Thetford
All teachers had random talk partners changing every week. The success criteria made sure that children are tolerant of each other. Threes were used as needed with some child choice. Children were excited to see who their new partner would be. They had increased tolerance of each other. New friendships were made, continued outside the classroom. The ‘I don’t know’ problem had disappeared.
One child in my class had no friends. Children would complain when they sat next to her and even parents would email in. I introduced random talk partners and within a half term she had friends and even had play dates. She went to high school with a support network of friends.
Hannah Roberts, Rosecroft Primary
All teachers had tried silent modelling, which they found worked best in maths. Key vocabulary alongside knowledge organisers worked well.