Brief Encounters

Three Bridges Academy, designed by architects Scott Brownrigg, has received numerous plaudits in the short time since it opened its doors in September 2018. Here Gareth Long of consultants the-learning-crowd explains how the school instructed the design team via an Education Design Brief.

It all started with a phone call. The caller, the Business Manager of what was then called Rydens Enterprise School and Sixth Form Centre in Hersham, announced that the school was going to sell some land and wanted to build a new school. Furthermore, the value of the land in South West London enabled them to be ambitious and innovative.
The school had heard of our company “the-learning-crowd” in the context of providing education support to new school design projects and asked, “Basically what do you do?” was followed on with “Can’t we just leave all aspects of the school design to the architects?”

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      string(5606) "84Vol 7.1School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLiteracyCreativeapproaches toteaching texts fromthe pastPoems and novels from our literary heritage play an important rolein the new primary English curriculum, but how can we ensureall children are able to access and enjoy such sophisticated texts?Bob Cox presents a selection of strategies.85Vol 7.1School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLiteracyLast year (2014), the SATs reading paper included apassage from White Fang by Jack London, a novelfirst published in 1906. Responses were conflicting,with some feeling it was unfair as pupils wereunprepared for ‘that kind of book’, and others genuinelydelighted that pupils were given the opportunity to beinspired by such a great writer.Since then, primary teachers have become moreaware that a key aspect of the new, more challengingEnglish curriculum is the inclusion of literature from thepast as a way of stimulating higher level comprehensionand quality writing. Shakespeare has been taught inprimary and secondary schools for a long time, but nowpowerful works and poems from other authors are beingcelebrated in classrooms all over the country. It’s anexciting development – even the youngest readers areable to share in a literary legacy and explore language inways which are diverse and fascinating.But, considering the often opaque nature of suchtexts – the archaic language, the unfamiliar sentencestructures, the contextual influence of lives vastlydifferent from our own – what sort of techniques areneeded to teach them?The power of literature from the pastAs an educational consultant, presenter and writer, I cantravel from one school to another and find that, at oneschool, pupils are being flooded with literary heritageworks and wider reading but, at another, perhaps justdown the road, there are few quality texts and often notmuch exposure to poetry. In addition, many pioneeringteachers are fighting battles to encourage more readingat home, while others find that some of their pupils willread a set text in just one night! So, each school has toevaluate where they are and introduce quality texts inappropriate ways.Why is it such a good idea to use literature from thepast? There is a clear argument on heritage groundsalone. When I ask primary teachers or secondary Englishteachers about their favourite books, some marvellousrecollections follow: the tearful and dramatic scene inThe Railway Children when ‘Daddy’ finally returns home;the inventive wordplay of ‘Jabberwocky’; Boo Radleysaving Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird; the profoundimages in Wilfred Owen’s war poetry. Try reading TheLast Resort, an incredibly imaginative book illustratedby Roberto Innocenti, in which creativity is rediscoveredvia encounters with a whole range of characters fromliterature and film. It’s one of my favourites!86Vol 7.1School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLiteracy These are fascinating conversations from teachers who have, at some pointthemselves, received the ‘legacy’, but now the new challenge is to pass on that cultureof reading to a new generation and, simultaneously, raise literacy standards. If the textsare not enjoyed by all, the reverse of entitlement could occur; those already advantagedmay be the ones gaining the most benefit.Furthermore, using quality texts is the most important route to producing qualitywriting. I have worked with many primary schools developing creative, quirky andphilosophical ways to engage with texts and inspire unusual and original writing.Access through extractsSo, how can we creatively support access to literature that might seem impenetrable ormystifying to a young reader? Without access, the legacy cannot be passed on. We needthe pupils to discover the wonder of the stories and poems for themselves, but withskilled guidance. The kinds of strategies needed are the kinds which will support ablepupils to go beyond the limit and other pupils to engage with the narrative in inspiringways.How can this access be achieved? I have been sharing what I have called my‘Opening Doors’ strategy with schools around the country and working with them onthe journey that starts with quality texts and leads to quality writing.‘The Pavilion on the Links’, a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, lends itselfimmediately to responses based around mystery, adventure and setting:‘The pavilion stood on an even space; a little behind it, the wood began in a hedgeof elders huddled together by the wind; in front, a few tumbled sand-hills stoodbetween it and the sea.’‘[It] presented little signs of age … and looked, with its shuttered windows, notlike a house that had been deserted, but like one that had never been tenanted byman… The place had an air of solitude, that daunted even a solitary like myself; thewind cried in the chimneys with a strange and wailing note.’This brief extract can be a starting point for two suggested pathways:1. Inference and innuendo – what kind of atmosphere is being implied? 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Leadership

Creative approaches to teaching texts from the past

22 Sep 2015

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      string(5611) "Focuson: English38Volume5.4nCreativeTeaching&Learning Last year (2014), the SATs reading paperincluded a passage from White Fangby Jack London, a novel first publishedin 1906. Responses were conflicting,with some feeling it was unfair as pupils wereunprepared for ‘that kind of book’, and othersgenuinely delighted that pupils were given theopportunity to be inspired by such a great writer.Since then, primary teachers have becomemore aware that a key aspect of the new,more challenging English curriculum is theinclusion of literature from the past as a wayof stimulating higher level comprehension andquality writing. Shakespeare has been taughtCreativeapproaches toteaching textsfrom the pastHow can we enable allchildren to access and enjoythe unfamiliar language andstructures of literary heritagetexts – as demanded by thenew primary curriculum? BobCox presents a selection ofstrategies to open up a widerange of poetry and prosetexts and inspire pupils tocraft interesting and creativenarratives of their own.in primary and secondary schools for a longtime, but now, powerful works and poemsfrom other authors are being celebrated inclassrooms all over the country. It’s an excitingdevelopment – even the youngest readers areable to share in a literary legacy and explorelanguage in ways which are diverse andfascinating.But, considering the often opaque natureof such texts – the archaic language, theunfamiliar sentence structures, the contextualinfluence of lives vastly different from ourown – what sort of techniques are needed toteach them?39Volume5.4nCreativeTeaching&LearningFocuson: Englishtexts in appropriate ways.Why is it such a good idea to use literaturefrom the past? There is a clear argument onheritage grounds alone. When I ask primaryteachers or secondary English teachersabout their favourite books, some marvellousrecollections follow: the tearful and dramaticscene in The Railway Children when ‘Daddy’finally returns home; the inventive wordplayof ‘Jabberwocky’; Boo Radley saving Scout inTo Kill a Mockingbird; the profound images inWilfred Owen’s war poetry. Try reading TheLast Resort, an incredibly imaginative bookillustrated by Roberto Innocenti, in whichThe power of literature from thepastAs an educational consultant, presenter andwriter, I can travel from one school to anotherand find that, at one school, pupils are beingflooded with literary heritage works and widerreading but, at another, perhaps just down theroad, there are few quality texts and often notmuch exposure to poetry. In addition, manypioneering teachers are fighting battles toencourage more reading at home, while othersfind that some of their pupils will read a settext in just one night! So, each school has toevaluate where they are and introduce qualityFocuson: English40Volume5.4nCreativeTeaching&Learningcreativity is rediscovered via encounters witha whole range of characters from literature andfilm. It’s one of my favourites!These are fascinating conversations fromteachers who have, at some point themselves,received the ‘legacy’, but now the newchallenge is to pass on that culture of readingto a new generation and, simultaneously, raiseliteracy standards. If the texts are not enjoyedby all, the reverse of entitlement could occur;those already advantaged may be the onesgaining the most benefit.Furthermore, using quality texts is the mostimportant route to producing quality writing.I have worked with many primary schoolsdeveloping creative, quirky and philosophicalways to engage with texts and inspire unusualand original writing.Access through extractsSo, how can we creatively support accessto literature that might seem impenetrableor mystifying to a young reader? Withoutaccess, the legacy cannot be passed on.We need the pupils to discover the wonderof the stories and poems for themselves,but with skilled guidance. The kinds ofstrategies needed are the kinds which willsupport able pupils to go beyond the limitand other pupils to engage with the narrativein inspiring ways.How can this access be achieved? I havebeen sharing what I have called my ‘OpeningDoors’ strategy with schools around thecountry and working with them on the journeythat starts with quality texts and leads to qualitywriting.‘The Pavilion on the Links’,a short story by RobertLouis Stevenson, lends itselfimmediately to responsesbased a round mystery,adventure and setting:‘The pavilion stood on aneven space; a little behind it,the wood began in a hedge ofelders huddled together by thewind; in front, a few tumbledsand-hills stood between itand the sea.’‘[It] presented little signsof age … and looked, with itsshuttered windows, not like ahouse that had been deserted,but like one that had neverbeen tenanted by man… Theplace had an air of solitude,that daunted even a solitarylike myself; the wind cried inthe chimneys with a strangeand wailing note.’This brief extract can bea start ing point for twosuggested pathways:1. Inference and innuendo –what kind of atmosphereis being implied? Have thepupils stick the extract inthe middle of a large pieceof sugar paper and writequestions about the text41Volume5.4nCreativeTeaching&LearningFocuson: Englisharound it. Another group can then tryanswering those questions – always withreference to the text!2. Linked reading – I am constantly encouragingchildren to make links between one textand another. What kind of story might thisbe? What story might it remind you of?Can you compare it with any other settingyou can think of? These kinds of linkscan become a"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Creative approaches to teaching texts from the past

25 Jul 2015

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Leadership Briefing 5.04 (52)"
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      string(5609) "ResourceBusiness Priorities For Science, Engineering And TechnologyOriginal DocumentSET For Growth – Business Priorities For Science, Engineering And Technology. Recruiting staff with science, engineering and technology skills is set to become increasingly difficult. This CBI report warns that one in five UK undergraduates should be studying science, engineering and technology subjects and recommends that specialist science teachers, school leaders and business need to work together to raise young people’s interest and enthusiasm.KeywordsSpecialist science teachers, school leaders, business, science, engineering, technology, skillsSummaryThis new policy brief sets out the importance of improving the number of those qualifying with SET skills. Though the new government has recognised the importance of science, engineering and technology, action must be taken now to promote SET study – this starts with ensuring that those who are capable study triple science at GCSE, and ensuring that there are enough specialist teachers to make this possible. Young people also need better information about career choices, so that the value of studying SET subject is not overlooked.Science, engineering and technology are the foundation for innovation and technological advance, and are traditional strengths of the UK economy. But skills shortages will threaten businesses capacity for growth unless action is taken now.Recruiting staff with science, engineering and technology skills is set to become increasingly difficult: over half (59%) of employers predict problems finding staff with SET and maths skills over the next three years. The UK should set an ambitious aspiration – for one in five UK undergraduates to be studying science, engineering and technology subjects.Business is looking for a range of SET-qualified employees to fill a variety of roles:· The most brilliant graduates, to become future scientific leaders drawing on advanced academic knowledge and depth of experience.· Graduates with good scientific or engineering literacy, developed at the best universities in the UK. They will have good workplace experience, along with excellent laboratory and technical skills.· Trained and technically qualified people are the third key group – enthused about science and technology, with the techniques at their fingertips. Many of these people will have had a vocational route into SET careers supported by their employers.The report recommends:· Teachers, school leaders and business need to work together to raise young people’s interest and enthusiasm.· More specialist science teachers are needed to ensure high attainment levels.· The top 40% of young people should be automatically enrolled into triple science GCSE and more schools must offer it to students – less than half of maintained schools do so.· High quality, impartial careers advice about apprenticeships, academic study and the subjects valued by employers must be made available to all young people.ActionNotesRaise young people’s interest and enjoyment of science at school:Teachers, school leaders and employers need to work together starting from the first encounters with science in primary school. In the 2010 CBI/EDI survey just over two thirds of employers suggested engagement with schools was a way business can help encourage STEM study. Every year over 50,000 primary school children take part in workshops that encourage them to explore and question science through hands-on investigations. The workshops, run by expert tutors, focus on primary education with curriculum based support for teaching on physical processes together with materials and their properties.Recruit and retain more specialist teachers, to promote high attainment:Attracting high quality graduates into specialist science teaching is necessary if the quality and quantity of SET education is to improve. Physics accounted for 30% of science PGCEs in 1983 – by 2007 this had fallen to just 12%, meaning that almost one in four secondary schools in England does not have a specialist physics teacher.Shortages extend to primary education where the number of science specialists must triple to ensure that every primary school has a dedicated science specialist.There is more to be done to improve the quality of school facilities for science and engineering through new schools and academies programmes. Most teachers believe new classroom design supports effective teaching and that if pupils are happy with school buildings, this improves their behaviour and aspiration. But many schools have poor science facilities – refurbishment and rebuilding programmes should prioritise science labs and technology centres.Ensure more students opt for triple science GCSE – the best basis for A-level study:Studying all three sciences as separate GCSEs is the best way to help young people develop an enthusiasm for science. However, only a small minority of pupils (13%) currently study triple science, and less than half of maintained schools (45%) are currently able to offer the courses to their students. This restricts the numbers of those who progress into SET subjects at A level and beyond. Timetabling difficulties are sometimes cited as blocking provision of triple science: best practice should be shared between schools to avoid this problem. To improve uptake, two thirds of maintained schools should offer triple science by 2015. The government must also implement a policy ofautomatic enrolment into triple science for the 40% of young people achieving level 6 at Key"
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Leadership

Business Priorities For Science, Engineering And Technology

1 Sep 2010

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      string(407) "... Fair’Leon GarfieldGold Star for: Author’s style – easily imitated,issues raised.IssuesRich and PoorFair –UnfairResponsibility and SharingKindness – crueltyHonesty – deceitSocial inequality and injusticeHeroes – Jackson; Lillypolly.Brief SynopsisAs part of our study of the Victorian Age, Garfield’sbook raises issues, as the title suggests, offairness, or the lack of it, in ..."
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      string(5538) "cultures, Yet we share the same home –Our EarthBorn on the same planet, Covered by the same skies, Gazing at the same stars, Breathing the same air,We must learn to progress together, Or miserably perish together, For we can live individually,But can only survive collectively Children used the pattern of the poem to create their own ‘Survival’ poems:Writing Frame -Verse OneWe are…(common ground statement)We may…(differences, eg clothing)We may…(differences. eg. Language)We may …(differences, eg. Beliefs)We may…(differences, e.g. Culture)Yet……………(‘we are all in this together’ type statement)Verse TwoCommon ground in the natural worldBorn on the same planet……same skies……same stars……………same air‘Togetherness’ statement, e.g. sinking or swimming together‘Living’ individually – a temporary state.‘Survival’ together – a permanent state.llllENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan68 Creative Teaching & Learning n Volume 1.2ENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan‘Fair’s Fair’Leon GarfieldGold Star for: Author’s style – easily imitated,issues raised.IssuesRich and PoorFair –UnfairResponsibility and SharingKindness – crueltyHonesty – deceitSocial inequality and injusticeHeroes – Jackson; Lillypolly.Brief SynopsisAs part of our study of the Victorian Age, Garfield’sbook raises issues, as the title suggests, offairness, or the lack of it, in Victorian society.It is a short and simple story and its beauty liesin the author’s rich language and style. He hasused a number of ‘literary devices’, outlinedbelow, to paint the picture.Set in Victorian London, it is the story of streetorphan Jackson who survives alone by runningerrands for whoever will pay him with food ormoney. One cold, snowy, winter’s night, he issitting on a doorstep eating his wages – a pie, when he is approached by an enormous and fearsome dog.On his collar is a large key. Jackson, believing the dog to be lost, accompanies him in search of the door thekey will fit.LiteracyText marking to identify aspects of Garfield’s style.Alliteration: e.g. ‘sat and snarled’ ‘guzzled and growled’Repetition: e.g. ‘Dreadful weather, as hard and bitter as a quarrel. Dreadful weather, with snowflakes fightingin the wind and milk freezing in the pail.’ These devices were incorporated in the children’s personal writing.Simile: Garfield’s own specials , e.g. ‘What a room! As long as a street, nearly’. ‘…as big as the night’ ‘…eyeslike street lamps’. Children created their own collection of original similes.Negatives: e.g. ‘Not a light, not a glimmer, not a twinkle even. An old dead door with a letterbox as thin as amiser’s mouth.’ Children wrote their own descriptive piece using negative words to convey an atmosphere offear.Amazing, Atmospheric Adjectives: e.g. dark, dead fearful, bleak. Children made their own AAA bank of wonderfulwords.Prepositions for description: e.g. below, beneath, beyond ,beside. Using prepositions, children wrote a descriptionof an imaginary bleak house.The children were introduced to style analysis in this simple text and consequently were able to transfer the skillto analyse the styles of other, more challenging texts later on.lllllllllllllENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan ENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan69Volume 1.2 n Creative Teaching & LearningStreet ChildBerlie DohertyWinner of the Carnegie MedalGold Star for: Empathy, historical content, issues.IssuesSocial injusticeKindness-CrueltyPrejudiceBlindness to the plight of othersGreedHeroes: Jim, Dr. Barnado.Brief SynopsisThe Victorian theme continues in this novel: the shame of the vulnerableabandoned on the streets, while Britain was expanding its empire andcommerce during the Industrial Revolution.After being evicted from their home, Jim Jarvis’s widowed mother dieson the street and he is taken to the workhouse. He escapes into a dangerousand lonely place – London. He encounters others in the same situation ashimself and somehow survives until his future is secured when he is takenin by Dr. Barnado.The story is based on a real boy, Jim Jarvis, who was indeed saved by Barnadoin 1866. The author has imagined what his life was like before that.Examples of ActivitiesLiteracy(These activities dovetailed with history reference books and websites,giving a more vivid and comprehensive picture of the time.)Text Marking, cloze, comprehension, characterisation, prediction,sequencing, grammar search, thesaurus and dictionary tasks, identifyingpreviously encountered literary devices like alliteration, simile, repetition etc.Persuasive writing, fact or opinion, report, Dear Diary, newspaper articles,This is your life, Odd one out, Fortune Graphs and Book review.Oracy/DramaHot-seating, role play, freeze frame, debate and discussion on issues, Community of Enquiry.HistorySkills to include Timelines, Key vocabulary, Chronological awareness.Knowledge and understanding to include identifying differences between ways of life at different times,identifying significant people and events.Interpretation – distinguish between fact and opinion, giving evidenceSkills across the curriculumDeveloping thinking through key questions and ideas.Communicating ideas, opinions, arguments and conclusions.I.C.T.Internet research, biographies and fact files, powerpoint presentations.Finding, developing, creating"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Cross curriculum project plan - Engaging hearts and minds

10 Jun 2010

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      string(4825) "teacher,showing that I have noticed something positive that has been done that week. Similarly,if I enter a classroom, I try to find something positive to comment on. How members23Vol 7.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadershipSkillsDiscussionof a leadership team show appreciation is personal to their style and personality, buteveryone needs positive reinforcement – from the headteacher to the NQT.8. Never gossip at work.This is not an easy rule as talk can slide so easily into chatter. Clearly, gossip is not fora meeting, but it is a tricky professional judgement as to when important informationabout a teacher ends and where prurient gossip begins. It is a fine line, and is notan easy tightrope to walk. Sometimes ‘gossip’ is to do with work situations, in thesense of noticing when staff members leave early or are consistently late withdeadlines. Gossip (of the ‘trust him’ variety) is very destructive. Rather than gossip,such situations are best treated head-on so that instead of whispered disapproval,everyone knows where they are.9. Always give those you lead a sense of optimism and cheerfulness (even whenyou feel like a swan).Everyone needs an outlet for anger, frustration and irritation, and if you are lucky,you will have a trusted critical friend at work. Generally, however, if you are feelingoverwhelmed and despondent, how can you expect others to have a forward-thinkingand optimistic point of view? If you are leading a team, just as when you are leading aclass, you need to bring a can-do mindset to the meeting. Leaders are not saints and,occasionally, it is quite useful to show annoyance, but I have found such emotions arebest acted rather than ‘for real’. It is a well-known fact that if you smile, it makes youactually feel happier, and if you act happily and mindfully, the world, including yourschool, feels like a better place.10. Be serious about the work, but never take yourself too seriously.The world is full of pompous, self-important leaders and managers. But it does not haveto be like that. A sense of humour can ease discussion and smooth ruffled feathers.Having respect for staff does not mean that you lack challenge, but losing this humandimension harms a great deal more than social relations. I agree with Einstein whenhe wrote, ‘Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can becounted counts’. What does it profit a leader if the spirit of education is lost? AtticusFinch’s dictum of walking in another person’s shoes holds for all aspects of life. Staffwellbeing is not only a moral imperative for leaders, but it also fosters a more creativeworkforce. If we can deflate ourselves before others do it, then we will save ourselvesfrom being too precious and so recognise our own shortcomings.To be an effective leader, it is important to have a vision and to be seen to be tryingto be true to that vision. People respond to leaders who show humility and awarenessof the challenges ahead but continue to strive for excellence.Positivity is the keyAll of my Ten Commandments demand a positive andcreative mindset. Just as a crucial factor in unlockinga student’s potential is to fire the imagination andrelease creative ways of learning, so leadershipneeds to inspire teachers to take risks and followideals. Success in leadership concurs with Gardner’sfeatures of high achievement; the ability to exploitstrength, a tendency to reflect and restrain knee-jerkreactions, and the disposition to look at experiencesin a positive way.Perhaps your Ten Commandments would not bethe same as mine. However, the process of thinkingabout this list and discussing it with others hasproved a useful exercise that I would recommend toall schools.Jude Brigley is a consultant for teaching andlearning. She is an experienced coach and mentor,and has over 40 years of experience in teachingand leadership roles in schools. She can becontacted at judebrigley.co.uk.Leadersare notsaints and,occasionally,it is quiteusefulto showannoyance,but I havefound suchemotions arebest actedrather than‘for real’.“”Knowledge trails1. Motivation, motivation – Jeff Jones sharessome crucial strategies for building staff mo-tivation.library.teachingtimes.com/articles/moti-vation-motivation_12. It’s the school culture, stupid – NickZienau looks at the importance of a school’sculture in maintaining the intrinsic motiva-tion of teachers and pupils.library.teachingtimes.com/articles/slt_its_the_school_culture_stupidhttp://judebrigley.co.uk/http://library.teachingtimes.com/articles/motivation-motivation_1http://library.teachingtimes.com/articles/motivation-motivation_1http://library.teachingtimes.com/articles/slt_its_the_school_culture_stupidhttp://library.teachingtimes.com/articles/slt_its_the_school_culture_stupid"
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Leadership

The Ten Commandments of creative leadership

23 Mar 2016