What makes a good Do Now? Building a culture of success and student accountability through targeted questioning.

By Mark Rogers

1. I start every French lesson in the same way, by asking three students respectively to give me the day, date and month in French. The questions are graded, with students that need their confidence built asked the day and month, as these are the most accessible. When it’s the first lesson in a particular month, I may ask a higher-attaining student as the challenge to recall the month from over a year ago can be quite high. All this serves to constantly reinforce key vocabulary, such as number formation.

I then promote engagement with the key question, by asking three more students to translate key parts, again graded in this case by bronze, silver and gold. The example here requires the recall of the question word ‘que’ (what), the conjugated verb ‘fais’ (do) and the application of a reflexive pronoun ‘te’ (yourself).

These six questions should take around a minute to facilitate, as students open books and start to title their page before moving on to the Do Now.

2. Here, the base (introduction) task for the Do Now is to unscramble the sentences, which are based on content from the previous lesson and across the term/year so far. They do this independently, allowing me to circulate and check the progress of one or two highly vulnerable students that may need help. This is rare, but when they need it, I write the first letter of each word in their work to scaffold. The development task is to translate the sentence and students that complete this can apply their creativity to continue the final sentence in their own words. A task like this (prepared for a Year 7 group) can be completed in about 5-6 minutes.

3. For assessment, I’ll ask students to switch to green pen. I will then ask a middle-attaining student to give me the English for the first sentence, then a lower-attaining student to give me the French. This pattern is repeated for sentences 2-4 with the increasingly challenging questions reflecting to whom I am asking them. Finally I will ask for an example of the Depth task. In many cases, I will know what the students have written from circulation, so the public questioning is not so much for my own assessment, but more to build the culture of success in the classroom, improving confidence and giving the students a chance to show off what they can do. When it comes to getting students to produce a foreign language, this really is essential.

Critically, all of this also serves to promote student agency and build accountability. Once the Do Now has been assessed, in this case I will have asked 14 different students a question and asked one to show off their Depth task - all within the first 10 minutes or so of the lesson. Notwithstanding circulating to check on their work too. There are no passengers!

Reflection question: How can these principles be transferred to a Do Now in your subject?

Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Maths Engagement and Understanding Through Real-Life Contexts

 By Nadir Jebari

Many students see mathematics as abstract, irrelevant to their daily lives, and sometimes even daunting. As teachers, one of the most effective ways to change this perception is by making maths feel more connected to the real world. Bringing real-life examples into lessons helps students see the practical side of what they’re learning, making it more engaging and easier to understand. Here’s how you can put this approach into practice and assess its impact.

Why Use Real-Life Examples?

Using real-life examples in maths lessons isn’t just about telling stories – it’s a powerful way to help students understand tricky concepts. When they can see how maths connects to real life, it becomes more interesting and easier to grasp. For example, looking at payslips to understand tax and income or using cryptocurrency trends to explore percentages and growth can really grab their attention. Linking maths to things like money management and new technology shows students that what they learn in class actually matters in the real world.

Strategies for Using Real-Life Examples

Bringing maths to life with real-world examples helps students understand why it matters. Here are some simple ways to make different maths topics more relevant and engaging:

• Algebra: Show students how algebra is useful in everyday life by having them budget for a grocery shop or plan expenses for a trip. They can also use equations to split costs with friends or compare phone contracts.

• Geometry: Link geometry to real-world professions like architecture, where angles, areas, and shapes are key to designing buildings. Map reading is another great way to explore scale and distance by planning routes.

• Data & Statistics: Use sports to make data fun—students can analyse player stats, win rates, or even predict match outcomes. Class surveys are another hands-on way to collect and interpret data through graphs.

• Fractions, Percentages & Ratios: Everyday activities like shopping and cooking are full of maths. Students can work out sale prices, VAT, or recipe adjustments to see percentages and ratios in action.

• Probability: Make probability more exciting with games like dice rolling, card games, or even predicting the weather. These activities make the topic more hands-on and engaging.

• Financial Maths: Teach essential life skills by discussing savings, interest rates, and loans. Currency exchange is another useful way to introduce ratios and percentages in a global context.

• Time & Scheduling: Help students improve their time management by working with timetables, planning journeys, or organising daily schedules. These tasks make elapsed time calculations more practical.

By using examples that students can relate to, maths becomes more meaningful and useful beyond the classroom.

Collecting Data to Evaluate Effectiveness

To measure the impact of these strategies, data collection is essential. Gathering feedback from students through surveys or questionnaires allows us to assess engagement and understanding. Questions like, “Did this lesson help you understand the topic better?” or “Did you find the examples interesting?” can provide valuable insights. Additionally, using exit tickets with quick prompts such as, “What example helped you the most today?” can help gauge immediate responses.

Class discussions offer another avenue for student feedback, enabling open conversations about which real-life examples they found most useful. Performance data, such as comparing test scores or homework completion rates before and after implementing real-life examples, can provide quantitative evidence of impact.

Gathering insights from staff is equally important. Department surveys can help evaluate whether colleagues have observed increased engagement among students. Peer observations allow teachers to provide qualitative feedback on how students are responding to the lessons. Finally, staff meetings can be used to discuss findings, share successes, and refine approaches for even greater impact.

Analysing and Presenting Data

Quantitative data from surveys and performance scores can be used to generate statistics that measure changes in engagement and understanding. Presenting this information in the form of bar graphs or pie charts helps illustrate trends clearly. Qualitative data, such as recurring themes in student and staff feedback, can highlight which real-life examples were most effective and why.

A robust approach to evaluation involves triangulating data from multiple sources—student surveys, peer observations, and test scores—to draw well-rounded conclusions. By embedding real-life examples into maths lessons and systematically evaluating their effectiveness, we can make mathematics more accessible and meaningful for students.

Not only does this approach enhance engagement, but it also equips students with practical skills they can apply in their daily lives. The goal is clear: bridge the gap between theory and application, showing students that maths is everywhere—and it matters.

The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools - A Better Future for Young People

By Shamima Khanom Teacher of History and Theory of Knowledge Coordinator

I attended the launch of the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools on the 10th of February 2025 at One Birdcage Walk. There was a short research presentation from Public First, a speech from Sir Trevor Pears from the Pears Foundation and Sir Mufti Hamid Patel, CEO of Star Academies (co-chairs of the Commission), and remarks from Josh MacAlister MP. In this private event, I was joined by people and organisations like The Times, Channel 4, Fair Education Alliance, and many others who are all invested to be part of this important project.

The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools was established to investigate the prevalence and impact of conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation among students in English schools. Supported by the Pears Foundation, Public First, and Star Academies, the Commission conducted extensive research involving nearly 500 teachers, 2,000 parents, and 2,300 young people. Research has found that online conspiracy theories are widespread in classrooms, with many students sharing them, sometimes without believing in them. Factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic background, and feelings of marginalization influence susceptibility to these theories. Teachers have expressed concerns about the lack of differentiation between fact and fiction among students and are also concerned that they do not have enough knowledge, support, or resources to deal with this. 

Key findings in the report were:

1. Academic definitions of conspiracy, misinformation, and disinformation are not understood in the same way by the public.

2. Young people and adults exist in information silos and, as a result, informational asymmetry is a pressing issue in this space.

3. Some demographics and groups of young people are more vulnerable to conspiracy beliefs than others.

4. Some young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may be more vulnerable to conspiracy beliefs, but more research is needed in this area.

5. Pupils discussing conspiracy beliefs in schools are not necessarily doing so because they hold a strong or genuine belief.

6. Although pupils report encountering conspiracy theories, most pupils don’t think they are a problem.

7. Consuming conspiracy content influences pupil behaviour outside of direct conspiracy beliefs.

8. Trust in adults is high, especially from younger teenagers.

9. Despite this trust, when it comes to conspiracy belief, adulthood doesn’t equate to expertise.

10. While adults are concerned about young people’s beliefs in conspiracy theories, they don’t prioritise it among other pressures on young people.

11. Teachers are identified by both parents and young people as a popular vehicle for intervention; however, teachers don’t always feel confident addressing these issues.

12. There should be a ‘pedagogy, not punishment’ approach to these issues in schools.

As a teacher myself, I found some of these key findings relatable and on point. In our field, there is an expectation that we know how to deal with everything within and outside of the classroom on top of everything else we have to do. The reality is that we try our best to provide the safest environment for our students; however, there are and always will be cases where we don’t have the knowledge and practice to deal with scenarios especially when it is not typical to occur in our daily classroom lives. Discussing this with Peter Whitehead in the event, we both agreed that it would benefit educators to be provided with more CPDs and training in matters like online conspiracy theories. Even more, it is vital to understand the difference between misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy and this knowledge should be transferred to all stakeholders. It is extremely important that educators have a better understanding and idea about how to handle situations that pop up in school especially in the classroom. While it is our responsibility to report concerns to safeguarding, it is equally important that we can provide effective verbal solutions in the moment so students can learn from their mistakes- live. There have been many cases where teachers have left feeling unsure and uncertain which leads to things falling through the cracks. It is also crucial that our young people can understand themselves the words and phrases they say that may seem harmless and may be harmless but put into different contexts, there may be different connotations and meanings. If students can explore and be educated on these things; the causes, the consequences, the weight of certain ideas and ideologies then they will be able to understand themselves better. Understanding themselves better equates to having more control of what their future may look like. 

The Commission inspired me to think about a better future where there is better education for young people, more resources and support for educators and a world that isn’t navigated by discrimination, stereotyping and unkindness. This event was Phase 1. Phase 2 is Implementation where schools get more involved. Westminster Academy will be one of the institutions that will be at the forefront of this project which is an exciting opportunity for us. It is truly amazing that Public First and others are doing this for our schools. It is needed and I will be interested to see what is coming. I will keep you updated! 

Reflection question: What conspiracy theories exist in your subject and how does your curriculum tackle them?

Further reading:

Teachers need urgent support to tackle conspiracy theories in the classroom:

https://www.publicfirst.co.uk/teachers-need-urgent-support-to-tackle-conspiracy-theories-in-the-classroom-landmark-study-finds.html 

Maximising Learning Time - Every Minute Matters!

By George Ghaffari

In this blogpost we’re going to think about how we can maximise learning time at Westminster Academy through the principle of ‘Every Minute Matters’ (Teach Like A Champion, 2010).

The principle is very simple, and self-explanatory! As teachers, we understand how important every minute of learning is for students and therefore, in short, when practicing Every Minute Matters, we are respecting our, and the students’, time by making each minute as productive as possible.

As Doug Lemov explains, if we let students “relax” for just the last 5 minutes of every class for 6 classes in each school year, we are giving up 75 hours of valuable learning time. This 5 minutes can be lost in many other ways too; giving students too much time for activities, ‘off topic’ conversations, disruptive behaviour, prolonged teacher talk - the list goes on.

We already have a number of systems and rules in place at WA that support maximising learning time. For example, students use the bathroom at break or lunch, in order to not miss lesson time. Similarly, students are expected to enter the classroom and start the aptly named ‘Do Now’. As Ruhina wrote, in her last T&L blog, ‘the language of “Do Now” as opposed to “starter” is deliberate to promote a sense of urgency - students begin the work straight away, reducing idle time and maximising the time on the task and their learning’.  

One of my favourite parts of Lemov’s chapter on this is as follows:

Mastering Every Minute Matters means spending time with the greatest possible productivity by attending to the everyday moments when time is often squandered. It means assuming that events will forever create new and unanticipated opportunities for downtime to occur, and therefore being prepared with “back-pocket” activities: a high-energy review of what your students have learned, or a challenge problem. It means keeping a series of short learning activities ready so that you’re prepared when downtime threatens . . . . You can, in short, always be teaching. (p. 226)

I like to think of the ‘back-pocket activities’ more as a ‘bag of tricks’ that we can develop as teachers to deal with these ‘everyday moments when time is squandered’. During my first year in schools as an LSA, it was these tricks that always impressed me the most when observing teachers. It was watching these strategies in action, creating pacy, dynamic and purposeful lessons even with the most challenging students, that inspired me to go into the profession. 

So, what do some of these strategies look like? How can we employ in the classroom to maximise learning? How can we ensure that every minute, truly does, matter?

1. Pacing - ‘Brighten Lines’

Learning time is often lost between activities in class for a number of reasons; students taking time to ‘get going’, taking time to stop and move onto the next task, sticking in sheets, to name a few. We know that ensuring lessons are pacy and dynamic is key to cutting out this ‘dead time’. ‘Brightening Lines' is a technique to ensure changes in activities  are perceived clearly by making beginnings and endings of activities visible and crisp (TLAC, 2010). The use of countdowns is vital for this. Not only do they give students (and us!) breathing space, they create a constant sense of pace and purpose in the classroom.

There are a number of ways that we can ‘Brighten Lines’, I have included some of the ones I find most helpful below:

• Transitioning between activities quickly and smoothly - “In 30 seconds we will have pens down, revision guides open at page 32, ready to read the first paragraph. 20 seconds, finishing the last sentence. 10 seconds all pens should be down, revision guides opening….”

• Building excitement and motivation for learning - “20 seconds make sure you have finished your CFU task so we can be ready to tackle a GCSE exam question”. Consider this in relation to - “20 seconds you need to be finished the task. Okay now let’s do the next task”. What might be the impact on students?

2. Building Ratio

Maximising learning time can also be achieved by increasing the ratio of active student engagement to passive instruction. According to Hattie’s research on visible learning (2009), active learning strategies such as group discussions and problem-based learning lead to higher academic achievement. These strategies encourage students to engage with the content directly, applying their knowledge in real-world contexts, rather than passively receiving information. By shifting from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction, we can improve retention and understanding, thus maximising learning time and improving learning outcomes (Freeman et al., 2014). 

Two helpful strategies for building ratio:

• Think-Write-Pair-Share - Consider the start of a lesson, once the Do Now has finished. The teacher goes into their exposition, explaining the learning objectives, why the topic is important, misconceptions around it, and starts to model. This may take anywhere between 5-10 minutes. What is the ‘thinking ratio’ like in the room during this time? Some students may be listening, some may have switched off, very few will be learning.

A ‘Think-Write-Pair-Share’ or ‘hook’ task involves asking students a mixture of close and open-ended questions that allow them to explore the central concept of the lesson, connect it to previous learning and relate it to their own lives. Feedback allows the teacher to address any misconceptions, and learning is maximised by shifting the ratio in favour of the students.

Examples

3. Positive and Deliberate Reframing - Quick Win 5!

Disruption-free learning maximises valuable learning time by minimising interruptions, allowing students to fully engage with the material. When challenges arise, deliberately reframing them as opportunities for growth helps students stay motivated and focused. Rather than being discouraged, students are encouraged to approach difficulties with a problem-solving mindset. This positive reframing enables them to overcome obstacles efficiently, keeping the flow of learning intact and making the most of every moment in the classroom. 

Consider these everyday challenges we face in the classroom and how we can reframe them.

“Can I use the toilet/Can I use a timeout?”	“Can I see what you’ve written first? I was really impressed with your ideas in the discussion earlier”
“I need to talk to you about something that happened at break”	“Sounds important, can we catch up at the end of the lesson? I wanted to hear your thoughts on this question”

Reflective Questions for you:

1. How do I ensure that every minute of my lesson is spent effectively, and what strategies can I use to reduce any "downtime" or wasted time in the classroom?

2. In what ways can I make transitions between activities clearer and more engaging for students, ensuring that they stay focused and motivated throughout the lesson?

3. How can I increase the active engagement of my students during lessons, moving from passive instruction to more interactive, student-centred strategies?

4. Am I prepared with “back-pocket activities” to use when unexpected downtime arises in the classroom? What types of activities could I have ready to keep students on task?

5. How can I balance the amount of teacher talk with opportunities for student thinking and collaboration, ensuring that students are consistently involved in their learning process?

Sources:

• Lemov, D. (2010). Teach Like a Champion

• Hattie, J. (2010) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement

• Freeman et al. (2014) Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics

Classroom Oracy: The Key to Unlocking Potential

By Najiyah Rahman

Analytical questions plague all aspects of the English Curriculum and students are required from time to time to show this skill, but are they engaged in doing so? This last term I set out to change my practice as I had identified a key concern in my Year 11 class, which is a lack of fluency in analytical writing. My students know the basics of writing and have knowledge of the text but are not incorporating this knowledge in their writing consistently. My results from Inquiry 1 show that students prefer classroom oracy as a method of engagement.  It was also identified that they find structuring their answers difficult. 

In this inquiry, I will discuss how removing PEEL/PEE writing frameworks for paragraph writing in exchange for thinking frameworks like WHAT HOW WHY allowed my students to better structure their work and discussions. I aim to understand the correlation between using an optimal engagement tool (as identified via student voice) and improved performance in analytical writing tasks.

What did I do?
I had introduced debate and discussion lessons based on an exam question. We followed this format for other lessons leading up to the exam however below is an example: I wanted to hone in on Shakespeare’s purpose as a lot of their analytical paragraphs lacked in this area. They were able to make points and provide evidence but not explain why these choices were made. The aim of this task was to equip them with several different reasons as to why Shakespeare made particular choices. 

Students had 5 minutes to plan in groups on their tables. They needed to make three points. The way I had guided their discussions was through the WHAT HOW WHY thinking frameworks which I made explicit on the slide below. I made it clear that the screen was there for support but they could use the framework to shape their thoughts individually. 

Group 1 and Group 2 had three tables each. After the 5 minutes were up, they had 2 minutes to discuss their answers with the other two other tables and find the strongest point that each of them would argue. 

When the debate started, all students had to write notes from each point each table discussed. At the end of the discussion, students were given 3 minutes to order their 6 points and answer the debate questions. 

After they had written their responses, a student asked “This isn’t an exam question, how do we apply this to the exam?” to which I had responded, “You all identified that debates and discussion engages you the most, all of you identified you found structure difficult and all of you were unable to explain your points in detail. This task has allowed you to use a new thinking framework to answer any question, it has also provided you with 6 different points about Shakespeare’s purpose which you can apply to EVERY question!

How did I measure it?

I measured feedback via student voice, pre-existing and new mock data and observations to triangulate my data.

1. My primary source of data came from the mocks comparing what they achieved in the autumn pre-mocks and the winter mocks. Here is the table below:
   
   

Grades	Autumn Mocks	Winter Mocks
Below 4	52%	43%
9-4	48%	57%
9-5	39%	39%
9-7	26%	22%

The table shows the distribution of grades in Autumn and Winter Mocks. Here's a comparison:

• Below 4: The percentage of students scoring below 4 decreased from 52% in Autumn Mocks to 43% in Winter Mocks. This indicates an improvement in overall performance.

• 9-4: The percentage of students achieving grades 9-4 increased from 48% in Autumn Mocks to 57% in Winter Mocks. This suggests a significant improvement in the higher-achieving band.

• 9-5: The percentage of students scoring 9-5 remained consistent at 39% in both Autumn and Winter Mocks. This suggests that the proportion of students in this range remained relatively stable.

• 9-7: The percentage of students achieving grades 9-7 decreased from 26% in Autumn Mocks to 22% in Winter Mocks. This might indicate a slight decline in the top-performing group.

Overall, the data suggests a positive trend with a decrease in the percentage of students scoring below 4 and an increase in the percentage of students achieving grades 9-4. 

However, a slight decline is observed in the top-performing group (9-7). This may have been due to external factors such as revision and time-management (which a lot of them had informed me of after their exams). 

2. My second piece of data collection was through observations. I had seen a significant improvement in engagement, comments like “Miss, that was a fun lesson!” and “I’ve learnt a lot today!” and all students were able to write significantly more than what they previously were able to do. 

I am awaiting books to photograph evidence of this*

3. And my third piece of data, I am still awaiting student feedback via survey. 

Below are the questions from the survey:
Student Survey: Impact of Debates/Discussion on Analytical Writing

How engaged did you find yourself during these discussions/debates?

a) Not at all engaged

b) Slightly engaged

c) Moderately engaged

d) Very engaged

To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to: Understand the different perspectives on the topic?

1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)

To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Develop your own arguments?

1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)

To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Identify and analyse evidence to support your arguments?

1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)

To what extent do you believe using the WHAT HOW WHY thinking framework helped you to: Structure your written responses to analytical questions?

1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)

To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Improve your use of language and vocabulary in your writing?

1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)

Overall, how helpful do you think class discussions/debates and thinking frameworks were in preparing you for writing analytical essays?

a) Not helpful at all

b) Slightly helpful

c) Moderately helpful

d) Very helpful

Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding the use of debates in class?

(Provide space for open-ended written responses)

So what were the challenges?  

There were many challenges I had encountered: 

1. Maintaining Focus: While the initial enthusiasm for debates was high, sustaining student engagement proved to be a challenge after a while. Some students, particularly those less confident in their speaking abilities, tended to disengage or become passive listeners.

2. Differentiation: Ensuring all students, regardless of their confidence levels, had an equal opportunity to participate and contribute to the debates was challenging. Some students dominated the discussions, while others remained silent and it was hard to force them to talk.

3. Activity Time Management: Incorporating frequent discussion into the lesson required careful planning and time management as often I had found we ran out of time to get to writing.

4. Assessing Participation: Accurately assessing individual student contributions within the dynamic context of a debate presented a challenge.

5. Revision:  While the debates improved student understanding of the text and helped them generate ideas, some students still struggled with effectively revising the scheme of work/what they had learnt about the text prior/forgot key moments of the text etc.

6. Individual Time Management: Students still had difficulties with time management during the writing process and being able to finish an answer within the allotted time. 

What are my key takeaways?

My 5 key takeaways from this inquiry were: 

1. The positive impact of classroom oracy: The initial data analysis suggests that classroom debates, when effectively implemented, can significantly enhance student engagement and improve performance in analytical writing tasks.

2. The importance of scaffolding and support: Providing clear structures, such as thinking frameworks (WHAT? HOW? WHY?), and explicit guidance can help students navigate the debate process and maximise their learning.

3. The need for ongoing evaluation and adjustment: I need to continue to refine my approach to classroom debates, addressing the challenges identified and exploring new strategies to enhance student participation and learning.

4. The importance of addressing individual needs: I need to implement strategies to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to participate and contribute to the debates, such as peer-to-peer support and differentiated questioning techniques.

5. The need for continued focus on revision strategies: I will need to provide more explicit instruction and support for students in the revision process, including strategies for time management and effective use of feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blogpost! Feel free to share your comments and thoughts at n.rahman@westminsteracademy.org.uk