CPD Reflections: Learning From Other Schools

By Georgina Abbott

Sometimes it can be easy to become bogged down in the same routine, same style, same strategies. That is why when I was looking to moderate our GCSE Drama coursework with another school, I leapt at the opportunity to also partake in a visit to their Drama department for the day. Though my primary focus was the moderation of the coursework, I feel the inclusion of lesson visits and discussions with the HoD came at just the right time! With the news of a reformed timetable and adaptations to the curriculum, particularly affecting Year 9, and an aspiration to expand my subject, Drama, into IB territory, I was fortunate enough to see both Year 9 and Year 12 lessons on my visit. Hopefully, as you read on you will be convinced of the benefits of visiting another school too, no matter your level of experience! Beginning the day my first lesson visit was to a Year 12 double period where the A-Level group were studying their set text Woyzech. The class was being assessed on presentations of their vision and intentions if they were to put on their own production of Woyzech. They were responsible for creating slides to explain their vision and picking key moments from the text to act out demonstrating their intentions. The teachers role-played as rich investors (I became a Baroness, without the money) while the students pitched their ideas. As I watched the students, with the motivation of a winning pitch up for grabs, I was considering how I could scale down this task for a Year 10/11 revision activity to adapt into my own practice; How could I stray away from the shackles of practice questions and revision quizzes? How could I create more autonomy and life transferable skills? After this, I was then able to see a double Year 9 assessment lesson. I watched as students rehearsed their scripted performances and saw some very impressive acting! Students were given 2 double lessons prior to learn their lines and the majority had - which is something I have found can be quite challenging for my own students. This made me reflect on the expectations I have with regard to the skill of line-learning; how long is fair? How can I motivate students to take it seriously? What should I expect from my Year 9s and does this need to be adjusted, given this will soon apply to an entire year group?

After the lesson visits, we went on to do the standard moderation process which as stated previously was the primary focus and most helpful. However, the thing that surprised me about this day was the value of visiting lessons and the conversations I had with the HoD. As a single subject lead, I can often become stuck in my own ways yet my visit stimulated a whole host of questions. Though I yet have answers it has given me thought, inspiration, and ideas that I'm using as I begin to plan the curriculum for the next academic year. So if you are reading this and feel like you are stuck in a rut with your teaching or feel like you haven’t been able to experience the wider world of the profession, get yourself into another school, see what’s happening there and take, alter and adjust to your own practice. As I say to the students when discussing performance ideas - sharing is caring!

Bitesize Research: Increasing Student Agency

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! In our quest to increase opportunities for inquiry-based and student-centred learning, in the final bitesize of this term, I was interested to see this article offering some suggestions around how teachers can promote student agency. Objectives: To consider what strategies teachers can use to improve student agency Summary:

• The author defines student agency as something that empowers students to drive their own learning.
• The strategies suggested by the author to support this include:
• Embracing quiet moments: Strategies for student-centred learning and to increase student agency can be ‘messy’. The author suggests that rather than acting on any sense of urgency in the classroom, giving students opportunities to pause can be very helpful.
• Praising the process and the journey: Using ideas for a growth mindset, the author suggests praising learning habits and efforts
• Self-assessment: The author argues self-assessment is very powerful to increase agency, and that we need to equip students with the language they’ll need to be able to evaluate their work.
• Consider the ratio of feedback to asking questions: The author argues that asking thoughtful questions can enable the students to give feedback to themselves. The author argues that good questions will have multiple answers and won’t be leading.
• Tell students you trust them: The author argues that both verbally and through modelling, showing students you trust them and that making mistakes is fine is important to cultivating student agency.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• What strategies do I use already to cultivate student agency?
• Which ones of these strategies could I trial? How can I incorporate them into my practice?
• What further support or knowledge would I like to gain on approaches to foster student agency?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

Reflections On Education, Labelling & Disadvantage

By Nazik Ahmed

Imagine you are presented with the following student profile:

• A refugee
• Arrived in England speaking no English
• Grew up in council housing
• Homeless at a key exam stage
• Parental illness coinciding with period of homelessness

What would be the labels that you immediately attach to this child, before meeting them? What are the factors that influence the labels you assign this child? Why is this the case? As you read this blog post, I urge you to keep these questions at the back of your mind and reflect on your answers and their impact on this child. As people, we all judge: even those of us that think we are open-minded individuals. As we go about our day-to-day working (and perhaps private) lives, we label privately in our minds; the naughty student, the smart student, the kind student. On the surface, this may not seem that bad, however sociological and educational research has found that assigning labels and pigeonholing can have detrimental effects on young people. The labelling theory Howard Becker (1963) began exploring the way in which teachers assign powerful labels to their students, stating that deviance is not about the quality of the act committed by an individual but rather “a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label.” In other words, Becker meant that what makes something deviant is not what is done, but how people react to what is done and the label assigned to them (Becker, 1971). During his research, Becker concluded that people react differently to the same action depending on the social context and that this influences the label that is placed on the act. Becker argues that labelling is a powerful process in education, occurring when behaviour is given a particular meaning, positive or negative (e.g. high achiever, slow learner). Typically, this results in working-class and students of BAME (a problematic catch-all label) backgrounds being assumed to be less well behaved and less bright. Middle and upper-class students, on the other hand, are labelled positively as ‘ideal students.’ In 1968, Rosenthal and Jacobson carried out a field experiment in a school looking into the impact of the labelling process in education. As part of their research, teachers were (falsely) told that 20% of their students were “spurters” and likely to do well academically. Interestingly, the students labelled as “spurters” did, in fact, go on to do much better, demonstrating that teacher expectations influence student performance both positively and negatively. School factors & labelling Teachers attaching meaning to behaviours and subsequently treating certain students positively or negatively, is a powerful process in students’ school experiences, leading to positive or negative self-fulfilling prophecies. Within schools, and broadly speaking, in society, the labelling of groups differs; while some groups are labelled positively, such as Chinese and white middle-class students, others are not, such as Afro-Caribbean boys, who are perceived as a threat, angry or ‘macho’ (Sewell, 1998). These labels can often result from implicit biases and racial stereotypes which shape teachers’ responses to student behaviours, labels assigned and sanctions issued. Furthermore, the lack of ethnic minority teachers and leaders, as well as institutional racism within schools, are often contributing factors to over disciplining and negative labelling of ethnic minority students, in comparison to their white middle-class counterparts. Unfortunately, the ethnocentric nature of the British curriculum (whether subtle or obvious) does little to explore cultures or figures familiar to diverse student bodies or to recognise the important contributions of ethnic groups to British culture and life. The failure of our education system to recognise such contributions and an overemphasis in the media on the ‘deviant’ actions of ethnic minorities results in ethnic minority students experiencing higher levels of isolation and segregation within than outside of school (Lupton, 2005). Having said that, labelling or grouping students is sometimes necessary, as it may help teachers to accommodate student needs (e.g. EAL or SEN). In addition, a study by Fuller found that African-American girls rejected their labels and went on to be extremely successful, despite labels that had been attributed to them, thus showing a significant level of resistance to labelling. Generally speaking, however, negative labelling of ethnic groups has shown to have a negative impact on their attainment levels. ‘Poverty of aspirations’ Diane Reay, a professor at Cambridge University wrote a research paper in 2010, concluding that working-class students underperform due to ‘poverty of aspirations’ among politicians. In recent years, we have seen the impact of austerity measures on different communities, including funding cuts to services such as youth clubs and local libraries resulting in the closure of vital local hubs. Unfortunately, current educational policies and measures do little to improve working-class students' experiences and performance in education. Dr Treanor at the University of Stirling (2018) argues that policymakers need to promote policies which open up knowledge of the operation of school processes and procedures to families from all socioeconomic backgrounds and increase access to opportunities. Concluding thoughts Remember that student at the start of this blog? That student was me. I worked against all labels assigned to me, and have achieved many academic and professional successes in spite of them. However, it shouldn’t fall on me, students at our Academy like me or students such as those in Fuller's study to resist the labels assigned to us. The education system must address its shortcomings and find suitable alternatives to ensure that all students, despite their ethnic or socioeconomic background, have equally fulfilling and successful experiences in education.

Bitesize Research: Connection Between Childhood Trauma & Committing Crime

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! Linking to our ongoing work on trauma-informed practice, and following our recent Think Trauma bronze award, this week, I came across some recent research findings done by the Nuffield Foundation. This work is looking at the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on rates of crime and offending. Objectives:

To understand the connection between childhood trauma and committing crimes as an adult. Summary:

• 4,300 people between age 12 and 35 who had experienced childhood trauma were tracked to examine their involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour
• A quarter of these had a criminal offence by the age of 35. Of these, most stopped offending after their adolescent years, but for committing offences continued well into middle age.
• They also found a connection between childhood trauma and the likelihood of staying away from crimes.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• What does this article tell us about the significance of childhood trauma?
• How am I currently taking a trauma-informed approach?
• What further training would be helpful to ensure I can support my use of a trauma-informed approach as best as possible?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

CPD Reflections: Our NPQML Journey

 By Leyla Marasli & Michael Paulus

In August 2020 Leyla and I started our NPQML (National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership) with Teach First. This consists of a number of modules, during which we spent time reading and participating in forums with other middle leaders across the country. The qualification focuses on six key content areas: 1. Strategy and Improvement 2. Teaching & Curriculum Excellence 3. Leading with Impact 4. Working in Partnership 5. Managing Resources and Risks 6. Increasing Capability The NPQML was assessed through one task; leading a school improvement project within our team, lasting at least two terms, aimed at improving pupil progress and/or attainment and improving team capability Our school improvement projects had to

• Be part of the school improvement plan and produce a demonstrable positive impact and sustainable change.
• Reflect on our practical experience and draw upon research obtained through relevant school, local and national data to show how leadership priorities have been determined.
• Apply our learning from the blended learning experiences to demonstrate how our knowledge and expertise about relevant national policy priorities have impacted the project.

Our NPQML projects were titled as follows: MPA: “Raising attainment and progress for Year 9 Business students through an embedded T&L approach” LM: “Working to improve pupil progress and attainment in year 8 and team capability through team planning Year 8 lessons” Both of our projects were primarily aimed at curriculum development through collaborative planning which meant having to work with our teams heavily and ensuring that together we were making high-quality lessons that deliver the intended curriculum. We also needed to measure our improvement using attainment data which meant using the summer examination results of a previous cohort to the current year group to (hopefully) show that our project made a difference! Despite the challenges of the 2020-21 academic year, our projects showed improvements in attainment data, and student voice feedback improved since the project introduction. We also found our teachers involved in the curriculum redevelopment gained from our project; Leyla’s project found that 100% of the team of teachers involved in her project agreed that ‘team planning helped them develop their confidence in lesson planning.’ We both found the NPQML process made us consider the crucial change-management processes needed to effectively implement a sustained change in our respective departments. We enjoyed the TeachFirst modules and the conversations we had as a result. I would strongly recommend applying for one of the NPQ opportunities! It’s definitely a challenge but it is very rewarding in the end!

Bitesize Research: Impact Of Pandemic On Mental Health

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! This week, I came across some recent research findings done by the UCL Institute of Education into adolescent mental health and in particular how the pandemic influenced mental health in students at KS3. Objectives: To understand the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health Summary:

• The research found that increased depressive symptoms and decreased life satisfaction took place for many young people during the pandemic, particularly for girls.
• It found that the increase will have led to approximately 60,000 more secondary-aged students reaching the threshold for clinical support for mental health.
• The researchers estimate that there would be 6% fewer adolescents with depressive mental health
• They conclude that this continues the urgent need to prioritise the already strained systems in place to support adolescent mental health and wellbeing

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How do I support my tutees’ and students’ mental health?
• What services or interventions of support am I aware of to guide students to?
• What further training would be helpful to ensure I can support my students as best as possible?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

CPD Reflections: Curriculum Development & Planned Skill Progression

By Michelle Chen

I was fortunate enough to attend a CPD session on Science curriculum development called "How to work scientifically". Although this post is heavily science-focused I find that this topic can be adapted for all disciplines. One goal in working scientifically is to help students feel more confident in applying their skills to any discipline. The scientific process allows students to become open to critical thinking in light of new evidence. Curriculum Progression: What it means to get better at Science. What makes a great scientist? Is it the ability to recite all of the elements in the periodic table by heart or understanding all of Newton’s laws? No! The skills students use to work as a scientist stretch across multiple disciplines, which make it an important feature for teachers to consider in their lessons. Two types of knowledge are needed to work scientifically; The first is substantive knowledge, which is the knowledge that is produced by our academic subject. The second is disciplinary knowledge, which teaches students the skills they need to work scientifically. The two types of knowledge work cohesively together in order for students to learn effectively.

Why is planned skill progression important?

• Developing confidence and a growth mindset- We know that from a young age children are natural inquisitors; “Why is the sky blue? Why is the speed of light faster than the speed of sound?”. The big question is how can we, as educators, continue to encourage this behaviour? The implementation of planned skill progression plays a key role in encouraging students to develop a growth mindset and gain confidence in their learning. Ensuring the curriculum is well-sequenced also ensures that learning is accessible.

• Creating deeper understanding and connections- By breaking down and sequencing the curriculum into conceptual frameworks we are able to build students’ knowledge of science concepts. Pupils fail to develop any conceptual frameworks of understanding if the curriculum is structured in arbitrary collections of topics. If students build upon their existing knowledge they are able to make connections when new information is presented. A strong curriculum begins with a few of the most fundamental topics of science to support student learning. For example, I find the States of Matter Topic to be the most successful for Y7s as they have a strong foundation of substantive knowledge from KS2 that can be extended upon. It creates the opportunity for new knowledge to become part of an emerging conceptual structure to deepen their understanding of the material. 

• Application of knowledge to practical situations- A high-quality science curriculum should be sequenced carefully to showcase the interconnectedness of substantive and disciplinary knowledge. In doing so, our students will not only understand the world around them but can apply this knowledge to practical situations, without overwhelming their working memory.

How to design a curriculum that focuses on building skills:

The first step is to identify what are the skills that you are hoping to build within your curriculum.

For Working Scientifically these include the following:

• Asking questions
• Making predictions
• Carrying out an enquiry
• Use equipment effectively
• Take measurements
• Record data
• Present their findings
• Draw conclusions
• Evaluate results

Then you need to consider the role of the following seven elements of your curriculum, to ensure you are able to effectively build these skills across a period of time:

1. Build on their prior learning and meet the needs of pupils from all starting points
2. Develop and apply their knowledge
3. Apply mathematical concepts
4. Apply their literacy skills
   
5. Engage in practical learning activities Working Science skills
6. Cultural capital
7. Future study/careers

For example, considering "Apply their literacy skills", you might consider the vocabulary students are introduced to in the early stages of your curriculum. By ensuring a wide range of vocabulary is introduced and consolidated through these lessons, you provide "seeds" for developing scientific concepts that can be built upon later.

Key points to remember:

• Substantive knowledge is sequenced so that pupils build their knowledge of important concepts such as photosynthesis, magnetism, and substances throughout KS3/ KS4
• Knowledge is sequenced to make the deep structure of the scientific disciplines explicit. This allows for both students and teachers to see how the knowledge is connected across disciplines and subjects.
• Disciplinary knowledge is sequenced to take account of:
• Hierarchical structure
• The best substantive contexts in which to teach it
• Once disciplinary knowledge is introduced, it can be used and nurtured in a range of different substantive contexts
• Planning for progress takes account of what is taught in other subjects, ex. Mathematics

Bitesize Research: Impact Of Lockdowns On Students Around The Globe

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! I was really interested to see this recent article which compiles some of the positive outcomes of the pandemic discovered by educational research conducted in different countries. Whilst we know that the pandemic has had a huge number of very negative and difficult consequences, I was intrigued to see a different perspective. Objectives: To collate recent international findings about the impact of the pandemics and lockdowns on students. Summary:

• The article suggests that in three critical areas there have been positive changes arising from the lockdowns and pandemic:
• Improved digital skills: There is evidence that the lockdown improved teachers’ and students’ digital skills and fostered a greater deal of creativity in thinking about teaching and learning. There is also some evidence that students have been better able to problem solve, and enjoyed being able to learn more at their own pace as a result of more online learning.
• Improved communication and assessment: There is evidence that the limitations on ways of assessing students during the pandemic led to greater creativity in ideas around assessment.
• Parental engagement: There is some evidence to suggest that in supporting learning at home during the pandemic during lockdown, parents now have a greater degree of understanding and engagement in their child’s learning.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• What positive outcomes for your teaching practice have followed the pandemic?
• What positive outcomes for students have arisen due to the pandemic?
• How might you build on this going forward?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!