EAL Toolkit Launch

I was the Metropole in Leeds for the launch of the new Strategy resources for raising the achievement of higher ability pupils with English as an additional language. All part of the wider agenda to 'Narrow the Gap'.

After our introduction it was heads straight into some practical workshops introducing the new materials.

I really enjoyed the workshop that looked at analysing pupils' writing to identify how they could be helped to make progress.

We looked at a piece History writing. We had a checklist and used this to asssess features ranging from word level to content and organization. For each statement we had to decide to what extent the skill was being demonstrated (three choices).

Then we discussed which areas needed help and then looked at which of the areas would be most important for the pupils to improve in order to raise their grade.

This last activity highlighted the improtance of not focusing too much on spelling . Of course, spelling is important but it isn't always the case that this is main the issue holding back the child with English as an Additional language.

In the sample we looked at, for instance, the pupils really needed to understand more about the appropriate tone for a piece of academic writing.

The new resources then give a range of suggestions for how you might address the needs you have identified.

Really practical stuff that I will be introducing to the schools I am working with asap. Of course, it will be a very useful tool for first language speakers, too.

My colleague, Annette, attended the workshop on using talking to prepare for writing. She tells me it was excellent.

In the afternoon I attended another workshop. This one was on how to help the pupils improve their extended writing.

We finished off with a plenary led by Martin Pendegrast, who is leading the project.

A great day, full of practical ideas and resources.

Pre-Standardising

As well as being a Teaching and Learning Consultant for Trafford, I am a senior examiner for AQA English Paper One (foundation).

Being an examiner gives you tremendous insight into the examination process. You learn about the key features that divide, say, grade D form C. You also become very confident at assessing your pupils' work for the paper you mark.

I recommend all teachers to try it at least once and Heads of Department should encourage their team to apply for a post. By spreading themselves across the different papers a many new skills can be gained.



Mary is delighted to be told that she's got the marks spot on.

Subject Leaders' Meeting at Sale West

Spent the day at Sale West Development Centre.

The first part of the day was spent delivering the Functional Skills Modules 3 & 4.

As the news filtered through of yet another Cabinet resignation, I couldn't help but see a parallel between Gordon Brown and the Functional Skills. Now that the GCSE/FS link has been broken, FS (like Mr, Brown) seemed to have lost its authority and respect.



This was followed by a presentation from Chris Sykes (left), who works for Oxford Publishing. Sorry about the rather dark picture, Chris. She introduced several new resources, including their new OxBox series. There was a lot of interest in this. Lots of contemporary resources to use and the facility to upload your own to add to those provided on the CD.







The main part of the day was spent working through the Subject Leader Development Materials. These mainly focused on AfL, concentrating on how teachers can enable the pupils to take ownership of their own learning. Lots of useful resources to draw on. As usual, more to be done than any Subject Leader can be expected to do. We discussed the need to identify priorities and use the resources to improve the areas that would have most impact on raising pupil achievement.

Thanks to everybody for positive feedback. Your good humour and patience made my job a lot easier.

English Subject Leaders Development Materials Summer 2009

School holidays mean I can go into work in my civvies.

Today I've been preparing the Subject Leaders' Development Meeting that I'm leading next Wednesday.

I've also been preparing a lesson reading Shakespeare. I'm going to be teaching that to some year 7's after the break.

BPAP

I spent the morning at Sale West Development Centre where we were discussing the National Strategies materials for raising the achievement of Black and Caribbean pupils. The session was led by my colleague Annette Nelson from the School Improvement Service and Elizabeth Agbettoh who works for the National Strategies. Also present were Pat Baldwinson, who is Maths Consultant for Trafford, and Liz Stanley who is Director of Learning at one one of our secondary schools.

The strategies have produced some excellent materials for schools and departments to audit their provision for Black children. For any progress to be made, be it with our professional or personal goals, it is vital that we start with an accurate picture of the present situation: if you want to lose weight you have to get out the scales and be straight with yourself about just exactly what you weigh.

So self-assessment is the basis form which we begin. However, audits aren’t enough. Once you have gathered the data and established your position, then the question is: what are you going to do? And, the often harder question: How are you going to do it?

The strategy doesn’t shirk from answering that question and providing resources to help schools and departments begin to narrow the gap between the achievers and the underachievers.

Even more significantly, it opens up four areas that all need to be addressed in order for the success to be embedded into school practice. It is only be embedding it that we can avoid the ‘sticking plaster’ approach whereby a problem is addressed for as long as somebody is interested enough in it and then is left to fester again when/if the member of staff leaves or the next initiative comes along.

Our meeting provided us with a sense that we were looking at strategy and not just a set of fire fighting measures.

The other feeling that came out of the meeting was that so much of what is contained in the resource pack could be easily adapted to suit other groups that may be falling behind. For example, white working class boys. Or it could be used to form a strategy for helping the Gifted and Talented at a school.

Fundamentally, it is personalized learning that is structured around sound principles of teaching and learning.

The final section of the meeting was a chance for us to find out about the excellent work that Liz Stanley has been doing since joining one of Trafford’s schools in January. One of the most interesting aspects of her work has been the positive effects of her decision to ‘walk the talk’ and introduce some student voice to disaffected pupils, listen to what she was being told and acting on it. It was inspiring to hear of one intelligent, but disengaged boy, overcoming some of his difficulties and then raising his aspirations as a result. This was a boy who was seriously in danger of underachieving at school and limiting his life chances.

It felt great to be part of a group of people who were all, in their different ways, working to provide an improved school service in Trafford.

VLE at Sale West Development Centre

I spent a couple of hours this morning with my colleague Jim Gilmour. He's the ICT consultant for Trafford. He's been helping me work on Fronter, which is Trafford's Virtual Learning Platform.

One of the features that I thought was most interesting was the facility to create forums that allowed pupils to participate in role, speaking from different points of view. So, for example, if we were exploring 'Lord of the Flies' and considering Ralph's effectiveness a a leader, pupils could voice their opinions as if they were different characters in the novel.

He also showed me a flip camera. I'd read about them but hadn't seen one yet. Very desirable.

Making An Impact Conference

Crighton Casbon



I attended a conference at the Aintree Racecourse today. The day started with a review by Crichton Casbon of the QCA. He reminded us of the (many) the changes that have taken place to the curriculum over the past few years and outlined the main thrust of phase three.

After that we went into workshops. These covered reports of various curriculum innovations taking place the North West.

My favourite was the report on 'Planning for Impact Through 21st Century Learning and Use of New Technologies.' This concentrated on work being done in Oldham, one of the two Home Access LAs.

Key points to remember: adults tend to consume technology passively whereas the students produce. We should try to employ technology as they use it, not as we would use it.

Secondly: better to use cheap/free technology that is readily available (e.g. Google Docs) than buy into expensive learning platforms.