VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


use a wide range of creative techniques to help improve skill levels. We don’t place our children into sets, but


instead allow them to choose tasks which help them ‘climb’ through degrees of difficulty in lessons – they start at Base Camp, moving onto Climbing, then Peak and finally Summit. We’ve found this has really boosted engagement with maths as children of all skill levels are constantly challenged and able to set their own targets. Our last Ofsted report described our teaching


of maths as “impressive”. We’re proud of our Maths teaching and the expertise in the school that allows our children to develop their mathematical skills.


Connaught Junior School joined The Alliance Multi-Academy Trust (TAMAT) in 2018. How has this helped improve school operations? Becoming part of a MAT has been a really positive experience. Every school uses the same internal assessment and development programmes which means we are able to draw on the experience of our colleagues within other schools. More recently, groups of colleagues across


TAMAT have set up networking groups for different roles – including Heads, DHTS and office staff. At a recent INSET, teachers within year groups were able to meet with their counterparts in different schools, as well as subject leads. This really helps to ensure there’s consistency across TAMAT, as well as sharing best practice and resources.


Have you identified any particular challenges, and if so, how have you addressed these? Some of our staff were concerned that we might be restricted in our delivery of the curriculum or limited in our ability to personalise lessons. Thankfully, this hasn’t been the case at all! We still do things very much the ‘Connaught way’, and have several non-negotiables in terms of classroom presentation, conduct and planning which will always remain fixed. We do, however, encourage our staff to be creative and pursue innovation wherever possible.


How do you ensure good wellbeing for both pupils and teachers? Although hugely rewarding, working in a primary school can equally be very demanding. It’s so important to us that our teachers feel valued – not only for their own mental and physical wellbeing, but also because this sense of wellness trickles down to pupils. Teachers aren’t able to deliver inspiring lessons if they’re feeling exhausted or emotionally depleted, so we have a number of staff initiatives in place to combat burnout, including: • Minimal meetings, admin and playground duties


• Assemblies aren’t attended by teachers, which frees up valuable time in the mornings


• Time out of the classroom is available if it’s needed


• Large curriculum and year group teams to ensure that no-one is working in isolation. PPA is also a group activity which means support and guidance is always on hand


• No expectation to stay late • Setting up time windows for emails, meaning they are only sent at certain times of the day. This means our staff don’t feel harassed by


February 2020


their inbox and are able to focus on planning and teaching. Our school rabbits, Bubbles and Norman, and


our school dog, Toffee the Cavapoo puppy, have been brilliant additions to Connaught. If a child is feeling sad or anxious in the morning or struggling with being at school, they’re allowed to visit the animals before heading off to their lessons. Toffee is also used as an incentive for good behaviour or positive learning outcomes - a quick walk with her around the school is the ultimate coveted reward! We’ve found the animals to have such a calming effect on the children and it’s been lovely to see the uplift in mood. We’re big proponents of children spending as


much time outside as possible. Our sensory garden provides a place of calm for children who need a quiet moment or two. They can do weeding and tidying, and a group of children have also built a hedgehog hut! Tucked away at the back of the school grounds is our Forest School, where children can really immerse themselves in activities away from the noise and chatter of the main building. During our Forest School sessions, children can do activities like whittling and fire building. Our outside gym is always very popular, as are our sports courts which we’ve just had resurfaced with new fencing. If children are finding the playground too busy


or overwhelming, they can take a friend to The Den and spend a quiet break playing board games or cards. It’s a very peaceful space and is a lovely respite for any child who might be going through a difficult time. It’s crucial that the school environment adapts to the children’s ever- changing needs.


Ofsted observed that pupils “wear their uniform with pride” thanks to the “wide range of experiences that enhance and enrich their time in school”. Where do you think this sense of pride has come from and how have you fostered it? Our children do wear their uniform with pride! We have high standards and expect these to be met, but we afford children a lot of independence and opportunity to take initiative, so they know that their efforts will always be rewarded. You


won’t walk through a door at Connaught without it being held open for you – the children’s manners are impeccable and it is always lovely to see so many of them consider their peer’s and teacher’s feelings. Respect and consideration are definitely part of the fabric and culture of our community. Year Six students can apply to be House and


Sports Captains at the beginning of the school year and take on various responsibilities like conducting parent tours, running house competitions and leading on sports events. Our newest additions to the leadership roles available for our eldest students are Wellbeing Ambassadors, who work on wellbeing projects around the school and for all year groups and Leader in Me Captains, who help out in assemblies. We also have an active pupil parliament with 5


councils: sports, learning, eco, safety and friendship. The children meet regularly, write an action plan and receive a budget of £200 to spend on school improvement. Projects in the past have included buying parking signs for outside the school, decorating the dining hall to make it a welcoming and comfortable environment to eat in and buying and painting a friendship bench. We’re lucky enough to have fantastic facilities


here at Connaught, and make sure that we use these as much as we can for curriculum activities. The children can do pottery, cookery, ICT, practical science, art and design technology. Normally these are closely linked to the topic that each year group is focussed on, e.g. WW2, The Greeks or The Romans. Our teachers and staff are also proud to work


here, and this pride is palpable to both pupils and parents. Recently we gave teachers the opportunity to teach a set of lessons (called Connaught Careers) based on a personal passion of theirs – sessions included astronomy, forensic science, interior design and politics, which was interesting ahead of the General Election! It was a great opportunity to consider how learning can take place outside of our normal curriculum and possibly light a spark in the children for the future.


uhttps://www.connaughtjuniorschool.co.uk/ www.education-today.co.uk 17


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