21ST CENTURY LEARNING ALLIANCE 100-minute lessons


The introduction of 100-minute lessons at one school have


helped in its ongoing transformation. Claire White explains


‘Y


ou have to be kidding, right?!” Twelve months ago, this was the response from a group of pupils at Poltair School when told that the school was going to introduce 100-minute lessons. A year on and their eyes are wider than ever


to the opportunities presented by a restructuring of their school day. I am an assistant headteacher in charge of


teaching and learning at Poltair, an 11 to 16 mixed comprehensive school in the industrial town of St Austell. It serves an underprivileged demographic where many children lack aspiration and motivation. In recent times, the school has faced a number


of challenges: three satisfactory inspections in succession, exam results that are steadily improving but sitting just above national floor targets, a lack of mobility of staffing yet high mobility of students in to and out of the area, and the need to review the curriculum in order to ensure that it is fit-for-purpose and targeting the needs of all learners. With a strong desire to lead the school to at least


good in terms of provision and outcomes, during the last two years the leadership team investigated different approaches to structuring learning. In January 2011, we carried out a whole-school review of Every Child Matters which helped to


give an indication of the experience of our learners. Ultimately, we felt that engagement, behaviour and progress were adversely affected by five one-hour lessons and felt that by reducing the movement time in the school, students would be more involved in their learning. To prepare for the change, during the second half


of last year I led a training programme that aimed to provide support to teachers in readiness for the introduction of 100-minute lessons. I began by leading a learning workshop with staff


working in mixed subject groups. One of the key messages that I wanted to convey was the need to view lesson planning as a cyclical process and not a linear one. From observing many lessons and reviewing


lesson observations carried out by others, it was evident that at times, learners were unclear about the journey they had taken within a lesson because frequent opportunities to review progress were absent. Training staff to view learning as a cycle, encouraged them to build in to each lesson “pit stop plenaries”, reflection activities that allow the teacher to make an assessment of student progress and, if necessary, to reshape the lesson. The second element to the training was with


middle leaders – heads of subjects and faculties – where I modelled how long and medium-term planning should be undertaken. We teach 21st century learners who are not only


technologically savvy, but are highly demanding and have a thirst for learning; teaching them out-dated schemes of work in old fashioned tried and tested ways was no longer good enough. The need to review what our students learn was timely. Most significantly, I wanted middle leaders to


choose their long and medium-term plans in light of the individual learning needs of our students. For example, our current year 8 has the lowest prior attainment in English on entry than any of the other year groups; indeed, at the end of year 7 the average reading age was 10, therefore the need to specifically plan units of work that had a focus on literacy was apparent. This was a significant learning point for staff.


What is social mobility? Independent thinking


RECENTLY, I attended a conference about social mobility. This is in itself a contentious issue – what do we mean by social mobility? Given the right support, can every child reach the highest levels in at least some aspect of their education? Is it the role of schools to ensure social mobility or do families have a part to play? Do independent schools have any part to play, or are they by their very nature part of the problem? Many independent day schools have a long


tradition of offering free or heavily subsidised places to local children. We have 110 such bursary places. These are offered to those who need support and who do best in our entry tests, half of them receiving full fees, uniform grants, travel, lunches and other expenses. This is meritocratic or, according to others, elitist. As one speaker at the conference


reminded us, research has shown that IQ (or do I mean IQ test scores?) can increase substantially with appropriate support, even during the teenage years. Another speaker advocated the “comprehensive grammar” school – a non-selective school which offers a traditional grammar curriculum, on the premise that if you set high expectations pupils will usually reach them. It was pointed out that the remaining


grammar schools are certainly not engines of social mobility; they have been shown to have few pupils on free school meals or from less advantaged backgrounds. Middle class parents are able to afford intensive coaching for their offspring to enable them to pass the 11-plus. Alternatively, this same privileged group is


able to buy property in the appropriate non-selective school catchment area. Indeed, that always seemed to me to be a major flaw in the comprehensive scheme: if a comprehensive school was situated in a deprived area and had a defined local catchment, then clearly its intake would not be comprehensive, while one in a leafy suburb would have an equally restricted, but more advantaged, intake. Traditionally, independent schools have had much


broader catchment areas and thus the potential for a wider intake, given sufficient bursary funding.


The nature vs nurture argument is also relevant


here. Given the appropriate parenting and/or schooling, do all children have a greater potential to excel than we imagine? The UK’s overall record on education is not good and lately we have been slipping down the various international league tables. Frank Field MP has been eloquent on the subject


of parenting: he would like a simple code for parents, similar to the “five a day” mantra. Dr Elizabeth Sidwell, the schools commissioner, speaks often about the need to address the quality of education in primary schools. How can secondary schools succeed when such a significant proportion of our children arrive at school barely able to read and write? Her recipe for five-ad-ay, she told us, would be: Get your child up in the morning. Give them some breakfast. Get them to school on time. Read with your child. Talk


to your child. Child psychologists remind us that


what happens to a child between birth and the age of three is crucial. Mistreatment, neglect or lack of stimulation at this stage can take years


to overcome and the root of many troubled teenagers’ problems can be traced to these early years. Children are not yet in school at this age, but their experience can determine their future success in life. If we are going to talk about social mobility then we need to look at


these early stages, too. It is very easy to assert that the UK is the least socially mobile society in the developed world


and to ascribe this to the existence of independent schools, but there are many more factors at play. Finland is regularly held up as the model for a socially mobile society and the link is made with its absence of independent schools. But in Finland teachers are held in high esteem, the social provision for families is outstanding, and there is no school inspection regime whatsoever.


• Marion Gibbs is head of James Allen's Girls' School in South London. She returns in June.


Discover Explore Bronze Silver Gold


Arts Award develops creative, communication and leadership skills. Use the fl exible framework to support curriculum activity or to structure enrichment programmes and targeted intervention.


Arts Award is now even more accessible to a range of abilities and levels. Our Bronze, Silver and Gold qualifi cations at Levels 1–3 have now been joined by Explore (Entry Level 3) and Discover, an introductory level.


‘Arts Award is an excellent example of personalised learning at its best.’ Ben Cole, Head of Dance, Hendon School


Find out more atwww.artsaward.org.uk/7plus or book training to get started atwww.artsaward.org.uk/training


020 7820 6178 enquiries@artsaward.org.uk


Halewood School photo Nigel Hillier


accessible fl exible


new awards available measurable


develop creativity and reward achievement Lessons of 100 minutes have not been the quick


fix solution to all of our challenges; it was never meant to be the case. Alongside the restructuring of the school day, we introduced two further significant changes – a new consequence system for behaviour and a system change so that students choose their options in year 8 and begin them in year 9. Without a doubt, each changes has been integral


to the success of the others. The new consequence system seeks to ensure that staff and students are clear about the procedures for dealing with inappropriate behaviour. The introduction of an early option system has motivated and engaged learners by providing them with the right diet of learning and enabling them to be independent. Nine months in to the academic year and we have


carried out four departmental reviews, a process we undertake on a two-year cycle. In each of the reviews, the standard of teaching has been at least 75 per cent good or outstanding. Our Student Teaching and Learning Group, which


was against the change 12 months ago, now talks positively about the 100-minute lessons, noting that the pace of learning is faster than before and that they leave each lesson feeling as if they have achieved something, while also having a clear idea of what they need to do next. They are not without criticism; they still would


like to see a more consistent approach across different subject disciplines, more opportunities for cross-curricular working, and greater rewards, all of which we are considering as we move into year two of the change. I have learnt first-hand that the key to any change


is the need to communicate for buy-in – acquiring a sound evidence-base to convince staff that change is required; providing effective and well-considered support for staff and students in making the change, and throughout the process, listening to concerns and reshaping as needed. As we begin to plan for year two, I am invigorated


by the prospect of developing cross-curricular work, using new technology to enhance learning and, most importantly, embedding the improvements to the provision experienced by learners at our school. SecEd


• Claire White is assistant headteacher at Poltair School in St Austell, Cornwall and a Fellow of the 21st Century Learning Alliance.


Further information


The 21st Century Learning Alliance is a forum of educationalists which debates issues in education to stimulate change. Its Fellowship programme supports teachers to carry out developmental or action research projects relating to teaching and learning for the 21st century. For more information, visit www.21stcenturylearningalliance.org/fellowship


SecEd • May 17 2012


7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16