Guidance, ideas and examples to support schools in developing their curriculum, pedagogy, enrichment and support for more able learners, within a whole-school context of cognitively challenging learning for all. Includes ideas to support curriculum development, and practical examples, resources and ideas to try in the classroom. Popular topics include: curriculum development, enrichment, independent learning, questioning, oracy, resilience, aspirations, assessment, feedback, metacognition, and critical thinking.
Liza Timpson-Hughes, Assistant Headteacher at Samuel Ryder Academy, explains how the school and its Trust have embedded oracy education across the curriculum – empowering learners with skills to help them thrive both within and beyond the classroom.
Samuel Ryder Academy is an all-through school and has connected oracy to the development of activating “hard thinking” since 2021. The school is in its third year of working with both NACE and Voice 21, is using the NACE Challenge Framework and was accredited as a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence in January 2024. Oracy leads and champions are strategically developing talk across all key stages, many of which are now contributing to the implementation of oracy education across the Scholars Educational Trust – a diverse family of 11 schools covering all phases from nursery through to sixth-form.
The focus on developing oracy expertise has strengthened school culture, student experience and staff understanding of challenge in learning. Upon agreeing to focus on oracy, a strong curriculum intent was formed by a group of committed and experienced teachers:
Our oracy curriculum further enables children to speak with confidence, clarity and fluency. This provides them the opportunity to adapt their use of language for a range of different purposes and audiences. It emphasises the value of listening and the ability to interpret and respond appropriately to a range of listening activities. This will be supported by the four key strands of the oracy framework (physical, linguistic, cognitive and social and emotional).
For high-ability students, this focus on oracy matters, because it equips students with the tools they need to succeed academically while also fostering well-rounded individuals who can contribute positively to society. High-ability students often benefit from opportunities to articulate their thoughts and ideas clearly. Engaging in structured discussions and debates allows them to refine their communication skills. We do not only use language to interact, but we also use it to ‘interthink’ (Littleton & Mercer, 2013). Contrary to popular beliefs about ‘lone geniuses’, it is increasingly accepted that effective learning is through collaboration and communication in small groups.
Embedding oracy skills across the curriculum
A great oracy school not only prioritises the development of speaking and listening skills, but also creates a culture where these skills are essential to the learning process. We recognised as a Trust that skills of spoken language and communication do not need to be taught as part of a discrete “oracy lesson” and can be developed effectively as part of well-designed subject curricula. We strongly believed in connecting oracy to our academy development plan and in the value of departments having the autonomy to decide the most effective balance for their own context, ensuring a comprehensive approach to oracy without compartmentalising it into ad hoc basis.
All teachers were asked to plan for oracy episodes in their subject areas at a sequence point they felt worked. There are numerous ways oracy can be integrated into the curriculum. Millard and Menzies (2016) highlight the importance of demonstrating the connection between high-quality talk and academic rigour. Whole-school oracy scaffolds can be used across the curriculum, thus reducing workload for classroom teachers. Additionally, our trained teacher oracy champions offered wider pedagogical support on these oracy scaffolds. They modelled best practice in fortnightly teaching and learning briefings.
Oracy scaffolds to develop classroom talk
Using the Voice 21 Oracy Framework as a springboard, we agreed to focus on scaffolding oracy skills across every subject, building a learning environment in which students could clearly express their thoughts and effectively communicate ideas, whilst understanding what features constituted oracy.
In each subject, teachers prioritised the development of social and emotional skills; central to this was an emphasis on active listening, contributing to a deeper comprehension and retention of information. By actively engaging with peers and teachers, students can enhance their understanding of complex concepts and improve their critical thinking skills.
We first experimented with games and lesson starters using oracy formats and debating ideas from Voice 21. The following approaches have been valuable in every classroom and at every key stage in supporting the development of oracy skills as part of cognitively challenging learning experiences.
Voice 21 classroom listening ladders: high-ability students can take on leadership roles in group discussions, facilitating peer learning and mentoring others, which not only reinforces their understanding but enhances their social and emotional skills.
Student age-related oracy frameworks from Voice 21: to encourage high-ability students to articulate their learning processes, reflect on their contributions, and assess their growth.
Sentence stems and talking roles: high-ability students thrive in environments that challenge their thinking. Oracy practices with sentence stems support argumentation, encourage deep analysis and critical reasoning.
Voice 21 good discussion guidelines: exposure to diverse perspectives can challenge high-ability students’ thinking and expand intellectual horizons.
Proof of listening guidelines from Voice 21: listening helps high-ability students build better relationships with their peers and teachers. When students feel heard, they are more likely to engage and participate in the learning process, creating a positive and inclusive classroom atmosphere.
Student talk tactics and sentence stems from Voice 21 for every discussion and debate: high-ability students thrive in environments that challenge their thinking, and these tactics stimulate intellectual curiosity and critical analysis. These improved whole-class discussions and have greatly impacted group work as the children are more focused, listen carefully to others, build on their ideas, embed learning and address misconceptions. Overall, it has helped students to become confident, eloquent individuals and created a more effective learning environment.
Public speaking practice
Student anxiety around speaking in front of others can deter teachers from incorporating oracy-based activities into lessons. Oracy education has given us a consistent language and a structure to help students as they approach presentational work.
Students were supported to deliver presentations or take part in debates by using bespoke/ age-related versions of the Voice 21 framework. Oracy champions asked students to suggest topics they felt most confident and comfortable with to start their practice. We have ‘Talk Tuesdays’ where all form time and lessons start with a talk-based task.
By establishing clear expectations for classroom talk, students felt more confident to present. These ‘ground rules’ were co-constructed with the students and regularly reviewed. The creation of safe and supportive classrooms was greatly valued by students and necessary before presentational talk. Gradual low-stakes oracy allowed confidence to evolve. Students were then invited to co-present assemblies, address different stakeholders, facilitate student cabinets and student leadership panels, and by sixth form they mastered the skills to deliver TEDx talks.
In geography, for example, students understand that there are different elements to a successfully delivered presentation, whether this was a news report on wildfires filmed on their iPad or a formal presentation to the class on a sustainable city they have designed. Students focused not just on the content (cognitive), but also on their physical and linguistic abilities. Students are delivering much higher-quality work, with much greater confidence, because they understand and consider all the different features. They are also engaging much more with peer feedback, as again we have given them a consistent language to help them evaluate each other’s work.
Teachers discussed the different types of talk that are engaged in group discussions and started to consider ways in which we could encourage more exploratory talk. We wanted to build the students’ skills in employing exploratory talk, and to ‘give permission’ for teachers and students to employ it.
Dialogic learning communities
Increased confidence in exploratory and presentational talk has allowed teachers to consider dialogic learning. Dialogue means being able to articulate ideas seen from someone else’s perspective; it is characterised by chains of (primarily open) questions and answers; it may be sustained over the course of a single lesson or across lessons; and it builds on the idea of ‘exploratory talk’, where learners construct shared knowledge and are willing to change their minds and critique their own ideas (Prof. Neil Mercer, 2000). Our teachers are being encouraged to consider where this fits in their pedagogy, classrooms and curriculum.
Noticeably in maths and RS lessons, the resources provided by Voice 21 have been crucial to create and develop a dialogic culture. We have shared with all students discussion guidelines, talk like a mathematician/philosopher sentence starters, as well as student talking tactics. These resources are displayed in classrooms and have been uploaded digitally onto students’ devices. There is deliberativeness of the dialogue between teachers and students. Seeing rich mathematical or philosophical talk in action surfaced several practices that we believe deepen thinking and strengthen subject content. Linking language to the creativity of mathematical thinking and practices encourages students to use talk as a tool for generating new ways of approaching problems, rather than simply to internalise existing methods and just being compliant passengers.
A stronger voice within and beyond the classroom
Senior leaders play a key role in supporting teachers to develop this oracy knowledge. We provided oracy-specific training for all teaching and support staff. Space was identified for colleagues to share and evaluate the best tools over time. We were particularly interested in understanding how oracy skills promoted greater depth of subject knowledge. The development of oracy skills is most effective when it is integrated into a whole-school approach, endorsed and prioritised by the senior leadership team. But identification of early shifters and adopters was crucial in forming a strong of teacher oracy champions.
For teachers, the shift is noticeable in the modelling of talk they expect from students, scaffolding their responses and interactions and providing timely and specific feedback. It was vital to consider how to approach the teaching of ‘active listening’ in classrooms. We recognised that an oracy-centred approach can be of great value in all subjects but may need adapting to suit the subject area and age of learners.
Since prioritising oracy there is nothing forced or artificial about the classroom conversation; students engage positively with explicit strategies for talk. Students talk about how oracy education has given them increased confidence, a voice for learning and beyond the classroom, and supports their wellbeing. They know this will help them throughout educational transitions and ultimately in the wider world. It is empowering. The impact is evident, not only on high-achieving students but across the entire school culture.
Kate Peacock, Acting Headteacher at Trellech Primary School, explains how “SMILE books” have been introduced to develop pupil voice and independent learning, while also improving staff planning.
Our vision, here at Trellech Primary, is to ensure the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales are at the heart of our children’s learning – particularly ensuring that they are “ambitious capable learners” who:
Set themselves high standards and seek and enjoy challenge;
Are building up a body of knowledge and have the skills to connect and apply that knowledge in different contexts;
Are questioning and enjoy solving problems.
What is a “SMILE Curriculum”?
We have always been very proud of the children at Trellech Primary, where we see year on year pupils making good progress in all areas of the curriculum. Following the publication of Successful Futures and curriculum reform in Wales, the school wanted to embrace the changes and be forward-thinking in recognising and nurturing children as learners who are responsible for planning and developing their own learning. As a Pioneer School, we made a commitment to:
Give high priority to pupil voice in developing their own learning journey.
Develop pupil voice throughout each year group, key stage and the whole school.
Embrace the curriculum reform and develop children’s understanding.
Allow all learners to excel and reach their full potential.
Ensure each child is given the opportunity to make good progress.
These goals have been developed alongside the introduction of SMILE books, based on our SMILE five-a-day culture:
Standards
Modelled behaviour
Inspiration
Listening
Ethical
What is a “SMILE book”?
Based on these key values of the SMILE curriculum, the SMILE books are A3-sized, blank-paged workbooks which learners can use to present their work however they choose. They are used to present the children’s personal learning journey. In contrast to the use of books for subject areas, SMILE books show the development of skills from across the Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs) in their own preferred style.
This format enables pupil voice to be at the fore of their journey, while clearly promoting each pupil’s independent learning and supporting individual learning styles. Within a class, each SMILE book will look different, despite the same themes being part of the teaching and learning. Some may be presented purely through illustration with relevant vocabulary, while others develop and present their learning through greater use of text.
Launching the SMILE books
As a Pioneer School we collaborated with colleagues who were at the same point of their curriculum journey as us. Following this collaboration, we agreed to trial the introduction of our SMILE books in Y2 and Y6 with staff who were members of SLT and involved in curriculum reform.
In these early stages, expectations were shared and pupils were given a variety of resources to enable them to present their work in their preferred format within the books – enabling all individuals to lead, manage and present their knowledge, skills and learning independently.
Pupil and parent feedback at Parent Sharing Sessions highlighted positive feedback and demonstrated pupils’ pride in the books. Consequently, SMILE books were introduced throughout the school at the start of the following academic year. For reception pupils scaffolding is provided, but as pupils move through the progression steps less scaffolding is needed; pupil independence increases and is clearly evident in the way work across the AoLEs is presented.
Staff SMILE planning
Following the success of the implementation of pupil SMILE books and to ensure clarity in understanding of the Curriculum for Wales, I decided to trial the SMILE book format myself, to record my planning. This helped me to develop greater depth of knowledge and understanding of the Four Purposes, Cross-Curricular Links, Pedagogical Principles and the What Matters Statements for each of the AoLEs.
During this early trial I wrote each of the planning pages by hand, which enabled me to internalise the curriculum with an increased understanding. Also included were the ideas page for each theme and pupil contributions through the pupil voice page.
This format was shared with the whole staff and has evolved over time. Some staff continue to write and present planning in a creative form, while others use QR codes to link planners to electronic planning sheets and class tracking documentation. The inclusion of the I Can Statements has enabled staff to delve deeper and focus on less but better.
Each SMILE medium-term planning book moves with the cohort of learners, exemplifying their learning journey through the school. The investment of time in medium-term planning enables staff to focus on skills development in short-term planning time. This is evident in the classroom, where lessons focus on skills development and teachers are seen as facilitators of learning.
Impact on teaching and learning
Following our NACE Challenge Award reaccreditation in July 2021, it was recognised that the use of SMILE books had a positive impact on pupil voice and the promotion of independent learning for all. Our assessor reported:
SMILE books, which the school considers to be at the heart of all learning, are used by all year groups. Children complete activities independently in their books showing their own way of learning and presenting their work in a range of styles and formats. As a result, even from the youngest of ages, pupils have become more independent learners who are engaged in their learning because they have been involved in the decision-making process for the topics being taught.
The SMILE approach to learning has strengthened pupil voice and given children the confidence to take risks in their own learning by choosing how they like to learn.
The SMILE approach to learning has created a climate of trust where learners are confident to take risks without the fear of failure and are valued for their efforts. Pupils appreciate that valuable learning often results from making mistakes.
SMILE promotes problem solving and enquiry-based activities to help nurture independent learning.
Using SMILE books, independent learning is promoted and encouraged from the youngest of ages. The SMILE approach encourages MAT learners to lead their own learning by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to know how they best learn. As a result, more able pupils are critical thinkers and have high expectations and aspirations for themselves.
Our SMILE approach continues to develop here at Trellech, ensuring the continual development of our learners and independent learners with a valued voice.
New research from ImpactEd has found that pupils who have high confidence in and enjoyment of reading have higher wellbeing and lower anxiety than their peers. In this blog post, the ImpactEd team share insights from the research, and suggestions as to how schools and families can support children’s reading and mental health.
At ImpactEd we recently released a piece of research (in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, TutorMate and Place2Be), which looked at the relationship between reading and wellbeing for young people across England.
In an educational landscape recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with ongoing concerns about unequal loss of learning due to school closures and concerns for children’s post-pandemic mental health, we believe this research, which explores the relationships between pupils’ reading experiences, attitudes and behaviours and their mental wellbeing, is hugely timely and important.
We surveyed almost 30,000 pupils and findings show that pupils who scored a five (the highest score) in confidence in reading had wellbeing levels that were over 30% higher, and anxiety levels that were over 20% lower than pupils who scored a one (the lowest score). Similarly, pupils who enjoyed reading very much had wellbeing levels that were over 6% higher than those who didn’t enjoy reading at all.
We spoke to partners who contributed to this research to get their perspectives on the implications for children, schools and families, and they shared some valuable suggestions on what educators, parents and carers can do to support children’s reading and mental health.
1. Read little and often
To support children to develop their reading, and thus support their emotional wellbeing, Emma Bell, Executive Director at Innovations for Learning UK, suggests a focus on reading “little and often”, rather than making reading a chore. In the video below she shares that reading can often be integrated into things families are already doing, such as reading recipes, road signs or subtitles on the telly. She notes that these small activities can have a big impact, and create a positive reading culture.
2. Talk to older children about their reading
Our research also revealed that pupils frequently want support with their reading, regardless of their age. While many pupils mentioned reading directly with family members (“I would like my family to read with me, especially my little sister”) older pupils’ suggestions for support included parents and carers asking them questions about what they are reading, and giving or suggesting books that they might enjoy (“Ask me questions about what I’m reading so I can answer and express my feelings on the book”).
Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, references these comments when he shares in the video below that “no child is too old to be engaged” in reading. He refers to suggestions mentioned in the research, noting that a great way to support children’s education and wellbeing is by initiating conversations with them about their reading.
3. Use stories and characters to open up discussions about mental health
Some more suggestions for supporting children’s reading and mental wellbeing are given by Dr Julia Clements, Principal Educational Psychologist at Place2Be in the video below. She suggests that when reading with children, adults could discuss any challenges that characters in the book are going through and open up a conversation about what they can do when faced with difficult situations in life. This could support children with their understanding of and resilience towards challenging situations.
Read more...
For more findings from our research into reading and wellbeing, and more suggestions on how to support children’s reading at school and at home, the full report is available here.
Posted By Denise Yates,
25 April 2022
Updated: 21 April 2022
Denise Yates shares her expertise in the field of dual and multiple exceptionality (DME) through 12 practical steps schools can take to ensure learners with DME are effectively identified and supported.
Pupils, parents and professionals may all have different perspectives on what effective dual and multiple exceptionality (DME) education looks like, both in general and at different stages in a pupil’s journey through school. That said, there are some underpinning characteristics that should be common to all DME education, regardless of the setting or content offered to nurture and inspire pupils at all ages.
This blog post explores the kinds of things that teachers and other professionals should consider in the classroom. Notwithstanding, it is important to remember that getting DME right involves professionals at all levels – including national and local governments and policymakers, those at governor or trustee level (or equivalent) in school, and within the senior leadership team.
For professionals who work directly with pupils, it is important to:
1. Be aware of dual and multiple exceptionality (DME).
This includes understanding what it looks like in the classroom and at home, and how this can often differ. Look at the whole child in different contexts and settings to build up a holistic picture of their strengths and areas of struggle.
2. Know how to identify a pupil with DME.
These children are often hard to spot. They can often show ‘flashes of brilliance’ in one or more areas, whilst at the same seeming to struggle with often the most basic of activities. Alternatively, their high learning potential can mask any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In this case, they may gain average or even above-average scores in tests or work, meaning no concerns are raised about either their high ability or their SEND. Yet, if the barriers to their learning are removed, either through approach or content, these children can fly and be the best they can be.
Linked to identification, it is also important to recognise the kind of behaviours and actions that pupils with DME can present, both in the classroom and in the home environment, when that DME is misdiagnosed for something else or when it is not recognised or supported in the right way.
3. Understand and implement individual, classroom and whole-school approaches for DME.
Focus areas should include: supporting children’s academic achievement, nurturing their gifts and talents, encouraging interpersonal relationships with other, like-minded individuals, and promoting their own understanding about themselves.
Some of these things can be incorporated into a universal approach, such as providing differentiated learning opportunities alongside personal choice. Some provision may need to be more targeted, such as working in small groups on specific issues. Some provision may need to be more intensive and individualised. Putting in place a patchwork of different approaches will enable professionals to identify and evaluate what works best for each pupil with DME.
4. Believe in, speak up for, and give pupils with DME a voice to speak up for themselves.
Children and young people with DME often have strong opinions and need a positive approach and guidance in the classroom so they are able to voice those opinions positively.
As with some more able pupils, those with DME can have a strong sense of justice and fairness, and perceived lack of these can lead to emotional or behavioural outbursts. Such incidents (whether the injustice is real or perceived) can have an incremental impact on a pupil with DME’s self-confidence, wellbeing, performance and achievement levels in the long-term; addressing them is therefore well worthwhile. Developing systems for actions such as asking questions in class which are transparent, inclusive and fair can have a real impact on learning and wellbeing.
5. Use the child’s high learning potential (HLP) to overcome their learning difficulties – don’t get stuck repeating basics.
Repeating the basic building blocks a child needs to learn before moving onto higher level concepts can be a recipe for disaster. More of the same can frustrate a child with DME. It is often more rewarding for the pupil with DME to tackle the problem in reverse, giving them higher level work and using this as a hook to put the basic building blocks in place.
6. Adapt the tools you use for pupils with SEND and HLP to inspire pupils with DME to use their intelligence to learn.
For example, don’t be frightened to use complex language and descriptions, but give this context and then use the work to address any challenge the pupil faces.
7. Explain the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ to pupils with DME.
This can help them to understand the context within which they are working, which can promote their learning. For example, explaining how the brain works and using growth mindset theory to help pupils understand how making mistakes can be a useful tool in learning can be effective. Praising the effort a pupil with DME puts in – instead of or as well as focusing on the results they achieve – can also have a positive impact on their learning and self-esteem.
8. Understand that a child or young person with DME can present very differently at home and in school.
This can work both ways; a child who is quiet and studious in the classroom and who presents no cause for concern can be a child who is out of control at home, exhibiting poor behaviour, meltdowns or worse – like a pressure cooker exploding which has been kept in check at school. Likewise, a child who is the class clown or who exhibits behavioural problems at school can seem an angel at home when they can learn what they want at their own pace with no expectations placed on them. This makes it vital for professionals and parents to listen to each other, accept the different descriptions of the same child, and work together to problem solve solutions.
9. Develop a positive relationship with parents and carers.
Reinforce this with a transparent communication process and open-door policy. Many parents or carers do not come into school until they are absolutely desperate to sort out a situation. By then they are looking for a sympathetic ear, a chance to talk about their concerns and a speedy resolution. Sometimes this desperation can result in parental outbursts and negative behaviour. Recognise this possibility, listen to the parent or carer, and work positively with them to problem-solve their concerns.
10. Be honest about what can or can’t be done.
Supporting pupils with DME does not have to be resource-intensive. In fact, supporting DME effectively can save resources. For example, where DME goes unrecognised or is misdiagnosed for other things, it can result in a range of behavioural, social and emotional problems which are more resource-intensive to tackle than addressing the DME would have been in the first place. Notwithstanding, if the school is not able to put provision in place, it is better to be honest and to work with the parents on what can be done.
11. Pilot approaches to DME in the classroom and beyond.
Some of these may work for all children – such as differentiated learning tasks in class or at home that the child can choose from themselves, through to open invitations to all pupils to attend out-of-school activities and then seeing who shows up and is enthusiastic about the event.
Explore the pace and content of learning, both inside and outside the classroom, and question how you can adapt an exercise or piece of homework to test what the pupils know rather than what they can do. Instead of a written submission, could they record their homework in a song? On a PowerPoint presentation? On a video? When setting homework ask yourself: do you want to test their handwriting or their knowledge? Is it better for your pupil with DME to write three lines on what they did in the summer break, or two pages on fossils or Harry Potter?
12. Look for DME in unexpected places.
The brightest child is not necessarily the one sitting at the front to the class listening to your every word. They may be the class clown, the one whose behaviour deteriorates easily, the one who has a wicked sense of humour or is sarcastic and questions everything. Keep an open mind and adapt your behaviour.
Navigating the maze relating to dual and multiple exceptionality is not easy. However, there are books and materials to support teachers and other professionals, and organisations both in the UK and overseas that run online and face-to-face training to help SENDCos, teachers and other school-based staff to gain and build on their skills in this area. Notwithstanding, in working with pupils and parents/ carers in this arena, the key is to keep an open mind and an open door and help problem-solve to find long-term approaches and solutions which work to maximise the potential of these children and young people.
About the author
Denise Yates has worked in education and training for over 38 years with a focus on enabling all individuals to maximise their potential. After 10 years as CEO of Potential Plus UK, she left in 2017 to pursue her passion, which could be summarised as ‘hidden potential’ – focusing on supporting children and young people with DME, those with mental health problems and those who have been failed by the system, for whatever reason. Denise is currently a Board member of The Potential Trust, Nisai Education Trust and Potential In Me. She is also an adviser with Citizens Advice in her local area.
Posted By Ilona Bushell,
28 March 2022
Updated: 22 March 2022
Ilona Bushell, Assistant Editor at The Day
Telling the truth about the world we share has become one of the heroic endeavours of the age amidst an ever-changing digital tsunami of information. Effectively embedding journalism in your school is vital to equip young citizens with the skills needed to develop a healthy worldview, engage in a democratic society and tackle the world’s biggest challenges, leading the way to a brighter future.
There is no doubt that news literacy helps develop skills that are valuable right across the curriculum – and prepares children for their adult life. As these young people become voters, tax-payers and earners, they will have the basic tools to navigate the noise, confusion and fog of reality.
Here at the online newspaper for schools, The Day, we call the regular consumption of news a “real-world curriculum”. In February 2022 we launched The Global Young Journalist Awards (GYJA), a free competition open to all under 18s around the world. We aim to inspire young people to build a better world through storytelling, and the ambition is for GYJA to become the leading award for youth journalism.
What, why, and why now?
Written entries are welcome, but the awards are open to work in any medium – including video, photo, audio, graphic or podcast – opening up the floor to different student abilities and areas of interest. The aim is to showcase a variety of voices and encourage young people to report on what truly matters to them.
American actor and comedian Tina Fey, who will be among the panel of GYJA judges, said, “There has never been a more important time to get young people involved in truth-seeking. It is vital for our future that journalists investigate without fear or favour, and this competition is an excellent way of inspiring children to get involved.”
The judging panel also includes TV broadcaster Ayo Akinwolere, the BBC’s gender and identity correspondent Megha Mohan, the FT’s top data journalism developer Ændra Rininsland, and Guardian columnist Afua Hirsch.
Indian computer scientist and educational theorist Sugata Mitra sees the awards as an opportunity to see glimpses of unexplored minds: “I have found children to be good at making up things. They can assemble all sorts of information into stories that are, at worst, fascinating and, at best, brutally honest. A journalist that can think like a nine-year-old will be astonishing… Can nine-year-olds think like a journalist?”
How are the awards aligned to school curricula?
There is an explosion of great reporting today on topics relevant to every area of the school curriculum. The award categories listed below are designed to fit within students’ areas of study and contribute to a rich real-world curriculum. Through their storytelling, entrants can build on important skills including communication, research, fact-checking, confidence, literacy, oracy, individuality and empathy.
GYJA categories:
1. Campaigning journalist of the year
2. Interviewer of the year
3. International journalist of the year
4. Political journalist of the year
5. Mental health journalist of the year
6. Environment journalist of the year
7. Science & technology journalist of the year
8. Race & gender journalist of the year
9. Sports journalist of the year
10. Climate journalist of the year (primary only)
How can schools get involved?
Teachers can download the Awards entry pack at www.theday.co.uk/gyja2022. The entry pack and website include a host of free resources for students. There are top tips from sponsors and judges, prompt ideas, best practice examples and guidance on the six journalistic formats they can use.
What’s in store for the winners?
Winners will be announced at a live virtual ceremony in June. Award winners will have their words, video, photo, graphic or podcast published on The Day’s website and be given the chance to connect with role models from the world of media and current affairs.
Winners will be invited to join The Day’s Student Advisory Board for a year, while winners and runners-up will be offered a day’s work experience in a national newsroom and receive trophies.
Competition sponsors include The Fairtrade Foundation, The Edge Foundation, Oddizzi, Brainwaves, National Literacy Trust and Hello World.
The Day is a digital newspaper for use in schools and colleges. It has a daily average circulation of 378,000 students, the largest readership among those aged 18 and under of any news title. Over 1,300 schools are subscribers. NACE members can benefit from a 20% discount on subscriptions to The Day; for details of this and all NACE member offers, log in and visit our member offers page.
Dr Ann McCarthy, NACE Associate and co-author of NACE’s new publication “Cognitive challenge: principles into practice”.
When you’re planning a lesson, are your first thoughts about content, resources and activities, or do you begin by thinking about learning and cognitive challenge? How often do you consider lessons from the viewpoint of your more able pupils? Highly able pupils often seek out cognitively challenging work and can become distressed or disengaged if they are set tasks which are constantly too easy.
NACE’s new research publication, “Cognitive challenge: principles into practice”, marks the first phase in our “Making Space for Able Learners” project. Developed in partnership with NACE Challenge Award-accredited schools, the research examines the impact of cognitive challenge in current school practice against a backdrop of relevant research.
What do we mean by ‘cognitive challenge’?
Cognitive challenge can be summarised as an approach to curriculum and pedagogy which focuses on optimising the engagement, learning and achievement of highly able children. The term is used by NACE to describe how learners become able to understand and form complex and abstract ideas and solve problems. Cognitive challenge prompts and stimulates extended and strategic thinking, as well as analytical and evaluative processes.
To provide highly able pupils with the degree of challenge that will allow them to flourish, we need to build our planning and practice on a solid foundation.
This involves understanding both the nature of our pupils as learners and the learning opportunities we’re providing. When we use “challenge” as a routine, learning will be extended at specific times on specific topics – which has useful but limited benefit. However, by strategically building cognitive challenge into your teaching, pupils’ learning expertise, their appetite for learning and their wellbeing will all improve.
What does this look like in practice?
The research identified three core areas:
1. Design and management of cognitively challenging learning opportunities
In the most successful “cognitive challenge” schools, leaders have a clear vision and ambition for pupils, which explicitly reflects an understanding of teaching more able pupils in different contexts and the wider benefits of this for all pupils. This vision is implemented consistently across the school. All teachers engage with the culture and promote it in their own classrooms, involving pupils in their own learning. When you walk into any classroom in the school, pupils are working to the same model and expectation, with a shared understanding of what they need to do.
Pupils are able to take control of their learning and become more self-regulatory in their behaviours and increasingly autonomous in their learning. Through intentional and well-planned management of teaching and learning, children move from being recipients in the learning environment to effective learners who can call on the resources and challenges presented. They understand more about their own learning and develop their curiosity and creativity by extending and deepening their understanding and knowledge.
2. Rich and extended talk and cognitive discourse to support cognitive challenge
The importance of questions and questioning in effective learning is well understood, but the importance of depth and complexity of questioning is perhaps less so. When you plan purposeful, stimulating and probing questions, it gives pupils the freedom to develop their thought processes and challenge, engage and deepen their understanding. Initially the teacher may ask questions, but through modelling high-order questioning techniques, pupils in turn can ask questions which expose new ways of thinking.
This so-called “dialogic teaching” frames teaching and learning within the perspective of pupils and enhances learning by encouraging children to develop their thinking and use their understanding to support their learning. Initially, pupils might use the knowledge the teacher has given them, but when they’re shown how to use classroom discourse effectively, they’ll start to work alone, with others or with the teacher to extend their repertoire.
By using an enquiry-orientated approach, you can more actively engage children in the production of meaning and acquisition of new knowledge and your classroom will become a more interactive and language-rich learning domain where children can increase their fluency, retrieval and application of knowledge.
3. Curriculum organisation and design
How can you ensure your curriculum is organised to allow cognitive challenge for more able pupils? You need to consider:
What is planned for the students
What is delivered to the students
What the students experience
Schools with a high-quality curriculum for cognitive challenge use agreed teaching approaches and a whole-school model for teaching and learning. Teachers expertly and consistently utilise key features relating to learning preferences, knowledge acquisition and memory.
Planning a curriculum for more able pupils means providing a clear direction for their learning journey. It’s necessary to think beyond individual subjects, assessment systems, pedagogy and extracurricular opportunities, and to look more deeply at the ways in which these link together for the benefit of your pupils. If teachers can understand and deliver this curriculum using their subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, and if your school can successfully make learning visible to pupils, you’ll be able to move from well-practised routines to highly successful and challenging learning experiences.
Taking it further…
If we’re going to move beyond the traditional monologic and didactic models of teaching, we need to recast the role of teacher as a facilitator of learning within a supportive learning environment. For more able pupils this can be taken a step further. If you can build cognitive challenge into your curriculum and the way you manage learning, and support this with a language-rich classroom, the entire nature of teaching and learning can change. Your highly able pupils will become increasingly autonomous and more self-reliant. They’ll become masters of their learning as they gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. You can then extend your role even further, from learning facilitator to “learner activator”.
This blog post is based on an article originally written for and published by Teach Primary magazine – read the full version here.
Christabel Shepherd, Executive Headteacher of Bradford’s Copthorne and Holybrook Primary Schools, shares 10 tried-and-tested approaches to developing Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.
"They just haven’t got the words!” This is something I have heard a number of times in my teaching career. As all teachers know, the consequence of children ‘not having the words’ means they are unlikely to be able to express themselves clearly. They may not be able to get the most from the experiences we offer. They are often judged by individuals beyond the school as lacking ability. They may display frustration and a lack of self-belief which, in turn, can lead to low levels of resilience and, in the case of many of the children I’ve taught, a tendency to be passive learners.
Above all, the vocabulary gap exacerbates social disadvantage. We have all seen the effects that result when children don’t have the words they need to truly express themselves, and to paint a true and vivid picture in the mind of a reader or listener. We also know that a focus on oracy and ‘closing the vocabulary gap’ opens the doors of opportunity for children and allows them to soar.
Challenge for all
At both the schools I lead, ‘challenge for all’ is a non-negotiable and at the heart of our ethos and vision. Both schools are members of NACE, and we believe that providing challenge for all our learners develops ability, raises aspirations, engenders resilience and is a key feature of a high-quality education.
Central to providing ‘challenge for all’ is a focus on high-quality language acquisition and use by pupils. How can we challenge learners effectively if there is a notable vocabulary gap, especially in terms of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary? How can we embed higher order questioning and higher order thinking skills if the children can’t access the language?
Teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary
I think most of us feel comfortable teaching Tier 3 vocabulary. It’s usually technical, often subject-specific, and we teach this in a very direct and focused way through a rich curriculum where key words and their meaning are explored and used in context.
Tier 2 vocabulary can be more difficult for children to grasp. It often expresses ‘shades of meaning’ which can be extremely subtle, and much of it relies on an experience and understanding of root words, prefixes and suffixes. As teachers, we are so used to experiencing these words or skilled at working out what they mean that we may assume they and their meaning are familiar to children too.
It is vital, therefore, if we want our children to engage effectively with the whole curriculum, articulate their thoughts, learning and aspirations, and access real challenge, that we have a whole-school focus on closing the vocabulary gap. We must directly teach and promote the understanding and use of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.
If you visit Copthorne Primary, where this approach is fully embedded, you will find wonderfully articulate young people. Our children are confident, active learners who relish a challenge and are not afraid to question adults, direct their own learning and express their views and opinions. Just being in their company for a few minutes makes my day.
Take a look at the Copthorne Pupil Parliament on YouTube (it’s just four minutes). Most of the children you’ll see arrived at the school with no English and are now able to think and speak fluently in at least two languages. Here’s how we do it…
1. Five-minute stories
Present children with three or four age/stage-appropriate Tier 2 words. The words must be those they have met before or have roots, prefixes or suffixes which they have experience of. Give them five minutes to write an engaging short story which must include the given words. This gives children the opportunity to use these words in their correct context, applying their developing knowledge of the shades of meaning, whilst developing long-term memory of the vocabulary. We adapted this idea from Chris Quigley who suggests using this strategy with words from year group spelling lists. Similarly, Tier 3 vocabulary can be developed by asking children to use a given selection of words in a summary about their learning in a particular subject.
2. Silent discussions
Get learners to discuss a topic through written communication only, using given Tier 2 or 3 vocabulary.
3. Model the language
When modelling writing, act out how to ‘think like a writer’, justifying and explaining your word choice, especially around synonyms from Tier 2. 4Talking school Provide opportunities and groupings for talk in every subject to ensure it absolutely pervades the whole curriculum. For example, try talk partners, debating, school council, drama or film-making. Use the ‘Big Questions’ resources at oxplore.org to promote debate and encourage the use of high-level vocabulary in context.
5. Language-rich environment
On every display, pose key questions using the appropriate technical vocabulary. This includes a ‘challenge’ question using Tier 2 vocabulary. Expect a response to the questions from the children. Display an appropriately aspirational (Tier 2) ‘word of the week’ in each classroom. After they’ve worked out its meaning, encourage the children to use it in their talk and writing and find its synonyms and antonyms.
6. Weekly vocabulary lessons
Take an object or theme and, using pictures, sound and film, support children in developing their high-quality descriptions using Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, as well as more metaphorical language.
7. Reading across the curriculum
Maximise every opportunity in all subjects to teach reading skills and explore Tier 3 vocabulary in context. Use guided reading as an opportunity to really explore and pull apart those ‘shades of meaning’ for Tier 2 words in a range of text types. This allows for those rich conversations about specific word choice, meaning and effect.
8. Reciprocal reading
Introduce pupils to a whole-class text in small, manageable chunks. At the same time, thoroughly explore all new Tier 2 vocabulary. Encourage the children to use the words’ roots, context and any relevant existing knowledge to clarify meaning. Taking the time to explore misconceptions in reading and vocabulary use is a key feature of reciprocal reading and stops children from ‘glossing over’ words they don’t recognise.
9. Headteacher’s book club
Introduce extended guided reading groups for more able readers in Y5 and 6. Issue a challenging text to learners, along with an initial focus, and give pupils two to four weeks of independent reading time. Then meet together to share afternoon tea, discuss the book and explore new Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary. Encourage the children to use the new words in their writing and talk activities.
10. Year group writing events
Stage events such as an alien landing to stimulate pupils’ imagination and provide a specific context for the use of given Tier 2 and 3 words.
Christabel Shepherd is a NACE Associate and Trustee, and Executive Headteacher of Copthorne and Holybrook Primary Schools. She has extensive experience of leading on school-wide provision for more able learners, having used the NACE Challenge Framework to audit and develop provision in two schools, with both going on to achieve the NACE Challenge Award. Christabel regularly contributes to NACE's CPD programme, as well as delivering bespoke training and consultancy to help schools develop their provision for more able learners within an ethos of challenge for all.
Posted By Gemma Quinn,
12 February 2019
Updated: 23 December 2020
In December 2018, Chesterfield High School was accredited with the NACE Challenge Award, in recognition of school-wide high-quality provision for more able learners within a context of challenge for all. Gemma Quinn, Director of Learning for MFL and Challenge Lead, explains why the school decided to focus on raising aspirations, and key steps taken in achieving this.
At Chesterfield High School, our students and staff have wholeheartedly benefited from using the NACE Challenge Framework and from NACE visits to school. We fully understand that the majority of a learner’s time in school is spent in the classroom, and therefore it is essential that our provision provides all learners with opportunities for challenge.
However, we identified an area beyond the classroom as a key area for development. We wanted to ensure learners go outside their comfort zone, build resilience and take intellectual risks to fully prepare them for life after school. We carried out pupil voice, analysed our data, and we determined that not only did we want students to be inspired to learn in school, but we also wanted to raise aspirations to enable greater transition into the sixth form and beyond.
Using the six key elements of the NACE Challenge Framework, we identified three areas – curriculum, teaching and support; communication and partnership; and monitoring and evaluation – as key to developing our provision for, and raising the aspirations of, our learners.
For other schools seeking to raise aspirations, we would recommend the following steps:
1. Listen to learners
We collected pupil voice through anonymous questionnaires and pupil interviews. This highlighted some great strengths, such as our ability to listen and take account of the views of our more able learners within a wider context and our ability to increase parental responsibility in supporting their child’s learning outside of school.
We are passionate about celebrating all learners’ achievements and strengths in an environment where both staff and learners have high expectations of themselves and of one another. However, by listening to learner feedback we recognised that we needed to provide our learners with greater opportunities to experience the world beyond the classroom to support further success.
2. Embed a whole-school approach
We set actions in place to develop our curriculum to offer breadth, depth and flexibility. We increased our enrichment resources and wider learning opportunities for all, with a focus on raising the aspirations of our learners.
In working towards the NACE Challenge Award, our fundamental aim was to ensure that the school’s vision and ethos are at the heart of everything that happens – to ensure “for everyone the best”. To ensure this was implemented across the school, we identified a Challenge Lead Representative. It was envisaged that the Challenge initiative would strengthen the school community’s drive to promote, actively witness and celebrate the progress and achievement of more able learners. As a result, highly able pupils (HAPs) will be motivated to succeed and to participate in all learning opportunities that will positively nurture their academic and personal growth.
3. Involve staff at faculty level
We also identified a HAP Representative in each faculty area, who reported to the whole-school Challenge Lead Representative. The key objectives of the HAP Representatives are to ensure that the achievement and progress of HAPs are consistently monitored and celebrated within their faculty area. Representatives also help to develop their faculty’s approach to HAP teaching and learning in line with whole-school teaching and learning initiatives, thus leading to improved progress and attainment.
We created a subject attributes document which included three key strands for each individual subject area. These included characteristics of a HAP, activities that HAPs should do, and how parents can support HAPs.*
4. Provide inspiring examples and role models
We invited an ex-student who is now studying at Cambridge University into school. She was able to give staff a greater understanding of her school experience and how we guided and prepared her for university life. Through discussions, she inspired current learners to think beyond their original choices and to aim for Russell Group universities and Oxbridge. She was also open to keeping in touch with students to mentor and address any questions they had.
In addition, we allocated learners with an aspirations mentor who was able to advise them on the application process and subject choices at A-level to maximise their chances of getting a university place. Learners also took part in mock interviews with volunteers in the community in their chosen field of work or study, which increased their confidence and helped to develop their oracy skills.
Visits out to universities, including trips to open days’ and residential trips were promoted through our Challenge Lead Representative. Students visited universities around the country and applied for the prestigious Cambridge Shadowing Scheme.
We are proud…
Using the Challenge Framework helped us to identify our strengths and areas for development in more able provision. Through the action plan created as part of our work with the framework, we highlighted actions and the intended impact of these on target groups of learners. We are extremely proud of the steps we have taken to ensure our more able provision allows all our learners to have the best possible life chances.
Gemma Quinn is the Director of Learning for MFL and the Challenge Lead at Chesterfield High School. She is an experienced teacher of French and Spanish to KS5 and a skilled coach and mentor. Gemma enjoys working with various subject leaders across the school to improve learner outcomes and looks forward to continuing to support them in the future.
*To view Chesterfield High School's HAPs subject attributes document, log in to our members' resource library and go to the "Identification & transition" section.
Posted By Elaine Ricks-Neal,
04 February 2019
Updated: 22 December 2020
“Character” may be the latest buzzword in education – but it’s long been at the core of the NACE Challenge Framework, as NACE Challenge Award Adviser Elaine Ricks-Neal explains…
Increasingly schools are focusing on the development of “character” and learning dispositions as performance outcomes. Ofsted is also making it clear that it will look more at how well schools are developing resilient, well-rounded, confident young learners who will flourish in society.
The best schools, irrespective of setting, have always known the importance of this. And this focus on character has long been at the heart of the NACE Challenge Framework – a tool for school self-review and improvement which focuses on provision for more able learners, as part of a wider programme of sustainable school improvement and challenge for all.
Here are 10 key ways in which the Framework supports the development of school-wide approaches, mindsets and skills for effective character education:
1. “Can-do” culture
The NACE Challenge Framework embeds a school-wide “You can do it” culture of high expectations for all learners, engendering confidence and self-belief – prerequisites for learning.
2. Raising aspirations
The Framework challenges schools to raise aspirations for what all learners could achieve in life, irrespective of background. This is especially significant in schools where learners may not be exposed to high levels of ambition among parents/carers.
3. Curriculum of opportunity
Alongside a rich curriculum offer, the Framework asks schools to consider their enrichment and extracurricular programmes – ensuring that all learners have opportunities to develop a wide range of abilities, talents and skills, to develop cultural capital, and to access the best that has been thought and said.
4. Challenge for all
At the heart of the Framework is the goal of teachers understanding the learning needs of all pupils, including the most able; planning demanding, motivating work; and ensuring that all learners have planned opportunities to take risks and experience the challenge of going beyond their capabilities.
5. Aspirational targets
To ensure all learners are stretched and challenged, the Framework promotes the setting of highly aspirational targets for the most able, based on their starting points.
6. Developing young leaders
As part of its focus on nurturing student voice and independent learning skills, the Framework seeks to ensure that more able learners have opportunities to take on leadership roles and to make a positive contribution to the school and community.
7. Ownership of learning
The Framework encourages able learners to articulate their views on their learning experience in a mature and responsible way, and to manage and take ownership of their learning development.
8. Removing barriers
The Framework has a significant focus on underachievement and on targeting vulnerable groups of learners, setting out criteria for the identification of those who may have the potential to shine but have barriers in the way which need to be recognised and addressed individually.
9. Mentoring and support
Founded on the belief that more able and exceptionally able learners are as much in need of targeted support as any other group, the Framework demands that schools recognise and respond to their social and emotional and learning needs in a planned programme of mentoring and support.
10. Developing intrinsic motivation
Beyond recognising individual talents, the Framework promotes the celebration of success and hard work, ensuring that learners feel valued and supported to develop intrinsic motivation and the desire to be “the best they can.”
Find out more… To find out more about the NACE Challenge Development Programme and how it could support your school, click here or get in touch.
Posted By Gail Roberts,
15 January 2019
Updated: 23 December 2020
Gail Roberts, More Able and Talented Coordinator at Llanfoist Fawr Primary School, shares a simple but effective activity to engage and challenge all learners – combining mathematics, oracy, collaborative working and more…
Facilitating learning, rather than directional teaching, not only ensures children take ownership, it also opens the floodgates to more able learners. Obviously it is vital to choose an effective challenging task and teach the skills they need beforehand, in order for learners to access the experience fully and develop it further through ongoing evaluation.
In the past at school, children may have brought cakes in from home to sell as an enterprise activity. Although this is usually an enjoyable experience, it isn’t a true representation of the profit and loss of running a business, and fails to optimise on additional opportunities for learning.
In this alternative activity, I ask learners to work in teams to make 3D shapes and then come up with a plan to sell them. This gives them a tangible experience, a determination for gaining information about shapes, and a chance to make choices which they can then witness the effects of at first-hand.
Develop key skills and understanding
From two weeks before the planned “sale day”, I encourage learners to consider the skills they will need and provide opportunities for them to develop these. Identified skills include:
Persuasive language – learners are challenged to think of sentences that will entice people to stop at their stall, come up with a catchy jingle or slogan, etc.
Negotiation – bartering on prices for the shapes.
Understand profit and loss and interest.
How to keep a record of the accounts, on paper or electronically.
Elect leaders of the group and allocate team members.
Sell using at least two languages.
Working effectively as a team toward a shared aim.
Teaching the children how to formulate the boxes on a spreadsheet is easy, if you have previously taught coordinates. When spoken about in simple terms, profit and loss can be seen by every child. Allowing more able learners to formulate the spreadsheet gives them the opportunity to make it as complex as they want, while the opportunity to develop a business plan allows more able business minds to shine.
Giving learners time to think and plan for the sale day ensures that ideas can be evaluated and developed, and allows the group to come together as a team.
Replicate real-life challenges
The activity can also be used to help learners develop their understanding of real-life business processes and challenges, including:
Premises to rent – every 15 minutes learners must pay rent for their stall; if late, they incur a fine.
Property maintenance – fines incurred for untidy stalls.
Marketing – stalls decorated to attract customers.
Interest rates – opportunity to start business with a loan, which must be paid back with interest.
Allow learners to shape the activity
The learning can be further enriched by inviting learners to suggest rules for the running of the activity. For example:
When buying, be willing to pay more if learners can answer questions on the properties and names of the shapes, and if well-made or decorated.
If someone in the group is not working efficiently, allow the team leader to give a warning or sanction.
Over many years of facilitating this kind of learning, the outcome has never been the same twice. Learners think of things that I would never have come up with. For example, this year they discussed ideas to test individual skills and allocate jobs based on ability, rather than simply getting every team member to cut, decorate, stick and sell. They discussed ideas about firing those who weren’t working hard enough, buying other teams’ products and selling them on at a profit, buying another table to expand their company, and researching language patterns and properties of shapes in order to sell to a broader audience knowledgeably.
What learners say…
While the summary above is hopefully sufficient to allow you to run a similar activity in your school, the impact is best expressed in the words of learners themselves:
“I thought this was an excellent idea for learning. Without realising it, we were making many cross-curriculum links, especially between maths and oracy. We were using strategies for problem solving and working as a team. We were having fun but learning at the same time.”
“I think learning in this way makes it easier to learn, because we are learning important things, but at the same time having fun. I prefer learning this way. I like being in charge of my own learning, thinking outside of the box, rather than being told.”
“This was a fun, challenging and exciting learning environment. This made it easier to remember the skills we needed and to use them effectively.”
“At the start of the challenge I didn’t have a clue what a spreadsheet was, but I enjoyed the challenge and felt proud that I could format the whole sheet myself and code new boxes when I needed to.”
“Communicating in a different language was challenging. However, it helped me to appreciate other people’s struggles to speak English. Our group worked cooperatively, making the most of individual talents.”
“It didn’t feel like we were learning. However, reflecting back on what we did, I realise I learnt and used a vast range of new skills.”
“It took me a matter of minutes to learn the properties and names of a massive amount of different 3D shapes. This was because I had a real purpose to learn. I was so proud when a visitor asked me questions on the properties and I blew him away with my knowledge and how confidently I was able to answer his questions.”
“It helped me to understand the importance of working as a team. We all had a job to do. These were selected, because we could do that particular thing really well. It made me feel like it was an actual place of work and we were actually doing a ‘job’. Real-life situations like these help me to realise the importance of everyone’s unique abilities.”
Gail Roberts is the MAT Coordinator, Maths Coordinator and Year 5 teacher at Llanfoist Fawr Primary School in Monmouthshire. She has worked in education since 1980, starting out as an NNEB with children with severe difficulties in basic life skills, and gaining her NPQH in 2007. Llanfoist Fawr gained the NACE Challenge Award in 2017, in recognition of school-wide commitment to high-quality provision for MAT learners within a context of challenge for all.
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