VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


journal, for instance in a ‘solo hexagons’ assessment the children showed their understanding of a unit of work by demonstrating how they see key vocabulary from the unit linking together and why they have made those connections, and they then recorded a video talking about the piece of work, further explaining what they had learnt and what they felt they needed to learn next.


Unlike many adults, they really liked seeing themselves on screen and producing the videos. This meant they were more creative and expressive in how they talked about their work. They were also really motivated by knowing that their teacher would be watching their video.


What was the process of rolling out to the rest of the year groups?


We decided we wanted to roll out the project for pupils from Y2 upwards. We started by sharing with staff what we had learnt from our work with Y6 and discussing how it could work with each year group. I also shared some of the research which showed that supporting pupils to think about their own learning (often called metacognition) and ensuring they were active participants, could increase their progress by six to seven months.


Overall, staff were positive but there were some concerns about workload, whether the approach would be in line with Ofsted’s expectations, and how much it would benefit the children. In terms of workload, I emphasised that we were not expecting change to happen overnight and that the pilot in Y6 hadn’t led to more workload, just changes to the school day. With regard to Ofsted, the new revised framework had actually been the initial motivation for the project, so this was addressed easily. Finally, wanting to ensure it really benefitted the children was central in all our work and we shared the positive experiences of Y6 children.


Based on the time available, we decided to get children to reflect and record a video about their RE learning once a week. This made it manageable for teaching staff, and we also found it made the process something children looked forward to doing.


October 2023


As with Y6, we found that the children were really excited to be using video and quick to understand how to use the technology and Tapestry. We also found that where children struggled, their peers were often the first to help them.


What are the results?


Our pupils have now been logging in and creating videos about their learning in RE for at least two years. Children have become more engaged in RE as a subject. Reflecting on their own learning has helped develop their language around RE and they are also better at analysing and assessing what they have learnt. This has been reflected in our recent SIAMS result which graded us as Excellent and noted: “Pupils articulate very clearly how RE gives them confidence to explore and challenge themselves in the choices that they make in life.” We also found that changing the dynamic in the classroom - allowing children to be part of their learning rather than it being ‘done to them’ - does shift the power balance. Although some teachers were nervous about this, their fears of behaviour issues didn’t materialise. Children are active in their learning, but teachers facilitate this and retain control.


Another positive outcome has been children’s improved skills in talking about their learning. Previously they might have said “I’ve written a story” or “this was fun” but now children use more complex language, for instance in Y6 they might say: “I feel through this unit of work that I have progressed in my understanding about…” This provides an extra layer of information and means the child’s voice is truly contributing to the teacher’s understanding of where the child is in their learning – essential for assessment. Finally, we’ve found that it makes the children want to do more work, to engage more with their teacher, and share their work. It is more inclusive as well. Previously, it was only the more confident children who would have wanted to show their work. Now quieter children are equally engaged in sharing their work. It allows every child to get involved and flourish through showing their work.


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What have you learnt as educators? It has been a great learning opportunity for me and the rest of the staff. One of the most important things was to appreciate how important it was to not feel pressured to go too fast. It has taken three years for us to arrive at the point that all children from Y2 to Y6 are now videoing how they feel about their work, and what they have learnt.


Another interesting learning point has been how much we have learnt from colleagues in Reception. Prior to this work starting, Tapestry had mainly been used in early years and KS1. Expanding its use across the school has led to lots of professional dialogue between EY teaching staff and those in the key stages – something that previously didn’t happen a great deal. Most importantly, it has provided a new way for children to enjoy their learning which has increased their overall happiness. Being hands on, and involved in their learning, helped the children to realise that learning is in itself an enjoyable thing. For educators, that is truly a satisfying and positive outcome for our work.


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