotes, but the underlying importance of how we use the knowledge gained. This would suggest that we need to also teach students that knowledge can be used in different ways in order to gain success in certain tasks.

With these definitions clearly defined and with the understanding that educators need to consider ways in which to provide high-quality knowledge as well has how to use it, where and how does the underlying curriculum play a part in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils are explicitly taught these two vital areas?

Pupils who apply to attend school at Cowes Enterprise College are promised a universal offer of a curriculum that focuses on high expectations and that is accessible to all. This offer comes without prejudice; an offer where everyone can succeed and the continued belief that you can be whoever you want to be. This is not an underlying policy or action point, but an inbuilt culture as a result of goodquality leadership. However, we are increasingly finding that, as a coastal school with medium levels of depravation, there is a self-efficacy that needs to be challenged, addressed and focused on in order that the curriculum can continue to close gaps and offer a high-quality academic provision. This is evident in the research by the National Policy Institute whose 2018 annual report states ‘pupils attainment is rising but disadvantaged children are still behind at every stage’.

In order to ensure that the universal offer that the Cowes Enterprise College promise is fulfilled and to challenge the low expectations and aspirations that disadvantaged pupils often have, I am in a unique 34

position to make a significant difference across KS3 and in the wider school community. It has been recognised that pupils’ poor self-efficacy is often as a result of parents’ own experiences of school and more specifically the area that they live in. Young refers to the way in which ‘pupils feel alienated from the curriculum’ (Young, 2018). Perhaps this is as a result of many schools’ curriculum being purposeful but driven for the majority and not the few. This supports the case that we need to be providing a curriculum that not only provides an academic rigour but also intrinsic links to common themes where local professional organisations in the community can work alongside pupils to help to mentor and develop their expectations of themselves. This thematic approach allows pupils to feel more connected with the National offer and also provide knowledge that is both academic-rich and functional.

As a school leader, it is important that the curriculum offered by Cowes Enterprise College and its values are shared by all other members of staff. With a common purpose and underlying belief that a thematic approach to learning will enable disadvantaged pupils to feel more connected and investedin, pupils are more likely to want to succeed and enjoy continuing education and professional learning.

Hoover-Dempsey K., Walker, J., and Sandler H discuss the fact that the curriculum should ‘not have any boundaries’ and as a result the provision should enable students to succeed on a multiple of levels.

Ensuring that the overall purpose of the curriculum has links to a local context as well as having an active staff body who are regularly seeking alternative ways to deliver the curriculum will in itself ensure that the curriculum instils a love of learning as well as the deep knowledge that is so often missed at home.

I do fear however, that there is an increasing problem preventing a knowledge-led curriculum to be successful. Unfortunately, the current levels of Government funding often do not allow the creative and resource-heavy curriculum that thematic learning and external provision require. This is often where the gap between the private and state school sector is so prevalent. Young refers to this when discussing the ‘high-resource curriculum’ that fee-paying schools such as Eton and Winchester are able to offer. He suggests that the government ‘fails to acknowledge the impact that extra-curriculum resources, facilities and external opportunities’ can have on disadvantages pupils. For me, this is not a problem but a challenge to ensure that that we find creative ways to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, can have the opportunity to succeed.

References Young, M. (2018). A knowledge-led curriculum: pitfalls and possibilities. Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Biddulph, J. (2018). Designing a curriculum to nurture compassionate citizens. Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Hoover-Dempsey K., Walker, J., Sandler H. et al. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal 106(2): 105-130.

EEF (2016) Parent engagement project. ‘Texting parents’. Available at: www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

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Jess Lewis - Tackling disadvantage – literature review PISA 2015 Survey results (Vol 1): Excellence and equity in education comments that successfully reducing in-school variation has been described as; “The greatest educational challenge of our time”.

I have been aware of within-school variation for years but looking through the literature for tackling disadvantage I was drawn to ISV articles. I am shocked and somewhat horrified by the statistical differences found across the UK. PISA 2015 highlighted that ISV on an International scale with UK schools showing 24% more ISV. As a school we make the point of stating that all students should expect a high level of education and opportunity regardless of class/teacher/cohort but it did leave me to question… do we do enough to implement strategies to create impact?

I do believe that the life chances of our students will be effected by within-school variation but we possibly have a tendency to accept to some degree that there will be a variant depending on who is teaching and timetabling, rooming etc.

Another aspect raised this year has seen the phased introduction of the Cowes Way and resource consistency, there are arguments for using the same resources with differentiation and arguments that teaching styles can be hampered. I was interested in how this effects student outcomes hence my review focuses around tacking disadvantage with particular interest in ISV. Text 1 - Summary and commentary NCSL. (2009) ‘Reducing in-school variation (making effective practice standard)’. www.tda.gov.uk I was interested in the five key areas highlighted where action can be taken to reduce ISV with a view on how these could be implemented within my own practice: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The collection and use of data The role and effectiveness of middle leaderships The quality of teaching and learning Listening and responding to student voice Standardising procedures

The article takes the reader through each of the key areas and a gives detailed support on how these areas can be tackled. It is very much like a manual with tasks and strategies for each key area. The author also gives a questioning section for each area to allow the reader to think and strategically plan how the implementation could work but it lacks examples of actual practice with real teachers in real schools. This took me to my second text which was written by a New Zealand Principal (albeit a Primary School) who used the NCSL article to practically apply the five key areas as well as interviewing other teachers across the UK to see how they have been implemented the NCSL strategies.

Text 2 - Summary and commentary Vanderpyl R. (2016), Sabbatical Topic: Reducing In-School variation (In-school variation is a slow burn but ends with a big bonfire). New Zealand.

Based in New Zealand, I found this article when looking at how schools outside of the UK are remedying in-school variation. Vanderpyl gave clear examples of how the five strategies were using within his own practice with various results. I found this literature to be written with real life experience of genuinely trying to combat ISV. There are examples of success and also less successful 36

observations, it felt like a genuinely written article from someone who truly understood the issues with ISV and implementation in schools based on experience. Part of this article was dedicated to interviews with other teachers who have also implemented the five key areas again highlighting issues and remedies.

The two articles together give a picture of ISV implementation and a basis to implement this using the strategies found in the NCSL along with the pitfalls highlighted by Vanderpyl.

Addressing in-school variation for the future It has been impossible to conclude this review without acknowledging the powerful research and finding a way to use this in future planning and resourcing. In particular I plan to have a relentless focus on the quality of teaching and learning with a systematic monitoring of lessons using wellunderstood criteria with opportunities for staff to share and negotiate ideas based on the key five areas. I am particularly keen to experiment with the student voice and to be brave enough to allow students to take the opportunity of student voice to respond to teacher comparison.

Finally standardising operating procedures such as data monitoring and core aspects of lesson planning to ensure consistency of good practice. All staff in the faculty have been instructed to utilise the Cowes Way lesson template to ensure lesson planning consistency and this literature review has allowed me to justify pushing staff to be uniform in their planning and delivery.

PISA 2015 results (Vol 1): Excellence and equity in education states: “The landscape of educational attainment in the United Kingdom would be transformed if every school brought the average of its lowest-performing pupil groups and lowest-performing teaching areas up to the level of the best in its own school”.

References NCSL (2006) ‘Narrowing the Gap (reducing within school variation in pupil outcomes)’. www.tda.gov.uk NCSL. (2009) ‘Reducing in-school variation (making effective practice standard)’. www.tda.gov.uk Ofsted 2008 ‘Using Data, Improving Schools’ (reference: 070260) PISA. Survey 2015 p4 Reynolds, D – NCSL (2007) ‘Schools Learning from Their Best (the within school variation project)’.

Nottingham.

Sobel D. (2018) ‘Narrowing the Attainment Gap: A handbook for schools’. Bloomsbury, England.

Vanderpyl R. (2016), Sabbatical Topic: Reducing In-School variation (In-school variation is a slow burn but ends with a big bonfire). New Zealand.

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Jemma Harding - Tackling disadvantage ‘The magic key to unlocking the secret behind the gap’ The dictionary definition of disadvantage is: ‘an unfavourable circumstance or condition that reduces the chances of success or effectiveness.’ A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, a lucky or favourable circumstance. At the root of both words is the Old French avant, "at the front." Therefore, implying that to have disadvantage there must be those that are advantaged and there lies a gap between the two.

I often find myself questioning, ‘What is the role of a school?’ A school is much more than simply a place where children obtain a set of exam results against their name. I believe school to be a place of deepening knowledge, of acquiring and mastering skills - both hard in the academic sense and soft in terms of developing character and resilience, in order to be able to function in the wider world with success.

I have a dream and it begins with belief. My dream is a dream of children attending a school where once they come through the door, all animals are equal and there are not, in the words of animal farm, ‘some are more equal than others.’ Every child deserves the best offer, the best curriculum and the best opportunities to excel.

This review will only scratch the surface on what exists as an ocean of literature on all of the various facets of the ‘tackling disadvantage’ argument but it does aim to raise the profile of how it takes more than traditional teaching and learning interventions to feed in to the overall strategy if we are to narrow this widening gulf.

I believe that all children should have access to high quality educational provision that is not dependent on background or social status. To be fully inclusive, schools should be where children are able to ‘feel’ equal and can access opportunities with the playing field levelled as soon as they enter the gates. Curriculums should be designed so that all children can access the opportunities to progress to be the best that they can be and not feel disadvantaged due to their socio-economic status.

High expectations and high aspirations through an inter relationship of high quality educational experiences and excellent support and outstanding personal development will bring us one step closer to finding that magic key to unlock the secret behind narrowing the disadvantaged gap.

Children will only learn in the context of their reality and it is the job of a good school to ensure that the reality of all is level and promotes progression for all. Inevitably children will come to school with gaps caused by their experiences outside of school. A school has the mighty job of trying to even out the playing field while supporting a whole host of varying needs and barriers to learning that come through the school gates every single day. In order to narrow the gap between disadvantaged students and those of their peers, significant cultural change is needed and this type of change should never be underestimated nor indeed rushed if it is to be sustained.

Disadvantaged children typically start school behind their peers and this gap only serves to widen as they progress through each year of schooling.

According to the Education in England annual report 2018, the broad picture in our country is that on average, disadvantaged pupils are 4.3 months behind in the early years phase, 9.4 months behind in primary school, and 18.4 months behind at Key Stage 4, with persistently disadvantaged pupils 23.4 months behind at KS4. For this analysis, the DfE used the definition of disadvantage as pupils who are 38

eligible for the Pupil Premium; persistently disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for Free School Meals for at least 80 per cent of their school lives.

But disadvantage is much more complex than that. It is often described as a ‘gradient’ not a gap.

Disadvantaged children are not a homogenous group. Many factors impact on educational experiences and in turn, outcomes. These can vary from gender, ethnicity, first language, to special educational needs and disability (SEND) status, family history of disadvantage, and geography.

There are many facets to the term ‘disadvantage’ and if we do not take into consideration the whole child and their individual stories in planning their individual educational journeys within schools, then we will never fully close that gap that is widening as society evolves at pace.

The impact of family disadvantage is evident before a child enters schooling, and continues to weigh them down throughout their schooling years. The complexities at play and differences in society can affect physical and psychological health, well-being and the ability to retain information and perform under pressure. These constructs must not be underestimated when thinking about the overall challenge of tackling disadvantage.

Interconnected natures of health, well-being, family, school and environment all should be considered and featured at the heart of school policy. At Cowes, the strong welfare systems support the ability of children to be able to learn within the classroom. For many students we begin two steps behind in trying to challenge a self-efficacy that is deep rooted. A self-belief that one can’t achieve is a significant challenge that renders many children at a disadvantage before any attempt to begin plugging any knowledge gaps is attempted. That is why a culture of Growth Mind-set is so vital in beginning to challenge negative cognitive thought processes.

A students’ social and economic characteristics shape their cognitive and behavioural outcomes. The literature supports this, yet there are many who refuse to accept that outside of school, disadvantages can weaken outcomes and therefore solely rely on schools and teachers to close achievement gaps through learning alone.

Understanding the root of the gap is not without its complexities. How can we explain that some children with extreme socioeconomic disadvantages achieve higher levels than some children without them? Many studies identify that it is not simply one characteristic that is the magic key to understanding the disadvantage gap but many intertwined and interdependent constructs that are at play and need to be fully understood before any school can begin to truly make any significant headway in narrowing the gap. Economists, sociologists, and developmental psychologists have consistently concluded and reinforce my belief that background characteristics strongly shape cognitive and behavioural outcomes (Colman et al., 1966).

Article 74 (Education. 1) states that ‘Everyone has the right to education, with the guarantee of the right to equal opportunities in access to and success in schooling.’ When a child leaves education without the skills they need to be successful it is a problem for society. Our job is to remove the glass ceiling for our children – many of which have low aspirations and who need the support to develop their self-belief.

As educators we have the power. The power of our voice. Not just to teach but to vocalise and drive forward school improvement with a clear focus on tackling disadvantage by ensuring that policies are driven by opportunities that ultimately do more for children. That school policies and educational offers all serve to level the playing field for students to enable them to learn and achieve their best. I 39

am not naive enough to believe that a school can be a one stop shop to fixing all of the problems we have in our society today, but rather that we have a bigger responsibility and role to play in ensuring that when we talk about disadvantage, as educators in a secondary sector, we understand the enormous role we can play in working to remove more and more barriers to learning that go beyond traditionally thought ‘educational’ ones.

How can a child learn and progress to plug the gaps they may have in an English or a Science if before they even attempt this they don’t have the self-belief to try?

Before a child reaches the school gates, they are exposed to such varying backgrounds that may render them at a disadvantage compared to their peers before they have even removed their pencil case and placed it on their desk in the classroom. Morsy and Rothstein (2015) discuss how those from a lower socio-economic background generally have parents that engage in fewer educational activities at home and this includes from a pre-school age – i.e., less reading aloud or ‘playing cognitively stimulating games’ which in turn correlates with a future lack of educational engagement from the child and a strong correlation with future behaviour problems at school. The research also indicates that children from these backgrounds are offered fewer ‘choices’ in their daily interactions and are rendered less prepared for critical thinking when school demands it. Parental investment from birth is not something that schools in isolation can tackle but understanding it and designing support mechanisms to try to counteract it through the education system may take us half way there.

Despite all of the above, everything is fruitless unless children are in school. The very first method of tackling disadvantage in schools must be through raising attendance. You have to from the very beginning ‘be in it to win it.’ For every 5% of attendance to school missed in an academic year, it is equivalent to a grade lost from GCSE results. Put like that, until attendance rises, the gap will be harder to narrow. This, schools can continue to influence.

The experiences that we as educators provide can really shape a child’s future. That is why I believe so passionately in personal development and champion it on the curriculum as an entitlement for all. To explicitly teach character education and concepts of tolerance and respect, we are shaping and enriching lives beyond the traditional curriculum and helping develop our young people for a changing world where they have a clear and confident voice and not only can, but will make their mark. The research provided from the ‘Taking the advantage for the disadvantage’ conference in 2018 hosted by HfL, supports the move we have taken here at Cowes, towards developing a more knowledged based curriculum focused on intent and ‘memorable learning’ for all.

When reflecting on the gaps of some of our most disadvantaged young people and the role that I do in school, there is much to learn about the role we as educators can have so significantly in addressing some of those deep rooted needs of children that can impact on their educational achievement.

As for many schools, emotional well-being is a high level concern with many pupils facing significant mental health issues that impact on their learning and achievement. The National Education Union have recently released the results of a survey of over 8,000 teachers, school leaders and support staff, which highlight a growing crisis of poor mental health in schools. ‘Over 80% said that the problems have got worse in the past two years, with rising reports of anxiety, self-harm and even suicide.’ The Government has made mental health a clear priority for schools and I passionately believe our new personal development curriculum E1M is vital in teaching students to look after their mental wellbeing.

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Many of our young people suffer from attachment needs. This can in turn impact on their behaviours.

By understanding these needs and finding creative ways in school to support them, we can have a chance of raising their achievement during their time with us and truly be that magic key they need to unlock a more successful future.

Attachment is ‘a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space’ (Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969). Attachment security refers to the positive expectations that are developed about oneself and others; it stems from positive and predictable interactions with a caregiver on a regular basis during the first year of life. In families with complex needs, up to two thirds of children may be insecurely attached; poor attachment is strongly associated with a lack of resilience, socio-emotional and behavioural problems, lack of educational achievement and in some case, early school leaving (The Sutton Trust, 2014). Some evidence suggests that insecure types of attachment are just as harmful to children as maltreatment (The Sutton Trust, 2014).

My training in understanding the impact of toxic stress that results from a child’s adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also supports my drive to tailor support packages for those children who are disadvantaged through experience. The research documents that adverse experiences in childhood has a significant impact on a child’s brain development and has been shown to have a lifelong effect.

ACEs can act as a barrier to concentration and learning, causing children to withdraw from or become aggressive in the classroom and thus impact on them missing learning time which in turn, widens the gap between them and their peers.

The research by Morley and Rothstein (2015) resonates with me when they state: ‘Highlighting the socioeconomic impediments to student achievement does not make “excuses” for the achievement gap, as some advocates glibly, and defensively, charge. Rather, it provides explanations.’ We must ensure that differentiation within the classroom accounts for the whole child. The future sees further case passporting for individual students – further developing the use of data and information for class teachers to plan for individual students. When we talk about differentiation, it has never been so important. Further development of SEMH provision within school to develop our offer for those students whose experiences negatively impact on their learning. Strong relationships at all levels and a structure where adults fully believe and never give up on a child, are key to battling resistance to learning by many children.

To provide a genuinely equitable experience for all regardless of the barriers to learning they face is the challenge we embrace when tackling disadvantage. No one influence is fully determinative so we must look to how structures within a school can serve to reduce the impact of one’s experiences and lack of prior learning – be that academic learning or character and skill development, in order to drive forward the achievement that every child deserves. It has never been more important for schools to look to how inclusive all of their practices are – from curriculum to enrichment offers and even down to their policies on setting and attendance to ensure that all children have access to the best and equal education offer they are entitled to.

References Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance - Why Schools Alone Can’t Close Achievement Gap. Economic policy institute Morsy L., Rothstein., R

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James S. Coleman, Ernest Q. Campbell, Carol J. Hobson, James McPartland, Alexander M. Mood, Frederic D. Weinfeld, and Robert L. York, Equality of Educational Opportunity (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1966).

The Sutton Trust. (2014). Baby Bonds: Parenting, attachment and a secure base for children. London: Moullin, S., Waldfogel, J., & Washbrook, E. 24 Ramsdal, G., Bergvik, S., & Wynn, R. (2015).

Parent–child attachment, academic performance and the process of highschool dropout: a narrative review. Attachment & Human Development, 17(5), 522–545.

Andrews J, Robinson D &Hutchinson J. Closing the gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage, (2017) The Education in English report DfE guidance for schools 2020 HfL Conference notes and webinar

Chris Rice - How should we best support disadvantaged students?

As a trust, Ormiston is particularly mindful of the needs of disadvantaged pupils. This priority was one of the things that initially attracted me to working at the academy, and I remain committed to improving outcomes for this group. I am also conscious of the hidden disadvantage in coastal communities and aim for the academy to support all disadvantaged students, whether identified as such or not.

Our outcomes for disadvantaged students have shown some improvement over the last few years, but I remain frustrated at our inability to sustain improvements every year. Let me be clear: this is not a criticism of any colleague. I know we work tirelessly to support all our students. Instead, in my role, I am interested in our strategy. Can we do more for this group?

We are not outliers. Nationally, disadvantaged students make less progress from KS2 to KS4 than their non-disadvantaged peers. Our disadvantaged students have generally made similar, or slightly less, progress than disadvantaged students nationally. While we should acknowledge progress scores for disadvantaged students are less statistically significant, there are also recent signs of success. Our progress score for disadvantaged students was above the national average in 2018 and our calculated grades for 2020 suggest similar progress for disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. Are we starting to buck the national trend? In a report for the Education Policy Institute, Andrews et al. (2017) concluded that change is happening far too slowly and that it would take 50 years to close the gap at the current rate, and that was before the current global pandemic.

The lockdown for Covid-19 is likely to impact more on disadvantaged students and make closing the gap even harder. Although we do not yet know the scale of the problem, the Sutton Trust (2020) has

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reported that disadvantaged students are less likely to be accessing their learning, and parents of more advantaged students are more likely to have spent money on their learning.

Why has it been so difficult nationally to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students, and what more can we do to support these students who will have been most affected by schools closing to most students? I considered inspection judgements and disadvantage, as well thinking around social mobility. Next, I looked at research around pupil premium spending, and explored curriculum and teaching support for disadvantaged students. What can we learn to inform our priorities for the next few years?

Over time, including prior to the introduction of Progress 8, schools with more disadvantaged students were more likely to receive poor Ofsted outcomes (see Thomson 2018, Hutchinson 2016). Sean Harford HMI, Ofsted’s National Director of Education, has acknowledged the debate and discussed that this has still not improved under the new inspection framework (see Harford 2018). He noted difficulties with recruitment and retention in deprived communities that affect standards of education.

When we were inspected we were found to be ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted, so why is this of interest?

For me, this analysis points to the added challenge in teaching disadvantaged students. While we do not have above average numbers of this group, they are more likely to be behind age related expectations and have additional needs. I am interested in how the leadership team can support colleagues in meeting this challenge, particularly when considering decisions around our curriculum, and teaching and learning.

Major and Machin (2018) discuss the reasons why so many people are stuck on the same social rung as our parents. They propose that academic success in the English education system is increasingly a measure of how much support children receive, rather than how much talent or potential they have. I would like to be more optimistic! Should we not therefore increase our support for disadvantaged students to close the attainment gap? Major and Machin suggest these aspirations are doomed to fail, and stress the need for pre-school interventions. However, they highlight classroom teaching as the most important factor within school affecting children’s progress, and advise that as a country we must be prepared to pay for investment in teaching. I am unable to significantly influence government spending on Education, but note that we should consider spending more pupil premium funding on professional development. We can also consider exactly how that funding, however limited, is spent.

Allen and Sims (2018) explain the importance of sharing expertise and suggest that creating a culture allowing this is the most powerful thing leaders can do to contribute to improved pupil progress. I have been keen to promote collaborative planning, which also supports workload, and would like look for more opportunities for collaborative CPD in the future, a good use of our funding for disadvantaged students.

Allen (2018a) discussed the pupil premium in a speech to researchED and said it had not worked as a policy. I have certainly changed my thinking around how to spend this funding over the years, so was interested in her analysis. The poorest children do not necessarily receive free school meals, which reminds me of the need to support all disadvantaged students, not just those identified. Regardless, those who do receive pupil premium funding do not all have the same needs. Allen even argues that whether the gap closes is largely meaningless due to changes in assessments and the impact of the economic cycle. This suggests to me that the data for our own students should be looked at from a very wide angle, as an indication of trend; and our spending should be targeted widely.

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Allen (2018b) also discusses the use of pupil premium funding and suggests it should be rolled into general school funding. However, Hutchinson et al. (2016) argue that the funding should be maintained. I agree with them as schools with more disadvantaged students face more challenges, and a move to combine funding for disadvantaged students with general funding could mean the money is less targeted where it is needed. Although Allen criticises short-term interventions focused on pupil premium students as not easily measurable, I would still advocate using some of the funding to support students who have gaps in their learning. Short-term interventions have a place. Many were recommended in a toolkit published by the Regional Schools Commissioner (2015). We have successfully used pupil premium funding in recent years to support students, particularly with Year 11 interventions. It is useful to reconsider strategies used in other schools though and examples that caught my eye are further work around careers and mentoring, tutoring, and literacy interventions.

To close the attainment gap, Allen (2018c) is clear there are no silver bullets. However, she discusses the dilemma between creating conditions in classrooms where students pay attention and outcomes are excellent or allowing classrooms with messy personal interactions. Allen says there is a trade-off here and I agree with her. While we do not want students to be robots, we need to create conditions that allow the most disadvantaged students to thrive and learn. This will be even more crucial as students return after an extended period away from school.

Finally, I looked at literature around the curriculum. If there are no silver bullets, should long-term investment in the curriculum be our goal?

Young (2018) discusses ‘knowledge for all’ and he argues (see Young et al. 2014) everyone is entitled to a foundation of knowledge. He cautions against just producing lists of knowledge though, and urges teachers to consider pedagogy. I personally think the debates, often on twitter, between so-called educational progressives and traditionalists are too polarised and present a false dichotomy between different important strands of education. In my view, the Cambridge University Primary School’s curriculum, described by Biddulph (2018), is one example of a curriculum with laudable aims. The core purpose is to nurture compassionate citizens, and the key threads are habits of mind, dialogue and oracy and playful enquiry. These threads influence the knowledge and skills developed in the curriculum, but I wonder if the emphasis is wrong. In many ways, I found myself agreeing with both articles. Can a curriculum deliver on both fronts?

A Future 3 curriculum, defined by Michael Young (see Young et al. 2014), links concepts, contents and activities. This is perhaps the ideal balance of domain specific knowledge, cross-curricular concepts and learning activities. Hyman (2019) describes School 21’s curriculum of head, heart and hand, presents a vision for the curriculum where the development of knowledge and cultural literacy sits alongside students’ developing their understanding of themselves and their communities, creativity and social action.

In my role, I am interested in developing a curriculum that similarly supports our disadvantaged students develop their knowledge but also delivers a wider more widely. E1M and the maritime curriculum are part of this vision.

So, how do we support disadvantaged students? The research presents problems and questions around accountability and funding. It gives us very few solutions but I am more convinced than ever that gimmicks are not the solution. There is definitely room for short-term targeted interventions.

Many have been shown to work and it is right that we respond with support for gaps in students’ learning. However, they are context specific. What works in one school does not necessarily work in 44

another. The things that will make the biggest difference to us are a well thought-out curriculum (my area to lead on), and creating the conditions that allow teachers to teach it and students to learn. We must continue to collaborate and challenge ourselves to improve together. Although there are significant challenges nationally to overcome, surely that make it more important and rewarding.

References Allen, R. (2018a) The pupil premium is not working (part I). Available at https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/10/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working/ Allen, R. (2018b) The pupil premium is not working (part II). Available at https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/11/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working-part-ii/ Allen, R. (2018c) The pupil premium is not working (part III). Available at https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/2018/09/13/the-pupil-premium-is-not-working-part-iii/ Allen, R., and Sims, S. (2018) The Teacher Gap. London: Routledge.

Andrews, J., Robinson, D., and Hutchinson, J. (2017) Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational attainment and Disadvantage. Education Policy Institute.

Biddulph, J. (2018) Designing a Curriculum to Nurture Compassionate Citizens. Impact. London: Chartered College of Teaching.

Harford, S. (2018) Deprivation, ethnicity and school inspection judgements. Available at https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2018/06/22/deprivation-ethnicity-and-school-inspectionjudgements/ Hutchinson, J. (2016) School Inspection in England: Is there room to improve? Education Policy Institute.

Hutchinson, J., Dunford, J., and Treadaway, M. (2016) Divergent pathways: the disadvantage gap, accountability and the pupil premium. Education Policy Institute.

Hyman, P. (2019) A curriculum of head, heart and hand. In: Blatchford, R. ed. The Secondary Curriculum Leader’s Handbook. Suffolk: John Catt Educational Ltd. Major, L.E., and Machin, S. (2018) Social Mobility And Its Enemies. London: Penguin.

Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East and South London (2015) Improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils: A toolkit to help education professionals in coastal schools.

The Sutton Trust (2020) Covid-19 and Social Mobility. Impact Brief #1: School Shutdown. Available at https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/covid-19-and-social-mobility-impact-brief/ Thomson, D. (2018) The relationship between Progress 8 and Ofsted judgements for disadvantaged schools. FFT Education Datalab.

Young, M. (2018) A knowledge-Led Curriculum: Pitfalls and Possibilities. Impact. London: Chartered College of Teaching.

Young, M., Lambert, D., Roberts, C., and Roberts, M. (2014) Knowledge and the future school. London: Bloomsbury.

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Antonio Gianotta - What is the most efficient way for us, as educators, to actively tackle the disadvantage gap?

Closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is the greatest challenge facing English schools (EEF, 2018, 2019). As educators, it is heart-breaking to know that those who perhaps have the most needs are not attaining the same as their peers in the same classroom (G Nuthall, 2007), after all, those are the students we most want to reach.

Who are the disadvantaged children?

For the most part, researchers study the financially disadvantaged children. Original definitions only included those eligible for Free School Meals because it is the “most commonly accepted proxy measure” (EEF, 2018) but now definitions also include looked after children and those eligible for Pupil Premium. These are perhaps convenient metrics, but they are not the true picture.

The use of FSM and Pupil Premium as a way of measuring the attainment of “disadvantaged children” has always been problematic but it is the best we have had. If we accept that they represent the poorest children (which they do not – claiming FSM may make them more affluent than those who perhaps do not claim) then we are saying that financial disadvantage correlates exactly with learning needs, and this is not the case. Becky Allen explains that the children whose parents do not read to them, who work away from home for much of the week (or month, or year) and show little interest in the development of their children (“time-poor families”) are even more disadvantaged than those who come from a loving family that are perhaps unable to work. Figure 9 of the DfE’s report National curriculum assessments at key stage 2 in England (2015) shows that “disadvantaged” students and “other” students are able to perform across the whole spectrum of attainment. In mathematical terms, their respective bell curves overlap so much that it would be difficult to say that any given student belonged to one sample or the other.

Furthermore, within the groups of PP and non-PP students learning needs are going to be very different. Schools that serve truly diverse communities are always going to struggle on this kind of accountability metric (R Allen, 2018).

Since the COVID-19 lockdown scenario in which we currently find ourselves, it has become apparent that there are other groups who will now be greatly disadvantaged. The mental health impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been widely reported (BBC, 22nd June 2020). In larger families or where a parent or parents are working from home, it can be hard for everyone who needs access to the internet or to a computer to get the time they require. So when we return to class teaching, the data we have will be out-of-date.

Can we actually close the gap?

Becky Allen, Graham Nuthall and others think not. The money given by the government to assign to Pupil Premium students and increase their attainment is often spent on interventions but Pupil Premium students do not have homogeneous needs (B Allen, 2018). Better than marking the PP status of students on a seating plan would be to mark the learning needs; all we can do as educators is try to help all the students in our care to attain the best outcomes possible for them.

Can money help?

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If it addresses the social issues like attendance and homework, then it can help. In his School Commissioner Report “Improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils: A toolkit to help education professionals in coastal schools”, Dominic Herrington collects a number of case studies that provide useful ideas for closing the gap. Using the Pupil Premium Grant to fund breakfast clubs; transport to collect truants; 1:1 and small group tuition in core subjects; Intensive literacy intervention: Accelerated reader; Engagement and enrichment activities outside of the school day; Meta-cognitive and ‘learn to learn’ mentoring; A counselling service for behaviour management and self-esteem; Alternative provision programs: Shore Academy, Forest School, Egg-Tooth, Entertainment Workshop and Ivyland Farm; Two week literacy summer school What else can I do?

Lemov makes a strong case that having high expectations of all pupils is the best way to get positive results, regardless of financial and social backgrounds. Having higher expectations will raise the overall performance (The Rosenthal effect or Pygmalion effect) and in his book Teach like a Champion, Lemov gives 5 techniques that will help us, as educators, to be consistent and supportive to all learners in our classrooms: No opt-out; right is right; stretch it; format matters; without apology. These techniques have appeared in various guises in CPD over my career, but I have found the clarity of his examples and scenarios memorable and encouraging. To colleagues who have not heard of him, his book (the second edition has 62 techniques) is well worth a read and the first chapter on high expectations is available in the college CPD library.

References: “The Pupil Premium is not working (Parts 1, 2 and 3)”, Becky Allen (September 2018) https://rebeccaallen.co.uk/tag/pupil-premium/ National curriculum assessments at key stage 2 in England, DfE (2015 revised) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4 83897/SFR47_2015_text.pdf Attainment Gap Report – Interactive, EEF (22 January 2018) https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Annual_Reports/EEF_Attainment_Gap_Re port_2018.pdf The EEF guide to the Pupil Premium, EEF (updated 14 June 2019), https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Pupil_Premium_Guidance_iP DF.pdf Improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils: A toolkit to help education professionals in coastal schools , D Herrington https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/TeachingLearning/Shared%20Documents/Research%20%2 6%20CPD/Tackling%20disadvantage/Perspectives%20and%20whole-school%20approaches/RSC-SESLToolkit-Improving-Outcomes-for-Disadvantaged-Pupils.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=oOl0kT Teach like a Champion, D Lemov (2010) (Extract available in CEC CPD library)*

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Coronavirus: Children 'developing post-traumatic stress' from pandemic (A Nagesh, June 2020) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53097289 The Hidden Lives of Learners, G Nuthall (June 2007) *I found a helpful “Placemat” that give all 62 techniques from Lemov’s second edition of the book. You can find it here: http://teachlikeachampion.com/wp-content/uploads/Teach-Like-a-Champion-2.0Placemat-with-the-Nanango-Nine.pdf but I intend to re-brand it for CEC and share it in the CPD area of the library.

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High challenge and expectations Laura Augustus - How can I get the balance of challenge?

Am I challenging my students or do I let them coast?

How do I prove I have set the right level of challenge for my students?

High Expectations and Challenge

Even if I have high expectations, what do I do if my students don't have high expectations of themselves?

Do I encourage independent thought or am I encouraging them to be reliant on me?

Do I use enough data effectievly to ensure the right level of challenge?

I picked this topic as I like to think I do have high expectations for all my students in terms of exam results and expected work ethic (and performance management reviews have always commented favourably on this) but I still have students who under-perform and I wanted to do some research on how I could improve my teaching to target them in every day scenarios and not just long term goals.

The reading, especially Lemov’s paper on “Setting High Academic Expectations”, has given me some ideas and things to reflect on.

One idea that I have been using this academic year is ensuring that no students opts out in my lessons and as Lemov implies, the more you make students try, the more they realise “it is not okay not to try.”

When I was with year 11 on a High Fives conference, that was aimed at students under achieving, one of the tutors responded to a student in a way that inspired me. When she asked a student a question he said that he didn’t know that answer. Instead of accepting that as an okay response she replied with, “If you thought you knew the answer, what do you think you would say?” The student then gave a 49

relatively strong answer and one that was definitely more detailed than the “I don’t know” that they had initially offered. Having seen how simple it was to illicit a response from a reluctant student I decided to use that response with both my Key Stage 4 classes who, I have been guilty of accepting the, “ I don’t know,” answer. Initially with the yr 11 class of under achieving boys the response brought about nervous giggles from both the student I was questioning, and other members of the class who realised I was not about to move on. However, they all soon accepted that I wasn’t going to let them get away with a vague response and that I wanted some sort of response that resembled an answer or at least had key words as part of their utterances. I also tried another of Lemov’s suggestions where one student provided an answer and then I asked another student to repeat and develop what had initially been said.

This allowed me to target specific students and use my knowledge of their ability to extend their thinking whilst not accepting a response that allowed them to opt out. I also used humour in my approach as if a student was very reluctant to give an answer, when going over the work I would always ask our “resident expert” for the answer. That resident expert was that reluctant student but it allowed them to develop their response every time I asked the question. Succeeding in English Literature relies on students having a large amount of subject knowledge and I found that by sticking with this approach, say for key quotes, the student who was not able to give me an initial answer, was able to give me a precise quote as well as an analysis as to why it was classed as a key quote.

Students were able to reach this level by me adopting an approach recognised by Debbie Light in “Stretch and Challenge in your classroom” where students have to be exposed to something three times and by me constantly returning to the same student, they were able to refine their response by using ideas that they had heard from others in class discussions and felt proud of their achievements in being the font of all knowledge on a particular topic.

This also links to Mary Myatt’s thoughts in “High Challenge, Low Threat” where she says that the “more safer people feel, the more likely it is that they will take reasonable risk.” I always find that when year 10 start their GCSE course it takes a while for students to find their place in a new class with a new teacher. I have found that by setting my expectations high from day one but in a subtle way, it allows me to build relationships with students but also sets the tone for the rest of the year where they will have to opt in to the lesson. I have been guilty of accepting half answers, but Lemov suggests that it is important to tell the students if they have even have a half right answer as that builds confidence.

However, it is important to not just stop there and give the correct answers ourselves, as experts in our subject knowledge. This is something I have consciously worked on with my current year 10 class as I often feel that I am doing more work than them but for what benefit? To help students with their answers I have spent a lot of time developing displays that have key words that are very visible and will often direct students to them if they are struggling so that they can supplement their answer with something concrete and that they are familiar with. It also allows other students, who are not part of the dialogue, to realise that I will not accept a sub-standard answer, but that I will provide help for them if I can see they need it which builds trust and improves relationships. It also, and probably most importantly, promotes a level of independency where they can use the displays to formulate answers themselves by using the key words available to them and can check their response against the one being offered by the student. It also allows them an opportunity to provide more information on the initial response and use more subject specific vocabulary if needed.

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One area that I can improve on is that Lemov says we should “never be apologetic for our high expectations or blame an outside entity” such as an exam board for having them. I often find myself saying that, “this is what the exam board want” when really I should have my high expectations because it is allowing the students to show off what they know and what I have taught them, regardless of who will read the final answer. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation also shows that homework can have a significant impact on development. This is an area that I always strive to have high expectations with, but again have been guilty of letting it slip when in the middle of mock marking and planning for new term teaching. I have found that by having quizzes it allows students to have instant access to a result which they like, and it enables me to have a very clear overview of the learning that has taken place or what needs to be revisited. Just because the quiz is multi-choice, high expectations can be held, but the threat of doing a homework at home with a result that is only shared with me enables students to feel empowered to do well and proud of their achievements. It also allows me to provide feedback to acknowledge their achievements or request a resubmission if I do not feel their score is a reflection of their ability. This allows me to have high expectations for all whilst being adaptable to each student’s individual needs and therefore a low threat which encourages engagement.

Peer feedback is also important and can be championed to show high expectations without causing embarrassment. I often ask a number of students to stand and swap seats with others who are still sat down. This allows me to target high achieving students to give feedback to lower attaining ones and it also allows lower attaining students to read a decent piece of work that they may be inspired from. Light suggests that 80% of peer feedback is wrong and misinformed so it has to be managed effectively. To make peer feedback meaningful and not just a time filling exercise, I use criteria from mark schemes to make a list of WWW and EBIs so that students always have something meaningful to say to each other even if they are struggling to come up with it themselves. This also allows the peer who is receiving the feedback to have something purposeful that they can take away, rather than a comment about their hand writing or spelling which does not really add much to improving their mark.

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Moving in to the next academic year, I can feel comfort in the fact I do a lot of the recommendations by the published authors so I will continue to do that. One area I will focus on improving is not to accept the half answers that low ability students may offer and strive to find different strategies to stretch the answers that they give me without making it feel like a threatening environment.

Justine Doughty - Let’s Hear it for the Boys: what is the best way to engage and challenge boys to excel in English?

Every year, the perennial question arises: what will we do about the boys? At Cowes Enterprise College, English results mirror national trends where boys’ achievement lags behind that of girls; in 2019, boys’ progress was -1.19, and shockingly, only 30% achieved a grade 5 and above. Sadly, boys on the Isle of Wight who are classed as eligible for free school meals and of white British ethnicity make the third worst progress in GCSE in the country, beating only Blackpool and Knowsley (citation note 1). Naturally, as a team, we find this very worrying and are constantly asking what we can do to ensure that our boys are given the best life chances by enabling them to achieve their true potential.

Why does this matter?

The statistics for young men who do not achieve well in school are grim. According to Pinkett and Roberts, boys are more likely to be excluded from school and less likely to go to university; boys are less likely to become apprentices; boys are less likely to find paid work between the ages of 22 and 29. They also belong to the gender that makes up 96% of the UK prison population. Children who are excluded from school at the age of 12 are four times more likely to be jailed as adults. 75% of suicides are male – it is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 40. Of these, the most deprived 10% of society are twice as likely to die from suicide as those boys born amongst the richest 10%.

What can we do?

As a team, we searched and searched for strategies that could help boys and reflected critically on our practice to find the ‘magic bullet’ that would solve the problem. As you can imagine, we came up short.

Different books made different suggestions. Much of the research was outdated and heavily biased in favour of constructivist approaches that reinforced gendered assumptions and fostered ‘toxic masculinity’ such as: boys like competition, boys don’t like reading, boys are kinaesthetic learners that need to expend their natural energy (all that testosterone, you know!), boys learn better when a girl sits next to them as girls are inherently ‘civilized’ and boys are ‘savages’. Of course, some boys don’t like reading and some boys do like competition, but to say that they all do, is more of a woefully inadequate critique of culturally constructed masculinity, rather than honest academic assessment of boys’ potential.

For many years, we worked with stereotypical strategies such as picking ‘boy friendly books,’ wasting time on trying to cater to VAK learning styles and devising all sorts of gimmicks to try to ‘hook’ the boys etc… Time for something more controversial; we took a risk and created two boys’ sets. We chose boys who were two grades or more below their target grade and who had shown potential. The classes were mixed prior attainment, with students who showed potential to achieve grade 6s and students for whom literacy was a significant issue. Laura Augustus and I took on the groups and worked through what strategies we thought would work best with them. For the purpose of this write up, I am only focussing

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on one, universally agreed upon truth about boys’ achievement – and any students’ achievement: high expectations.

High Expectations All research agrees that high expectations equal high outcomes. However, it is important to note that what we don’t often talk about is how our perceptions and biases unconsciously ‘shape’ our relationships with students. No one would like to think of himself or herself as having gender biases that result in treating one gender differently to another, but it is very common.

One useful model for exploring this are the Pygmalion and Gollum effects.

Pygmalion Effect The idea that high expectations have a highly beneficial influence on outcomes is known as the Pygmalion Effect

Gollum Effect A type of self-fulfilling prophecy whereby negative attitudes about a pupil’s academic ability or potential leads to inevitably poor outcomes.

Susan Jones and Debra Myhill conducted a study in 2004 at Exeter University that investigated whether teachers’ perceptions of gender influenced their expectations of a pupil’s likelihood of being successful in education. Their findings were that: • • • •

Girls who excelled academically were seen as typical girls, while under achieving boys were viewed as typical of their gender.

Boys who were academic high-fliers were seen as anolmolous, a challenge to gender norms Underachieving girls are ignored A tendency to associate boys with underachievement and girls with high achievement

Girls are celebrated for their apparent obedience and passive natures; however, Myhill and Jones note that ‘seeing girls as successful but delicate, driven but risk averse contributes to unequal treatment of females at later stages of their education and careers, when masculine qualities appear to result in greater societal and financial recognition (Pinkett and Roberts 85). It doesn’t take long to see and hear the above in practice: how many times have we all thought, heard or said ‘oh, they’re a group of boys, and you know what they’re like… boys will be boys… etc. Do we challenge the girls as readily as the boys to present a proper uniform as we meet, greet and correct? Do we just expect that ‘laddish’ boys will not succeed in English as it is a ‘feminine’ subject? Do we believe that appreciation of literature is the 53

reserve of the ‘upper classes’ and that students who plan to have solid trade careers have nothing to gain from exceling in literature? I still do not think there are black and white answers to these questions, as that would ignore too many factors; I suppose the point was, could we bring a group of boys together in English and convince them that a) they CAN do it b) they might even enjoy it?

Early in September, it was apparent that, in general, the boys had low expectations and were automatically worried as the sets were ‘X4’ and ‘Y3’ and they perceived that they’d been placed in ‘bottom set’. Early work showed that they could not write for a sustained length of time, often running out of ideas for independent tasks quite quickly and were uninterested in independent study. They were sparky and willing to take part in analysing literature through discussion. In fact, class discussion revealed strong aptitude for literary analysis and abstract thinking but their writing lacked depth and detail: raw talent, yet unshaped by practise.

Student B Sept ‘19

Student A Sept ‘19

The above two examples show work typical of the X Band class at the beginning of the academic year in 2019. After some input, discussion and modelling, the students were likely to write only 1 analytical paragraph in 40 minutes. They lacked confidence above all, but also tended to be satisfied with the first ideas that came into their mind, neglecting to expand in the detail needed for sustained, assured writing.

The work below is from the same students, 6 months later, under the same timed restrictions:

Student B March ‘20

Student A March ‘20 54

Both of these extended responses continue in the same detail onto the next page of the boys’ books. By March, most of the students were able to write independent, sustained, detailed critical analysis, with only short bursts of instruction and a model to use.

What method of instruction was the most useful?

Christina Hoff Sommers maintains that the shift away from ‘structured classrooms, competition, strict discipline and skill-and-fact, based learning has been harmful to all children – but especially to boys’ (Sommers, 701). A 1988 study titled ‘Can Boys Do Better,’ written by Headteacher Robert Bray after a ten year period of improving boys’ results at Mousham High School in Chelmsford and Thirsk School in North Yorkshire. The main tenants of their methods of instruction go against the major progressive teaching methods that have been pushed since (for a detailed study of this see Daisy Christodoulou’s 7 Myths of Education). These strategies included: • • • • • • •

More teacher led work A high structured environment Strict homework checks Consistently applied sanctions if work not done Greater emphasis on silent work Frequent testing One sex classes (The Jossey Bass Reading on Gender in Education, p 703)

Another Headteacher, Ray Bradbury, in 1996 was alarmed at the high rate of boys not progressing as they should and employed a ‘NOT child centred class’; rather, the ‘pedagogy was strict and old fashioned. The class was didactic and teacher fronted. It involved sharp questions and answers, and constantly checking understanding’ (ibid 703).

Although these studies may be seen as antiquated, Pinkett and Roberts also cite similar strategies that they argue are successful (2019): • • •

Beginning the lesson with a brief review of previous learning Providing models and examples with scaffolds Including opportunities for guided student practice • Checking for understanding, using lots of questions • Ensuring that students obtain a high success rate Although published more than 30 years after Bray’s initial study, the main ideas remain the same. These are not unlike Rosenshines’ principles of instruction: In short: consistent high expectations and structured learning, we found, works for boys as it does for all students. What makes the difference is to what extent our own biases influence our daily interactions with boys – what we allow them to get away with, because as we say, they’re ‘boys’.

And, after all, boys will be boys.

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Side Note: Yes, but is the material relevant?

Pinkett and Roberts start their study by dispelling a few myths that have seeped into dominant discussions regarding boys’ education, one being that boys will only respond to their own interests or what they feel is relevant to their lives as they already know them. The main reasons why believe this to be a myth are: -

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Boys get bored eventually, even of things that normally interest them Boys are not a homogeneous group that all like the same things.

Assuming boys all like the same things reinforces stereotypes It prevents some boys from building cultural capital It encourages low expectations of boys It promotes the dominant anti – school masculinity.

Boys will remember the ‘relevant bit’ but not the actual learning

We had to find the right balance between teacher – led and student independent work. We had an external consultant come to offer support to our department and his observations noted the following: Inconsistent modelling (not all tasks were modelled) Too much teacher talk/working too hard – not enough extended, quiet writing time Not enough use of timers to encourage independently working

within a time- frame.

Consequently, on top of the teaching strategies mentioned earlier, we added daily use of timers, even more modelling and use of a 10/40/10 or 15/30/15 lesson formatting where instruction gradually started to take less and less time, with the middle 30 or 40 minutes almost every day given over to silent, independent working. Over time, the majority of the students’ writing began to grow in detail and confidence and in lesson, consistently show grade 5 potential.

‘by appealing to pupils’ interests and making the curriculum relevant only to their lives, we are limiting their exposure to new ideas, as well as making assumptions about what they will enjoy or what they will be able to handle academically’ Pinkett and Roberts.

Conclusion Data did not reflect progress until late in the year, which was hard to deal with – we had to be confident, trust our plans and ‘steady’ the course. I did not include it in the write up since the students did not actually sit the exams. However, the atmosphere in the classroom was palpably academic and the students really wanted to achieve, and even better, believed that they could. All but one target boy agreed to come to English revision after school four days a week (21 students), which create a buzzing atmosphere where the boys encouraged each other’s progress.

Unfortunately, the pandemic put a bit a very fast stop to our endeavours, but hopefully we can try again next year and apply the lessons learnt. It is important to note also, that we do not necessarily support same sex classes in all circumstances or for all boys/girls. At the time, in the context of this year with these students, it seemed a plausible strategy we had not tried and, we are confident it was the right decision for these students. Different years/ different cohorts would need to be assessed and decisions made based on their particular qualities and needs.

1. https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16years-old/gcse-results-attainment-8-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest#byethnicity-gender-and-area 2. Boys don’t try? Rethinking masculinity in schools By Matt Pinkett and Mark Roberts, Routledge Press, 2019 56

3. https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2013/exclusionprison-280213 4. Identity, Neoliberalism and Aspiration: Educating white working class boys By Garth Stahl, Routledge Press, 2015 5. The Jossey- Bass Reader on Gender in Education ‘ Why Johnny can’t Read and Write,’ Christina Hoff Sommers, pp 700 – 719, 2002

Kristian Parker-Meadows - How can we set high expectations of behaviour?

Whether you’re a newly qualified teacher (NQT) or an experienced teacher, you will be faced with different challenges within the classroom. Maintaining good behaviour consistently is a recognised problem for both teachers and the Government alike (Swinson, 2010). Understanding what causes poor behaviour in class, could help contribute to solving some of the behavioural issues, examples include: disengagement, attainment and students distracting others. The use of teacher standards (TS) are a way of recognising and applying expectations to manage an effective classroom (Department for Education, 2012).

Student behaviour could be influenced by several things such as: circumstances, disorders (social/emotional) school climate, teacher classroom management and parenting styles.

The standards that coincide with behaviour and high expectations are: TS1- Setting high expectations which motivate and challenge students, TS7-manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment. Specifically, my year 11 BTEC sport studies cohort had the largest group of students who fall under the bracket of Special Educational Needs (SEN).Therefore, the target students within my year 11 class were those with SEN passports. A common theme within the passports include low concentration levels, being able to stay on task and slow readers.

The first thing I explored was my student’s needs. This was vital for me understanding how I can best prepare and support the students for managing behaviour, build positive relationships and set high expectations. The students SEN passports are effectively a fact file which include information about how you can support them in class. An example of one of the student’s passports:

Different articles/books read: ‘Succeeding with difficult students’ (Canter & Canter, 2011). This was an insightful book on how to manage different behaviours, coming up with positive strategies and ways of communication to these students. This book was excellent, as it considered different aspects of reaching out to student’s e.g. building trust; proactive vs. reactive responses and establishing positive relationships. This piece of pre-reading helped me to consider the student’s needs and the different approaches you can take to being an effective practitioner; for example, a student needing extra time reading, having handouts, allows them to not miss out key information if we change tasks or slides.

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‘Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary school’ by Capel and Whitehead (2013). Within this book, there is an article by Julia Lawrence and Margaret Whitehead called ‘Lesson organisation and management’. This article identified how students need to be actively engaged in their learning experiences, how the organisation and management of students during a lesson were key factors to controlling effective learning, for this to be successful, planning working groups, achievable tasks and linking sports or topic that interest them.

‘Assertive discipline’ (Canter, 2010) was comprehensive in discussing teacher’s pedagogical skills. This book included establishing and maintaining high expectations for student behaviour and how you could demonstrate effective behaviour strategies.

‘Pupil behaviour in schools in England’ (2012). This article reviewed the impact of poor behaviour on students and teachers; and what schools and teachers can do to promote good student behaviour. This information could be effective, due to the fact, it is a government paper. By using used Ofsted inspection data, drawing evidence on the consequences of poor behaviour and the role of teachers have in promoting good behaviour, prevents an opportunity to be misleading.

Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

Having applicable resources to hand before teaching the group, such as SEN passports is important to understanding the needs of individuals within my group. Accessing my class information, enabled me to identify the different needs and how I could support each individual. With this information, I was able to plan accordingly and when applicable, effectively use the learning support assistant (LSA) and how they would be utilised in lesson.

Class charts was a powerful tool in assisting me on how to best place students in a seating plan. I was able to cluster or disperse the students on a continuum, on how close or far I wanted them to sit from different students and how close/far from the board. I could do this for SEN, SEN stage, Pupil premium (PP), EAL, prior attainment and so forth. A strategy I have implemented, were students with SEN and PP in the front two rows, therefore, I can direct specific questions, check over work easily and monitor progress in lessons. One of the barriers to success with this, is the classroom size and maximising the space you have. One difficultly that transpired, were the students needed to space out slightly apart to give them a comfortable learning environment.

Another strategy implemented was placing the students in graded tables based on predicted grades or working at grades. This was easier to differentiate work and students’ morale appeared to be higher and were working ‘on task’ often. This may have been due to the students being sat closer to their friends. Checking progress, setting high expectations and managing behaviour were achievable and I was able to support and challenge them further. An example of this, was setting independent work for specific tables, giving them timed tasks, this would allow me to support other tables who struggled on the same tasks and allowing us to stay on track. As a result of this, I could plan for the groups who were able to work independently and set more tasks or extensions to maintain engagement and focus.

Other strategies that helped support behaviour management and build trust with students was AB Tutor. This software tool allows the teacher to monitor the students’ laptops, freeze and take action on their devices, encouraging students to stay focused. If students were given research tasks, without this tool, it is incredibly hard to monitor everyone’s activity at one time, especially when going from table to table. This tool is excellent as you are able to implement the behaviour policy and the students know if they continue, you are able to freeze their screens and log them off. Thus, it is easier to identify whether those students are on task or not. In particular, if the students continually refuse to do work then they would work on pre-made resources. The benefits to this include setting high 58

expectations to all the students and effectively managing behaviour; if they chose to not engage with the work and follow the rules, they would lose the privilege of using the laptops. The drawbacks include spending more time on preplanning resources in anticipation of either software problems, laptop issues or pupil behaviour. Preparedness was the key to success in any lesson and having a plan B such as paper resources.

Students within my class have different ways of coping and being able to learn effectively through undertaking different approaches. A common theme was low concentration levels, staying on task and slow readers. Taking into account all students learn differently, whether that be visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, or reading and writing, tasks were set differently to encourage engagement and opportunities for all to learn. Tasks would include: videos, research tasks, paired tasks, help sheets, exemplars and even the use of enlarging help sheets or changing the colour of the help sheets.

A reoccurring theme for the students with SEN passports included frustration, not asking for help or participating in group discussions. By giving the students a choice, meant that I was less likely to engage with disruptive behaviour or issues with being ‘on task’; for example I would say: “You can discuss on your tables or the person next to you, the different ways you can improve passing in football… or… individually make notes”.

By doing this, the students would pick a choice that suits them and allows them to still be involved. Therefore, when actively listening and watching the group you can see whether the students are taking notes or having the relevant conversations. Other actions taken included help sheets with estimated time to complete tasks. These help sheets for tasks included examples, websites and upcoming tasks. Having these readily available allowed the students with SEN passports who are slow readers a chance to get an insight of what is coming up and an opportunity to further understand the tasks.

Examples of differentiated help sheets:

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Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

My approaches were purely based on the needs of the group and how I could best support them. Having clear expectations of behaviour, using behaviour-specific praise and monitoring students are effective methods of reducing disruptive behaviour within school (TS1, 7). Payne (2015) identifies understanding behaviour policies that teachers follow, how efficacy of rewards and sanctions are provided and how students and teachers perceive the school rules. In reality, behaviour policies need to be clear for all to promote positive behaviour consistently in school (TS7). Therefore, consistent practices, detailed expectations and all students matter is important on building good practice and maintaining expected behaviour by all (Bennett, 2017) (TS1). Clear expectations and imposing interventions consistently and routinely contribute towards positive behaviour (DfE, 2012); using the school behaviour policy has helped to act decisively and exercise appropriate authority when needed to deal with behaviour. Giving the students a sense of choice when following school policy, allows the wider population of students to avoid confrontation when dealt with a difficult situation. To support this, having a clear choice of words and consequences being acted on place effective management towards behaviour (Rogers, 2015). Potential drawbacks may happen if all teachers do not follow the same consequences and rewards imposed by the school. If a teacher's response to difficult behaviour is reactive as opposed to proactive, (using emotions rather than a thought-out plan), the experiences of the students within different classes may vary from lesson to lesson (Canter & Canter 2011). This inconsistency could impact student engagement and their expectations on how to behave in all lessons. Therefore, having high expectations, following behaviour policy and building up positive relationships are vital to the students learning experience as an individual, team and a school collectively.

Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

The most effective impact of my actions were the use of AB Tutor and grading the students into tables.

It allowed me to stretch those who could do more and make sure those who needed extra support received this. Verbal feedback at the end of lessons were important to allow me to reflect on what the students felt was best for their learning experiences and also what they have learnt or may need to recap. Students have commented separately whether the seating plans impacted how much they did and the type of tasks they enjoyed more so or less. Independent research tasks were enjoyed most by the students as they could be independent. The students would use the help sheets on numerous occasions, this was an indicator that it was a good reference point for the group. The introduction of AB tutor and the monitoring of this from both myself and my head of department, allowed me keep a clear outline of expectations. Students want to be trusted and be able to have the luxury of using laptops, therefore, when this was taken away, behaviour immediately in the next lesson would be positive. For repeat offenders, (occasionally those with passports), if they were getting behind, interventions were introduced to help the students catch up and completed the tasks.

What next?

The next cohort I will focus on are my current Year 10 BTEC sports studies groups. The use of AB tutor, pre-set seating plans and pre-made resources to support the students are important to promoting high expectations, behaviour and success.

I shall continue to actively monitor the passports to meet the needs of my groups and use LSA’s when applicable. Through the use of continued CPD, planning, teaching and watching good practice, developing how to best deal with difficult behaviour and how to best support all students in the class will only continue to become an effective practitioner.

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In light of the current pandemic, future research and/or reviewing approaches to teaching over a set time would give a stronger indicator whether or not the methods are effective. A step forward could be the introduction to voice clips on PowerPoints, this way slow readers can engage over distance learning until they are back in school. This will help students to repeat the voice clips so they don’t miss out on any information. With teaching, there is no one method that suits all, thus being adaptable and willing to change is important for success.

References Bennett, T. (2017). Creating a Culture: How school leader can optimise behaviour. Accessed by https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil e/602487/Tom_Bennett_Independent_Review_of_Behaviour_in_Schools.pdf Canter, L. & Canter, (M) (2011). Succeeding with difficult students: New strategies for reaching your most challenging students. United States: Solution Tree Press.

Canter, L. (2010). Assertive Discipline: Positive behaviour Management for Today’s Classroom. United States: Solution Tree Press.

Capel, S. & Whitehead, M. (2013). Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School: A companion to school experience. London: Routledge.

Department for Education. (DfE) (2012). Pupil behaviour in schools in England: Education Standards and Research Division.

Payne, R. (2015). Using rewards and sanctions in the classroom: Pupils’ perceptions of their own responses to current behaviour management strategies. Educational Review, 67(4), 483-504.

Rogers, B. (2015). Classroom Behaviour: A practical guide to effective teaching, behaviour management and colleague support. 4th edition, London: Sage.

Swinson, J. (2010). Working with a secondary school to improve social relationships, pupil behaviour, motivation and learning. Pastoral Care in Education, 28(3), 181-194.

Oscar Artacho Esplugues - The importance of building relationships with students to promote good progress in Music Music is, inherently, a subject based on the execution of practical tasks. It is through these kinds of tasks that the pupils really learn the foundations of ‘music’ as a subject. As a teacher, I can explain to my students concepts such as pulse and rhythm ; however, pupils might not fully understand these concepts unless they experience them by themselves by playing a specific rhythm to a given pulse. It is through these practical tasks as well that students learn and develop other concepts that might not necessarily strike others as ‘musical concepts’, but that are important in music, such as developing their ability to work as a team, the ability to adapt to unexpected situations or how to develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

As a newly qualified teacher, however, these tasks might prove difficult to organise and to keep under control – in a class of 30 pupils undergoing a practical task, with some of them even being out of your classroom to undertake the practical side of music by themselves in a practice room, everything can ‘go south’ within a few minutes. In order for these tasks to work smoothly and for students to be able to learn from them, there needs to exist a certain level of confidence and respect between teacher and 61

student – a non-verbal contract of sorts in which the teacher agrees to check on the students in small groups regularly and, in exchange, the students agree to behave and concentrate on the task. In order to succeed, there needs to exist a level of mutual respect that goes beyond setting classroom expectations and behaviour policies. This thought is going to be the main focus of my review: how to create these bonds with students as a novice teacher in order to help cement good classroom practices, and how these affect the students learning in practical-based subjects such as music.

Research and impact on my own practice When first researching about the topic I decided to explore, I came across a text written by Alex Ruthman. In said text, Ruthman mentions that “we [teachers] need to understand how we might develop relationships among our musical goals and experiences as teachers (…) and our students’ interests and needs” (2012:178). The author mentions that as music teachers, keeping up with our students’ ever-changing interests in music and adolescent culture is a never-ending challenge. I, myself, have started to experience how challenging this might be: as a young person, only graduating from my sixth-form college about six years ago, I thought this might be easier for me – however, I was proved wrong pretty quickly. Ruthman’s solution to this is simple: he proposes the idea of just start bonding with students by asking them simple questions regarding their taste and experiences with music and music technology, in order to use this to sequence the planning of lessons.

Although this is actually quite a simple solution, when talking about these ideas with other colleagues from different schools, most of them had not even thought about this. However, this does not mean that music teachers should abandon all set works to only work on their students’ preferences – instead, Ruthman proposes music teachers find a balance between styles of music needed to understand music in general, and what students propose. This is already a very important practice for me, as we strive to do just this within the music department and have been quite successful at including a good range of styles and musical traditions within our lessons, some of them after asking students about their interests.

Another article I read was written by Ruth Gurgel for the Music Educators Journal. In this journal, Gurgel wrote about student – teacher relationships in a multicultural setting, stating at the beginning of her article when talking about her investigation that “the students in my study reported that their positive, mutually reciprocated relationship with their choir teacher (…) was the foundation for any level of engagement they experienced in the music classroom” (2015:78). As part of her article, Gurgel proposes a list of five steps to follow: ensuring the continual musical achievement of the students, taking responsibility for initiating positive relationships, becoming culturally competent, caring for students with humility and caution and constructing an environment where students are seen as equal contributors to learning with teachers.

A way in which I have explored this through the year has been through the creation of after school clubs, such as the school’s Ukulele Band or the CEC Glee Club. With these, I took the time and responsibility of initiating positive relationships with the students that attended these and showed these students that I cared about them and their input, focusing on their suggestions for music to learn. At the same time, a level of challenge was kept for both of these, by creating, for example, different parts for the chosen songs: a more accessible part, and a more challenging one – this ensured that progress was made through the year, and this led to both groups enjoying the possibilities of participating in concerts and competitions outside of school hours, with great success in said activities.

Conclusion

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With all of these measures, I strived to build better relationships with my students – as this was my first year in teaching, I just thought that focusing on this would be a good way to ensure that pupils engaged with my lessons and showed more confidence when asked to engage with a piece of music or show a performance. Although it did prove difficult at the beginning, it is thanks to the fact that I asked pupils about their interests and actually researched said interests and talked to them about it, thanks to the fact that the students saw me put time and effort into developing the department and offering different clubs and concerts and saw me going out of my way to ensure the pupils would have opportunities to perform… that I was able to develop a bond with lots of different students of mine that then showed more of an interest in their music lessons and music in general. Even answering pupils’ questions about my own personal taste and talking a bit with them about Korean pop and other music I usually listen to helped the students to warm up to the idea of having me as a teacher, and to the idea of music lessons in general. This is something I will definitely keep in mind, and I will strive to keep developing in the future.

References Gurgel, R (2015). ‘Building Strong Teacher – Student Relationships in Pluralistic Music Classrooms’. Music Educators Journal, 101(4). New York, USA: Sage Publications.

Ruthman, A (2012). ‘Engaging Adolescents with Music Technology’ in Burton, S. L. (ed.) Engaging Musical Practices: a Sourcebook for Middle School General Music. Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Fiona Ryan – How can I remove the stigma of algebra?

There is a discernible groan heard throughout maths classrooms around the UK when students learn their topic for the day is algebra. Often in jest, but unfortunately for a large proportion of students, the anxiety felt is incredibly real. ‘…young students like things to be straightforward and concrete, whereas algebra is about abstract symbols standing for variables and constants… many difficulties are caused because the differences between the way that students work with numbers and the way that they work in algebra are not addressed, and so students start off feeling confused.’

(Klazalwr; Tiwari; Tripathi, 2016) As a maths department, we decided we wanted to try to remove the stigma and change the perception of algebra, encouraging all students, of all abilities, to embrace it.

As a result, all formal teaching of algebra was removed from the current year 7 scheme of work.

Instead, we have been trialling a new approach – using generalising as a way to communicate mathematical findings and discover the basics of algebra.

My focus group was my own year 7 class. This year I was given a set 1 group – they are incredibly bright and naturally inquisitive, so are the perfect group to trial our ideas, before filtering them down to lower sets with traditionally less confident students.

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My research has centred around online articles from respected teaching and learning websites, including NRICH, a site which ‘aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.’ (NRICH, 2020) Another website I used for my research was NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics). Mathemapedia, the Mathematics Education Wiki, is a database hosted by NCETM containing articles that ‘delve into the thinking behind an aspect of mathematics or pedagogical practice.’ (NCETM, 2020) Furthermore, I found international evidence on the use of generalising in teaching mathematics, namely from TESS India (Teacher Education through School-based Support in India).

As well as researching articles relating to the use of generalising in mathematics classrooms, I also drew on my past research into my University dissertation, which focused on the link between anxieties and attitudes in mathematics and the effect they have on achievement.

‘Negative attitudes toward mathematics and what has come to be know [sic] as "math anxiety" are serious obstacles for children in all levels of schooling today.’ (Geist, 2010, p.24) Our theory is that if we can show our students that algebra is an intrinsic part of their understanding of mathematics, rather than an abstract concept, we can hopefully reduce their anxieties and see a positive effect on their future achievement.

For my year 7 group, many of our lessons were far more investigation and discovery focused than I would normally have the confidence to carry out! Often I intentionally kept the overall learning objective from the students – I wanted to foster the idea of doing maths for the simple purpose of looking for relationships and patterns, rather than looking for an end ‘correct’ answer.

I tried to make sure we had regular lessons where there was very little input from myself, instead encouraging the students to talk to each other and share their ideas. Look for similarities and differences. Together, we created an environment where there were no wrong answers – just theories that we could go on to test and prove or disprove. ‘…a key skill in moving towards generalisation is to be able to transfer what you have learnt in that one example to another, new example. Similarities and differences between the two cases may become apparent. Exploring further examples means that strategies might emerge which always work, which is the essence of a generalisation’ (Pennant and Woodham, 2015) The actual theory of generalisation was introduced slowly. One of our first investigations was the ‘Opposite Corners Investigation’ (Appendix A). Students spotted a pattern and after numerous tests, described it in sentences. From this point, I could model the use of algebra and guide them into thinking how those sentences could be written as a generalisation. ‘…strategies that we use in Literacy will prove helpful to us in developing this mathematical communication with children. It is helpful to model the communication ourselves…’ (The NRICH Primary Team, 2014) As the students grew in their confidence and ability to share, discuss and build on each other’s ideas in small groups, we progressed to whole class discussions (Appendix B). By this point, without any initial 64

input from myself, I was able to pose questions asking students to write formal generalisations. As a whole class, we then refined our notation (Appendix C).

I selected these approaches as a result of my research and reading.

The NRICH article written by Pennant and Woodham describes 4 stages to the problem solving process (see Figure 1 below). Generalising is at stage 3, and challenges students to dig deeper ‘to become systematic thinkers and also acquire the ability to articulate such thinking in a clear, succinct and logical manner.’ (The NRICH Primary Team, 2014)

Figure 4 Another reason for my approaches was as a result of student reactions. They evidently enjoyed the investigations I was giving them, they appreciated the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas in a safe environment, and so our ‘new style’ of lessons continued and developed.

Evaluation I believe the teaching processes and strategies adopted were very effective.

I was lucky to have been given a group of students who were able mathematicians and engaged with their work, but even those students who were less confident in their own abilities displayed far more confidence in their work in a short space of time. they were more vocal in class, contributing to class discussions more regularly, and sharing ideas to open ended questions more readily.

By February, with no formal algebra teaching, some students were looking for any and every opportunity to generalise! ‘Could we generalise this by writing…?’ was a common phrase heard in the classroom, and sometimes the students were coming up with ideas I hadn’t thought of myself!

‘You have considered how to help students understand that they are able to work as mathematicians, exploring and producing reasons for whether statements work… you will have helped your students to grow in confidence as mathematicians using algebraic thinking rather than becoming confused or puzzled when using symbols or generalising.’

(Klazalwr; Tiwari; Tripathi, 2016) Unfortunately, our time as a class was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic!

However, based on the successful outcomes I have seen this year, I will continue to try to build more opportunities for generalising into my lessons, for all year groups.

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‘Taking the problem-solving process into generalisation and proof is challenging. Children will need repeated opportunities to focus on this third stage and will benefit from the chance to discuss what it entails regularly… In becoming fluent with proof, they are also becoming experts at reasoning and all this will contribute towards their mastering of mathematics.’ (Pennant and Woodham, 2015) References Geist Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3a959f5c-2be5-48c4-9831dd0ca2687b00%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=105 Klazalwr; Tiwari; Tripathi Available at: http://doer.col.org/handle/123456789/5874 and https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/pluginfile.php/134959/mod_resource/content/3/EM13_AIE_ Final.pdf Mathemapedia Available at: https://www.ncetm.org.uk/mathemapedia NCETM Available at: https://www.ncetm.org.uk/ NRICH Available at: https://nrich.maths.org/ Pennant and Woodham Available at: https://nrich.maths.org/content/id/11488/Mastering%20Mathematics%3A%20the%20Challenge%20o f%20Generalising%20and%20Proof.pdf The NRICH Primary Team Available at: https://nrich.maths.org/content/id/11336/Reasoning%3A%20the%20Journey%20from%20Novice%20t o%20Expert%20%28Article%29.pdf

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Appendices Appendix A Appendix A (continued)

Appendix B Appendix B (continued)

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Appendix C

Donna Brihmani - How can I set and maintain high expectations in Music lessons?

Step inside the music department of a secondary school and you are met with an environment which is uniquely different to any other department in the school. Students practicing instruments in practice rooms, whole class performances, rock bands rehearsing, drumming workshops, signing, group work and constant movement around the classroom lend to a colourful and energetic feel to the surroundings.

Students are seldom sat quietly at desks, as music lessons are predominantly practical sessions.

Prior to gaining QTS, academic assignments and specific music educational training often highlighted the fundamental significance of the classroom environment and the impact on student’s engagement and attainment. This also directly links to Teaching Standard 1, in which a teacher must: Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils ‘establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect’ (DFE July 2011).

Due to the dynamic nature of the music department, it is essential that careful consideration is given to the classroom environment to ensure that music sessions remain motivating, exciting and inspiring and never fearful or chaotic. Classroom expectations (in line with school policies) must be implemented clearly, routinely and confidently to enable students and teacher to feel comfortable and safe in the music environment. As-well as a way of managing behaviour, these classroom expectations also determine the success and safety of delivering sessions of this practical nature. In music, there are times when student’s work unsupervised in practice rooms, or are responsible for setting up/packing away 68

electrical equipment and instruments. For this to happen safely and effectively, there must be the foundation of clearly stated expectations and mutual respect for compliancy.

‘A suitable teaching, learning and assessment environment is crucial for effective learning to take place. You need to establish a purposeful learning environment where your learners feel safe, secure, confident and valued.’ (A. Gravells 2014) The three aspects of the learning environment are physical (the surroundings in which the learning takes place), social (the relationship/rapport between students and teacher) and learning (clear and purposeful aim of what the teacher would like students to achieve). These three factors overlap and contribute to each other and when considered, can ensure learning is effective for everyone.

Aside from the logistical factors of delivering a music lesson. There is also a psychosocial factor to take into consideration. This factor is also hugely impacted by the learning environment and numerous findings state so. This emotional factor is known as ‘fear of failure’.

In music, as in all subjects, there is frequently the need to formally assess learning by questioning and many other methods. In addition to this, in music, there is often the opportunity to perform, as a way demonstrating musical understanding. This can be daunting and often (if not carefully managed) raises anxiety and fear amongst students.

Conroy et al (2002) identified the following features of failure: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Fear of experience shame and embarrassment Fear of devaluing one’s self estimate 3. Fear of having an uncertain future Fear of losing social influence/fear of important others losing interest Fear of upsetting important others

Music teachers must recognise the impact of fear of failure and how it negatively impacts student’s willingness to engage and be intrinsically motivated. Again, as facilitators, a factor that we are able to control (to a degree) is the learning/performing environment.

If an environment is threatening in any way, a human’s naturally ingrained response is to face the threat (fight) or run away from it (flee). This response is simply know as Fight or Flight (C. Bernard 1932). If a student is faced with an unusually loud, chaotic, disorganised environment then their willingness to engage will be severely impacted.

Seating plans, classroom layout, performance/stage area, group work pairings, lesson structure, instruments etc. are all factors that can be addressed in relation to the learning environment. As well as 69

the facilitators use of voice, eye contact, energy, enthusiasm, reassurance, differentiation and knowledge of individual student’s needs.

If the environment is closely considered, students are proven to have improved well-being, attention, focus, concentration and learning success (S. Bothmer 2011).

In 1954, Maslow introduced the Hierarchy of Needs theory. Although this model has been adapted over time, the belief is that the physical and physiological environment needs to be in place before the higher tiers can be achieved. The highest being self-actualization, the best one can be.

‘To help your learner’s motivation, always ensure that the environment you create meets your learners’ first-level needs. This will enable them to feel comfortable and secure enough to learn and progress to the highest levels. You need to appreciate that some learners may not have these lower needs met in their home lives, making it difficult for them to move on to the higher tiers.’ (A. Gravels 2014).

Recognising the environmental impact, specifically in the music classroom, Dr Ally Daubney published a ‘ToolKit’ to enable music teachers to ensure that they create the optimal environment for learning. https://www.ism.org/play ‘This part of the toolkit considers the pivotal role your surrounding environment plays on your ability as a musician to perform at your best. The strategies emphasise how stress and pressure from your environment can be effectively managed, to help you achieve optimal performance more often.’

(Daubney & Daubney 2018) The toolkit offers a flow chart of questions for the teacher to consider, beginning with the question, ‘Is your environment as motivating as it can be?’

A music teacher needs to cultivate an environment in which students feel supportive of each other, motivated, inspired and ultimately safe. There is also the requirement of mutual respect and a positive, trusting relationship between students and teacher. If this can be achieved then students will hopefully reach their optimum attainment and feel secure and confident enough to engage, leading to fulfilment and the opportunity to be fully expressive and creative in this subject.

References

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DAUBNEY.G & DAUBNEY.A, (2017), Performance Anxiety, A Practical Guide for Teachers, London, ISM Trust DAUBNEY.G & DAUBNEY.A, (2018), Play: A psychological toolkit for optimal music performance, ISM Trust GRAVELLS.A, (2014), The Award in Education and Training, London, Sage Publications Ltd BOTHMER.S, (2011) Creating the Peaceable Classroom, USA. TEACHER STANDARDS, (2011), Guidance for School Leaders, School Staff and Governing Bodies, Department for Education, Crown Copyright THE MUSIC EDUCATION REPORT STATE OF THE NATION, (2019), Incorporated Society of Musicians

Helen Davis - How do I set high expectations by managing behaviour in Physical Education during first few years of teaching?

What is the importance of high expectations when considering the progress of all students?

The purpose of this literature review is to explore how setting high expectations can affect behaviour in students in physical education and how this can then in turn affect student progress.

Many factors play a role in shaping how teachers form expectations of students and how students form expectations of themselves and their potential. Further research has examined how such expectations should be framed and communicated in order to maximise achievement and drive each student, no matter the calibre of his or her starting point, to achieve beyond where he or she began.

In “Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, (2009)” John Hattie reinforces the validity of this concept. He contends that the question is not, “do teachers have expectations?” but rather, “do they have false and misleading expectations that lead to decrements in learning or learning gains?” and if so, for which students? He also explains that “good learning intentions are those that make clear to the students the type or level of performance that they need to attain, so that they are positioned along the trajectory towards successful learning.”

Teachers identify learning intentions, and then plan situations that allow students to achieve appropriate challenging goals. These goals should be communicated to students and embedded into instructional activities, so that students are capable of articulating and understanding the learning intentions.

In “Visible Learning for Teachers, (2012)” Hattie elaborates on this concept by noting that “emphasising accurate calibration of students’ abilities and performance is more effective than rewarding improved performance.” Having teachers educate students to have “high, challenging, appropriate expectations is among the most powerful influence in enhancing student achievement.”

Previous teacher effectiveness research has indicated that teachers who implement clear rules, routines, and performance expectations achieve more in terms of pupil learning (Sanford et al., 1983).

Proactive planning requires teachers to provide pupils with structured lessons, which begins with the establishment of clear expectations, rules and routines, followed by the production and 71

implementation of well-planned and well-presented lessons which are individualised to the needs and interests of the students.

In research, Bailey, R. (2001), states that, ‘pupils’ academic achievement and attitude has been linked with the establishment of clear expectations, rules and routines by teachers at the beginning of the school year. Thus, teachers are recommended to clearly state their expectations for students during the first few lessons of the year, clarifying any possible misunderstandings, and the consequences of misbehaviour’.

Education Support, ‘Managing Behaviour’, (2020), states that “Classrooms become more orderly places when rules are clearly stated and perform even better when rules have been negotiated, discussed and justified.”

Emerson, E., Einfield, SL. (2003) suggests that, effective behaviour management is based on the teacher‘s ability to successfully create a well-managed, structured classroom environment so that learning can occur. Teaching a number of children with different needs, behaviours and attention spans can be challenging. However, when a positive learning culture is created, the children will learn better because they will know what is expected of them.

Routines help to minimise behavioural challenges in the classroom and are key to a well-managed and organised classroom. Children enjoy routines that are easy to understand and easy to accomplish, yet flexible enough to alter if circumstances change. Research shows, that most behavioural problems result from a lack of consistent classroom routines.

There are many ways to go about establishing expectations for your own individual classes, however at Cowes Enterprise College (CEC) the P.E department has a set of expectations which are adapted from the whole school approach. This set of very simple set of expectations has come from the CEC P.E handbook 2019/20: To provide an exciting and challenging curriculum that is broad and balanced To develop resilience and positive relationships in all.

To role model high expectations, morals, values, care sporting etiquette, fair play and pride.

To develop expert understanding, skills and technique.

To celebrate the achievements of each student.

To offer a range of opportunities for students to represent CEC through competition and community involvement.

To provide diverse sporting experiences and resources for our students.

To offer opportunities for sporting pathways/ accredited courses to fit students’ needs.

To promote lifelong involvement in physical activity.

This should be one of the first things to go through with your classes at the beginning of the very first lesson, and should be revisited throughout the school year as needed out establishing expectations for your class.

The development of rules and routines during the initial lessons will provide students with consistent expectations for how your PE lessons will start and finish, from lining up, getting changed and the 72

procedures for handling and storing equipment, which all contribute greatly to class control (McCormack, A. 1997).

Hattie, J. (2012), states that “good learning intentions are those that make clear to the students the type or level of performance that they need to attain, so that they are positioned along the trajectory towards successful learning.”

In my teaching experience the key word in a positive learning environment is, in my opinion, positive!

That is one thing that I always try to keep in mind when interacting with my students. To help students succeed, I believe they need to feel like they are capable of doing just that. I try to give positive reinforcement at any chance I get. Students need a teacher who believes in them and just like in sports, a team (or student) can’t succeed if the one leading them does not believe that to be a possibility. I try to provide this positivity by having high expectations for all students, being organised in my lesson planning and physical spaces, creating a respectful atmosphere which is consistent, and giving each student the support they need to succeed in my classroom.

Rogers, S. (2019), states that “As physical educators, if we have an understanding of our own practices in routines, lesson planning, sanctions and personal skills which are tailored to our school’s ethos and policy documents should lay a strong foundation of high expectations for our PE lessons.”

This can then be bolstered by reading up on different behaviour management strategies, high expectations and pupil progress, reflecting and sharing best practice with colleagues and even help in the development of the school’s behaviour policy which should be a living, breathing document.

To conclude, behaviour is the key to the success of high expectations. However, it is not enough for a teacher to enforce the rules and expectations by themselves, it is necessary for all in the department to also consistently enforce these expectations and rules. These must also tie in with the rest of the college in order for a consistent approach throughout.

This ensures that the focus can then be on progression, which in turn increases the expectation upon the class and individual.

References Bailey, R. (2001) ‘Managing Behaviour’, In Teaching Physical Education: A Handbook for Primary & Secondary School Teachers. London: Kogan Page. pp. 99-116.

Cowes Enterprise College, Physical Education Handbook 2019/20 Education support. (2020). Managing pupil behaviour. Available: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/ed_support_managing_pupil_beh aviour_0.pdf. Last accessed 20th June 2020.

Emerson, E., Einfield, SL. (2003) ‘Challenging Behaviour’. Cambridge University Press.

Hattie, J. “Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement.”

Routledge. 2009. P. 122.

Hattie, J. “Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning.” Routledge, 2012. P. 47.

McCormack, A. (1997) ‘Classroom Management Problems, Strategies and Influences in Physical Education’ European Physical Education Review. 3(2), pp. 102-115.

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Rogers, S. (2019) 'Behaviour Management in Physical Education', Physical Education Matters, Spring (2019), pp. 31-33.

Sanford, J., Emmer, T. and Clements, B. 1983. Improving classroom management. Educational Leadership, 40: 56–60. [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]

Claire Brooks - Ask yourself: “Will all children be challenged by this…?”

(Chris Parsons)

All teachers like to say they have high expectations of their students, but what does this really mean?

There is a plethora of blogs, tweets, videos and educational research aiming to summarise and evaluate various theories about why high expectations are so crucial and how we might, in practice, ‘raise’ these ‘expectations’ and provide challenging work for students. Although most teachers (and those inspecting them) agree with this concept, there have always been debates as to what ‘high expectations’ look like in practice and what effect they have on students. These range from conflicting ideas about Rosenthal and Jacobson’s 1968 ‘Pygmalion in the Classroom’ study to the accepted thought now that all students should have the same learning objective with appropriate scaffolding to achieve it. There are many published ideas about how this scaffolding should look and what it should be called, but in effect, it provides “steps to succeed mapped out… with guided practice leading to independent practice and students reaching ambitious goals over time.( Sherrington 2019 Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice.)

Then there is the question of ‘challenge’. A child learns best when challenged just outside his comfort zone” (Tharby 2017 Making every English lesson count) but there’s a fine line between challenging children in this way, so they are willing to try to achieve a difficult learning objective, and presenting them with a learning experience that causes either anxiety or demotivation because they just don’t ‘get it’.

Finally, there is that seemingly insignificant word at the end of my title: ‘all’. How do you challenge every child when there are a variety of needs, backgrounds and abilities? Sherrington, in his article: Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice (2019), states “previous attainment, experience, competence, knowledge, skills and confidence” all affect a child’s ability to learn.

The aim of this literature review is to evaluate methods of challenging all students to enhance the learning experience of students in my classes.

High Expectations Expectations are subjective, but at the very least we should expect students to bring equipment, engage in the lesson and try to meet the learning objective. Equally, students should have high expectations of teachers, to plan, teach challenging texts and concepts, give feedback, act professionally and show that we care.

But what do researchers say about the impact of teachers’ expectations? In 1968, Rosenthal and Jacobson’s Pygmalion in the Classroom study found that randomly selected students were “more likely

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to make larger gains in their academic performance over the course of the year” when teachers had high expectations of them. (Guardian Education : what research tells us Nov 2017 by Bradley Busch.

Whilst agreeing that the teachers’ behaviour did probably affect the student outcomes, what is significant is the age of the children; they were all very young “grades 1 and 2”. At this age, they are more likely to want to please the teacher and less likely to know their own limitations. Furthermore, although apparent in some primary school settings, disaffection is more prevalent in secondary education. Sadly, even having the most enthusiastic teacher who seems to believe in you, cannot always counteract years of previous negative experience. That said, it is not surprising that both low and high ability students thrived; being treated favourably and expected to perform well has an equally strong psychological impact on both low and higher abilities.

Brookover, et al. (1982), Cooper (1984) and Good (1987) identified numerous factors which can lead teachers to hold lower expectations for some students than others. Whilst, in my view, many factors such as gender and racial stereotyping are not as common now (although unfortunately, they do still exist), even in 2020, teachers’ expectations are still influenced by factors such as a student’s siblings, negative comments made by colleagues, “use of non-standard English, messy presentation and disorganisation and appearance. Also, “a lack of experience may be confused with learning ability”; I can think of several students I have taught who had no awareness of where they lived in relation to their surrounding area, and I wrongly (I realise now) attributed that to a lack of intelligence rather than experience.

When thinking about this list of factors that might influence a teacher’s expectations of ability, I have come across many students, mostly boys, whose handwriting suggests low academic ability.

Sometimes the sheer frustration of not being able to write down ideas quickly impacts on behaviour.

Furthermore, in moderation meetings, the expectations of my colleagues have been sometimes lowered when presented with immature or barely legible handwriting if they do not know the student.

We discussed how initial impressions might lower expectations; the content and style have to make a real impact to change that initial perception.

Finally, placing students in low-ability groups based on limited data can cause students to be viewed as having less learning potential than they actually have. In research led by Brophy 1983; Cooper and Tom 1984 and Good 1987), those teachers who held low expectations for students based on factors such as those listed above were often not even aware of their bias. In my own practice, I have been guilty of having certain expectations when taking on a new teaching group, particularly where students are placed in sets according to their ability. It was only as I gained experience that I realised the numerous factors that might affect a student’s placement in a particular ability group. A child’s mental health, home life, reading age and exposure to cultural experiences and texts spring to mind.

Challenge For All According to Andy Tharby in his book, Making Every English lesson Count’, “expert teaching requires challenge so that students have high expectations of what they can achieve… questioning so that students are made to think hard with breadth, depth and accuracy… feedback so that students think about and further develop their knowledge and skills.

The most useful research I read that advised teachers how to create challenge in this way for all students was in chapter 3 of Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion (2015). Lemov’s chapter entitled 75

‘Setting High Academic Expectations’ clearly demonstrates with example scripts how teachers can raise expectations. His five “concrete, actionable ways” are: No Opt Out; Right is Right; Stretch It; Format Matters and Without Apology.

Sometimes, when I have felt the rest of the class is ready to move on or I want to pick up the pace, it’s so easy to allow students to opt out. Reading Lemov’s scripted examples has given me ideas as to how better ensure that all students move on and do not opt out. Using this method in future will ensure that the pace of the lesson is not slowed because one or two students are reluctant to answer.

Lemov also advises teachers to “hold out for answers that are all-the-way right or all the way to your standards of rigor.” On reflection, I can see that I often rephrase or correct a student’s answer because I want the rest of the class to hear a model answer. In Lemov’s technique, the focus is on the individual student who is answering the question. Initially, I wondered whether other students in the class would ever actually hear a model answer; however, I now think that if you do that with every student, they will be trained to always give their best answer - the other students will see the high standard I expect and improve their answers too. I also considered that some students might feel under too much scrutiny and this might deter them from answering at all, but that is where the ‘No opt out’ technique comes in. Finally, Lemov’s ‘Right is Right’ technique requires students to use the correct subject terminology in both written and oral responses, which links directly to the fifth standard in the Cowes Literacy and Oracy Standards poster. Having this poster displayed will remind students of the standards when I am insisting on’ Right is Right’.

Ten years ago, there was a huge focus on targeted questioning to challenge and extend students’ responses verbally before they committed their thinking to writing. Lemov’s section entitled ‘Stretch it’ consolidates these ideas and reminds teachers to always link the stretch questions to that lesson’s learning objective. His reference to ‘same skill, new setting’ resonated with me as an English teacher, as too often grammar and vocabulary skills are not transferred to new contexts. Similarly, skills such as language analysis need stretching and embedding so they easily transfer from Language to Literature lessons. Interleaving and separate starters have helped with this, however.

In his article, The Thinking Classroom - Don’t Call it Challenge’, Farnborough highlights the need for continual assessment in the lesson to ensure students are challenged. He refers to Graham Nuthall’s ‘The Hidden Lives of Learners ‘when he describes how some students ‘hide’ in the classroom, and advocates more responsive teaching. He lists many of the AFL strategies employed by teachers such as post-it notes, peer assessment, quizzes, mocks, learning check questions, student speak marking criteria and checking their own work against students’ exemplar answers but his main emphasis is on teachers’ planning: ‘Make it harder. Do not simplify’ he advises. Rather, he states, students need thorough discussion and questioning to learn the tier 3 vocabulary. This links to Lemov’s ‘Right is Right’ technique and the Cowes Literacy and Oracy standards. If you simplify texts at KS3, there is a lack of exposure to tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, leading to panic when presented with a GCSE past paper at KS4.

Farnborough also challenges students to work more independently but advises the teacher to “have a mechanism for students to ask questions: question wall, post-its and traffic lights.” He also updated an old practice of getting students to find other methods of working independently. He calls it 3 before me ‘board, buddy, book.” A differently-worded poster I used to have behind my desk expected students to work more independently; often the answer they needed was in their exercise book.

What I disagree with, however, is Farnborough’s comment: ‘If you feed back too soon, it can have a negative effect’. In my experience, students like immediate feedback. In fact, at a CPD conference – 76

Raising Boys’ Achievement - I attended in 2009, it was advocated as one way of motivating boys. A further consideration is that some students need immediate feedback if they have short-term working memories.

Differentiation to challenge all students Differentiation has long been a contentious topic. Only several years ago, the words all, most and some were part of the lesson plan format for a formal observation in some schools. This tended to result in different tasks being set according to ability or ‘learning style’. Until recently, teachers have used gold, silver and bronze as a way to differentiate. I used to do this until I noticed that many students wanted to ‘go for gold’ but didn’t have the scaffolding to get there because I’d planned – mistakenly - that if they couldn’t do the gold task they should be doing the silver or bronze one.

Researchers currently seem to be in agreement that all students need common high challenge learning objectives achieved by “different degrees of guided practice, responsive questioning and feedback tailored to push students forward from where they are. “ (Sherrington 2019). Similar ideas are presented in the 2016 WordPress blog: All Hail Adaptation Rather than Differentiation by Chris Parsons. Like Farnborough and Sherrington, he considers the key to providing challenging lessons for all students is planning: “the most fruitful form of strategic adaptation facilitates tactical adaptation as and when it becomes necessary.”

Usually when teachers talk about high expectations, we mean expectations of the students. My introduction states that all students should have the same challenging learning objective and that teachers should provide appropriate scaffolding to achieve it – not only in one lesson, but also over time. That is why teachers also have high expectations of themselves.

References Bennewmark.wordpress.com 2017. Making Challenge Meaningful Doug Lemov 2015 Teach like a Champion L E Farnborough 2017 Classteaching.Wordpress.com 2017. Classroom-culture-high-expectations-andchallenge. https://www.pedagoo.org/the- thinking- classroom - don’t -Call -it -Challenge Tom Sherrington 2019 Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice.

Chris Parsons 2016 All Hail Adaptation rather than Differentiation. Wordpress. Stepping Back a Little (apt for Lockdown) Bradley Busch The Guardian Education: What research tells us. Nov 2017 Andy Tharby 2017 Making every English Lesson Count

David Sanchez-Brown - How do we nurture a resilient, hardworking attitude to sixth form study?

For many of us, the anticipation of sixth form results day can be a rollercoaster of emotions and sleepless nights. Witnessing and sharing the joy experienced by students as they gain qualifications 77

which open doors to their future prosperity is an amazing privilege. When analysing the results in detail, it has been apparent that some students make incredible progress from the end of year 11, jumping from modest results at level 2 to great success at Level 3. Others with excellent GCSE performance seem to have stagnated and achieve less well at A level. What are the key factors that influence sustained performance during sixth form? How can we ensure we prepare students for the rigour and challenges of sixth form study?

Duckwoth et al (2007) argue that “what really drives success is not “genius” or “intelligence” but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance” (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance -2016 Duckworth et al). Drawing on her own experience and research, she asserts that this non cognitive trait ’grit’, is the key to achievement and is a stronger predictor of success than intelligence. This is clearly an essential ingredient for sixth form success in the form of resilience, determination and emotional stamina.

Carol Dweck argues that beliefs about ability and intelligence vary greatly and that individuals can hold a certain ‘mindset’ regarding their ability. At one end of a continuum are those who believe they have a ‘fixed’ mindset- people who believe that their intelligence is fixed at a certain point and so avoid challenge through fear of failure. At the other end are those with ‘growth’ mindset who believe that intelligence is flexible and that “you can improve your ability through hard work”. Dweck investigates the power of ‘Yet’ as a tool to assist the shift from fixed to growth mindset. She writes: “Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success c.Dweck-2007 In ‘High Challenge Low Threat’ Myatt’s central premise is that leaders who create environments where staff and students feel safe and able to take risks will tap into intrinsic motivators and will see great returns. A key theme is the importance of building relationships and a shared vision- developing a sense of common purpose and community. Myatt doesn’t shy away from accountability. She just argues that it can be achieved in a humane way that, ultimately, will be welcomed if leaders make the conditions right. Key to this is the notion and we are all capable of improving our work through effective feedback and embracement challenge without feeling threat to our personal traits or personalities. She writes: “In high functioning settings people want to be held accountable for their work, but they don’t want to feel like a muppet. Nobody wants to be made to feel like a muppet.” Myatt 2016 Duhigg (2013) suggests that by understanding the nature of habits we can influence behaviour to build motivation and avoid procrastination. Habits can be a force for good by developing effective study routines or motor memory for complex activities such as playing a musical instrument. These same forces can also turn into negative behaviours such as over eating or avoiding challenge. He writes: “Once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom — and the responsibility — to remake them. Once you understand that habits can be rebuilt, the power becomes easier to grasp, and the only option left is to get to work.” The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change- 2013 Duhigg 78

Deci and Ryan (1985) developed Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and argue that “extrinsic motivation is a drive to behave in certain ways based on external sources and it results in external rewards” (1985). Such sources include grading systems, evaluations, awards and accolades, and the respect and admiration of others. They refined their research further to include how fear of failure may influence motivation behaviours: “On the other hand, intrinsic motivation comes from within. There are internal drives that inspire us to behave in certain ways, including our core values, our interests, and our personal sense of morality. When an individual is driven by autonomous motivation, they may feel self-directed and autonomous; when the individual is driven by controlled motivation, they may feel pressure to behave in a certain way, and thus, experience little to no autonomy” (Ryan & Deci, 2008) It is clear that motivated well organised students with aspirational goals and strong study habits will develop the resilience necessary to succeed over the full duration of their sixth form education. Key characteristics such as: a sense of belonging, positive friendships, grit, resilience, confidence to face challenge and detailed well organised study notes require development for good academic progress.

Key to equipping our students with these skills and further cultivating a culture of academic rigour and social mobility are: RAISING ASPIRATION: • •

Every student needs a clear future goal- University? Apprenticeship? Employment?

Raising self-belief and a willingness to push beyond their comfort zone.

DEVELOPING A RESSILIENT, HARDWORKING ATTITUDE TO STUDY: • • •

Effective note taking, practice testing, interleaving, distributed practice and the forgetting curve.

Making time for study – planning ahead.

Excellent time management for a healthy positive mindset

BUILDING STRATEGIES FOR POSITIVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING: • •

Developing coping strategies including Yoga, time management, Charter experiences and student led enrichment activities.

Encouraging a culture of peer and selfhelp.

Academic success will further promote the motivation to strive for aspirational goals in a perpetual cycle of personal contentment -just Austin’s butterfly (Berger 2003), the deep satisfaction gained from a “job well done”.

like

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References: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2016) Duckworth Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101Duckworth, Angela L.,Peterson, Christopher,Matthews, Michael D.,Kelly, Dennis R. Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007).

What Does This Look Like in The Classroom? -2017 Hendrick & McPherson Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – 2007 Carol Dweck.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change- Covey 2004 High Challenge, Low Threat. Myatt 2016 The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change- 2013 Duhigg Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and WellBeing – Deci and Ryan 1985 Self-Determination Theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008).

An Ethic of Excellence -R.Berger 2003 Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K.A., Marsh, E.J., Nathan, M.J., and Willingham, D.T. (2013)

Aaron Hartup - Managing behaviour and the strategies to ensure a productive learning environment There are many things that come to mind when I think of early career teaching, the biggest being the Teaching Standards. These have been a key focal point of my life for the past 3 years, they all have such a significant part to play within my teaching journey so far. It has been such a vast bank of knowledge that has lead me to where I am now. Within the training I have undergone these have led to much research and conversations with other teaching staff to help me understand how to implement these within my teaching. I could’ve picked so many of these to focus on within this professional development report, from Teaching Standard 3- Subject knowledge to Teaching Standard 5- Adaptive teaching but one area that is forever challenging it Teaching Standard 7- Behaviour Management. This has been a challenge of mine and I know it has been the same for so many teachers and it is something that is forever changing and developing to ensure teachers are meeting the standard. One quote that I have seen many times and the reason I am looking at this is: “Good behaviour is a necessary condition for effective teaching to take place.” Education Observed 5 – DES 1987

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This is something that is such a thought provoking quote and just reiterates how important the managing of behaviour is within teaching. Without the strategies that can be implemented good behaviour often cannot be achieved and hence effective teaching cannot occur. The importance of this is echoed all around the teaching community and the impact that poor behaviour can have upon the learning of all. According to one study by Ofsted, nearly forty days are lost a year on classroom disruptions.

Teachers make the education of their pupils their first concern, and are accountable for achieving the highest possible standards in work and conduct. One of the key areas within the teaching standards is the managing of behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment. Behaviour management is something that all teachers can uniquely create and have the most freedom in establishing within their teaching. These strategies can be established base upon their own values and personalities and along with the personality of the classes taught. Ofsted (2014) have provided a document as a guide for head teachers and staff to follow through with and implement within their school. Ofsted’s behaviour and discipline policy for schools informs teachers on how to promote good behaviour as well as keep on top of any bad behaviour. This is the fundamental feature that is written into so many aspects of teaching pedagogy.

This is where I have taken an interest in as within PE teaching this is a pivotal part of establishing a successful working environment, strategies can be created in a number of ways and the difference between a theory, classroom based environment can be such a contrast to that of an outdoor, practical environment. This relates heavily to the guidance provided by the Department for Education (DfE) where it states within the behaviour management standard that the teacher must be able to manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to pupils’ needs in order to involve and motivate them. The student needs are the biggest difference between classroom and practical lessons. Standel et al. (2013) looked into studies that showed a gap between theory and practice within their education. This gap between the two types of lesson can show why it is so important to ensure that behaviour management is heavily catered and amended to suit the needs of the pupils and the type of lesson being taught. I wanted to look into a way to integrate these two types of lessons to find a strategy of my own that can be adapted to ensure a positive learning environment can be achieved within both types of lessons.

The first step to establishing an effective behaviour management strategy is to clearly set your expectations, rules and standards. Teachers must decide who will make the rules and how they will be taught to the students while also considering how the rules will be perceived by students (Anderson & Spaulding, 2007). This is a corner stone to all lessons taught, these can be carried out through all lessons and be the underlining aspect of every lesson whether that be theory or practical. From here behaviour can be assessed and monitored and cross checked against the expectations set out at the beginning of the teaching. This again heavily links to the teaching standards where is states to have clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in classrooms and around the school. This is one of the biggest challenges that can be faced by a newly qualified teacher. Smith (1996) states that although “skilled teachers can make discipline and classroom management look easy, even experienced teacher can meet difficult and challenging classes.” This is something that when read, really provoked a thought in my mind and how it is a constant day to day challenge that every teacher faces within their teaching career and not one that just brings a challenge to those starting out on their teaching journey. This is an area that I

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found particularly difficult within my training and being able to establish a strategy with even the toughest of classes but knowing that it is an issue that every teacher can come face to face with.

Capel, S. & Whitehead, M. (2013) looked particularly at how to develop and maintain an effective learning environment within physical education teaching. They outlined this as an area that will aid teachers within developing expertise within the area of teaching and how this is a fundamental part of developing a behaviour management strategy. I have taken this into account when establishing my own strategies and ensuring that they also a positive learning environment is achieved. Capel and Whitehead said “one way to approach behaviour management is to start from a positive stand-point” Rather than looking to avoid behavioural problems a useful goal is to set yourself an objective of keeping pupils on task as they are less likely to cause a behavioural problem. This is something that I had not thought of before, we often focus so much on avoiding the issue when this could be achieved depending on how on task the students are. This is an aspect that can come naturally and doesn’t rely on a specific strategy that and doesn’t require adapting depending on the cohort being taught. Thus heavily links in with Teaching standard 4- Planning and Teaching well-structured lessons.

Davison (2001) echoed the thoughts of Capel and Whitehead and they looked at how appropriate planning, effective management and building a positive relationship with the classes are the foundations to developing a positive working environment. They also identified the main reasons for misbehaviour; boredom, inability of the pupils to complete the task and too much effort required.

Davison mimics Capel in saying teaching shouldn’t focus on avoiding these rather than using the three factors to ensure they are eliminated. Scrivener (2012) carried out research into the environment that we create for the pupils to work in and how this environment can aid with behaviour management to get the best possible learning environment for all. This is something that needs to be regularly assessed and can often change. I find myself regularly changing the seating plans and lay out of the environment to ensure that this is the most suited for the classes I teach. This can often be hard to assess to see if it effective for the students themselves. Scrivener also states that to be able to assess the learning environment is suitable and effective is by taking a few minutes in your classroom from their viewpoint. This is something that personally I haven’t ever thought of but when I thought about it, it needs to be so centred and catered for the students that it does seem so important. He also says that you should place yourself in their situation and ask yourself from their point of view to see if their view is clear, could they be distracted, are they in a suitable and comfortable place for them, and if there could be any issues or problems that could arise. This enables you to consider if the way that the classroom is laid out will be effective for all the class, therefore minimising any potential distractions before they occur. This links back to what Smith looked at when he said about rather than avoiding the behavioural issues, try and prevent them before they occur.

One quote that I found that added some thought and tried to relate this to the research I had looked at was: “behaviour management is the thing that turns a bad teacher into a good one”. This can reiterate the importance of behaviour management within teaching but also makes me question whether behaviour management is the be all and end all of teaching. It is something that every teacher has to learn and establish themselves but without it does it make them a bad teacher? Each source I looked at has explained how it was a fundamental part of teaching which is something that I heavily agree with but is it to the extent that if you cannot successfully manage behaviour you are a bad teacher?

From my training through the past few years it is clear to see how important the standards are and how they are the pinnacle of everything we do as teachers. From the research I have looked into, there are many aspects that can have an impact on the way we produce our strategies but they all have the 82

same underlying parts that are the foundations to developing a safe and effective learning environment for all those within the class.

References Anderson, C. M., & Spaulding, S. A. (2007). Using positive behaviour support to design effective classrooms. Beyond Behaviour Capel, S. & Whitehead, M. (2013). Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School: A companion to school experience Davison, J (2001) Managing Classroom Behaviour Department for Education (2013) Teacher’s Standards, Guidance for School Leaders, School Staff and Governing Bodies DES (1987) Education Observed 5: Good Behaviour and Discipline in Schools Scrivener, J (2012) Classroom Management Techniques.

Smith, R (1996) Develop your classroom control and discipline.

Standal, Øyvind & Moen, Kjersti & Moe, Vegard. (2013). Theory and practice in the context of practicum: The perspectives of Norwegian physical education student teachers. European Physical Education Review

Vanessa Wester - How does a mastery approach to fractions impact low ability learners?

Summary of Main Findings for set 9 out of 11 (Year 7, Maths): The main focus of this study was to encourage students in a low ability set to retain information and develop their existing knowledge. The ultimate aim being to embed understanding.

The approach taken was to stagger information in a more gradual manner, with repetition via varied work. The aim being to create a pace that was more suited to the learner’s ability. The priority was to ensure understanding and not rush the work, which might allow for misconceptions to arise. This meant that the content on the scheme of work for year 7 was unlikely to be completed in year 7 and some would overspill into year 8. The understanding being that from year 7 to year 11 there is plenty of time to cover the content needed for these students to succeed at GCSE. As a Maths department, this point had been agreed so that teachers in subsequent years could pick up where the previous teacher finished.

Using the topic of fractions, it was clear from the onset that this was an area that they had not understood at Primary and they found difficult. Bearing in mind the fact that pupils have been doing fractions for many years, it really did surprise me that so many of them barely understood what a fraction was.

However, by taking a gradual approach and not rushing through the work there were definite signs of improvement and embedded understanding at the end of the topic.

Students work highlighted: 83

   

The need for repetition Clear lessons linked to prior learning Marking frequently to give near instant feedback to prevent misconceptions Good use of peer-on-peer review to help some students either explore their knowledge or clarify errors  Teacher interaction to reward consistent effort and hard work.

In addition, once students had the ability to generalise or create a rule to aid with answering a range of questions it simplified the process. However, a rule is only useful once you know why you can use it and understand that it can only be used for that particular problem.

Action & Evaluation: The adoption of a positive mind-set at the start of a topic that pupils might have struggled with in the past was important. It was therefore useful to start by finding out what they knew by using similar resources to those used in Primary School to check prior knowledge.

Textbook exercises transferred to Power Point for easy review with class; exercises similar to ones used in KS2. Answers included on some slides for easy review. Initially, to aim their literacy in Maths, textbook work included writing out questions and giving full working out and answers. This would aid their learning overall in literacy and maths.

Use a hands on approach to teaching fractions initially – using fractions multilink cubes.

The use of these cubes were to help the pupils visualise a whole and into different fraction amounts. It helped them complete the the textbook, but had a limited impact on some pupils who got and ended up wanting to use them as Lego! My opinion is that use of should be restricted to one or two lessons only.

break it up exercises in distracted these

Use worksheets for some of the work to avoid the need to write up questions all the time in some lessons so the cognitive focus is on learning the maths skill. Sometimes, it is necessary to focus pupil time on the maths skill and not their writing ability. This is particularly helpful for pupils with slower processing and handwriting as identified on their SEN statements. Approximately a third of this year 7 class had an SEN statement identifying particular recommendations.

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Even though the questions in the textbook were good, in the end it helped to have worksheets they could write on to speed up the process. I did give the option to write down questions to students, and some preferred this.

Being flexible in your approach is useful – with lower ability one size does not fit all in my opinion!

Finding similar resources to embed learning and to be prepared to repeat the same lesson using different resources.

Since different students worked at a different pace, it was good to have more worksheets with varied questions. 10ticks is a resource the maths department at CEC subscribes to and I found the worksheets there extremely useful since the difficulty level increased incrementally from one sheet to the next with clear explanations and progression.

 Different worksheets with a range of questions and challenges

This idea of repetition has been explored by Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking Fast and Slow via a chapter exploring Cognitive Ease1: REPEATED EXPERIENCE

FEELS FAMILIAR FEELS TRUE

CLEAR DISPLAY PRIMED IDEA

EASE

FEELS GOOD FEELS EFFORTLESS

GOOD MOOD

“Cognitive Strain is affected by both the current level of effort and the presence of unmet demands... the figure suggests that a sentence that is printed in a clear font, or has been repeated, or has been primed, will be fluently processed with cognitive ease.”

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However, it is worth noting that unless you mark the work before they move on misconceptions might have crept in and the students will proceed to get the work wrong by repeating the same error! In Teaching Mathematics3 it is believed that “most misconceptions come about through pupils overgeneralising a result from earlier in their mathematical education.” Even though this may be true, I think it is important to reinforce the belief that a change of habit is possible.

These concepts have been developed and applied successfully on White Rose. White Rose resources have been provided for free during the Coronavirus pandemic for teachers and pupils from Primary to Secondary, and having downloaded them I now recognise them as a resource that could tag along nicely with the work I have done so far on this topic. Training we have done as a department on White Rose has also helped my understanding of the use of Bar Modelling and how this could have been used for fractions.

The discussion based approach in (d) is definitely one that I would like to use with the class further.

In addition, having answers to hand to enable instant feedback was hugely beneficial. I did find this kept them motivated, since getting work marked kept them on task and motivated. It is also good to remind them that getting things wrong is not a bad thing. I constantly reminded them that if you fail, try and try again. If they believe they will understand it that’s half the battle!

In Mathematical Mindsets2, a study into how people respond to mistakes, found that, “Whether it is in mathematics, teaching, parenting, or other areas of your life, it is really important to believe in yourself, to believe that you can do anything. Those beliefs can change everything.”

Conclusion To measure progress it would be useful to test students understanding in year 8, specifically with fractions to see how much knowledge they had retained. A quick recap before the test would probably make it more effective. The use of bar modelling, as suggested by White Rose, could help at this point.

In addition, if this was an approach adopted over a few years with classes of similar ability, as a department it would be easier to measure its effectiveness by comparing a group in a higher year, who did not get taught at a similar pace.

Furthermore, analysis of specific topic data in official exams could be used to measure progress.

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Personally, comparing this approach to a faster one in previous years, I found the students to be more engaged and to have a deeper understanding when we moved on to another topic. Small steps appeared to be successful, but only time will tell if the students actually benefited.

FOOTNOTES and BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

2.

3.

4.

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, Fast and Slow, p.60.

Jo Boaler: Mathematical Mindsets, p. 12.

Paul Chambers: Teaching Mathematics, p.108.

White Rose a. https://whiterosemaths.com/ b. Home Learning - https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-7/ 5. 10ticks - https://www.10ticks.com/

Cecelia Bloom - How does the change of instructions of a topic help lower ability students access the topic?

Summary of Main Findings: The topic that I wanted to teach two groups was; changing the subject of an equation.

I had two groups; year 9 lower foundation and year 10 higher foundation.

The approach was to give a visual representation that the students could access in year 9 and repetition of the method both in class and for homework.

For year 10 the approach was to use the balancing method which followed on from solving equations which again they practised in class and for homework.

Action: Year 9 Group 7

Below are examples of the flow charts used

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Year 10 Group 4

Below is the balance method used

Evaluation: At the end of term 2a, both year 9 and year 10 took the same foundation GCSE paper 1.

I calculated the percentage of students in year 9 and 10 that got the full 2 marks and the percentage that got 1 mark.

Year 9 2 marks 6/19 students 32%

1 mark 2/19 students 11%

Year 10 2 marks 5/27 students 19%

1 mark 4/27 students 15%

Weirdly year 10 had more 1 marks than year 9 and year 9 had more 2 marks than year 10.

It looks like the year 9 group liked the method I used more than the method used for the year 10 group.

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For both groups this was the end of the paper so the questions are more difficult at the end of the paper.

This does prove that for different topics it is a good idea to think of the strategy that is to be used for each group, with the willingness to change strategy if it is not working for a group.

The other interesting note is that the year 9 class chose to use the flowchart method even though there was no reference to it in the question.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Strategies for Teaching Tricky Maths Topics by Richard Coles Changing the way to teach maths by Carol Murphy

Eniko Rus - The importance of generalisation in developing Algebraic thinking Intent – The issue For many people, the thought of studying algebra brings up memories of “intensive study of the last three letters of the alphabet” (Blair, 2003). We might feel, that our experiences of algebra, involved problems with x, y and z, and as a topic, algebra was extremely difficult to learn, if not impossible. During my teaching, I have encountered many students, who act as if their jobs is to find the final answers to the many mathematical problems they are presented with and forget about the process and skills they used, when solving these problems. They all forget about the thinking skills and methods they have used in maths and everyday life, so fundamental in developing their algebraic thinking.

Algebraic thinking or reasoning involves forming generalisations from experiences with number, formalizing these ideas with the use of a meaningful symbol system, and exploring the concepts of pattern and functions.” (Van de Walle, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2011).

“Generalizations are the lifeblood of mathematics." Mason, et al., 2011 My intention was to show to students that, through the generalisation process, they can bridge the gap between what they like, such as straightforward and concrete mathematical problems, towards the more abstract algebraic ones. Through different teaching methods and activities, I aimed to raise the students’ confidence in their own abilities, challenge them to take a more active part in their own learning: explore algebraic ideas and to extend those ideas using their own thinking.

Target students

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I have focused on a high ability Year 7 class (set 2/9), consisting of 26 students. Although, the students relied on a solid prior mathematical knowledge gained in primary and their mathematical thinking was well developed and fluency in maths strong, whenever the discussion of algebra came up, they admitted they believed the tasks would be too hard and their attitude and tone would change: ‘I can’t do this’, rather than ‘it might be difficult’.

Action Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

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Exploring patterns – Fibonacci boxes activity. From the very early stages students are used to working with number or visual patterns. Studies show that, when they try to describe and extend patterns of shapes, colours, sounds and eventually letters and numbers, children’s natural love of mathematics and their curiosity is a real motivator. When completing the Fibonacci boxes activity, all my students were able work out and verbally express the process of how they found their missing values and their explanations did not depend on algebraic notation. Following further in depth discussion and teacher prompted ideas/feedback, they started generalising and symbolising their generalisations.

Investigation – T-totals activity – Many writers believe that, a mathematical investigation is open and involves both problem posing and problem solving. Students enjoyed the freedom of exploring a maths task by examining the pieces of evidence, writing a statement relevant to their findings, which than they needed to test and prove.

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Class/Group discussions – following investigations, was a vital approach in the success of generalising mathematical ideas. As a no opt out method, it gave students accountability, they understood that they would be responsible for presenting information to the group/class and this was a good way for a teacher to address any misconception and argue findings.

Practical approach – Perigal’s puzzle activity, leading into finding the formulae for Pythagoras’ Theorem and generalisation for Pythagorean Triples – exploring both, a concrete task, leading to finding the abstract, general formulae and patterns to evaluate, generalise and deepen understanding of the topic.

Why did you select this/these approaches?

“Algebraic reasoning is a process in which students generalize mathematical ideas from a set of particular instances, establish those generalizations through the discourse of argumentation, and express them in increasingly formal and age-appropriate ways.”

(Kaput & Blanton, 2005, p. 99) – opting for tasks, such as investigations and group work, I feel I have encouraged students to guide their own learning, develop and understand similarities and differences of their own ideas and generalisations.

The choice of the methods and activities have given me, as a teacher, the opportunity to actively praise understanding and clear presentation of the tasks/work.

Reviewing regularly ideas and prompting generalisations through questioning, whenever possible, helped to clarify the understanding of the content.

Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

Over the year, teaching Year 7, made me realise that generalisation can be both a process and a product.

As a class, I feel students have enjoyed being involved in the process of recognising and analysing patterns and relationships, even using symbols. They played with numbers and extended their thinking by coming up with a statement, which later on could be tested to see if it is always true or false – and finally, at first with teacher’s assistance generalised number properties in an algebraic way. When I listened to their conversations, during group work, or looked at their written findings, I noticed they were all involved in thinking about reasons why a statement could be always true and they tried to find numbers to make it false. Everyone had to do their share of thinking and they have all helped each other.

In time making connections and generalisation became more spontaneous for some students, they became really confident in noticing the relationships, describing them and predicting. The usual questions of ‘Why am I doing this?’ reflecting their loss of confidence, changed to “Is this all it is? I get this now’ and ‘It is so simple, I didn’t think it would be!”

What next?

Although, I found that these strategies were in general useful to encourage students to explore and generalise mathematical ideas, I still need to develop confidence in the less able students in the class, the shyer ones who might be afraid of getting it wrong. Understanding the importance in well extended 91

questioning, adapting the language to the style required for the different topics, is still something I feel I should be reflecting and working on. Getting students to clarify their thinking: ‘Could you expand on that?’, ‘Why do you say that?’ Challenging students about their assumptions: ‘Does that always happen?’, ‘Why do you think that application applies here?’, ‘Is this always the case?’ Encourage students to find evidence as a basis for argument/proof: ‘What are the reasons behind your answer?’

‘Why do you say that?’. Using this type of questioning in the future will allow me as a teacher to support students to link prior knowledge with new problems, invite students to make connections, generalise and, therefore, be actively involved in the construction of their knowledge and bridging the gap between concrete, pictorial and abstract representations of mathematical problems.

Reading ➢ Algebraic Thinking: Generalizations, Patterns & Functions Van De Walle, Karp & Bay-Williams ➢ Studies of algebraic thinking, John Mason Draft, August 2006 ➢ Generalisation on NRICH: Mastering Mathematics: the Challenge of Generalising and Proof By Jennie Pennant and Liz Woodham ➢ Learning through patterns: a powerful approach to algebraic thinking Isabel Vale and Isabel Cabrita, University of Aveiro, Portugal ➢ A journey in algebraic thinking, Cathy Seeley, NCTM President 2004-2006, NCTM News Bulletin, September 2004, USA https://www.nctm.org/News-and-Calendar/Messages-from-the-President/Archive/Cathy-Seeley/A-Journey-inAlgebraic-Thinking/ ➢ Mason, J., Burton, L. and Stacey, K. (2011) Thinking Mathematically, Pearson Education. ➢ 2000-2007 EdTech Leaders Online (http://www.edtechleaders.org), EDC, Inc.

Hazel Walker - How can we overcome the Grade 6 Barrier in Maths?

Student progress in GCSE Maths at CEC has improved significantly over the last few years but we have not been able to move students from a grade 5 to a grade 6 in the same way that we have been able to move them from grade 6 to 7 or grade 3 to 4. A grade 5 is available on both Higher and Foundation tiers so grade 6 is by its very nature a different hurdle to overcome.

Grade distribution at CEC Summer 2019

Grade Distribution 2019 50 40

30 20 10 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

On a short-term basis, the target students for us to focus on are those in set 3 at KS4. As teachers, we have the growth mindset and high aspirations for our students to know that they are all capable of taking the Higher paper and working towards a grade 6, but as yet we are not bringing all the student with us. As Director of Learning, I am focusing on raising attainment of all students by reforming the key stage 3 curriculum starting with year 7. As a teacher, I am focusing on my year 10 set 3 class.

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Over my time at CEC, I have based much of my research, decision -making and planning on Carroll’s model for school learning.

Carroll’s model also influenced Bloom in his research and development of his well-known mastery model, with one clear difference. John B Carroll, in his paper A 25-Year Retrospective and Prospective Review of The Carroll Model states his opinion that ‘…we should seek mainly to achieve equality of opportunity for all, students, not necessarily equality of attainment. In this respect, the model of school learning differs from Bloom’s mastery learning concept, which seems to be focused on achieving equality of attainment.’ He goes on to say that ‘Emphasising equality of opportunity means not only providing appropriate opportunities to learn (appropriate, not necessarily equal), but also pushing students’ potentialities as far as possible towards their upper limits.’ (John Carroll 1989) With this in mind, I have chosen to keep setting in place in maths and where possible fine tune it as I believe that the key to facilitating students to learn well is to give them the time they need to build their confidence and embed learning. This is something that both Carroll and Bloom seem to agree on.

Both also agree on the importance of high quality instructional events which is not just about good teaching but looking carefully at the hierarchy of learning and ensuring appropriate incremental steps are in place, something we have been working on in the maths department for a couple of years now.

This year, to support my short term goal of improving attainment in set 3, perseverance has been on my mind and as such I have read research papers on Improving students’ learning with Effective Learning Techniques (Dunlosky et al, 2013), Domain Specific Knowledge (Tricot 2013) and Test Enhanced Learning (Roediger; Karpicke, 2006).

Action Long- term Just over a year ago, we identified key topics and skills, many of which had already been covered at KS2, that would enable students working at age related expectations to achieve a grade 4 or 5 on a GCSE Foundation paper at the end of year 8. We also identified skills and topics that we believed to be the stumbling blocks to them then moving onto success on a Higher Tier paper at KS4. We then rewrote the year 7 scheme of work with no formal algebra, but plenty of opportunities to bring in and 93

develop reasoning, problem solving and generalisation. In addition, introduced a greater emphasis on using and interpreting key vocabulary.

We also removed the need for all classes to spend the same finite time on each topic so that students in lower sets could work at a slower pace to enable them to cover the same content and to really have the time to embed their learning, rather than having to rush through and either only partially understand the whole topic or only cover a very small part of the learning compared to other groups.

Ultimately, we are not expecting them all to reach a grade 9 by the end of year 11, so by taking out the time constraint, we can allow all students the opportunity to cover higher topics by the end of key stage 4 because their grounding and confidence will be solid enough to do it. This relates to the aptitude box on the Carroll Model.

Short Term With my year 10 group, I wanted to work on the effective use of Mock exams. This is particularly difficult for students aiming for a grade 6, as when they take the final exam this means that they are only expected to be able to achieve about 50% of the marks, so when they first start to practise them, they can only answer a few of the questions, or so it feels to them. It is also difficult to prepare them for the paper as there are a wide range of topics that could appear, and equally a wide range that despite having been on the paper the last few years, may not make an appearance at all, or may be a small part of another question that seems unfamiliar to them. Over-learning used to be a useful tool in preparing students for Maths exams, but not so much anymore.

I am not a fan of the walking talking mock in maths and even less so with the new style exam, but I needed a way to improve the engagement of the students with their paper after the exam and to encourage them to really persevere in improving their answers to their target grade level. So, following their February/March Mock exams, I tried two very different approaches to giving them back their papers. I did not tell the students what I was doing or why, but I gave them a survey afterwards, the results of which are on the next page.

Before giving them back their paper 1, I gave them a blank paper and I modelled how to answer each question using a visualiser, talking through what I was doing and why while they copied down what I was writing. I only did this for questions where we had covered the work and ensures that we had enough marks by the end for a solid grade 6. I let them know at each point where we achieved a grade boundary. This took one and a half lessons and felt very strange, but they went along with it. When we had finished, I gave them back their own mock paper. The following week, I gave them back their paper 2 in class and let them have a look through, walked around answering any individual questions and went through a small number of questions on the board.

Evaluation Long Term You will find some more detailed evaluations of the impact of the changes in year 7 by members of the maths team; Vanessa Wester has discussed the impact of taking more time, Fiona Ryan and Eniko Rus, the use of generalising and discussion and Sarah Rouse has begun to look at vocabulary. On an anecdotal basis, lesson observations have shown that year 7 students of all abilities are using generalisation and discussing their work using formal mathematical language. Teachers’ confidence is 94

building in drawing out these areas. This was always a long-term project, but Lockdown has not yet allowed us to formally review the impact so far.

Short Term Once the year 10s were let in on what I had done, they took the survey very seriously and I began to feel that maybe even the act of doing it may have made them more aware of the importance of revisiting their mocks and being persistent with them, although as yet, only one of them has actively pursued me with questions about paper 3 during Lockdown. Most students agreed that the modelling was a useful exercise and looking at questions 4 and 5, it appears to have influenced them to look more deliberately through their own paper. In particular, the modelling seems to have given them a better understanding of what is expected of them in the exam and the confidence that they can do it.

Results of Y10 Student Survey – 29 Students 1) Did the modelling of paper 1 help you to understand what is expected of you in the exam?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

63% 30% 7% 0%

2) Did the modelling of paper 1 help you when you went through your own paper?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

19% 70% 11% 0%

3) Did the modelling of paper 1 give you the confidence to work towards a grade 6 or 7?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

15% 78% 4% 4%

4) Have you looked through and corrected your paper 1?

Yes Not Yet No

67% 26% 7%

5) Have you looked through and corrected your paper 2?

Yes Not Yet No

4% 70% 26% 95

SEND Tineke Rock – Understanding autism, Asperger’s and ADHD, University of Derby I am going to do a short overview of what I have learnt on ADHD. It can be associated with various conditions and autism is one of them.

ADHD was first identified over 100 years ago by Sir George Frederick Still. He was a professor of child medicine. Over the years science has refined what we know about the condition and definitions have changed over the years to present day. It was known as; ‘minimal brain dysfunction’, ‘hyperkinetic syndrome’ and more recently, ‘attention deficit disorder and ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder’.

ADHD is thought to affect 3 to 9% of school-age children and young people in the UK and about 2% of adults worldwide. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states that ADHD is: ‘Heterogeneous behavioural syndrome characterised by the core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Whilst these symptoms tend to cluster together, some people are predominantly hyperactive and impulsive, whilst others are principally inattentive’. (NICE 2008).

For a person to receive a diagnoses of ADHD, their symptoms should show as; psychological, social and/or educational/occupational impairment (NICE 2008). To obtain a diagnosis this is usually made by a specialist paediatrician and/or other healthcare professionals. They discuss the child’s behaviour and symptoms across all aspects of the child’s life. They talk to the parents, teachers, SENCO’s and other professional multi-agency groups. There is no single reliable test for ADHD. ADHD is very well studied within the psychological disorders, but they still do not know what actually causes it! They are sure it is not caused by poor parenting. They have found that ADHD does run in families. They have found evidence of functional/structural differences in the brain in people with ADHD. In 2003, two psychiatrists, Sammi Timimi and Eric Taylor (British Journal of Psychiatry , Timimi & Taylor 2004) had opposing views on ADHD. Sammi Timimi suggested that ADHD can be best understood as a cultural construct. Whilst, Eric Taylor suggested the opposite and said it is under-diagnosed, underdetected and a real and debilitating medical condition.

Pupils with ADHD within the school environment struggle, this is shown, most commonly by; frequently experience pragmatic language deficits, and this can be shown by their comprehension of figurative or non-literal language. Some pupils will have trouble making meaning from context, sarcasm or jokes due to the dual meanings. They will have a short attention span, constantly fidgeting, acting without thinking of the consequences/ possible dangers, hyperactivity, interrupting, trouble waiting their turn, emotional turmoil, problems playing quietly, unfinished tasks, It is also shown in reading comprehension problems children have. Reading and understanding what they have read is very hard for anyone with ADHD. Their behaviour will have an impact on the child’s cognitive, behavioural, emotional and academic performance.

It is important to remember that ADHD is a lifelong problem – it will not go away. Within a school environment a child with ADHD will struggle (without extra help) because of the strict constraints put 96

on them to conform like the rest of their peers! They will progress through the school system at their own pace and we as educated individuals should take this into account more.

I thought I knew a reasonable amount about ADHD before I started the course with the University of Derby, but I have learn a lot more about the background behind it. I have seen that the research is always ongoing.

Finally, I have learnt more about ADHD and I know now that you can’t treat each child/person diagnosed with ADHD the same. Each child needs to be treated differently and just because I have some knowledge does not mean I know how any one child is going to act. Just because I have worked with one child with a diagnosis of ADHD the next child I work with that has ADHD will be totally different and they will need different amounts of help.

Niall Hall - The SEND Code of Practice Firstly, SEND is an acronym of special education needs and disabilities. SEND helps those in need throughout their academic lives to achieve the best they can achieve and to help them moving on after they have finished their education. The age bracket for those in need of SEND ranges from 0-25 if they’re in education. SEND also aims to make those who fit into the bracket feel like everyone else and receive the same treatment as everyone else. It aims to make people feel equal.

The SEND code of practise was first released in 2001 but was later revised in 2014 and finalised in 2015; the main difference between the three being that the 2001 act specifies the differences between primary and secondary education and the others look at SEND over the whole educational system. The acts help to lay out how to deal with pupils from the ages 0-25 in education with four key areas, those being communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health; and sensory and/or physical needs. The government hopes to help with the school census, introduced to replace the Pupil Level Annual School Census as this was the census related to the SEND code of practise (2001) and the School census looks at schooling, not as primary and secondary. The School census allows the government to see which students require the most funding and how to support students to the best of the government’s abilities.

Census categories of special educational needs include: - Specific learning difficulties (SpLD); - Moderate learning difficulty (MLD); - Severe learning difficulty (SLD); - Profound and multiple learning difficulty (PMLD); - Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN); - Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); - Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD); - Visual impairment (VI); - Hearing impairment (HI); Multisensory impairment (MSI); - Physical disability (PD); - ‘SEN support’ but no specialist assessment of type of need (NSA). Sourced from http://complexneeds.org.uk/modules/Module-1.2-The-legislativecontext-edition-2/All/downloads/m02p060b/types_and_categories_of_sen.pdf The SEND Code of Practise must be followed, not only be schools but by any who may deal with those who come under the SEND bracket. For instance, the NHS must follow the SEND Code which is also supported by the NHS act of 2006. This implies that the NHS as a whole must (and do) look at those who fit SEND and can help them appropriately, plus it helps the NHS to understand those in the SEND bracket when helping to make EHCP’s ( education health care plan)for those who need them.

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It is not only the NHS that are involved in making EHCP’s as both the local authority’s and schools play a part in making them. The EHCP’s are made to give those under SEND to have the best support in education (up until they turn 25) and moving on. EHCP’s must have the student at the heart of it and must be completely tailored to them. By doing this, it allows for, not only the best support they can receive, but for them to have the independence to make decisions for themselves. An EHCP can be requested from the local authorities if you believe a child follows the SEND Code. These requests can be rejected for multiple reasons, but it is possible to re-apply if you choose to and even challenge them taking it to the SEND tribunal. An EHCP also allows for a personal budget for a student to help them be supported if need be.

When moving on from education, it is important that preparation starts early to give those under SEND the best opportunities for jobs and life, as outlined by the SEND Code of Practise. It is on the local authorities, the NHS, the school and the families to come up with a joint plan moving forward when an EHCP is initially made. When a child becomes a teenager it is more important to focus on the moving on steps and especially when they reach year 9 where their EHCP will be reviewed. This is important due to GCSE’s starting, preparing them for their options, exam preparation and the exams themselves. Then after their GCSE’s, whether they choose to stay on for further education and how to support them through that, or if they choose to look for employment/ and apprentiship.

Sourced from:

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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3 98815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf

The SEND Code of Practise also recognises the difficulties of funding and thus there are multiple ways to receive support, for instance a DSA. A DSA is a Disabled Students Allowance. The DSA helps to cover financial needs of anyone who may have a disability and is based of that need and not on the household income that is brought in by parents (or other household members). The DSA doesn’t pay out if you are no longer in education. Specific things DSA’s may help support are buying school resources, technology for study, travel expense and support from helpers (non-medical). A DSA may be subject to assessment from Finance England which will help them assess what the DSA will pay for. There is also, as part of an EHCP, the chance for a student to receive a personal budget which the local authorities supply to, again, support a student financially if needed to cover expenses. Unlike DSA’s however, the personal budget is just for EHCP students and is monitored by the local authorities based on the EHCP to give the amount of donned appropriate for the needs of those on the EHCP. In conclusion, the SEND Code of Practise covers, in detail, as much as it can in supporting those with disabilities throughout their educational life’s and offers a lot of support in promoting these idea’s. For someone who is SEND, it is vital that the guidelines set out by this code are followed as it allows them to have the best chances in succeeding like anyone else, even though they may be hindered by a disability when many are not.

References https://web.somerville.bham.sch.uk/school/send-offer/1-what-does-send-mean-and-what-is-theschool-offer

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https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/children-and-young-people/sendsystem?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_-GO9Myw6QIVAbDtCh1-nwL-EAAYASAAEgIyvPD_BwE https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3 98815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf https://www.ipsea.org.uk/sen-and-disability-statute-law-regulations-and-guidance https://schoolleaders.thekeysupport.com/pupils-and-parents/sen/managing/the-sen-code-of-practicea-summary/ http://complexneeds.org.uk/modules/Module-1.2-The-legislative-context-edition2/All/downloads/m02p060b/types_and_categories_of_sen.pdf https://www.ne-as.org.uk/FAQs/what-is-an-ehcp?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqf4_u_O6QIVCLLtCh2YFAGpEAAYASAAEgJpjfD_BwE https://skybadger.co.uk/2017/01/04/what-is-an-education-health-care-planehcp/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI44O20vHO6QIVCLLtCh3c_gC5EAAYASAAEgLkXvD_BwE https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs/extra-SEN-help https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas https://www.kids.org.uk/yp-personalbudgets?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4vGLzYTP6QIVAeztCh2YagALEAAYASAAEgKp2vD_BwE What have I learned from all this?

By researching the SEND Code of Practise, it has shown me what is expected of me as an LSA and how much work goes into supporting SEN students. Although we as LSA’s support the students in class, there are so many more supporting these students even when they’re not necessarily in contact with them. It also shows me the thorough work that goes into making an EHCP and how their whole school lives are essentially outlined in this document. It is also so interesting to learn about the different parts of the SEND Code as I found out from a lot of research, there is a lot to do with it and not only that but the amount of legislation that is supported with it, here are a few I found.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 • The Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014 • The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Detained Persons) Regulations 2015 • The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional and Saving Provisions)(No 2) Order 2014 SEN Code of Practice (2001) Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013): Equality Act 2010: Advice for schools: Reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils (2012): Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (2014): 100

The Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice: Protecting the vulnerable (2005) Children Act 2004 National Health Service Act 2006 Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 Health and Social Care Act 2012 Care act 2014 The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional and Savings Provisions) (No.2) Order 2014 Education (Special Educational Needs) (England) (Consolidation) Regulations) 2001 Equality Act 2010 (Disability Regulations) 2010 Education Act 2011 Education Act 2002 Education and Inspections Act 2006 code of practice 2014 (The bibliography has helped me find the majority of these)

This is not including the countless amount of legislation passed before the turn of the millennia and as I’ve found from work I’ve done for my apprenticeship there is a rich history of educational law that could be explored which in turn helps to craft and support the SEND Code and in turn supports those that are SEND. These laws have helped support the rights and the lives of those that are vulnerable and allows for them to have a voice and get the support they deserve to succeed and thrive like everyone else should.

It was also nice to see the financial support that can be received (DFA’s and personal budget) as it is hard on families to supply everything for their children and I believe even more so for those who support a SEND child or even children. It is not only school supplies but some disabilities require specialist equipment for movement and that can set a family back thousands so its nice to think that there is that support, more for the fact that it allows a family to breathe and live as ‘normally’ as they can without having to worry so much about finances which most do.

By learning all this I believe it will help me in my job to greater understand those who have an EHCP, as someone who is rather young and hasn’t had much experience with any of this, it really has been enlightening and will allow me to understand to needs of our EHCP students, especially with the help of their passports and their EHCP’s. This in turn will allow me in classes to support them better as I will have a greater understanding of what they really want. Not only do they look to us LSA’s as friends as those they can trust, the students look to us a support when they are struggling and by knowing the SEND Code of Practise now a little bit better it means I can formulate structured plans in how I can support a certain student.

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All in all this has helped me expand my understanding of what is expected of me, it has helped me in my planning and will furthermore increase my experience as I move on through life as there were definitely somethings I would never had known without researching this subject.

Danielle Homes - Education for all- Disability, diversity and inclusion All people, regardless of their abilities, health care needs or disabilities all have to right to be respected and appreciated as valuable members of their community, inclusion is about showing diversity and not to ignore it.

Inclusion in education means that all students should feel welcomed by their local schools and be placed in regular classes, with other students of the same age, be supported with their learning and participate in all aspects of school life. This will enable them to develop a sense of belonging and become more prepared for life in the community as children and adults.

Inclusion offers great benefits for children with or without disabilities, such as acceptance of other people, increased understanding of each person’s unique ability. Developing friendship skills, peer modelling, positive self-image, problem solving and respect for one another.

As I worked through the course programme I took, it talked about supporting a school to be more inclusive in their practices and how it happens at many levels, from government through to the classroom.

Creating a support team within a school is highly important, as it has a more relevant understanding of the schools context. It also has the potential to act as a bridge into the community, making use of resources to support inclusion and to address barriers to learning.

Curriculum differentiation is to teach in a way to meet the diverse needs of all learners in the same classroom. This can be applied in 4 areas: environment, content, methods and assessment.

The role of the learning support team does vary from one establishment to another, and from reading the notes on the course I feel that the Oasis team are covering the aspects needed to make a school inclusive, by running regular meetings to evaluate students learning and participation, supporting curriculum and assessment adaptation, arranging training courses and liaising with experts in various roles. Supporting each other ‘Who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly’ Wenger It really helps to share our ideas and strategies, as it will help to reduce workload and the anxiety about whether the practices that we have in place are the most effective and through sharing we gain more knowledge. On reflection I feel that this is something I need to increase in my work, as I can sometimes struggle to ask others for help.

Jackie Cooper - SLCN Reflective review I have chosen to do a literacy review of SLCN (Speech, Language, and Communication Needs). I work with students within these areas of concern and I am interested to see what the research will evidence 102

and highlight to me, and how I could use any new strategies I learn about to better communicate with, and understand students and young adults that I support.

The charity ‘Fish in the tree’ state that 10% of the children starting school have dyslexia and problems with SLCN and the research shows that teachers feel that there is not enough training at NQT level to be able to help them identify students with these specific needs in the classroom. There are two types of SLCN language; Receptive and Expressive. Students can have only one or they can have both. The research at Driver Youth Trust which is a charity dedicated to helping children with literacy and dyslexia, suggests that we need to identify and support these students in the classroom and give them time to process a question and be able to answer in their own time and not feel pressured in the environment of their peers. the Driver Youth Trust highlight, the Frayer model, which suggests how to use resources to help support children and young adults when learning, for example; how to use sticky notes, cue cards, bingo and the use the images (like the game catch phrase) to engage and focus on the core subjects and to make learning fun whilst differentiating for students. The model suggest that the following can support learning; expressive language, stories, repetitive dialogue and shape coding to teach and reinforce grammar. In receptive language you need to use simple, clear words to explain instruction and ask the children to repeat the instructions back. You can also use cue cards with facial expressions in which they or you can use to explain how they are feeling and when they need help. This can support social groups with students who perhaps would not engage in big groups in the classroom.

You can implement strategies to help them answer and give them the confidence using the above techniques.

The charities ‘Joining the dots’ and ‘Fish in the tree’ have produced research that evidences that 6 million people in the UK are functionally illiterate and cannot read simple instructions or fill in forms. The charities strongly argue that if these problems are not addressed in families experiencing SCLN problems, then it can lead to children not getting the necessary support and the help at home that is needed. If schools do not pick up the problems either in early school years or primary, which is quite often the case, then the children are very much being let down by the system around them. The charities state that 1 in 8 students fail to master the basics of reading and 1 in 5 fail to master the basics of writing at the end of primary school. So, when they arrive at secondary school it has a massive impact on behaviour and how they feel in the classroom (i.e. very uncomfortable with their peers), which leads to behaviour and social problems. Borba 1989 studied self-esteem her ‘Esteem Builders: five building blocks of selfesteem’ book reviews what determines high levels of self-esteem in children, she determined that in order to have high self-esteem the following foundation blocks needed to be in place and they include; Security - a feeling of strong assuredness, Selfhood - a feeling of individuality, Affiliation, a feeling of belonging, Mission, a feeling of purpose in life and Competence, a feeling of success and accomplishment, Borba argues these 5 building blocks are essential for high self-esteem within individuals. This work is also embedded in Liz Elks and Henrietta McLachlan 2008 work, The Communication Chain.

In conclusion having read the research and resources, I feel that even though I already use some of the strategies suggested, I will endeavour to use more visual aids when I’m supporting my students and I will be aware of my body language when giving instructions to them. I will be more aware of my students processing time and not assume they can’t do the work, I will understand they need more time for them to listen , read , reflect then give a response. I will also reinforce my student’s strengths and encourage them accept their weakness. I will link the self-esteem research and building blocks to my social group to support and enable my students to build upon their own self-esteem using the resources available.

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Lewis Pavey - Literature review on Dyslexia I chose to read the fish in the tree: why are we failing children with Dyslexia. I was honestly shocked to read the tittle and I was curious to see why we are “failing children with dyslexia”. This is what I found out about dyslexia.

Dyslexia has been around for years and at the start it wasn’t clear that it was a condition, people didn’t understand dyslexia and wrote it off. People with dyslexia were called “lazy, stupid, slow and really written off society. Looking into dyslexia I would love to say those name callings have stop but sadly not there are still people out there that don’t understand the condition and don’t want to know about dyslexia. Over the years we know a lot more about dyslexia than we ever did but some still don’t treat it as condition. 1 in 10 people in the UK are dyslexia.

Most of us have no problems reading and writing, but for others they struggle with reading and writing. Dyslexia doesn’t mean you are stupid or clever, it doesn’t mean you’ll be amazing at art, but in some cases it is. It just means all brains work differently and it takes longer for some.

To have an assessment to check for dyslexia it will cost approximately £400-£500. This is why they class dyslexia as a middle class condition.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.

The most common features of dyslexia are: • • •

Difficulties in phonological awareness- the sound of letters, words and rhymes.

Difficulties in verbal memory- remembering words, stories and lessons.

Difficulties with verbal processing speed- reckoning words and the speed.

There are more features of dyslexia, but those are the main ones.

Dyslexia in school.

You would think everyone with dyslexia would get the support they need, sadly that is not the case.

Not everyone will get the support they need when they have dyslexia, some pupil’s conditions are not identified or they fail to get the help they need in schools.

It starts at primary school, in primary children are expected to read and write by the time they leave year 6. 1 in 8 in the UK fail to master basic reading skills and 1 in 5 fail to master the basic writing at the end of year 6.

Secondary schools are then left with more responsibility to get those students with dyslexia and learning difficulties to pass. A study showed that a third of young people fail to achieve the expected levels of A* to C in English in 2011.

“Have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs... and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.”

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84% of teachers want training to support students with dyslexia and learning difficulties. There is a huge gap between students with dyslexia and their peers concerning their achievements. The government doesn’t collect separate figures of children with dyslexia.

Parents with children who have dyslexia feel that schools and teachers are failing them. 9 out of 10 parents say that teachers lack of proper training to deal with dyslexia. 1 in 9 said that a teacher had made fun of their child’s mistakes or wrong answers.

The government and dyslexia In 2009 the “NO to Failure” project started by a group of dyslexia charities. The project highlighted the need for better training for teachers in dyslexia. The government put Jim Rose in charge to conduct a review into dyslexia in schools and see if they need to change it. The Rose review referred to the need for better initial teacher training on dyslexia.

Since the Rose review there has been some positive changes in teaching of literacy, but little progress has been done to improve training teachers to support students who struggle with reading and also those with dyslexia.

Without the support for people with dyslexia. It costs the UK up to £2.5 billion per year and coasts the taxpayer an additional £45,000.

The government has recently stated that teachers should receive training which meets the new teacher’s standers. They are introducing a new law that will change the way support is provided to children with special educational needs (SEN). The initial policy outlines the reforms recognising the problems that children with conditions like dyslexia identified.

To conclude I think schools and teachers are not the only ones to blame, the government and parents also need to take some reasonability for this. I believe the government, school and parents can work together and fill in the big hole for dyslexia. If the schools can work with parents, bring them in talk to throw the things that the schools can put into place, and show how teachers work with dyslexia.

We all need to work together to fill in the cracks to stop failing dyslexia.

Carrie-Anne Cooke - GriffinOT Sensory Processing training One of the biggest hurdles I have encountered this year has been supporting the sensory needs of EHCP students (BT, HW and RM), who have been struggling to engage in lessons and make progress. To effectively support these students, I felt I needed to develop my understanding of sensory processing disorder.

GriffinOT Sensory Processing online training – level 1 is aimed at teachers, parents and other professionals. The course is delivered by an occupational therapist, Kim Griffin, and it offers a clear, concise introduction to sensory processing disorder and is delivered in short videos.

Sensory input is information received by our body from our eight senses: Olfactory (smell), Gustatory (taste), Vision (sight), Auditory (hearing), Tactile (touch), Proprioception, Vestibular, Interception. We

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use this information to learn about the environment around us, and Griffin argues that senses form the foundations of learning. She uses this diagram from Taylor and Trott 1991 to illustrate her point:

Griffin clearly summarises each of the eight senses. I found her description of the proprioceptive, vestibular and interception senses informative. The proprioception sense gives us an awareness of where our limbs are in space and how they are moving, and it helps us to know how much force to use. Proprioception receptor cells are found in the muscles and joints and they respond to muscle stretches, joint position and joint compression. The vestibular sense is the movement and balance sense. It supports eye movement and helps with alertness. Vestibular receptor cells are found in the vestibule in the inner ear and they respond to head movement. The interception sense gives us an internal awareness, for example, it tells us when we are hungry.

Interception receptor cells are found internally, in our organs and on the vagus nerve.

Our bodies continually receive sensory input from multiple senses, this information is processed by the brain which then creates a response. Sensory processing happens in the brain, some individuals process the sensory input differently to their peers. Sensory processing disorder refers to: The differences that individuals face when their brains do not process sensory information adequately (Griffin 2020).

Griffin estimates that between 5 and 16% of the population are affected by sensory processing disorder, however it is not recognised as a stand-alone diagnosis. Sensory processing disorder is typically divided into three sections: sensory modulation, sensory discrimination and sensory based movement. There are different models of sensory processing disorder, Griffin uses Dr Lucy Miller’s sensory processing disorder model.

Sensory modulation is the ability to produce a response that matches the nature and intensity of the sensory input and the environment. Miller divides sensory modulation into three sub-types: sensory over responsive, sensory under responsive and sensory cravers. Individuals who are sensory over responsive experience sensory input with more intensity. Whereas, individuals who are sensory under responsive experience sensory input with less intensity. Individuals who are sensory cravers are also less sensitive to sensory stimulation; but they actively seek sensory input to self-regulate themselves.

Sensory discrimination tells what the sensory input is and where it is coming from. Sensory based movement helps us to balance, use gross and fine motor coordination and perform skilled motor actions. There are two types of sensory based movement disorder dyspraxia and postural disorder.

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Dyspraxia is difficulties in organising, planning and making movements. Individuals with postural disorder will have difficulties coordinating their muscles to form a stable base.

Individuals with sensory processing disorder will need support in order to manage their sensory processing differences to be able to immerse themselves in daily life, including learning in the classroom. This can be highly structured support from trained professionals such as Sensory Integration Therapy, which was developed by Dr Ayres. Or it can be sensory support strategies such as weighted products, sensory circuits and sensory diets.

I have developed my understanding of sensory processing disorder and understand how some students, such as HW, BT and RM face daily challenges in accessing learning as a result of the sensory processing differences. All three students have sensory modulation difficulties. My next step is to continue with level 2 and 3 of the GriffinOT sensory processing training in order to understand how I can support these students in managing their sensory processing disorder to help to remove this barrier from their learning.

References: Griffin, K, (2020) Sensory Processing Level 1 notes v2

Sarah Wyeth - What strategies can we use to support students with dyslexia?

“It was quite true, and I knew it and accepted it. Writing and spelling were always terribly difficult for me… I was an extraordinarily bad speller and have remained so until this day.” Agatha Christie “The goal of your instructional program is to free limited working memory from irrelevant mental effort and harness it for the work required to integrate new knowledge and skills.” Ruth Colvin Clark

Area of investigation Nothing I am going to write is revolutionary (Grandmas and sucking eggs might come to mind) but it is about supporting our students through good practice. I started with a focus on dyslexia but an online course looking at closing the gap in literacy, made me think about the balance we constantly seek – presenting information in an accessible form against the weight of our content/ skill heavy curricula. I have produced many power points and witnessed many that may well ‘cover’ what needs to be done but may not be that helpful to the students if many can’t access the content.

Although recently we have all been forced into an accelerated exposure to technology, my focus is on power point presentations because most of what we do is still the old reliable power point.

I am aware that some of our kids can become demotivated and unhappy. Many students sit in front of presentations and just see blocks of text, impenetrable slide followed by impenetrable slide, dotted with complicated vocabulary. I wonder if some simple techniques in how we present information might help. Send students can have issues with low self-esteem and frustration, if we reduced barriers to their learning, we will see progress along with wellness.

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Needs of the students

Demands of the curriculum

Low levels of literacy

Time pressure to cover content

Dyslexia Attention deficient

Subjects with heavy content

Low vocabulary levels

Pushing students to higher levels of vocabulary and literacy (FEAST)

Kids that process more slowly Mixed ability classes Cognitive load theory Cognitive load theory (Teaching how2s)

Cognitive load theory is simply how much capacity something takes in working memory. ➢ We need to minimise the extraneous (things that are unnecessary or redundant for learning). ➢ Do not expect kids to read and listen to additional explanations. ➢ Draw on duel coding, pulling images and concepts together. ➢ Colour coding is important but not too many colours. ➢ Chunking – breaking down but also linking to prior knowledge Four ways cognitive load theory has changed my teaching – Greg Asham – I found this a radical approach. My two bullet points do not give weight to his arguments. ➢ Do not read off slides – redundancy. ➢ He gives the reading / information before the slide goes up.

Using cognitive load theory to improve slideshow presentations - Andy Tharby January 2019 (Impact – Journal of the chartered college of teaching) “Remove distracting or superfluous images. Only use those that directly support learning, because unnecessary images create extraneous cognitive load.”

“Remember that spoken words and slides are fleeting and transient and that your students’ innate cognitive architecture means that they will be unable to hold on to them all at once. Slide-show handouts and shortened ‘bursts’ of teaching can reduce this problem”

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Effective Narrated Presentations April 2014 Oregon State University “Pictures and Graphics - A picture is worth a thousand words. Therefore, selection of the appropriate picture or graphic is essential. If we use a picture that decorates a slide, the extraneous cognitive load will increase. If we use a picture that illustrates the message of the slide, the extraneous cognitive load will decrease. The ideal, however, is to use pictures that embody the message.”

Dyslexia Dyslexia focus (from the Sendgateway Graeme Dobson – Lecturer on Language literacies and dyslexia) • • •

It is thought that about 1/10 of us have dyslexic tendencies.

Remember that dyslexics may have worked twice as hard to produce half as much work as their peers.

Along with the difficulties in accessing text and writing, dyslexics can struggle with processing information at speed and then remembering that information later.

Ways to help ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Routine through the presentation Consistent colour choices Considered visuals Asking students to repeat back instructions from the slide Giving that extra time – not jumping in.

ADHD ADHD focus (Sendgateway Colin Foley – National training director ADHD Foundation) Colin Foley is insistent that you must “always invest in the time to talk about the plan before you do the action. Break it down and do mile stone reviews” You need to build in sensory and movement breaks.

“There will be 3 times in this lesson when we will be up and moving but there will 2 times when I need you sat and totally concentrating” Students with ADHD are less motivated by long-term rewards so you have to make it clear to them what is in the lesson that will benefit them soon.

ADHD students are often moving in order to concentrate and focus.

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Good practice in preparing power points

         

  

Making the sequence of tasks and learning clear at the start.

Boiling down key elements.

Linking to prior knowledge and lessons Chunking down learning stages Varied pace Varied activities Getting students to repeat from slides Putting in the timings for activities.

A silly thing but only using capitals for words that need them - not using them randomly on words that do not.

Fonts – BDA recommend that you use sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Comic Sans, as letters can appear less crowded. Alternatives include Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, Open Sans. They also recommend not underlining or using italics. Use bold for emphasis.

Backgrounds – plain, no extra patterns or frilly bits Colours – avoid green, red or pink in fonts Layout – left align

Springing from good planning and PTTS in to lessons.  Linking with school policy or FEAST  Focus on oracy and speaking tasks – so crucial to all students but especially those who find the reading and writing tricky.  Providing bookmarks or lists of key vocabulary a long side the presentation.  Multi-sensory learning opportunities for each lesson.  Use other ways for showing learning and understanding – do not always revert to the paragraph – think about bullet points, story boards, flow charts.  Set the dyslexic students less writing so they can achieve.  Can a choice of tasks be offered?

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Unhelpful PTTs       

Cluttered visuals.

Unhelpful fonts, colours, back grounds, Dense text Moving quickly through slides.

Repetitive visuals Teachers just reading out what is there.

Homework at the end of the slides.

Feedback from LSAs ➢ Printing out the power points for send kids can be really helpful. ➢ Leaving the slide up a bit longer, not flicking straight on to the next slide. ➢ Some kids just loose interest when there is too much information that is switched quickly. ➢ Tricky when the question is on one slide, and the information needed is on another without paper support. ➢ Seating send kids closer to the board. ➢ It would be helpful if the LSA could see the PPT before the lesson. ➢ Making sure the background isn’t too dark, ➢ Be aware of kids with sensory issues – avoid over bright or busy slides Carrie Cook cited a resource by Matt Grant (www.HumansNotRobots.co.uk) giving advice about the use of PowerPoints .

• • • •

Less is more - keeping to the main points.

Use bullet points (but not too many) alongside well planned visuals is really helpful as it provides vital visual cues for students who need them.

To avoid eye strain he advises the use of dark coloured font on a pale coloured background.

Pick a font that mirrors the handwritten alphabet

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Feedback from students ➢ A really annoying feature is to get through a PP a find hidden tasks or essays that weren’t expected. ➢ Many enjoy PPTs especially interactive ones. ➢ Brighter kids annoyed with what they consider ‘extra stuff’ that is not needed – padding to the lesson. ➢ Over all advice to teachers – make the presentations entertaining, interactive and engaging

Thoughts I have been left with ➢ We need to help our kids by making neurodiversity part of the discourse at school. ➢ The Driver Youth trust believe there needs to be more mandatory Send training in Initial Teaching Training but I also think as qualified teachers, we need to be updated regularly.

Key message – Let us look at our ‘must- try- harder’ students and wonder if it is us who should be trying harder.

Resources Books 50 Quick Ways to Support Less – Able Learners – Mike Gershon Essential guide to dyslexia – R Duffy (for parents but for general reading too) Dyslexia – complete guide Gavin Reid (not very reader friendly)

Articles SEND/ Inclusion bitesized CPD – Jarlath O’Brian 12 Principles of multimedia learning – University of Hartford The Fish in the tree. Why we are failing children with dyslexia – Driver Youth Trust British Dyslexia style guide – 2018 Creating Dyslexia friendly content – excellent for more detailed information for presenting for dyslexics.

Four ways cognitive load theory has changed my teaching – Greg Asham Using cognitive load theory to improve slideshow presentations Andy Tharby January 2019 (Impact – Journal of the chartered college of teaching) Effective Narrated Presentations April 2014 Oregon State University

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Websites Nessy – for training and programmes for children Sendgateway – a really helpful place to go with Send questions ADHD Foundation – general advice and help for ADHD www.HumansNotRobots.co.uk – excellent website with resources teachinghow2s.com

Online course Closing the Literacy Gap in Challenging Times Alex Quigley by Teachology

Knowledgeable and useful people (thank you) L Pitman

E Stannard

J Murphy

C Cooke

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F Sheppard

T Rock

Student wellbeing (including impact of the Covid 19 school closure) Stella Ramsey - What impact has Coronavirus had on student well-being?

This literature review aims to consider attitudes and anxieties relating to the corona virus and the effects it has on student’s well-being and the potential effects on their achievement. Negative attitudes and anxiety issues are detrimental to students’ learning, as ‘enthusiasm and perceived skill level so often go hand in hand.’ (Johnson and Eskelson, 2007, p.44) There has also been links with adult anxiety disorders and the effects it has as young children are influenced by the ‘aspirations, expectations, beliefs and attitudes’ (Evans, 2000, p.30) of their parents.

I am researching into some of the factors that cause stress in young children and how this affects their concentration. Polyvagal Theory (Porges 2007) children in fight or flight system when activated are unable to order their thinking skills, creativity or socially engage with others effectively. Therefore it is imperative to support children in learning how to regulate stress responses if we want them to learn and interact successfully.

Covid-19 has had a big impact on the well-being of our disadvantaged children. Social class is the strongest predictor of life outcomes. The Education Policy Institute (2017) reported that, at the current rate of progress, it would take 50 years to have an education system where disadvantaged students did not fall behind their peer’s informal education to age 16. A young person from a less affluent background is less likely to attend Oxford and Cambridge University. 24% of students eligible for FSM attend universities compared to 42% of students from non-FSM and those from low income backgrounds are less likely to complete their degree (Gadsby 2017). PP funding has also helped with bridging this gap but still more needs to be done in these unprecedented times when students are home schooling.

Overcrowding in the house, lack of access to IT, sleeping arrangements and food poverty will have an impact on our student’s achievement and their well-being during their lockdown experience.

Institute of Fiscal studies (IFS) states privilege students spend more time each day learning compared with disadvantage students that have fewer resources for home learning.

When researching the above I worry about the long term effects this has on our students.

Mindup is a charity set up by Goldie Horn which focuses on children’s mental health. We have to give the children the tools at how their brain works and how to learn appropriately to deal with their anxieties and fears and build their resilience.

The effects this pandemic has had on me makes me acutely aware that in my future practice, it’s imperative to support students in learning to regulate stress responses so they feel in a safe state at College if we want them to learn and interact successfully. Understanding the psychological basis of these behaviours will help me to support students and achieve a better state of mind and help them achieve the very best they can not just in school but in the wider community.

Jane Bennett - What is the effect of social media/ screen use and sleep on young people’s mental health and wellbeing?

In regards to carrying out this review, I have looked at two different studies: ‘Adolescent Sleep and Educational Performance’ (Chartered College of Teaching) and ‘Impact of Social Media and Screen Use on Young People’s Health and Wellbeing’ (University of Bristol). The report in regards to the impact of social media presented both positive and negative points in reference to the impact on a young 114

person’s health and wellbeing, for example, the importance of social media for building cultural awareness was seen as important and then in contrast the report refers to emerging evidence that devices used to access social media may have a negative effect on the body in regards to posture and the thumbs used for texting. The report into adolescent sleep concludes that bright light increases alertness, so if young people are exposed to bright light before bedtime this will increase alertness and therefore delay the onset of sleep which links to another conclusion in the report that states many adolescents experience chronic sleep deprivation during the school week due to changes in sleep physiology, light exposure and poor sleep hygiene leading to reduced educational performance.

Further positive points within the report in relation to social media/ screen use and the impact upon mental health and wellbeing state that a survey of over 3,000 young people showed that 27% of those surveyed said that following friends was the main reason for them using social media. The report also stated that research carried out by Young Minds and the Children’s Society reported that out of a 1,000 young people surveyed, 62% said that social media had a positive impact on their relationships with their friends. The benefit to a young person’s health and wellbeing in regards to using social media is further reinforced with the report stating that belonging to an online community supports both children and young people who are isolated due to disabilities, learning or communication needs.

Negative points within the report relating to the use of social media and the impact upon health and wellbeing, state that some young people who contributed to the inquiry reported that their need to be on social media disrupted their sleep with one young person stating that if they were to post on social media at 3am,someone would reply. In the more extreme of cases, social media is identified as enabling a large degree of amplification and facilitation in regards to child abuse and child sexual exploitation. Cyberbullying is also a reported area of concern in relation to the use of social media.

Both reports conclude that light exposure (particularly blue) from screens causes the hormone melatonin to be suppressed leading to adolescents experiencing chronic sleep deprivation during the school week. In relation to this, an earlier report conducted in Sweden reported that young people who had reported poor sleep including nightmares, restless sleep and difficulties falling asleep were more likely to fail a subject at school than those who did not report experiencing poor quality of sleep.

Moving forward in relation to my practice, it is important that I am able to speak openly with students in regards to the use of social media/screen use upon their mental health and wellbeing as well as acknowledging the positive’s that social media can bring to a young person’s life. In my opinion if social media is used appropriately and proportionately it can be a valuable tool throughout a young person’s learning and development. An optimal amount of sleep should also be encouraged to enable students to achieve their full potential in regards to their educational performance and future development.

Fiona Sheppard – How can we prepare SEND students to return to school after Covid?

I have chosen to review a course I completed recently about how best to support SEND students returning to school after lockdown. I chose this because I found it interesting and also because I believe it is important that we are as prepared as possible to move forward and support our more vulnerable students through what could be a difficult and highly anxious time for them. We have many students with/without EHCP that are on the SEND register who will need support to return and settle back into school for a variety of reasons. Some (such as CG year 7) already struggle with anxiety and 115

coping in school and are likely to have very much higher anxiety levels and be very alert to others fears. Others (such as HK-year 11) will appear confident and seem able to cope while quite likely masking their true feelings and worries. This may show in behaviour, attitude and coping ability.

What are the potential problems faced by the students?

For many students (and staff) when schools stopped suddenly it was a big shock and caused big changes in their lives which are likely to have had a big emotional and academic impact. Their home lives may have been further affected- parents/carers may have been working in jobs putting them at risk or been on furlough and facing financial uncertainty. For students with SEND this can be a trigger for added stress due to the uncertainty, lack of information and the change in their daily routine. Most students like to know what to expect and have routines, this is often more so the case for our students with SEND. The unknown is often a very difficult situation for the students to manage which can be further compounded by the fact that they are not returning to school as they know it- there will be further changes for them to cope with when they come back to school and many would benefit from being given the chance to prepare.

The unknown and transition issues- There are many unknowns and changes when returning to school.

Students have had an extended period of time off in uncertain circumstances and they are not returning to a ‘normal’ school day or usual routines that they have previously been able to cope with.

The school day is likely to look very different, they may be with unfamiliar staff and lessons are likely to be in an entirely new format. Even something as simple as talking to friends will be very different. For those making a jump from Primary to High school they have missed the chance to have summer term transition visits which has the potential to cause a lot of extra worry. There is the possibility that for some there will be grieving over what the student feels they’ve lost while off school.

We should consider the individual students lockdown experience. Some will have really thrived while learning at home and will have got comfortable and not want to return to school, others will have found it incredibly hard and be keen to return to school.

Communication and social interaction issues- Students have had an extended period at home and communication is usually very different in their home setting. Some will have had a very limited contact as they’ll have spent many hours happily in their rooms alone, others will have had a lot of contact with a narrow range of people, perhaps through online gaming. Many students who struggle with communication will have enjoyed not having the pressure to conform and returning to school and a set of expectations will be a big change with sudden demands.

Sensory needs- Home schooling will have allowed SEND students to adapt how they learn. They may have used headphones, worked in silence, in an empty room or stopped for sensory diet breaks and have been able to stop/start and move around as needed. All of these things may not be so readily available in school and therefore it is going to be another big change.

How can we support them?

We can support students with these challenges in a variety of different ways. One example could be the use of mind maps. These should initially focus on the familiar, thinking about what things are staying the same or are well known to the student followed with adding in facts about what we do know. Completing this with the student input gives a chance for discussion and questions.

It is important to be aware and understand that while SEND students do experience feelings and emotions they do not always have the capacity or ability to articulate their emotions/feelings in what is considered an appropriate manner. This can affect behaviour and learning and they made need an adjustment period while they resettle. Think of it as a ‘recovery curriculum’. Making some allowance 116

for them to settle while offering support by being very clear about expectations around behaviour and work can help to support this. This could be in the form of a concise and clear list or a visual timetable.

Always remember that for SEND children transition is almost always a huge difficulty for them. It is therefore really important that we communicate changes and expectations in a very straightforward and factual way before they happen, this will help them to process and prepare. It is likely that a lot of students will have anxiety over returning to school and this is a great opportunity for us to encourage them to care for each other and be inclusive. Some ideas for supporting this may include a written timetable, visual timetable or targeted social story.

Planning to allow for communication, sensory and emotional overload is very important and in an ideal world there will be a safe space to allow them to step out for a moment. Equally they may have forgotten skills such as social niceties and chatting. Some students may want to talk through their lockdown experience to help them process it while others will find this information overwhelming and as such it is important to provide different ways to do this. Be clear, lay down expectations and be specific about rules. A targeted social story may help with this.

Keeping some things the same where possible can help to keep things positive. This may include familiar staff that are well known to the students, support staff they are comfortable with or a safe adult they can talk to.

Involving parents in the return to school planning of SEND students is important. One possible way to do this would be by sharing videos and photos of school including any new routines so they have the chance to work through them with their child. This will help them with preparation and allow time for processing and question asking opportunities.

How will I use what I have learned?

Although much of what is covered in the online course seems fairly obvious it is an excellent reminder of how much of a disadvantage SEND students may experience generally and how difficult it can be for them to cope with such a huge and unknown event such as the Covid pandemic. As LSAs I feel we are often in a privileged position of really getting to know students and what works for them. I hope to use what I have learnt on this course to help our SEND students to cope and manage their return to school through the use of visual aids/timetables, social stories and mind maps to promote security, independence, resilience and self-reliance and hopefully make it a more positive experience.

Julie Crane – What is the impact of high expectations and challenge for all on student mental health?

We all know the Chinese proverb teach a man to fish and he can feed his family for a day but show a man how to fish and he can feed his family for life. Since the introduction of the new performance measures for all secondary schools of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 were introduced in 2016 there seems to have been an increase in setting high expectations and challenge to all pupils as well as an increase in mental health issues in young people. Is there a link between the two?

Robert Marzano (2010) reported in his article that High expectations for all (accessed 17/6/20), that this burst into the education scene in the late 1960’s. He explains how a teacher’s expectations and behaviour are linked. Whether we intend to or not, we all make judgements on our students and we 117

are sometimes unaware of how we treat those in each group differently. In the past, we used to differentiate lesson objectives (All, Most Some) in order to tick the box in challenging all students. We also included the extension task for those who completed the work, however this could have just been seen as a time filler by some. But our behaviour is the most important way to communicate expectations to students. Although we might be unaware of ourselves, students pick up on how we behave towards them and others. For example if we only ask low challenging questions to an individual, they will perceive themselves to be a low ability student and will then only complete minimum work. The importance is to treat low expectancy and high expectancy students the same by changing our behaviour to include more challenging and thought provoking discussions or questions for all students. However there is a drawback to this challenge that may make some students uncomfortable and this is where teachers have to be careful as there is a delicate line between challenge and increasing anxiety and stress for an individual which could impact on their mental health. Pascoe. M, Hetrick. S & Parker. G (2019) reviewed a survey conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The findings of the 15-16 year olds showed students feeling stressed about poor grades, worrying about tests and higher anxiety in girls towards schoolwork compared to boys. They go on to add that a significant source of student stress comes from education and academic performance. Anxiety relating to schoolwork, homework and tests links to negative performance in science, mathematics and reading. They also bring in evidence from the World Health Organisation (1996) which states that “students must be healthy and emotionally secure to fully participate in education” (accessed 17/6/20).

In a recent article from (2019) in the Guardian by Matthew Weaver (accessed 17/6/2020), he states that “childhood happiness has fallen to it’s lowest level in a decade with more than 200,000 children unhappy with their lives”. Although there are many factors that are influencing each individual one of the biggest dips seen surrounded happiness about school and schoolwork. This made me review the recent findings of mental health of young people on the ISLE OF WIGHT. The findings from the Youth Trust 2019 census show that the 72 per cent of the 11-24 year olds surveyed reported that they had been worrying a lot, 62 per cent reported trouble sleeping 30 per cent reported deliberately hurting themselves without wanting to take their own life, 40 percent had thought about taking their own life even if they would not act on their thoughts and 11 per cent reported that they had attempted to take their own life (accessed 17/6/20). These are shocking statistics but it does not go into depths regarding what are the main impacts that are causing the rise in mental health. Ellie Collier (2020) in her article, 'How can schools promote positive mental health?', gives five main issues affecting young people in the UK; these are the modern technological world, growing social media, LGBTQ+ demands on young people and Exam pressures. She states “students are stressed by the amount of information they need to know and the pressure to succeed. Most are fearful that a poor grade will ruin their future” (accessed 17/6/20). This is reinforced in an article published in 2020 by Catherine Lough for the TES where she states that “England’s teenagers experience the third highest rate of pressure from work”. The World Health Organisation study shows that students have increased pressures as they age. For example at age 11, 34 per cent of girls and 36 per cent of boys felt pressure by work. This rose to 58 per cent of girls and 44 per cent for boys aged 13 and another increase up to 74 per cent of girls and 63 per cent of boys for those aged 15 (accessed 17/6/20) There are many different types of mental illnesses and again sufferers vary in their ability to deal with issues. This made me think, about my practice and the practice within the College establishment.

Take a student from my Health and Social care with a target grade of a Merit. In order for them to have the best possible chance of getting a merit overall, then they would need to get a distinction and 118

merit for the internally assessed units. Although this seems a little challenging initially, when we take into account the remaining compulsory and optional subjects chosen which may be approximately seven more, we can then see how students can feel overwhelmed by the pressures we are putting on them as an establishment. We need to address the balance of giving students a release whether that be through Core PE lessons, tutor time, investing in extra-curricular clubs such as the CCF or reintroducing activity days/enrichment activities. Students can take part in these activities during the College day or perhaps learn a new life skill such as sign language etc. This may also be the reason that the report found that “compared to older students, younger students report liking school more, feel less pressured by school and feel more supported by their teachers.” So how can we promote positive mental health in schools whilst having high expectations and challenge for all? Ellie Collier gives eight ways to promote mental health in schools these are: Encourage social time for at least 30 minutes per week, run lunchtime clubs, have an open door policy with a person ideally trained in mental health, make mental health known about through discussions or inviting charities to give talks, have a wellbeing week, encourage connections, host a sports/activities day, give to others through charity events etc. and be mindful through hosting mindfulness sessions (accessed 17/6/20).

Sport psychologists are all aware of the importance of Yerkes and Dodson Inverted U theory (1908) which shows that as arousal increases so does the performance. Optimum performance is around a moderate level of arousal and if this continues to increase higher then performance will drop. Similarly Hardy and Frazey (1987) made further observations and devised the Catastrophe theory. The difference is that instead of a gradual decrease a sports performer might ‘go to pieces’ in a big event.

Andy Griffiths and Mark Burns in their book Outstanding Teaching Engaging learners (2012), explained how flow is the only theory needed for high engagement. They refer to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi research of when challenge is low, apathy and boredom occur, when attitude and skill use are low apathy and anxiety occur. In order to create flow there has to be high learning attitude and challenge and note that student are involved in their own learning through debating, problem-solving or the use of real life scenarios. In my teaching of Social Religious Studies, I look back to think of the various discussions we had in a compulsory subject that some individuals would question the importance of.

Interestingly, all student were thoroughly engaged and vocal on their views or questioning others regarding the real life topics such as where does life begin? Also the various views on Sanctity of life through discussion on Organ donation, Abortion, Euthanasia and the Death Penalty. It was wonderful to see that all students had their own views but also went further to challenging others as well as reflecting on their own viewpoints and comparing the similarities/differences of their views with certain religions or religious individuals.

In conclusion, we all want students to be independent learners who will engage and challenge themselves to learn and be able to cope in the challenging outside world. This means developing resilience and creating an environment where students are not afraid of making mistakes. In relation to teachers, we need to ensure that we are not putting too much pressure on individuals as well as identifying if students are putting too much pressure on themselves. This is reinforced in the article Challenge by Choice (accessed 17/6/20). The report includes numerous research and explains the importance of choice in empowering, increasing level of motivation and self-confidence which will all increase an individual’s self-belief and increase the chances of success. Challenge beyond Blooms– A Chemical Orthodoxy (accessed 17/6/20), explains how Bloom’s taxonomy can be used to alter the difficulty or challenge for questions or learning objectives. The possible use of critical thinking questions as do now starters can act as a ‘hook’ in order to engage students in the relevant topic.

Debbie Light in the article Stretch and challenge in your classroom supports the idea of moving 119

towards an enquiry question that will anchor the learning for a lesson. She also promotes the use of structured questioning with time to think for difficult concepts as well as every student being involved in class discussions (accessed 17/6/20).

Overall if we want students to achieve their progress 8, looking after their mental health is just as important as teaching them the exam content for each subject as the holistic child is important and if they are not happy and confident, they are unable to achieve their potential.

References A Chemical Orthodoxy. Schools, Science and Education. Challenge beyond Bloom’s (2019). https://achemicalorthodoxy.wordpress.com/2019/10/23/challenge-beyond-blooms/ (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Challenge by Choice – Cowesec.sharepoint.com Collier. E (2019). How Can Schools Promote Positive Mental Health? https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/promoting-mental-health-in-schools/ (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Griffiths. A, Burns. M (2012). Outstanding Teaching Engaging learners. Crown House Publishing Ltd. Honeybourne. J. Hill & Moors. H. (2000). Advanced Physical Education & Sport. Second Edition.

Stanley Thornes Ltd. Light. D, (2017). Stretch and challenge in your classroom. https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/bestpractice/stretch-and-challenge-in-your-classroom/ (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Lough. C. (2020). https://www.tes.com/news/englands-students-third-most-pressured-school.

(Accessed: 17/6/20) Marzano. R (2010). High expectations for all. (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Pascoe. M, Hetrick. S & Parker. A. The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823 (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Weaver. M (2019). Children in UK least happy they have been in a decade says report. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/28/childhood-happiness-lowest-level-in-decadesays-report (Accessed: 17/6/20).

Youth Trust. Island Youth Mental Health Census 2019. On Our Minds. Census Findings 2019.

James Goode - How is the coronavirus lockdown affecting the mental health of children with SEND?

By Tania Tirraoro Source – https://www.specialneedsjungle.com Points; “Staying at home, and in most cases not attending school, creates a uniquely stressful situation for children with SEND and their families. Carefully developed routines have been disrupted; support networks have disintegrated; and parents have been asked to do a job that trained teachers find 120

challenging, without any training. These changes have happened abruptly and the consequences could be particularly profound in the SEND community. It is therefore important to ask how COVID-19 is affecting the mental health of these families, with a view to gaining insight into how schools and society can support them over the coming months.”

Six categories were uniquely identified by a study of 241 parents or carers of children with SEND aged between 5-18 – research by The University of York, these are; Worries (self, others, general); were described by the authors as “substantial and serious”. They include availability of specific food because of restricted food preferences, children falling even further behind in school because they did not know how to meet their needs, and worries about who would look after them if they (the parent) died as a result of COVID-19.

Loss was also described by many participants as a result of COVID-19, and these losses were organised into four sub-categories: loss of routine, loss of support network and structures, loss of specialist input and, for a minority, financial loss. While many families in general will experience similar feelings, for some children with SENDs it is not possible to explain why these losses have occurred, creating further difficulties. We have several examples in the data of lone parents who are isolated with a child who displays very challenging behaviour without access to any of the support and respite that usually helps them to fulfil their parental role effectively.

Moods, emotions and behaviour, were mentioned by many participants. While low mood and distress are likely to be widespread the data suggests they may be experienced more severely within the SEND community. The types of challenging behaviour include involving police, violence to self and others, and destructiveness.

Knowing what is going on was a key element of some participants’ responses. Parents described situations in which a child’s low level of understanding led to distress because they could not understand why everything had changed. This is sometimes expressed in some minimally verbal children by a deterioration in behaviour.

Feeling Overwhelmed: A substantial minority of parents described themselves as being stressed by the feeling they need to meet needs 24/7 without support, a break or respite, often alongside working and meeting the needs of others in the family.

Minimal or positive impact was described by a substantial minority of families whose child has a hard time at school and feels safest at home. For these children, self-isolation and social distancing may lead to a period of calm respite, creating a more relaxed environment for them and their families.

As an LSA in a SEND setting I find myself concurring with the six areas identified, I have worked with students at varying times who have either displayed only one of the points or indeed all of them at any given period of the day. It is interesting to note that the responses could have been steered to favour the outcomes (original sample survey is unavailable), however, the responses certainly show that the states and feelings associated with COVID-19 lockdown are driven by the individuals capacity to cope, the same states and emotions that perhaps may have been displayed in the educational setting are mirrored, albeit magnified somewhat, within the home environment.

As an example;

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Knowing what is going on This behaviour has been presented by a student I work intensively with - first thing in the school morning they need to know what lessons they have (even though they have memorised their (and other students) time table, they have a need for reassurance and a small element of gaining control.

The need is a persistent one as the student, even when furnished with the information will still ask staff around them the same questions or statements containing a query.

When the student returns to a classroom setting, tools are available to meet challenges of these behaviours, for example ‘social stories’, however – in my experience, tonality and pace is key to successfully delivering an appropriately presented social story, so therefore, providing one to be used at home during lockdown could have barriers, such as accessibility/availability of IT, parents’ own language skills or willingness to engage.

In summary, this article would be a very useful read for teachers who may not have such an in depth understanding of SEND students and may choose to take this into account when setting work to be completed remotely during lockdown.

Source; aet-tools-for-homeschooling-and-transition-back-to-school.pdf

This document is titled; “Six essential tools for teachers supporting autistic students through home schooling and return to school” It is published by ‘autismeducationtrust.org.uk’ and supported by the Department for Education.

Within the document is a range of six practical tools for working effectively with ASD students – for the purposes of the above named document, six were chosen out of a total of 44, on the basis of being of the most practical help.

Charlene Davis - A review of children’s and young people’s mental health & support Adolescent mental health plays a key part in my job role and how I respond to situations so researching this field and being mindful in my future approach to children’s mental health, the services available and how effective they are for CEC students can be considered. As an academy, we can provide emotional support, ELSA and signpost students/parents to local services, but how effective is this to the individual once they have had a referral?

As a local and global community, we are experiencing a crisis in regards to the recognition, awareness and support for the mental health of children and young people. Specialist services are turning away one in four of the children referred to them by their GPs or teachers for treatment and around 75% of young people experiencing a mental health problem are forced to wait so long, their condition gets worse or are unable to access any treatment at all.

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Data from the organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that over half of all mental health disorders start before the age of 14, with 75% by the age of 24 years and that 1 in 8 of 5-19 year olds have at least 1 mental health disorder. Despite so many children needing support, only 1 in 4 young people with a mental health disorder reported accessing a specialised mental health service in the previous year.

Teenagers especially are much more likely to have accessed informal support (such as support from teachers, friends and family or online forums). TechUK reported how the anonymity offered by an online environment enabled young people to express themselves freely and honestly, despite also being more vulnerable both emotionally and to anonyms influences. Social media is highlighted as a way to make new friends and research conducted by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee reported in 2019 that 1060 teenagers found that 57% had made a new friend online and had ‘received social media support in tough or challenging times’.

In recent years, referral rates have increased 5 times faster than the children’s and adults mental services (CAMHS) workforce. This results in the average waiting time for children to access mental health support ranging from 14, up to 200 days. More than 338,000 children were referred to CAMHS in 2017, but less than a third received treatment within the year. The Association of Child Psychotherapists says it has heard of cases of children having to make multiple suicide attempts in order access care.

Up to 50% of adolescents who are referred to CAMHS are not accepted for treatment. Confusing and unclear referral routes could also make it harder for young people to find the correct support at the right time.

One of the biggest concerns expressed by young people regarding support for their mental health was a lack of information and advice whilst waiting for their care. Some services offer telephone support from a mental health nurse during the waiting period. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of 123

Clinical Commissioning Groups have recently launched an app, available for all young people aged 1117 and living in Hampshire or the Isle of Wight. The Think Ninja App is free and available to provide support for those struggling with mental health and emotional wellbeing.

According to the Care Quality Commission report from 2018, young people are sometimes not involved in choices about their treatment and that they felt frustrated and disappointed when decisions were made without their input. By contrast, there are considerable benefits when children are involved in their decision making; being more likely to engage effectively in their treatment if given choices about their care. Some young people are not satisfied with the relationships they have with staff, either because they felt that staff were impersonal or patronising or because of a lack of consistency. Some also reported that their mental health problems were not taken seriously and were dismissed as ‘just being teenagers’. An example of good practice would be when they felt valued; staff are friendly, or when their names and interests were remembered by a professional.

The Care quality commission report also highlighted that there is a lack of clear and reliable data about how many adolescents access mental health services, how they are referred to these services and weather they are accepted for treatment. The Children's Society is carrying out a new project looking at access to CAMHS services specifically for young people with protected characteristics such as black and minority ethnicity (BME), LGBTQ+ and young people with disabilities. They want to understand why these groups of young people face more difficulties accessing mental health support and what can be done to improve this.

There have been well documented and persistent difficulties in the child mental health system which the government’s Future in Mind CAMHS review sought to address. The 2017 green paper (Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision) lays out the government’s ambition that all children and young people have access to high-quality mental health and wellbeing support linked to their school or college – with a commitment that, when a need has been identified, young people should be assessed quickly, and referred to the most appropriate support. Specifically the green paper outlines plans to: • • •

Incentivise every school and college to identify a designated senior lead for mental health to oversee the approach to mental health and wellbeing Fund new mental health support teams to provide extra capacity for early intervention for those with mild to moderate needs, jointly managed by schools and the NHS Trial a four week waiting time for access to specialist CAMHS

The government intends to roll out this new approach to at least a fifth of England by the end of 2022/23.

The ultimate outcome is for young people to feel empowered regarding their own mental health and to build resilience, manage their emotional health and to fulfil their potential through a broad and relevant mental health curriculum and support network both within school and the wider community.

The mental health system for young people is however, complex and fragmented, with disconnections between schools, CAMHS, social care and emergency departments. There is no consistency across English schools or referring organisations. A recommendation would be that the government, employers and schools must make sure that everyone who works, volunteers or carers for children is trained in mental health awareness and that Ofsted recognises and assesses schools roles in supporting young people’s mental health.

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https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ https://www.ons.gov.uk/ https://www.local.gov.uk/about/campaigns/bright-futures/bright-futures-camhs/child-andadolescent-mental-health-and https://www.nhsbenchmarking.nhs.uk/news/2018-camhs-project-results-published https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-approach/school-and-localcommissioning/camhs/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45607313

Jo Rudd - Literature review: studies into the impact of sleep and screen/social media use on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

I read three studies; ‘The impact of social media and screen-use on young people’s health’ (University of Bristol), ‘New filters to manage the impact of social media on young people’s mental health and wellbeing’ (University of Bristol) and ‘Adolescent sleep and educational performance’ (Chartered College of Teaching). Each study looked at the possible impact that screen time, social media and sleep may have on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. The sleep report concluded that: ‘adolescents experience chronic sleep deprivation during the school week’ and the other two reports were essentially inconclusive but did make some important positive and negative points into how these factors can impact mental health and wellbeing.

In the report from Bristol University on the screen use of 1000 young people, conducted by Young Minds and the Children’s Society, 62% of respondents claimed that ‘Social media had a positive impact on their relationship with their friends’. Further research conducted in the USA of 1,060 teenagers, found that 68% of those aged 13 to 17 ‘received social media support through a tough time.’ This was mirrored in the report into Social Media filters, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) was provided with evidence that social media enabled young people to feel less isolated and lonely. It went on to state that one witness had explained how social media supported them in their recovery from mental illness as they were able to talk to and meet other people online with the same mental health condition.

Some of the biggest negative’s reported were that social media ‘glamorised’ mental health conditions and could impede recovery. Healthwatch Essex provided evidence from interviewing 2500 young people revealed that exposure to body ideals on social media can negatively contribute the their selfesteem and self-confidence. It also encouraged harmful behaviours to achieve ‘results’ including disordered eating Both of these reports are very much linked to the adolescent sleep report, because in many cases they will be contributing to the poor sleep habits that young people can develop. One large questionnaire based study in Sweden by Titovia et al, between 2005 and 2011, involving 40,000 students, reported that students who reported poor sleep (difficulties falling asleep, restless sleep and nightmares), were more likely to fail a subject than those who did not report poor sleep.

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In conclusion the research around these subjects is wide and varied with very differing results. With regards to the impact of sleep on adolescent’s there has been a lot of research in this particular area and there have been trials in the US (Wheaton et al, 2016) and it was found that a later start time for school had an impact on less sleepiness in class, increased attendance and improved academic performance was significant. The majority of these sleep studies were undertaken in the U.S where their school day starts earlier, about 7:30 am compared to the UK. There is still to be any large scale studies in delayed start times in the UK. I also think that there is a large correlation between lack of sleep and the 24hour access to screens that our young people have. It is important to teach our young people healthy sleep habits and behaviours.

With regards to wellbeing and social media usage the results were varied and inconclusive. Social media and increased screen availability is still relatively new and very swiftly evolving. In this case I would conclude that as adults it is important that we keep the conversations about social media very open, teaching online safety and listen to our young people about how they find their usage of screens to have a positive and negative effect on their wellbeing. The overriding feeling I got from the research is that it enables young people to connect to others who may be going through similar experiences and also diversify the input they receive through cultures that they may not experience in a local setting, particularly relevant on a small Island like ours. If used safely and not to an excess this can be a very useful tool.

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Cognitive science Charlie Day - Literature Review of Three Cognitive Science Approaches to Teaching and Learning Introduction: Cognitive psychologists study the basic processes involved in the acquisition of knowledge, understanding through thought, and the process of learning (Sumeracki et al., 2019). It is important to note the purpose of education, to ensure students learn knowledge and are able to apply this learned knowledge to exam questions and the work place, this application of knowledge is referred to as knowledge transfer (Barnett & Ceci, 2002). There are many different teaching and learning strategies that can be used based on cognitive science, these strategies include; cognitive load theory, duel coding, and retrieval practice (Sumeracki et al., 2018), these three examples will be discussed in more detail in this literature review.

Cognitive Load Theory: Cognitive load theory aims to explain how much information a person’s working memory can process at any one time. Students are presented with huge amounts of information in a classroom, this includes the knowledge being taught and other stimuli in the room. This information can be discarded (forgotten) or moved to long term memory (Plass et al., 2010). Working memory failure due to cognitive overload is characterised by incomplete recall of knowledge, failing to follow instructions, place-keeping errors, and task abandonment (Shibli & West, 2018). Cognitive load theory research suggest four main strategies that can be used to ensure students’ working memory is not over loaded: •

•

•

•

Presentation of information By reducing non-essential information and removing non-essential images students are exposed to less information, thus reducing the cognitive impact. Additionally information on PowerPoint slides should be grouped together so that students are able to make links between different sources of information.

Lesson planning Lessons should be planned with student prior knowledge in mind. This means that lessons build on prior knowledge rather than starting from scratch. This means students are able to form links and build on their understanding. Lessons should be ordered in a logical sequence in order to achieve this and large topics should be broken down into smaller topics.

Examples Examples of where the knowledge is used is also effective at reducing risk of cognitive failure as students are able to formulate ideas and images to help learn the knowledge.

Additionally worked examples are also beneficial compared to be presenting with lots of information as students are able to construct the information slowly and ask for further explanation if required.

Independent problem solving Increasing independence over a period of time is also highly effective, this could include reducing the number of examples used. By increasing independence student learn study skills and are able to construct meaning of information at their own pace. Additionally, independence also increases in-depth understanding of knowledge.

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By using a range of cognitive load theory approaches student engagement and understanding of topics should increase. Many of these approaches are already used, however, reviewing PowerPoint presentations and providing more worked examples are time effective methods of ensuring working memory is not overloaded. It is important to note that although reducing information is effective, reducing too much information may lead to insufficient knowledge and therefor potentially a deep understanding is lost.

Dual Coding: Dual coding theory explains that students require different representations of the same knowledge to be able to learn it effectively, this comes in the form of verbal explanation, written explanation and imagery to present knowledge (Clark & Paivio, 1991). The use of images and visual representations within Science is very common, images are able to replace vast amounts of text and allows student to be able to visualise theories, intern this allows students to be able to store knowledge in their long term memory and retrieve it when required (Cuevas & Dawson, 2018).

The basic principle of dual coding is to include basic images that present information effectively. It is important to note that text should be used to compliment the image as students are required to be able to verbalise and write explanations. For this reason written explanations are important for students to be able to learn key terminology and include the accuracy of detail necessary for completing examinations. There are many examples of where dual coding can be used in education: •

•

•

Explanations Simple hand drawn diagrams can be effective at removing misconceptions, and with influences from cognitive load theory, removes unnecessary information ensuring cognitive load does not fail.

Methods The use of diagrams and written procedures is effective as students are able to visualise what they are required to do and also able to make sense of the written instructions. This is particularly important with the new 9-1 Science GCSE and reformed Science A Level qualifications.

Summaries The use of mind maps is an effective dual coding method that allows students to be able to visualise their learning and also allows students to make links between topics.

Dual coding is an effective form of education, it is also very time effective and has a high impact on learning (Cuevas & Dawson, 2018). However, it is important to ensure that written instructions are not forgotten and detail is not lost in the simplicity of diagrams. It is also important to ensure students are able to both verbalise and write explanations using tier 3 terminology.

Retrieval Practice: Retrieval practice has been shown to increase student learning by brining information to the forefront of the mind (Siler & Benjamin, 2019). It does not reduce forgetting but does promote long lasting learning.

Research suggests that when students retrieve information they must have a level of success in order for it to work, by simply guessing or writing random answers students are not retrieving information (Kornell et al, 2009), this is important for all age groups. Additionally, in order for retrieval practice to be 128

effective students are required to think and challenge their ideas as this cements information and knowledge into the long term memory (Lehman et al., 2014). In order to maximise the usefulness of retrieval practice spaced throughout lessons. Retrieval practice can be used in many way in the classroom: •

•

•

Do now starters Do now starters can be used effectively as students enter the classroom. These starter activities could include a series of questions based on their prior learning. By using starters students recall information from previous lessons frequently therefore improving their memory. Additionally these starters can include a range of questions which challenge students and require students to look back over their notes to find the information.

Quizzes The use of quizzes throughout lessons to check learning can also be effective, these quizzes ensure students are learning and are able to promote fact recall. Additionally, by checking learning by this method allows the teacher to be able to address any misconceptions before moving on.

Knowledge organisers Knowledge organisers are a useful resource students can use to practice their knowledge retrieval. By using knowledge organisers effectively students should produce revision notes and use rote learning. Students should then quiz their knowledge and recall what they have learned.

Retrieval practice is a very important method of teaching and learning, it ensures students learn facts and as some evidence suggests students feel more prepared for public examination (Sumeracki et al., 2019). However, knowledge retrieval works most effectively when students face some level of challenge, this may be difficult to do as most start quizzes or mid lesson quizzes only require students to recall specific facts. Additionally, high attaining students may not benefit greatly from knowledge retrieval as they require a deeper understanding to complete more difficult exam questions.

Conclusion: In this literature review three different teaching and learning strategies based on cognitive science have been discussed; cognitive load theory, dual coding, and retrieval practice. From the research each of these strategies are highly effective and all of them are able to be used in the classroom.

Cognitive load theory suggests removing unnecessary information, this is time effective and promotes good learning. However, this does mean that students who are able to process more information are potentially limited to the basic facts. Additionally, this method promotes example based learning to help students visualise concepts. This allows a teacher to model good the learning effectively, however this may prove difficult when explaining the most abstract concepts.

Dual coding promotes the use of images, written and verbal explanations in order for students to be able to visualise concepts. This theory, like cognitive load theory, works very well and does not take a huge amount of time to achieve. However, like cognitive load theory, if used incorrectly this technique may jeopardise deeper understanding and may mean student do not use correct tier three terminology, thus use this theory must be approached with caution in order for all students to make progress.

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Retrieval practice has been shown to be highly effective at increasing the information that a person is able to remember. It is suggested that quizzes are used that are spaced before, within, and after a lesson in order for students to be able to practice and quiz themselves on what they can remember. This method, like the two previous method already mentioned, does not take a huge amount of time to implement but is highly effective. This method should be approached with caution as questioned asked should provide a good level of challenge in order for students to remember what they have learnt.

Additional, many times multiple choice questions or short answer questions are used which do not challenge the high attaining students to think deeply.

References Barnett, S., & Ceci, S. (2002). When and where do we apply what we learn? A taxonomy for far transfer. Psychology Bulletin, 128(4), 612-637. http://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.128.4.612 Clark, J., & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), 149-210. Retrieved from: www.jstor.org/stable/23359208 Cuevas, J., & Dawson, R. (2018). A test of two alternative cognitive processing models: learning styles and dual coding. Theory & Research in Education, 16(1), 40-64. http://doi.org/10.1177/14778517731450 Kornell, N., Hays, M., & Bjork, R. (2009). Unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhance subsequent learning.

Journal of Experimental Psychology, 35(4), 989-998. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0015729 Lehman, M., Smith, M., & Karpicke, J. (2014). Toward an episodic context account of retrieval-based learning: dissociating retrieval practical and elaboration. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 40(6), 1787-1794. http://doi.org/10.1037/x1m0000012 Plass, J., Moreno, R., & Brunken, R. (2010). Cognitive Load Theory. Retrieved from: www.cambridge.org/9780521860239 Shibli, D., & West, R. (2018). Cognitive load theory and its applications in the classroom. Impact. 2, 1820. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=16332&site=eds-live Siler, J., & Benjamin, A. (2019). Long-term interference and memory following retrieval practice.

Memory and Cognition, 48(4), 645-654. http://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-019-00997-3 Sumeracki, M., Madan, C., & Weinstein-Jones, Y. (2018). Four simple strategies from cognitive psychology for the classroom. Essays from E-xcellence in Teaching, 17, 13-21. Retrieved from http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/eit2017/index.php Sumeracki, M., Weinstein-Jones, Y., Noel, C., & Schmidt, S. (2019). Encouraging knowledge transfer in food science and nutrition education: suggestions from cognitive research. Journal of Food Science Education, 18(3), 59-66. http://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12158

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Victoria Leonard - How can we developing metacognitive strategies to help students progress in MFL? As a department, we had identified that students were struggling to access some of the GCSE-style assessment questions. This was particularly the case for middle-ability Year 9 students, who found it difficult to apply their knowledge independently in exam conditions. Following the successful interventions with our under-achieving Year 11 students in 2019, we analysed the strategies that we had developed to support them in preparing for their speaking exam. During our subject meetings, we reflected on the different challenges of the GCSE and discussed how we could equip our students with a repertoire of strategies to tackle their assessments with increasing confidence and success.

In MFL, we teach in mixed-ability groups so we wanted to target those students who were making below expected progress but we also hoped that students beyond the target group would benefit.

Therefore, while I chose to focus on my Year 9 Spanish class, I also used the strategies with my Year 10 and Year 11 pupils when helping them to prepare for their exams. I selected a group of middle-ability Year 9 pupils because they were just beginning their GCSE course and had struggled to meet the top bands of the assessment criteria in their first writing exam. In order to better prepare them for their next written assessment the following half term, we developed a set of explicit strategies to teach them.

In order to inform our CPD focus for the year ahead, we drew on the extensive research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) on metacognition and self-regulation. As the EEF explains, metacognition aims to help pupils “think about their own learning more explicitly, often by teaching them specific strategies.” The EEF research linked well to our aim of improving pupil confidence and outcomes in the GCSE-style assessments and provided a solid foundation upon which to build. It was particularly useful to refer to the findings in terms of impact, cost and strength of evidence. The EEF concluded that metacognitive practices could have a high impact for a very low cost, based on extensive evidence.

The report also highlights the importance of teaching these techniques in conjunction with specific subject content, as opposed to generic ‘learning to learn’ skills. Therefore, I referred to additional resources on metacognition, including some subject-specific research from exam board specialists and Gianfranco Conti. The Teacher Toolkit article on “Metacognition: Thinking Deeply About Learning” summarised the EEF recommendations and also led me to Alex Quigley’s blog on “Making Sense of Metacognition”. Finally, the key messages from AQA’s “GCSE feedback” webinar and Gianfranco Conti’s article on “12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom” informed the basis of our project.

Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

I used the EEF’s summary of recommendations on metacognition (below) to formulate an action plan.

The first two steps involved improving teachers’ professional understanding and explicitly teaching pupils these strategies. This proved initially challenging as unpicking what metacognition looks like was a complex task. As Sir Kevin Collins (EEF’s chief executive) explains, “it can be difficult to give concrete examples of what metacognitive knowledge and skills actually look like.” Before reaching the next steps – modelling, challenging, promoting metacognitive talk, increasing pupil independence and developing knowledge – we attended a series of AQA webinars to develop our own skills.

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Drawing on advice from AQA’s “Feedback on the MFL GCSE� webinar, we evaluated our approach and developed a set of strategies to prepare students more effectively. For the writing paper, examiners commented that students should keep their answers for question 1 short and simple and ensure a full coverage of the bullet points for question 2. Following on from this initial webinar, we attended another session on developing effective strategies for the speaking and writing exams. The guidance we receive from these sessions informed our planning and enabled us to develop a set of metacognitive strategies to be explicitly taught in class. As a result, we began to model our thinking to help pupils to develop their skills.

Here are some examples of the support sheets we created for our students:

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As we

became more confident in our understanding of metacognitive strategies, we were able to promote and develop more metacognitive talk in the classroom. While many students increased in confidence in the subsequent writing assessment (as indicated by the improved scores), they seemed to lack a deeper understanding of how to respond to feedback. In order to address this issue, I planned a moderation training session and my colleagues created pupil feedback sheets and marking codes to maximise the impact of ICE lessons. As a result, we developed our knowledge of the assessment criteria, started to teach explicit strategies more effectively and engaged students actively in their feedback: Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

I selected the metacognitive approach because the EEF research indicated that it was one of the most effective strands from the toolkit in terms of impact, cost and strength of evidence. It also aligned well with our subject development priorities – to improve pupil incomes by explicitly teaching strategies for GCSE-style assessments – and the academy-wide literacy initiative.

Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

At the start of the year, we found that teachers and pupils initially had little or no awareness of metacognition and some felt that the level of challenge in lessons was too high or too low. However, as our work progressed, we started explaining our thinking, setting appropriate challenge, and modelling for students, who, in turn, were working with an increasing degree of understanding. While pupil motivation in some groups still requires further development, the initial impact of these strategies can be seen in improved student outcomes for targeted pupils. As the data below indicates, all pupils except one (who was absent for a significant amount of half term 2) made good progress in their writing assessment:

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What next?

Moving forward, it is vital to address how to provide effective support for disadvantaged and SEN pupils in order to become a truly inclusive department. We also need to focus on developing activities to promote engagement as the strategies proved less effective for students who were less motivated.

This finding echoed EEF research, which highlights that metacognition can be difficult to achieve as it requires pupils to take greater responsibility for their learning. Overall, students are now more engaged in their learning, staff are trialling new strategies and recognise the importance of metacognition. Given that the EEF describes metacognitive practice as “highly aspirational”, we have made a positive start on our journey.

References • EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning, Guidance Report: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Metacognition/EEF_Meta cognition_and_self-regulated_learning.pdf • Gianfranco Conti: https://gianfrancoconti.com/2015/06/11/modelling-metacognitive-questioningin-the-foreign-language-classroom/ • Lizzie Pinnard: https://reflectiveteachingreflectivelearning.com/2014/05/13/the-role-ofmetacognition-in-language-learning/ • Alex Quigley: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blog-making-sense-ofmetacognition/ • Teacher Toolkit: https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2018/04/28/metacognition/

Kelly Wiltshire - How can we help students to make meaning in geography? Using dual coding and graphic schemas Rationale for my study I chose to research this area because during 2019-2020 with the year 11 cohort, I have been trying to improve our knowledge acquisition and recall. After looking at a sample of exam papers from the 2019 cohort and looking widely at their scores for different exam question across different I realised that the exam techniques that we had been focusing on during their 2 year GCSE journey had benefitted our highest ability students the most. In addition, these students tended to be those who were most engaged with revision during lesson time, after school and independently. I could see this by looking at Seneca and engagement with GCSE Pod. This disappointment came from in 2019 we had more students than we expected achieve grade 3’s. It was a shock for us, and it felt as though as a department we had taken a massive step backwards. On reflection, as a team we had not been as targeted and impactful with all of our efforts. We had lost sense of what would make the difference in exam questions and dusted ourselves down to try again from September 2019 onwards.

In 2018, we had achieved a big step forward in results and revision for us was all about the content, because interpretations of the mark schemes were hazy, there was not clarity from the exam board and so I focused on what I did know – the content. By the time the 2019 cohort same around, we had been focusing on exam technique and how to interpret sources and how to answer questions, but in hindsight we assumed that content revision would happen by students independently and it is evident now that it did not. To reflect on this further, I recalled some exam papers from the 2019 cohort and by looking closely at these papers it became apparent that these students where often missing out 134

exam questions. When I drilled down further it was often questions with subject specific terms or tier three language. When I looked back at the medium term plans and lesson plans, the words were there and been taught. In the detailed glossaries and the typed up knowledge organisers that were shared with students, the words were there. However, the resources that had taken time to produce did not have the impact that I had intended and 2019 was about looking about how to make what we do have impact.

To help reverse the dip in grades, I attended an online Edexcel CPD session where the speaker was considering approaches to support students in making the step up from grade 3 to 4, and grade 4 to 5.

I was able to look at samples of exam papers from students beyond our cohort, answers not dissimilar to our own cohort, and see that students could achieve marks in the 1-4 mark questions (state / define, identity, describe, explain and suggest). I was able to see that despite some quite clumsy sentence structures or simple ideas, students were able to score marks and therefore achieve higher grades. What made the difference what was student were using the correct key terms in their answer but more importantly had been able to recall and have a clear understanding of the key terms in the question, meaning that the student could achieve marks.

Figure 1 – Sample answer from Edexcel showing use of key terminology by student (Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography A and B: Supporting lower ability learners 11/11/2019). A Grade 4 student who had a good grasps of using terms like ‘younger generation’, ‘traditional jobs’ and ‘unemployed’.

As a department, we had previously focused on how best to approach questions, with a clear focus on structure for their answers with also a focus on the question requiring a lengthier response. It became clear with the 2019 cohort we had made a mistake and we had an opportunity with the 3 year GCSE and the time that we had allocated from January with the year 11’s was to really focus on recalling and being able to use keywords and key ideas. Some of our students in 2019 wrote extended answers but lacked ‘specificity’. This grade 3 answer (see below) from Edexcel showed me that with the correct knowledge recall ,a student who performed poorly in other questions, was able to achieve 5/8 because they had applied the right knowledge and used the correct terms to support their ideas.

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Figure 2 – Sample answer from Edexcel showing effective recall of a named example (Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography A and B: Supporting lower ability learners 11/11/2019). By recalling SPARC and Mumbai’s monorail this student could reach mid-level 2 due to good AO1/AO2 (Knowledge and understanding) and some AO3 (judgement and application).

However I was also aware of this:

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Figure 3 - Sample answer from Edexcel showing a grade 5 students answer (Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography A and B: Supporting lower ability learners 11/11/2019). A misunderstanding of key words leading to an incorrect answer from a Grade 5 student.

The answer above ‘should’ be an easy question. Now we have one tier of entry, the rationale behind the multiple-choice question are that students aiming for grades 1-3 should be able to access these questions. However, the reality is that our CEC students in 2019 performed badly on this question with an average score of 0.55 for all students. When I attended the training the suggestion from the speaker was that students had not effectively recalled the word ‘fetch’ and therefore had not understood the question fully and recorded an incorrect answer. I suspect this was the case for some of our CEC students.

We therefore as part of our Faculty Improvement plan had a range of targets, but two aspects that we decided to focus on were a) Enhance literacy provision through embedding key word vocabulary in lesson planning and b) Embed deeper recall activities in planning. For us with the cohort of year 11’s in 2020 we chosen to focus on how best we can support students with revision and I began to explore how dual coding could work to support recall. It was important that I research the best ways to help students ‘make meaning’ and be able to understand, recall and use key terms.

Cognition and dual coding.

Metacognition and self-regulated learning (SLR) have been advocated by many, and have significant support being seen as a potentially effective and low cost way of impacting learning (EEF, May 2020).

The EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) believes that these approaches aim to help pupils think about their own learning more explicitly and that self-regulated learning can be broken into three essential components: cognition, metacognition and motivation (EEF, 2020). I have chosen to research about cognition to explore the mental processes by which students are able to know, understand and learn.

We have for a long time made use of visual imagery in geography, indeed in the department, we have sought to try and include more ‘WOW’ moments this year by using clear, though provoking and visually impressive photos. As a geographical discipline, diagrams have always been an integral part of making sense of physical and human processes and therefore I was keen to explore the use of images or visual codes to help students understand key words. The Chartered College of Teaching (2009) stressed that when producing PowerPoints “less is more. Reduce the amount of text and diagrams to as few as necessary, but no fewer. This will ensure that you do not overload your students’ limited

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working memory capacity” and this was something that I was also acutely aware of the need to consider.

I have admitted in my CPD Journal last year that I am not a big fan of reading (sshhhhh don’t tell anyone!!!!!) but I have found that over the last two years my engagement on Twitter has helped me to explore academic literature in a way that juggling parental and teaching responsibilities previously would not have allowed. Writing this after a significant period of lockdown has also enabled me to engage in CPD lectures that I previously would not have had the privilege to attend. As someone who quite likes to talk (and listen!) I have found the online live CPD talks an effective way of engaging with theories linked to cognitive science and its use in the classroom.

I have been aware of the work of Oliver Caviglioli and his work on Dual Coding on Twitter (@olicav) but also attended his Seneca talk on 20/5/20 (see for bibliography for recording). In addition, I completed his Seneca CPD course online. During his talk in May, his opening point was that ‘ideas are objects, they need to have a new way of organising them’ and this helped me to think beyond just the idea of linking an icon to a word to help students remember it. It is also about sequencing, layout and structuring of images and words. It also made me think that words are not bad, I do not need to replace all the text on my resources with images, but that instead I need to consider how these images can be linked to create a ‘graphic schema’. This has also meant that this CPD Literature review needed to evolve to be more about Graphic Schemas, rather than just dual coding.

Cognitive Load Theory Cognitive load theory has developed from the work of Australian educational psychologist John Sweller (Sweller , 1994). Simplified it seeks to explain how students can only processes some much new information at once in their ‘working memory’ at any one time. Sweller defines the types of memory as intrinsic load, extraneous load and germane load. When put together these make up the capacity of the working memory.

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Intrinsic load is related to the inherent difficulty of the subject matter being learnt. It is influenced by how complex the material is and how much a student already knows about the topic. For example, 2 + 2 + 4 has less intrinsic load than 93 x 543, while understanding the workings of the human respiratory system has more intrinsic load than knowing where the lungs are situated in a human body.

Extraneous load is bad for learning because it can hinder the construction of long-term memories. It refers to any extra and unnecessary thinking that students have to do that does not contribute to learning. Unlike intrinsic load, extraneous load is related to how the subject material is presented rather than its inherent difficulty and, as teachers, we can either heighten or reduce its effect.

The third type of cognitive load, germane load, is desirable. It is the load placed on working memory that contributes directly to genuine learning – in other words, the nourishing and productive thinking that causes our students to form and consolidate long-term memories. (taken from The Chartered College of Teaching, 2019)

Importantly within the Dual coding course, Caviglioli makes reference to John Sweller (1988) and the idea of the ‘Cognitive Load theory’. It is important to think about this, as my initial impression of dual coding was that images would help students make meaning. The Cognitive Load theory for me 138

emphasised that we need to make connections between ideas, in order for ideas to become more meaningful and importantly for these ideas and connections to be handled within the working memory but also embedded in the long-term memory for effective recall and remembering.

Graphic Schemas Caviglioni in his Dual Coding CPD talk and accompanying book (2019) tries to visually represent his principles and he links his theories and subsequent graphic schema designs to the work of Paivio and his ‘Dual Coding Theory’ (1971). For him the formation of mental images aids in learning can help cognition and understanding and has been utilised by Caviglioni to create easy to understand images and schemas to support the teacher application of this cognitive science.

Figure 4 – A simplified version of Paivio’s dual coding theory. It stressed the importance of long-term memory and how encoding can support knowledge being embedded. Diagram taken from https://www.olicav.com/#/diagrams/ What was missing in our revision in 2019 was the ability for student to recall, the long memories were no present for some students. According to Sweller, the contents of long-term memory are “sophisticated structures that permit us to perceive, think, and solve problems,” rather than a group of rote learned facts.

These structures, known as schemas, are what permit us to treat multiple elements as a single element. They are the cognitive structures that make up the knowledge base (Sweller, 1988). The more I look at the idea the recall of long-term memories, the more I needed to think carefully about how dual coding can be used to produce an organised system of information. I have also looked at the work of Michael Chiles (@m_chiles) who I have followed for a while due to his work at Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy and examiner and developer of some of the geographic content on Seneca. In his book ‘Craft of Assessment’ and Seneca Online learning course, Chiles emphasises that the retention of semantic memories will deteriorate over time and that we need to strengthen our memories to improve retention and knowledge recall (Chiles 2020). He drew upon the work of Herman Ebbinghaus who suggested that after 31 days, only 21% of knowledge can be readily recalled. He emphasised that spaced learning could be a tool to overcome this (perhaps a CPD Journal topic for next year!)

I was initially quiet pleased with how I used dual coding this year. However, on reflection my initial attempts to use dual coding probably had made some pitfalls as suggested here:

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Figure 5 – Dual coding Analysis. My initial venture into dual coding, on reflection, focused on low knowledge, low skills and not entirely sure the right visual was attached to the right word. Source: https://www.olicav.com/#/posters/

Figure 6 – example of initial attempts to use dual coding. Source: KLW I used a video to help student understand the topic. Then images were used to link to keywords but there were little connections and probably if you ask my year 9’s to try to recall the knowledge from this attempt at using dual coding the long term recall would be poor as we did not make connections, rather than just dealt with these images in isolation.

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The success of the subsequent task was impacted as the students understood the task (see below) but were unable to make progress, as they could not make meaning using these images.

Figure 7 – Example of task to use the dual coding images to develop their explanation about impacts.

Source: KLW The revision guide was clear but the use of the images confused:

Figure 7 – CGP revision guide. Many students were confused as to what image represented which of the four factors in the revision book. Source: CGP revision guide for Geography Edexcel B. I am not going to say the lesson was a failure, but more so that my intention of using these images to support semantic memories, did not work as I had intended. The student may well have more episodic memories of the lesson linked to how they tried to draw these images and then how I also tried to draw them (as an aside - ask my students about my cloud / sheep / tree drawings – for a person with an A in A Level art, there is a striking similarity between all 3!)

This is another example from a year 11 revision session. The use of the dual coding was more effective as the revision book and the images correlated more coherently. In addition, the video stimulus supported the text and images. However, the connections between the ideas were not explored – a schema or graphic organiser could have helped to explore connections and perhaps a deeper understanding of the impacts.

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Figure 8 – Example of where the ‘right’ dual coding images were used.

Figure 9 - Source: CGP revision guide for Geography Edexcel B. Where next?

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Figure 10 – Examples of graphic schemas / graphic organisers. Source: https://www.olicav.com/#/posters/ The examples of graphic organisers as shown above are the most exciting part of this research for me to think about next year. It really made me think about what do I want students to do with information and how best can I present it to support understanding. This is not turning my back on dual coding, but instead thinking further about not just how I can make meaning but how I can make connections to make that meaning deeper and to ‘stick’.

Examples such as these are what I want to have templates to help support my students sequence the information and to use the dual coding where appropriate, not just to make my PowerPoint look pretty.

Figure 11 – Mind map example. Source: https://www.olicav.com/#/graphicorganisers/ In addition, to make use of his principles of design to support the development of useful knowledge organisers from 2020 for all year groups.

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Figure 12 – Example of a presentation summary but incorporates dual coding to summarise key information.

Source: https://www.olicav.com/#/posters/

Figure 13 - example of a student produced work using some principles of graphic schemas to produce a revision poster. Source: https://lovetoteach87.com/2019/05/02/examples-ofdual-coding-in-the-classroom/

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Figure 14 – example of student produced work using visual icons / dual coding to support their recall of knowledge. Source: https://lovetoteach87.com/2019/05/02/examples-of-dual-coding-in-theclassroom/ In addition, there has been some work by Tom Hanson (@hano_teach) into making geography specific icons to support dual coding, influenced by the work of Oliver Caviglioli.

Figure 15 – Tom Hanson’s profile page on Wakelet (https://wakelet.com/wake/cQJYysLQCv--4tcioIEL4) where the ‘Geocons’ have been shared.

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Figure 16 – Examples of ‘energy’ geocons. Source: https://wakelet.com/wake/cQJYysLQCv--4tcioIEL4 Re-writing the KS3 Geography curriculum has presented me with an opportunity to consider how best to use dual coding and graphic organisers. In addition, I have felt that this year has been a job half done; we have not been able to see the benefits of our approach in exam results. I will continue to work on this during 2020-2021 to support students with their acquisition of knowledge and longerterm recall.

Things to be aware of / critique of dual coding and graphic schemas I am a ‘have a go and see if it works’ person. Therefore, the most important thing from me is now implement what I have research and reflect, refine and redo. 2020 sees a shift for us with an updated 3-year curriculum but also the lock down situation presents us with a unique challenge. 2020-2021 could be an academic year where we fell ‘time poor’ but I want to make sure that geography students do not feel as though they are going to be disadvantaged. Therefore, the practical implications for dual coding and more importantly for me now, graphic schemas or organisers, would be a way to support recall of topics ‘taught’ during lock down but also to support the development and connections that are needed to explain processes but also to assess or evaluate and make judgements.

Clark and Paivio (1991) suggest that the DCT (Dual Coding Theory) has links between the verbal and non-verbal representations with links between the two called referential connections. Clarke and Paivio argue, “for example, the word "school" might evoke negative visual images and unpleasant visceral sensations in children who have formed links between the word and these nonverbal reactions”. In addition, they suggest, “In the case of a student who has an aversion to school, the word "school" might elicit such verbal associations as "hate," "boring," or "afraid." Therefore, in the design of graphic schemas, we need to consider the connections made between words and possible various interpretations. Sadosk, Paivio and Goetz, (1991) also stress that within a graphic organiser of schema, students will apply prior knowledge or background knowledge: “although it is an accepted fact that readers possess knowledge and use this knowledge in constructing meaning, the question of how this knowledge is rep- resented, organized, and used is a subject of considerable debate in cognitive psychology” (Sadosk, Paivio and Goetz,1991). If students have incorrect prior knowledge of a topic, there may be an incorrect connection or misinterpretation of the image or schema overall. For 146

example in practical terms a graphic schema about the Haiti earthquake with a dollar symbol to indicate poverty may be misinterpreted if a student in unaware that Haiti is a LDC, and an alternative assumption of wealth could be considered.

Sadosk, Paivio and Goetz, (1991) go on to suggest that there are some concerns around the use of abstract imagery and the user of colour that can create ‘a schema within a schema’. This has implications when considering connections and a value ordering or assessment – does red suggest a greater significant than blue, for example.

Actions From this my actions is to consider how we can use dual coding to support understanding of geographical processes and to support knowledge acquisition in lessons. However, of more significance the applications of my research for recall tasks for year 10 and year 9 students with the topics taught in lock down and its application for recall revision tasks for exam preparation. The KS3 curriculum update in geography presents an opportunity to experiment with graphic schemas / organisers too.

References Muijs D and Bokhove C: Metacognition and Self-Regulation: Evidence Review (May 2020) https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Metacognition_and_selfregulation_review.pdf?mc_cid=932932a66b&mc_eid=ae4beee33e Education Endowment Foundation (accessed April 2020) https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/metacognition-and-self-regulation/ Oliver Caviglioli Seneca Talk - Seneca Virtual TeachMeet with Oliver Caviglioli: Using Dual Coding to Organise Ideas (20/5/20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7ULYd02vbo&t=144s Oliver Caviglioli – Dual Coding for Teachers CPD on Seneca https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/9375f141-2704-49d8-a754-e142c7aad967 Oliver Caviglioli : Dual Coding for Teachers (2019). John Catt Educational Ltd Sweller, J : Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning, Cognitive Science, 12, 257-285 (1988).

Michael Chiles (2020): The CRAFT of assessment. John Catt Educational Ltd Michael Chiles Seneca Talk – Senenca Virtual TeachMeet - The use of Feedback to Support Pupils in Closing Knowledge Gaps (29/4/20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJI0_FabYLk Michael Chiles (2020): The CRAFT of assessment – Seneca CPD https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/0ca96d36-7b23-451b-bac3-a78ec368872f Chartered College of Teaching (2019) Using cognitive load theory to improve slide show presentations. https://impact.chartered.college/

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Jones, K (2020) Examples of Dual Coding in the classroom https://lovetoteach87.com/2019/05/02/examples-of-dual-coding-in-the-classroom/ also at @87history Sadosk, Paivio and Goetz (1991) A critique of schema theory and in reading and a dual coding alternative. Reading Research Quarterly: Wiley-Blackwell.

Clark, J. M. and Paivio, A (1991) Dual Coding Theory and Education. Educational Psychology Review, VoL 3, No. 3.

Teacher Toolkit (2020) - https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2019/04/08/dual-coding/

Nila Pretty - How can we use metacognition to encourage students?

Motivating students to engage in learning and develop strategies to enhance their learning with particular focus on speaking skills “Developing pupils’ metacognitive knowledge of how they learn—their knowledge of themselves as a learner, of strategies, and of tasks—is an effective way of improving pupil outcomes.” ( Education Endowment Foundation website.)

The issue Pupils in year 10x had not had a good experience of languages the previous year, having had supply teachers for most of the year and I needed to motivate them and develop their confidence, especially in terms of speaking skills. A large majority of this class would not even answer short questions in the target language during a lesson. My aim was to develop their confidence in approaching the speaking exam as well as spontaneous talk in the classroom so that learning would take place accidentally. I employed these strategies with my other year 10 group as well.

Target Students All students in 10X (demotivated class) and 10Y. Research 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C3uwsYZNsE Guide to Success in the Photocard Strategies learned from this research: •

Turn the questions into your sentence starter for your answer – you may repeat the sentence starters, variety not key here in mark scheme

• • • • •

Highlight that tu mi / te gustaría me gustaría Give 3 sentences for each bullet point/question, each with a verb There must also be an opinion and justification within your answers All questions must be answered, including 2 unpredictable elements Not too much information is required, 5 sentences

2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPIfHDNpGHQ&t=222s Guide to Role Play

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Strategies: instruct students to…

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Read through the tasks / read the blurb at the top to establish context/ look at question mark to establish what they need to ask during the test/ establish whether to address the teacher formally or informally / translate the bullet points (I’m not sure I agree here because of time constraints – they only have 12 minutes to prepare the photocard and role play ) / write up their script Highlight to students : - There are 2 marks for each bullet point – communication needs to be clear - Keep it short, to the point - If the bullet point asks for opinión/razón – you must give an opinion/ reason otherwise DON’T - You may ask the teacher to repeat a prompt at any time – note on your paper ‘¿Puede repetir por favor?

3 The Language Teacher Toolkit – Steve Smith/ Gianfranco Conti Pair and group work using Kagan Cooperative Learning.

Use of target language, ‘…our view is that the vast majority of classroom interactions should be in L2 (language 2) …. whether you believe that L2 is gradually acquired through through natural unconscious means or lean towards the ‘cognitive code’ or ‘skill theory’…it is quite clear that for language to stick in students’ minds they need to hear as much of it as possible…’

Gianfranco Conti’s Facebook page (Global innovative language teachers) : I learned of 4,3,2 technique here and loved it.

4 AQA Webinar: Strategies to prepare students for the speaking exam This webinar incorporated an analysis of the exam requirements for speaking, examination of the grade descriptors for each question type and techniques and strategies for preparing learners.

Explicit activities learned How do you say? • Quiz Quiz Trade for Qs. (kagan method) • Image recall for spontaneity. • Collective memory. • Chunking. • Tricycle. • Speaking train (loop starter) The teaching processes and strategies that I carried out were as follows: •

• •

Teaching of key classroom phrases in the target language and rewards for using them as a real means of communication in the day-to-day business of teaching and learning. I reiterated these at the beginning of every half term.

Using the target language myself as much as possible to greet pupils/ give instructions/ correct negative behaviours.

Incorporating some of the activities learned from research I found the Kagan method particularly useful for starters and plenaries as well as the speaking train. ‘Speed dating’ when assessing and practising was a popular activity as this not only saved time for the teacher but encouraged pupils to work with a variety of people, and although this took them out of their comfort zone (where I believe most of our learning happens!) it gave

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them the opportunity to hear a variety of performances. I did not have the chance to develop annotation of photocards, which I am keen to do.

Each half term, as a department, we focus on one aspect of the exam for assessment purposes.

For speaking, this involved sharing strategies with students, to tackle the photocard and role play tasks followed by informed practice and then evaluation of their own performance. We took the following approach.

- Talk through examples (power points) - Break down tasks with associated strategies - Listen to an example from AQA student exemplar work and mark/evaluate using examiners’ criteria - Prepare own photocard / role play task, using the PALM mat - Self-evaluation through feedback form after evaluative discussion with teacher. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) website , “Self-regulated learners are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and can motivate themselves to engage in, and improve, their learning.”

4,3,2 technique – I’ve not yet had the opportunity to use this but will be trialling it next week with year 10

Evaluation Most students responded well to the strategies employed and are developing their confidence in tackling the speaking tasks. The evaluation of speaking skills has gone well, and helped students feel proud of their strengths and reflect on how to improve the areas they need to develop. Spontaneous talk in the classroom is used by some, but the majority still fall into the habit of speaking in English and tend to panic when I speak too much Spanish, even if I support this with mime, gesture and visuals to aid understanding.

What next?

Looking to year 11 for these students, I would like to develop further the strategy of photocard annotation and also train the students on how to ask questions. Preparation needs to begin for the third part of the speaking exam, the general conversation, and I will be applying what I have learned to help students prepare for this. I also would like to try out other engaging activities such as the collective memory activity. 100% use of the target language as a real means of communication by the teacher and pupils so as to encourage accidental learning and to create an authentic atmosphere in the classroom would be my ideal and I will continue to strive for this!

Suggested reading/ learning: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/metacognition-and-selfregulated-learning/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C3uwsYZNsE Guide to Success in the Photocard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPIfHDNpGHQ&t=222s Guide to Role Play The Language Teacher Toolkit – Steve Smith/ Gianfranco Conti #MFL twitterati on Twitter

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Facebook: Global innovative languages teachers AQA Webinar Powerpoints – Sharepoint – MFL – Faculty – CPD

PHOTO CARD PALM Mat (from AQA)

Photocard (extract from resource made by VEL to teach strategies)

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Role play feedback form (author: NLP)

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Kagan Structure Examples

4,3,2 Technique (from Global Innovative Languages Teachers)

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Gemma Calloway - Pursuing Knowledge Mastery Maybe it’s a milestone thing, but when I hit 30 next year, I want to be (theoretically) knowledgeable enough for The Chase (I’d never dare apply though.)

I’ve read thousands of books, but rely on me in a £4000 question to tell you which book J.M. Barrie famously wrote, and I’ll kick myself. The title won’t come. It’s frustrating not being able to recall things that I know I know. …Or do I?! *** Part of my interest has been in reading around ‘mastery and autonomy’ – and the idea that, perhaps, knowledge is at its truest when it appears in the mind with very little effort.

Thus, whilst my interest in cognitive science has a personal tale attached, it is- of course- the students whom I want to invest in. Throughout this CPD, I have been zealous to read new materials and consume literature within the educational contexts of: • •

Retaining knowledge in the Long Term Memory Furthering autonomy for students

According to Daniel T. Willingham (a cognitive scientist- who is largely quoted in much of the current material surrounding this topic,) ‘cognitive science’ has changed more in the past 25 years than it has done in the past 25,000 years. In his book, ‘Why Don’t Students Like School?’ (2010) he pinpoints that lack of understanding surrounding ‘memory’ is particularly problematic.

Willingham goes on to ‘bemuse’ the way we view our students- or any person in general, in fact. Instead of feeling amazed by the human capacity to think, he suggests we should pedestal our mind’s limitations.

He claims that humans are “poor thinkers” (when actually asked to ‘think’) (Willingham, 2010: p.2.) This is because- as Chapter 1 goes on to expand- our ‘thinking’ is spent on moving, breathing, speaking and every other intricate thing the human body does. Therefore, when it comes to students, we must teach as if they won’t remember. We must produce recall activities and provide work of a consistently ‘moderate challenge’ (Willingham, 2010.)

Associate Dean of the Institute of Teaching, Peps McCrea, wrote a similarly great book for teachers called ‘Memorable Teaching,’ where he informs us that students must anchor “new insights to existing ones [to] increase their initial connectedness” (2017: p.60.) I am confident we are aware of this as teachers, but that said, I am intrigued by the real extensiveness of recall. I have a question about it: How many times should we revisit the information for it to stay in the Long Term Memory? (I’m sure we often joke in the staff room that we “said it a thousand times” - but is there a number of times something needs to be said in order for students to ‘store’ it?)

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There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer. Some ‘old-skool’ references say 7; some ‘modern’ spins say 70. In the texts I have read, the most recent consensus implies there is no numerical algorithm! Instead, it’s all about understanding different types of memory.

One Primary school source indicates that teachers should predominantly differentiate two parts of the LT memory instead.

‘Primarytimerydotcom’ produced the blog article titled ‘Memory Not Memories…’ (2017,) which discussed: • •

Semantic memory Episodic memory

https://primarytimery.com/2017/09/16/memory-not-memories-teaching-for-long-term-learning/ Semantic memory is more ‘robotic’ and explains the way we can remember facts. Knowing what ‘the capital of France is’ might be remembered here, for example. This type of memory is not attached to emotion: instead it processes ideas and concepts (Memory not Memories, 2017.) This is the type of memory I think we more regularly pursue in our daily school life.

Semantic memory can move across contexts and topics, whereas episodic memory is contextually and emotionally bound.

For episodic memory, I remember when I got married (good job,) and I can even recollect minor details about the day- such as two Aunties wearing matching walking boots by coincidence (who wouldn’t remember that?) Perhaps problematically, then, if students are distracted by their experiences in the classroom, students can “sometimes remember the contextual tags but not the actual learning” (Memory not Memories, 2017.) Therefore, it is generally more favourable to teach for semantic tags.

Semantic tags help to attain the long-term autonomous learning we want for our students.

Primarytimerdotcom blog (it really is an excellent resource- despite the mouthful,) say that semantic memory is twined with the ‘richness’ of prior knowledge. The producer gives an example: if we want students to learn about the Norman Conquest, then they’ll be hugely advantaged if they’ve already got items of Roman invasion or World War 2 stored in their long term memory (Memory Not Memories, 2017.) Students will then be able to extend connections in their mind much more effectively.

Dr. Efrat Frust (a cognitive-neuroscientific researcher specialising in Teaching & Learning,) has a diagram that hosts the cognitive science concisely. She provides the following visual (2018) on her web page titled ‘Learning in the Brain’ -

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(https://sites.google.com/view/efratfurst/learning-in-the-brain) We follow the ‘English Mastery’ programme for our KS3 students at Cowes Enterprise College, and I feel that Dr. Furst’s diagram demonstrates much of the design which underpins this curriculum. The English Mastery lessons (for all Year 7 and Year 8 students- and year 9 come September,) religiously provides quizzes and retrieval activities for both Grammar and Literature strands. The curriculum is very overt in striving for student mastery and automaton.

I highly recommend Dr. Furst’s article. She explains: 1. The first step of new knowledge is ‘initial encounter’ (to ‘know.’) Her image represents connections of the neurons. She explains that newly taught information may establish a connection to prior knowledge.

2. The ‘understand’ stage is when the concept becomes ‘meaningful.’

3. The ‘use’ stage builds ‘pathways.’ New knowledge should be applied to various contexts.

4. Subsequently, students ‘master’ the new info.- and can recall it ‘even automatically’ (Dr. Efrat Frust, 2018.)

With this in mind, Peps McCrea also states that “the retrieval effect should become the bedrock of our teaching” (2017: p.24.) Instead of seeing quizzing as an assessment tool, he says it is a powerful learning and retrieval tool to achieve mastery. Students should be explicitly told that question-answer tasks are learning tools and teachers should use them explicitly as such.

McCrea states that we spend too little time educating youngsters on how memory works- when memory underpins their learning. He is accusatory that memory has become associated with “out of favour practices such as rote learning and drill” (Mcrea, 2017: p.24.) Worse still, students typically view these types of activities as ‘tests.’ McCrea says the answer is to make quizzes and retrieval tasks the ‘norm’ every lesson. Furthermore, he says to “recycle” familiar tasks, because “predictability breeds trust [in the learning methods, as well as the teacher.]” (Mcrea, 2017: p.51.)

When I first went into teaching, my training course upheld a very skills-based bias. Whilst skills will always remain core to reading and writing, I have learnt that saturating students in rich, diverse knowledge is just as important. The evidence is in the fact that our Year 7 students can write in depth 156

about Victorian life and injustice in Oliver Twist, because we have recalled this information repeatedly over time. (Traditionally, I may have taught them to dissect a metaphor and hope it’d be enough for students to ‘sniff out’ the sense of injustice.)

I suppose, ideally, it’s about allowing knowledge and skill to become truly ‘bound’ - in the same way that we might ‘master’ riding a bike. The skill becomes something we do, and the knowledge allows us to explain ‘how to ride a bike.’

This is why the cognitive scientists are telling us to deliver our teaching material over a long period of time (in accordance with ‘spaced learning.’) I like what Peps McCrea says on this: we need to “teach like its architecture” (2017: p.69.) I like the idea of visualising my students’ brains as precarious structures: we must measure up and plan the amount of information we can ‘balance on their heads’ in each part of the plan. In the words of McCrea, “it is accepting that quality teaching takes time” (2017: p.105.) And whilst earlier I referenced Willingam’s view of humans as generally bad ‘thinkers,’ Willingham celebrates memory in the same way McCrea and Dr. Furst do. He claims “your memory system is much more reliable than your thinking system, and it provides answers quickly and with little effort” (Willingham, 2010: p.5.)

Maybe students should be told that teachers want to be fully-fledged LTM Neuron Navigators. We are, quite literally, trying to ‘get in their heads.’ I am inclined to agree that it could massively boost students’ confidence if they knew about the workings of their own memory.

According to Guinness World Record Holder, Kevin Horsley (who memorised Pi,) the belief about one’s own memory potential is crucial. In the book, ‘Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies,’ Horsley says that if you believe you have a bad memory, then it may stop you from remembering things- or, at the very least, stop you feeling motivated to remember (2016.) When students come to my KS4 classes and I quiz them, they have (typically negative) ideas about their own memory capacity. Some will say: “Miss, I have a terrible memory!”

My instinct is often empathy.

By comparison, my Year 7 and Year 8 classes are in the routine of consistent quiz and recall. Mastery lessons begin with a retrieval task for the ‘Do Now,’ as well as a quiz question at the end of each lesson.

In addition to this, students are quizzed in full every fortnight. They are also given clear retrieval Q&A throughout every single lesson. Henceforth, I believe these KS3 students are sustaining (and improving) confidence in their ability to recall and remember. Students are getting questions right- often.

I want to return to the beginning of my review and admit: when I first started watching The Chase, I felt deflated because I rarely got a question right. However, having watched the show on catch-up for the past year (and more during lockdown- shh!) my answers are significantly more accurate. I am familiar with the ‘routines’ of the show, and I have built up a confidence that I have a much better memory than I previously gave myself credit for.

And whilst I won’t go winning a few grand on national TV, my silly ‘before-I-turn-30-goal’ is adding to my appreciation of how my students can retain information more effectively.

References: •

Frust, Dr. E (2018) Learning in the Brain [blog] Updated December 2018. Available at https://sites.google.com/view/efratfurst/learning-in-the-brain [Accessed 3 June 2020].

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Horsley, K (2016) Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and be More Productive: TCKPublishing.com McCrea, P. (2017) Memorable Teaching: Leveraging Memory to Build Deep and Durable Learning in the Classroom: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Primarytimerydotcom (2017) Memory not memories: teaching for Long Term Learning. [blog] 16 September. Available at https://primarytimery.com/2017/09/16/memory-not-memoriesteaching-for-long-term-learning/ [Accessed 2 June 2020].

Willingham, Daniel T. (2010) Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What it Means for the Classroom: Jossey Bass; 1st Edition edition.

•

Julia Doughan – How can we developing writing skills among underachieving pupil premium students in year 10?

Summary of the main findings: • •

Metacognition is a useful tool in developing confidence in tackling written questions in MFL Metacognition can help to improve engagement

One of the areas that all students find difficult is developing a strong answer in the productive skills of writing and speaking. With the writing in particular, students are daunted by the idea of having to produce 40 words in the target language let alone 90 or a 150. The other issue, even as they grow in confidence, is being able to include the range of language that they will need. The more able can usually put together an adequate piece of writing or speaking that will include some good language and the majority of students will follow suggestions to include an opinion and a reason for their opinions. However, even when these requirements are taken on board, in practice most students stay within their comfort zone and are reluctant to venture further into what they feel is unsafe territory but where they absolutely need to go in order to achieve at the highest level available to them. Consequently, the aim of this research is to investigate strategies which give students the tools and the confidence to tackle written questions more effectively.

The target group is pupil premium students who are currently underachieving. The research into metacognition, which is the approach that I shall be using, has shown it to be particularly effective for students from disadvantaged families in raising their attainment levels (Peirce, 2003). Additionally, a 2014 study into improving writing quality funded by the Education Endowment Foundation suggested that year 6 students using metacognitive techniques which helped them to plan, monitor and evaluate their work, achieved up to nine months’ additional progress compared to a similar cohort not using these methods. In my year 10 Spanish and French classes I have a number of underachieving PP students that I hope will benefit from this approach.

The focus for CPD within the Languages Faculty was metacognition and self-regulated learning. This has included AQA training on improving performance in the speaking and writing exams. The one thing that all the training has had in common is an emphasis on the importance of making explicit the requirements of each type of question and giving students the tools to build the knowledge and to recognise the strategies they need to use to produce a good answer. This is an important feature of the metacognitive approach.

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There is a lot of research on which strategies have the greatest impact on student outcomes, for example, Sean Killian (2019) mentions six high-impact teaching strategies on the website, Evidence Based Teaching. These include feedback, worked examples, concept mapping and time for practice.

Interestingly, most of the strategies mentioned tie in well with the theme of metacognition and the three main components of planning, monitoring and evaluation. The Education Endowment Foundation, has produced comprehensive guidance on the efficacy and use of metacognition, which further elaborates on these three components and develops them into a seven step approach, which can be seen below:

Developing students’ metacognition has been demonstrated through research to be both highly effective and low cost (Education Endowment Foundation). It is also an approach which, to an extent, is something that teachers do unconsciously all the time, and, as such, is very easy to incorporate into teaching. Taylor (1999) defines metacognition as ‘an appreciation of what one already knows, together with a correct apprehension of the learning task and what knowledge and skill it requires, combined with the agility to make correct inferences about how to apply one’s strategic knowledge’.

This supposes that, if students can be made aware of their thinking processes and can differentiate between the strategies available to them and how best to apply them to different tasks, they will become more successful learners. This comes back to explicitly teaching different strategies for specific types of question as emphasised in the AQA training. One thing that has been shown not to be successful is trying to teach thinking skills independently of subject context (Peirce, 2003). As a result it is important to give students access to a range of strategies, but only as they pertain to the specific task in hand.

Another key aspect of metacognition is encouraging students to talk through their thought processes at each step, whether that be planning, monitoring or evaluating. This enables the teacher to pick up on problems or misconceptions that they may have as well as helping them to clarify their own thinking and therefore develop their metacognitive skills (Peirce, 2003).

One further point is the effect that greater self-awareness as a learner might have on motivation and self-regulation. Students who can attribute their failures to an ineffective strategy rather than an innate inability to do a subject well, are more likely to be motivated to try again until they do get it right. This may help to increase engagement among my target group, the majority of whom are lacking in motivation.

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Given the lack of confidence most in my target group have when approaching a written task, equipping them with the tools to understand what it is they are doing when they tackle a task alongside the strategies that they need to employ to develop a good piece of writing would be very beneficial.

I mentioned above the seven steps outlined by the Education Endowment Foundation in their guidance, the first of which is ‘activating prior knowledge’ and metacognition has to work in concert with cognition, or good subject knowledge. Consequently, it is crucial that strategies for learning vocabulary and grammar effectively have been firmly embedded already.

A few examples are given in the guidance as to how this seven step process might look when employed within a subject specific context I have focussed on answering the forty word question using this process. The main difference between this and how I might have taught it before is the emphasis on explicitly teaching strategies and discussing our thinking along the way.

1. Activating prior knowledge: Students are told that they will be developing answers to a 40 word question and are encouraged to recap what the key features of a good piece of writing are. They discuss amongst themselves what they will need to include before feeding back to the class. They usually mention the inclusion of opinions and reasons for these opinions. They might also talk about the need to use connectives or a range of adjectives and adverbs. Once they have established what sort of structures they need to use, students then look at the specific question and discuss the vocabulary they will need to draw on.

2. Explicit strategy instruction: The next step is working out which strategy to use. So, for example using the question below:

The bullet points are the crux of the question and students are reminded how important it is that they address each one. They are also told the importance of changing vous to je in their answer. Another specific strategy is how to use an opinion to deal with unknown vocabulary, for example, with a bullet point such as: les bâtiments where they are unaware what it means, they could simply write: ‘j’aime les bâtiments’ and that bullet point would be adequately covered.

3. Modelling of learned strategy: I would show them how to construct their first bullet point using the structures that they will already have mentioned, namely a basic answer followed by an opinion and a reason. For example: j’habite sur l’Île de Wight. J’adore ma région parce que c’est jolie.

4. Memorisation of strategy: Students would then be encouraged to tackle the second and third bullet points collaboratively with me writing up their suggestions on the board to allow them to start to memorise the strategy.

5. Guided practice: The fourth bullet point would be completed by students working in pairs. I would write a few of their examples on the board and encourage them to talk about how they got there.

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6. Independent practice: Students would then be given another similar practice question which they would have a go at completing for themselves with some support from me where necessary.

7. Structured reflection: Finally, they would have a chance to look at each other’s work and discuss and evaluate it using a checklist. Where possible, I have also given individual feedback to students and encouraged them to talk through their thought processes both individually and as a group.

Unfortunately, I feel that I have not been able to give this method enough time and practice due to lockdown, however, the Oak National Academy resources clearly draw on this method and use the acronym BORDUM (basic answer, opinion, reason, development, unusual language and merge) to help students recognise the strategies they are using.

I felt after reading the Education Endowment Fund’s guidance that this approach would enable students to take control of their own learning by really thinking about the processes they use to approach a question. It gives them confidence as they go in armed with pre-learned strategies which make the task appear less daunting. The research points towards the effectiveness of the approach in building resilience and self awareness in learners both of which are essential skills. If a student knows that only ten words are needed for each bullet point which they can achieve by including a basic answer and an opinion, followed by a reason, they already have the skeleton of an answer that will enable them to achieve a good mark. They then only need to develop one or two bullet points further to reach the forty words. If they can also use an example of uncommon language and use connectives to link the phrases, they will have access to full marks. Most students were able to do this collaboratively and later, independently in the classroom. The test then was to see how they fared under exam conditions.

Evaluation Most students did improve on their grades from the previous exam and showed a much better grasp of the requirements of the forty word question. They also seemed more confident and engaged with this type of question. However, among the target group results were less clear cut as many were still missing some basic knowledge. One point mentioned in the research is that building students’ skill in metacognition takes time (Peirce, 2003) and it can be up to four months before an appreciable difference is seen. It may be the case that there was not enough time before we went into lockdown to really get to grips with this approach and see an impact within the target group.

I am looking forward to developing this approach further when we get back to classroom teaching. It will be interesting to see whether the continued use of this method will have an effect on the target group as well as on other students. So far, the results have been positive but, with lockdown it has not been possible to do further classroom based research. I would also like to focus more on the use of metacognition for learning vocabulary and key structures given that, as mentioned above, without that basic knowledge being in place, all other strategies fall down.

The guidance provided by the Education Endowment Foundation was very useful in formulating my research and most of the other reading I did came back to the overarching themes and strategies set out in that document. I also drew a lot on William Peirce’s article on metacognition which was developed from a PGCE lecture.

References: AQA Developing skills for the new speaking and writing, webinar and literature to support it 161

AQA Effective exam preparation, webinar and literature to support it Killian, S. (2019) 6 High-Impact teaching strategies, Evidence based teaching (website) Peirce, W. (2003) Metacognition: Study Strategies, Monitoring and Motivation Quigley, A., Mujis, D, Stringer, E. Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning, Education Endowment Foundation.

Taylor, S. (1999) Better learning through better thinking: Developing students’ metacognitive abilities.

Journal of College Reading and Learning

Karen Beck - Cognitive load awareness in relation to Powerpoints in English lessons For several years now, the amount of detail witnessed on Powerpoint presentations has bothered me: it appeared that ‘all singing; all dancing’ was being heralded as the way to keep students better engaged in a lesson. Slideshows seemed to be overloaded with ‘useful’ hints and tips and repeated instructions which appeared to clutter key learning points and detract from the actual teaching in lessons. Student reactions also appeared to vary: from trying to assimilate all the detail on each slide to ignoring the slides altogether (neither approach being obviously very successful).

Reading through various articles on cognitive learning, it would appear that current thinking would ‘agree’ somewhat with this (common-sense based) theory. With the increasingly common practice of delivering externally produced material in English lessons, how should such Powerpoint presentations be adapted to acknowledge the various cognitive abilities in the average English class?

To enhance delivery in my own lessons, the key aspects I have set out to explore are: • • •

How much of what I say is actually taken on board by students?

What are the best ways of delivering new skills (in English)?

How much variation in delivery is needed to accommodate a mixed ability class?

COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM (Dominic Shibli and Rachel West) First of all let’s get to grips with the concept of cognitive load. The theory identifies three different forms of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load: the inherent difficulty of the material itself, which can be influenced by prior knowledge of the topic; extraneous cognitive load: the load generated by the way the material is presented and which does not aid learning; germane cognitive load: the elements that aid information processing and contribute to the development of ‘schemas’.

According to Gathercole and Alloway (Gathercole and Alloway, 2007), indications of working memory failures include: incomplete recall, failing to follow instructions, place-keeping errors, task abandonment. Traits, I’m sorry to say, evident to some extent in previous lessons. It would appear that lessons that use PowerPoint with excessive writing and the teacher talking at the same time, can inadvertently generate excessive cognitive load and lead to working memory failures.

Van Merriënboer et al. (Van Merriënboer et al., 2003) recommend using simple-to-complex sequencing to try to reduce cognitive load. They advise starting with worked-out examples (where a 162

full solution is shown, which students then have to apply to a new question), then moving into completion assignments (where a partial solution is given and they have to complete it themselves), and then moving to conventional tasks, where they are simply given the question. A closer look is, therefore, needed in the overall format of lessons, at different stages of the learning process, whereby Powerpoint presentations are used to aid delivery.

Cognitive load theory in practice (NSW CESE) The steps suggested in this document are fine when regarding a class of similar ability students: STRATEGY 1 Tailor lessons according to students’ existing knowledge and skill ‘Element interactivity effect’.

STRATEGY 2 Use worked examples to teach students new content or skills: ‘Worked example effect’.

STRATEGY 3 Gradually increase independent problem-solving as students become more proficient: ‘Expertise reversal effect’.

STRATEGY 4 Cut out inessential information: ‘Redundancy effect’.

STRATEGY 5 Present all the essential information together: ‘Split-attention effect’.

STRATEGY 6 Simplify complex information by presenting it both orally and visually: ‘Modality effect’.

STRATEGY 7 Encourage students to visualise concepts and procedures that they have learnt: ‘Imagination effect’.

However, when delivered to a mixed ability class, using the vehicle of Powerpoint presentation, other aspects need to be considered.

Listening to Oliver Caviglioni (The Teacher in the Classroom 21), there are 4 main mistakes to be avoided: CUT – avoid too much content on one slide.

CHUNK – clear headings; give the gist so that students believe they can ‘get it’. Verbally challenge once students on board, which can be tailored to more specific individual needs.

ALIGN – tidy layout, make sure important detail to foreground (fade out chart lines – if even needed).

RESTRAIN – 2 fonts max (1 serif; 1 sans serif); avoid distracting colour usage (especially if interfering with ability to read material).

He also advises to avoid unnecessary images but, where an aid to learning, specifically point out visual images, using them for explanations, and signalling specific aspects (i.e. of a diagram), perhaps revealing bit by bit to enhance student focus. Where possible, though, Caviglioni’s strongest recommendation is to construct ‘live’ on whiteboards (to give a human touch); as a society, we’ve become immune to pre-constructed, polished perfection. The most important detail to note: the Powerpoint should not be designed to stand alone (although that is useful in our current homelearning situation) but rather be seen as an aid to what is being delivered by the teacher. In addition, he cites Rosenshine’s 10 Principles of Instruction: 1. Begin the lesson with a review of previous learning.

2. Present new material in small steps.

3. Ask a large number of questions (and to all students).

4. Provide models and worked examples.

5. Practise using the new material.

6. Check for understanding frequently and correct errors.

7. Obtain a high success rate.

8. Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks.

9. Independent practice.

10. Monthly and weekly reviews.

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However, what also needs to be considered is, as students develop expertise in a particular area, the information that was once essential becomes counter-productive. Providing too much guidance can cause more expert students to try and crosscheck the teacher’s guidance against what they already know. This crosschecking causes an unnecessary load on students’ working memories, but does not add anything to their understanding. This has occasionally been evident yr9 English lessons whereby a formulaic approach to GCSE question responses has thrown a couple of the brightest girls who had previously engaged in such activities without this apparent ‘self-doubt’.

2003 The expertise reversal effect (Sweller, J., Ayres, P. L., Kalyuga, S. & Chandler P.A.) A large number of cognitive load theory (CLT) effects that can be used to recommend instructional designs are, in fact, only applicable to learners with very limited experience. For more experienced learners, rather than risking conflict between schemas and instruction-based guidance, it may be preferable to eliminate the instruction-based guidance. In a mixed-ability classroom, the tendency is to over-teach key concepts – through a Power point - for the less able, but this may well be hindering the progress of those who have already grasped the key concepts. While I have been loading my more able with additional and supplemental material, what I need to do is more consciously change the way the Powerpoint is actually used in the makeup of the lesson.

When different sources of information are separated in space (e.g.,text located separately from diagrams) or time (e.g., text presented after or before the diagrams are displayed), this process of information integration may place an unnecessary strain on limited working memory resources. Less knowledgeable learners benefitted from additional explanatory material, but more knowledgeable learners were better able to process the material without the additions. Kalyuga et al. (1998) and Yeung et al. (1998) proposed that, for experienced learners, eliminating redundant material is advantageous because it reduces the cognitive load associated with processing redundant information in working memory. McNamara et al. (1996) argued that high-knowledge students benefitted from the minimally coherent text because it forced them to engage actively in additional processing of the text.

Therefore, a simplified slide – but with an image that cannot be ignored – can be very effective as an aid to learning. Supplementary material can afterwards be provided to assist those in need of greater support.

Indeed, effective working memory capacity can be increased by presenting some information in an auditory and some in a visual modality. For example, the negative consequences of split attention may be ameliorated by associating a visual diagram with spoken rather than written text. However, auditory explanations may also become redundant when presented to more experienced learners.

Kalyuga et al. (2000) demonstrated that if experienced learners attend to the auditory explanations, learning might be inhibited while properly designed worked examples are often a better instructional alternative than conventional problem-solving techniques. On the other hand, when a problem can be solved relatively effortlessly, analyzing redundant worked example and integrating it with previously acquired schemas in working memory may impose a greater cognitive load than problem solving.

Under these circumstances, practice in problem solving may result in more effective learning than studying worked examples because solving problems may adequately facilitate further schema construction and automation. Awareness of students’ prior knowledge is therefore essential in creating the right learning environment for any particular lesson.

The mixed-ability classroom needs to be constantly accommodating a variety of individual learning needs which will constantly change according to topic and motivation. Pollock, Chandler, and Sweller 164

(2002) suggested an isolated elements instructional technique that allows novices to circumvent working memory limitations by initially presenting complex material as a collection of individual, isolated elements of information. This initial learning without understanding is assumed to be compensated for by a better level of understanding at the second phase of instruction. More knowledgeable students who held appropriate prerequisite schemas found imagining procedures and relations more beneficial for learning compared with studying worked examples, whereas less knowledgeable students found imagining procedures and relations had a negative effect compared with studying worked examples. Imagination instructions benefit more experienced learners compared with study instructions, but study instructions are superior for novices, providing an example of the expertise reversal effect.

For example, a Year 9 English class studying Shakespeare could be presented with an extract from the important first scene of the play. In this scene, many of the major characters and their relationships are introduced, important narrative information is given, and some of the themes of the play are established. The aim of the lesson would be for students to interpret the events, situations and characters in the scene, and to analyse the language used to express ideas about a major theme of the play.

To make it easier for the students to understand the extract, two forms of worked examples could be used: a worksheet with an excerpt from the play (under every line of the original Shakespearean text, is an explanatory line to simplify the verse into contemporary English) to read independently; then a series of scaffolding questions to help the students understand how the author has used language to express thematic ideas. The heavy cognitive load (of accessing Shakespeare) is thereby reduced by worked examples. This could be introduced and / or enhanced by visual imagery (on a PPT), depicting ideas associated with either a character or theme, thereby generating discussion before, during and after the lesson.

USING COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY TO IMPROVE SLIDESHOW PRESENTATIONS (Andy Tharby) As previously established, the third type of cognitive load, germane load, is desirable. It is the load placed on working memory that contributes directly to genuine learning – in other words, the nourishing and productive thinking that causes our students to form and consolidate long-term memories.

Therefore, a good slideshow presentation should: remain mindful of the intrinsic load of the task, reduce extraneous load, increase germane load. I shouldn’t read out text that is already written on the slide (unless students are unable to read it independently) because it overloads working memory; students cannot process two types of language input simultaneously. Images to support complex and conceptual ideas are preferable. The dual coding theory suggests that presenting language and images together enhances learning (Paivio , 1971). When designing a PowerPoint presentation, I need to consider what information the students need to take away with them - 3 simple key messages - and reduce use of text as much as possible.

To conclude, there’s a lot more work to be done to fully take all of these aspects on board but there is also a lesson here for anyone planning to deliver a Powerpoint presentation to any class or, indeed, a group of colleagues. The presentation should support the key aspects being delivered; not replace nor confuse the message being delivered by the speaker themselves.

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Louis Mircescu - Use of concrete versus abstract learning materials INTRODUCTION Particularly in a subject such as mathematics it has long been debated whether concrete or abstract instructional materials are more effective at developing learners.

This literature review will focus on considering the above independently, whilst also analysing a the potential benefits of a blended approach to delivery of teaching, whereby their advantages are combined.

MAIN BODY Concrete materials Concrete materials, which include physical or virtual objects, are widely used in western classrooms. (Bryan et al. 2007), and this practice has support in both psychology and education (Piaget 1970).

Some of the potential benefits of concrete materials are: •

provide a practical context that can activate real-world knowledge (Schliemann and Carraher 2002)

•

they can induce physical or imagined action, which has been shown to enhance memory and understanding (Glenberg 2004)

•

they enable learners to construct their own knowledge of abstract concepts (Brown et al.

2009)

•

they recruit brain regions associated with perceptual processing, and it is estimated that 25–40 % of the human cortex is dedicated to visual information processing (Evans-Martin 2005)

However, there are several reasons to caution against the use of concrete materials during learning: •

they often contain extraneous perceptual details, which can distract the learner from relevant information (e.g., Belenky and Schalk 2014)

•

draw attention to themselves rather than their referents (e.g., Uttal et al. 1997)

•

constrain transfer of knowledge to novel problems (e.g., Goldstone and Sakamoto 2003)

Abstract Materials Several researchers recommend avoiding concrete materials in favour of abstract materials, which eliminate extraneous perceptual details.

Some advantages are: •

abstract materials offer increased portability and generalizability to multiple contexts (Kaminski et al. 2009)

•

they also focus learners’ attention on structure and representational aspects, rather than on surface features (Kaminski et al. 2009)

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However, abstract materials to have downsides: •

solving problems in abstract form often leads to inefficient solution strategies (Koedinger and Nathan 2004)

•

inflexible application of learned procedures (McNeil and Alibali 2005)

•

illogical errors (Carraher and Schliemann 1985)

According to Nathan (2012), abstract materials run the risk of leading learners to manipulate meaningless symbols without conceptual understanding.

The combined approach Concreteness fading approach advocates that advantages of the above two methods are combined. It was first recommended by Bruner (1966).

He proposed that new concepts and procedures should be presented in three progressive forms: (1) an enactive form, which is a physical, concrete model of the concept; (2) an iconic form, which is a graphic or pictorial model; and finally (3) a symbolic form, which is an abstract model of the concept.

The above is seen as a 3-step approach. Braithwaite and Goldstone (2013) also examined a two-step fading progression. It was found that concrete first and abstract second has a similar effect as abstract-only methods of teaching. In contrast it was found that abstract first and concrete second is not effective. However, the 3step approach, according to Bruner (1966) is most effective.

The 3-step approach was further supported in a study McNeil and Fyfe (2012) carried out on undergraduate students. They learnt modular arithmetic in one of three conditions: concrete, in which the concept was presented using meaningful images; abstract, in which the concept was presented using arbitrary, abstract symbols; or concreteness fading, in which the concept was presented using meaningful images that were faded into abstract symbols. The concreteness fading progression included an intermediate, “faded” stage that retained the identifiable correspondence between the form and referent, but was stripped of all extraneous perceptual detail. This allowed the concrete and abstract elements to be explicitly linked as mutual referents. Students completed a transfer test immediately, 1 week later, and 3 weeks later. Importantly, students in the concreteness fading condition exhibited the best transfer performance at all three time points When concrete examples are used it is vital that the lesson delivery does not become stuck to concrete example only. According to Dr. Kuepper (2018) a teacher needs to make sure that in their planning they carefully transition to more abstract ideas.

Abstract examples are key in strengthening understanding long term. They allow students to understand the underlying principles and that is key to the students being able to apply said knowledge in a diverse range of questions.

Dr. Kuepper (2018) suggests that the learning process should begin with concrete examples and slowly move to more abstract principles.

Emily R. (2014) further states that the technique of transitioning from concrete to abstract has benefits which include (1) helping learners interpret ambiguous concepts in terms of well understood concrete objects, (2) providing embodied perceptual and physical experiences that can ground abstract thinking, (3) enabling learners to build up a store of memorable images that can be used when abstract symbols lose meaning, and (4) guiding learners to strip away extraneous concrete properties and distill the generic properties.

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It is widely assumed that providing multiple external representations will benefit learners relative to providing a single representation in isolation (Ainsworth 1999).

Although some studies have found support for multiple representations, others have found limited benefits (Ainsworth 2006).

For example, when multiple representations are presented simultaneously, novices often experience cognitive overload due to the burden on limited cognitive resources (e.g., Chandler and Sweller 1992). Further, learners may struggle to understand how the representations are related to one another and fail to extract key concepts (e.g., Ainsworth et al. 2002). Thus, learners need support in relating or integrating the different representations (e.g., Berthold and Renkl 2009).

Kaminski et al. (2008) found that students who learned a math concept only through an abstract example outperformed those who learned through a concrete example followed by an abstract example. However, the examples in this study were presented one after another in isolation, rather than in a fading progression. It is through the gradual and explicit fading that learners can strip the concept of extraneous, concrete properties and grasp the more portable, abstract properties (Bruner 1996) CONCLUSION Much of the above research confirms my current views and experience from a classroom environment.

The research carried out by (Kaminski et al. 2009) argues for an abstract only approach since abstract materials offer increased portability and generalizability to multiple contexts. There are problems with this way of teaching, namely the fact that without concrete example to precede the introduction of abstract examples, students will become confused. This is supported by own classroom experience.

However, the above is highly dependent on the topic being taught to the students. A topic, such as Vectors can be taught to students in an abstract manner, particularly since it is only taught to classes taking the higher GCSE. In contrast attempting to teach a topic such as Probability Tree Diagrams without some preceding concrete and pictorial examples will make extremely difficult for the student to grasp.

A further conclusion to be drawn is that often students of a higher level are better at grasping abstract principles without the need for scaffolding, caveat being that the teacher needs to be careful if taking such as an approach and knowing their group well enough.

On the other hand, students taking a foundation level maths GCSE, will need and greatly benefit from a patient, highly scaffolded approach of introducing a new topic – concrete example (connect to prior learning), pictorial example (connect to the visual learner) and ultimately an abstract example (to foster connectives to various contexts).

That final abstract stage is where you can expect a lower-attaining student to struggle.

In the context of the subject of Maths I believe it is increasingly vital that the right balance is struck between concrete and abstract principles. Particularly in the current landscape which has become increasingly focused on problem solving.

I agree that concrete examples are vital in the learning process, particularly in the initial stages of introducing a new topic. I hold the view that concrete materials connect with learners’ prior knowledge and are easier to grasp for students since they have identifiable correspondences.

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In contrast I believe that introducing abstract materials early in the learning process makes for a steep learning curve due to students’ inability to link to previous learning.

From my own teaching experience, I have often observed that abstract materials introduced to students in a vacuum will lead to an apparent or temporary understanding of the topic. the student is, at the surface, able to answer questions in a parrot fashion, without grasping the underlying principles.

With the ever-changing landscape of GCSE Maths exam questions and with the increased focus on problem solving, students that can manipulate symbols but lack conceptual understanding are unlikely to perform well.

As far as the combined approach is concerned, I agree that by combining their advantages, students will fare better in the long term. An approach that begins with concrete materials and gradually fades toward more abstract ones will create confident learners. Allowing students to benefit from the grounded, concrete examples, fosters increased confidence. This in turn prepares the students for the moment when abstract examples, which are inherently more challenging, are introduced.

The ideal scenario is developing learners that are ultimately able to generalise beyond the concrete context.

For example, using the combined approach in mathematics, the quantity “two” could be: •

represented by two physical apples

•

next by a picture of two dots representing those apples

•

and finally by the Arabic numeral 2

The idea is to start with a concrete, recognizable form and gradually strip away irrelevant details to end with the most economic, abstract form.

I view the 3-step approach as more efficient than 2-step approach. It allows students to bridge the gaps as they transition from concrete to abstract.

Some examples of the 3-step approach are:

There is a strong argument to be made that as students slowly transition from concrete examples to more abstract principles, they should be provided with numerous opportunities to ask and questions. This will allow them and the teacher to identify misconceptions. This is vital if we are to ensure that the student successfully arrives to a stage where they have a through understanding of the underlying abstract principle.

As far as applying this combined approach in my own teaching I find that the topic of Ratios lends itself best to a 3-step approach.

The below is an example from a teaching slide I have used:

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In my opinion the over arching aim of a concreteness fading to abstract teaching approach is to facilitate mastery of a basic concept before introducing new material.

This can only be accomplished by covering fewer topics in depth and employing a process that progresses from concrete to pictorial to abstract.

To finalise the above literature review has confirmed some of my previously held views but more importantly increased my awareness of how to structure a lesson for learners that struggle.

It has made me aware that a 3-step approach to structuring the introduction of a new topic, transitioning from concrete to pictorial to abstract, is the most efficient method to support struggling learners.

The main take away is to look to apply such an approach to an increasing number of topics. The work I have already carried out in the topic of Ratio will serve as a foundation to informing me how to apply similar methods to other topics.

Kelly Daniel - Cognitive Load Theory: A robust and retentive long term memory.

Introduction: Dylan Wiliam tweeted on 26 January 2017 that he had ‘come to the conclusion Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory is the single most important thing for teachers to know. ’ From this statement one might have thought that Wiliam was a ‘newbie’, hadn’t been teaching for very long, otherwise he would have known that this theory isn’t exactly the ‘new kid on the block’. Those of us who are longer in the vocational tooth might have witnessed, over many years of teaching, that if you throw too much information at students they will not be able to process or retain it. In fact, by 2017 Wiliam had enjoyed a long teaching career and had recently retired so perhaps his statement acts as more of an epitaph. Nevertheless, for many of us who are reading around this theory none of the material exactly strikes one as a, ‘Eureka!’ moment.

What we can take away from the most recent research, though, is that with the growing interrelationship between cognitive scientific discovery and teaching, there is at last a growing body of evidence behind what many of us recognise by instinct or experience: a bonus for the empiricists amongst us.

What is Cognitive Load Theory?

The theory identifies three types of cognitive load: Intrinsic: How difficult individual students may find processing new information based on their prior knowledge.

Extraneous: The ‘pressure’ put on a learner regarding how easily they can access new information unrelated to the information itself.

Germane: The elements of acquiring new information which aid how students process new information.

Generally speaking, as teachers, we must aim to activate students’ storage of information in their long term memory as opposed to the more transient information stored in their short term memory. (Willingham) if, “remembering is a good thing; it is the basis for further learning as well as guiding current actions”, then teachers need to take account of how to maximise this in their teaching.

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What are the implications for teaching?

To qualify this for our teaching practise, we might consider the implications this has for us when planning our lessons. For example: When considering intrinsic cognitive load (CL), we might consider that many students may come into a new topic with different levels of prior knowledge. So, how do we establish what they already know? Do we assume some prior knowledge and adjust for those who ‘struggle’ ad hoc?

For extraneous C L we might consider how the type or style of teaching might overload some students. This in turn raises questions: what if some students prefer reading material and highlighting but others are overwhelmed by densely packed type? Should we use lecture style lessons to avoid optical overstimulation (e.g.Powerpoint saturation)?

Germane C L poses more challenging considerations. How can we make sure that students have build up a sound long term memory of the material we want the to draw on during assessment periods? And, how do we make sure that embedded knowledge can be drawn on in a way that is more efficient and cross curricular?

What strategies can we employ to tap into older knowledge to keep it fresh or act as foundations for new knowledge?

What’s the practical application?

You can probably see I have asked more questions about how, as teachers, we tackle the problem of memory retention than provided answers. This is because the answers are multitudinous and controversial.

Take the case of explicit instruction vs discovery teaching. For many years, teachers have been told to take a ‘hands off’ approach to teaching: allow for collaboration, learning through peer groups, providing information and allowing students to form their own conclusions. Cognitive Load Theorists in contrast would argue that this has debilitating effects on those students who do not have an existing ‘scheme’ (Germane C L) to deal with this kind of learning and therefore the teaching material/style (extraneous C L) acts as cognitive overload. They would say that what might have been considered ‘old-fashioned’ teaching (explicit) is more relevant especially when introducing new knowledge.

‘Leading theorists of cognitive load argue:Decades of research clearly demonstrate that for novices (comprising virtually all students), direct, explicit instruction is more effective and more efficient than partial guidance. So, when teaching new content and skills to novices, teachers are more effective when they provide explicit guidance accompanied by practice and feedback, not when they require students to discover many aspects of what they must learn.(Clark, Kirschner & Sweller 2012, p. 6, see also Kirschner, Sweller & Clark 2006) It is important to note that cognitive load theorists do not advocate using all aspects of explicit instruction all the time. Indeed, they recognise the need for learners to be given the opportunity to work in groups and solve problems independently – but assert this should be used as a means for practicing newly learnt content and skills, not to discover information themselves (Clark, Kirschner & Sweller 2012, p. 6).

The Chartered College of Teaching suggest 3 key actions when planning lessons: Break down subject content when introducing new topics and pause regularly to check understanding.

Present instructions clearly without using too many sources of information at the same time.

Be wary of reducing cognitive load too much – the learning process should be manageable, but not overly fragmented.

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Developing literacy Sarah Rouse - How can we face the challenge of mathematical homonyms?

Mastery of language is critical to mastery of mathematics.

In the new Mathematics GCSE, many of the questions are set as worded problem-solving questions.

Often students are capable to complete the maths content but struggle to understand command words and mathematical vocabulary in order to pick the question apart to enable them to know what they are required to do.

Alongside that is the comprehension of vocabulary, especially homonyms where they have met the word previously outside of maths but it has two meanings, one specifically mathematical. The specialised language content may pose a barrier to student comprehension.

At Cowes Enterprise College the students are set by ability for maths. Initially I was aiming this at a mid-set year 9. However the opportunity came, (due to trips etc) to do the research with topsets 7, 8 and 10, with the outcome being implemented back in the year 9 set.

Having read various articles, it is apparent that both in America and UK the comprehension of vocabulary is a growing concern within the community of mathematics teachers.

Dunston and Tyminski point to the specialised language content in Maths creating a social-economic gap in success.

This is a paragraph from thinkmath.edc.org “In casual conversation we can tolerate a fair amount of ambiguity, but in mathematics, ambiguity causes trouble. Mathematics builds new ideas on already established ideas. We can’t build a new idea on “it depends what you mean”, so we need, right at the start, to agree on what we mean. Moreover, we can’t share our discoveries for others unless they agree on the same meanings for the words we use.”

This really hit home with regards to homophones. The class 9 class were just starting a series of lessons on bearings. It would have been easy to assume that by that age they knew what a bearing within mathematics was. When asked, the majority knew there were bearings in their scooters to help the wheels turn smoothly and one girl commented “Don’t we use it to mean carrying? “The three Kings came bearing gifts?”” and then another girl piped up about how in the tv show, The Midwife, they talked about “bearing a child”. One boy said he had used bearings with maps at Scouts.

Clearly it is important we are explicit with the meaning and understanding of words before we start a topic.

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As a maths department we have been focussing on ensuring key words are defined and written down, but I wonder if the students remember and if the comprehension is there.

Livers and Elmore observed classes over a 4 month period to see how vocabulary was being taught.

One of their key findings was repetition matters.

It is easy when moving onto new topics not to use and reteach the previous topics vocabulary. This was evident when the current top set year 10 did their mock paper in March. There were two questions, totalling 5 marks where they needed to describe transformations. Marks are given for correct mathematical descriptions. These are some of their responses.

Obviously, they knew what they wanted to say but could not recall the correct vocabulary required to gain marks.

The article suggests to create opportunities to use, and revise key words and recommends planning a designated keyword 10 minutes every week.

A sentence from the luminous learning website said “If math language isn’t explicitly taught, children learn to disregard the math words and only pay attention to the numbers�

I decided to see whether students could define homophones, both for their mathematical and nonmathematical meanings.

This was the sheet I created using homonyms that had been used in various classes recently.

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It was given to top sets in years 7,8 and 10 to complete.

Here are the results.

It was very enlightening to hear students in all classes saying as they were doing the task “I know what it is but do not know how to define it”. A good example of this was the word ‘face’.

Many students just used the word instead of defining the word eg “house key” or “volume of a shape” They knew what topic and how it was used, but again, not able to define it.

It was also apparent that words that had been used frequently in recent topics, they could define. For example, the word, negative, 84% of the year 7 could write a definition, whereas only 56% of year 8 could.

The word ‘product’ had been used in the previous set of DICE starters for year 7. It was interesting to see that a higher percentage of year 7s could define it than year 8s and 10s. This shows that repetition is key.

When asking students to explain /justify their answers, I insist on them using mathematical language and bounce the idea around the room for improvements until we are all agreed as a class we have a good, solid mathematical explanation.

Stopping each lesson when we use a keyword from that topic and ask someone to define it. (Hoping that the more times they hear the definition it will help to put it into the permanent memory!)

For year 10 putting a term in each DICE task for them to define.

Evaluation There was only a couple of weeks to implement this before lockdown.

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Students in all years were initially frustrated, but then enjoyed having to develop their answers to be more mathematical.

When asked to define a key word, that we were using, most students initially had to look back in their books to read what they had written. But as this was asked many times over several lesson, they all could remember.

For year 10, it was enlightening to them to see what they could and could not define in the DICE starters. It produced discussion around the room about what was acceptable or not as a definition.

Occasionally I put the same word in a few days later. More but not all wrote a correct definition.

The explicit use of vocabulary has come up, even in lockdown, when writing the explanations to students and in emails with students.

What next?

Including vocabulary on year 8,9 and 10 starters, introducing it to year 7 in January.

Planning time for defining key vocabulary using activities and games. Some are listed here.

Reading The Language Factor in Mathematics Tests. Abedi and Lord, 2010 Literacy’s role in boosting maths outcomes. Maria Howard 18 May 2016 https://luminouslearning.com/blogs/sped-math/teaching-math-vocabulary Attending to Precision: Vocabulary Support in Middle School Mathematics Classrooms.

Stefanie Livers and Patricia Elmore. Reading and Writing Quarterly. October 2017 http://thinkmath.edc.org/resource/developing-mathematical-vocabulary

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Catherine Coull – How can we support students in completing extended writing?

In a subject where coursework and academic writing is a key component, I have seen an increasing need to support students with their academic literacy and independence in academic writing. After engaging with literature the pedagogical approach of modelling was commonly referred to as a strategy to address this. The aim of my intervention was to adopt an approach to modelling that would encourage students’ competence and independence in academic literacy to ensure they are equipped with the skills to successfully complete the coursework components of their BTEC qualification.

The group that I targeted with my intervention was a small year 10 class who are currently undertaking a BTEC qualification which requires a considerable amount of written coursework. The class are mixed ability however they all require support when it comes to reading and writing academic pieces of work and they lack the confidence to complete academic writing independently. This ties into the realm of academic literacy and is the focus for my intervention.

I was heavily informed by research by the Education Endowment Fund (2019) on the use of modelling to improve academic literacy and more specifically academic writing as they discuss that the most effective method of teaching writing is to model it live to the students and to verbalise and breakdown the metacognitive process in front of them.

Another key piece of research that I read was Quigley’s (2018) regarding the vocabulary gap where he found that a key element in addressing the literacy gap between students is the scaffolding and promotion of academic writing and modelling is a pedagogy that achieves this by allowing students to develop their conceptual understanding and encourages learning of particular behaviours and processes such as writing.

Additionally a key article that informed by approach was by Read (2010) who had developed a model for writing instruction called IMSCI. Each letter of the acronym encompasses a different stage in the modelling process- ‘Inquiry’, ‘Modelling’, ‘Shared’, ‘Collaborative’, and ‘Independent’ reflecting the end goal of modelling to be independent writing. Although there was little research around the use of this model in a secondary school context, it aligned with the issue I was seeking to address with my year 10 class and so I spent time researching studies that had used this model and chose to adopt and adapt the IMSCI model for modelling academic literacy and writing for my class.

Read ‘s (2010) IMSCI model follows the 5 stages of modelling instruction for writing- inquiry, modelling, collaborative planning, shared writing and independent writing and I adapted this slightly for my particular class so that collaborative planning came before shared writing. The rationale behind the model is that the stages all work towards the end goal of independent academic writing. I created a series of 5 lessons for my year 10 class which incorporated these stages in succession and having a double lesson did make this more feasible. For example, in one lesson the five stages of IMSCI were as follows: 1.

2.

3.

Inquiry- discussion around different methods of qualitative/quantitative research.

Modelling- choose method of market research to discuss, asking students for feedback and beginning to construct a written response about its effectiveness.

Collaborative planning- student feedback and teacher input combined to help plan perfect paragraph.

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4.

5.

Shared writing- students work in small groups and use paragraph plan to create a short report about either qualitative/quantitative research, sharing examples.

Independent writing- students work independently to write about a different method of research and its effectiveness, using sentence starters and previously created model answers for support.

Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

As I discussed earlier, Read (2010) proposed this 5-step model of scaffolded writing instruction and it has been shown to have positive impacts on both students’ confidence in academic literacy and success in writing experiences and seemed to address the issue that I was targeting with my year 10 class. Although the pedagogy of modelling writing can be critiqued for its extensive support and ‘handholding’ it gives students, it has been proven as an effective approach to teaching academic writing and supports students’ independence by giving them opportunities to write independently once modelling has taken place.

Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

My evaluation of the IMSCI approach to academic writing was through my own observations and student voice through a survey.

From what I observed in lessons, the students had a greater understanding of what was expected of them and were more willing to attempt writing with less teacher support than they would have done previously, however several students required further support and explicit instruction which I will consider in future. Shared writing had mixed effectiveness as some students engaged with this well whilst others relied on the other group members to complete the work and so ensuring accountability for each student is crucial in ensuring their progress. Overall, I found that the IMSCI model provided students with the tools to approach independent writing with more confidence and improved their written work.

The student survey revealed that the majority of students in the class said they felt more confident writing independently after using IMSCI in lessons. They also said that they would use this approach to academic writing in their other lessons and said they found seeing a model answer and shared modelling particularly useful. Students responded that they would find seeing more model answers useful and that resources such as help sheets and sentence starters would help them develop their own ideas more independently and this has encouraged me to consider how I can adapt my teaching practice to further support students in the stages leading up to independent writing to ensure they have adequate tools and confidence to approach writing tasks and develop their academic literacy independently.

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Student work- before use of IMSCI model for academic writing.

Student work- after use of IMSCI model for academic writing.

What next?

Due to the positive observations and student perceptions of the approach to modelling writing, I will continue to embed this into lessons with students in different Key Stages. As the student voice indicated, students did not always enjoy working collaboratively and so I will look to adapt the modelling stages slightly to limited the stage of shared and collaborative writing and in future I would plan to refine the engineering of the collaborative groups to ensure that students are held more accountable for their work produced and that the opportunity to work with others is more effective so that students make progress.

Ultimately, due to the short time scale for conducting this intervention it would be useful to carry this out for a longer period of time to be able to evaluate the impact it really can have on students’ independent writing and academic literacy.

References Education Endowment Fund (2019) Improving Literacy in Secondary School: Guidance report. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Literacy/EEF_ KS3_KS4_LITERACY_GUIDANCE.pdf [Accessed: 6 January 2020].

Maynes, N., Julien-Schultz, L., and Dunn, C. (2010) ‘Modeling and the Gradual Release of Responsibility: What Does It Look Like in the Classroom?’, Brock Education, 19(2), pp. 65-77.

Quigley, A. (2008) Closing the vocabulary gap. New York: Routledge.

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Read, S. (2010) ‘A model for scaffolding writing instruction: IMSCI’, The Reading Teacher, 64(1), pp. 4752.

Jo Gibson - How can we support students to apply the information read and used in teaching to their assessed work?

Summary of main findings: 1. Do not rush the initial reading phase of learning.

2. Case precedents were useful for student understanding and helped them apply the legal principles.

3. A guided approach to knowledge acquisition and understanding is needed. The statute and acts must be the key focus material for students to be successful.

Intent The issue Level three students struggled to make the ‘jump’ from reading a statute to applying it accurately. To reach the higher criteria with their submissions, students need to take the legal principles derived from the different statutes and apply these to different case studies given in assessments. They had to select only relevant information and the key problem with their first submissions was that they had written about every aspect of the statute and not synthesised or evidenced any selective process in terms of the case study. This ultimately meant that they had not met the criteria, as they had not accurately applied the law. It also meant some lots of irrelevant issues raised in the statute were included in their submissions. In internal coursework, this could be corrected with feedback and monitoring. However, in their civil and criminal law external assessments where there was a time pressure it is a skill that needed to be ‘taught’ in the delivery of both external assessment content and the assessment and feedback during internal assessments.

Target students The target students were the whole level 3 Applied Law class of 8 students. One student in the group is EAL and particularly weak at extended written tasks and comprehension skills. All students had low target grades for the subject. This group were selected for this year as they had a clear identified literacy need. It is also fair to comment that this group had a dislike of reading and lacked motivation with some of the pre-reading tasks I set. This wasn’t helped with the length of some of the Acts we had to cover such as the Child Support Act 1991 at 114 pages.

Research and action The first element I needed to focus on to solve this problem was to focus upon how I was going to organise the learning. As I had already set an outcome I used the outcome focused planning tool on page 124 of Zoe Elder’s book, ‘Full on learning’. This approach aims to allow teachers to “craft learning with a more ‘hands off’ pedagogy, where teachers adopt the role of coach and facilitator and the students get on with the ‘doing’ of learning” (Elder, 2012 p.125). Therefore, I had my set outcome of students applying only relevant points of law to the cases. This outcome was shared with the learners and it became apparent that we knew where we were all going, but did not know how to get there.

To allow the lesson time to focus on the higher application skills needed, I set homework tasks of students reading the Acts so they had some knowledge of their principles before we developed our 179

case study application work during the lesson. This however, did not have any advantages because many students did not read the Act or see it as a worthwhile activity, thinking the lesson content would make up for their lack of reading. In addition, some students did not understand what they had read to the depth needed to then apply this knowledge. According to Dianne Murphy “first of all, you need to know how well they can read. This is not always obvious” (Hendrick, C & Macpherson R 2017 p. 67) therefore I went back to basics and printed a law summary, whole statute and a guidance document about how the law should be applied. I focused on the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The first thing we read as a whole group was the summary. I read aloud whilst students highlighted key points or wrote annotations along the margin. Then I gave lesson time for them to read the Act. I printed this and emailed it so they could choose whether to paper read or screen read. They had access to coloured pens, pencils, post it notes and highlighters when they were reading.

During the reading activity, I adopted an approach of circulating and not talking from Gershon (2013) book about assessment for learning in the classroom. This seemed effective, as students were reading and not just having a chat with the sheet in front of them. This approach did require some skill and targeted questioning in terms of students feeling they had to highlight something when I was on the approach, which was not the case and usually irrelevant!

In the book ‘Don’t change the lightbulbs’ a post 16 year 13 student @amykennett writes “the more it is done, the more likely it is to be perfected” (Jones 2014 p. 104). To this end and to develop their understanding further I then paired the students off and they each had a section on how the Act should be applied. This required re-reading and reusing the information for more than just knowledge recall.

We did a carousel of their ideas where they put relevant quotes from the act around the different cases as this supported them when writing their longer individual response to the cases and the relevant sections of the law. The staged reading and comprehension approach did have success and this was shown in the quality of their responses to the case studies and in their external assessment marks.

Students scored higher marks in their internal assessed coursework for family law. There was also progress in their civil law mock and final external assessment grade. All students achieved higher grades and 7 of the 8 students exceeded their target grade with their external assessment for this unit.

Evaluation With the next intake of students I will be continuing with the model to introduce new statutes and laws. I am also going to develop this with the level 3 business students when we look at larger reading material such as CSR reports and company annual reports. This is the foundation and model of the approach I intend to adopt. I may add or edit this as I use it with more than my ‘test’ group.

Give students reading materials, highlighters, post it notes and a pencil.

Read a section out loud to the class.

Give students a section to read whilst I circulate and not talk.

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Pair students off to complete an activity that TESTS their understanding.

Set and assess an extended writing task with case study stimulus.

Suggested reading Elder, Z (2012) Full on learning involve me and I’ll understand. Crown House Publishing Limited.

Hendrick, C & Macpherson R (2017) What does this look like in the classroom? Bridging the gap between research and practice. John Catt Educational Ltd Gershon M. (2013) How to use assessment for learning in the classroom. The complete guide. Printed

by Amazon Jones R (2014) Don’t change the light bulbs. A compendium of expertise from the UK’s most switchedon educators. Crown House Publishing Limited.

Natalie Lawrence - How can we using the Frayer Model to improve substantive vocabulary in History?

Intent The issue Vocabulary was a barrier to students’ success in History- many were not using the desired tier 3 vocabulary that they were being introduced to so I designed an intervention, informed by current literature, that aimed to improve students’ retention and use of substantive words (those required to understand the content of the subject). I evaluated the success of the intervention by collecting selfreported data.

Target students The intervention was trialled with two year 7 classes, one being used as a control group in line with ethical guidance from BERA. This year group was chosen because building a strong foundation of key substantive vocabulary in Key Stage 3 should support GCSE success and the two-hour humanities lessons were favourable for trialling a new approach.

Research There were a variety of options to select from when considering how to explicitly teach students substantive vocabulary- there has been much current interest in the subject, especially since publication of Quigley’s (2018) Closing the Vocabulary Gap. Cottingham and Daborn found that ‘history placed greater demands on the reading skills of students than any other subject’ (1999) although their study was biased because it only focused on history teachers. Yet the importance of sound literacy skills in every subject cannot be underestimated and Quigley argues that ‘it is crucial that every teacher has a confident understanding of teaching vocabulary in the classroom’ (2018, p. 108).

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) published seven suggestions to improve literacy within schools. As the report claims to utilise the ‘best available evidence regarding improving literacy in secondary schools’ including the EEF’s previous own research, it is a valuable study (Quigley & Coleman, 2019, p. 37). The first recommendation proposes that ‘literacy skills are both general and subject specific’ which provides ample evidence for the inclusion of substantive vocabulary in history teaching because students cannot be literate in history if they do not understand the specific tier 3 language used in lessons. Furthermore the second recommendation advocates for ‘targeted 181

vocabulary instruction in every subject’ and a case study from the North East Learning Trust suggests that using ‘graphic organisers’ and models can aid such instruction (p. 13).

Action Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

Informed by my research, I decided to trial explicitly teaching vocabulary using the Frayer model. It focuses on conceptual attainment- grasping meaning from something unknown, so it suitably aligned to the problem of students not having sufficient understanding of key words within my subject. The original model by Frayer, Frederick and Klausmeier (1969) places the unknown word in the centre surrounded by four boxes, which encourage a student to consider the specific characteristics of the thing the word describes. The model was used during the teaching of ‘key vocabulary’ at the beginning of the lesson- students would have time to fill in their own versions of the model, supporting one another to do so.

Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

Whilst I liked the principle of having a model to use, I decided to innovate on some of the categories in order to make the model as successful as possible in my classroom context. The image below shows the version of the Frayer model that I trialled with one year 7 class (the other class being a control). I chose to remove the idea of ‘non examples’ given the abstract nature of history concepts and instead chose to include a visual representation that would be drawn by the students. The enhanced learning benefits from such ‘dual-coding’ are well-documented (Meyer, R., & Anderson, R., 1992) so I hoped this would increase students’ retention of the new vocabulary.

Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

I collected data to judge whether the trial was a success by asking students to complete a ‘word score sheet’ (see image below) at the start and end of a six week period. The trial could be judged effective if a statistically significant difference was seen between the word score improvements of the two groups; the data below demonstrates that this was the case.

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K

N K

N N N N N N N

Y Y Y

N N

K N

N N N N Average PP average SEN average

15 9 17 12 14 25 19 17 23 32 30 27 23 16 18 11 32 21 24 16 22 8 25 10 19.42

23 24 14 24 29 26 28

17 28 32 31 32 32 23 23 8 32 24 26 16 28 14 27 22 24.29

53% 167% -18% 100% 107% 4% 47% 0% 22% 0% 3% 19% 39% 44% 28% -27% 0% 14% 8% 0% 27% 75% 8% 120% 35.03%

8 15 -3 12 15 1 9 0 5 0 1 5 9 7 5 -3 0 3 2 0 6 6 2 12 4.88

F M F F M F M F M F M F F M F F M F M F M F M F

N N

N N N N N N N N

Y

Y K N K

N N N N N

N N N N

W

Y Y Y

N N N N N N

Y Average PP average SEN average

52.73% 36.85%

18 15 31 30 28 26 16 22 25 20 20 24 25 10 23 26 15 17 30 14 29 31 24 21 22.50

30 32 32 32 26 32 27 25 29 29 18 26 25 25 30 11 24 24 32 14 31 32 9 14 25.38

67% 113% 3% 7% -7% 23% 69% 14% 16% 45% -10% 8% 0% 150% 30% -58% 60% 41% 7% 0% 7% 3% -63% -33% 20.52%

Difference between initial and final word score

Initial word score /8

Pupil Premium Indicator

EAL

SEN Status

Gender

Difference between initial and final word score

Percentage change in score

Final word score /8

Initial word score /8

Pupil Premium Indicator

Y

Percentage change in score

N

N N N N N N N Y

Final word score /8

N K W N

EAL

Gender

F M M F M F F M F M M F M F M F F M M F M F M F

Control class

SEN Status

Test class

12 17 1 2 -2 6 11 3 4 9 -2 2 0 15 7 -15 9 7 2 0 2 1 -15 -7 2.88

18.14% 70.00%

Standard Deviation=7.63

Standard Deviation=5.11

Consequently, the Frayer model does seem an effective way to teach key vocabulary to students because those in the control group did not learn the eight chosen words as effectively as the students in the test group and this was not due to chance.

What next?

I also noticed an increase in the use of substantive keywords in year 7 history lessons and the emphasis the model placed on these words meant that I was using them more frequently and appropriately in my teaching. Over the longer term I hope to analyse how well students embed these words into their history work over the course of the next few months and years. I intend to do further research into how the Frayer model could be used alongside ‘retrieval practice’ (see learningscientists/org) to ensure that the understanding of substantive vocabulary is embedded into students’ long-term memory. Other avenues for further study would be to investigate the response to the Frayer model from other year groups and how it could be differentiated to both support and challenge students of different abilities.

Reading Barton, G. (2018) Why closing the word gap matters: The Oxford Language Report. Oxford: University Press.

Quigley, A. (2018) Closing the Vocabulary Gap. London: Routledge.

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Jenner, T. (2019) ‘Making reading routine: helping Key Stage 3 pupils to become regular readers of historical scholarship’, Teaching History, 174, pp. 42-48.

Aloisi, C., Coe, R., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E., (2014) What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research. https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/great-teaching/ (accessed 06/01/2020).

Quigley, A. (2018) ‘Vocabulary Knowledge and the ‘Frayer Model’ The Confident Teacher. https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2018/04/vocabulary-knowledge-and-the-frayer-model/ (accessed 29/12/2019).

Quigley, A., & Coleman, R., (2019) Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance report. Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/improving-literacy-insecondary-schools/ (accessed 24/01/2020).

Davy, S. (2015) ‘The importance of history vocabulary’, Primary History, 70, p. 20-22.

Cottingham, M., & Daborn, J., (1999) ‘What impact can developments in literacy teaching have on teaching and learning in history? http://curee.co.uk/ (accessed 27/01/2020).

Meyer, R., & Anderson, B. (1992). ‘The instructive animation: helping students build connections between words and pictures in multimedia learning’, Journal of Educational Psychology, 4, pp. 444 452.

Simon Hughes - How can I ensure that Year 9 BTEC Sport students use the tier 3 vocabulary to reach the highest level of attainment?

With the introduction of the BTEC Tech Award in Sport, Activity and Fitness for all students in years 9 and 10 it has been evident that many students lack the understanding of how to apply their knowledge of Tier 3 key words, through the use of, and their meanings.

By researching tried and tested methods I hope to create module overviews for each component of the course containing key vocabulary and links to assessment criteria, so that students know the literacy requirements needed to achieve the different levels of assessment.

I will be focussing on my two Year 9 classes. Each class has students with a varied level of literacy, and along with this many students who struggle to engage with physical education in general. The latter of the two issues pose a challenge in itself in regards to students completing work, before trying to develop subject knowledge and improve the use of tier 3 vocabulary. With the proportion of the classes that either have an interest in PE/Sport, be it they enjoy participating and/or they study GCSE PE, these in theory should be the students that engage more with the new subject content.

It will be interesting to see if one class applies the knowledge and understanding more than the other, or if many/most students across the board regardless of the aforementioned possible obstacles start to use more tier 3 vocabulary.

The initial stage will be introducing the new key words along with the correct spellings and definitions during timetabled lessons, followed up by completing coursework.

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Using the academy online CPD library I have used the following articles/research documents to help me in devising strategies to use with my two classes.

Education Endowment Foundation.2019.Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools.

Frayer Model examples. 2019/20. CEC CPD Workshop.

Oxford University Press. 2018. Why closing the word gap matters: Oxford Language Report Teachit. 2018. Closing the word gap: activities for the classroom (Secondary).

I found the content in the Teachit article to be most informative as it contained a range of different strategies that have been used in different subjects. I felt his would be most beneficial due to the range of students literacy levels and mixed interests in sport, as possible reasons that a low use of tier 3 vocabulary might be used.

As well as introducing and highlighting key tier 3 words in both practical and theory lessons, verbally and written on the board/screen, the aim of my research is to produce personal visual aids for students. These will be available for each component of the course focussing on coursework requirements, and can be printed off to go in student workbooks/folders and on classroom walls to act as visual prompts. This will mean instant access to key words, and assessment criteria with a clear description of what is being asked of the student eg describe, explain, analyse.

Following discussions with colleagues during CPD workshops and in department meetings regarding BTEC coursework, it was apparent that students need to be informed as to what is expected from them in terms of the type of vocabulary to use when talking, writing and presenting their work. One noticeable thing in previous cohort’s coursework was the lack of/incorrect use of tier 3 vocabulary and/or the student’s understanding of it. Through discussing possible solutions to the issue, the idea of creating something that students were able to access independently was deemed to be a positive idea.

For my resource I considered several possibilities in displaying key words in books/classrooms. I decided to base part of my resource on the ‘Frayer Model’ as talked about by Annabel Wall, in the ‘Closing the word gap: activities for the classroom’ article. She has taught English for 20 years and talks in depth about the importance of developing the understanding of the words we read, hear and speak. Her advice is to select specific vocabulary into manageable lists.

This will be used in my resource in the section for key words. These will need to be included in students’ coursework. Alongside the word bank section, students will taught what each key word means and be able to describe them both verbally and written to develop their understanding. This links to the ‘SEEC Model’ also discussed in the same article. This involves students being able to select/explain/explore/consolidate new vocabulary that has been introduced.

Select the words you want students to know. Explain each word’s meaning, giving multiple examples that are relevant to students. Explore words further if you feel it will deepen students’ understanding and awareness. Consolidate by testing, using, and modelling the word in your speech and encouraging students to find out more about the word through targeted research (Quigley, 2018).

I feel that this approach will widen the range of tier 3 vocabulary all students will have, therefore developing and improving their understanding of the topics being covered in lessons, and also for when it comes to completing coursework. Students that had previously struggled to access course

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content due to literacy levels and/or prior knowledge and understanding of the topics should find it easier to cope with what is being asked of them.

This is an example of one of the key word posters that will be issued to students and be displayed in classrooms.

This process is going to be used across the faculty in each of the different BTEC courses – Health and Social Care and Child Development, so that a consistent approach is taken with all students. A vision would be for all subjects to adopt a similar protocol.

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Peter Johnson - Supporting the literacy requirements in A Level Further Mathematics.

In my experience of teaching Further Mathematics at CEC over the last two years I have noticed something at once both worrying and inspiring. Students who come through the system at CEC, having studied Higher Maths at GCSE, who then go on to aspire to study Further Maths at A level have a huge leap to make at the start of Year 12. After a frantic few weeks when they wonder whether they have done the right thing and whether they will ever feel confident again about anything in Mathematics, there will come a moment of decision: can they hack it at this level, or should they retire to the calmer waters of A level Mathematics? Thankfully most have continued the journey, not overly confident that the journey will involve a safe destination but prepared to give it a go trusting the faith of the one in charge of the journey – me!

Since the days when I was at their age, the teaching of mathematics has changed dramatically. We used to study Euclid’s elements and consider how a proof could be established from axioms that were presented as self-evident. This involved a rigorous process of construction of an argument. Each step was essential and none was superfluous. We had limited use of calculators, using log tables instead, which gave one the feel of the numbers and also the range of the numbers there in the tables. Unlike today’s student at GCSE (and A level for that matter) we also had no formulae sheet or booklet, meaning we had to memorise and be very familiar with all formulae and the tricky trigonometric identities.

Today’s student has amazing calculators that have enormous power which do integrations, complicated calculations, iterations, solve quadratic and cubic equations and do logs of all sorts.

Furthermore, they have formulae booklets that have virtually every formula needed for A and FM A level study.

The consequence of this massive shift in approach and the helps available have led to some fundamental changes in how a student arrives at A level. This is where literacy comes into the discussion. This is the worrying thing that I noticed when I came to CEC a couple of years ago. It was not absent where I had been teaching before, but perhaps it was more noticeable at CEC. All those years ago, constructing those proofs in Euclid’s world gave one a taste for proof and rigour that served one well in mathematical development. One learnt how to argue and build a case for a conclusion or proof. Order of statements mattered. Steps of the proof mattered. Nothing was established until it was established. Sadly, today, too often students arrive at Further Maths lessons thinking that the answer is all that matters. The route is important, yes, but it is the destination that counts. As long as you get there, be it in the fastest or shortest route, the destination is paramount.

It is gladly true that in recent years at GCSE level, there is now a focus on method and process, which is an acknowledgement of this weakness that I have been talking about. Not all marks are now gained by simply giving the answer. Yet for too long has this been the case; “there is the correct answer, give them all the marks.” Rowing back on this mindset will take some years, I fear. Furthermore, in the typical Year 11 mind, the answer is the main thing and not the journey or the route taken.

Therefore, when a student comes into the Further Maths world in the September of their beaming success year, they too often come with this mind set; minimal working and straight to the answer is all we need. One of the things I have to labour on in the first year, is the importance of a constructed 187

solution. I want to know what they are assuming, what the steps are that allow them to make leaps and where the answer has sprung from.

A Further Maths student will usually have a good grasp of GCSE Maths, but not necessarily of building an argument to substantiate a solution. Thus, there is a job of re-education to be done here in this first term and probably most of the first year.

What is it we are trying to prove or find out? What can I assume? What are the steps of my argument?

And can I put it down in an ordered fashion that makes sense and can be read like a story or a proper philosophical argument?

So often it is the necessary words or statements that go missing. I list below the more obvious and common ones.

Therefore Such that Assuming that Because of the following It follows that Describing in words what we are doing – taking moments about the line AB, using the equation F=ma for this motion in the direction of OX In other words, the instinct to tell me, the examiner or teacher, what it is I am doing/assuming/applying, to get the next line of solution.

So often I will get, in this first term particularly, a few lines that seem rather unconnected and jumbled, and then a final answer that has suddenly appeared out of nowhere! The answer may be correct, but that does not mean that all is well. The answer might have seemed fairly obvious from the question, but I want to know why this answer is the one and what are your reasons for selecting that solution.

I groan at the sketchy solution and moan at the disordered set of statements that seem to justify the answer. But I am wanting more rigour, more incisive explanation of reasons and assumptions. Through gritted teeth the feedback is taken on board. This is where the encouraging thing I have noticed comes in; generally speaking the Further Mathematicians at CEC have made this transition rather well and with some success.

But the initial approach has all been based on the misconception that Maths is about finding a numerical answer, rather than constructing an argument and developing an understanding of the world of number, relationships with bodies and an understanding of data analysis.

I want my Further Mathematicians to begin to think, to reason and to build carefully an argument that leads to a solution.

So, in conclusion, what do I expect of a Further Mathematician? I want them to be good at handling numbers, good at recognition of number bonds and patterns. But I want so much more. I want them to think, to stretch their thinking to constructing arguments that lead somewhere. I want them to learn to think deeply about problems, take them apart, consider them carefully and then resolve them using skills of reasoning and patterns learned well. Further Mathematics is about thinking every bit as much 188

as about crunching numbers. It is about reasoning every bit as much as seeing an answer. It is about turning problems around in a creative and determined fashion. It is about presenting an elegant solution that has shape and substance to it and not just a magic number.

After all, Further Mathematicians are the kind of people that will hopefully go on to grapple with the big problems of our society, whether in the world of finance, of engineering, of management, of IT or statistics. For quality people in these areas we need to start their groundwork here in Further Mathematics.

Tamsin Jackson - How can the use of authentic target language (TL) encourage engagement in reading at GCSE MfL? I have focused on a Year 10 mixed ability French class as they are now tackling more demanding reading tasks as a part of the AQA GCSE course. Many lack resilience and determination and often struggle to engage with the material.

Student A finds the more complex language difficult to decode and is inclined to give up on tasks when she meets a hurdle.

Student B lacks motivation and often appears disengaged and disaffected despite clearly having potential.

Throughout a pupil’s language learning journey, they are encouraged, as described in the programmes of study, to ‘discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied’. At KS2 they are encouraged to appreciate ‘stories, songs, poems and rhymes’ and to ‘read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing’. At KS3 pupils should ‘read and show comprehension of original and adapted materials from a range of different sources, understanding the purpose, important ideas and details’.

By the end of KS4/GCSE we expect pupils to show understanding of a range of written material [factual and imaginative, formal and informal] including texts in 3 time-frames. They should be able to identify and note main points, specific details including opinions. Their independent reading should include authentic material, such as leaflets, newspaper extracts, magazines, letters, fiction and online material.

Texts should include familiar language in unfamiliar contexts, complex sentences and unfamiliar language. More able pupils should cope readily with unfamiliar topics involving more complex language and recognise emotions, attitudes, points of views, issues and concerns. They should be able to deduce meaning and not be caught out by ‘distractors’ or ‘faux amis’[Collins,2019].

From 2015 the Association for Language Learning [ALL] Literature Project has worked with teachers from Primary and Secondary levels to provide practical recommendations to address the challenge of integrating a variety of TL literature into lessons.

One of the recommendations for communicative language teaching is the use of authentic materials.

ALL developed a resource bank and encouraged contributions. As the new GCSE courses have become embedded, the teachers involved in initially piloting the scheme found that authentic texts could be

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adjusted to enable suitably differentiated learning tasks and successfully stimulate pupil interest [Languages Today, 2015].

One area of the resource bank is devoted to ‘online resources’ with material from cultural partners and support provided alongside the texts themselves. The internet is a valuable resource that can enrich and expand language learning, providing the opportunity to obtain an endless supply of authentic materials in the TL. The design of an internet-based reading lesson is largely determined by a teacher’s pedagogical approach, his/her technical expertise, and the pupils’ language proficiency.

Furstenberg [1997] suggests designing tasks which ‘enable students to tell us what they have seen, learned or understood and that enable students to work collaboratively to create valid arguments, contexts and stories that they can support, illustrate and justify.’ She states that an effective way to engage FL students in an active-interactive reading process is also to have them write about what they read. Writing about one’s reading experiences seems to facilitate reading comprehension and leads to the discovery of different factors that intervene in the reading process.

According to the EEF [Education Endowment Foundation] Teaching and Learning Toolkit, ‘Reading comprehension strategies’ have the biggest impact on learner progress after ‘Feedback’ and ‘Metacognition and self-regulation’. Effective reading strategies have high impact for a very low cost.

ACTION The concept of ‘Plan, Monitor and Evaluate’ is central to the metacognitive approach. There is a clear series of steps: activating prior knowledge leading to independent practice before structured reflection. Self-regulated learners are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and can motivate themselves to engage in and improve their learning. This is relevant to Target Pupils A and B. To improve pupil outcome we should develop pupils’ awareness of how they learn and knowledge of strategies they can use in order to develop essential independent learning skills. We should design our ‘reading’ tasks based on ‘guided practice’ with support gradually withdrawn as the pupil gains confidence. This should take place over all Key Stages. This would allow pupils to develop the necessary skills and strategies to begin to unlock a text before applying them in ‘independent practice’ in an extended comprehension task or GCSE exam-style question. We must be mindful that regular feedback from the teacher is also essential to successfully develop a good level of reading autonomy and resilience and be able to judge for themselves how effectively they are making progress.

Learners should be encouraged to engage in meaningful tasks and solve problems that are of interest to them and that can also be applied in multiple contexts. This was my aim and, in line with metacognitive regulation strategies, I set about considering three important elements: •

• •

Planning – I wanted to encourage the pupils to think about the overall goal of their learning and really consider how they will set about the task. I had to ensure they fully understood the goal, design ‘starter’ activities to activate their relevant prior knowledge and discuss resources.

Monitoring – I endeavoured to encourage pupils to consider and assess their progress whilst working on the task.

Evaluating – I encouraged a reflection on effectiveness and asked questions to stimulate discussion and analysis of changes they might make when approaching similar tasks in the future.

Brandl [2002] details 3 lesson designs which focus on the exploration of authentic materials: teacherdetermined, teacher-facilitated and learner-determined. I chose to focus on a ‘teacher-facilitated‘ 190

design as this promotes the development of learner independence and autonomy and dovetails with the principles of communicative language learning and metacognition. However, it is not so openended that the less confident flounder.

The Task: As part of the Unit: De la ville à la campagne [Studio AQA GCSE French Foundation p79] pupils study tourist information including a reading task based on a boat trip in Dinan. Having spent time there, I had a wealth of different authentic materials from leaflets, brochures and timetables to menus and adverts. I devised a series of real-life tasks containing a range of vocabulary: core, recently acquired, familiar used in unexpected contexts and unfamiliar requiring deduction from context as well as ‘little words’ and ‘distractors’. Tasks revolved around the concept of planning a holiday in Dinan. Authentic materials in packs together with task sheets were distributed and circulated. Pupils could opt to work as an individual or in pairs. Both pupil A and B opted to work as part of a pair.

Evaluation Cognitive flexibility theory [Spiro 1990] claims that revisiting the same material, in different contexts and with different perspectives, aids knowledge acquisition. We should allow pupils to read pieces of information in various sequences and return to the same place on different occasions, coming from different directions. The use of a variety of materials on a similar theme would allow the same approach. I chose a variety of authentic materials containing frequent language and content overlaps.

Although there are many points in favour of a structured and guided approach to decoding reading material, in the end I think pupils need to learn this by themselves. There is some weight to the argument that pupils who rely excessively on help are not learning as much as those who try to solve problems themselves. I agree that carefully designed guided practice is necessary but must lead rapidly to independent practice. It was by successfully working through the structured, shorter tasks that Student A felt more confident and ready to attempt the more demanding sections. She became more proficient at retrieving relevant information from her notes and confessed she could now ‘see the point’ of the previous preparation lessons.

The ‘teacher- facilitated’ approach I took seemed to be successful. The materials I selected did not require close intervention by me in order to ensure the comprehension process. Pupils took charge of their own learning, evaluating their progress and most were able to re- organise their approach when necessary. This worked well as my Target Students were working in pairs and on-going communication, negotiation and reflection on the task process between them and their partners was essential. Some tasks required simple information retrieval and others were more open-ended requiring pupils to make decisions and even offer personal opinions/preferences based on a range of different content.

The latter supports the development of higher-order thinking skills like ‘evaluating’ which pupils need when undertaking research.

The Target Pupils in my class enjoyed the activities and believed their cultural knowledge had increased quite a lot. They responded very positively to the materials saying that they were ‘more interesting to look at than the text book or screen’. Pupil B who often lacks motivation was particularly focused and explained that was because the materials were ‘real’. He also enjoyed the opportunity to juggle dates, prices and availability of various tourist attractions as he didn’t think this was ‘reading’!

Pupil A called me over to ask ‘Are these leaflets actual ones from France that French people would have?’ She then beamed at me and said ‘I can actually understand some of this! I can’t believe it!’.

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What next?

If curriculum planning allowed, I would expand this lesson to a sequence with an even more learnerdetermined approach. Real-life situations and topics of interest to pupils should be central to the work.

The project could be co-operative with pupils all working in small groups or even as a whole class, sharing ideas, resources and expertise. Crucially ‘reading skills’ would be central to building towards the end –product which itself could be based on any of the 4 skills e.g. a noticeboard display, a spoken presentation, a written report, a drama performance or a poster.

To promote wider reading/ boost cultural awareness I have requested an order for a set of MGP Language Magazines for the library to be available to all. Next academic year I will, again, offer pupils the chance of individual subscriptions. I will continue to run the annual MFL ‘World Book Day’ competition where pupils translate TL book cover titles into English. This also affords us, as teachers, the chance to share our reading choices with pupils and promote the joys of TL reading.

References Brandl, Klaus.2002.The Integration of Internet-Based Reading Materials into the MFL Curriculum. Vol 6.

Language Learning and Technology Journal.

Collins, Sue. 2019. AQA Webinar: Developing skills in Listening and Reading.

Education Endowment Foundation.2018. Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning.

Fawkes, Steven. 2017. Take One Text. Languages Today.

Furstenberg, G. 1997. Teaching with Technology: What is at stake? Bulletin 28. ADFL. Myers, Helen. 2009. My Best 10 Authentic Resources. ALL. Newman, Wendy [Editor].2015. Literature and Language Learning. Languages Today.

Spiro, Rand. 1990. Cognition, Education and Multi-Media. Routledge.

Wallace, Ron. 2020. AQA Webinar: Effective Exam Preparation.

Craig Mussell - How can we improve extended written responses in GCSE Science?

Across the Science Department, exam performance follows the same trends as the performance nationally. When there is a literacy element in extended writing questions, the average score decreases significantly. If we are able to imbed literary expectations from year 7 onwards, it is reasonable to form the hypothesis that students will be far more at ease constructing detailed written responses, containing keywords, than they were without focussing on the use of key terms. Lower ability students find difficulty accessing the standard of literacy required, especially if their Science knowledge suggests they could attempt the higher tier paper. Poor levels of literacy ensure students are limited to sitting the foundation paper, thus forcing a limitation on their grade. In many, this leads to frustration and inability to write detailed responses to some of the longer answer questions, and the long term result of that is a refusal to engage with the task in hand.

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Target students After considering the issues of long term engagement associated with all literacy tasks, but specifically written ones, I chose to focus this study on my Key Stage 3 classes. I believed that it would be easier to exact change with year groups not as cemented in routine as years 7 and 8. Also, the impact longer term would be felt more significantly in the long run, and create a better learning culture moving forward. The provision of a vast array of subject specific key terms allows for a natural differentiation and provides opportunity for those looking to extend themselves to justify all written answers using detailed scientific terminology.

Action What was tried that was different?

From the beginning of the school year, as a department we tried various different methods of getting students to engage in Science, but I personally targeted these areas specifically. a. Use of knowledge organisers. These knowledge organisers stemmed from the work we have been doing in conjunction with Thornden School. I saw first-hand how they are used to support students with learning the central concepts present in every unit, as well as learning the keywords for implementation in lesson. I provided my year 7 and 8 groups with the knowledge organisers for each unit delivered, along with the homework directive to learn the keywords ahead of a spelling test in lesson, and then the terminal unit quiz designed to assess knowledge.

These were initially adapted from the organisers Thornden provided us with, but later we were able to access specific ones for our course through Kerboodle. b. Literacy homeworks. Students would take these knowledge organisers home, and were also provided with them on Show My Homework to ensure that they had access to them. The work with Thornden very much supported the idea of home learning, rather than homework, and made it something that would support their lesson based learning, rather than another similar activity that generated a lot of time consuming, and not overly useful marking. c. Exposure to low stakes exam questions. I regularly provided end of topic quizzes that were approximately 15 marks. These only took 10 minutes and were student assessed. This was in addition to the formal end of subject tests that the students complete as a matter of course.

Students were able to practise the use of key subject level terminology and received immediate feedback without the pressure of grading and success/failure. Students marked these in red, and carried out improvement tasks on the back of the quizzes. d. Use of the Frayer model. Students were able to exemplify the keywords from a lesson, and demonstrate that they can use it appropriately. I felt showing how you’d use the word was a valuable skill that doesn’t always get addressed for the higher ability student. Often they can ‘get away’ with knowing the term, but having the skill to utilise it is the next step forward.

Why did I select these approaches?

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The aforementioned issues surrounding literacy in Science tied in very well with the whole school focus on Oracy and use of tier three subject level terminology. Some of the whole school CPD has been included, such as the Frayer model, delivered as part of the literacy CPD, and the work on knowledge organisers stemmed from the work carried out in conjunction with Thornden School. I was part of a departmental visit to Thornden School, during which time we formulated how we might make some of the procedures and systems fit out units and delivery. I then carried out a second visit to discuss in more detail with their department lead and an Assistant Headteacher involved in the production of such resources.

Once I was fully informed about the reasons for many of the changes, it became obvious to attempt to insert some of their good practice into the already good work we have been carrying out. The results in Science have been very encouraging in terms of progress, but moving forward we have to find ways to further the progress and achievement of the higher prior attainment students. The use of subject specific keywords, and regular reviewing of subject content in low stakes test questions seemed like a logical and straightforward step towards that goal.

Evaluation Were the adopted strategies effective?

High/ Middle/Low attaining pupils: My feeling is that there has been a considerable improvement in all attainment groups, but most so in the group of students that wouldn’t be putting the time into consolidation themselves. As a result, I feel the good performance by the groups in question has been facilitated by the improvement in lower attainers. There were very few students in the category of not reaching Age Related Expectations. That said, the overall performance of the groups most stringently taking part in the use of these resources was impressive relative to performance in other groups.

SEND: The findings were in line with non SEND students. All students are supported by revisiting and quizzing on topics, and some of the bitesize activities such as exit cards are really useful to all, but the student in my yr7 group with ADHD found it highly beneficial. Also, the students with low levels of literacy are performing better as a result of the frequent review of key terms.

Pupil premium/ FSMs: No noticeable change to beyond the general improvement noted above.

The data for groups involved suggest a wider gap between those involved in the use of these resources and those not. It suggests that, on average, more are working above their Age Related Expectation at this stage of the year than in the groups not trialling the material from the pilot.

Students have engaged with the literacy material, as well as the focussed practical concept. This has encouraged students to apply ideas to different scenarios and use their subject knowledge to justify a hypothesis/conclusion which is now regularly assessed in examinations, both internally and nationally.

There is evidence of student improvement, albeit from a small sample size that I wouldn’t be prepared to guarantee statistically. The yr7 and 8 groups that have been using knowledge organisers, keywords, entry/exit tickets, and regular exposure to low stakes exam questions, have shown an improvement against the classes that haven’t. They were the top 2 scoring classes in yr7 and 1 st and 3rd in yr8. This is indicative of increased progress, without having the repeated yearly results to support a firm conclusion.

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Next steps We will be rolling out the use of knowledge organisers and exam based quizzes to all year 7 and 8 groups from the start of the next academic year. This will form the basis of the homework provision for Key Stage 3 and will support the literacy progression we’ve made over the course of this academic year. We are hoping to carry this on into year 9 in the next academic year as they have now had some experience of using such resources and being assessed using these methods.

Examples Knowledge organiser

Exit card

Low stakes exam question exposure

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Reading https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/developing-language-and-literacy-science/ https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/sites/ScienceDepartment/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllIte ms.aspx?viewid=61096e3b%2D6d8c%2D4acd%2Dbc76%2D7671a6975c13&id=%2Fsites%2FScie nceDepartment%2FShared%20Documents%2FThorden%20DFE%20resources Kerboodle – Activate resources rationale

Alex Kingswell-Cleaves – How can we assist students in accessing subject specific academic texts?

Literacy can be defined as ‘the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts’ (OECD n.d.). As such, academic literacy is a key area of study because it is an important tool to develop in allowing students to access learning both at a secondary school level and in future higher education. Indeed, the comprehension and conceptual understanding of academic texts becomes increasingly important throughout schooling and beyond (Heller and Greenleaf, 2007, p.1). There are many issues arising around the topic of academic literacy, from both a reading and writing standpoint, including motivation, comprehension, extracting information and being able to utilise higher tier language in structuring an argument. This review will be focusing on the importance of developing proficiency and comprehension in academic literacy, as to succeed in today’s world, students must ‘become life-long learners… prepared to handle the variety of printed and written information that they will encounter throughout their lives’ (OECD, 2003, p.3). As well as its wider importance, this issue is also highly relatable to my teaching practice, as throughout the study of history at KS4 and A Level, students are expected to read and analyse complex texts and extracts.

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), a wide-scale study focused on assessing the literacy skills of adults across twenty-three countries, found that people with higher levels of reading literacy are more likely to be employed and to have higher average salaries than those with lower levels (OECD 2003, p.162). Indeed, in the United Kingdom, it was found that ‘the incidence of unemployment is twice as high among adults with low [literacy] skills than among adults with medium to high [literacy] skills’ (OECD and STATCAN, 2000, p.37). In this case, it is clear that we have a duty to help students 196

develop the highest levels of academic literacy as possible, in order to ensure their success not only in their examinations and qualifications at secondary school and in higher education, but also to give the best chance of success at gaining and keeping employment in adult life. Furthermore, the findings of IALS suggest that literacy skills not only contribute to employment but also ‘to personal development, through improved participation in society… and social performance’ (OECD and STATCAN, 2000, p.61), although it is acknowledged that this social aspect warrants further investigation beyond the scope of the publication, due to the complex nature of the many variables involved. This is supported by Kutner et al. (2007), who found that those with more advanced literacy skills are more likely to participate in socially beneficial actions such as voting, volunteering in the community, and helping their children with homework.

Given the importance of literacy in allowing young people to thrive in their future adult lives, it seems to make sense that we as educators should strive to embed this culture of academic literacy wherever possible, not just as a school but within our own curriculum areas. Heller and Greenleaf (2007, p.7) point out that as students rise through the successive levels of education, the texts that they are expected to read and comprehend become longer and more filled with specific content, but also more varied in their style and format. Most importantly, the expectation of the student to utilise the correct skill in accessing these texts across different subjects with varying degrees of subject-specific vocabulary increases greatly. For example, they may be expected to criticise, or explain, or infer or analyse, and these terms may mean different things across different subjects. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important that we teach these students the academic literacy skills they need in order to adapt to the different requirements of whatever literature they may face. This is especially important when we consider the view that the literacy practices taught to the student throughout their schooling will have become firmly embedded by the time higher education is reached. In fact, McKenna (2009, p.8) believes that whilst there are other factors that play a part too, the student ‘did not choose which literacy practices would be available to her up to the point of university entry. And yet, I contend, that this, more than anything else, will determine whether or not she passes.’ This may be a strong statement, and one that requires greater corroboration than simply one source, but it serves to emphasise the importance of our role in preparing students for the rigorous nature of academic literacy skills required to succeed at university.

This poses a challenge for us as teachers; how do we ensure that students gain the valuable skills they need to access academic texts within our subject areas? Over the years, many suggestions have been put forward, and these are too numerous to discuss in any great depth. The most useful way of categorising these that I have found is to split these ideas into three categories: pre-reading strategies, such as pre-learning relevant tier-three vocabulary; activities whilst reading, such as highlighting unfamiliar or key concepts; and post-reading activities, such as summarising the key points (Heller and Greenleaf, 2007, p.8).

Another strategy is the use of Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI), which aims to enhance motivation and comprehension of reading through ‘increasing personal relevance of the material…giving many opportunities for student collaboration’ and giving ‘clear content goals for learning’ (Ryan, 2019, p.452). In other words, this strategy aims to make the student aware of how the material they are being asked to study is directly relevant to them, whether in terms of their own interest or in terms of how this will help further their study. Whilst the study on CORI found this to be a highly effective technique, whereby ‘children’s reading self-efficacy is enhanced by teaching students comprehension strategies so that they have the necessary skills to read well’ (Guthrie et al., 2012, p.62), there are issues around this idea as it was targeting students in grades 3-5 and therefore these 197

students were younger than those that we teach. Furthermore, it is not always possible to adapt our teaching significantly at some levels – there are topics that have to be studied and there is already a significant strain on time given the content-heavy nature of our examinations. However, I do think that the concept here makes sense and is still valid – in my experience, if you explain to students why you want them to do something and how this will help them, they are more likely to co-operate, and teaching comprehension strategies to allow students to take ownership of their literacy will provide a sense of ownership over their learning.

The use of skills such as skimming and scanning is also a key area that I plan to teach more explicitly in my future teaching practice. These ideas seem obvious initially, but from the reading around this topic it has become clear that students need to be explicitly shown how to approach texts in different ways depending on their purpose. For example, the use of ‘trained skimming’ is a ‘valuable cognitive tool that… allows one to scan texts rapidly to get their gist’ (Kellogg, 2016, p.269). Whilst we would not want students to use this trained skimming all the time, this is a useful skill in their repertoire to allow the quick identification of relevant material prior to further analysis, for example in an exam situation when trying to identify the key message of a written source.

Overall, it is clear that there is a need for teachers to define and explicitly teach the academic literacy skills that are essential to their subject areas at this stage and beyond. Heller and Greenleaf (2007, p) suggest that this focus on academic literacy should be a key focus of improvement in secondary schools by ‘treating literacy instruction as a key part of the broader effort to ensure that all students develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life after high school’, which is surely the ultimate goal of anyone who has found their calling within the education sector.

Bibliography Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A & Klauda, S. L. (2012). Adolescents’ Engagement in Academic Literacy.

University of Maryland, College Park. Available: http://www.cori.umd.edu/researchpublications/2012_adolescents_engagement_ebook.pdf Date accessed: 20/06/20.

Heller, R., & Greenleaf, C. (2007). Literacy instruction in the content areas: Getting to the core of middle and high school improvement. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Kellogg, R. T. (2016). Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology, 3rd ed. Sage Publications, London.

Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., Jin, Y., Boyle, B., Hsu, Y., and Dunleavy, E. (2007). Literacy in everyday life: Results from the 2003 national assessment of adult literacy. US Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics, Washington DC. Available: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495996.pdf Date accessed: 19/06/20.

McKenna, S. (2009). Cracking the code of academic literacy: An ideological task, in: Hutchings, C. & Garraway, J. ‘Beyond the University Gates’, 2010. Rhodes University. Available: https://www.cput.ac.za/storage/services/fundani/beyond_the_university_gates.pdf Date accessed: 20/06/20.

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), n.d. Innovation in education: Adult literacy. Available: http://www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/adultliteracy.htm Date accessed: 19/06/20.

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and Statistics Canada (STATCAN), (2000). Literacy in the Information Age: Final Report of the International Adult Literacy Survey. OECD, 198

Paris and Ottawa. Available: http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/41529765.pdf Date accessed: 21/06/20.

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), (2003). Reading for change: Performance and engagement across countries, Results from PISA 2000. London, Programme for International Student Assessment, OECD. Available: https://www.oecd.org/education/school/programmeforinternationalstudentassessmentpisa/3369090 4.pdf Date accessed: 19/06/20.

Ryan, R. M. (ed.), (2019). The Oxford Handbook of Human Motivation, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

David Foster - How valuable is key vocabulary in increasing the ability of students solve mathematical problems?

This project focused on the teaching of clearly defined vocabulary with an aim to improve students’ ability to tackle and solve mathematical problems. Mathematical vocabulary linked to a topic was explicitly taught at the beginning of the topic and frequently revisited throughout the duration of the topic. Essential vocabulary was reviewed at the end of a topic, and the students were assessed on their ability to recall vocabulary, give definitions of vocabulary, and apply the mathematical methods within contextual situations where the words might be used.

Feedback from the teachers involved in the project was positive, and they reported feeling more confident in teaching pre-agreed definitions of essential vocabulary.

Issues identified through data analysis Cowes Enterprise College uses Progress Test (PTM) for years 7 and 8 at the end of the academic year.

The tests were a useful tool to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of students’ maths skills and knowledge. I was able to plan a teaching and learning strategy that I hoped would have the most beneficial impact on KS3 students.

The reports generated from the tests gave comparisons of progress between Cowes students and national students as well as suggestions on how teaching could be tailored, to improve students' weaknesses.

Year 7 and 8 students’ mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills were lower than the national average.

A greater emphasis on mathematical reasoning and problem solving through improved literacy was a recommendation.

66% of the Year 7 (July 19) needed to improve their skills in reasoning, explaining and justifying, which are critical skills in developing mathematical acuity. They were also challenged to identify that there are sometimes multiple approaches to arriving at the right answer. This was done in the hope that it would help them develop in both written and mental contexts.

Analyses research into, and examples of, domestic and international teaching strategies/pedagogical approaches

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One of the main issues for poor maths performance that occurs regularly can be attributed to low levels of literacy within students. According to research done by Mari Palmer, who has worked with secondary schools on behalf of the Education Endowment Foundation1, there are three significant issues with vocabulary in mathematics. The first issue that Palmer states is the challenge of applying vocabulary strategies to word problems. The second issue is that general vocabulary can obstruct students more than the mathematical vocabulary. The third issue is that teachers use different vocabulary and definitions, which can be especially an issue at secondary schools. The reason different vocabulary can be confusing for students may occur if a student moves classes within an academic year and teachers use different vocabulary. If teachers are not consistent with the use of vocabulary, this can create confusion for the student.

One of the main issues for poor maths performance that occurs regularly can be attributed to low levels of literacy within students. According to research done by Mari Palmer, who has worked with secondary schools on behalf of the Education Endowment Foundation1, there are three significant issues with vocabulary in mathematics. The first issue that Palmer states is the challenge of applying vocabulary strategies to word problems. The second issue is that general vocabulary can obstruct students more than the mathematical vocabulary. The third issue is that teachers use different vocabulary and definitions, which can be especially an issue at secondary schools. The reason different vocabulary can be confusing for students may occur if a student moves classes within an academic year and teachers use different vocabulary. If teachers are not consistent with the use of vocabulary, this can create confusion for the student.

In a National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) 2 article written in October 2019, it states that students’ mathematical literacy is fundamental. For example, one key finding of the research was that ‘if they cannot ‘decode’ the question they’ve had it.’ For example, a mathematically illiterate student would struggle to know how to respond to ‘Write 120 as a product of the powers of its prime factors’. In this simple sentence, a student would need to understand the word product, powers, and prime factors before even attempting this question.

Maths has a distinct vocabulary that can vary widely in meaning from everyday vocabulary pupils have to learn to specific mathematical definitions of words which they then have to apply before solving problems. As Joan M. Kenney (2005) points out, mathematics has many “confusing terms, format and symbols.”

Marzano (2004) suggests six techniques to teach new vocabulary to learners. Informal explanation, restate in own words, construct picture or illustration, continually add to their knowledge, periodically revisit terms, and provide fun game-like activities. Although these techniques are not explicitly linked to mathematics, they are shown to maximise student learning of essential vocabulary. An American academic paper3 has refined them to five pedagogical steps for teaching in mathematics: explicit vocabulary instruction, mnemonic strategies, fluency building through multiple exposures, game-like activities, and technology applications.

My project incorporated teaching aspects from both of the previously mentioned papers as students for example students were encouraged to explain the vocabulary in their own words and the vocabulary templates that staff and I often created had a pictorial element linked to the vocabulary.

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A common theme through all the research is that access to a broader vocabulary. Specifically, mathematical vocabulary allows for meaningful mathematical discussion. If students can discuss and convey ideas or talk about how they solved a problem, it will deepen their understanding.

Implementation I used a template provided by the school literacy and oracy coordinator this enabled uniformity for students in all subjects. The students were then able to identify that part of their lesson would be dedicated to key vocabulary and that contextual examples would be provided for them to work through and practice the new vocabulary that had been given to them.

Students had opportunities to engage in dialogue that supports and deepens their understanding using mathematical terminology. Another approach was to ask teachers in the department to correct language where necessary and encourage the use of mathematical words in students’ answers: either through direct questioning or by bouncing a sentence around the class as pupils would try to improve the answers given by their peers. By enabling students to enhance their active listening and turn-taking skills, students learnt how to question and challenge their peers' understanding and the teacher’s explanations. Students were encouraged to ask the teacher or their peers if they do not understand a word or sentence.

Vision for the future Looking forward, I am planning to create a training programme for the department utilising NCETM Secondary Mastery Development. The NCETM professional development has many of the elements we as department have been working on over the last couple of years., such as fluency, variation, but most importantly to this project - language. I probably would not have found the NCETM professional development without the stepping-stone of this project.

References 1

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/guest-blog-the-vital-importance-ofvocabulary-in-maths/ 2https://www.ncetm.org.uk/files/111695303/2019_10_08_mathscpdchat+_summary.pdf

Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction Joan M Kenney (2005) Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools Robert J Marzano (2004) 3The

Language of Mathematics: The Importance of Teaching and Learning Mathematical Vocabulary Paul J Riccomini, Gregory W Smith, Elizabeth M Hughes & Karen M Fries (2015)

Lorna Churms - How can we help improve students’ writing?

At first glance, writing appears to be simple. However, good writing is highly complex, involving multiple skills that many teachers take for granted. Writing is massively demanding on students, it requires students to combine three processes. Firstly, students need to be able to physically write or type. Secondly, they need to be able to generate ideas and have an ability to structure their responses 201

in a grammatically correct way and thirdly, plan their response, as well as review and redraft, this is especially important for longer pieces of writing. All three of these processes places a heavy burden on the working memory.

Reading and writing are inextricably linked, The EEF states that “young people who leave school without good literacy skills are held back at every stage” impacting the economy at a cost of around £20 billion a year. As such there has been a previous focus on research on how to develop students reading, be it through focusing on phonics in primary school or via school initiatives such as ‘Drop Everything and Read’. As professionals we are fully aware that reading has huge benefits such as providing students with knowledge and information, developing their creativity as well as enriching their language and vocabulary, however the importance of writing is often forgotten. A 2012 Department of Education research report found that “although there has been an improvement in pupils’ achievement in writing, it is the area where pupils perform less well compared to reading, mathematics and science”. The report also pointed to gaps in the research evidence: “There is no evidence on why pupils perform less well in writing in comparison to reading and the other core subjects. There is little evidence on specific interventions to help pupils with writing, and very little evidence on interventions for secondary school pupils. There is limited evidence on the predictors of pupils’ achievement in writing. There is very little evidence on effective strategies for teaching spelling.

There is little evidence on pupils’ performance in writing in studies of international comparisons.”

(Department for Education, 2012).

Unless a student can effectively express themselves in a written form they are always going to fall short of their true potential and begin to lose confidence in their learning. The EEF suggests that one way to improve literacy within Secondary Schools is to combine writing instruction with reading in every subject believing this to be a way to improve students’ skills at both. Reading being a way to help students gain knowledge which exposes them to various styles of writing and thus leading to them becoming better writers themselves. This is reaffirmed by Andy Tharby who states that a lack of wider reading is a factor in stopping students accessing ‘mastery writing’.

But how do students become master writers? Firstly, students should be explicitly taught to recognise features of good writing. This is supported by Graham and Perin (2007) in ‘A Meta-analysis of Writing Instruction for Adolescent Students’, who identified that specifically teaching students strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating their writing was crucial in helping students become successful writers. From reading multiple articles and texts I have condensed these into five stages of the writing process to focus on in order to improve students writing: 1. Preparing opportunities for writing.

In order to write well students need to be given multiple opportunities to express themselves in the written form. The classroom needs to be seen as a safe space where students are not fearful of making mistakes, somewhere where writing is celebrated and rewarded. It is important that students are secure in their subject knowledge relating to the topic that they are writing on. This has led me to incorporating in my planning for next year quizzes and key word tests that can be carried out as homework tasks.

2. Focus on planning.

Do students understand the connotations of command words and the demands of the question they are answering? Work needs to be done initially to make sure that students understand what 202

the question is asking for. Then, in the first instance the teacher should model the planning process before directing students to work together in groups to plan. These groups could be carefully constructed to ensure that there is targeted support for students who struggle in this area.

3. Deconstruction and construction of writing This is arguably the most important stage and can be done through several ways. Firstly, plan opportunities for students to conduct guided reading in lessons. Students could attempt to summarise each paragraph in three bullet points. This will allow them to grow in confidence for exploring new and wider ranging texts whilst taking time to consolidate their own thinking. By exposing students to a wider range of texts and getting them to deconstruct them they will hopefully see what are the key components to good writing and begin to incorporate these components in their own writing. One activity that I have included in my planning for the oncoming academic year is grouping students together and giving them a responsibility for writing a paragraph of an essay be have already planned together. When they are finished with their paragraph we are going to come together and stitch the paragraphs together to form a coherent essay. This will give students the opportunity magpie ideas for vocabulary of each other and allow the opportunity for collaborative writing.

4. Feedback on writing.

This can be done in multiple ways, but one of the most effective ways is getting students to critique their own or their peers work. The students will need to be taught how to do this and this can be modelled by the teacher in the first instance and then using a student friendly checklist to help them to see what they have done and what may be missing from their writing. The activity described above will also give students the opportunity to feedback to each other on the positives and areas of development in each of their paragraphs.

5. Redraft.

It is this last stage that completes the writing process. The student takes uses the feedback mentioned above to improve their writing. This process was highlighted in the example of Austin’s Butterfly in Berger’s ‘An Ethic of Excellence’. Berger states that a “work of excellence is transformational…there is an appetite for excellence”. So, once the student sees what excellence they are capable of, this is what they strive towards in all of their future work. Again, using the above example, students will have the opportunity to give a ‘nip/tuck’ to their work in order to produce the strongest version of their paragraph before they are then assembled again and I type the essay up for them.

Overall, good writing is not something innate within a student. All students can be taught to produce excellent writing. The key to improving students writing is making sure every stage of the writing process is more visible for them in every subject and modelling each stage to the students.

References: Berger, R. (2003) An Ethic of Excellence.

Department for Education (2012). What is the research evidence on writing? Education Standards Research Team, Department for Education.

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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachme nt_data/file/183399/DFE-RR238.pdf Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2019). Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/improving-literacy-insecondary-schools/ Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). What we know and what we still need to know: Teaching adolescents to write. Scientific Studies of Reading.

Institute of Education Sciences (IES) (2016) Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/wwc_secondary_writing_110116.pdf Quigley, Alex. (2016) Teaching Writing isn’t just for English Teachers.

Tharby, Andy (November 2013) Modelling Writing…and the Meaning of Life.

Thompson, Christine L. (April 2011) Helping Students become better Writers. Kappanmagazine.org.

Nick Wiltshire - Literature review: Developing vocabulary teaching in an educational setting In his article ‘Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction’ published in 2009, Robert J. Marzano reviews a process he first articulated in his 2004 book ‘Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement’1. In his 2009 article, he argues that studies on instructional strategy, such as the teaching of vocabulary, will show some will work whilst others won’t.

For example, Marzano cites the work of Kluger & DeNisi (1996)2 which synthesised around 607 academic studies in educational instructional strategy & found that on average there was a ‘16 point gain’ (in relation to US pupil attainment measures) in their implementation. However, as Marzano argues, “more than one third of the studies indicated… a negative effect on student attainment” 3.

Marzano raises this point to argue that it is actually the ‘how’ strategies are used which determines the outcome4.

In his 2009 article, Marzano argues that whilst it might be counter intuitive, research on instructional practice is the first and best place to start, beginning he suggests, with those studies which show positive effects. Importantly, Marzano argues that it remains important to evaluate any implementation of practice and possible successes (or failures) within the context of “your particular setting”5.

1

https://www.swsc.org/cms/lib/MN01000693/Centricity/Domain/91/Marzano_6_Step_Vocabulary.pdf https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-02773-003 3 http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Six-Steps-to-Better-VocabularyInstruction.aspx 4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

2

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In this 2009 article, Marzano highlights some of the issues first raised in his earlier, 2004, book. In this earlier work, Marzano outlined six steps he viewed as the most successful instructional practice for teaching vocabulary. In summary, Marzano’s six steps can be simplified as:

6

In his article, Marzano argues that the first three steps should be used when introducing new vocabulary to learners. Marzano also suggests that rather than a dry, simplistic, introduction to new words that the teacher uses anecdotes as a more visually powerful approach to explain meaning 7.

Marzano goes on to argue that whilst the first three steps should be completed in sequence, steps 4, 5 & 6 should be used later as part of the review and consolidation of learning and do not necessarily need to be completed in sequence8.

Marzano uses the opportunity in his 2009 article to reflect on over 50 studies completed since the publication of his six steps in 2004. Marzano argues that the studies have shown a number of results.

For example, he argues that the studies have shown that the six step strategy works at every grade (age) level. Similarly, that the strategy is most effective if all steps are followed and that the overall impact on achievement is greatest if this occurs. Fundamentally, Marzano argues that the six steps are more effective than individual steps used in isolation9.

This last point does raise some interesting questions about the application of instructional strategies in an educational setting; primarily the need to avoid a piecemeal and tokenistic approach.

Importantly, in his article Marzano does acknowledge that the studies conducted on his six steps have highlighted some failures. For example, Marzano highlights the fact that student attainment is less when students copy teacher generated explanations or descriptions of new terms, as opposed to generating their own. For Marzano, one of the key elements of teaching vocabulary is allowing students to place the word within their own context and to explain it with their own words (steps 2 & 3)10.

Again this raises some interesting points for the application in the classroom. Principally, that teachers must avoid trying to oversimplify the application of the six steps through providing their own definitions, explanations and meanings which remove the word or term from the pupils’ own development of understanding. Similarly, for Marzano, the third step (creating a pictorial or symbolic representation) is equally crucial but again one which could be overlooked as not important in terms of

6

Ibid.

Ibid.

8 http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Six-Steps-to-Better-VocabularyInstruction.aspx 9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

7

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learning ‘words’. For Marzano step 3, when done well is when “achievement soars”11. Finally, Marzano argues that step 6, the use of games and interactive play with words, also has a powerful effect on recall over time.

Marzano’s ‘six steps’ has been widely supported in the academic and educational community and has been citing in a number of other pieces of academic work12. For example, in the ‘Handbook of Research on Pedagogies and Cultural Considerations for Young English Learners’ (2017), Onchwari & Keengwe have outlined Marzano’s work alongside other more strategies for teaching vocabulary13.

In their work, Onchiwari & Keengwe compare Marzano’s six steps to the work of Michael Graves in his 2006 book ‘The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction’ and also outlined in his 2006 article for The NERA Journal14.

In a similar vein to Marzano, Graves argues for four broad steps to vocabulary instruction:

15

Onchwari & Keengwe also outline other factors important to the teaching of new words and terms, such as the importance of reading aloud, independent reading and oral discussion. In addition, the authors also cite the work of Graham & Hebert (2010)16, arguing that “providing opportunities for students to apply their learned vocabulary from reading to writing will increase their likelihood of thoroughly understanding the words meaning”17.

At first glance, it might appear that Marzano and Graves’ approaches differ greatly. However, on deeper reading it could be argued that each strategy compliments the other and that the broad aims 11

Ibid. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291150728_Six_Steps_to_Better_Vocabulary_Instruction 13 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2-Y7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA333&lpg=PA333&dq=the+sixstep+process+(Marzano,+2004)&source=bl&ots=UEV2c4FIZT&sig=ACfU3U0MR1qgRns_CpzAGBwnn7g4rDZAHw&hl=en &sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX_pG2jZPqAhUlShUIHdNeBUc4ChDoATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=the%20sixstep%20process%20(Marzano%2C%202004)&f=false page 333.

12

14

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16 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279741659_Writing_to_Read_A_MetaAnalysis_of_the_Impact_of_Writing_and_Writing_Instruction_on_Reading 17 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2-Y7DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA333&lpg=PA333&dq=the+sixstep+process+(Marzano,+2004)&source=bl&ots=UEV2c4FIZT&sig=ACfU3U0MR1qgRns_CpzAGBwnn7g4rDZAHw&hl=en &sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX_pG2jZPqAhUlShUIHdNeBUc4ChDoATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=the%20sixstep%20process%20(Marzano%2C%202004)&f=false page 333.

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of both strategies are built around an immersive and pupil led and focused approach to learning new vocabulary.

A criticism that could be levelled at both Marzano and Graves is that their work is based on the American education system and social context. However, the strategies of the UK based Driver Youth Trust (2020) in their article ‘Spelling – Using Word Study Techniques’ supports the broad principles set out by both American academics.

The Trust’s article also cites the work of Puttman (2017) and argues that the tradition of the use of a ‘generalised kind of visual memory contributes very little to our ability to spell’ and quotes Puttman by stating that “methods requiring children to learn lists of words without input is not generally effective”18. Here then, is the echo of both Marzano and Graves in that engaging, deep and contextualised word learning is a far more effective strategy.

In Puttman’s own work, she cites the 5 steps of implementing word study in the classroom, adapted from a 2009 work by Williams, Phillips-Birdsong et al. and can be summarised as follows: Step 1: Assess students regularly Step 2: Analyse the data and group students accordingly Step 3: Make time to prepare for word study, particularly as a teacher Step 4: Teach word knowledge through word sorts Step 5: Provide authentic reading and writing activities to “Allow students to apply their word knowledge in daily, authentic reading and writing activities”19 Clearly then, here in Puttman’s steps the echoes of Marzano and Graves can clearly be felt. For example, Puttman’s step 4 follows Marzano in suggesting the use of games and other activities to consolidate and build understanding, whilst step 5, It could be argued, mirrors Graves’ expectation that students should be provided with rich and varied language experiences, word learning strategies which also provide the opportunity to foster ‘word consciousness’. Where Puttman, Williams, PhillipsBirdsong et al. deviate from the models suggested by Marzano and Graves is the greater emphasis placed on the use of data and assessment both as an ongoing tool as well as the starting point for the learning process. That said, both Marzano and Graves suggest the use of low stakes testing as methods to support recall.

The Driver Youth Trust article also echoes Puttman, outlining that “word study, in which children explore root words, prefixes, suffixes, inflectional endings… and irregular spellings enables children to build their knowledge of spelling both regular and irregular words”20.

This is an important aspect of their findings, echoing Puttman, which is not explicitly touched on by Marzano and Graves. The Trust article highlights the importance of supporting students to understand common root words (appropriate for their age), develop an understanding of the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes, learning high frequency words with irregular spelling patterns, developing an awareness of phonemes coupled with advanced letter-sound knowledge. Finally, the

18

https://www.driveryouthtrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Spelling.pdf https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1147675.pdf page 6.

20 https://www.driveryouthtrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Spelling.pdf 19

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Trust states that children should be taught to identify words in their own writing which they think may be spelt incorrectly and then to utilise the strategies above to attempt to correct those errors 21. This focus on these specific strategies as effective means to support the teaching of vocabulary have also been suggested in other studies, for example the 2009 article by Theurer & Arbildo entitled ‘Empowering Students through specific Vocabulary Instruction’22.

A further article and academic study which supports the principles laid down by Marzano, Graves, Puttman et al. is the work of Beck, McKowen & Kucan (2002), which actually predates the six steps of Marzano. In this study, Beck, McKowen and Kucan outline their 5 step process and again it echoes many of the principles suggested in the later works. For example, Beck et al. suggest at step 2 the modelling of key words for students in a way that provides context of the word to them, very much mirroring Marzano’s approach in his six steps. Similarly, for step 3 Beck et al. advocate the use of pairshare activities to engage students and to embed understanding, foreshadowing Marzano’s use of games and other activities to support recall.

Beck, McKowen & Kucan bring a further important element to the discussion. Significantly, they attempt to define the different tiers of vocabulary used by students. For example, they outline tier 1 as basic words whilst tier 3 is defined as academic content words23. This is important because consideration of these tiers should be used by practitioners when implementing the strategies outlined

by Marzano, Graves et al. For example, in the classroom context it may be more appropriate to focus of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.

In a similar vein teacher Alex Quigley has explore the concept of the ‘academic code’ in his 2018 article for Teach Secondary magazine.

In a similar fashion to Puttman, Theurer & Arbildo et al., Quigley places significance in the teaching of root words, prefixes and suffixes as the key to what he calls understanding the academic code, likening it to the work of World War 2 codebreakers.

Quigley argues that academic texts used in educational setting contains a series of common conventions which students need to be supported to understand as if deviates significantly from their everyday use of language. Quigley outlines some of these conventions in terms of the use of complex academic vocabulary, linked to ancient Greek and Roman root words, giving the example of the word ‘biosphere’ and arguing that the complexity of academic vocabulary is built up through the use of prefixes and suffixes. Quigley goes on to add another convention is the use of nominalisations and abstract nouns which adds complexity, giving the use of the words ‘continuity’ and ‘causation’ in the

21

Ibid.

22

https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/sites/TeachingLearning/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?originalPath=aH R0cHM6Ly9jb3dlc2VjLnNoYXJlcG9pbnQuY29tLzpmOi9zL1RlYWNoaW5nTGVhcm5pbmcvRWtydnFuYXMtREZPZ1FNN3dv ZV9aYWtCVVY3ZFVqN2FDZEVObUFsY1VLd0l3dz9ydGltZT1tSW5Gejg4VjJFZw&id=%2Fsites%2FTeachingLearning%2FSha red%20Documents%2FResearch%20%26%20CPD%2FLiteracy%20and%20oracy%2FVOCABULARY%2FEmpowering%20st udents%20through%20specific%20vocabulary%20instruction%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FTeachingLearning%2FShared %20Documents%2FResearch%20%26%20CPD%2FLiteracy%20and%20oracy%2FVOCABULARY 23 https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/TeachingLearning/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BDBFFCEED6A53-401B-B6C1CD969113FE05%7D&file=Isabel%20Beck%27s%20Three%20Tiers%20of%20Language.docx&action=default&mobileredir ect=true

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context of History, stating that. Quigley concludes that the complexity of the academic code is further compounded by the use of long, multi-clausal sentences, the use of passive voice and formal style24.

Quigley argues that to support students break this academic code, a ‘code-switch’ need to take place; that is, to help students move between everyday talk and academic language.

To do this again echoes of the principles set out earlier in this review can be seen. Quigley sets out a number of suggestions as well, arguing in using academic language frequently to ‘nudge’ students into using it themselves. His second suggestion, like Puttman et al. is to argue for the teaching of the roots of words and he also advocates, in a similar fashion, teaching prefixes and suffixes as a way to disarm some of the challenge posed by new complex words. Quigley also argues, like Marzano, that pupils should be engaged in the debate and discussion of words, encouraging their contextual understanding for students. Finally, Quigley advocates, in an echo of Beck et al. the use of the Academic Word List developed by Averil Coxhead25 to allow teachers to focus on the teaching of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary26.

In summary, what does the academic studies reviewed suggest about teaching vocabulary in an educational setting and how might this inform my practice?

Firstly, it is clear that the approach has to be holistic and not piecemeal or tokenistic and this is a trap that teachers can easily fall into. Secondly, it is also clear that pupils have to be engaged in deep and meaningful vocabulary learning which allows them to develop their own understanding of word and term meanings as well as providing opportunities for recall and regular practice to allow for what Graves describes as ‘word consciousness’. Thirdly, there is a need to reflect on the mechanics of how to teach vocabulary in school and the work of Puttman et al. has suggested that the focus on roots, prefixes and suffixes as well as the use academic language to nudge students and to place the use of the words in their proper context is also important. Similarly, as is the focus on tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.

Fourthly, whilst regular ‘testing’ of vocabulary may not always been possible or desirable, there is clearly a need to use low stakes testing, such as spelling tests of key words or discussion and talk, to support recall and to embed understanding, but also to allow teachers to effectively gauge the impact of vocabulary learning taking place in their classroom.

References: Robert J. Marzano, ‘The Art and Science of Teaching: Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction’, Educational Leadership, Volume 67, Issue 1, 2009 Robert J. Marzano, ‘Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools’, 2004 A.N. Kluger & A. DeNisi, ‘The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory’, Psychological Bulletin, Volume 119, Issue 2, 1996 24

https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/TeachingLearning/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BB5FDB967F6C5-4815-A671316761B04CA9%7D&file=Cracking%20the%20Academic%20Code.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true 25 https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist 26 https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/TeachingLearning/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BB5FDB967F6C5-4815-A671316761B04CA9%7D&file=Cracking%20the%20Academic%20Code.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true

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Grace Onchiwari & Jared Keengwe, ‘Handbook of Research on Pedagogies and Cultural Considerations for Young English Learners’, IGI Global, 2017 Michael F. Graves, ‘Building a Comprehensive Vocabulary Program’, The NERA Journal, Volume 42, Issue 2, 2006 Michael F. Graves, ‘The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction’, Teachers College Press, 2006 Steve Graham & Michael Hebert, ‘Writing to Read: A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Writing and Writing Instruction on Reading’, Harvard Educational Review, Volume 81, Issue 4, 2010 Driver Youth Trust, ‘Spelling – using word study techniques’, 2020 Rebecca Puttman, ‘Using Research to make informed decisions about the Spelling Curriculum’, Texas Journal of Literacy Education, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2017 J. Thereur & S. Abildo, ‘Empowering Students through specific Vocabulary Instruction’, The California Reader, Volume 42, Issue 2, 2009 Beck et al. ‘Three Tier Model of Vocabulary’, 2002, summarised in a document in the Cowes Enterprise College CPD library Alex Quigley, ‘Cracking the Academic Code’, Teach Secondary Magazine, 24/02/2018 Averil Coxhead, ‘The Academic Word List’, www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist

Jay-Anne Tisdale - How can we support students with tier three vocabulary in Science?

Science often present students with literacy challenges due to the significant use of scientific language and keywords associated with the specification students need to learn. This is particularly evident for Year 7 students who have not studied much Science until now. Also lower ability groups tend to find it hard to access much of the content in Science (in particular Biology which is where it is most notable for me as it is my specialist subject) which leads to frustration and inability to write detailed responses to some of the longer answer questions. I would like to incorporate into my lessons (especially for Biology) ways in which students will be able to access the content using various literacy strategies from my CPD and own research.

Target students This year I decided to focus on my Year 7s and my bottom set Year 10s as I felt the impact would be greatest. Both groups have low literacy skills when looking at specific scientific words and use of differentiated literacy tasks would benefit the learning styles of these two groups. I have also been completing some literacy tasks with my tutor group as there is a large mix of ability.

Research

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Closing the Word Gap (R1) – Having a limited vocabulary at Year 7 (and for some Year 10s) means they need to widen their breadth, but for the Sciences you need to widen the depth as well to close the literacy gap. Unscrambling definitions and forming sentences is a good way to do this.

Seneca Literacy in Science CPD (R2) – This CPD showed the importance of the structure of words and their origins to their meanings. This is linked into understanding the depth of words to support their meaning (Greek and Latin origins for example).

Stem Literacy in Science (R3) – Science is rich in specialised words so improving pupils spelling and knowledge of these words will improve their understanding of Science overall. You need to ensure that keywords are highlighted and appropriately linked to the topic you are teaching. Pupils should be reviewing and practicing the use of these keywords to support their understanding. Directed activities related to text (DARTs) and provision of a wide range of associated reading material will ingrain these keywords and thus improve overall literacy.

Developing Language and Literacy (R4) – It is clear that poor literacy skills affects science scores so strategies are needed. Some of these include use of scientific dialogue in the classroom, clarifying the links between the keywords and use of activities with associated scientific texts.

Resources for Science Literacy (R5) – It appears that Science teachers should be more aware of their need to be a literacy teacher as well due to the depth and breadth found in the Science language.

Teaching literacy skills allows students the ability to overcome any limitations and therefore will raise their own grades. Using a vocabulary check before and after reading a text can highlight these improvements in understanding of scientific words.

The Frayer Model (R6) - This allows students to provide examples and non-examples of a word as knowing what a concept isn’t may help define what it is. Students can also build connections around keywords as they look at characteristics and definitions. As a graphic organiser it allows students to build a picture of the word which benefits both low ability students and students who are new to scientific terminology.

1. Action Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

Knowledge Organisers – From September we looked at using KOs at the start of every module and then after discussion with colleagues I decided to trial out some KOTs (Knowledge Organiser Test & Spellings) during the do now starter period of the lesson with KS3 pupils. Students would have a week to read through the KO and learn the spellings of keywords on the KO and then I would test them at the start of the module. We would then go through the answers as a class and discuss the keywords used.

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Glossaries, Vocabulary Slides and Vocabulary Check Tables – Throughout the year students were given glossaries for each module and had access to vocabulary slides and checksheets.

Scientific Texts and the Frayer Model – At the beginning of this year and during the lockdown online learning I used this method to enforce particular keywords onto my students.

Keyword mix & match and Unscrambling Definitions – As a Starter, mid lesson consolidation or as a Plenary I have always used these activities to help form sentences and start to show students how to use science in everyday language.

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Labelled diagrams to construct methods – As students start their practical work I go through the method with them using diagrams (fully labelled) which students draw out with me. Normally methods (especially at GCSE) are a list of bullet points which the students rarely read so the below (followed by a demo) really did support the students in their tasks.

Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

Knowledge Organisers – After our meetings surrounding the CPD in Science we wanted to make more use of the KOs in terms of literacy and helping students understand the concepts of new modules (linked also to flipped learning which you don’t tend to see till A Level). I really liked doing this and it really worked with my Year 7s (especially the spelling test as it got us talking about the keywords which was important R3). We were also able to link the use of keywords to the topics within the module so students could start that association and use of that language before they had even been taught it (R4).

Vocabulary Slides and Vocabulary Check Tables – Also adapted from CPD during this year I found these to be useful when working with both Year 7 and Year 10. The vocabulary check tables were excellent as a good Do Now Starter to get the students linking into the keywords and the topics taught (R3/R4/R6).

The vocabulary slides were quite laborious to make and many students didn’t appear to access these as well as the interactive checks and glossaries they were given. Though useful to have the vocabulary slides appeared to have less impact to students when compared to the workload making them.

Scientific Texts and the Frayer Model – Due to the vocabulary slides being less utilised by students myself and some colleagues adapted the Frayer Model to allow a more interactive use of the keywords. We 213

linked this into various scientific texts that students would read and answer associated questions. (after analysing the keywords used in the text by the Frayer model). This was particularly used during the lockdown period as it allowed students to think about the keywords they were using and we as staff could assess how they had linked that work (R4/R6). In general I felt this method worked quite well, however some of the lower ability students found it hard to grasp the idea of non-examples.

Keyword mix & match and Unscrambling Definitions - These have often been used during my lessons, but seeing their connections with literacy has helped me with my use of them in planning (R1/R3). I found these to be particularly useful for my Year 10s and to introduce to my Year 7s how to form sentences using the sometimes complicated language of Science.

Labelled diagrams to construct methods – Both my Year 7 and 10 groups have trouble accessing the practical work due to not being able to link the terms used for the practical activity and the equipment used (R3). This actually worked really well for both groups (however there was some complaints about not being able to draw so I supplied a helpsheet for drawing equipment) and I felt that students were more confident in what they needed to do for their practical.

Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

Reading around the importance of literacy in Science gave me a fundamental understanding of how the roots of words are so important in students being able to link the appropriate keywords to examination questions. When using the Frayer Model the use of non-examples was really interesting in how it linked to what the word actually means to what it doesn’t. Though some students found this tricky during the lockdown process when I used this in class earlier in the year I was able to see how students made the “non-connection” after I explained the term.

I had some excellent progress with testing Year 7s on their spellings from the KOs and I could see the improvement in their mini tests as time went on just through introducing these. The confidence in both my Year 7s and 10s in completing their PAGS was evident as well after they were allowed to draw out their methods when completing practical work. I have some really good examples of student work (which I have added a couple of bits above), but most of it is at school at the moment in student books so I am unable to access it.

What next?

Though I have used these strategies in one form or another during my teaching career after completing this research I felt a greater understanding for their need in the classroom to enforce literacy and so I am keen to do more when we return.

Due to the current lockdown I feel more time is needed to implement the strategies I have been using as Science is such a varied language that many students need support with. I believe literacy in Science

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is important for every Year group, including Year 12/13, and I am looking forward to implementing these strategies and more when we are back in the classroom.

Reading • • • • • • • • •

•

https://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/getattachment/281b9b52-8f6d-4b1d-84dba8456529b5c1/literacy-skills https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Review_of_SES_and_Science_Learnin g_in_Formal_Educational_Settings.pdf https://www.tes.com/news/there-magic-bullet-education-after-all https://www.sd43.bc.ca/school/gleneagle/Parents/LearningLab/Reading%20Resources/Frayer%20 Model%20and%20Vocabulary/frayer_model_vocbulary_strategy_handout__copy_3_0.pdf https://edu.rsc.org/ideas/closing-the-word-gap/3010526.article https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/blog/free-literacy-in-science-cpd-course/ https://www.stem.org.uk/elibrary/resource/29871 https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/developing-language-and-literacy-science/ https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/sites/ScienceDepartment/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems. aspx?viewid=61096e3b%2D6d8c%2D4acd%2Dbc76%2D7671a6975c13&id=%2Fsites%2FScienceDe partment%2FShared%20Documents%2FThorden%20DFE%20resources https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/sites/TeachingLearning/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.as px?csf=1&e=ybxOAF&cid=57c3d2ab%2D5cad%2D4b3c%2Da1f8%2D1bd99361a39a&RootFolder=% 2Fsites%2FTeachingLearning%2FShared%20Documents%2FResearch%20%26%20CPD%2FLiteracy% 20and%20oracy&FolderCTID=0x0120004D27F67424DAB6428AB09041B739BF2C

Bethaney Padden - How can we help students to decode and apply tier three vocabulary?

INTRODUCTION “The most important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them” (William Henry Bragg). I happened upon this quote whilst researching Literacy in Science. I think this is poignant as a lot of students can copy neatly keywords and definitions but applying them is another thing entirely. During the Coronavirus lockdown these were my concerns: Continuing my literacy work with my tutor group, developing the scientific vocabulary of my year 7 mixed ability group and engagement of my year 9 mixed ability class. I have used a similar approach with all three of these groups but for slightly different reasons. Below, I will discuss what I have learnt from my CPD reading and webinars, an evaluation of my efforts so far as well as next steps I would like to take.

DISCUSSION The main inspiration for this review began with a literacy in Science webinar I attended. (Fleck, A. 2020) It began with a quote “Biology is not plants and animals. It is language about plants and animals…” (Neil Postman 1979) Reading and knowledge are intertwined, you cannot have one without the other.

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“There is a 30-million-word gap between children form the wealthiest and poorest families” (Hart and Risley 1995) Why is this important when it comes to secondary school science? “The strongest and most consistent predictor of students’ attainment in science education is how literate they are” (Nunes et al. 2017) I found this to be extremely important as we may be tempted to assume maths as a barrier when it comes to physics, however, if a student is unable to coherently link words and appreciate context, something like a calculation question will be a challenge to access.

(Fleck, A. 2020) went onto discuss morphology (the study of the different parts of a word Prefix, Root, Suffix) and Etymology (knowing the word origin of a particular term can help identify the meaning.)

(Fleck, A. 2020) suggested training students to identify the prefix, root and suffix in keywords. Only through teacher modelling correct use of scientific language will students use it when they answer.

Ways to increase vocabulary are to read adult science books, journals. One barrier to this would be, the lack of lesson time available to cover this too. One solution was to set this reading as homework so retrieval practice takes up less lesson time.

Following my webinar I completed the CPD course on Literacy in Science which contained a video by Prof Willingham. (Willingham, D. 2009) To gain an understanding of the words, knowledge of the world is needed for context. It is about bridging gaps and resolving ambiguity. When reading, certain assumptions are often required. Improving general knowledge is more important than reading ability.

The idea that reading strategies alone are not great despite a lot of focus being placed on this, in particular, in Primary. We need to teach about the world and establish context in order to make definitions meaningful and link key vocabulary words together.

During this course, I also came across this reference (Wellington and Osborne 2001) and four levels of classification. Science presents the difficulty of hard conceptual word eg..g work energy power which have precise science specific definitions so this may be more appropriate than tiers of vocabulary.

Classify science specific vocabulary using : Level 1 – Naming word e.g. conical flask, oxygen Level 2 – Process words e.g. combustion, osmosis Level 3 – Concept words e.g. work, energy Level 4 – Mathematical words and symbols e.g. order of magnitude, significant figures.

I attended (Stockings, K. 2020) Improve KS3 curriculum webinar next. The main aim was to create an engaging year 7 curriculum. (Stockings, K. 2020) referenced the meta-concepts based on ALCAB reports (A level content advisory board) this was for Geography and I found this less useful as there is no Science equivalent. (Stockings, K. 2020) summed up the curriculum into broad concepts which were only shared with teachers, not students. I would find it more helpful to share these with students.

All lessons link as they all deconstruct the big question/key concept. This encourages students to ask questions, thinking critically about the subject. Thinking like a Scientist. I believe this is brilliant to develop critical thinking in students and would be useful as part of interleaving, however, I believe this to be too broad an approach for Science which breaks down into Biology, Chemistry and Physics and is a content heavy subject containing lots of concepts which do not necessarily always link together chronologically.

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My latest webinar I have attended was (Myatt, M. 2020) included some relevant quotes from the book (Willingham, D.T. 2009) “People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking” So as many of us are already aware, if we can inspire creativity and a sense of intrigue students will engage and achieve. “People are naturally curious, but curiosity is fragile” “When you solve a problem, your brain may reward itself with a small dose of dopamine” The way to achieve this is high gain, low cost. I have explored this myself through spelling tests and quizzes through home learning tasks set.

Students need more demanding work, in particular higher prior attaining students.

Eight year 9 higher prior attaining boys were asked which subject they felt interested and why.

Geography because the teacher made it difficult and interesting. They would read National Geographic for homework then discuss it in class. The teacher emphasised they will not understand all of it but they would be able to discuss next lesson. High expectations are key – lower, middle and higher prior attaining students all benefit as when students were asked they would like the challenge. All reading ages benefit, poorer vocabulary students showed biggest improvement Access to good quality, vocabulary rich texts required for all “abilities”. Tell a story – big picture for complex ideas, this is inclusive for all. Pitch high a support through talk. It is important that students feel success early on when learning a new concept, through low stake quizzes.

ACTIONS TAKEN Continuing my literacy work with my tutor group: I chose a reading book downloaded as a pdf so all students can access it from home either printed or electronically. Then using SMHW, I choose 20 spellings from each chapter which are either commonly misspelt or not commonly used in spoken language. Looking at the results, majority of students have engaged with the task. To improve, I would like to set the spelling tests again and see if there’s an improvement when students resit. (Appendix) Developing the scientific vocabulary of my year 7 mixed ability group and engagement of my year 9 mixed ability class.

Year 7 – I was already using dual coding as part of my key vocabulary powerpoint slides. However, there was such a large volume of words covered in the light and sound topics in particular, I built in time to gain confidence with both the spellings, seeing that word in the context of a sentence and then quizzes on the meaning. My results do not give enough evidence to say whether this has made a difference on overall progress as yet. It does support “the strongest and most consistent predictor of students’ attainment in science education is how literate they are” (Nunes et al. 2017) As students achieved similar percentages across the tasks (appendix).

Year 9 – At the start of lockdown, I was concerned about this group’s engagement from home. So, I have frequently used spelling tests and quizzes (starting with chemistry revision) to help the students feel successful. As you can see (appendix) students engaged well with the tasks and in later quizzes I was able to screen shot past exam questions and get results to these questions where, in class, students may be daunted by this format.

CONCLUSION

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Moving forward, I will be using worksheets which train students in the skill of identifying prefix, root and suffix of words. Also, I will be using concept maps to link keywords and I am planning on setting reading extracts from adult reading age books. Starting with year 7, by linking current learning to the history and scientist involved in the concept.

The use of SMHW quizzes on keywords has made it possible to set higher tier GCSE past exam questions, through building confidence in low stake quizzes and setting the context for level 4 keywords – mathematical terms (see last year 9 quiz).

I believe the SMHW spelling tests and quizzes have been successful and will be integral to my setting of homework in future post lockdown, providing a low stake way for checking progress, interleaving and closing the vocabulary gap.

REFERENCES Webinars: Fleck, A. (2020, April 8) “Literacy and language in science with Amanda Fleck – Virtual TeachMeet” As part of the Seneca CPD webinar series.

Can be retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPkUzlABNk Stockings, K. (2020, April 22) “Using subject specific concepts to improve the KS3 curriculum with Kate Stockings – Virtual TeachMeet” As part of the Seneca CPD webinar series.

Can be retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJAB2BRj4DA Myatt, M. (2020, June 18) “Making the most of research and learning sciences in curriculum planning with Mary Myatt – Virtual TeachMeet” As part of the Seneca CPD webinar series.

Can be retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShEJOYburKk Videos: WILLINGHAM, D. January 9 2009 “Teaching content is teaching reading” University of Virginia Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiP-ijdxqEc (Accessed: 9 June 2020 as part of Literacy in Science for Teachers – Seneca Certified CPD course completed same day).

Books: Postman, N. (1979) “Teaching as a conserving activity” New York: Delacorte Willingham, D.T. (2009) “Why don’t students like school? A cognitive scientist answer questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom” Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint Journals: HART, B. & RISLEY T.R 1995 “The Early Catastrope: The 30 miliion word gap by age 3” Brookes NUNES, T. , BRYANT, P., STRAND, S., HILLIER, J., BARROS, R., & MILLER-FRIEDMANN, J. September 2017 “Review of SES and Science learning in formal educational settings: A report prepared for the EEF and the Roya Society” (Education Endowment Foundation) University of Oxford 218

WELLINGTON, J. & OSBORNE, J. 2001 “Language and Literacy in Science Education” Open University Press Buckingham Philadelphia ISBN 0 335 20599 2 (hb) 0 335 20598 4 (pb) ROHRER, D., DEDRICK, R. & STERSHIC, S. 2014 “Interleaved Practice Improves Mathematics Learning” Journal of Educational Psychology. 107. 10.1037/edu0000001.

Other: “Closing the word gap: Activities for the classroom – Science” Content produced by Teachit in partnership with Oxford University Press Available at: http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/oxed/Closing_the_Word_Gap__science.pdf?region=uk APPENDIX: Tutor group reading book weekly spelling tests

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Year 7 group spelling tests and quizzes over time

Year 9 group spelling tests and quizzes over time

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Lynsey Greenfield – How can we help students learn and retain tier three vocabulary?

With the introduction of the new (9-1) GCSE exams a significant portion of A-level content moved to the GCSE specification and consequently some GCSE expectations moved down to the science KS3 curriculum. Therefore, now more than ever, there is a higher expectation on each year group to have an increased subject knowledge, and thus a wider subject specific vocabulary (and understanding thereof). a. Target students To have the most long term impact I have selected to focus on year 7 as I plan to develop any successful approaches in the future with higher year groups as they move towards their GCSE’s. As this group of students have the lowest literacy levels, increasing their knowledge and understanding of the key terms used in science, will hopefully allow them to access the content of the lessons more easily. b. Research IMPROVING LITERACY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: Guidance Report (EEF): The ‘disciplinary literacy’ approach explained in this guidance emphasises the value of teaching students how to read, write and communicate effectively in each of their subjects. “Literacy is key to academic success across the curriculum, and is more important than ever as curriculum reforms place new demands on students and teachers… By attending to the literary demands of their subjects, teachers increase their pupils’ chance of success in their subjects.”

The EEF suggests a range of promising strategies to promote academic language, including ‘exploring common root words’, ‘using graphic organisers’ and ‘undertaking regular low-stakes assessment’ to increase exposure to complex subject specific words. They also place importance on combining vocabulary development with learning the spellings of key words, explaining that “Etymology and morphology, will help students remember new words and make connections between words.” https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Literacy/EEF_KS3_KS4_LITER ACY_GUIDANCE.pdf OCR 2019 Summer Highlights report (OCR): While the report includes many common misconceptions and errors students made last year, there are several examples given that highlight the common misuse of key scientific vocabulary. Another specific example given is that “longer answers don’t always lead to more marks. If correct responses are contradicted, marks can be lost.” From my experience of marking students work, this is a trap many fall into, especially when they are lacking the key vocabulary or do not feel confident to use it. https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/563562-summerhighlights-report.pdf Living Literacy: Leading and managing literacy – Literacy skills mapping example (OUP): Science specific vocabulary is seen as a key part of understanding the science curriculum, and it needs to be 221

recognised that there are many literacy skills that are also important for improving understanding, as well safely accessing science lessons. Living Literacy includes ‘understanding the meaning(s) of words’, ‘taking information from texts’ and ‘communicating results/findings’ in its map of skills a year 7 student should be taught. More evidence that students will struggle to succeed in science without being able to access and understand the terminology used. (See appendix 1).

VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE AND THE ‘FRAYER MODEL’ (Alex Quigley): The ‘Frayer model’ is a graphic organiser that has been successfully used in schools for decades. “It is a simple but effective model to help students to organise their understanding of a new academic term or complex vocabulary choice”. The model’s use in science has been explored more recently due to increased academic vocabulary demands of the new curriculum, with positive feedback claiming “many have written explanations with a real grasp of the true meaning of the word, not just a superficial overview.” https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2018/04/vocabulary-knowledge-andthe-frayer-model/ a. Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

Knowledge Organisers, spelling tests, DNS’s and quizzes At the start of this school year we introduced the use of Knowledge Organisers for each topic. They were handed out on the first lesson of each topic with the expectation that students use them at home using the ‘Look, cover, write, check’ method. Each knowledge organiser introduced the key terms specific to that topic, giving definitions, and examples where appropriate. Students’ knowledge and recall was then measured using a variety of low-stake assessments, such as short Do Now Starter questions every lesson and quizzes every couple of weeks.

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As we progressed through the autumn term more emphasis and CPD sessions were given on literacy throughout the curriculum, so I introduced regular spelling tests into my lessons, each time building on feedback form the last. For example, giving students a multiple choice of common incorrect spellings from the previous test.

‘Frayer model’ Since needing to adapt our teaching methods during lockdown I have utilised the ‘Frayer model’ to really engage students with key vocabulary. As part of their home learning each week, I provide students with a few pages of the text book and the graphic organiser with a few specific key words or terms from that part of the topic. Here are some example year 7 responses:

b. Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

Knowledge Organisers, spelling tests, DNS’s and quizzes I have previously used Knowledge Organisers (KO’s), but rather sporadically, where I could find appropriate ones for our exam board on the TES. This year however, Kerboodle (who we pay a yearly subscription for resources), have produced a full set of KO’s for our KS3 scheme of work so they are perfectly matched to our specifications, and they are brightly illustrated making them more interesting to students.

Therefore we really had no excuse not to use them. In our very first departmental meeting this year we discussed the importance of students retaining what they learn, not only that year, but from year 9 until their GCSE’s. From our first lessons with each class we emphasised the importance of ‘overcoming the curve’ and the Knowledge Organisers were a great tool to help students with this, especially in terms of the key scientific vocabulary for each topic. As explained above, we have a range of methods to assess students’ engagement with them.

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As we moved through each of the topics and students showed confidence in using the key vocabulary correctly I could introduce questions that called for a ‘longer answer’. At this stage for year 7 I still provided a list of key terms, and sometimes even a sentence starter, but the aim was for students to write a precise and succinct answer to an ‘exam question’. Using this method, I hope to avoid the common pitfalls in GCSE of students writing too much, and potentially contradicting themselves, therefore losing marks (as highlighted by OCR).

‘Frayer model’ I have used topic glossaries with my classes for many years and frequently use matching activities to help secure key vocabulary knowledge, but I felt that students needed to engage with the vocabulary at a deeper level to confidently understand it.

During a whole school CPD session we were introduced to use of the ‘Frayer model’ and we all asked to fill some in for ourselves. I remember choosing myself a particularly tricky term and really feeling the challenge of the task, making me critically assess my own understanding, which actually felt great!

At this point I stored away the template for safe keeping and planned to use it in my lessons in the near future, but the closure of schools provided a good opportunity to utilise it as an independent study task. As the EEF explained, using graphic organisers “breaks down complex academic terms in a visual way” to aid understanding, so this was further support of the Frayer model’s role in developing a secure knowledge of the technical vocabulary needed to access the curriculum.

2. Evaluation a. Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

My year 7’s actually seemed to enjoy the spelling tests to an extent; many liking the competition to beat their peers or themselves from the previous week. And for the majority of students, it gave them accountability for regularly using their Knowledge Organisers at home. I saw some excellent progress with their spellings and saw an improvement in their DNS responses and quiz results over time.

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The responses I have received for the Frayer model has been rather varied. Some students have completed them with some great examples and definitions, while others have particularly struggled with the ‘non-examples’ (and some have not completed them at all while in lockdown).

What next?

Several sources of research suggested the importance of ‘root’ word understanding, and although I do regularly highlight these in lesson, and the ‘Frayer model’ begins to explore this, in the future I will plan for more specific activities to look at comparisons and links in words with common roots.

Quigley has shared an edited example of the graphic organiser in use with one section used for etymology; this is what I plan to start with.

Overall, I have a greater appreciation for the need to develop literacy more deeply in science and I am looking forward to including more of this in September with all year groups. b. Reading https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Literacy/EEF_KS3_KS4_LITER ACY_GUIDANCE.pdf https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/563562-summer-highlights-report.pdf https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2018/04/vocabulary-knowledge-and-the-frayer-model/ https://www.covington.kyschools.us/userfiles/15/My%20Files/7th%20gr%20add%20chg/Increasing%2 0science%20vocabulary%20using%20powerpoint%20flash%20cards.pdf?id=3651 Getting the buggers in to science, by Christine Farmery 2005

Appendix 1

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Rebecca Price - Expanding Literacy and Vocabulary When I first started this CPD task my initial plan was to encourage Y8 students to use the technical vocabulary contained with D&T more freely and confidently. My approach was to ask the students on the first lesson of the RMT rotation just to write down any technical vocabulary they could remember from their Y7 RMT rotation. I was surprised that they found this quite a difficult task, despite many prompts and reminders around the workshop. I was then going to repeat the exercise at the end of the rotation, having been very focussed on using the key words etc. during the intervening lessons. Due to lock down this could not happen, however I think I will adopt this into my teaching in the future. A couple of years ago we used to do a start of project test and an end of project test to demonstrate progression. I always felt this was setting the students up to fail as they would only achieve a very low score at first as they hadn’t covered the work! By getting students to write down what they remember from the previous year’s rotation is an informal way to gauge their recall and help me to identify where gaps in knowledge and understanding may be. It will help me to plan lessons, differentiate and at the end of the rotation for students to (hopefully) see their progress in the use of technical vocabulary.

Luckily for me I had my very own Y10 CEC student sharing lock down with me. I have been trying to support her remote learning as much as possible. I’m afraid I have not felt quite so confident supporting her Numeracy but her brothers have been pretty good at that. We have been taking advantage of the televised RSC productions. One of the plays we watched was ‘Jane Eyre’, we discussed the performance with each other and friends. By chance B was set an extract from the novel as a remote learning task a few days later and was able to give, I think, good answers to the questions set. It reminded me of the trip TH organised to see ‘A Midsummers Night’s Dream’ at Cine World. I was astounded at how the students were totally immersed and engaged by the production. I think that opportunity for students to watch ‘live’ theatre is very powerful and I know that the English and Drama departments provide lots of opportunities for this.

During lock down we have been playing Scrabble. The word ‘Squib’ which I put down (on a triple word score) provided us with discussion about what the word means, why the phrase is not ‘a damp squid’ as is often said and what a squab is. Scrabble has also me to consolidate B’s understanding of proper nouns. I am going to try and use Scrabble as a tutor group activity, may be on-line on the projector as I think it would help students to expand their vocabulary, question words, spellings and some of the students might even start researching the less well known 2 letter Scrabble words.

B and I were talking to my brother on FB. I used the word ‘avuncular’ to which B asked what it meant.

She was then set the challenge by her uncle to find out the female version, which is ‘materteral’, incidentally. We then, as a family started listing our favourite slightly obscure, not often used words.

These included ‘hirsute’, ‘xertz’ ‘doddery’ and ‘xanthan’. Again I think this a way I could get my tutor group to expand their vocabulary and interest in language by getting them each week to present an uncommon word.

B and I have also been conversing in French, at times, over the lock down, well more Franglais to be honest. It has got her to repeat and practise her vocabulary. The interesting thing I have found when trying to dredge up one’s school girl French is how difficult it is to express what you mean with a very limited vocabulary. I think many of our students struggle with this in their first language. I think the 226

across College Literacy strategy is key to the success of our students and will be interested to read others research.

Rachel Kitley – How can we develop the modelling and scaffolding of complex writing expectations using FEAST? The starting point I have the privileged position of teaching the whole of Year 7 this year. These students’ have not yet all developed the required core writing skills needed to articulate themselves clearly in writing. Student booklets showed students did not tend to meet our whole school FEAST requirements routinely: they did not always write in full sentences, use formal language or the lesson’s key words, in particular.

This example from a Year 7 E1M booklet demonstrates some literacy core skills are not yet independently acquired by this student, who does not have SEND needs and is a middle prior attainer. He does not write using formal language and instead uses the less formal words “cool” and “coz” and the phrase “no come back”. No tier 3 and little tier 2 vocabulary is present in spite of the fact that the lesson introduced the words “trolling” and “inflammatory” explicitly. The student does not write in full sentences even though I gave written and verbal reminders.

Research The starting point to my research was to note that my work around literacy to this point had not enabled a change in students’ independent skills. In spite of a significant focus on key words in this lesson, for instance, students had not used them in their writing. Clearly something else was needed to support students’ skill development in addition.

There are seven suggestions regarding improving literacy in schools recently published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). The fourth recommendation is to break down complex writing tasks. The report reminds us that writing is challenging and as a result “students will benefit from explicit instruction in how to improve” (Quigley, A., & Coleman, R., (2019) Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance report. Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk (accessed 15/03/2020).

Tharby writes that “Independence should be seen as the ideal result of learning from an expert, not something that miraculously occurs” (Tharby, A., (2013) Modelling writing… and the meaning of life https://cowesec.sharepoint.com (accessed 15/03/2020). This highlights that children cannot automatically write with fluent literacy and need to learn from our expertise to support this process towards literacy independence. From this research, modelling, therefore, emerged as the best strategy to explore.

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Further research enabled me to consider how best to carry out modelling. Tharby recommends modelling takes place on a little and often basis and includes the need for deconstruction of a text to enable students to understand the components needed. He also cites the benefits of what he describes as ‘dirty’ modelling, which consciously amalgamates the class’ targets into the modelling which follows. (Tharby, A., (2013) Modelling writing… and the meaning of life https://cowesec.sharepoint.com (accessed 15/03/2020). This reading enabled me to decide to base the modelling around the FEAST targets (which already break the complex endeavour of formal writing down into 5 steps).

Sherrington’s reflections on Rosenshine added further advice about the most effective ways to model.

‘Rosenshine suggests that more effective teachers recognise the need to deal with the limitations of working memory and succeed in breaking down concepts and procedures into small steps.’

(Sherrington, T., (2019) Rosenshine's Principles in Action). Key to this seems to be Rosenshine’s observation that ‘less effective teachers typically use fewer worked examples.’ Sherrington also discusses the need for teachers to be modelling excellence and exposing our students to high quality examples. (Sherrington, T., (2019) Rosenshine's Principles in Action.)

Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

Informed by my research, I made key decisions about my approach: •

• •

• • •

Modelling enables a learner to benefit from seeing how someone proficient in a skill does it; it offers a window into our minds where learners can hear what we are thinking and enables them to think similarly.

We tend to model practical activities far more often than we do our thinking and this holds students’ progress rates back in complex writing activities.

Effective teachers will explicitly model what they do when they are thinking and writing (such as how they use formal language, tier 3 vocabulary and full sentences) and not expect them to gain these independent skills without this support.

Models need to enable excellence in their level of challenge and high expectations.

The process needs to deconstruct a text, phrase or sentence, breaking the complex act of writing down into small steps.

This process needs to be repeated many times to be effective.

The research around the need to model for all students, in every lesson and subject, on a regular basis is compelling. With this in mind I decided that the work I was carrying out around modelling needed to be able to be drawn on by all teachers. I therefore made the decision that the academy needed to develop 5 core modelling videos to support students in lessons in each of the FEAST literacy writing objectives, accompanied by a training video to support staff in how to use them.

Producing videos for all staff to use aimed to reduce staff workload while ensuring all students can receive consistency and repetition.

For each of the areas of FEAST, a short, simple video now exists to play from September in a classroom, irrespective of subject area, age or skill of student. These videos draw on the best research available, both regarding modelling as outlined above, and in respect to each literacy area.

They model the writing expectations we have at the academy with high expectations and each video breaks down the skill into a smaller set of sub skills to deconstruct and therefore simplify the complex and possible ‘mysterious’ way to achieve an effective piece of writing. In line with the research, which evidences that students must see such modelling many times, the video format ensures that this is 228

possible. Videos are purposefully generic so that they can be used in every subject area and are easy to differentiate, meaning they can be used across all ages and abilities.

The videos can now be viewed and used for all staff on sharepoint. To further emphasise the importance of using these videos, next year one of the appraisal objectives for all teachers will be to evidence repeated and regular use of the videos across their classes, to meet all teacher’s ongoing responsibility to prioritise and support the development of literacy.

Conclusion Due to COVID-19, I have been unable to use these videos in my teaching yet. I expect to see an improvement in the number of students using full sentences, formal language and tier 3 vocabulary when compared to the control group of Year 7 E1M 2019-2020, and for these improvements to transfer into other subjects as other teachers use the same videos to model the same core skills.

We have high expectations at Cowes Enterprise College and expect all students, irrespective of their starting points, to learn independent core skills which will enable them to express themselves effectively. It is genuinely exciting to know that the route to achieving this is something within our grasp in the classroom. Excellence is transformational and as Berger reminds us “once a student sees that he or she is capable of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new self-image, a new notion of possibility. There is an appetite for excellence” (Berger, R., (2003) An Ethic of Excellence, page 8).

Reading Berger, R., (2003) An Ethic of Excellence. London: Heinemann Quigley, A., & Coleman, R., (2019) Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance report. Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk.

Sherrington, T., (2019) Rosenshine's Principles in Action. London: John Catt.

Tharby, A., (2013) Modelling writing… and the meaning of life https://cowesec.sharepoint.com .

Becs White – How can we tackle the limited vocabulary, phraseology and sentence structures used in Academic Writing?

My belief is that when students write essays citing evidence and needing explanation in any subject, their academic vocabulary, phraseology and sentence structures repertoire is actually stifled by their teachers who actively encourage students to use limited and basic vocabulary, phraseology and sentence structures in response to essay questions.

In short, teachers will use scaffolds of basic analysis phase vocabulary using the argument that their students struggle to cope with the more elaborate vocabulary and sentence structures they need to use to gain higher marks in GCSE subjects.

My aim is to prove this is a fallacy, and by not using these more elaborate vocabulary and structures as soon as students begin to write essays in secondary, teachers are actually making it more difficult for them to then adjust them when they seek to perform at a more academic level.

Target students 229

My target group will be my Year 7 and 8s. I have chosen Year 7 because they are a mixed ability group and are the most inexperienced at academic writing. These are the students some teachers tend to begin to provide the prohibitive scaffolding to.

Also, I have included my Year 8 set because they are a low ability Foundation set; the ones people assume require the simplest of vocabulary and phraseology. c. Research https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/category/closing-the-gap/ No mention of specific vocabulary related to analysis writing https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/academic_writing used to scaffold students at a multitude of universities.

No mention of language within essays. http://www.ref-n-write.com/trial/research-paper-example-writing-literature-review-sectionacademic-phrasebank-vocabulary/ needed a password to enter https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469787410387814 fruitless https://cowesec.sharepoint.com/sites/TeachingLearning/Shared%20Documents/Research%20&%20D ev/Robert%20Marzano%20Six%20Steps%20to%20Better%20Vocabulary%20Instruction.pdf not relevant Action To begin with, I insisted on the use analysis verbs rather than the verb ‘show’ The use of suggests, implies, creates, demonstrates, infers, connotes, portrays, conveys, illustrates, emphasises etc. was to be used. I also insisted on the use of essay connectives by every student with every paragraph. This ensures continuity and progression in effective essay writing. The phrases I insisted upon were: • • • •

to begin with; furthermore; in addition; in conclusion; to begin paragraphs and connectives conducive with the style of writing within paragraphs.

More able students were encouraged to research and compile further phrases and used having consulted me in terms of their efficacy.

In addition, I totally banned the use of:

• • • • •

this can be found in the phase; the evidence for this is; I know this because; the quote, ’…’; this is shown by; and any other inane introduction to evidence.

We called these ‘Clunk phrase’s and students had great fun spotting their misuse.

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These were replaced by the use of ‘segways’. Students were taught to segway evidence by giving a brief account of what was happening in the text at the time the evidence was cited; e.g.

As Romeo spears Tybalt with his sword Shakespeare writes, “……”.

In addition, I totally banned the word ‘quote’.

This to be replaced with much more technical language, such as ‘verb phrase’, ‘declarative sentence’ etc.

Furthermore, the use of ‘this creates an image in my head’ or ‘this creates tension’ without detailing how and why was prohibited.

Lastly, I encourages the students to avoid, ‘This would make the reader feel’. Instead, I taught them to use ‘The writer’s intention is to make the reader…’

When it came to selecting evidence, I insisted the students used the correct English terminology.

Rather than use, ‘The word…’ or The phrase...’when detailing ideas about selected evidence, they were taught to be specific in their lexis and use ‘verb, noun phrase, simile etc.

My results were compiled through the use of the regular assessment schedule in the English department. An analysis of all essays written by these two groups for the use of the language in the research was conducted.

With the Year 8 group, a comparison with the attainment in comparison to this time last year was done. c. Evaluation Were the teaching processes and strategies adopted effective?

Bearing in mind, English students are not set in Year 7 English, all students in this group made significant progress in academic writing from the start of the year. To make a fair test, I evaluated this group with the results of another teacher (control group) and found that the more able in my group generally made two points of progress, whereas the more able in the control group generally made only one point of progress. All the average ability in my set made set made one or more points of progress, whereas, progress in the control group occurred on an average with 45 per cent of the set.

Of my least able (six students), one made negative progress; two made expected progress, and three made one level above expected progress. Elated with these results, I then used end of year data from last year with my Year 8 analysis, as this would negate bias on my part and be more evidence based.

With this group, who are a Foundation Set, many with complex educational needs, the results were just as pleasing. Two students made negative progress, both of whom had frequent absence from my classes; six made progress in line with expectation; three students were one level above expected progress; six were two levels above expected progress and amazingly two made three levels of progress. d. What next?

This research confirmed to me that we underestimate our students. In Year Seven they are still keen learners able to absorb vast quantities of new facts and language. Traditionally as teachers we have been encouraged to reduce language to ‘Student Speak’; even published educational texts aimed at particular age groups do this. This, I believe, is in fact hindering progress. Youngsters take pride in mastering new vocabulary and since this trend was established in the eighties, I myself have witnessed 231

the average vocabulary of my students becoming more and more limited. As a grandmother, my granddaughter’s favourite book is her compilation of the Beatrix Potter stories; 'It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is soporific.’ The vocabulary in it is phenomenal, as is Potter’s use of passive voice (something it is important to master in academic writing), and at four, my granddaughter has mastered every word and connotation, yet publishers have reprinted the ‘Tale of Peter Rabbit’ and ‘dumbed down’ the style and vocabulary.

This research has confirmed to me that we need to introduce complex vocabulary and written structures as soon as students start secondary school.

To ameliorate learning, it would be beneficial if vocabulary and written academic structures were agreed and adhered to within and across departments. e. Appendix • Data from Year 8 • Success Criteria for Academic writing in English Data from Year 8.

Success Criteria - Up-levelling the use of academic language to answer reading questions in English

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Encourage students to begin each paragraph with an analytical connective: to begin with; in addition; furthermore; added to this; in conclusion.

Teach them to say the question back and to answer it with a general overview of the tone or focus of that part of the passage they are referencing, never with a language or structural technique. Not only does this enable them to discuss the intent of the writer in broader terms, 232

•

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•

•

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it stops them from limiting their ability refer to a range of language and structure techniques in the ‘zoom in’.

Rather than using ‘clunk’ phrases, such as ‘The evidence for this is’; ‘I know this because’; ’This is shown with’; ‘We see this when’, teach your students to ‘segway in’ their evidence with reference to what was occurring in the text as their quote appears. Not only does this sound far more professional, it demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the text and avoids students using personal language in what essentially is a formal, impersonal context. e.g. ‘As Romeo thrusts the sword in Tybalt’s side, Romeo says, “….” or ‘Having explained why females are discriminated against, Greer writes, ”….”.

Explain to your students that when they are making references, they might be ‘quoting’ but to use the term ‘quote’ in an analysis should be avoided. If they are using this term, they are either missing a proper segway (clunking) or not correctly naming a technique.

Encourage your students to name terms properly in their ‘zoom in’. Using the term ‘word’ or ‘phase’ merely demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the correct terminology for word classes and techniques and the quickest way to learn these is to need to use them.

Teach the ‘Zoom to’ in the sense that it is discussion of the writer’s intentions. Students must remember a text is a construct for a function and this is their opportunity to demonstrate their understand this.

Try and encourage students to either link the effect on the reader back to their original point, or to the point they intend to make in the next paragraph. This demonstrates continuity and progression.

Victoria Wells - How can I be strict with everyone, including myself, in consistently using the tier 3 vocabulary that I’ve taught?

Repetition of tier 3 vocabulary is the key to embedding into student long term memory. There is conflicting research as to the number of exposures which will cause a word to be slotted into long term memory ranging from 7 to 70! I found myself ‘dumbing down’ my own language even when I have spent time and effort deliberately teaching tier 3 vocabulary, only to then be patchy in my use of the word. I found it tough to keep track of which class/year group I have taught which word to so slipped unintentionally to using more tier 1 and 2 language. I challenged myself to ensure firstly; my language as a role model always was at an advanced level and secondly; I was then robust in ensuring student language was at a high level in responses. I tried a range of activities to address this issue.

Marzano (2004) suggests six techniques to teach new vocabulary to learners. I was inspired by this when developing the CEC key vocabulary template. I used this to teach the tier 3 vocabulary explicitly (see example slides) but then I needed to refer back to these at points of my teaching the topic to remind myself to keep exposing the students and challenging them to use that language. An easy way of doing this is peppering your presentation with images linked to the words (dual coding- Oliver Caviglioni)

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The Education Endowment Foundation suggests a range of strategies to promote academic language, including ‘exploring common root words’ which I included in the key word template. The EEF also place importance on combining vocabulary development with learning the spellings of key words, explaining that “etymology and morphology, will help students remember new words and make connections between words.”

Approaches I used to keep the new vocabulary ‘alive’ included •

• • • •

Word monitors – students were allocated a word to look for in teacher and student responses and they tallied the number of times each word was used in each lesson. If a word wasn’t used we rectified that.

Shared word lists – I shared the list of key vocabulary at the start of each topic. Students could use that list as a prompt if they were unsure during Q&A Display – I had a travel display of a roll of whiteboard paper which I put up each lesson to remind us all of the key vocabulary for that topic Bingo cards – once all key words were taught students tried to use all words in a lesson to get a ‘bingo!’

Do Now starter quizzes – many, if not all, were based upon the key tier 3 words. So students were exposed to some words once again at the start of each lesson as a prompt.

However as the word lists became increasingly long students found keeping track and using frequently more difficult. This is highlighted by John Sweller (1988) ‘Cognitive Load theory’. The Cognitive Load theory reminded me to make connections between ideas, in order for ideas to become more meaningful and connections to be made within the working memory in order to embedd in the longterm memory for effective recall over the long term.. Going into next academic year I am going to look carefully how I can develop the word list into a web to emphasise the connections between the words rather than simply grouping by topic, hopefully this will aid long term retention of the word..

References Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools Robert J Marzano (2004) Oliver Caviglioli : Dual Coding for Teachers (2019). John Catt Educational Ltd Sweller, J : Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning, Cognitive Science, 12, 257-285 (1988).

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https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Literacy/EEF_KS3_KS4_LITER ACY_GUIDANCE.pdf Berger, R., (2003) An Ethic of Excellence. London: Heinemann Quigley, A., & Coleman, R., (2019) Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance report. Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk.

Sherrington, T., (2019) Rosenshine's Principles in Action. London: John Catt.

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Oracy Sarah Welton – How can we promote high quality Oracy?

When completing the school’s CPD carousel, the oracy element immediately took my interest. The section of it that I found most interesting was the attitude different teachers had towards the topic; some used it considerably in their lessons and found it invaluable, whereas others used very little and saw no merit in adaptations. This made me reflect on the attitudes we have towards oracy and how the educational value appears to have depreciated over time – regardless of the importance of students being able to leave school being good speakers.

Attitudes towards oracy and its value Howe discussed the legacy of attitudes towards oracy within The Age of Oracy. It shows how controlled education used to be, especially in relation to an insistence on Standard English as well as criticism towards those with dialects. This peaked in the 70s and 80s where the Government commissioned The Bullock Report and The National Oracy Project was established.

Reflectively, one would have hoped this to become the pivotal point in the importance of the spoken word. On paper it certainly looked like it was heading in that direction: The Bullock Report offered the viability of testing the spoken word alongside reading and writing, but also pointed out that ‘well over half [of their education] is taken up by [listening]’ in comparison to speaking, reading and writing. As I previously stipulated, given that this was written in 1975, a change would have been wonderful to have followed.

However, it was 12 years later that the National Oracy Project was established with the aims of ‘enhanc[ing] the role of speech in the learning process’ and ‘develop[ing] the teaching of oral communication skills’, and a further year later before the National Curriculum was put into place. This meant that it was over a decade before this key skill was officially recognised (from a guideline perspective).

More sad than all of this, though, was that in 2014 when the National Curriculum was readdressed, oracy appeared to become more sidelined. The focus became more about measureable progress and specific guidelines for reading and writing – something that was probably unsurprising to schools given the accessibility of league tables and OfSTED reports during the technological boom. The speaking element became more broad and generic, such as ‘listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers’ and ‘speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English’. Not only were the statutory requirements vague in how to monitor, but also how to teach; the notes stated that these bullet points ‘apply to all years’ and should be ‘taught at a level appropriate to the age of the pupils’. This was completely inadequate in regard to supporting oracy.

When the government later decided to move away from the National Curriculum, The National Strategies released their APP grid as a bridged help; however, the spoken language section was half as detailed as the reading and writing; not only this, but one of the four focus strands was on understanding and explaining the meaning behind the 236

spoken word – something I would consider more of a reading skill. This meant that a quarter of the focal objectives was not explicitly about speaking.

It surprised me looking through the history of oracy and seeing that even after 39 years with the re-written National Curriculum, oracy was never given any importance. The lack of attention and direction over decades has created an attitude of inferiority towards the spoken word. In the English Speaking Union: Speaking Frankly, they reference the change in 2013 where the Speaking and Listening component was no longer considered important enough to contribute towards grades: ‘This situation was exacerbated when speaking and listening was removed from GCSE English assessments and replaced by a stand-alone ‘Spoken Language Endorsement’, which had no impact on a student’s final GCSE grade’. What on face value seems a minor change actually undermines the importance of speaking. We as practitioners expect students to answer our questions, listen carefully, articulate written responses, and yet we give them very few opportunities to learn how to do just that. I presume much of it comes from the expectation that they will have already learnt these skills, but social anxiety becomes more prevalent within a secondary environment. It is our responsibility to allow these students the chance to learn how to interact: not just with their peers, not just with us as a requirement, but so that they can leave school with a fundamental skill necessary to exist in a work and social environment.

Positive changes and opportunities Luckily, some groups and projects have seen this disparity and have started to address how to bridge this gap again. The charity Education Endowment Foundation released a Dialogic Teaching Evaluation Report based on a 20 week support system they put into place. Their primary focus was on introducing oracy into all elements of the curriculum (as it was based within a Primary environment, this was relatively easy for them to do). They wrote that they would focus mainly on English, Maths, Science and one non-core subject; however, later they then stated that the non-core subject was not as significant in their measure of progress.

By the end of the trial project, they stated that there was ‘evidence of a positive effect on children’s attainment as a result of schools participating in this intervention.’ That being said, 21% of the cohort could not be added to this measurement as seven out the thirty-eight schools did not send back their post-intervention data. This is a significant amount of missing information; I understand that schools are busy and can not always meet deadlines, but 21% is sizeable enough to have potentially significantly changed the outcome. For positive change to occur, irrefutably strong evidence needs to be sourced in order to force a change in attitude towards the importance of oracy within our curriculum. It was also stated that although the process was ‘well received’ by schools, the teachers believed that more time was necessary for this Dialogic Teaching approach to ‘have an effect on attainment in national tests’. This further proves that for oracy to be effective, it cannot be a tacked on element; it needs to be something intrinsically tied within the curriculum, and until it gets any recognition, we can’t blame schools for deciding to focus on the data that affects external criticism – like GCSE results and league tables. There is already so little time within a student’s educational life; schools don’t have the capacity to add other elements with no current tangible proof for improvement.

Promoting oracy easily

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In 2017, Antony Luby released Combating Language Poverty: Improving oracy and dialogue in schools.

This research document suggests several different opportunities to encourage students to engage in oracy. Although the list is predominantly aimed towards Primary students, many of the ideas can be crossed over to a Secondary environment with small adaptations, for example: school radio/podcast to go on the website, listening to audio stories or taking on roles in class projects. The main issue with these are the ability to imbed them within the curriculum; the benefit of Primary is having the same teacher across subjects, so a skill like this can be integrated fully into a student’s whole day. In order for a Secondary environment to achieve this same holistic education, it would require an absolute trust that every staff member would incorporate and apply the oracy element throughout the day. The issue being, as stated at the start, that just within Cowes Enterprise College, there was a clear difference in how confident teachers felt applying oracy to their subject. This would suggest that in order to bridge this gap, a full teaching CPD and complete understanding on how to specifically apply it in crosscurricular subjects would be an initial requirement.

Luby then continues into a more Secondary focus, predominantly discussing cumulative and exploratory talk where they clarified that in thirty years of education, they had never experienced this ‘quality of conversation’ naturally. The students in question had been withdrawn as a pair and so had a more intense learning experience. Luby described this as ‘time consuming’, discussing the focus change needed to be on ‘developing [a] small community of enquiry to consider the practicalities of promoting quality dialogue within our schools’. This is similar to the point I made above: oracy is a key fundamental skill needed in our lives, and it is going to need a huge upheaval in order to make it something worthwhile. Until there is proof that progress can be improved by including it, I doubt the government will be willing to take that leap.

Valuing every voice from Voice21 (although predominantly looking at stutters) gave some excellent examples on how to use oracy in the classroom. This image, for example, is offering students a way to learn about generational adaptation in order to survive. It is a great way to offer an insight into a new concept which promotes conversations on meaning.

It also has clear guidelines. It is this that would need to be established school-wide within a Secondary school capacity so that a student can walk into any subject with any teacher and know the expectation of an oracy task.

In addition to this, they give several examples of how to help EAL students; however, many of these are easily applicable to the lowest ability. For example, the first bullet point offers extra images to make sense of new information; this would be ideal for allowing struggling students to engage with introductory spoken language.

The third bullet point (‘teach student stems to help scaffold their talk’) is also key to the lowest students. The weakest often replicate their speech in their writing, therefore it isn’t too far to presume that by teaching them how to correct their spoken word will have a trickle effect into their written work.

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As part of the National Oracy Leadership Programme: Choosing engaging stimuli, Voice21 offers additional examples to promote discussions.

The first is ‘Would you rather?’ which leans towards a game that students often play. It allows abstract conversations to come out of usually logical subjects, like ‘Would you rather be a half or a quarter?’ It requires a conversation to consolidate knowledge, which then moves into discussion and reasoning. There is little required to make a task like this work, but a huge amount to get out of it.

Another task was ‘Always, Sometimes, Never’; this is an additional task which has very little necessary to put in, but allows a great opportunity for reflection and discussion. The application into subjects like mine (English) would be a little more difficult in regard to inference, but instead it could be used for a consolidation of meaning, character and acronyms.

In discussion with colleagues, one recommended Philosophy for Children – though they too acknowledge that this was another resource aimed towards Primary pupils. In 1972, Philosophy for Children was started as a means to allow students the opportunity to engage with stimulating questions to promote ‘philosophical inquiry for its own sake’. They are a charity which offers curriculum pathways and resources, but, as I previously stated, it’s mostly aimed at Primary students.

That being said, many of them can be adapted into a secondary environment and they do appear to be expanding into resources for older students.

An example is a copy of The Ant and the Grasshopper with four alternative endings; this allows the students to discuss what they liked or disliked, as well as the different messages or morals each separate ending taught them. There is a cacophony of resources being made to help promote oracy, but it feels like many schools are struggling to come to a decision on the best application.

Which takes me to my final summary: oracy feels like it has gone backwards in terms of guidelines and expectations; however, it seems as though there are many charities and organisations doing all they can to combat that. Sadly, many of these seem to lack any proof or viability in a Secondary environment. I’m not sure if it’s because Primary students are more accepting of discussions and alternative teaching methods, or the logistics of only having one teacher to maintain the oracy across a class.

I believe the main problem is that Secondary students need to have access to these skills, not just because several of their GCSEs are dependent on it, but also because they are on the cusp of entering the wider world. Many of them have jobs before they leave, and it is within their work environment that they end up learning these communication skills. Surely that should be a failure on our part? To address this issue though would require an upheaval of what currently exists. Oracy is not seen as integral to our curriculum, and it never will be until it is truly seen as equal to the other skills required at GCSE. The spoken word needs to be intertwined with all elements of every subject - which is a

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hugely difficult task. Change is required, and within reach, but it is going to take a big shake up for it to come to fruition.

Laura Burnett – How can we help students access Shakespeare by harnessing Oracy?

“Creating a space in which students can express their ideas, and know that these will be listened to and valued, sends a powerful message to the young people you teach.”

- Transforming Teaching & Learning though talk – The Oracy Imperative, A Gaunt and A Stott.

On approaching the end of the autumn term, I inform a group of usually enthusiastic year 7s that they will be studying Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in January as their core English text.

This is a class for whom, typically, reading and writing is an enjoyable and exciting process. Somewhat surprisingly, my statement is met by some with trepidation when I mention the name of the playwright; a well-blended mixture of fear and confusion. When I enquire into these responses, a number of students tell me, now unsurprisingly, that they have ‘never heard’ of Shakespeare, or they just ‘don’t really get’ his work. Two thoughts occur to me: firstly, that some students approach secondary school without knowledge of Shakespeare’s work and its cultural impact. Secondly, that some pupils have an ingrained lack of confidence when it comes to accessing the plot and language of his plays. As a newly qualified teacher embarking on a continuous learning experience of my own, I keenly understand the powerful role that confidence and self-belief plays in achieving progress or ‘success’, whether this is in a professional, academic or social context. This class of year 7s, still adapting to the secondary school environment and to each other as peers, must learn to develop this sense of self-belief if they are going to approach and savour a Shakespearean text in the way they might. It is right to say that studying any text presents questions and complexities, but it is crucial for pupils to feel ‘valued’ and comfortable in the classroom ‘space’ so that they may explore, debate and ultimately write about such literature with confidence (Gaunt and Scott, 2018, p.14). In this vein, I hope to foster this learning environment early on by adopting oracy-focused strategies at the heart of my planning, intrigued by the impact discussion may have on learners’ verbal and written analysis.

In the early stages of our exploration of the play, I emphasise that this learning process is a ‘shared’ experience; placing Gaunt and Scott’s (2018) assertions at the forefront of my planning. As Gibson (1994) suggests, delving into Shakespeare’s language and intended meaning should not be ‘solitary, silent, individual, competitive, literary […] it is co-operative, social, a matter of negotiation in groups.’ As such, the ‘process’ of discussion around the play, is as important as writing about it. Before reading the text itself, I adapt lesson resources to incorporate regular discussion tasks in which pupils are encouraged to talk about their views and predictions regarding the play’s contextual background and plot through ‘conversation’ rather than the ‘written word’ (Arnott, 2014, p.20). This is particularly interesting during an early lesson in which we unpick the meaning and implications of a ‘Patriarchal Society.’ At first, students recoil in confusion at the term. As a facilitator of discussion, I circulate the classroom, listening to individual conversations and guiding learners where necessary through targeted questioning: ‘who has the most power in this society? How might it feel to have your life options constrained by someone else?’ Soon, leaners begin to realise through verbal exploration that they understand the implications of such a society, realising ‘how much wider their basic knowledge is and how their immediate world’ connects to it (Arnott, 2014, p.20). Often, these deliberations are insightful and pupils begin to realise that they can be critics with worthwhile and interesting points of view.

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In a subsequent lesson, I engage the class in a ‘Whoosh’ drama activity; re-purposing the classroom space as a ‘stage’ to actively run through the plot. A summary storyline is read by myself, the teacher, while students act out the events as I narrate them. Props, sound effects and script echoes are encouraged to help pupils understand ‘what is going on’ (Dowson, 1998, p.50). Both teacher and pupils form a circle and I question pupils for their understanding at the end of each scene or ‘whoosh’. Students respond nervously at first, but quickly realise that this is a collaborative process in which ‘the teacher acts as a full partner in discussions […] dialogue becomes a human shared experience that can challenge some of the power dynamics in the classroom’ (Alexander, 2008). On completion of this activity and moving onwards to a reading of the first act, students feel able to raise queries about the content, while also presenting their own, well-formed arguments about the play.

To further embed such oracy strategies into my planning, I ensure that every scene reading involves a chance to pause and verbally investigate the meaning of specific content with students, bringing in my own questions as an audience member to show my continued interest in the text. This process is useful as it enables me to remind students that texts are for constant debate; learners feel that their questions or misconceptions regarding a text are valid and not to be discounted. It is also useful as without a ‘regular dialogue’ it is difficult to ‘determine students’ knowledge and understanding’ of the sometimes complex plot as it unfolds (Arnott, 2014, p.21). By this point in the scheme of work, many students have become enthusiastic participants in discussion, adopting appropriate ‘language choices’ and showing an ‘ability to communicate their ideas clearly’ (Arnott, 2014, p.21). Following such an impressive development in analytical thinking, I guide students towards a writing activity, hopeful that these ‘critical thinking skills’ (Arnott, 2014, p.21) will be replicated in their written responses. Tentatively, I move forward by introducing students to a writing frame commonly used by Key Stage 4 pupils. I discuss each stage of this structure slowly, modelling a response with the class to show them how quotations and ideas about the play may be presented in written form. These are ideas we have discussed as a class; arguments put forward by the student themselves. As I watch students grapple with the task, I notice a hesitancy from some – an uncertainty not seen for weeks. On perusing some of the responses during the lesson, I realise that some pupils write well-structured paragraphs, but these are lacking the analytical flair I observe in discussion tasks. At this point, I realise that I have perhaps failed to successfully guide students on how to express verbal ideas on paper; the ‘difficult’ thinking involved in ‘meaning making’ in ‘linear writing’ (Barrs and Cork, 2002, p.45). There may also be a case here that students are grappling with an advanced written structure for the first time; concerned more with writing ‘correctly’ than exploring the evidence analytically.

As the advantages of combining talk and writing become clear, I move forward by attempting to combine verbal and written language simultaneously to develop students’ ‘auditory memory’ (Barrs and Cork, 2002, p.46). I start by giving students the initial passage I am asking them to analyse: ‘Yet mark’d I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before, milk-white; now purple with love’s wound: And maidens call it ‘love-in-idleness.’

Act 2, Scene 1 This passage from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is abundant with meaning, conveying the idea that like the impact of Cupid’s arrow on a flower, love has a dangerous and powerful impact on its recipient. This 241

is possibly too complex for many younger readers to deconstruct for writing purposes. Therefore, I encourage students to focus on language at ‘sentence level’ in debate form (Arnott, 2014, p.21): ‘Before, milk-white; now purple with love’s wound’ After reading the quotation aloud, using intonation for deliberate emphasis, I ask students to begin a ‘think, pair, share’ discussion to allow them to ‘share their thought processes with their peers’ (Driver Youth Trust, 2020). Students explore this question: ‘what does this quotation tell us about the effect of love?’ To support discussion, keywords are highlighted in bold on the whiteboard to draw attention to specific ideas, while ‘clue’ questions are available as additional prompts:

As students are required to analyse the use of single words or phrases, it is important that learners are able to break down vocabulary as they ‘need to understand word meanings’ and ‘quickly and link these with the context of the passage’ (Driver Youth Trust, 2020). Students immediately burst into discussion, verbally expressing connotations linked to the language in bold but also using the imagery on the board as a further stimulus. It seems this ‘visual support’ is a useful springboard for students to better navigate and understand the ‘text coherence’ (Driver Youth Trust, 2020). As I circulate the classroom, I draw more confident students towards the ‘discussion frame’ on the whiteboard, aiming to embed analytical ‘written’ language into their verbal discussion.After around a minute of paired discussion, students are reconvened to share their ideas as a class. No ‘cold calling’ is required as students are eager to share their ideas. The impact of both paired discussion, and a sequence of lessons involving regular dialogue, is evident in the impressive class brainstorm created:

Two students begin by referencing cultural connotations of colours; ‘white’ linking to ideas of purity and innocence while ‘purple’ is often associated with royalty and wealth. Already encouraged by the confident response from these pupils, I am then impressed by the ideas stemming from others in 242

answer to this. Students link the noun ‘wound’ and adjective ‘purple’ together to argue that love has a ‘bruising’ effect on a recipient, but insightfully argues that while bruises do not carry ‘lasting damage’, they are like stains that may be ‘hard to remove’ with time. At this point, I am immediately impressed by these students’ awareness of contextual and historical associations to language – clearly students hold much knowledge on the world around them, but this has been strengthened by ‘…discussion and class interaction.’ (Arnott, 2014, p.21) I encourage students to use the discussion frame vocabulary as they ‘build on the contributions of others’ (Gaunt and Stott, 2018, p.14) and it is clear that a ‘deepening’ of understanding happens once a shared dialogue, supported and framed by written cues, is initiated.

Once students eventually write their paragraph responses, I provide a sentence structure using the language from the discussion frame. Having practiced uniting verbal and written communication techniques, students approach this task with greater confidence and allow their own awareness of the ‘multiple perspectives’ within the text to shine through (Barrs and Cork, 2002, p.54).

From my experience working with this engaging group of students, the transformative impact of oracy on pupil confidence, regarding their access to complex texts, is undeniable and is something I will continue to cultivate into my career. As my practice develops, I aim to better combine students’ written and verbal language skills so that they are able to express, through multiple mediums, the eloquent and insightful arguments they wish to share. These are, ultimately, pivotal communication tools for every facet of life, not merely for the work of Shakespeare.

Bibliography Alexander, R. (2008). Towards Dialogic Teaching: Rethinking Classroom Talk Cambridge: Dialogos Arnott, N. (2014). ‘Substantive Conversations – The Importance of Oracy in the Classroom’, Practically Primary Australia: Australian Literacy Educator’s Association Barrs, M., V, Cork. (2002). The Reader in the Writer London: Centre for Language in Primary Education Davison, J., Dowson, J. (1998). ‘Approaching Shakespeare’, Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience London: Routledge Gaunt, A., Scott, A. (2018). ‘Transforming Teaching & Learning through talk – The Oracy Imperative’ Gibson, R. (1994). ‘Teaching Shakespeare in Schools’, Teaching English London: Routledge Driver Youth Trust (2020). ‘Supporting reading comprehension through the development of spoken language skills’ London: Chartered College of Teaching

Helen Cater - How can I use oracy to improve student participation and quality of responses?

My initial questions around Oracy, ‘How to improve student participation?’ and ‘How to improve the quality of dialogue?’ were the driving force behind the research and as an Art educator, I also needed to consider what dialogic teaching looks like in the Art room. With the recent Government focus on a rigorous academic curriculum, as well as data and progress, oracy has taken a back seat in education and according to Earnshaw (Voice 21) it is ‘in danger of becoming peripheral.’ Such barriers are 243

important and will be considered later. Since the early 2000’s several key academics (Alexander, R, Mercer,N), pedagogues and researchers have become exponents of Dialogic teaching as a pedagogy for the ever-changing modern world. Alexander (2008) suggests that progress, however,in using talk to promote high level thinking and develop students intellect is slow, requiring changes to teacher thinking and practice through training, as well as deeper understanding of classroom contexts and conditions.

Context Since Vygotsky(1962) linked cognitive development to the acquisition of language, educators have seen the pedagogic value of verbal exchange. Freire(1968) put forwards ‘problem posing education’ (dialogic in its approach) as a remedy to the traditional ‘banking’ model of education and Dewey(1967) developed the concept of learning communities, where the role of teachers and student roles are on more equal footings. However, despite successive initiatives over the years, traditional monologic pedagogy where teachers do most of the talking is still largely the norm (Rezitzkaya, Gregory 2013). IRE (initiation, response, evaluation) is the most commonly seen teacher-student exchange structure (Alexander, 2018) and one which I recognise in my own classroom interactions. Even when asking higher order questions, there is no building on ideas and the sequence quickly ends with an evaluating comment from the teacher so that the possibility of discussion closes. A dialogic approach aims to promote richer interactions and thinking to shift the ownership of talk away from the teacher.

Research Alexander (2012) states that there is robust evidence to show how improvements in the quality of classroom talk, raise standards of attainment across the curriculum. Bodies of research (Mercer and Littleton 2007) and pedagogical projects (Alexander 2018) carried out in schools have shown that a focus on widening the repertoire of oracy in the classroom, as well as dialogical tools such as exploratory talk, positively impacts students learning as a whole.

Barriers Educators are well aware of the barriers to oracy development where standards drives in literacy and numeracy (Alexander 2008), assessment goals and current qualification systems (Zander 2004) seem to work against promoting dialogical relationships. Luby (2017) cites school Principal Lee Hussey as there needing to be a ‘consistent and collective approach’ in order to improve oracy and dialogic skills in schools and to raise its profile. The Voice 21 program clearly acknowledges this and provides school benchmarks, alongside teacher benchmarks in order to provide a step by step framework to work to. It appears that only when there are high expectations and a clear vision to build a culture of oracy that can be sustained within the curriculum, as well as oracy evaluation and accountability, can dialogic teaching really make a difference. Making this a whole school priority will certainly begin to raise the profile. Teachers may need training to elevate the quality of their own talk and this may also help to overcome teacher perceptions of students that may negatively impact progress in speaking eg students as being too shy, too disruptive.

Tools - The How to ?

It seems evident that students need to be introduced to the concept of Oracy and understand it’s importance (Stott,2018). Arnott (2014) builds on this to state that to be effective it needs to have a ‘fundamental place in the learning intention.’ Certainly, the University of Cambridge in their Thinking

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Together project state that children need to be explicitly taught about exploratory talk, establishing ground rules and using the teacher as model and guide.

The idea of Scaffolding (Didau 2014) (Mercer,2002) relates to Vygotsky’s (1962) concept of the ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ supporting the student towards mastery. Didau’s (2014) work on Thought Stems,( talking like an academic), as well as displays using prompts offer starting points for scaffolding.

Tools such as the Deeper Questioning Grid and Didau’s format for Structured Discussions also sound positive ways for developing the quality of classroom talk. Students are encouraged to elevate their responses by ‘speaking like and essay’ using modelling to first show them how. Tom Sherrington also advocates ‘Say it again- Say it better’ as a way for students to reframe their answers and although this might sound quite simple, it promotes the use of extending and upgrading language in a similar way to Didau. The Teacher Toolkit for Oracy also suggests students paraphrasing what a peer has said, in order for there to be attentive listening at all times. Often students lose focus during questioning and feel that they do not need to participate, so continually stressing expectations will be key.

Conclusions As Didau (2014) put it we are at the’ tip of the Oracy iceberg’; there is much work to be done but if we can change the way we ask questions and get students to frame their answers in academic language, then it is a step on the way. Contemporary Art has engaged thoroughly with the dialogic over the last decades and Art teaching in schools has been largely out of step with that, remaining heavily focussed on skills. However, contemporary issues as a focus for creative work, as well interpreting and discussing the work of artist’s and their own provide students with a wealth of opportunities for meaningful discussion and dialogue. From current thinking I take away the important idea that oracy needs to become part of the learning intention. Talk needs to be scaffolded, modelled and structured within an environment where every voice is valued and encouraged and the expectations for talk are clear and purposeful. This is a challenge, but one which I hope to build into my daily practice in the classroom, in order to increase my students confidence and oracy skills.

References: Arnott, N.( 2014) Substantive Conversations. The Importance of Oracy in the Classroom.www.researchgate.net.

Alexander, R and Wolfe,F (2008) Argumentation and Dialogic Teaching: Alternative Pedagogies for A Changing World. PDF Alexander,R (2018) Developing Dialogic teaching: genesis, process, trial. Routledge Dewey,(1967) Experience and Education. https://www.gutenberg.org/ Didau ,D (2014) Developing Oracy- It’s Talkin Time, Learningspy.co.uk Earnshaw,B. Start Talking at the Back…Middle and Front of the Class. Speaking Frankly-The Case for Oracy in the Curriculum. Chap.2, P12.

Freire,P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NewYork. Continuum.

Luby ,A (2017). Combatting Language Poverty: Improving Oracy and Dialogic Skills in Schools.

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Mercer, N ( 2002) Developing Dialogues. (In Wells, G. & Claxton, G. Learning for life in the C21st: Sociocultural perspectives on the future of education. Oxford: Blackwell) https://people.ucsc.edu/PDF Rezitzkaya,A and Gregory,M ( 2013) Student thought and Classroom Language: Examining the Mechanisms of Change in Dialogical teaching. Educational Psychologist 48.

Stott, A (2018) Transforming Teaching and learning through talk .Voice 21 University of Cambridge. Thinking together Project.

Voice 21, The Oracy Benchmarks Vygotsky,(1962) Thought and Language, Cambridge, Mass Mitt Press, Chap, Thought and Language.

Zander, M,J. (2004) Becoming Dialogical: Creating a Place for Dialogue in Art Education. Art Education,Vol.57. JStor.

Ann Wright – Looking at Oracy in the Art room ‘All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised’ (D. f.

E. 2013:3) There has been extensive research into the need for good oral and communication skills and how it impacts on the student/ learner. N. Mercer observed that there are significant improvements shown in achievement when students have, ‘high levels of verbal participation’. Other research confirms that language is fundamental to one’s cognitive development. Despite this however, knowing that ‘quality classroom talk’ is a vital tool to a students’ learning and achievement does not necessarily mean that it is taking place. It is up to us as educators to assume the responsibility of enabling students to acquire verbal skills as it may be their only opportunity to do so. A. Gaunt & A. Scott’s Transforming Teaching & Learning Through Talk, highlights that 75% of children in poverty have low language development, and they write of the moral imperative to help children access this vital skill. They ask for the need to see Oracy as equally important to Literacy and Numeracy, which are already familiar with, as keys to unlock a student’s world of understanding and opportunities. There is clear evidence that there is a gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ (D .f. E. seminar 2012). Students who are from less privileged backgrounds have weaker Oracy skills and therefore this impacts on their ability to understand and process information, and acquire knowledge.

A.Luby –Combatting Language Poverty reminds us that there are many factors that contribute to Language Poverty: • • • • •

Material poverty Emotional poverty Poverty of Experience Poverty of vocabulary / language Poverty of aspiration

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T. Sherrington and S. Stafford (Great Teaching Techniques: A Culture of Speech) say that, ‘By creating a wide range of speech opportunities within the curriculum, we can ensure that students develop fluency in the formal Standard English’ and adapt speech to each context.

There are other over -arching advantages to good Oracy skills such as; improved self- confidence and independence, an ability to listen to the views of others, an ability to collaborate and contribute in different contexts, confidence to engage with wider political viewpoints, and an ability to articulate oneself in an interview.

DIALOGUE Vs MONOLOGUE There is no doubt that the need for Oracy is firmly on the ‘Education Agenda’. However, educators have taken this aspect of communication a little for granted and been in danger of underestimating the power that fluency and confidence when talking has. Oracy therefore needs to be incorporated more deliberately into our everyday teaching. Much of Gaunt & Scott’s observations on the one hand are obvious but on the other hand, they are not in common practise in the classroom. N Mercer highlights the role of the ‘school’ environment being some students only chance to develop a repertoire of talking skills. It is too easy for us all to assume that a young person has mastered ‘Oracy’ automatically and that there is no need for teachers to ‘teach’ it, as one accepts that Literacy and Numeracy need to be taught.

Constraints and other factors to consider: We are all too aware of the many facets and dynamics at work within each classroom setting. We as teachers need to be able to navigate a host of other factors and influences that are at large in each lesson, with each student, such as SEN and social issues within groups of students. Teachers are also aware of the ever present battle between time and delivery of the curriculum. The pressure of ‘Progress’ as seen through exam results can also blinker us to the meanderings and wider benefits of developing Oracy. Time or the lack of it is always a huge factor that has to be considered when planning and preparing meaningful lessons that will bear ‘results’.

We are all aware that one should avoid the old fashioned ‘chalk and talk’ method of teaching as this is not an effective way to engage and develop learners in the classroom. However, the need to cover a certain amount of content within subjects, in the race to final exams, can keep one in the ‘Monological Teaching’ trap. Alexander (2005) for example notes that ‘teachers rather than learners do most of the talking’.

Awareness of this trap however has ‘not resulted in substantial changes in the classroom’ A. Reznitskaya and M. Gregory (2013). The Monologic style of teaching has been described by Freire (1993) as the Banking Concept, where students become vessels to be filled with information to be stored. The mere ‘off -loading’ of knowledge by the teacher has less impact or penetrative effect on the learner. The Dialogic approach to teaching is advocated by many researchers such as Alexander (2008), Burbules (1993) and Gregory (2004). They all agree that a Dialogic approach, helps to develop higher order thinking within students, and deepens their understanding.

How does one make the transition from Monologue to Dialogue?

Reznitskaya and Gregory (2013) discuss the various approaches to epistemology and highlight that this approach is a slow transition of views and understanding in both teacher and students as a collective. They

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consider work by Mercer (2007), Burbules (1993) and Reminger & Soter (2010) and highlight some main aspects needed for successful Dialogic Teaching:

There should be flexible power relations within the whole group.

Students should be seen as potential sources of knowledge and opinion.

Participants are seen as equal and engage in all aspects of discussions.

The teacher uses their own ‘expert’ knowledge and experience to support the discussion.

The teacher guides and encourages more disciplined inquiry and extended inquiry within discussions.

KEY CONCEPTS IDENTIFIED Based on the reading I have done from the suggested texts there are some main common themes that are identified in the development of strong Oracy skills within schools.

Firstly, that there should be a whole school focus on the importance of Oracy to have maximum impact on students. The prime example of this is the Voice 21 initiative that has lead the way for a new culture within schools, in placing value on students’ ideas and opinions and developing higher Oracy skills alongside Literacy and Numeracy.

Good levels of Oracy are achieved when teachers….

Ask How and Why questions.

Use open ended questions.

Encourage hesitant students to respond.

Accept multiple perspectives.

Withhold immediate evaluations and judgements.

Invite a range of opinions from children.

Use a Dialogic approach to balance the usual Monological method of teaching.

Be prepared to challenge students’ reasoning and extend students enquiry.

Good levels of Oracy are achieved when students are given opportunities to…

Develop a range of verbal skills.

Introduced to Oracy with clear guidance when using key vocabulary.

Be involved in the setting of ground rules in group discussions.

Show an awareness of their audience.

Speak and also to listen to the views of others.

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PRACTICAL STEPS I WILL USE IN THE CLASSROOM Within the Art & Design Department we will be developing our classroom practises further to incorporate as much of these strategies as possible over time. Being able to express oneself and articulate abstract ideas is a key skill within Art & Design and Oracy is an integral part of the creative process. The following will need to be considered: Identify meaningful opportunities to expand on class discussion and open questioning.

Use one of the following strategies - David Didau’s – Pose, Pose, Pounce, Bounce strategy.

Voice 21 – Agree on, Build on, Challenge.

Establish clear guidelines with each group before discussions.

Remember this is a ‘slow’ process to be built on over time; use speech little and often, building up skills gradually.

Challenge myself! Try to take time to reflect on what the quality of the dialogue is like. Has learning or deeper understanding taken place or have misconceptions been dealt with?

Make expectations explicit and set high expectations within groups of students when speaking. Equip students with the vocabulary that they need for quality discussions. At first this could be more directed or scripted. Sentence starters and examples of how to challenge and respond to others’ contributions, may be helpful for students at first. These could be on sheets or as part of my classroom display.

CHANGES TO OWN PRACISE & A DEPARTMENTAL APPROACH In discussion within the Art & Design Department we have identified the following things that relate to students’ learning and deeper understanding within this subject area.

• •

• • • • • • •

Key vocabulary – Ability and confidence in using specific terms.

Analysis - Description skills are central to providing evidence of observation.

Evaluation skills and the ability to formulate an opinion.

Asking why? Of one’s own ideas, and of others’.

Multiple viewpoints – The nature of Art & Design lends itself to many subjective and personal judgements. Helping students realise there are many opinions and viewpoints.

Sometimes there are several ‘right’ answers and outcomes.

Practise, Practise, Practise – Build confidence in students by giving them as many opportunities to ‘talk’ about their work and other Art & Design related concepts.

Provide scaffolding, on which students can build their own vocabulary.

Model for students your expectations for talk, making it clear and purposeful, using specialist terms. Reinforce the vocabulary they need to expand their own.

Have more mini starters and plenaries where students can talk about their work and others.

Produce support material such as prompts, sentence starters, key word and phrase displays.

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Emilie Rajasingam - How can we develop listening skills in the MFL classroom?

When I ask students, post summative assessment, which skill was the most difficult, the answer is unanimous across all year group: the listening test. I cannot argue with Vandergrift (2008): “listening is both a complex and an active activity.” It is such a mentally demanding exercise; I clearly remember the headaches I would get after concentrating so hard, trying to understand a conversation in my second language, which I had studied for nearly a decade at that point. Therefore, I can only sympathize with the students and understand their anxiety and frustration when confronted with listening activities.

What makes this skill so difficult? What strategies can be used in the MFL classroom effectively?

Why is Listening the most unpopular skill in the MFL classroom?

Since the revised AQA examinations in 2016, each of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing) assessed in a language GCSE are worth 25% of the overall grade. They should therefore have become equally important in the teaching practice. However, both students and language teachers have neglected Listening in the past, avoiding what is considered the most challenging skill in the MFL classroom.

The collective reason for this unpopularity is the pace of the target language (TL). Most listening activities prompt remarks such as: “they speak too fast!” or “I can’t understand a thing”. The speed prevents the student from accessing the meaning, and therefore completing the task related. The lack of exposure is partly to blame to this confidence-crushing and frustrating experience. Students have to be exposed to a variety of listening tasks, on a regular basis so that they don’t admit failure or defeat too early.

The lack of control over the listening exercise also causes anxiety amongst less confident listeners.

Whether in a summative or formative assessment in school or on the day of their GCSE language exams, students have absolutely no control over the recorded track: they are unable to stop or pause when needed. They also only get to listen to the track twice before having to produce an answer, increasing the mental strain.

How to teach students to become confident listeners?

There are so many strategies to teach Listening, rather than test it.

According to Smith (2018), immersion is ideal to improve listening skills: “the very best way to see a quantum leap in your students’ listening performance is if they have the opportunity for an immersion experience, preferably in the TL country. It is such a shame that the exchange programmes could not take place this year. We will hopefully be in a position to verify this in the next exchange and see how, and if, the performance (and confidence) in Listening of students participating in the exchange improves significantly.

Let us have a look at some of the other effective strategies is in a chronological order.

Pre-listening activities Tackling any listening task would not be achievable without thorough preparation. Too often, Listening is mostly used as a mean for testing linguistic knowledge and comprehension, when it should be a teaching experience.

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For Conti and Smith (2019), developing the student’s listening skill starts with intensive ear training. The importance of phonic practice in the early years of language learning is essential to acquire sound recognition. Research suggest that funny sounds activities (sound bingo, tongue twisters), choral repetition, facial exaggeration to achieve good pronunciation, reading aloud exercises strengthen phonological memory and improve word retention.

In order to build up listeners’ confidence and what psychologists call “self-efficacy” (or the expectancy of success), it is essential that the material is highly comprehensible and not too long: shorter extracts are more effective as they give students “a sense of mastery”. The chosen content should facilitate vocabulary recognition methods such as the use of cognates. The context and the topic should also be explicit from reading the instructions. If only students realised the importance of reading the instructions and used the pre-task “reading time” wisely! Breaking down the instructions will stimulate pupils’ knowledge of the topic: it is perfect timing to engage in activities such as classroom discussion or brainstorming.

Having prior linguistic knowledge will also help students’ confidence and significantly improve their comprehension skills. Vocabulary learning can easily be set as homework or as introductory activity through fun and entertaining platforms such as Quizlet, Kahoot or DuoLingo. More traditional methods are still widely used, like dictation activities in the classroom or online via Show My Homework for example.

While-listening activities Students can use two strategies to listen effectively: top-down and bottom-up. According to Steve Smith (2018), the listener using “top-down processing” needs background knowledge, such as the context, situation or topic, to understand the general idea or gist. The “Bottom-up processing” needs phonic decoding and prior linguistic knowledge to recognise words. The latter method is usually the focus in a Language classroom. The use of cognates, gap fill activities, jumbled texts, kinaesthetic or visual support, moderate speed recording will greatly support this processing.

On the first listening, listeners can usually pick up paralinguistic clues quite easily. The background noise, the number of speakers, their tone and accent, the speed of the speech give crucial hints to global understanding : where does it take place? Who is speaking? How do they feel? Do they sound happy, angry, sad? On further listenings (which should not be limited to two as in assessment conditions), listeners can focus their attention on detailed understanding and engage in simple comprehension activities such as multiple choice, gap fill, listen and draw, true or false, miming or correct the errors.

Language learners’ engagement increases when activities are fun and interactive. Listening for enjoyment is possible thanks to today’s technology, providing students with a variety of listening resources covering all topics and interests. Online platforms like LyricsTraining, which offers trendy pop songs gap-fill activities, or TeachVid are becoming increasingly popular resources amongst language teachers. I have only trialled TeachVid a couple of times, but I am eager to use it more regularly and explore its pedagogical potential, as students really enjoyed the array of differentiated activities and topics offered. With secondary students glued to their screens, watching videos on YouTude, the TeachVid team show how “videos can be a powerful motivator if used appropriately”.

Post-listening activities

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The focus should be on the process rather than the product: it is important to spend more time listening to the recording and discussing what went wrong or misheard, rather than going over answers.

Following a listening activity, students will have consolidated vocabulary and grammar structures, as well as acquired new language. The teacher’s task is to recycle or transfer the listening activity into a productive activity like Writing or Speaking (output skill). Activities like two-way listening pair work (where students become speakers), group running dictations (multi-skill activity that can involve all four skills in a fun and competitive way) or creating their own listening material allow students to become active participants in the listening process and gain a sense of “control” over the material.

Allowing more student-led listening activities and teaching them general metacognitive strategies might put an end to the unpopularity of the Listening skill. It is undeniably a challenging, code-breaking active skill that is not confined to the MFL classroom. Developing this skill will contribute to developing the students’ listening skills in general. It will require regular exposure to relevant, carefully selected material matching pupils’ attainment before students can become confident, engaged and effective listeners.

REFERENCES Conti, G., Smith, S. and Jones, E., 2019. Breaking The Sound Barrier.

Pachler, N. and Redondo, A., 2014. A Practical Guide To Teaching Foreign Languages In The Secondary School. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Smith, S., 2018. Becoming An Outstanding Languages Teacher. Routledge.

TeachVid. 2020. Teachvid - Methodology And Pedagogy (How It Works...). [online] Available at: https://www.teachvid.com/methodology-and-pedagogy [Accessed 12 June 2020].

Vandergrift, L. and Goh, C., 2012. Teaching And Learning Second Language Listening. New York: Routledge.

Andy Green - Talking together – ‘Talk the Talk’ Summary of the main findings: •

Students engage better with whole class feedback in front of peers if they have had time to share with a peer their thoughts.

• The quality of feedback is improved when students have the opportunity to hear themselves and a peer.

• A talking classroom can be a productive classroom.

• Talking, when supported and structured can be very useful in class.

Starting a lesson and inviting students to participate orally is the goal; to settle, engage and drive forward either as a summary or plan for new learning.

Frozen – traditionally asking for input, asking a question directly, not understanding the question and then liquifying under the focus of your peers - you’d hope you weren’t the student here!

Possibly with me as a new teacher in school or new to them as they rotate around the DT carousel.

To assure momentum in the lesson and to be able to judge the actual cognitive connection between 252

memory and application student speak is clearly one way to assess where students are.

Also, within the whole school strategies and the context of setting my own goals for driving standards.

I had seen the work produced was well considered, they had also understood the tasks at home - so why didn’t they provide good quality oral feedback in lesson? Boys talking in front of their peers, girls feeling embarrassed to speak, those wanting to engage feeling they can’t for fear of others’ views, just to get the ball rolling even towards any verbalisation and verbal feedback I decided to embark on implementing ‘Talk the Talk’. A title I referred to in class as students sharing talk in a pair on a topic before giving their feedback in front of other students. It was to aid me to plan the next steps, if they appeared to have understood or not.

Target students: The group I chose - Year 8, mixed ability and gender on a carousel of specialisms in a practical subject within Design & Technology. A talkative group in the corridor and on entry who are capable on paper (KS2), showed application and understanding through evidence in homework completed, but whose verbal feedback in class needed depth, content and lacked voice. The group had high achieving girls, reticent and poorly focused boys who seemed to love making; all students looking that they were prepared to work. A group that wanted to engage?

Research Having read through a number of articles to support my research into developing oracy in the classroom, I felt that the reading provided a useful start point, some provoking and supportive thoughts and some strategies for action and implementation.

The following quote was succinct in what I wanted to do: “Talking helps students to gather their thoughts, process information and remember it.” (1) School 21 and its Voice 21 programme seemed a distant future, but one that prompted me into being reminded that everyone starts somewhere. There was a resonance with what I could see in the classroom in front of me and the words of School 21’s founder, Peter Hyman: “..oracy is an issue of equality, of equity, of social mobility...” (3).

I could see this gap between those that could speak with clarity and those that didn’t either: have me provide them with the opportunity; they didn’t want to; weren’t familiar with speaking or didn’t enjoy speaking in front of others.

To tackle this I was familiar with implementation of a ‘Talk the Talk’ whole school strategy: “The ‘talk the talk’ initiative is designed to improve everyone’s awareness of the need to be able to communicate ideas in a clear, confident and articulate manner.”

(2) In a previous role I’d used the classroom’s wipe board with a visible ‘Talk the Talk’ title alongside the learning for the lesson, and now felt it was an opportunity to investigate further and to reimplement. I recognised this could be effective, if I took the strategy and reengaged the approach in my classroom. I had seen the benefits of supporting students to feel that their voice was an 253

important tool to support their connections with content. To support them feel they were being listened to and listening to others. To buffer the silence in the classroom when feedback is asked for and to provide a structure that the feedback comes more freely and readily in a classroom with mutual student and teacher respect, rather than isolating questions, gazing eyes, horrible long pauses and the world around you munching you up.

Watching through a well versed Peter Hyman (School 21) he believed: “We need to elevate speaking to the same level as reading and writing.” Peter Hyman (3) As part of my previous look into the work at School 21, I felt a great resonance with the approach.

Why does it happen so much at Primary, when we then see students at secondary unable to communicate. Was it that we weren’t aware through detailed transition and mapping learning approaches of the strategies being used by our younger cohorts? Was it simply that as young people become ‘teenagers’ or the ‘middle child’ years that young people speak less?

Pearson’s DT examiner’s report (7) stated that student written work in a conceived practical subject was “vague and meaningless”(7). To develop the approach students required to gain further marks. in the written element of the DT GCSE exam, suggested a way might be to embed the oracy in lessons, supporting written outcomes, especially as the written recall and application of content holds a higher % of marks for the course.

It seemed to be about developing confidence. Confidence to speak, learn, recall and write. Utilising the students themselves and their want to communicate and share beyond the classroom just therefore needed to be brought inside the classroom – didn’t it? Lujan andDiCarlo (5) presented the connections of students working together with a clear construct provided increased engagement – discuss with peers>assign meaning to learning.

“Cooperative learning allows students to process new information and, through discussion and peer to peer interaction, assign meaning to what is being learned (Lujan & DiCarlo, 2006)” (5) Which teaching processes and strategies did you try that were different?

The first step was to highlight the need for change to the students and to engage them in being a part of the improvements I was looking to hear. We had a few goes during the lesson and went through the differences between when we hadn’t talked and when we had talked, before providing this centralised feedback.

Using the wipe board as reference for the ‘Talk the Talk’ heading and the projector where two areas of information were presented, supported breaking up the areas for students to access the content, tasks and learning.

I outlined what it meant, its purpose and how to use it. Every time we engaged in a paired talking activity we would ‘tick’ at the side. Building a picture of ticks enabled the ‘sell’ to the group of talking being completed in the class and its ‘underlined’ importance – top of the wipe board and underlined; almost with a THUD.

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Inset: Wipe board layout – includes ‘Talk the Talk’ – Top of Board and underlined Why did you select this/these approach(es)?

I felt that the students speaking with each other was going to maximise the opportunity I had of receiving feedback. Some feedback from students first, then over time develop the quality of the feedback.

It was evident to me from engagement and feedback in class that I needed a way forward, to ensure students had every opportunity to have their voice heard.

Evaluation Using the Talk the Talk header provided a singular focus and recall of oracy engagement for students to connect the planned talking within the classroom and the new or consolidation of learning. Either way embedding the practice was starting to become common place and threaded during the lesson. It took three lessons of phasing in the strategy for students to more ready to engage.

Students taking charge of the wipe board pen to monitor and record the Talk the Talk activity, seemed to embody independence and some accountability. In fact, on one occasion students asked could they do a Talk the Talk after a demo session of a new technique.

Inset: Top of board developed to include ‘Pair share’ alongside Talk the Talk.

As classroom teacher, it felt that if I had the heading of Talk the talk on the wipe board, I had an easy reference for myself, a toolkit or utility belt item to help me drive forward. There are those times when I had been stuck – frozen, a little like the students had been when I had asked them for feedback. But now, the ease and flow of conversation and the development of embedding the peer to peer discussion seemed to be making some difference.

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I tried a SMHWk base subject quiz with the content from the lesson. The 62% average score, was an improvement. Yes, it was a different quiz, with different content and YES the content was directly linked to the lesson. I felt the connection was there. There was something starting to happen in terms of connections. Yes, some way to go, to raise the 62%, but the circle of learning seemed to be starting to develop. As well as the opportunity to have a data set to monitor and track understanding and the link between activities and knowledge retention.

What next?

A clear plan and objectives are the next step. To make the outcomes explicit will be critical to provide myself with the steer, momentum and clarity of focus. This in turn will provide me with a further clarity in the classroom, to generate improved outcomes. I want students to be able to verbalise, after discussion on a given topic with a peer, to be able to use structures to communicate clearly their thoughts, ideas and feedback. To argue, discuss, debate, have and share an opinion and then to write. To not freeze when asked for feedback.

I’m keen to track the group of students, at least the cohort, whose time in DT has been limited to 1 lesson per week, due to timetabling constraints. I want to maximise now the move this year that sees them with two lessons per week to fast track their progress in preparation for their options.

As they go into Year 9 for 2020-2021, and subsequently go through the options process, it would be great to have students who can see and hear their progress and opt for Design & Technology courses.

Focus on the whole school target groups to ensure their connection with activities and content, as highlighted through School 21 (3) teacher action, I feel is a next step. Refining who is talking to who; rather than ‘talk to someone’. This will give more focus and direction of improvement and students hearing others talk “..different groupings enable a different type of conversation”. (3) Alongside this it will be critical to review where other subjects are using oracy well and with the same groups. I will take on responses and discussions through focused listening to student voice, to hear where oracy and deeper comprehension is in place and observe the practice in action.

As a department we can then focus and plan in, within a connected oracy and literacy approach, the following: • • • •

Vocabulary and keywords Starters to sentences/answers Link to Quiz testers to gather remote and concrete data checks Sentence stems for situations - work with literacy and oracy team and link to exam work to raise profile of subject and support those who prefer to do practical have their voice heard.

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•

Planned approach to joining up oracy with literacy in the classroom. Using a framework to support this, adopted from the research.

To build a scalable curriculum in Design and Technology where the course structure is less than 20% practical at GCSE, but requires considerable time on the practical skills to be built, the level of connection between the practical and written and application of literacy is very evident. The course also requires written recall, arguments and a dialogue. This dialogue, vocabulary and terminology when in place in the classroom supports the practical as well as the links to the written examination.

For students to feel comfortable to be able to vocalise their ideas, designs and new learning. Thus, a continuous circle of embedding learning.

The examiner’s report (7) highlights for me that student engagement in discussion in the classroom within a construct needs to be addressed: “failed to explain and justify” (7) This statement exemplifies the connection needed now between just talking and debating and justification. A focus within the Talk the Talk needs to incorporate talking and the expansion into justification of an answer. The quality of questioning and planning the questioning.

Connecting the scalable outcomes and mapping the opportunities for students to ‘bridge the gap, of their own experiences and skills will surely lead to improvements in written work.

I’m also very keen to find out more about the Talk the Talk training for teachers Inset: Talk the Talk UK teacher training workshop aims (4)

Understanding the programme that is available, applying the practice and testing this, with planning that includes connected conversation and teacher assessed grading of content retention and application as evidence. OAT sing highly of the teacher training: “Training was extremely helpful and gave specific strategies to teach how to speak publicly and raise pupil confidence.” (4)

Reading (1) https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/sep/07/how-to-classroomconversation-can (2) https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/2393209 (3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ADAY9AQm54 (4) https://talkthetalkuk.org (5) https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=honorsprojects Repository Citation Sampsel, Ariana, "Finding the Effects of Think-Pair-Share on Student Confidence and 257

Participation" (2013). Honors Projects. 28.

(6) https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/99901/99901.pdf (7) https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/secure/silver/all-uk-andinternational/gcse/design-and-technology/2017/exammaterials/1DT0_all_pef_20190822.pdf?711114233658531

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