NAIGS 2010 Anne Goldsworthy

Primary Curriculum Changes Education is a political football. Teachers are feeling somewhat kicked about.

Cambridge Review Domains Arts and creativity Language, oracy and literacy Mathematics Science and technology Place and time Citizenship and ethics Physical and emotional health Faith and belief Rose Report Areas of learning Understanding the arts. Understanding English, communication and languages Mathematical understanding Scientific and technological understanding Historical, geographical and social understanding Understanding physical development, health and wellbeing RE (statutory subject, with non-statutory programme of learning)

Rose - What had changed Same stuff – organised differently But also More freedom to innovate and take risks Greater emphasis on skills Chance to make meaningful links between science and other subjects including DT

Making Links to DT Design and make a magnetic pathway Who are you making it for? What will interest them? (A train on a train track, a bee buzzing round a garden, a car on a racetrack, a snake going through the jungle, footballers playing a game, a rocket visiting planets, a deep sea diver trawling the sea bed.) How will you fix your features? What about the magnets? How will you lift the board up so hands can go underneath? Is it fit for purpose? What forces are at work?

£145 Magnetic maze toy Commercially available.

Cross curricular links Use of ICT Discrete science Links with design and technology Rose Report – What are you doing already? Which will you stop doing now? Links with literacy and maths

Re Rose Review ‘Teachers will have more freedom to use their professional judgement and creativity to make links between subjects that make sense to their pupils: from linking history to the arts, or science to PE. ‘ Schools Minister - Vernon Coaker (Labour) 20 th November 2009

Cross – curricular Links Think about a theme where you have linked/are planning to link science with one or more curriculum areas Other than Literacy, Maths and IT which curriculum area(s) were linked with science? ArtREDT HistoryMusicPSHE GeographyPECitizenship

Post- election comment “My view is that there is a fair degree of flexibility in the existing system. I visited a number of primary schools that have been remarkably creative when it comes to the existing curriculum. We can re-visit the primary curriculum with some of the best work from Robin Alexander, some of the best practice in primary schools and some of the best practice internationally. In the meantime it would seem better to pull back and return with an improved curriculum in due course.” Michael Gove - 28 th May TES

Advice to schools Keep calm and carry on Don’t lose the creativity or the emphasis on skills Talk about making good links between separate subjects rather than doing themes (but do exactly the same thing) Do some separate subject teaching where necessary (as all schools already were) Allow the politicians to tinker round the edges of the curriculum – it makes them feel important and has very little impact Focus on what really makes a difference to learning

Assessment Which assessment activities have most impact on children’s learning? Which do teachers worry about most?

On being judged Pupils in England were the most tested in any country (Cambridge Primary Review) Being judged/marked makes learners fearful Children do not learn well when fearful Teachers do not teach well when fearful 20% of primary teachers leave the profession after three years (HOC 2010, Training of Teachers, 4th Report) If politicians want more testing in England, we should fight this all the way

Simple Assessment Model Collections of work from 3 most able in every class Used with staff to look at progression through the school, to compare against national standards and to agree what year groups should aim for Used to show children what could be achieved Staff with more freedom and time to develop inspiring and effective lessons ‘An obsession with data doesn’t raise standards. It’s to keep Ofsted, SIPs, the government and the LA off our backs.’ Mike Kent, Head Comber Grove Primary School TES

Head teachers The best teacher – knowledgeable in all areas of the curriculum and social development - able to support teachers to get the most out of their children A manager – accountable to a variety of audiences (Ofsted, LA, Government, Governors, Parents, Other Agencies)

So what really matters? “If there is a single point where the research converges, it is the character and quality of interaction that takes place in schools and classrooms.” Cambridge Primary Review

Science Enquiry Games What’s in the box? – 2 versions

standard thermometer (0 – 100 º C) timer (clockwork type) tape measure (0 – 100 cm) measuring cylinder (250ml) magnifying glass plastic tank electric bulb electric bulb holder battery battery holder crocodile lead forcemeter (0 -10 N) bar magnet horseshoe magnet sieve filter paper plastic funnel safety goggles

What does quality interaction look like? Collective - Teachers and children address learning tasks together Reciprocal – teachers and children listen to each other, share ideas and consider alternative viewpoints Supportive – children articulate their ideas freely, without fear of embarrassment over wrong answers and help each other reach common understandings Cumulative – teachers and children build on each other’s ideas Purposeful – teachers plan and steer classroom talk with specific educational goals in view

An example – crisps and bread Slices of different bread on digital weighing scales – weight recoded over several days Any thoughts - what do you expect to happen? The bread’s going to be drying out It’ll get lighter then Why should it get lighter? Water weighs something so when it goes off into the air the bread will be lighter Taking measurements Drawing line graphs Predicting patterns

Great idea – what do you think will happen to them? Can we try it with some crisps? Probably do the same as the bread It’ll get lighter then Not as much as the bread though Having ideas Predicting Linking to knowledge

They’re getting heavier! You sure? So they are! Getting heavier? That surprises me too. What could be making it do that? Crisps are salty. I’ve seen salt go soggy. Yeah – the salt attracts all the water out of the air Offer explanations

So how could we test it? What else could we try? We think we should put some salt on the bread and see if it gets heavier Oh no – it got lighter Reflecting on outcomes

Maybe it’s because the crisps are dry and crunchy Let’s toast the bread then and see what happens. Let’s try other dry things like bread sticks and biscuits What about spraying the crisps to make them soggy. Suggesting other ideas

Let’s buzz off and focus on what really matters