Ms Camwell (English) – KS3 students were engaging with a Wilfred Owen (good cultural capital). Ms Camwell had set the class up with an activity which asked them to write about their thoughts on the poem and what it meant. Whilst students were writing (mainly in silence unless they needed to ask a question) Ms Camwell circulated the room challenging and supporting students with their writing. Ms Camwell had also prepared a scaffold to help students who were struggling – differentiating by instruction instead of task.

Ms Jacobs (Science) – KS3 students were watching Ms Jacobs conduct a short practical to help explain a scientific process. With students gathered around her she began to ask them a series of questions. As students answered other students were challenged to build upon the previous answer and develop their knowledge. Student books had lots of useful information in them to support learning (see below), a great way to articulate high expectations!

Mr Rogers (Science) – Mr Rogers was in the middle of questioning the class about the focus of todays lesson. It was clear that Mr rogers had set high expectations for his students and trained students on how he wanted them to engage with questioning – making the most of every second in the lesson. As he posed questions to the class he gave plenty of wait time so that students could think about an answer. He also gave students an opportunity to discuss a possible answer with the person next to them before taking answer and then bouncing the answer around the class. Great questioning!

Ms Cicero (Maths) – In a similar style to Mr Rogers, Ms Cicero was questioning students about the focus of the maths lesson. As she posed a question a period of wait time ensued allowing students to really think about a possible answer and even check their books to help if needed. As more hands went up Ms Cicero verbally counted the hands that were going up and in a 30 second period about 10 hands went up. Allowing wait time is really important for students to grapple with challenging questions. Sometimes as a teacher it’s instinctive to take an answer from the first hand that goes up immediately after asking a question, however this denies lots of other students a chance to think about and formulate an answer.

Ms Walker (English) – Ms Walkers’ class were working on a Sherlock Holmes book. Students had really engaged with the story. When I asked one student about the book he began explaining a brief history of the author and the significance of his work (and that was before he then went on to tell me about the specific book!). Having spent some time in the lesson reading the book (great to see KS3 students reading challenging texts), students were now be quizzed on what they had understood. This took the form of a MCQ with some additional written questions. This is a great method for identifying common misconceptions which can then be addressed with the whole class through re-teaching.

Mr Thompson (Maths) – First lesson back and Mr Thompson was straight back in with some Maths! Students were learning about the axis of a graph and how to work out the incremental values. Mr Thompson used a mixture of live modelling and questioning to help students understand the process of identifying the values and then carrying out a calculation. He made great use of ‘wait time’ in his questioning to give students a chance to think about and consider an answer before rushing into an answer.

Ms Harvey (Science) – Year 7 students were at the beginning of their first Science lesson and Ms Harvey was articulating her expectations to the students. One of the ways in which she communicated this was through a sample Science page that students stuck into the front of their books. The sample page modelled high expectations of presentation but also quality Science work. This can then be referred back to at the start of piece of Science work. Great, simple idea that is being used across the Science team.

Mr Fraser (Maths) – Year 10 students were revisiting ratios. Mr Fraser spent some time modelling the process whilst he explained to help students secure their understanding. He then made use of questioning to check understanding and identify any misconceptions that could be addressed with the class. The standard of work in books was high – great presentation!

Ms Simmons (Technology) – Year 7 students were starting a project on materials by learning about the different types of materials available to use in their project. This part of the lesson was focused on very deliberate practice. The resource below prompted students to perform very specific practice. Whilst students were working Ms Simmons circulated the room providing live feedback (a great strategy for improving learning without increasing workload) to students.

Mr Rogers (Science) – Mr Rogers has his first lesson with a new year 7 class. This started with some work around lab safety. Students were given an image of a lab which included a number of different accidents. Students had to interpret this information and think hard about possible rules that could be used to prevent these accidents from happening. Mr Rogers checked student understanding through a series of questions where he always expected students to give a reason for their answer and speak in a loud voice so that other students could hear the response.

Mr Buck (Science) – Mr Buck also had a year 7 class and was delivering a similar lesson to Mr Rogers. Mr Buck used questioning to assess student understanding and address any misconceptions. Students focused well and listened in silence, which enabled Mr Buck to provide clear instructions. Students worked hard and asked questions if they were stuck – great start to the year!

Ms Jenkins (Science) – Year 7 has already completed their lab safety and were listening inventively to Ms Jenkins explain the difference between tissue and cells. Following this students were asked to write down their understanding of these terms in their own words and include an example. Expectations were really high and Ms Jenkins expected much from the students. The lesson focused on the key word terminology which once mastered will enable students to tackle more complex scientific knowledge.

Mr Day (Maths) – Year 7 students were being introduced to ratios. Mr Day had just finished an explanation about ratios and was mid way through questioning the class. He made great use of the TLAC strategy ‘wait time’ so that students had time to think about and construct an answer. Following a question he would wait for up to 30 seconds for students to construct an answer and a then raise their hand. Once he had a sea of hands he would then select a student to answer and encourage other students to build on the first answer. Great strategy for getting more students to contribute an answer!

Mrs Coke (Maths) – Year 7 students were working on probability and ratio. Mrs Coke was using a relevant, real life example to explain to students the meaning of probability and chance. She posed questions like “If Manchester Utd played BBA’s Year 11 football team tomorrow, what are the chances of Year 11 winning?” A concrete example that students are likely to have some background knowledge of which will help them to understand the concept. Mrs Coke also used the example of weather forecasting and how the BBC weather website provides a percentage chance of rain – another concrete example for students rooted in their background knowledge.

Mr Browne (Maths) – Year 7 were being put through paces with some knowledge recall of key vocabulary. Unusual to see in a maths lesson, but the focus was on key words and their meaning. Mr Browne would select students from around the class and ask them to explain what a key term meant. If students didn’t get it right first time Mr Browne provided support and they would do it again and again until they got it right. The same to key words were repeated several times around the room until the students knew them. Great way to embed vocabulary, the importance of which cannot be underestimated!

Ms Khahra (English) – Year 7 students were reading about the story of a Greek myth. As Ms Khahra read, the students followed the text highlighting any words that they did not understand. Ms Khahra paused from time to time to ask students comprehension questions about the text to assess understanding of what had been read. This form of ‘reading in lessons’ is a great way to get students reading difficult texts and a model that other subjects could easily adopt.

Ms Harry (Drama) – Year 7 students were developing freeze frames for a specific genre of film. Ms Harry spent some time questioning students on their understanding of freeze frames and what great performance would look like in this area. What was interesting here was that after Ms Harry had asked a series of questions about what makes a great freeze frame she followed this up with what not to do and a series of questions on this theme. This was a great opportunity to check for common misconceptions and address these with the class. Students then went onto some focused practice in groups where they were developing a freeze frame of their choice. Whilst students were practicing Ms Harry circulated the groups providing further feedback and challenge that prompted students to think harder about what they were doing and why.

Miss Camwell (English) – Year 9 students were having a second attempt at a question following a recent assessment. Ms Camwell spent some time explaining to the class in precise detail what they needed to do and what her expectations of them were. Students were then giving time to practice whilst Ms Camwell then began giving 1-to-1 feedback to students. In student books it was great to see good use of memory platforms to get students retrieving information from memory (a great way to build long term memory). Feedback from students on this was really positive as it helped them to remember. Ms Camwell has also been trialling whole class feedback, making use of a crib sheet to collate common errors and misconceptions which then leads to a range of targets being generated that students can select (or sometimes this is selected for them) from.

Mrs Zagani (Year 8 Pastoral leader) – This blog aims to not only celebrate the great work by teaching staff, but also the remarkable work of all staff from across the academy. Earlier this week Mrs Zagani supported a student who was finding things particularly difficult. Mrs Zagani spent time expertly dissecting what had happened with student before clearly (and concisely) presenting the options to the student. Her balance of compassion and support mixed with high expectations enabled the student to make the right decision. If you ever get the chance to spend some time with the pastoral team (in any academy) I would recommend it! There is a lot to learn about how our pastoral leaders interact with and uphold the high standards we expect from students whilst creating a caring, supportive and safe environment.

Ms Litchfield (English) – Year 8 students were working on a descriptive writing piece. This piece of work had recently been the subject of feedback from Ms Litchfield. She is currently trialling whole class feedback using a crib sheet to track common errors and misconceptions (something the English team have adopted). Following the completion of a crib sheet, Ms Litchfield then uses this information to generate targets (see form below) and a space for students to act on this feedback. The targets are really specific so instead of re-drafting a whole essay students are given a specific bit to improve. This approach has drastically reduced the time it has taken to mark & feedback to students and the level of response from students has impressed Ms Litchfield!

Miss Ridgway (English) – Year 9 students were looking into gender stereotypes associated with Macbeth. Miss Ridgway gave students a series of examples and students were asked to give their opinion (using their prior knowledge of stereotypes) and provide examples of gender stereotypes. One student gave a fantastic response where he explained the gender stereotypes related to toy shops and that boys toys tend to be blue and girls toys tend to be pink. Miss Ridgway used questioning to explore student answers further and challenge their thinking. Looking at some student books it was great to see more memory platforms and spelling tests (extended so that students not only recall the correct spelling but also the meaning of the work).

Ms Harvey (Science) – Year 7 students were investigating an experiment into heat transfer. As students were conducting a practical experiment, Ms Harvey was circulating the room ensuring students were safe but also questioning and challenging students on what they were doing and why. Following the experiment students were supported to write an evaluation that explained whether or not their hypothesis had been proved and what was the scientific evidence to support this. Looking through student books it was great to see some examples of regular low stakes quizzing, end of topic quizzes and students acting on feedback regarding SPAG. Feedback from students on the usefulness of the regular quizzing was really positive as it was helping them to remember more which was breeding confidence.

Mr Gandon (Science) – Year 13 Physics students were working through some practice questions. They had previously spent some time developing their vocabulary and building knowledge so that they could apply this to questions. Mr Gandon modelled well making use of his whiteboard to walk students through how to complete a particular equation. He was then able to circulate the group, draw out misconceptions and re-teach to smaller groups where needed.

Mr Leahy (Maths) – I managed to see Mr Leahy twice this week. The first time was during a year 10 (top set) Maths lesson. Mr Leahy’s direct instruction was fantastic – clear, concise and challenging. He used a mixture of explanation, live modelling of worked examples and questioning to explain a new topic and get students to make links to prior knowledge. Following instruction, students were then given time to practice (in silence so that they could concentrate). Whilst students were working Mr Leahy circulated the room providing verbal feedback and looking for misconceptions. After spotting a few students making the same mistake, he paused the class and re-taught a section explaining the misconception and modelling the correct process.

The second opportunity to see Mr Leahy came during a walking/talking mock for year 11 students. This is a fantastic way to prepare students for an upcoming exam (student feedback on these have been really positive). Mr Leahy taught from the front, giving students time to attempt questions before live modelling the meta-cognitive approach for solving each question before arriving at the correct answer. He took this opportunity to also highlight common misconceptions and address these with the group (60+ students!).

Mrs Taylor Evans (Art) – During the Art departments feedback review I had the opportunity to sit down with Mrs Taylor-Evans and look through lots of student work and discuss the impact of feedback on student work. The majority of feedback in art is delivered verbally as students are creating, so it was great to discuss the progress students are making and see how their work has developed over time. The quality of work produced by students is exceptionally high which is a testament to the feedback students receive in lessons.

 

Mr Parrott (PE) – Year 7 students were in a Football lesson whereby they putting into practice skills developed in previous lessons, in a game situation. Feedback was frequent and Mr Parrott stopped students regularly to challenge students on their understanding. Often this led to immediately re-teaching students through modelling & explanation and then followed this up with further questioning. The immediateness of the feedback meant students were able to adapt what they were doing (as directed by Mr Parrott’s feedback) and improve instantly. The verbal feedback was built into the learning as opposed to it being bolted on at the end. The nature of PE practical lessons lends itself to constant verbal feedback during sustained deliberate practice, which leads to students making progress over time.

Mr Rutter (Science) – Year 7 students were learning about chemical reactions. Mr Rutter was in the middle of co-constructing an answer with the class making great use of questioning to scaffold responses from students. He was able to identify misconceptions and tackle them with students immediately. Feedback was frequent and built into the learning. Mr Rutter has also been trialing retrieval practice in the form of quizzes. Students responded well to frequent quizzing, explaining that they have found it useful in helping to remember key knowledge. They also explained that this helped them to feel more confident about Science.

Mrs Guy (PE) – Mrs Guy was teaching year 7 students the scissor kick technique for the high jump. Whilst students were practicing the technique (jumping over low benches to get the technique correct before attempting it on a higher bar) Mrs Guy was circulating the space providing lots of verbal feedback to students on their technique and providing very specific actionable things to change in their next attempt. Again, this was a great example of feedback being built into the learning, in the moment while students were practicing. The immediacy of the feedback allowed students to make noticeable, incremental changes to their practice which produced visible differences in their performance.

Mr Heath (PE) – Year 9 boys were running the 800 meters in small groups. Although this was predominately deliberate practice there was still lots of verbal feedback and instruction. As students were running Mr Heath gave feedback on technique that students were able to immediately action. He also involved other students who were waiting to run by asking them questions and giving them feedback on preparing to run. Each time a lap was nearing completion students would receive lots of feedback and encouragement. It was great to see students actively participating and enjoying themselves at the same time!

Mrs Heath (Art) – Year 7 students were spending time writing about a piece of artwork they had spend some time developing on the theme of surrealism (one student gave a fantastic description of surrealism when they were asked to explain the concept!). Mrs Heath had set students the task of writing about surrealism and she had provided students with a writing frame to help them structure their writing. Whilst students were working Mrs Heath was circulating the room and providing feedback on their writing / artwork. The artwork itself that students had created was exceptional and it was obvious to see that students had taken real pride in their work.

Mrs Payton (PE) – Year 9 girls had been playing tennis (I arrived just before the lesson finished) and in particular practicing the volley shot. Mrs Payton questioned the students to assess their understanding of the practice they had carried out during the lesson. The questioning involved wait time and opportunities for students to discuss in pairs to help formulate ideas before answering (great strategy!). I questioned a couple of students and they were very articulate in their answers, describing the best grip to use when making the volley shot and when the best time to use shot in a match would be.

Mrs Williams (English) – During Mrs Williams TRM she was able to discuss what has been working well in her English lessons. One strategy that has been trialed is whole class feedback mixed with the re-teaching of areas that students found difficult. The whole class feedback highlights common misconceptions, SPAG errors, identifies targets for improvement and then champions exemplar work for all students to see. In addition to reducing the amount of time it has taken Mrs Williams to provide feedback to students, it has also helped plan the next lesson in a timely manner so that she can address the common misconceptions and move student learning forward.

Summary.

Feedback (especially verbal) appears to be strongest when it is:

• built into the learning process rather than tagged on at the end.
• close to the learning – whilst students are working provide them with feedback that allows them to make incremental changes.
• used to re-teach misunderstood knowledge and challenge misconceptions.

Mr Day (Maths) – Year 9 students were working through equations. Mr Day had approached this with students through problem solving, with students having to think really hard about common patterns across a number of different equations. This part of the lesson also sparked lots of discussion around meta-cognition with students being asked to articulate their thought process in solving equations and identifying similarities between different equations. A real strength of teaching practice here was questioning and Mr Day’s use of spiraling up the difficulty of questioning to make students think hard.

Miss Jacobs (Science) – Miss Jacobs has been trialing a new whole class feedback strategy with students in order to provide actionable feedback in a more time efficient way. Whilst reading through student work she is using a crib sheet to collate common misconceptions and errors. From this a series of targets for improvement are created.  This is then fed back to the whole class and students are given targets appropriate to them. The sheet is photocopied and stuck into books so students are able to see what they need to do next. This has approached has also been combined with live marking in the lesson. Miss Jacobs is aiming to see 5-6 students each lesson and provide them with verbal feedback (using a highlighter to quickly highlight errors that need correcting). This has already drastically reduced workload whilst providing more frequent, actionable feedback to students.

Mr Bates (Music) – Year 8 students were engaged in deliberate practice. They working on a short piece of recorded music where they were attempting to recreate the Wallace & Grommet theme music. Mr Bates was circulating the class providing lots of actionable verbal feedback which was enabling students to think about and improve their work. This was a mixture of direct instruction and questioning to support further development. Students were all very proud of what they had produced and very keen to get visitors to listen to their work!

Mr Thompson (Maths) – Year 7 students were studying number sequences and in particular looking at whether a sequence was linear or not. Mr Thompson used questioning to get students thinking about the process of identifying a linear sequence, looking out for any ‘red herrings’ that may throw them off the scent. This was a great way to challenge misconceptions and address them with students. Students responded well despite finding it challenging.

Mr Browne (Maths) – Year 7 students had been working on sequences of number. Although this was right at the end of the lesson, Mr Browne had been getting students to practice their understanding by applying a method to working out the next numbers in a sequence. This form of practice is really useful for students to think hard about their learning. As always Mr Browne’s class was very calm and purposeful which is a good sign of strong routines and high expectations.

The first #BOTW for the new academic year goes to Harry Fletcher-Wood for his post on meeting a new class for the first time (something almost all teachers have to do every September). 

Harry makes use of a checklist to identify some key questions (and potential answers) to help teachers make a great first impression.

Read the blog post here.

#NeverStopLearning