What is the connection between outstanding learning and ‘The Wizard of Oz’? Write your ideas on a post - it

Aims: To share some of our thinking about the ways students learn To give examples of some strategies (SOLO) used in classrooms to help students learn To explore how feedback is used in lessons To explore the role of homework

What do students need in order to learn well?

When do students learn best? When students are relaxed but focused When students are interested When they believe they can achieve When students have had enough sleep, are not hungry and the brain is hydrated When they know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve

At Barclay we: Encourage students to drink water regularly Encourage students to eat breakfast and offer a breakfast service through the canteen Strive to provide a positive learning environment Aim to build students’ self esteem Use SOLO to support our students’ learning

Building Self Esteem It’s ok to get it wrong – that’s how we learn! See learning as part of an on-going process Achievement as a reward for hard work, not necessarily because someone is ‘clever’ Encourage your child not to give up when things get difficult

SOLO (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes)

What opportunities exist to support students through each stage? Prestructural - the child who knows nothing and may not care about the topic Unistructural and multistructural – ensuring the factual information is given in a meaningful way Relational – allowing students to make or discover connections between several relevant facts Extended abstract - having made connections, can the student apply this new knowledge or link it to another concept or theory?

What would move my learning to the next level?

Helping Students to Achieve Marking: comments should be supportive and celebrate the positive but also provide guidance on how to improve Students should respond to the teacher’s feedback – where they are expected to do this, it will be highlighted in yellow Making sure that students understand the marking criteria Working with students to set their own targets in the lesson and in mentoring sessions Giving students the opportunity to mark their own work and that of others

The response your teacher gives to your work to help you make it better is the most significant thing that can improve your learning and your results!

What a student’s response might look like: Student response is in red – look how detailed both are.

How can you help with homework? Homework should be set weekly for most subjects. However, some set it fortnightly and a few set it half termly. Check the website for the timetable When you sign your child’s planner check that homework is set. If in doubt, contact your child’s tutor.

Look at what you have periods 1 and 2. Now write in the subject on your homework timetable. Look at your group code and underline or highlight Science if your group is listed. If your homework timetable says ‘all groups’, underline or highlight the subject. An Example...

What happens if you don’t do your homework? If you don’t do your homework and don’t have a note from your parent or carer explaining why, you will receive a detention. This will be at 8.00am in LY2 and both you and your parents/carer will be told which day. If you fail to attend this detention, you will lose two lunch times. If you fail to attend the lunch time detentions you will have a 2 hour SLT detention on a Friday after school.

Support your child by making sure they have somewhere quiet to work and get into a regular habit of doing homework Help your child with homework but don’t complete it for them. If they are struggling, contact the tutor in the first instance. Try to use SOLO to help your child through the stages of learning

Be in school and on time! Have the right equipment at all times! Respond to feedback! Positive ATL! Engage!

Believe! Achieve! Exceed!