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.
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Posted By Laura March,
11 May 2020
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NACE Associate and R&D Hub Lead Laura March explains how Southend High School for Boys (SHSB) is ensuring learners continue to encounter “desirable difficulty” during the current period of remote learning.
In a recent ResearchEd presentation, Paul Kirshner delivered an insightful presentation based on the book Lessons for Learning. In one of his tips, he highlighted the need to avoid offering too much new subject matter during remote learning and to instead use this time to focus on maintaining the skills and knowledge that have been previously learnt. We know how easy it is to forget this learning without regular retrieval practice – we see this happen every year over the six-week summer break. Sometimes we underestimate the power of revision and repetition and this is a good opportunity to encourage pupils to consolidate knowledge from prior learning (see example retrieval grid).
For effective independent learning to take place, it is helpful to provide step-by-step worked solutions and provide alternative routes for all learners so they are offered support during their practice. On the other hand, we want there to be some form of “desirable difficulty” – not too hard, not too easy. Desirable difficulties are important because they trigger encoding and retrieval processes that support learning, comprehension and remembering. If, however, they are too difficult (the learner does not have the background knowledge or skills to respond to them successfully) they become undesirable difficulties and pupils can become disengaged, especially when working from home without teacher instruction and regular prompting (Bjork, 2009).
As time goes on, students’ internal resources start to increase as they begin to learn the content. At this point students are in danger of finding the task too easy. If there is no difficulty involved, then learning is less likely to occur. The best choice here is to start reducing the amount of support so pupils can achieve independence.
To help us reflect on this research, departments at SHSB have used two frameworks when considering and reviewing the tasks and activities being presented for remote learning:
Fisher and Frey: the gradual release of responsibility
In Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility (2008), Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey probe the how and why of the gradual release of responsibility instructional framework – a model which is deeply embedded across SHSB (see this summary of how we are using this model to inform our approach to remote learning). To what extent have we been providing tasks that fit into each of the four stages of effective structured learning? Is there a gradual shift in responsibility from the teacher to the pupil, moving from “I do” to “you do together” and “you do alone”? Sandringham Research School: the memory clock
We also wanted to think of simple ways to continue to achieve the interactivity that is crucial to teaching and learning. The “ memory clock” shared with us by Sandringham Research School has helped pupils revise and consolidate their knowledge. To avoid offering too much subject matter at once, the clock prompts pupils to structure learning into chunks and to always end with ‘assessing’ to self-regulate their own learning (see this example from SHSB Business department). It is important to ensure each study session has targeted questioning to check content is understood before moving on. Ensuring learning is transferred into long-term memory
A wealth of research tells us that delivering new information in small chunks is more effective for working memory – the type of memory we use to recall information while actively engaged in an activity. The capacity to store this information is vital to many learning activities in the classroom and just as important for remote learning. Presenting too much material at once may confuse students because they will be unable to process it using working memory. We can observe when this happens in the classroom and respond by explaining and repeating the material. It is more difficult for us to identify this in remote learning.
In both models outlined above, you will see recall and retrieval plays an important role. This has been embedded in our SIP over the last few years and departments at SHSB have been creative in revisiting material after a period of time using low stakes quizzes, retrieval grids, multiple choice questions and images. This review helps to provide some of the processing needed to move new learning into long-term memory and helps us to identify any misconceptions before introducing new material.
Additional reading and resources
- Daisy Christodoulou, “Remote learning: why hasn’t it worked before and what can we do to change that?” (March 2020) – includes a list of learning apps that are effective in helping pupils to recall and self-regulate their learning at home.
- Fisher, D. and N. Frey, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia, 2008.
- Kornell, N., Hays, M. J., & Bjork, R. A. (2009). Unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhance subsequent learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 35, 989–998.
- Free resources: supporting challenge beyond the classroom – roundup of free resources from NACE partners and other organisations.
- NACE community forums – share what’s working for your staff and students.
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Posted By NACE team,
09 April 2020
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Organisations across the world have responded to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by sharing free resources to help support schools, students and families. We’ve rounded up a selection of free resources available from our partner organisations – focusing on challenge alongside enjoyment, enrichment and wellbeing.
Oxplore – “Home of Big Questions”
A digital outreach portal developed by the University of Oxford, Oxplore aims to raise aspirations and stimulate intellectual curiosity amongst 11- to 18-year olds. The “Home of Big Questions”, it tackles complex ideas across a wide range of subjects, drawing on the latest Oxford research and promoting interdisciplinary enquiry.
Get started:
- Watch this short video for an overview of the platform and how it can be used.
- Download this free activity sheet designed to help students and families get started.
- Read this blog post for more ideas, including additional resources to print and use at home.
- Follow Oxplore on Wordpress and Twitter for new Big Questions, live online events and more.
NRICH – “low threshold, high ceiling” maths activities
Based at the University of Cambridge, NRICH provides free “low threshold, high ceiling” maths resources for learners aged 3-19, designed to enrich mathematics teaching and learning through challenging, engaging and meaningful activities.
Get started:
- Watch this short video for an introduction to NRICH’s “low threshold, high ceiling” approach.
- Visit NRICH’s maths at home webpage for a selection of maths activities to try at home.
- Take a look at this overview, article and video for accompanying tips and guidance on using the activities.
Shakespeare’s Globe – free online screenings and resources
The iconic Shakespeare's Globe theatre offers resources and services to support teaching and learning with Shakespeare for all ages. During the current period, the Globe is opening up access to its catalogue of past production recordings through fortnightly releases on YouTube, including introductory talks from the Globe's Head of Higher Education and Research, Professor Farah Karim-Cooper. This year's 90-minute Playing Shakespeare production of Macbeth will be available from 11 May until schools reopen. Schools can also request free access to all Globe Player films, as well as many other educational videos, by contacting Bloomsbury.
Get started:
The Day – daily articles and activities based on current affairs
The Day turns the daily news into lessons designed to get students thinking for themselves and engaging with the world. In response to current demand, it has launched a free daily newsletter for parents and carers supporting students at home. It is also offering free access to articles relating to different aspects of the pandemic, with links across the curriculum – with an added focus on activities to complete at home, both online and away from the screen.
Get started:
Plus…
Many more organisations are offering free resources to support and engage students across all ages, abilities and areas of interest. For additional ideas and inspiration, take a look at:
Share your own…
What resources, websites or approaches have you found useful in supporting more able learners remotely? Share your recommendations in our online forums.
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Posted By University of Oxford (Oxplore),
06 February 2020
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The University of Oxford’s Oxplore website offers free resources to get students thinking about and debating a diverse range of “Big Questions”. Read on for three ways to get started with the platform, shared by Oxplore’s Sarah Wilkin…
Oxplore is a free, educational website from the University of Oxford. As the “Home of Big Questions”, it aims to engage 11- to 18-year-olds with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom. Big Questions tackle complex ideas across a wide range of subjects and draw on the latest research from Oxford.
Oxplore’s Big Questions reflect the kind of interdisciplinary and critical thinking students undertake at universities like Oxford. Each question is made up of a wide range of resources including: videos, articles, infographics, multiple-choice quizzes, podcasts, glossaries, and suggestions from Oxford faculty members and undergraduates.
Questioning can take many different forms in the classroom and is a skill valued in most subjects. Developing students’ questioning skills can empower them to:
- Critically engage with a topic by breaking it down into its component parts;
- Organise their thinking to achieve certain outcomes;
- Check that they are on track;
- Pursue knowledge that fascinates them.
Here are three ways Oxplore’s materials can be used to foster questioning and related skills…
1. Investigate what makes a question BIG
A useful starting point can be to get students thinking about what makes a question BIG. This can be done by displaying the Oxplore homepage and encouraging students to create their own definitions of a Big Question:
- Ask what unites these questions in the way we might approach them and the kinds of responses they would attract.
- Ask why questions such as “What do you prefer to spread on your toast: jam or marmite?” are not included.
- Share different types of questions like the range shown below and ask students to categorise them in different ways (e.g. calculable, personal opinion, experimental, low importance, etc.). This could be a quick-fire discussion or a more developed card-sort activity depending on what works best with your students.
2. Answer a Big Question
You could then set students the challenge of answering a Big Question in groups, adopting a research-inspired approach (see image below) whereby they consider:
- The different viewpoints people could have;
- How different subjects would offer different ideas;
- The sources and experts they could ask for help;
- The sub-questions that would follow;
- Their group’s opinion.
If you have access to computers, students could use the resources on the Oxplore website to inform their understanding of their assigned Big Question. Alternatively, download and print out a set of our prompt cards, offering facts, statistics, images and definitions taken from the Oxplore site:
Additional resources:
This activity usually encourages a lot of lively debate so you might want to give students the opportunity to report their ideas to the class. One reporter per group, speaking for one minute, can help focus the discussion.
3. Create your own Big Questions
We’ve found that no matter the age group, students love the opportunity to try thinking up their own Big Questions. The chance to be creative and reflect on what truly fascinates them has the appeal factor! Again, you might want to give students the chance to explore the Oxplore site first, to gain some inspiration. Additionally, you could provide word clouds and suggested question formats for those who might need the extra support:
To encourage students to think carefully and evaluate the scope of their Big Question, you could present them with a checklist like the one below:
Extension activities could include:
- Students pitching their Big Question to small groups or the class (Why does it interest them? What subjects could it include? etc);
- This could feed into a class competition for the most thought-provoking Big Question;
- Students could conduct a mini research project into their Big Question, which they then compile as a homework report or present to the class at a later stage.
Take it further: join a Big Question debate
Each term the Oxplore team leads an Oxplore LIVE event. Teachers can tune in with their classes to watch a panel of Oxford academics debating one of the Big Questions. During the event, students have opportunities to send in their own questions for the panel to discuss, plus there are competitions, interactive activities and polls. Engaging with Oxplore LIVE gives students the chance to observe the kinds of thinking, knowledge and questions that academics draw upon when approaching complex topics, and they get to feel part of something beyond the classroom.
The next Oxplore LIVE event is on Thursday 13 February at 2.00-2:45pm and will focus on our latest Big Question: Is knowledge dangerous? If you and your students would like to take part, simply register here. You can also join the Oxplore mailing list to receive updates on new Big Questions and upcoming events.
Any questions? Contact the Oxplore team.
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Posted By Sue Cowley,
11 November 2019
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Alongside her webinar for NACE members, author and teacher trainer Sue Cowley shares five ways to ensure all learners are stretched and challenged – it’s differentiation, but not as you might expect!
It is tempting to think of differentiation as being about preparing different materials for different students – the classic ‘differentiation by task’. However, this type of differentiation is the most time-consuming for teachers in terms of planning. It can also be hard to create stretch through this approach, because it is difficult to pitch tasks at exactly the right level.
In reality, rather than being about preparing different activities, differentiation is a subtle skill that is not easily spotted ‘in action’. For instance, it might include adaptations to the teacher’s use of language, or ‘in the moment’ changes to a lesson, based on the teacher’s knowledge of individual learners.
1. Identify and account for prior knowledge
The highest-attaining students often have a great deal of knowledge about a diverse range of subjects – typically those areas of learning that fascinate them. They are likely to be autodidacts – reading widely around a favoured subject at home to find out more. Sometimes they will teach themselves new skills without any direct teacher input – for instance using YouTube to learn a language that is not on offer at school. At times, their level of knowledge or skill might outpace yours.
A key frustration for high attainers is the feeling that they are being taught things in school that they already know. Find ways to assess and ascertain the prior knowledge of your class before you start a new topic, and incorporate this information into your teaching. One simple strategy is to ask the class to write down the things they already know about a topic, before you begin to study it, and any questions that they want answered during your studies. Use these questions as a simple way to provide extension opportunities in lessons.
Where a learner has extensive prior knowledge of a topic, ask if they would like to present some of the knowledge they have to the class – this can help build confidence and presentational skills. It can also be useful for high-attaining learners to explain something they understand easily to a child who doesn’t ‘get it’ so quickly. The act of having to rephrase or reconceptualise something in order to teach it requires the learner to build empathy, understand alternative perspectives and think laterally.
2. Build on interests to extend
Where a high-attaining learner has an interest in a subject, they typically want to explore it far more widely than you have time to do at school. Encourage your high attainers to read widely around a subject outside of lesson time by providing them with information about suitable materials. A lovely way to do this is to give them suitable adult-/higher-level texts to read (especially some of your own books on a subject from home).
3. Inch wide, mile deep
When thinking about how to make an aspect of a subject more challenging, it is helpful to think about curriculum as being made up of both surface-level material and at the same time ideas that require much deeper levels of understanding. A useful metaphor is a chasm that must be crossed: those learners who struggle need you to build a bridge to help them to get over it. However, other students will be able to climb all the way down into the chasm to see what is at the bottom, before climbing up the other side.
For each area of a subject, consider what you can add to create depth. This might typically be about digging into an area more deeply, going laterally with a concept, or asking students to use more complex terminology to describe abstract ideas.
4. Use questioning techniques to boost thinking
The effective use of questions is vital for stretching your highest-attaining learners. Studies have shown that teachers tend to use far more closed questions than open ones, even though open-ended questions lead to more challenge because they require higher-order thinking.
Socratic questioning is a very useful way to increase the level of difficulty of your questions, because it asks learners to dig down into the thinking behind questions and to provide evidence for their answers. You can find out more about this technique at www.criticalthinking.org.
Another useful approach to questioning is a technique commonly used in early years settings, and known as ‘sustained shared thinking’ (for more on this, see this report on the Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years Project). In this approach, the child’s thinking is developed through the use of a ‘serve and return’ conversation in which open-ended questions are asked to build understanding.
5. Consider learner roles
Taking on a fresh role or perspective can really help to challenge our thinking. This is particularly so where we are asked to argue in favour of a viewpoint that we do not ourselves hold. This encourages the learner to build empathy with different viewpoints and to consider how a topic looks from alternative perspectives. A simple way to do this is by asking students to argue the opposite position to that which they actually hold, during a class debate.
Sue Cowley is an author, presenter and teacher educator. Her book The Ultimate Guide to Differentiation is published by Bloomsbury.
To find out more about these techniques for creating stretch and challenge, watch Sue Cowley's webinar on this topic (member login required).
Not yet a NACE member? Find out more, and join our mailing list for free updates and free sample resources.
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Posted By NACE,
17 April 2019
Updated: 03 June 2019
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At our spring term meetup, hosted by Jesus College Oxford, NACE members from all phases and sectors joined to discuss and share approaches to developing independent learning skills. Read on for a selection of ideas to try out in your own school…
1. Extended research projects
Extended research projects are widely used across the NACE community, including Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs) as well as a range of other initiatives. At Birchensale Middle School, for example, Year 8 students undertake an independent research project in which points are collected by completing different tasks – the more challenging the task, the more points available. Learners have a choice of topics, presentation methods and supporting materials of different levels.
Meanwhile at Impington Village College, groups of more able learners in Years 8 to 10 from each faculty area meet fortnightly to support each other on an independent research project of their choice. With support from peers and their “faculty champion”, they develop higher-level research skills based on IB coursework models and the A-level EPQ.
2. Flipped learning
Alongside extended projects, members highlighted flipped learning as effective in developing independence. At Sarah Bonnell School (KS3-4) learners are provided with a bank of resources and reading for each topic, to work through independently ahead of lessons. Students’ response to this approach has been very positive, says the school’s Sabrina Sahebdin. “It allows them to come to the lesson prepared with questions and a chance to query areas where they need further clarification. Time is not wasted in fact finding during lessons; instead we apply knowledge, analyse and evaluate. It has stretched and challenged them further in aiding them with further research for peer teaching.”
3. Presenting to peers
Building on independent learning and research tasks, members highlighted the benefits of asking learners to present their findings to peers – digesting and sharing information in an accessible, engaging and/or persuasive way. Jamie Kisiel, Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Langley School (KS2-5), shared her use of a “knockout debate” competition, which she says has led to students providing more in-depth evaluation in essays and developing more thought-provoking questions, while also ensuring they have a strong foundation in the subject.
At Pangbourne College (KS3-5), learners are challenged to present as experts on a topic they have researched independently. G&T Coordinator Ellie Calver explains that while the whole class explores the same general topic, more able learners are tasked with presenting on the more open-ended and challenging aspects. She comments, “There is a sense of pride in being able to pull others forwards, a real interest in making the material interactive, and a drive to find out more in order to work out what is most significant.”
4. TIF tasks
At Caludon Castle School (KS3-5), each lesson and home-learning task includes a Take It Further or TIF activity – an opportunity to go deeper through independent learning. Assistant Headteacher Steff Hutchison explains, “The TIFs are usually fun, challenging, quirky, a little bit off the wall, so students want to engage with them.” Having come to expect and enjoy these tasks, more able learners now ask for additional TIFs or – even better – devise their own. Steff adds, “Doing the TIF is considered to be cool, so the majority of students of all abilities strive to complete at least one TIF in an average week.”
5. Student-run revision quizzes
At The Commonweal School (KS3-5), students take a leading role by running their own maths revision quizzes. Work in pairs or small groups, they develop questions on the topic being revisited, create a PowerPoint presentation and decide how points will be awarded. “The competitive element is a cause for great excitement – it’s good to see them having so much fun,” says G&T Coordinator Genny Williams. She adds that the initiative has helped learners develop a deeper understanding through working at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy, given them a strong motivation to take learning further, and has contributed to improved attainment in termly tests.
6. Super-curricular activities
At Hydesville Tower School, learners in Years 3 to 6 are invited to join the Problem-Solving Club – offering opportunities to work with peers on practical and engaging problem-solving activities. Assistant Headteacher Manjit Chand says participants are more inclined to take risks and use metacognitive strategies, and have developed their self-confidence, independence and resilience.
Shrewsbury High School’s Super Curriculum features a range of opportunities for stretch and challenge, including an Art Scholars club and Sixth Form Feminist Society. Each brings together students and staff with a shared interest, providing opportunities to engage with external partners (such as Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which hosted an exhibition of students’ work) and to explore the subject from multiple perspectives – including relevant research and personal experiences. “Ultimately,” says the school’s Natalie Thomas, “these initiatives work as a result of inspiring a love of learning.”
Learners at Malvern St James (EYFS-KS5) also benefit from opportunities to think and discuss ideas beyond the curriculum, at “discussion suppers” – small-group events at which selected students and staff discuss a topic over supper. Participants are asked to research the theme of the evening beforehand and to come prepared to share their ideas, listen to others, challenge and be challenged in turn. Learning Support and Enrichment Coordinator Rebecca Jones comments, “Pupils admit that it is quite a daunting experience, but feel pleased that they have taken part afterwards.”
7. Building blocks for discussion
While food helps to fuel debate at Malvern St James, at Shipston High School structure is provided with the help of Duplo or Lego bricks. Working in small groups, learners take turns to contribute to the conversation, adding a brick to a shared construction each time they speak. The colour of brick determines the nature of their contribution – for example, red bricks to accept, yellow to build, blue to challenge. Jordan Whitworth, Head of Religion, Ethics and Philosophy and the school’s lead NACE coordinator, says this simple activity has helped learners develop a range of skills for critical and independent thinking.
8. Access to other students’ solutions
At King Edwin Primary School, pupils have opportunities to learn from peers not just within their own school, but across the country. Having participated in the NACE/NRICH ambassadors scheme, Assistant Headteacher Anthony Bandy shared his experience of using the low-threshold, high-ceiling maths resources provided by Cambridge University’s NRICH. In particular, he highlighted the impact of sharing the solutions published on the NRICH website – which allow learners to see how other students, from different phases and schools, have solved each problem. This can inspire more able learners to seek out different approaches, to grasp new strategies and skills independently – including those covered at later key stages – and to apply this learning in different contexts.
Find out more…
For additional ideas and guidance to help your more able students develop as independent learners, join our upcoming members’ webinar on this topic. The webinar will take place on 25 April 2019, led by Dr Matthew Williams, Access Fellow at Jesus College Oxford.
For full details and to reserve your place, log in to our members’ site.
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Posted By Gail Roberts,
15 January 2019
Updated: 23 December 2020
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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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Posted By NACE,
15 January 2019
Updated: 12 July 2019
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At last term’s NACE member meetup, hosted by The Science Museum, attendees shared tried-and-tested approaches to using questioning effectively to challenge all learners in science. Spanning all phases, and applicable across other subject areas, here are 10 ideas to try in your own classroom…
1. “Tinker time”
Rhian Roberts, Science Lead at Thomson House School, outlined the use of “tinker time” – time for learners to explore the question: “What do you know already?” As well as allowing teachers to assess current understanding and misconceptions to inform future planning, Rhian notes that this also allows pupils to take ownership of their learning, share knowledge with peers, and ask their own questions to move their learning forward.
A similar approach is used at Hydesville Tower School, where learners are prompted to list questions at the start of a new unit. Questions are then shared with peers for up-levelling using Bloom’s Taxonomy, and displayed to be addressed as the unit progresses. The impact, says Science Leader David Burnham, has included “increased ownership of learning, greater engagement, higher thought processes and a raised awareness of the broader scientific field.”
2. Question starters
At Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg, sentence stems are used to help learners develop increasingly challenging questions. For example, they might work as group to generate questions based on a photograph, using the following stems:
- Why do you think…?
- Can you explain why…?
- What evidence can you find…?
- Are there any other ways you could…?
- How successful was…?
Groups then swap questions and suggest answers to those posed by their peers. Dr Nia Griffiths, Head of Science, says this approach has led to higher engagement and longer-lasting focus on the task, as well as developing independent learning skills.
3. Solo exploration, double-up, present
At Invicta Grammar School, a three-stage process is used to answer a set of questions, shared out across the class. First, learners work independently on the questions they’ve been given, with support and resources available to develop a detailed response and identify potential discrepancies. They then pair up, collaborating to develop responses further. Finally, they present their work to the whole class, speaking as the “expert” on the questions they have investigated.
“Having worked on two sets of questions, students are doing almost twice as much work in the time available,” says Assistant Director of Science Charlotte McGivern. “They also develop skills to support one another, and the ability to articulate their answers fully.” She recommends jotting down prompters on post-it notes to share with learners during the first stage, helping them to fully explore each question.
4. “Phone a friend”
Peer support is also used at Bardfield Academy, where learners are encouraged to “phone a friend” to help them answer a question in more depth. Science Coordinator Heather Weston says this has meant learners feel more confident about asking for support, as well as providing opportunities for more able learners to share and develop their understanding by explaining difficult concepts to their peers.
To implement this effectively, Heather recommends encouraging learners to attempt to answer the question themselves first, using the “phone” option as a secondary measure to add depth and detail. She also suggests discussing the approach with more able learners separately to ensure they are ready and willing to be the “friend” at the end of the line.
5. Pose, pause, pounce, bounce
This four-stage approach to questioning was shared by Louise Mayhook, a member of the science department at The Bromfords School and Sixth Form College. First, pose a question to the class. Next: pause. Ask students to think, think again, write down and refine their response. Once the tension has mounted… pounce! Choose a student to share his/her answer and pause again to allow time for this. Finally, bounce: ask another student to comment on the first response.
Louise explains that this strategy embeds the effective use of thinking time, encourages learners to make notes (freeing up working memory), extends thinking, and challenges learners to listen closely to peers in order to build upon others’ ideas and develop a shared response.
6. Bouncing questions
Returning to Invicta Grammar School, here again questions are “bounced” from learner to learner – starting with a fairly simple question, and moving up through increasing levels of challenge towards synoptic questions that link with other areas of study. Biology teacher Hannah Gorski explains that this approach helps to build confidence and teamwork, while allowing the more able to develop and verbally consolidate their understanding of challenging concepts and links between them.
In a similar approach, Burton Borough School also “bounces” questions around the class. This time, learners prepare their own questions to ask peers. The first student chooses another to respond, who answers and in turn chooses the next. The school’s Jeremy Price notes that this approach has supported the development of strong subject knowledge and enjoyment, with learners motivated to come up with challenging questions for their classmates.
7. What happened first?
At Charterhouse Square School, learners are challenged to identify the correct order of events in science-related timelines. Given a set of milestone scientific achievements, discoveries and inventions, learners discuss their ideas about which happened first, providing arguments to back up their chronology. For an example of this, the school’s Amie Dickinson recommends the electrical inventions timeline game available via The Ogden Trust website.
In a similar vein, Science Coordinator Damian Cook shared an example from Oliver House School in which learners are challenged to analyse the elements of a food chain, answering the following questions:
- Why do you think this animal has been so successful at being at the top of the chain?
- What would it take for this animal to lose its position at the top?
For an additional challenge, learners are asked to consider which animal the top predator had evolved from, providing evidence to support their answer. Damian notes that once learners become accustomed to this approach, “they start to think like scientists and stretch their minds, which benefits their other studies – I hope!”
8. Visual prompts
The use of visual prompts alongside challenging questioning was a recurrent theme at the meetup. Shona Butler, Science Lead at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, shared the Explorify website as a useful source of engaging images and videos to prompt questions and discussion. She says this approach has helped learners develop confidence in considering a range of ideas, explaining their ideas and justifying their responses.
The Basildon Academies’ Michael Frempong and Hayley Richards – Heads of Science for the Lower and Upper Academies respectively – also advocated the use of pictures or objects to stimulate thinking and discussion. They noted that this allows all learners to contribute, while providing ample scope for learners to ask their own questions – of the objects, the teacher and each other.
9. “Fact first” questioning
To challenge learners to think in more depth about a subject, Drapers’ Academy’s Luxy Thanabalasingham shared the “fact first” approach – starting by giving learners a fact and challenging them to investigate further by generating “how” and “why” questions. Learners may work independently or in pairs, progressing to share their questions and ideas with the wider group. This is an effective way to move on from simple factual questions, Luxy says, encouraging learners to develop their higher-order thinking skills.
10. Write your own exam question
Finally, Weston Favell Academy’s Charlotte Heffernan shared her use of an activity in which learners are challenged to create their own exam questions and accompanying mark schemes. To get started, she suggests providing an answer and asking learners to suggest the question, or providing a question and asking learners to create the mark scheme.
Learners could also be challenged to create questions appropriate for different ability levels, considering what the examiner would be looking for and how key skills and knowledge could be assessed. This approach allows for self-differentiation, Charlotte notes, and has improved learners’ independence in answering questions.
Member resources
- Webinar: Effective questioning in science
- Webinar: Science capital: putting the research into practice
- NACE Essentials: Realising the potential of more able learners in GCSE science
- NACE Essentials: Using SOLO Taxonomy to increase challenge in the classroom
To access these resources, log in to our members’ site.
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Posted By NACE,
17 January 2018
Updated: 12 July 2019
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At last term’s NACE member meetup at the National Maritime Museum, attendees had the opportunity to exchange approaches and resources to support working in depth for more able learners. From the plethora of fantastic ideas exchanged on the day, here are seven to try in your school…
1. Going SOLO
NACE associate Heather Clements opened the discussion with an overview of SOLO Taxonomy, and several attendees also shared examples of how their schools are using SOLO. Ideas included showing the SOLO verbs on class walls with colour-coding by taxonomy stage, to develop learners’ language and motivate them to move up a level, and incorporating the taxonomy in marking webs at the start and end of units.
2. TED breakfast club
Shared by Rachel Bellfield at Capital City Academy, this breakfast club provides a filling and stimulating start to the day – with mental fodder provided in the form of subject-related TED talk recordings. Participating learners make notes in a journal, keeping a record of links to their lesson-time learning.
3. Oxplore.org
Recommended by a number of NACE members, this website run by the University of Oxford aims to engage 11-18 year olds in complex ideas and debates that go beyond their school curriculum. Users can take on the site’s “Big Questions”, watch videos, test their knowledge, join live online events, and pose their own questions.
4. Really short stories
To challenge learners to focus on the quality of their vocabulary and precision of language use, Fran Pett at John Ruskin Primary school suggested giving tight parameters for written tasks – such as a 16-word limit for short stories, or a maximum number of sentences per paragraph.
5. Headteachers’ challenge
At Oakleigh House school, learners are challenged each week to take on the headteachers’ challenge, posted up on the Aim High board. Responses are shared in an assembly, with outstanding work showcased on the board.
6. Questioning for parents
To help parents and carers develop their use of questioning, Salcombe Preparatory School runs workshops on this topic, featuring practical demonstrations by staff and students. These events are supported by a booklet on questioning for parents and carers, and aligned with other events for maximum reach.
7. Model United Nations
Finally, Nathan Wooding at Edge Grove Preparatory School recommended participation in the Model United Nations as an inspiring and engaging way for learners to develop a whole range of skills, including independent learning, project work, research, critical thinking and negotiation.
How does your school support working in depth? Add a comment below to share your ideas.
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aspirations
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enrichment
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SOLO Taxonomy
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Posted By Tom Hills,
19 June 2017
Updated: 07 August 2019
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Ynysowen Community Primary School is a successful primary school in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. The school is a Digital Pioneer School for the Welsh government and is a self-improving school. Ynysowen achieved its second NACE Challenge Award accreditation in May 2017.
Tom Hills, deputy headteacher and additional learning needs coordinator, gives an overview of the substantial work the school has done in the area of marking and feedback.
For a long time now schools have known that the feedback students receive is a vital component in moving learning forward. Some, like John Hattie, go as far as to say that it is the single most powerful modification we can make with regards to improving achievement, while the Education Endowment Foundation cites an average gain of up to eight months progress.
Couple this with the fact that marking features at or near the top of every survey conducted into teacher workload, and there are potentially huge benefits to all involved – if we get it right. And if we get it right, then we can lift the lid and remove some of the traditional glass ceilings that are in place in education, particularly for MAT learners.
“Non-negotiables” for marking and feedback
Based on this, we took the decision to review our already established good practice at Ynysowen Community Primary School. This led to us forming the following requirements as the basis for all subsequent work in this area.
We insisted that marking and feedback must:
- Be highly valued by the pupils;
- Be informative in terms of next steps;
- Impact upon pupil progress;
- Be highly valued by the staff;
- Be manageable;
- Put the onus on learners taking ownership and responsibility for their improvement and progress.
In order to achieve this, we set out the following non-negotiables.
- Every time a member of staff puts pen to paper to mark, learners will respond.
- When marking a body of text, marking will signpost learners to errors to correct via a coded marking system. (Code placed in the margin on the line where the error occurred.)
- When providing feedback by comment it will, where possible, contain an element of self-regulation, as this develops greater skills in self-evaluation or confidence to engage further on a task. Where this isn't appropriate, comments will focus on the process used in the task, or on the content of the completed work.
- Dedicated Improvement and Response Time (DIRT) must be used at the start of every lesson.
Impact and ongoing developments
The new coded marking was implemented in conjunction with DIRT and immediately had the desired impact of increasing pupil engagement with marking, and substantially reducing teacher workload. Within two weeks, staff reported learners beginning to use the coded mark system without prompting to self-assess and improve their work – before their teacher could mark it.
Over time, training was given to staff with regards to moving from task- and product-related comments to process and self-regulation. Initial baseline book review showed 65% of comments across KS2 were task- and product-related, 30% were related to process and only 5% self-regulation. After training, this moved to a much more balanced 40%, 35% and 25% respectively. Work is ongoing to further improve this swing.
When asked about marking and feedback, learners respond very positively. They talk with confidence about the purpose of marking and articulate clearly how it helps them move on in their learning; they love DIRT time. All teachers report a huge reduction in marking time.
This project has been the catalyst for more evidence-based reviews of practice. We have undertaken substantial work with regards to questioning and are currently taking some tentative steps in beginning to explore the area of metacognition for our older learners. Marking and feedback will be reviewed next year to look at how best to incorporate the features available in Google for Education (previously Google Apps for Education) – something the school uses extensively.
Making use of Google for Education
Google for Education offers facilities, the likes of which have never been readily available to schools in such a user-friendly way. Learners can use the apps to share their work and allow comments, so peers can suggest changes and leave feedback. This, however, need not be limited to within the classroom or even school – opening up all sorts of possibilities for school-to-school working across the world.
Then there’s Google Forms, which provides a different dimension to peer- and self-assessment. Theoretically learners could create their own form asking for feedback on specific things in their work and invite responses from people across the world.
Google Classroom makes collating learners’ work easy and quick and allows teachers to make and/or grade work and send it back to the pupil who can make alterations and re-submit. With the huge range of extensions and apps available in the Google Marketplace, this feedback could now take the form of saved audio clips – something that will make feedback even more detailed and accurate, with no time cost.
For those who prefer to use a pen to mark, there are now apps that allow the use of a stylus to physically mark pupils’ digital work. This is then converted to a .pdf and stored alongside the original work.
Given that Google for Education is continually updating and adding new features, the feedback functionality stands to get better and better, which can only be a good thing!
Tags:
assessment
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independent learning
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progression
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