From 2014 Mayfield School becomes the first state all-through-school in Portsmouth. It is evolving from a secondary school of 1000 youngsters to introduce a new reception class in September. This blog is to share our successes and how we have evolved teaching and learning across the year groups in a rapidly improving school.
Friday 14 November 2014
Marvelous Monday - Maths Mats, Phil Denford and Sean Reeve, 10.11.14
This week all staff will achieve a 'Maths Mat' to attach to their desk. The purpose of the Maths Mat is to go through key ideas, tips and techniques to build in subject specific links to numeracy across the curriculum. The mats also highlight the subject 'Maths Champions' so all staff know who to look to for further ideas.
Friday 7 November 2014
Review of CPD course; How to assess Spanish Speaking CA tasks (Edexcel) - Natalia Palmero
The focus of this course was linked to understanding and applying
the marking criteria. To practise it, we listened to recordings and marked scripts
at a range of grade levels, both individually and with other colleagues. We
also checked our marks against those awarded by the moderators which was reassuring
and showed consistency in our marking.
Moreover, we tried out different methods of marking. All
suitable and recognised by Edexcel, to find the one we feel more comfortable
with. In my case is using the ‘Assessment Criteria sheets’ in Unit 2, Edexcel GCSE in Spanish.
Finally, we evaluated controlled assessment tasks and focused on
the importance of the quality and quantity of its wording (to help students to
remember all the relevant information) and to write them in English. In
reference to this, we were reminded to use the word ’may’ instead of ‘must’ in
the sentence: You ‘may’ want to include the following points(…) to avoid our
students being penalised if they do not answer all of them.
There were several other key points that were more general but
just as thought provoking which came out of the day. These included;
· We have to encourage spontaneity in our Speaking CA. Consequently, pauses are natural and they expect
to hear them. Also, some utterances expressing
doubt like, ‘let see…’ or ‘a moment, please…’ in Spanish are perfectly
acceptable.
· Examiners are very
fond of a single sentence
containing two or even three tenses.
· Standardization within the department is crucial.
· We should share ‘Assessment Criteria sheets’ with the students so they know how they are going to be
assessed and act accordingly.
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Author Visit - Sam Tearle
Author visit’s this half term.
Our first visitor,
Michelle Paver, regaled us with tales of ice wolves and historic journeys of
her characters. She shared her experience of writing, and most specifically drafting pieces of work over and over and over
again; until she felt it was perfect.
Her most recent chapter is finally perfect after the 37th
draft. Paver – most kindly- shared a page with her annotations and editing
scrawled all over so that we can share this with our young people. This will be
so powerful in proving editing takes place and that great writers are rarely
satisfied before they have edited, drafted, and then often edited and drafted
once more. What a great message for Mayfield students who maybe think editing
is pointless: after all “we’ve finished!”
Our second visitor,
the author Jeff Norton, shared his tales of a zombie character- a misfit with
OCD – and how creating him was like making a new best friend. He truly cared
about this ‘boy’ and wanted to hear how his OCD made being a flesh eating
monster interesting. Vegetarian zombies…unlikely, but true!
Jeff Norton shared a powerful message with our young people:
he struggled to read at school. As a reluctant reader, he switched off and
disengaged in his learning, until one day his librarian shared a ‘Quest Book’
with him. He was instantly hooked- reading until late. Mum: turned off the
light, eventually confiscating his torch when he snuck under the covers; never
realising that he kept a back-up.
Norton vowed that he wanted to write THAT book. The book
that we are so engrossed in; enjoying so much, that we won’t put it down: even
when mum says. He shared with our Year 7s that he wanted everybody to keep
picking up books- until they found the one that made them want to read. Not
just glance at a cover when forced to – but actually read for enjoyment and
pleasure. I thank Mr Norton as he has inspired me to ask teachers what was that
book for them… hopefully we can use discussion about our favourite
book to truly inspire reading via Resilience and AR sessions.
Thank you to both our visitors- they have made such an
impact on our young people this half term, and I believe will have a lasting
legacy on teaching and learning for the future!
Marvelous Monday 5.11.14 - Sam Tearle
Marvellous Monday: 5.11.14
On Monday 3rd
November, I asked if I could share with the staff body about having
conversations with students about their favourite book. This followed a course
– run by ACSL – where they shared a rather shocking statistic with me. I
discovered that 60% of students do not have conversations with adults in any
given week. Initially, I wanted to disagree, but when you strip directed
questioning, I am not convinced this is untrue. This was exasperated with Jeff
Norton – an author who recently visited us- sharing his journey from reluctant
reader to very successful writer only occurred once he discovered ‘that’
book!
Therefore, I
have challenged myself to share a bit about my reading with students during
Resilience time. I shared my love of Enid Blyton books, and the students joined
in. Some have vowed to actually read some. A brilliant success. To launch this
further throughout the staff body, I have produced a spreadsheet to share you
‘favourite’ book (ideally from childhood) and I am going to create a literacy
display which trials throughout the school.
(Found at: T:\Teaching And Learning\Literacy)
I am so
pleased with the way staff are responding: exciting times for literacy at
Mayfield.
Sunday 19 October 2014
Maths CPD Course - Faye Axelson
I have been on a subject knowledge and enhancement course- for teaching maths.
The course was held at the Bognor site for Chichester University. There are lots of candidates from the primary sector and only a handful from the secondary sector, which is fab as we got to have a very in depth session as secondary teachers and to address specific issues, also the course is being tailored to fit our needs.
The course is taught in phases, but we carry out some activities together as a cohort in order to see the progression of a concept and development of teaching ideas.
Today we looked the impact of the curriculum changes and began discussing how to address them.
We spent time looking at how we teach specific topics and how this can be adapted to fit with the new requirements.
I know I was concerned to see how literacy heavy and complex the new style exam will be, especially as this will be in effect for our current year 9.
One of the 1st questions on the foundation paper was …
“The sum of two consecutive integers is 48, what could the integers be ?”
This really made me think about the language I use- as I wouldn’t naturally throw the word consecutive at bottom set pupils, yet this is on the start of a sample foundation paper!
We looked at assigning values to base 10 as a numerical system, and looked at how this can be taught by looking at unrelated systems, and I learned why we have 60 second in a minute, and 60 seconds in an hour ( and that this system has been around for 3500 years)!
Amongst other things , we looked at how to teach multiplication and the new approved “single” methods which are expected as the preferred exam method, and how this will affect the year 7s coming up to us.
I have come back full of ideas, concerned about how best to prep my classes for what is a very different examination system, and with a head so full of stuff it feels about to explode (probably because we had to have a go at some mathematics tasks too!).
Next session we are looking at specific topics and practical applications for use in class and in assessment. I am really looking forwards to it, even the algebra!
Perhaps the best bit of the day was, I have learned that ducks can count.. to 4!
Faye
Monday's Marvelous Idea - 20.10.14 - Jo Webb
Pass the Question - differentiation to music.
This is an effective and enjoyable starter that revises key skills. It is based on the popular childhood game of pass the parcel with students answering questions when the music stops. By cheating and stopping the music at a targeted student you can then ensure you are getting a student who is pupil premium or SEN etc. to respond. Thus testing their memory and ensuring that differentiation is being achieved.
Choose a piece of music that reflects your chosen topic - at the end of the starter you can challenge students to consider why you have chosen that particular piece. For instance naming the bones of the body while showing the Thriller animation video on You Tube which has dancing skeletons! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhflzGDiDIM
There are then several ways of organizing the game:
- have a box with a series of questions in it that is passed around the class or
- have a card with a question mark on it that is passed around. either have the questions appear on board or have a question that there are multiple answers that can be given e.g. name all the capital cities of Europe / what does each letter of AFOREST represent etc.
- you can either seat class in a circle or keep them in their seats for the box or question mark card to be passed around
- alternatively if you have the class sat in smaller group you can have multiple cards / boxes being passed around and select a student randomly from one of the different groups to answer the question
Wednesday 15 October 2014
Monday's Marvelous Idea 6.10.14 - Emma Pickering
I have found that sometimes pupils can feel as though an extension is penalising them just because they have finished their work quicker than others! So when I was creating an extension for a year 8 class I decided to make it into a fun activity. In an old box I cut a number of questions up relating to the lesson and made it a lucky dip for them to answer and found that the majority of pupils wanted to get on to the extension and answer all questions.
Thursday 9 October 2014
Monday's Marvelous Idea 13.10.14 - Differentiation by Task - Fi Harrison
Here is an example of little help sheets that pupils could help themselves to in my lesson today. They were cut up for pupils to take as required.
This worked amazingly with my year 9 class although some took all three slips of paper!
Also this week I came across this link which may be of use to all staff!
www.outstanding-resources.co.uk
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Science Development Day
Team science is currently adapting to two entirely new curriculums both for KS3 and for BTEC. The prime focus of the day was to create schemes of work for both so that we may make the transition to the new curriculums as straight forward as humanly possible. The new curriculum introduces vast arrays of previous KS4 content into KS3 making the way we deliver complex vocabulary, models and concepts to all ability ranges a prime focus.
With differentiation we have looked at ways of creating an online ‘file-share’ using the new dynamic learning resource we have started to compile each other “best bits” so to speak. This will hopefully mean that learners can have access to the optimal resources and also make the way we plan as a department smarter.
Furthermore, the planning day has given us a fraction of time to evaluate what had worked well with last academic year’s curriculum and delivery to enable us to carry forward or develop our successful management from last year with the intention of making an even more ‘streamlined’ delivery scheme.
With new, more stringent, protocols in place for the BTEC curriculums we have had to create a very rigid framework in order to meet deadlines and maximise pass-rates. Again, a new scheme of work has had to be created that will give all learners access to Pass, Merit and Distinction content. We hope that with the times spent planning the first units; the new BTECs continue to provide learners with an enjoyable and project based means of learning.
Exciting times, challenges and opportunities lay ahead for all over at Science HQ. Special mention to the construction workers on the day. Their fantastic use of hydraulic machinery really resonated with us!
Damien, Terry and Karen
Monday 6 October 2014
22.9.14 Marvelous Monday
Marvelous Monday - Tom Cranfield
Jenga Learning
The idea is simple. As a flipped learning homework you ask students to come up with four questions on the unit of work that you are studying. The first 2 can be comprehension or recall questions such as Where do the Birling family live in An Inspector Calls? 1 question should be a SMSC based question which has wider implications e.g. What does An Inspector Calls teach us about life and morals? Finally you ask for an exam style question e.g. Explore how Priestley uses the character of the Inspector within the play to present his views.
The students are being challenged to think about a range of questions which involve different thinking skills and their incentive is that when they come in next lesson their starter is to put them on different sides of a jenga block and peer assess them with their neighbour.
At the end of the unit or as a revision activity they can then play a game of Jenga which involves answering differentiated questions before placing their block on top of the stack. I did this as one activity in a carousel of KS4 independent revision tasks and it went down well!
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