Getting the small things right impacts on the big. Sweat the detail! Getting the small things right impacts on the big. Focus School Stockport Campus

Another from Teach Like A Champion! The beauty of Doug Lemov’s work is that it is essentially articulating what we all know to be the case. There is nothing ‘wow’ about the work. There are two vital words Consistency Relentlessness Focus School Stockport Campus

Get your room right and sweat the detail It will exhaust you It will frustrate you It will challenge you It will transform your students and it will become the culture of the school Focus School Stockport Campus

Focus School Stockport Campus The principles You cant give a student the big picture without getting the small things right. We speak of driving the school to be world class but this only means anything if the mundane issues are correct. Deal with the big by nailing the small Focus School Stockport Campus

Focus School Stockport Campus In the classroom If they have to stand up before the lesson begins –make it so and every time. If the planners and pencil cases have to be out- carry out a sanction for any infringement If you say no hand up; mean no hands up. Focus School Stockport Campus

Is this a presentation in stating the obvious? Well it may appear so but what about a scenario:- A student is not on board and has consistently been involved in low level distractions- they come in and are really on task- in practice do you challenge that they have no ruler? It often seems that discretion can be the better part of valour- but is it? Focus School Stockport Campus

Don’t sweat the detail and have a class with mixed standards Let the small things go (for the right reasons) and you have lost it. The small rules you had are now optional and then boundaries will be pushed. If that didn’t matter, will this one? Use reason, use consistency, but, even when you feel exhausted be relentless about your objective. Focus School Stockport Campus

Focus School Stockport Campus A story A colleague of mine who now runs a chain of academies began her role as a Headteacher in Wigan She noticed that this very poor performing school had no policy on school bags- children had books rolled like stale sandwiches in their pockets (if they had them at all) She insisted on bags (350 single day exclusions later) she had this underachieving school performing better than any in the area. Focus School Stockport Campus

Creating a culture- another story! I was once told that eat a food you don’t like for five times without being sick and you will actually like it! It is about creating a culture or a set of behaviours. Sweating the detail is the work to create this. Focus School Stockport Campus