Case study: Lordswood Infant School
Case study: Lordswood Infant School
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The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
Case study: Lordswood Infant School Developing pupil voice: Lordswood Infant School, Medway 1. The school: its context and profile Lordswood Infant School serves a large estate in Chatham, Kent. The school’s partner junior school was invited to join the improving schools programme (ISP) in 2004. While many of the core aspects of school improvement, such as tracking, pupil progress meetings and whole-school continuing professional development (CPD), were already in place the local authority (LA) agreed to extend support to the infant school, in order to strengthen school improvement across both schools. It was a very exciting opportunity for us, we had many procedures in school…but we were very aware as a school that we were inconsistent in some of our processes. Headteacher While refining their processes the senior leadership team (SLT) realised that many lacked significant input from the pupils themselves. A decision was made to use ISP to develop wider use of pupil voice, not only to inform learning and teaching, but also in strategic decision-making in the school.
2. Tracking While the school had tracking systems in place when they joined the ISP, the programme encouraged the school to ensure that accountability for achievement and attainment was understood by all stakeholders, including the pupils themselves. Through the ISP, the SLT realised that its moderation processes lacked a significant input from the pupils. As a result, systems were developed across the school to ensure that pupil voice contributed to assessment and moderation judgements. Class teachers met pupils regularly to discuss their targets and current learning. Their responses formed part of the evidence presented to senior leaders. The SLT interviewed sample groups of pupils after every assessment week to quality-assure the evidence presented by the class teachers, and to evaluate the extent to which the pupils understood the learning they had achieved, and what their next steps needed to be.
3. What went into the single plan The SLT realised early into the programme that the single plan would be most effective when its priorities were based on evidence that went beyond data summaries and adult perceptions, and truly reflected the needs of its pupils. The SLT developed the systematic use of questionnaires, surveys and conferencing to investigate thoroughly the identified priorities and ensure planned next steps were right. For example, for several years, standards in reading were lower than in writing, a significant anomaly when compared with local and national data. An extensive survey into pupils’ attitudes to reading and reading habits was carried out (alongside more traditional monitoring activities such as observing guided and shared reading, learning walks). In response to the pupils’ comments and views, several
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
© Crown copyright 2009
The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
3
fundamental changes were made across the school in the teaching of reading. As a result, standards for level 2+ reading rose from 61% to 89% in one year and, most significantly, with boys’ attainment rising from 47% to 86%. These pupil surveys, along with pupil conferencing at all levels, are now embedded in the school’s single plan and lay at the heart of the school’s monitoring, evaluating and planning cycle.
4. An explicit focus on learning and teaching The school had already done much work on engaging pupils in their learning, but wanted to develop this further. They had identified that pupils of all ages learn best when they have ownership of that learning. The school quickly started to involve pupils in the actual planning process. The curriculum is driven by the children for the children…we have modified our curriculum delivery and our curriculum planning to allow the children actually to be the leaders. Deputy headteacher Before each unit of work, pupils are given some stimulus related to the topic and then asked what they might like to learn, do, see, visit and make within the upcoming unit. This is then taken to a planning meeting where the pupils’ views, questions and ideas are built into medium-term plans. At all times, content is cross-referenced against the National Curriculum and the Renewed Frameworks to ensure content is age-related. As a result of this process the pupils now see their world reflected in the curriculum being taught to them. By listening to what the children were saying we actually changed the way we taught completely. Headteacher The process quickly evolved into pupils’ views being actively sought in relation to conditions for learning. The use of space around the school is regularly discussed and debated by the pupils. Recent decisions include the theme for the shared role-play area and Reception pupils planning their own outside learning environment. The children were actively involved in making the areas, painting the furniture, painting the fencing…and they are now at the stage of evaluating it. Headteacher
5. Monitoring evaluation and review Through the ISP, the headteacher and senior leaders very quickly realised that the potential for pupil voice in monitoring and evaluation processes was under-exploited. After some focused work on pupil interviews, the school gradually developed systems for collecting pupils’ views at all levels of decisionmaking, from learning in the classroom and the environment, to strategic decisions on timetabling the day or the way the curriculum was delivered. The SLT now uses pupil conferencing, questionnaires and surveys to ensure that even the youngest pupils’ views are sought and acted upon. The pupil voice will influence the strategic planning of the school through the questionnaires and the surveying that we do, by asking the children the sorts of things that would support them. Deputy headteacher By listening to what the children were saying we actually completely changed the way we taught. Headteacher
© Crown copyright 2009
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
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The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
6. How the school improvement cycle drove the analysis, action, evaluation and review As part of its journey in the ISP, the school has realigned pupil voice to the very heart of the school improvement cycle, informing conditions for learning, teaching styles and curriculum content. But is has gone further, with pupil voice now informing the whole strategic decision-making process by leadership and management. As adults, we need to listen to what children are saying, we need to understand how children learn, we need to understand what engages the children, so it’s important to ask them what engages them. Headteacher
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
© Crown copyright 2009
Disclaimer The Department for Children, Schools and Families wishes to make it clear that the Department and its agents accept no responsibility for the actual content of any materials suggested as information sources in this publication, whether these are in the form of printed publications or on a website. In these materials, icons, logos, software products and websites are used for contextual and practical reasons. Their use should not be interpreted as an endorsement of particular companies or their products. The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of going to print. Please check all website references carefully to see if they have changed and substitute other references where appropriate.
Audience: LAs, SIPs, advisers, consultants, headteachers and senior leaders. Date of issue: 03-2009 Ref: 00335-2009DWO-EN-02 Copies of this publication may be available from: www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.
You can download this publication and obtain further information at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk
The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party.
© Crown copyright 2009 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
For any other use please contact [email protected] www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm
2
The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
Case study: Lordswood Infant School Developing pupil voice: Lordswood Infant School, Medway 1. The school: its context and profile Lordswood Infant School serves a large estate in Chatham, Kent. The school’s partner junior school was invited to join the improving schools programme (ISP) in 2004. While many of the core aspects of school improvement, such as tracking, pupil progress meetings and whole-school continuing professional development (CPD), were already in place the local authority (LA) agreed to extend support to the infant school, in order to strengthen school improvement across both schools. It was a very exciting opportunity for us, we had many procedures in school…but we were very aware as a school that we were inconsistent in some of our processes. Headteacher While refining their processes the senior leadership team (SLT) realised that many lacked significant input from the pupils themselves. A decision was made to use ISP to develop wider use of pupil voice, not only to inform learning and teaching, but also in strategic decision-making in the school.
2. Tracking While the school had tracking systems in place when they joined the ISP, the programme encouraged the school to ensure that accountability for achievement and attainment was understood by all stakeholders, including the pupils themselves. Through the ISP, the SLT realised that its moderation processes lacked a significant input from the pupils. As a result, systems were developed across the school to ensure that pupil voice contributed to assessment and moderation judgements. Class teachers met pupils regularly to discuss their targets and current learning. Their responses formed part of the evidence presented to senior leaders. The SLT interviewed sample groups of pupils after every assessment week to quality-assure the evidence presented by the class teachers, and to evaluate the extent to which the pupils understood the learning they had achieved, and what their next steps needed to be.
3. What went into the single plan The SLT realised early into the programme that the single plan would be most effective when its priorities were based on evidence that went beyond data summaries and adult perceptions, and truly reflected the needs of its pupils. The SLT developed the systematic use of questionnaires, surveys and conferencing to investigate thoroughly the identified priorities and ensure planned next steps were right. For example, for several years, standards in reading were lower than in writing, a significant anomaly when compared with local and national data. An extensive survey into pupils’ attitudes to reading and reading habits was carried out (alongside more traditional monitoring activities such as observing guided and shared reading, learning walks). In response to the pupils’ comments and views, several
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
© Crown copyright 2009
The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
3
fundamental changes were made across the school in the teaching of reading. As a result, standards for level 2+ reading rose from 61% to 89% in one year and, most significantly, with boys’ attainment rising from 47% to 86%. These pupil surveys, along with pupil conferencing at all levels, are now embedded in the school’s single plan and lay at the heart of the school’s monitoring, evaluating and planning cycle.
4. An explicit focus on learning and teaching The school had already done much work on engaging pupils in their learning, but wanted to develop this further. They had identified that pupils of all ages learn best when they have ownership of that learning. The school quickly started to involve pupils in the actual planning process. The curriculum is driven by the children for the children…we have modified our curriculum delivery and our curriculum planning to allow the children actually to be the leaders. Deputy headteacher Before each unit of work, pupils are given some stimulus related to the topic and then asked what they might like to learn, do, see, visit and make within the upcoming unit. This is then taken to a planning meeting where the pupils’ views, questions and ideas are built into medium-term plans. At all times, content is cross-referenced against the National Curriculum and the Renewed Frameworks to ensure content is age-related. As a result of this process the pupils now see their world reflected in the curriculum being taught to them. By listening to what the children were saying we actually changed the way we taught completely. Headteacher The process quickly evolved into pupils’ views being actively sought in relation to conditions for learning. The use of space around the school is regularly discussed and debated by the pupils. Recent decisions include the theme for the shared role-play area and Reception pupils planning their own outside learning environment. The children were actively involved in making the areas, painting the furniture, painting the fencing…and they are now at the stage of evaluating it. Headteacher
5. Monitoring evaluation and review Through the ISP, the headteacher and senior leaders very quickly realised that the potential for pupil voice in monitoring and evaluation processes was under-exploited. After some focused work on pupil interviews, the school gradually developed systems for collecting pupils’ views at all levels of decisionmaking, from learning in the classroom and the environment, to strategic decisions on timetabling the day or the way the curriculum was delivered. The SLT now uses pupil conferencing, questionnaires and surveys to ensure that even the youngest pupils’ views are sought and acted upon. The pupil voice will influence the strategic planning of the school through the questionnaires and the surveying that we do, by asking the children the sorts of things that would support them. Deputy headteacher By listening to what the children were saying we actually completely changed the way we taught. Headteacher
© Crown copyright 2009
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
4
The National Strategies | Primary Case study: Lordswood Infant School
6. How the school improvement cycle drove the analysis, action, evaluation and review As part of its journey in the ISP, the school has realigned pupil voice to the very heart of the school improvement cycle, informing conditions for learning, teaching styles and curriculum content. But is has gone further, with pupil voice now informing the whole strategic decision-making process by leadership and management. As adults, we need to listen to what children are saying, we need to understand how children learn, we need to understand what engages the children, so it’s important to ask them what engages them. Headteacher
00335-2009DWO-EN-02
© Crown copyright 2009
Disclaimer The Department for Children, Schools and Families wishes to make it clear that the Department and its agents accept no responsibility for the actual content of any materials suggested as information sources in this publication, whether these are in the form of printed publications or on a website. In these materials, icons, logos, software products and websites are used for contextual and practical reasons. Their use should not be interpreted as an endorsement of particular companies or their products. The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of going to print. Please check all website references carefully to see if they have changed and substitute other references where appropriate.
Audience: LAs, SIPs, advisers, consultants, headteachers and senior leaders. Date of issue: 03-2009 Ref: 00335-2009DWO-EN-02 Copies of this publication may be available from: www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.
You can download this publication and obtain further information at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk
The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party.
© Crown copyright 2009 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
For any other use please contact [email protected] www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm
