Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC How can developing thinking and assessment for learning be used to aid transition? SMT pack 2009

I think……. Rydw I’n meddwl….. Sarah Gethin Jenny Bethan Alun Why focus on transition points? We can build on faster what learners can do and move them on It will spread practice faster across the school All teachers will have to get involved Learners will feel more secure seeing similar strategies used It will help transfer learning across subjects

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Possible scenarios of transition collaboration: Across FP and KS2 Across KS2 and KS3 Across KS3 and KS4 Across KS4 and Post-16 Primary/secondary collaboration within natural Cluster (not restricted to key stage) Primary/secondary collaboration outside natural cluster

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Possible scenarios of transition collaboration (cont): Secondary/FE collaboration Between Flying Start/Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin and FP Between Special schools/units and mainstream Schools Bewteen family programmes (eg language and play) and FP As part of RAISE initiative As part of SEF professional networks

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 1 Focus: Y6/Y7 natural cluster Involving: Y6 teacher, core subject coordinators in Primary, DH i/c transition, secondary core subject teachers Outline: Redevelopment of exisiting bridging projects (core subjects) to incorporate DT/AfL Pedagogy and tools and strategies. Projects started in Y6 and continued in Y7

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 2 Focus: Y5/6, Y7/8 Involving: Y5 and 6 teachers, head Y7, Head Y8, ‘combined curriculum group’ of secondary teachers – drawn from number of departments Outline: Y7/8 curriculum undergoing redesign – cross curricular focus. Discussion with primaries regarding ‘theme’ choices. Identification of ‘top 10’ tools and Strategies for specific principles used by learners at KS2. KS3 teachers ‘trained’ in using strategies by KS2 teachers. Mapped into curriculum. Reviewed every half term.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 3 Focus: Y6, Y7 Involving: Y6 teachers, head Y7, ‘development group’ of secondary teachers – drawn from number of departments (interested parties) Outline: Curriculum plans for Spring/Summer (Primary) and Autumn term (Secondary) audited. Both schools agreed focus on 3 principles for Y6/7 transition. Identification of suitable tools/strategies to exemplify these. Written into curriculum plans to be trialled in both schools. In Summer term (transition days), secondary teachers visited primary classes to team teach using principle focus and strategies. Return Visit by primary teachers to secondary on second ‘transition’ day to team teach class with principle focus and tools

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 4 Focus: Reception/Y1, Y3/4 Involving: Reception, Y1, Y3/4 teachers, Outline: Selection of 3 principles per term as a focus for use in Class and development of strategies. Use of How booklet to Identify popular common strategies/tools and collaboration to Redesign/amend strategies/tools for use with younger learners. Trial, share with LSAs and build toolbank on school intranet for access by all staff.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 5 Focus: Key stage 3 to Key stage 4 Involving: ‘development group’ of teachers – invited parties from all subjects (one representative per subject area) Outline: Teachers ‘buddied up’. Each pair selected 2 principles as shared focus for Summer Term. Wherever possible, common classes/learners identified for observation focus. Peer observation/ team teaching for same principle used across pair to see how Same principle approached in different subjects. Common learners/groups used to make point to learners re transfer of strategies/tools. Feedback to group and own department. Also presentation at whole school INSET to all school.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 6 Focus: Key stage 2 to Key Stage 3 Involving: Y5, Y6 teachers and Headteacher, Y7 (Head of year), Deputy Head, Key stage 3 coordinators drawn from English, Welsh, Mathematics, Geography, History, PE, Music, Science Outline: Using Y5 OSAMs as a model, Y5 and Y6 teachers partnered up with Key stage 3 teachers to look for opportunities to embed tools and strategies within lessons. Key stage 3 teachers used OSAMs for ideas and visited Y5 classes when they were being used.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 7 Focus: FP, Year3/4 and Y5/6 Involving: FP teachers, Y3/4 teacher, Y5/6 teacher (Headteacher) Outline: Ideas behind and materials used for Y5 OSAMs were shared across school in series of INSETs. Working group was set up to look at current themes used in year groups in order to write/ adapt some activities to be ‘rich activities’ to include DN, DT, DC for different year groups. Initially, the same principles were used as a focus for all year groups. Activities trialled and shared.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 8 Focus: Y5/6, Y7 Involving: Y5 and 6 teachers, Head Y7, Learning and Teaching Group (secondary) Outline: Y5/6 teachers demonstrated Y5 OSAMs to Learning and teaching group from secondary. They discussed the Fundamental principles underpinning them and invited secondary colleagues to peer obseve primary colleagues using materials. Next the entire group compared their current bridging projects (thematic but based in core subjects) with OSAMs. The group then formed triads of teachers from each key stage to redesign bridging units in the form of OSAMs as a model to be used throughout Y6 and Y7 (specific use of transition money to allow collaborative working and observation).

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 Case studies of ‘transition projects’ Case study 9 Focus: Post 14 (school and FE college) Involving: Head Y10, Y11, 4 reps from D+T, PHSE, Drama Science, FE tutors (Health and Social Care, Drama/Theatre studies) Outline: Teachers met together with the specific focus on sharing effective pedagogy. They made strategies which promoted active learner involvement their focus. They agreed to peer observe a number of lessons to look at how colleagues supported and encouraged different groups of learners to participate (eg Concept cartoons, placemats, Talk Partners). They shared practice and looked to incorporate pedagogy more frequently in subsequent lessons.

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 What are you currently doing to support this? What do you want your focus to be? What do you want to achieve? Current practice – where are we now?

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 What is your focus? What do you want to achieve? Where do we want to go?

Why develop thinking skills and assessment for learning in the classroom? ACCAC SMT pack 2009 What are your success criteria? What could be your blocks to success? How will you minimise these effects? How will you know you’ve achieved your goals? How are we going to do this? How sustainable will this process be?