Talking about learning and teaching in St. Columba's High School cluster
Focus and context
Assessment OF Learning
- Staff use assessment information to monitor their establishment’s provision and progress, and to plan for improvement.
- Staff talk and work together to share standards in and across schools
Curriculum area(s): languages - primary, secondary
Project summary
The composition of the Associated Schools Group (ASG) had two strands. The first one was cross-departmental and the second cross-sectoral.
In the cross-sectoral strand the English department worked with staff from associated primary schools on sharing learning intentions and success criteria in writers’ craft. The decision to look at this as one way forward was made after an initial meeting with the headteacher of Sacred Heart and key personnel from St. Columba’s. Sacred Heart is a primary school in the sector which had already embraced the principles of formative assessment. The headteacher expressed a willingness to share this expertise, and writers’ craft was chosen as the medium – all involved in teaching writing in the ASG group desired to gain more expertise this element.
Case study extract
It was decided that writers’ craft lessons for levels C to F would be produced. It was also stressed that the budget was to be spent on professional dialogue and observation of good practice. This proved to be a very good decision in spite of some pressure at the beginning to spend some of the money on resources. In the evaluation sheets one headteacher said: ‘This professional development model was most effective and had a noticeable impact on classroom practice due to the opportunities created for professional dialogue and peer observation.’ In a similar vein another commented: ‘professional dialogue and time for teachers to talk about teaching and learning is one of the most effective means of initiating change’.
At the following meetings specific groups were formed to work on each of the identified levels and the budget was used for staff cover, to allow time for the groups to meet, discuss and produce materials.
At present level C and level E lessons are being used in the classrooms, along with the recommendations from the working party on the use of formative assessment strategies, in all the schools in the cluster. Levels D and F have now been completed and are in the process of being piloted. The primary schools in the cluster intend to continue working together to produce similar materials for levels A and B.
There is a general agreement among all staff involved that there has been a marked improvement in the children’s writing. One member of the English department in the secondary school reported: ‘It is clear that the pupils are now more aware of the criteria for writers’ craft and I feel that the impact of this has been that most of our pupils have achieved their target in writing. Last year this section of the national assessment in writing was the weakest, but this is certainly not the case this year. Sharing learning intentions and success criteria has, without a doubt, improved the performance of the pupils.’
Points to consider
- The cluster decided to spend their budget on professional dialogue and observation of good practice rather than resources as it had an impact on practice. Can you use your collegiate time to ensure you benefit from these experiences?
- The schools identified an area in which the pupils were having difficulty and focused on this for sharing learning intentions and success criteria. Could you identify one particular area in which this could have a particular impact on your pupils?
Date posted February 2007
Contact details
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