Pupil Voice

Designing an inspirational space for pupils to learn

Architect Phin Manasseh works with pupils at Mounts Bay School in Cornwall to create an inspirational space with a social purpose but where learning takes place too. Involving pupils in this way is a key part of the Joinedupdesignforschools project. The brainchild of The Sorrell Foundation, the project gives pupils a major say in how an aspect of their school's environment is improved. The pupils are the clients, briefing designers who produce designs for their approval. Phin Manasseh spoke of the success of the project. He said: "If all clients were like this, we?d have very different results." The Joinedupdesignforschools project follows a four stage pattern: <ul> <li>The challenge</li> <li>The brief</li> <li>The conversation</li> <li>The concept</li> </ul> A follow-up then looks at the school's success in finding the money to turn the creative designs into reality.

A Place to Chill

Pupils give feedback after recording their teachers in action

Pupils at St Boniface's College in Plymouth have been using video cameras to record the teaching and learning taking place in their classrooms. The pupils then mark the teacher and feedback their thoughts - a session which is also recorded on video. The video created by the pupils is included in this programme, which is then discussed between the pupils, teachers and consultant Adrienne Jones. Many, including senior management, are in favour of promoting this method to better engage with pupils and improve their learning experience.

Action! Pupil Video - Look What You've Started

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

What do pupils really think about their lessons?

At Hanham High School in Bristol, headteacher Peggy Farrington wants to engage her students in their learning and is keen for pupils to provide as much feedback as possible on their lessons. Recently, pupils have been asked to fill out questionnaires capturing this feedback at the end of each lesson. In this programme, we see a video made by Year 11 pupils that documents this system in action. Find out how constructive the students have been in their feedback, and see how teacher Lucy Croft deals with the challenge of addressing their concerns. What are the benefits of this system for staff and pupils? Back in the studio, consultant Adrienne Jones is joined by headteacher Peggy and other staff to discuss the video. The experiment at Hanham looks set to be extended, but is it reasonable to allow pupil voice to encroach on performance management?

Being Heard

Students team up with a design firm to create stimulating signs

Students in Birmingham work with a design firm to create a multi-lingual signage system reflecting their school's status as a language college. Acting as the clients, the students from Summerhill school collaborate with the company Graphic Thought Facility, to come up with big stencilled signs, colour coded for subject, directing pupils around the school building. Involving pupils in this way is a key part of the Joinedupdesignforschools project. The brainchild of The Sorrell Foundation, the project gives pupils a major say in how an aspect of their school's environment is improved. The pupils are the clients, briefing designers who produce designs for their approval. The project follows a four stage pattern: <ul> <li>The challenge</li> <li>The brief</li> <li>The conversation</li> <li>The concept</li> </ul> A follow-up then looks at the school's success in finding the money to turn the creative designs into reality.

Big Bold Signs

A focus on Lymm High School's council system

This programme focuses on Lymm High School's school council system which represents 2000 students and makes sure every voice is heard. Nicole Harris, the global citizenship coordinator explains that in 2002 students were split into 73 forms, each belonging to one of five halls. Each hall had its own council. Four years on, this system has evolved and is run by Nicole. Each council consists of representatives from classes across all three key stages so that experience is shared vertically through the hall. Halls are self-governing and reflect the wants and needs of their particular students. Elected representatives from each form meet weekly to develop the hall ethos, decide on issues, brainstorm fundraising ideas and much more. Meeting minutes with action points are taken and representatives report back to class. The Whole-School Council then meets every two and a half weeks to coordinate campaigns and share information.

Big School Democracy

The school and learning experience of Hove Park School's Bradley

A look at the school and learning experience of Bradley, a Year 8 pupil at Hove Park School in Sussex. Bradley is a bundle of energy, as he admits, he likes to keep busy. In some subjects, like French and science, his teachers have keyed into his personality and devised strategies to keep him occupied, and consequently achieving well. Elsewhere Bradley is often bored or left behind, and his natural intelligence and initiative are spent finding ways round around the system, playing computer games and chatting with his mates. What is it like being on the receiving end of the education system? What is it like being in Year 8, when progress can dip? This revealing series follows four Year 8 children, offering snapshots of their perceptions and experience of school. The programmes interweave intimate classroom footage with frank video diary confessions recorded by the children in their bedrooms.

Bradley, Year 8

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

How gifted and talented deaf pupils have changed their school

Jamie, a gifted and talented pupil at Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, tells how he has been able to influence the provisions made for others like him at his school. Using British Sign Language, Jamie explains the ways in which his school has listened and taken on board the particular needs that gifted and talented deaf students have. Suggestions such as vertical learning groups for some pupils, and improving the experiences which deaf students have with partner hearing schools, are just some of the ideas the academy has taken on board. Jamie also explains how the gifted and talented pupils also contributed suggestions for the design of a new school building, all contributing to a better learning experience for the gifted and talented pupils.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Whole school

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