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2009 Day 4 findings:

4. Further developments

Foundation Stage/Year 1

Cowes

Growth mindset
All staff are now aware of and working on the growth mindset.
Planning with pupils
There has been a great impact on the quality of planning, including skills.
Success criteria
There are now visualisers in all classrooms. Learning is being broken down into process as well as product.

Hull

Growth mindset
All opinions are now valued and a culture is being built which allows children to express their opinions.

Nantwich

Growth mindset
Teachers agreed the importance of establishing a growth mindset from the beginning of the school. They want to spread the culture throughout the school and wish they could stop the use of stickers.
Planning with pupils
Children are now more willing to volunteer ideas. Planning discussions worked well in the summer to transition from Reception to Year 1.
Child initiated learning can be challenging – it needs to be short term and on-going.
Success criteria
It was seen as important to use pictorial clues on the success criteria.
Talk partners
This was seen as easier in when children were in Year 1.

Tameside

Planning with pupils
Children are now involved in topic planning.
Talk partners
Talk partners is now spreading throughout the school as other staff are interested in trying this out.

Year 1/2

Essex

Growth mindset
The classes are becoming ‘a team’ rather than individuals.
Planning with pupils
Involving children has increased motivation.
Success criteria
Children are now generating their own success criteria.
Talk partners
There is now more focused and greater use of talk partners.

Cowes

Growth mindset
There is a positive impact on attitude.
Talk partners
All are now using talk partners/ learning partners with parents informed.

Hull

Growth mindset
The safe environment of the classroom has been enhanced by random lollysticks.
Talk partners
Children are more open and able to express their opinions.

Nantwich

Growth mindset
Children are now valuing mistakes. With the removal of stickers and rewards the whole child is being valued, not just the work but it is hard when the whole school is not following this. The growth mindset is filtering through the school.

Planning with pupils
Children were developing reasoning skills in answering questions but some teachers found it hard to hand over to children.
Success criteria
Teachers now want to use success criteria in other subjects as well as Literacy

Tameside

Growth mindset
Teachers are adapting and adopting approaches to develop a growth mindset in their classrooms. Effective questions, use of products and feedback supports the growth mindsets.
Planning with pupils
Children need stimulus to be able to be involved in pre planning and this is easier with some classes because of their mindsets. Teachers are making sure children have the big picture then ‘chunk’ the planning.
Success criteria
Staff throughout the school are now working with pupil generated success criteria.
Talk partners
Staff are discussing and introducing talk partners.

Year 3/4

Essex

Talk partners
Children prefer the term ‘learning partners’ One teacher uses a grid on the wall so that learning partners are in four groups so can be swapped around or put into fours etc.

Cowes

Planning with pupils
There are now good links with critical skills and quality work.
Success criteria
Visualisers are now in place across the school.
Talk partners
There is now major use of random choosing, not only for partners but also for who will answer and for random grouping.
Other teachers in the school are itching to find out what the teachers have been doing so they can take it on board themselves.

Hull

Planning with pupils
Pre-planning has been taken on board by all staff.
Talk partners
A question and learning wall is useful when a child has missed an aspect of learning. Children feel more confident to share what they’ve learnt.

Nantwich

Growth mindset
It was agreed that very high and very low achievers have the most fixed mindsets.
Planning with pupils
Summer term new class meetings were now focused on planning. Planning was now more short term to allow children to take more ownership over their learning.
Success criteria
Teachers are now revising their marking policies. It was seen as sometimes difficult to get all success criteria to be pupil generated.
Talk partners
This was going brilliantly, with a fortnightly change of partners. Children have opportunities to learn from one another and are given opportunities to feedback. Two ‘hellish’ children have become much better behaved as a result of random partnering. Their behaviour is now seen as their responsibility.

Tameside

Planning with pupils
This is developing as children are more confident about showing what they know.
Talk partners
Other teachers in some schools are having a longer time before changing partners, so these teachers felt the need to advise them of the success of more frequent changes.

Year 5/6

Essex

Growth mindset
Teachers noticed how long it has taken to set up the culture of formative assessment with their new classes and the techniques. It was felt that the new APP grids conflict with A4L. Children now understand how they learn. They can offer their own ‘next steps’ in all learning situations.
Talk partners
Talk partners are used extensively, sometimes with different talk partners for different subjects.

Cowes

Success criteria
Teachers now always start with exploring text type then drawing up success criteria. Teachers are not so tired as children are doing more work! Teachers feel more positive about the possibility of children achieving well at the end of the key stage.

Hull

Growth mindset
People feel that they are letting go of control and handing learning over to the children.
Talk partners
There is great enthusiasm through the school about talk partners although some teachers found that more assertive boys linked with low achieving girls can be stifling. Some people said, however, that girls are now more likely to speak up.

Nantwich

Growth mindset
Children are interested in their own learning.
Planning with pupils
Children are now more involved and enthusiastic. They are motivated to learn as they are finding out what they are interested in.
Success criteria
There has been an impact on a range of subjects.

Tameside

Growth mindset
Other staff are now aware as a school of the importance of praise being directed towards achievement rather than ability. Teachers are now allowing children to take on a challenge which before they would have thought was ‘beyond them’.
Teachers said they were now more aware as adults of their own mindsets.
Planning
Teachers are moving away from QCA schemes and back to the key skills in the Programmes of Study.
Success criteria
Teachers noticed how well established pupil generated success criteria were when they took over a class where this had been the norm.
Talk partners
Teachers now have whole school approaches to this established. Children in new classes have explained to their teachers how everything works!
Teachers have found it important to inform parents of the rationale for talk partners.
One teacher told the following anecdote: one child said, at the beginning of talk partners, ‘but I’ve not been chosen to give an answer yet.’ When explained that the selection for who will answer was random, he said ‘Oh, well that means we will always have to think of the answer – that will be more work.’ The teacher thought this demonstrated his previous attitude…

Secondary

Cowes

Planning with pupils
Teachers are looking at learning logs and flow diagrams for each topic.
Success criteria
Quality is being linked with critical skills. Parents are being informed more fully.
Talk partners
There is more sharing of learning

Hull

Growth mindset
Some schools are crating core values rather than a reward system (e.g.respect, trust, accountability, empathy and responsibility) and using the words rather than asset of rules.


		2009 Day 4 findings: 4. Further developments Foundation Stage/Year 1 Cowes Growth mindset All staff are now aware of and working on the growth mindset. Planning with pupils There has been a great impact on the quality of planning, including skills. Success criteria There are now visualisers in all classrooms. Learning is being broken down into process as well as product. Hull Growth mindset All opinions are now valued and a culture is being built which allows children to express their opinions. Nantwich Growth mindset Teachers agreed the importance of establishing a growth mindset from the beginning of the school. They want to spread the culture throughout the school and wish they could stop the use of stickers. Planning with pupils Children are now more willing to volunteer ideas. Planning discussions worked well in the summer to transition from Reception to Year 1. Child initiated learning can be challenging – it needs to be short term and on-going. Success criteria It was seen as important to use pictorial clues on the success criteria. Talk partners This was seen as easier in when children were in Year 1. Tameside Planning with pupils Children are now involved in topic planning. Talk partners Talk partners is now spreading throughout the school as other staff are interested in trying this out. Year 1/2 Essex Growth mindset The classes are becoming ‘a team’ rather than individuals. Planning with pupils Involving children has increased motivation. Success criteria Children are now generating their own success criteria. Talk partners There is now more focused and greater use of talk partners. Cowes Growth mindset There is a positive impact on attitude. Talk partners All are now using talk partners/ learning partners with parents informed. Hull Growth mindset The safe environment of the classroom has been enhanced by random lollysticks. Talk partners Children are more open and able to express their opinions. Nantwich Growth mindset Children are now valuing mistakes. With the removal of stickers and rewards the whole child is being valued, not just the work but it is hard when the whole school is not following this. The growth mindset is filtering through the school. Planning with pupils Children were developing reasoning skills in answering questions but some teachers found it hard to hand over to children. Success criteria Teachers now want to use success criteria in other subjects as well as Literacy Tameside Growth mindset Teachers are adapting and adopting approaches to develop a growth mindset in their classrooms. Effective questions, use of products and feedback supports the growth mindsets. Planning with pupils Children need stimulus to be able to be involved in pre planning and this is easier with some classes because of their mindsets. Teachers are making sure children have the big picture then ‘chunk’ the planning. Success criteria Staff throughout the school are now working with pupil generated success criteria. Talk partners Staff are discussing and introducing talk partners. Year 3/4 Essex Talk partners Children prefer the term ‘learning partners’ One teacher uses a grid on the wall so that learning partners are in four groups so can be swapped around or put into fours etc. Cowes Planning with pupils There are now good links with critical skills and quality work. Success criteria Visualisers are now in place across the school. Talk partners There is now major use of random choosing, not only for partners but also for who will answer and for random grouping. Other teachers in the school are itching to find out what the teachers have been doing so they can take it on board themselves. Hull Planning with pupils Pre-planning has been taken on board by all staff. Talk partners A question and learning wall is useful when a child has missed an aspect of learning. Children feel more confident to share what they’ve learnt. Nantwich Growth mindset It was agreed that very high and very low achievers have the most fixed mindsets. Planning with pupils Summer term new class meetings were now focused on planning. Planning was now more short term to allow children to take more ownership over their learning. Success criteria Teachers are now revising their marking policies. It was seen as sometimes difficult to get all success criteria to be pupil generated. Talk partners This was going brilliantly, with a fortnightly change of partners. Children have opportunities to learn from one another and are given opportunities to feedback. Two ‘hellish’ children have become much better behaved as a result of random partnering. Their behaviour is now seen as their responsibility. Tameside Planning with pupils This is developing as children are more confident about showing what they know. Talk partners Other teachers in some schools are having a longer time before changing partners, so these teachers felt the need to advise them of the success of more frequent changes. Year 5/6 Essex Growth mindset Teachers noticed how long it has taken to set up the culture of formative assessment with their new classes and the techniques. It was felt that the new APP grids conflict with A4L. Children now understand how they learn. They can offer their own ‘next steps’ in all learning situations. Talk partners Talk partners are used extensively, sometimes with different talk partners for different subjects. Cowes Success criteria Teachers now always start with exploring text type then drawing up success criteria. Teachers are not so tired as children are doing more work! Teachers feel more positive about the possibility of children achieving well at the end of the key stage. Hull Growth mindset People feel that they are letting go of control and handing learning over to the children. Talk partners There is great enthusiasm through the school about talk partners although some teachers found that more assertive boys linked with low achieving girls can be stifling. Some people said, however, that girls are now more likely to speak up. Nantwich Growth mindset Children are interested in their own learning. Planning with pupils Children are now more involved and enthusiastic. They are motivated to learn as they are finding out what they are interested in. Success criteria There has been an impact on a range of subjects. Tameside Growth mindset Other staff are now aware as a school of the importance of praise being directed towards achievement rather than ability. Teachers are now allowing children to take on a challenge which before they would have thought was ‘beyond them’. Teachers said they were now more aware as adults of their own mindsets. Planning Teachers are moving away from QCA schemes and back to the key skills in the Programmes of Study. Success criteria Teachers noticed how well established pupil generated success criteria were when they took over a class where this had been the norm. Talk partners Teachers now have whole school approaches to this established. Children in new classes have explained to their teachers how everything works! Teachers have found it important to inform parents of the rationale for talk partners. One teacher told the following anecdote: one child said, at the beginning of talk partners, ‘but I’ve not been chosen to give an answer yet.’ When explained that the selection for who will answer was random, he said ‘Oh, well that means we will always have to think of the answer – that will be more work.’ The teacher thought this demonstrated his previous attitude… Secondary Cowes Planning with pupils Teachers are looking at learning logs and flow diagrams for each topic. Success criteria Quality is being linked with critical skills. Parents are being informed more fully. Talk partners There is more sharing of learning Hull Growth mindset Some schools are crating core values rather than a reward system (e.g.respect, trust, accountability, empathy and responsibility) and using the words rather than asset of rules.