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: 

1. Give high priority to pupil voice in developing their own learning journey.
2. Develop pupil voice throughout each year group, key stage and the whole school.
3. Embrace the curriculum reform and develop children’s understanding.
4. Allow all learners to excel and reach their full potential.
5. 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.  

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NACE Research and Development Director Dr Ann McCarthy explores the ethos behind this year’s NACE R&D Hub on the theme “rethinking assessment” – including some key questions for all school leaders and teachers to consider.

“Rethinking assessment” is the focus of one of our NACE Research and Development Hubs this year. The question we are asking ourselves is:

If I rethink an aspect of assessment, to include it as part of the learning process, will more able pupils have a better understanding of the learning process; as such will they exhibit greater depth, complexity or analytic skills in their learning?

Within this Hub, leaders and teachers are seeking to improve the value and effectiveness of assessment. Some are making small changes to classroom practice; others are seeking to make changes within teams; and others are making strategic decisions which include a change in school policies. 

One might ask why this is of interest and indeed necessary when there are so many initiatives being introduced into our schools. The answer is that assessment dominates the learning environment in that it provides summative evaluations and provides instructional feedback to help learners progress. It also has the potential to enable pupils to become powerful, autonomous and self-regulating learners, both now and into the future. 

However, assessment practice does not always benefit more able learners and often detracts from the learning itself. In this article I begin by raising awareness of potential hazards when planning assessment, before thinking about the purpose of assessment and the possibilities open to us if we rethink our own practice.

Tests, examinations and potential hazards

Every year following the publication of examination results we hear the statistics about the change in numbers achieving specific grades. Schools are then judged on the effectiveness of reaching performance thresholds. It is not surprising that curriculum in some schools is at risk of becoming narrow and entirely examination-focused.

For those that oppose the current system, there are arguments that methods for obtaining grades or performance measures should be reviewed and changed. There has been discussion about whether employers and universities understand the endpoint grades. At all stages of learning endpoint grades do not always lead to progression in learning. Prior learning is not always understood as learners move from primary to secondary, Year 11 to sixth form or on to schools, colleges, universities and employment. 

Another issue is that testing does not necessarily respond to the different ways pupils learn, the additional needs they might have or the wider intellectual, developmental or metacognitive gains which might be possible. Pupils with differing learning needs or experiences can find it difficult to demonstrate their skills and abilities within the format of the current assessments. 

More able pupils deserve the highest grades and the expectation from parents and pupils is that this will become a reality. This puts pressure on both the class teacher and school to provide a curriculum which consistently leads to these outcomes. It also places pressure on the pupils to achieve an examination or test standard bounded by a fixed curriculum. Schools carefully package the curriculum into small but connected areas of learning which can be delivered, revised and assessed effectively. 

However, another potential hazard lies in the preparation of the curriculum in that pupils can experience too many assessments. Schools wishing to maintain a prescribed standard each year with a trajectory of performance with the target grade as the endpoint will often use data-driven assessment. Here they risk placing numeric data ahead of meaningful learning. Pupils are then at risk from pressure imposed by continuous high- and low-stakes assessment detached from learning. In the worst-case scenario, more time is invested in measuring learning rather than developing the pupils’ potential. 

Another problem associated with a prescribed endpoint measure is that the assessments which pupils experience throughout the period of instruction mirror the endpoint assessment even though pupils may not have the maturity, linguistic capability or experience to make the greatest learning gains from the experience. This is often seen most clearly in the secondary phase of learning when pupils are given GCSE-style questions as young as age 11. 

Regardless of all these points, the reality is that for all the problems which exist within the current system, we live in a country where our qualifications have international recognition and value. So how then, working within the current constraints, can we help our pupils to become confident and successful learners while avoiding some of these hazards?

What then are we seeking to rethink, if not the system itself?

In rethinking assessment, we seek to enable our pupils to achieve the highest standards; because they have mastered the learning through effective curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment. To achieve this, we need to imagine what pupils have the potential to know, learn, think and do. We also need to think beyond the limitations of compulsory prescribed content. We can enable more able pupils with their variety of backgrounds, learning needs and potential to acquire a deeper understanding of subject, context, applications, and of their own learning. We can provide pupils with more information about the nature of learning and their own learning so that they feel in control of the process.

Deciding the purpose of assessment 

When rethinking assessment, it must align with the educational philosophy held by all stakeholders. Different schools will adopt different approaches to assessment, but the most effective practices exist when the purpose of assessment is clearly articulated and understood. It works well when there is consistent practice, which not only informs the teaching but also facilitates learning and engages pupils in their learning. Assessment should not create an additional workload, nor should it be focused on the acquisition of data which is detached from learning.

There have been many attempts to characterise good assessment practice. An example here comes from The Assessment Reform Group who summarised the characteristics of assessment that promotes learning using the following seven principles:

1. It is embedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential part;
2. It involves sharing learning goals with pupils;
3. It aims to help pupils to know and to recognise the standards they are aiming for;
4. It involves pupils in self-assessment;
5. It provides feedback which leads to pupils recognising their next steps and how to take them;
6. It is underpinned by confidence that every student can improve;
7. It involves both teacher and pupils reviewing and reflecting on assessment data. 

Broadfoot et al., 1999, p. 7

 When planning formative assessment teachers may want to reflect on the view expressed by Black and Wiliam that it is:

“the extent that evidence about student achievement is elicited, interpreted, and used by teachers, learners, or their peers, to make decisions about the next steps in instruction that are likely to be better, or better founded, than the decisions they would have taken in the absence of the evidence that was elicited.”

Black & Wiliam, 2009, p. 9

When deciding the purpose of assessment, we need to be clear about the way in which it will feed information back into the learning process. Students need to understand themselves as learners and know what else they need to learn. This moves us away from activities which are pressured and demotivating. It moves us towards assessment choices which increase motivation and focus. Good assessment practice will allow pupils to take greater control of their learning when they understand the level of challenge, can set themselves challenges and utilise information or feedback to make progress. 

When you rethink assessment:

• How would you summarise the characteristics of good assessment in your school?
• What is the purpose of the planned assessments?
• What impact will they have on learning and progress?
• What impact will assessment have on teaching?
• How will pupils use the assessment and feedback to regulate their own learning

To what extent will authentic assessment enhance learning?

Authentic assessment practices are seen to be favourable by linking the classroom to wider experience. However, there are a wide range of views on what this might look like. We often see examination questions which are set within a “real life context”. The difficulty with this approach is that the questions become complicated and often distract the pupils from the learning rather than contributing to it. Gulikers, Bastiaens and Kirschner proposed assessment which relates more directly to the context in which the learning might be experienced. Their model enabled:

“students to use the same competencies, or combinations of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to apply in the criterion situation in professional life.”

Gulikers et al, 2004, p. 69

Litchfield and Dempsey (2015), proposed authentic assessment would lead to in-depth learning and the application of knowledge. Assessment activity becomes meaningful, interesting and collaborative. Through authentic practice pupils can develop a greater range of learning attributes. They become more active learners using critical thinking, problem solving and metacognitive strategies.

Whether or not we use the idea of authentic assessment as a driver for our assessment practices, we would all agree that we want pupils to engage in meaningful and interesting activities. If our assessment practices sit within the learning process and enable pupils to work collaboratively to achieve more, then the assessment activity and the learning activity can combine to improve the quality of learning and cognitive development. 

Evaluating our practice

Once a decision has been made to rethink assessment, we need to revisit our aims and principles.

Do your aims and principles:

• Promote assessment as integral to learning and the shaping of future learning? 
• Promote high expectations for all pupils and ensure assessment places no inadvertent ceiling on achievement?
• Value and represent achievement for all pupils across the breadth and depth of the curriculum using a variety of approaches?
• Recognise that assessment needs to be constructive, motivate pupils, extend learning, and develop resilient, independent learners?
• Take account of how the expanding knowledge of the science of how pupils learn is changing modes of assessing what pupils know?

These principles are used by NACE members to audit assessment practice in their schools. Here we can see how the pupil is catered for within the process. We seek to help the pupil to become more resilient, resourceful and independent. We want both the pupil and the teacher to have realistic high expectations so that there is no ceiling on learning but also no undue pressure by praising the outcome over the effort. 

The assessment itself is integral to the learning process. The assessment shapes the learning and the learner. It guides the teacher’s practice and is dependent on a good understanding of both the curriculum and cognition. By rethinking assessment we can still achieve the endpoint measures but also go beyond this to create an environment for learning which nourishes and develops each individual.

Metacognition and assessment

If we are truly committed to using assessment as a practice integral to learning and as a learning tool for both teacher and pupil, we need a good knowledge of the curriculum, the connections between areas of learning, potential for depth and breadth of learning beyond the limitations of core curriculum, cognition and cognitive processes. When assessment practices enable pupils to develop metacognition and metacognitive skills, they will be able to respond well to new experiences and learning.

Dunlosky and Metcalfe (2009) describe three processes of metacognition: knowledge, monitoring, and control.

• Knowledge: understanding how learning works and how to improve it.
• Monitoring: self-assessment of understanding, 
• Control: any required self-regulation.

I would argue that rethinking assessment should be driven by our increased understanding of metacognition. Self-assessment skills sit at the heart of metacognitive competencies. If we view metacognition as “thinking about thinking” or “learning about learning” we can then see that the pupils need answers to some questions.

• What should I be thinking about? 
• What do I need to know? 
• Am I understanding this material at the level of competency needed for my upcoming challenge?
• What am I trying to learn?
• How am I learning?
• Do I need to change my focus?
• Do I need to change my learning strategy?

Self-assessment is a core metacognitive skill that links understanding of learning and how to improve it to the development of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in an ability to succeed in a particular situation. Self-efficacy is the product of experience, observation, persuasion, and emotion. If pupils learn to monitor their developing competencies and control their cognitive strategies, they will be able to organise and execute the actions needed to respond to new learning experiences. 

Next steps for teachers and leaders

All schools, regardless of outcomes, will review and evaluate practice each year. As a part of this it is important to revisit assessment practices within the classroom, across subjects and phases and at a whole-school strategic level.

Within the classroom the teacher can begin by imagining small changes which can lead to a better learning experience and a greater impact on learning and metacognition. These changes might include:

• Changes to recall practices with acquired vocabulary or knowledge being used in different contexts;
  
• Organisation of collaborative learning groups where understanding can be observed through pupils’ interaction;
• Pre-planned “big questions” and extended questioning which challenges understanding;
• Independent research, challenges or project work;
• Changes to feedback and response activities;
• Use of entry and exit tickets;
• Use of “cutaway” learning models;
• Pupil-led diagnostic responses;
• Pupil self-selected challenge and extension activities;
• Whole-class marking, feedback and active response.

Many of these are possibly in use at present but they have greatest impact when planned within the lesson structure and used consistently so that teachers and pupils share an understanding of learning and learning potential. When planning within a subject or phase, a strategy which is shared between teachers and understood by pupils will reap the greatest rewards. If pupils know what they are doing and why they are doing it, they will recognise the importance of the activity. When activities combine cumulatively to improve knowledge, learning and understanding of both subject and self, then pupils will make the greatest gains.

The preparation for endpoint examination then appears in the final months of study, when the format of the testing is explained, shared and practised; not to increase knowledge and understanding, but to secure outcomes. Pupils will be able to approach this preparation, as they would any testing or competitive situation, as training and warm-up for the final event. Their education as a whole having been confident and secure, they will approach this new challenge with a sense of purpose and self-belief.

So how then can leaders manage a whole-school strategy? This can often prove an obstacle when planning to make change. Leaders must know how well pupils are progressing, how well the curriculum is being delivered and the quality of teaching in the classroom. This is where school ethos, aims and principles are important. By agreeing a model for assessment practice which does not overload teachers but provides evidence of the quality of education, leaders can themselves adopt the same assessment and evaluation models as they use in their classrooms. 

When teachers all work towards a common and agreed framework for curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment, pupils do not need to be tested to measure teacher performance. High-quality professional development, dialogue and collaboration supports high-quality practice. Good-quality systems provide the narrative which expose the quality of learning and performance within the school. It is the responsibility of school leaders to create a narrative which can be evidenced through consistency of belief and practice in all classrooms. The conversation then returns to learning and teaching and individual pupils’ needs or aspirations rather than numeric data tracking.

Whatever style of data tracking and targets a school chooses to use, it is important to keep the pupils and their learning at the centre of the conversation.

Taking steps to rethink assessment

The NACE “Rethinking Assessment” R&D Hub is supporting teachers and leaders to take a small step in making a change in practice. The Hub supports those wishing to plan a small-scale project through which they can evidence the impact of change. Here we can see how activities which may be evident in other schools can be trialled over a short period of time so that their true impact can be observed. Teachers and leaders participating in the Hub are engaged in a variety of activities as they seek to rethink assessment practices in their classrooms and schools. These include:

• Improving pupils’ understanding of assessment by providing greater guidance;
• Enabling pupils to respond well to questions which have greater stretch and challenge;
• Make better use of feedback and individual response activities;
• Reconfiguring the sequence of assessment so that there is a more coherent structure;
• Developing assessment strategies for project-based learning which enable pupils to challenge themselves and extend their knowledge; 
• Making use of “what if…” questions and developing teachers’ skills in new ways of assessing the responses;
• Refining the language of feedback so that pupils can extend and deepen thinking;
• Updating marking and feedback policies and strategies so that there is a whole-staff appreciation of effective practice;
• Improving the use of disciplinary language within teaching, learning and assessment;
• Planning assessments within a metacognitive model.

The ideas proposed for rethinking assessment in all these schools build on existing good practice. Teachers have examined the context within their schools and evaluated the impact of current practice. From this they hypothesised on elements of practice which could be improved, replaced or refined. They are now seeking to enhance existing good practice to meet the aims and principles as discussed. Regardless of your position in the school it is possible to revisit your assessment practices.

Share your experience with others

• Do you routinely use an assessment practice or approach which helps you to assess, monitor or evaluate learning well? 
• Do you have a good assessment strategy which you can share which enables pupils to learn well or helps them to improve their performance? 
• Do you have some advice for others which you can share?
• Can you describe some changes to classroom assessment practices which have improved learning?
• Can you share a whole-school assessment strategy which has made a difference in your school?

If you feel you can add to the conversation, please contact us so we can help to share your successes with the wider NACE community.

References

• Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5-31.
• Broadfoot, P. M., Daugherty, R., Gardner, J., Gipps, C. V., Harlen, W., James, M., & Stobart, G. (1999). Assessment for learning: beyond the black box. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge School of Education.
• Dunlosky, J. & Metcalfe, J. (2009). Metacognition. Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Gulikers, J. T., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational technology research and development, 52(3), 67-86.
• Litchfield, B. C., & Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic assessment of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2015(142), 65-80.