Personalised Learning

A school in Blackpool responds to local educational needs

By designing their own curriculum, Collegiate High School in Blackpool has responded well to the needs of its pupils. The town's lack of investment has created areas of deprivation, leading to low aspirations and under achievement for many pupils. The Ulysses project aims to make the pupils more independent and successful learners. Their success has lead to them being a case study for the Key Stage 3 curriculum reforms. Individual needs are met by the staff, in a combination of a tutor group format and cross-curricular teaching.

A Community Curriculum

Raising attainment with an innovative cross-curricular approach

Hinchley Wood School in Surrey has developed Thinking Smart, a new approach to the Key Stage 3 curriculum based on the RSA's Opening Minds programme. This high-attaining school believes that its students can do even better by Thinking Smart, using the cross-curricular approach with an emphasis on group work and core competencies. The school's innovations have also led to an 80 per cent drop in exclusions and a 50 per cent drop in behaviour incidents. Head of science Sue Eacott has been won over by the approach. In this programme, she teaches a lesson on cells which is full of wonderful examples of student creativity and collaboration.

A Cross-Curriculum Approach

Explore an innovative approach to the KS3 curriculum

At Whitley Abbey Business and Enterprise College in Coventry, an innovative approach to the KS3 curriculum enables Year 7 pupils to spend the whole morning with just one teacher, covering multiple subjects. Using the RSA's Opening Minds approach, the school focuses on providing learners with core skills and competences in order to engage with their learning and with the world. In this programme, we follow a cross-curriculum lesson in which risk-taking is a key skill, and observe a lesson on migration where pupils are asked to make difficult decisions. Teachers also discuss the benefits of the school's approach for pupils and their own teaching, and reveal the challenges of teaching outside their specialist subject. The school believes that responsibility for learning leads to responsible behaviour, with falling detention rates and improved attendance being evidence for the innovation's success.

A Flexible Timetable

An insight into a 21st century personalised curriculum

Richard Green, executive principal at Waingels College, explains why he wanted to get away from a "one-size fits all" curriculum and develop a fluid, open and personalised approach to learning fit for the 21st century. Year 7 pupils at Waingels undertake the RSA's Opening Minds curriculum, staff use a skills-based approach in other years, and have vertical learning groups in some areas. The school ensures teachers are not isolated and brings them together regularly to reflect on the impact of their innovations. In this programme, we follow a Year 7 lesson dedicated to listening skills and a Year 9 science lesson aiming to develop effective thinking skills. We also drop in on a pupil feedback session where teachers explore the impact of these new approaches to learning.

A Personalised Curriculum

A discussion about different learning needs for boys and girls

A panel of leading practitioners discuss the boy/girl teaching debate, and argue that teachers should experiment with more adventurous and varied forms. They suggest that active learning is useful for engaging boys, but that it only works if it is academically rigorous and encourages higher order thinking skills. Their view on the boy/girl debate is that the best answer is excellent teaching in mixed classes rather than segregation. The panel base their discussions around the Follow the Learner series, filmed at Hove Park School in Brighton. They give frank opinions on what they feel the programmes reveal about combating pupil boredom and the degree to which boys need a different education to girls. The experts are: <ul> <li>Corinne Franceschi, deputy head of Gable Hall School and former SSAT adviser</li> <li>Phil Beadle, consultant and author</li> <li>Heather Flint, former headteacher of Waldegrave School</li> <li>Tom Barwood, education consultant</li> <li>Brin Best, education consultant and author</li> <li>Helen Todd, Edison achievement advisor</li> </ul>

Active Learners

A look at how one school combats underachievement in KS3 maths

Using a major piece of DCSF research as its basis, this programme looks at the reasons why some maths pupils are not achieving their potential at KS2. Why are some pupils at risk of not converting a Level 4 at KS2 into a Level 5 at KS3? Staunton Community Sport College in Hampshire combats the problem of underachievement by identifying slower moving pupils and attempting to engage them more actively in the subject. Find out more as maths pupils in Years 7-9 tell us about the things they find most difficult, and explain what holds them back. We also explore the techniques used by the maths department at Staunton. Head of maths, Neil Marshall, uses a mystery story to make problem solving more accessible to Year 7. Elsewhere, maths teacher Nigel Martin keeps his Year 9 pupils on track with a mental maths starter, encouraging pupils to explain their working methods.

Back on Track - KS3 Maths

How two NQTs approach differentiation

In this programme, we look at how newly qualified teachers Clare Hewitt and Tracey Hall approach differentiation for two very different classes. Dr Julian Stern will be studying their progress. He has been involved in developing training and courses for NQTs for the past 10 years. As head of the centre for educational studies at Hull University he has plenty of experience in the challenges facing our NQTs. Tracey is teaching science to a Year 7 group, where several of her pupils have special educational needs. We follow Tracey as she plans her lesson to make sure all her pupils can take an active role. We also follow Clare as she teaches a very mixed-ability GCSE group. The group struggles with speaking French and working well together, but in a class where grades range from A+ to G, how does Clare make sure she caters for all the class?

Differentiation

A discussion about teaching levels that extend pupils' thinking

A panel of leading practitioners argue that teaching to the middle is not effective, and suggest that pupils learn best at the edge of their comfort zone in lessons that stretch and extend their thinking. The six experts suggest improvements to the learning environment as well as differentiation as methods by which to achieve this. The panel base their discussions around the Follow the Learner series, filmed at Hove Park School in Brighton. They give frank opinions on what they feel the programmes reveal about the critical issue of student aspirations, and how teachers can best raise them. The experts are: <ul> <li>Corinne Franceschi, deputy head of Gable Hall School and former SSAT adviser</li> <li>Phil Beadle, consultant and author</li> <li>Heather Flint, former headteacher of Waldegrave School</li> <li>Tom Barwood, education consultant</li> <li>Brin Best, education consultant and author</li> <li>Helen Todd, Edison achievement advisor</li> </ul>

Engaging the Learner

Assessing the success of the Enquiring Minds project

A visit to Ashton Park School in Bristol, where we examine the effectiveness of the Enquiring Minds project through the observation of three lessons. Now in the second year of a three year programme, the Enquiring Minds project aims to create opportunities for learners to be independent, take responsibility for their own learning, create their own knowledge and conduct their own research in the context of a digital information landscape. Students involved in the project each choose a question to research for their enquiry. The questions are diverse and include the following: <ul> <li>can we reverse global warming?</li> <li>how do we think? </li> <li>why do we get old? </li> <li>do ghosts exist?</li> </ul> As part of their enquiry, the students will need to interview experts in their chosen field. In the final lesson we observe, watch as they are given tips on interviewing from a communications expert.

Enquiring Minds

Three Year 9 pupils talk about the new secondary curriculum

Year 9 students talk about the skills they have learned and the challenges they have faced in following the new secondary curriculum. Honywood Community Science School in Essex implemented the new secondary curriculum in 2005. Since then, the school has been evaluating and improving the curriculum, using a range of tools which constantly question the impact of lessons and learnings. The school holds seven focus days throughout the year for all pupils, and here the Year 9 students talk about how they use peer assessment and self-assessment to review the learning process. Later deputy headteacher Caroline Gibson traces the development of the pupils' self-assessment over time, through to the current skills booklet which provides a personalised log of skills and development. This is part of a series exploring the impact and changes that the new secondary curriculum will bring to schools around the country.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Whole school

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