Banishing quiet classrooms:
pupils talking teachers listening
teachers talking across phases
Tim Nelson and Julie Roberts
Gateshead LA
What the workshop intends
to do …
• Show how to develop pupil voice so
that as learners pass through the
system, their voice is not lost.
• They do not become passive.
• Discuss developing dialogue to give
them the skills they need to be
involved in learning.
The cross-phase action research project
• Used AfL as the focus but then
narrowed this down to investigate
the use of dialogue within the classroom
and its impact on pupil learning
• To look at developing a commonality of
approaches
The cross-phase
action research project
• National Strategy funded pilot
• Started in January 2007
• Involves one secondary and five of its
primary feeder schools
• Set up 2 networks : Head teachers
»
Teachers
• Each network met at least twice a term.
• Builds on work already going on in
the LA
Project outcomes:
Pupils talking teachers listening
• Pupils’ improvement in the quality of discussion,
extended answers and pupils ability to build on
each others answers
• Improvement in the quality of written work
• More pupils participating (particularly secondary)
• Pupils talk in depth with confidence in the primary
school
• Pupils in Year 7 need support to talk in the same
depth with a new set of people
We like talking to
each other because
sometimes someone
has a better idea then
you can work
together to solve the
problem
I explained to the other
group how I solved the
puzzle… some did it in
a different way
Pupils
said …
We can share ideas and solve the
problem more easily when we work
together
I hope we will discuss our
learning when we move to our
next school. It would be sad if
we didn’t because we share
ideas and that helps us to see
where we need to improve so
we just get better and better.
Project outcomes:
Teachers talking cross phase
• Teachers in triads benefited from working
closely to share ideas and information
• They observed how different strategies
opened up dialogue in the classroom
• The project had provided a focussed
opportunity to develop links with primary
colleagues
• Good relationships are being established
• Teacher observations had raised expectations
about what pupils were capable of achieving.
From not knowing either environment,
we know have a greater understanding
and insight of each other.
The observations have helped us to
continue to develop best practice
The observations have allowed us to see
and understand what was involved at
primary/ secondary level.
Secondary colleagues can now speak confidently to
pupils about their primary experiences
Students’ movement from
one school to the next,
and the impact on their
learning, has been a
concern for many years.
Ruth Sutton
‘Cross phase collaboration between
teachers and partnerships between
schools are difficult concepts to put
into action. Primary and secondary
education phases are separate rather
than a continuum, with a different
initial training, teaching methods
and support network.’
(Martin,2007)
Purpose
To contribute to raising
attainment in English,
Mathematics, Science, ICT
and DT by strengthening:
•Transfer and transition between
and within schools and settings
particularly focussing on the
continuity of learning
•Use of assessment data to set
learning targets for all pupils
•Pupil ownership and involvement
of their own learning
•Parental involvement at points
of transition and transfer
SC
Developing a
commonality
of
approaches
using AfL
Drive
Colgate
Roman
Heworth
Road
Lingey
House
White
Mere
Feedback
Dialogue
Peer and Self Assessment
The cross-phase action research project
• Who are involved?
Primary:
3 year 5,
1 year 2
1 year 6
Secondary: English, Maths, Science, ICT & DT
• How did it work?
Teachers were sub divided into cross phase
triads.
Each half term organised lesson observations
of all in their triad.
Individually
identify on where
your class is and
where you want
them to go next
Develop
strategies to
move the
children on
Visit each others
class within
triangle
Integrate strategies
seen from
elsewhere and
continue to develop
children’s skills
Visit each others
class within
triangle
Compile range of
evidence to show
how children
have developed
Visit each others
class within
triangle
1st Feb
13th March
April /May
June/July
Teachers
TLC
Teachers
TLC
Teachers
TLC
Teachers
TLC
20th March
April/May
June/July
Headteachers TLC
Headteachers TLC
Headteachers TLC
Consultant visit
before 6th March
Consultant visit
Consultant visit
Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Networking
Collaboration
Enquiry
External input
Leadership
Integration and management mechanisms
Focus and purpose
Common and differences
Triad 1
• *Routines linking peer and
self-assessment back to
success criteria;
• *talking partners,
• *‘no hands’,
• *looking
at
learning
objectives
and creating
success criteria.
Triad 2
• wait time’
• focussed questioning
• the inclusion of all children
Triad 3
• open questioning.
•
•
•
•

•






•
Triad 1
*levels
*self-esteem issues
Triad 2
Feedback
Triad 3
 the use of lolly sticks
to encourage
 talking partners in groups
 teacher and pupil talk
pupils giving detailed
explanations
 opportunities for reflection
 the use of success criteria
self assessment and explanations
good independent dialogue used
by pupils without the teacher
Reviewing the range of strategies
used
• Insert 32 strategies here.
Commonality
of principles applied
• Vocabulary
• Developing some common
learning routines such as
talking partners
• Developing extended answers
and quality dialogue
Talking
Partners
Wait time
Pounce, bounce,
bounce
Randometer
Ask a friend millionaire
No hands up
Outcomes:
Pupil voice and personalised learning
1. Developed talk in learning through on
going conversation at different levels
•
•
•
•
Learner with learner
Teacher to learner
Learner to teacher
Teacher with teacher
Outcomes:
Pupil voice and personalised learning
2. Focused upon anomalies in learning
practice and disjointed structure of pupils’
learning journey;
3. Talk between pupils and their teachers
helped to personalise learning;
4. Talk between teachers helped to develop
commonality of AfL principles and
vocabulary;
5. Learners became more confident;
6. Improved the quality of work and learning;
7. Aroused interest and engaged pupils far
more in their learning and for longer.
Headteacher outcomes
• Primary school headteachers’ felt that the project
was going well and had raised the profile of AfL,
although an emerging issue was the difficulty of
embedding AfL across a school.
• One school used a teacher involved in the project by
encouraging other staff to observe the successful
strategies in practice and to observe their impact on
pupils.
• All agreed that the project was timely.
• The focus on questioning and dialogue fitted in with
other key messages on developing speaking and
listening.
• Project had highlighted for some schools the need to
further develop dialogue.
What is still to come?
• Expanded to include 8 Primary feeder schools
• Continue to focus on developing pupil dialogue
in the classrooms
• Teacher observations will continue this term
• Develop strategies for feedback, peer and self
assessment
• Build the work into structures within schools/
departments
• Lesser experienced/ ‘harder to move’ staff could
perhaps be invited into the project as a method
of implementing more effective CPD
• Including a focus of the impact of the work on
‘vulnerable students’ in the transfer process.
• Exploring parental involvement
‘It now takes a bit more
time to get something,
whereas in the past it had
taken no time to get
nothing.’
Gary Secondary