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LEARNING TEAM COORDINATORS:‘What we did next…..’As a guide for new or future learning team coordinators, the following brief descriptions show what others have done as follow up after the one year action research project with Shirley. The ultimate aim seems to be not only deepening the learning team teachers’ expertise but spreading the word, in the best possible way, to their schools and other schools in the authority.
LINCOLNSHIRE LEARNING TEAM
Following a successful Learning Team project with Shirley in 2006/7, formative assessment has become a key focus for the work of CfBT, working in partnership with Lincolnshire LA.
The inclusion of 17 schools in the original project has led to the development of a number of successful strategies aimed at raising the profile of formative assessment under an Assessment for Learning Development Strand. Within Lincolnshire this has taken the form of a package of support modules that take schools through their own improvement programme to promote high quality formative assessment. These modules form a Contract of Targeted Support, negotiated with schools and led by Learning Development Leaders (LDLs), many of whom were teachers participating in Shirley’s Lincs Learning Team 2006/7.
These modules encompass staff INSET sessions, modelling, coaching, classroom enquiry activities and support with monitoring and evaluating the impact of the modules. Schools identify their support needs and ‘book’ involvement in school based development work with an LDL.
A successful local AfL Project is about to be concluded within Boston, Lincs. This has carefully utilised the model provided by our work with Shirley and the work with 10 primary schools is leading to materials and DVD outcomes which support further AfL work throughout the county. Another new local project in central Lincolnshire is about to begin, again using the model for a Learning Team Project developed by Shirley. These local projects have enabled schools to engage in active enquiry into successful formative assessment, through 2 teachers and 1 teaching assistant participating in the year long projects.
The skills, classroom experiences, evaluation and understanding of teachers engaged in these projects and support modules have enabled CfBT to provide continued assistance, expertise and energy to the formative assessment agenda.
For information, or to share experiences, please contact Paul Harmsworth by email:
North Tyneside EAZ Learning Team
Our follow-up to the Learning Team is focusing on two main areas.
We are promoting a Growth Mindset among learners and teachers, using Carol Dweck’s Self-Theories. The aim is to instil the belief that our intelligence is not fixed and that we can improve it through working together in a collaborative classroom climate.
In order to do this, we use Carol Dweck’s Intelligence Theory questionnaires to establish how many students already have a Growth Mindset and how many have a Fixed Mindset. In our schools we have a majority of the latter, which gives them a psychological barrier to achievement in school. We then use a variety of strategies to change their mindset and encourage them to be active, independent learners.
We are building on the Formative Assessment strategies that we worked on with Shirley to promote quality dialogue in the classroom. We have a half day follow up session for the Learning Team in June 2008, when we will share our strategies to spread effective AfL throughout our schools. We will also consider using Steve Williams’ Intelligent Learning DVDs as a stimulus to improve students’ questioning and thinking skills. We feel that this is will help us to build on the success of Talk Partners in helping children to think for themselves and ask good questions that stimulate effective learning.
Gerry Miller EAZ Consultant North Tyneside EiC Education Action Zone 0191 200 1553 East Lothian Learning Team
Following our work with Shirley almost all members of the original team continued to develop and share within their own schools. We had retained the boards from the Showcase event as a set and these proved very helpful for staff development sessions and were borrowed by a good number of schools. Within East Lothian we have a fair percentage of rural schools so it was decided to start up learning team groups across these schools – with early, middle and upper teachers getting together to explore aspects learning & teaching together and share their findings – something which is not possible to the same extent in a two teacher school. All the teachers in the small schools had the opportunity, in stages, to pair up and decide on an aspect of formative assessment to explore. Two further dates were agreed to allow opportunities to get together and share what they’d done. This has proved worthwhile. When I retired in June 2007 I was asked by the LA to set up a learning team with some of our secondary colleagues. We are a small authority with only six secondary schools and the timing was not the best. However, in January 2008 we held our first meeting with 20 secondary teachers from three of our schools. This has proved both beneficial to teachers and students and will continue next session when we hope we will be joined by colleagues from the other three schools. It has been interesting for me as a primary person but what has become clear to everyone is that learning is learning regardless of age or context. Our secondary colleagues have found engaging the youngsters more in their learning has made their classrooms more relaxed but also more productive. East Lothian, as an authority, have recognised the value to CPD (continuous professional development) of this approach and have incorporated it into their learning & teaching policy.
Ann McLanachan June 2008
Wokingham Learning Team
We have seven primary clusters, who each nominated two schools to take part in the formative assessment initiative. In taking part, the schools acknowledged the responsibility for leading the other schools in their cluster in the development of formative assessment. This was recognised to be not just an excellent opportunity for building the capacity to develop formative assessment in a rigorous way, but also as an exciting opportunity for professional development for the lead teachers involved.
This structure has enabled the work accomplished in the year to be thoroughly disseminated. Several clusters adopted the learning team model in its entirety i.e. the remaining schools in the cluster nominated a pair of interested teachers each who are meeting with the lead teachers for one day every term for 3 terms, covering the same ground as they themselves had with Shirley.
Two clusters are providing support on a ‘tailor made’ basis as their schools were at very different stages. This generally involves leading a couple of schools at a time who are matched according to progress with formative assessment.
The posters produced by the original lead teachers were professionally copied and laminated. These have been welcomed by the lead teachers and are used regularly.
Impact of the project:
A much higher proportion of lesson observations show meaningful use of formative assessment
Active engagement of pupils in their learning and pupils who can clearly explain what they are learning
Growth in confidence and skills for the lead teachers
The wider use of lead teachers within clusters – this idea has been used in other ways
The recognition of the value of an action research approach, which is now used more generally to support the development of other areas of pedagogy.
This has been a highly successful and enjoyable project which will continue to grow.
Bev Revie School Development Adviser, Wokingham District Council, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1BN 0118 974 6171
Essex Learning Team
The Learning Team presentation at the showcase led to subsidiary presentations to various groups of schools around the authority (e.g. the central schools ran a morning event for all the local schools including the secondary partners).
The teachers of the Learning Team continued to meet on a termly basis, supported by LA advisers to share practice, continue to develop and to develop materials to share across the LA. These teachers have now been commissioned as school based learning teachers with LA funded ‘outreach time’ and with capacity to welcome visitors to observe practice.
The Learning Team schools also provided case studies of practice for the national ‘what works well’ (Primary Strategy) website which were also posted on the practicioner sharing area of the Essex Grid for Learning Primary Strategy website (www.e-gfl-org/go/primarystrategy).
The ‘Learning Team’ approach has also been replicated in two ways – firstly with a consortium of schools in the south of the county and secondly centrally as a 3 session CPD ‘course’ spread over two terms with school based action research being a central component.
Tracy Goodway, Senior Advisor
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