Downloaded 13 times
Uploaded byWholeeducation
A learning school journey_whsg
The document summarizes Westcliff High School for Girls' journey to improve student learning through adopting a "Building Learning Power" approach. It discusses implementing teacher learning communities, training teachers in developing student "learning habits", focusing lesson plans and observations on learning, and having teachers undertake classroom research. The school aims to help students take ownership of their learning and shift teaching practices to better develop student thinking and learning skills. Recent actions include developing a handbook, involving students in teaching, and using a framework to assess progress in improving learning quality.
More Related Content
Similar to A learning school journey_whsg
A learning school journey_whsg
- 1. W HSG - A LEARNING SCHO O L’S JO URNEY KATHY HERLOCK Deputy Headteacher WestcliffHigh School for Girls
- 2. WHSG OBJECTIVE To developour “flexpertise” in enabling learning
- 3. “FLEXPERTISE”? “21st Century education shouldbe the business of coaching the development of “flexpertise” – building confidence and capacity and how to respond to trick situations” Guy Claxton
- 4. KEY QUESTIONS FOR LEARNERS Whatam I learning? Why am I learning it? Why am I learning it in this particular way?
- 5. WHY IS OURFOCUS ON LEARNING? Our Ofsted of 2008 was a big disappointment We needed to improve the quality of teaching and learning
- 6. HOW ARE WEDOING IT? We refocused our plan to improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning at the school We created teacher Teaching and Learning Communities (TLCs)
- 7. WHY BUILDING LEARNING POWER (BLP)?Because: “BLPgives Teachers further tools to engage pupils in activities which promote Personal Learning and Thinking Skills, and the development of ‘learning habits’ to aid pupils’ conceptual understanding.
- 8. OUR APPROACH TOEMBEDDING BLP Graham Powell trained Learning Coaches to lead TLCs Learning Coaches undertook a Learning Review with Graham Powell
- 9. POSITIVE KEY MESSAGES FROMTHE REVIEW • “Students are eager to learn and comply readily with their teachers’ requests and expectations” • “They are keen to succeed” • “Behaviour is impeccable “ • “Students take pride in their work” • “Year 7 students are naturally curious and inquisitive and are willing to ask questions and explore possibilities”
- 10. KEY MESSAGES NEEDING ACTION Students: •“expecttheir teachers to provide them with the answers and solutions” •“lose focus and attention when they are required to listen for extended periods” •“In Year 7 students do not get as many opportunities as they might to exploit and develop these habits of mind. •“In Year 10 students are more compliant” “The pressure of examination courses may be causing them to be more spoon-fed and reliant on their teachers.”
- 11. THE WAY FORWARD… •½ termly TLCs focus on Building Learning Capacity • Devised workshops to aid in the understanding of ‘Learning Habits’ • All Year 7 students engage with BLP on arrival in September • All new Year 12 students engage with BLP on arrival in September • Reworked Lesson Planning pro-forma – designed with learning in mind • Reworked Lesson Observation pro-forma – designed with learning in mind • Pairing off for BLP “observations”
- 12. BUILDING LEARNING CAPACITY What arelearning habits?
- 13. LEARNING HABITS SHOULD BE •Routine • Second nature • Aquired over time • Used in all learning experiences • Orchestrated and guided by teachers • Fostered through experience
- 14. Learning Habits include imagining reasoning distilling planning capitalising listening collaborating meta-learning risk-taking questioning makinglinks persevering empathising imitating noticing REMINDER OF LEARNING HABITS?
- 15. TEACHERS AND HABIT FORMING Asteachers we are in the habit-forming business. Those habits we model in front of young people influence the ways in which they perform and behave. Therefore, we need to be sure to foster productive learning habits.
- 16. TEACHERS SHOULD: • Providerich and varied occasions for exercising learning habits • Infuse learning habits into lessons to enhance understanding • Recognise and celebrate the use and growth of learning habits • Expect students to take ownership and responsibility for their learning habits • Explore the development of learning habits with students
- 17. DUAL OBJECTIVES At thestart of a lesson students should be asking: What am I going to learn? How am I going to learn it?
- 18. QUESTIONS TEACHERS SHOULD ASK: Are ourteaching habits helping students learning habits? How might we need to change some of our teaching habits?
- 19. TEACHERS SHOULD DO LESSOF… • Being driven by subject content • Asking all the questions • Making it too easy for students • Saying ”That’s right” • Avoiding the uncomfortable • Providing solutions too readily when pupil are • stuck • Interrupting learning • Insisting “will you listen!” • Over preparing material • Being the centre of attention
- 20. TEACHERS SHOULD DO MOREOF … • Valuing imagining as part of their subject area • Inviting students to really speculate and experiment • Exercising lateral thinking habits • Encouraging thinking out loud • Showing a real interest in what pupil are saying • Using tentative (“could be”, “might be”) language
- 21. TEACHERS SHOULD EXPERIMENT WITH… Usingdifferent media in the classroom Making links and thinking in metaphors Asking “What if?” Listening in different ways
- 22. RECENT ACTIONS • BLPHandbook • Students as teachers • Conferences with Claxton and TLO consultants • Students undertaking learning walks • Developing a language for learning • Involving governors in training
- 23. ALL TEACHERS AT WHSGUNDERTAKE… School-based research ( Classroom enquiries)
- 24. SCHOOL BASED RESEARCH QUESTIONS “Whatis the effect of students leading revision sessions on test results?” “To investigate the extent to which new year 12 students can fully engage with the use of BLP and to reflect on how my teaching needs to change in response to my findings.” “Do teaching techniques affect outcomes? “ “ To investigate how working collaboratively aids students’ learning capacity".
- 25.
- 26. 1. WHERE ISWE NOW? 2. WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? 3. WHERE DO WE NEED TO BE? 3 KEY QUESTIONS…
- 27. TLO LEARNING QUALITY FRAMEWORK (LQF) Anassessment of where we are now
- 28. OUR WAY FORWARD •Sharing our practice with parents – helping them to model learning • Displaying a language for learning around the school • Developing our students as learning coaches for other students and staff
- 29. Kathy Herlock Deputy Headteacher WestcliffHigh School for Girls Kenilworth Gardens Westcliff on Sea Essex SS0 0BS email: st-kathy.herlock@whsg.info Tel: 01702 476026