• A range of new support resources have been developed based on advice and recommendations from the Learning Skills Champions group:
• Assembly Banners are now available for schools to reserve and loan. These are large scale images mounted on portable bases to introduce the children to each character through assemblies.
• The Learning Skills Champions also provided input into the new Learning Skills Activity Database. Each school representative provided mini-case studies of teaching techniques and activities based on their areas of expertise and linked these to the learning skills. There are well over 100 activities detailed in the database including Enterprise, Thinking Skills, Drama and Speaking and Listening, so teachers can use the system flexibly to search for activities that utilise a specific skill or subject area.
• A range of Foundation Resources have been produced to support the Learning Skills in Foundation Stage with a selection of posters, fans and table cubes.
• A full assembly pack is now available to introduce the skills and characters in whole school or Key Stage Assemblies.

’s Predator Week- March 2009

·         Predator Week is a multimedia themed week designed to introduce and/or consolidate the Learning Skills Curriculum for children in Year 5.

·         The week focuses on and individual earning skills each day with a problem solving focus for the whole week.

·         The week combines Drama, Visual Literacy, Problem Solving, Discrete Literacy and Science

·         Predator Week has now been undertaken in all of the Zone Primary Schools

Aims:

·         To exemplify Learning Skills in a real but curriculum based context

·         To exemplify the planning of Learning Skills into the wider curriculum

·         To engage children in the learning process

·         To teach children persuasive writing techniques

·         To teach children Science: Animals in their habitats/Animal adaptations

Update and New Developments

·         The St.Ann’s Predator Week was an enormous success with all children fully engaging in the week’s activities and producing excellent work from the stimulus

·         The use of more computers in the group work task allowed easier access to the Predator database for the children and aided children in the sharing of resources. In future weeks we may expand the number of digital microscopes in the task as well.

·         The extended range of animal skulls by borrowing the Badsley collection allowed much improved concrete preparation for the skulls task and as a result the children gained far more knowledge for the quiz phase.

·         Although engaged and on task the EAL children were sometimes not catered for by the tasks and this will be targeted in subsequent years.

·         A Predator week Maths Adventure based on similar work at East Dene is the next stage in developing the unit. Visual Literacy, Problem Solving and a challenge scenario will be combined to form a semi-autonomous series of Maths activities based on Predators.

LSC Update- Presentations

We the expansion of the Learning Skills Curriculum and its related activities a series of presentations have been made at Authority level to showcase the effective practice in the Zone and to make links with colleagues in the SES. Successful presentations have been made to the Rotherham Digital Group, Rotherham Digital Champions and the SES meeting. A big thank you for all the support offered to use so far, with everyone really supportive, but particularly the CLC’s, Digital Champions and Literacy Consultants. 

Thematic Studies Update

With the latest highly successful Thematic Units in Fantastic Journeys and Fair Trade completed, the Clifton team have moved on to planning the final two units both based around Leisure Journeys. The Thematic team have planned a range of Learning Skills based activities that combine writing biographies, biographical films, Clifton Park and Leisure and Tourism. The six Thematic units are now planned and resourced for use and improvement next year.

Seth Sergeson in Y6

Introduction

• All year 6 classes across the Zone take part in the Virtual Author themed week.
• The week combines Drama, Visual Literacy, ICT and discrete Literacy to target children’s understanding of and authors’ intentions.
• The week provides teachers with all the necessary planning and resources to implement the activities quickly and efficiently

Aims

·         To develop children’s understanding of authors’ intentions

·         To engage children in the writing/editing process

·         To improve attainment in both reading and writing

Positives

• All children actively took part in the week and engaged wholeheartedly in the process
• Teachers reported an improvement in children’s understanding of the area of authors’ intentions
• Teachers also reported that many children produced their best piece of writing based on the Visual Literacy setting stimulus film (Attainment data to follow via the MAG)
• A variety of new volunteers filled some of the roles within Seth Week with a big thank you to Authority Consultant Carolyn Buckley and Joanne Walker for sharing the Editor’s role for this year. This was extremely successful and allowed for collaboration with the LA which may be a model that continues in subsequent themed weeks.
• Based on demands from teachers a new resource was developed under the Seth umbrella, providing digital scrapbooks for a variety of setting areas. The DVD entitled Seth’s Settings was piloted across year 6 this year.

Evaluation: Predator Week Family Learning Badsley Junior 2008

Introduction

·         Predator Week is a multimedia themed week designed to introduce and/or consolidate the Learning Skills Curriculum for children in Year 5.

·         The family learning unit of the package is a new development for forthcoming weeks to involve and engage parents in the Predator legend.

·         Two nights were undertaken targeting the three year 5 classes in school, with a range of resources and learning skills activities available on the night to allow children to work with their children on a shared task.

·         Learning Skills Writing resources were distributed and discussed with parents to target persuasive writing.

Aims:

·         To engage and involve parents in the Predator process

·         To provide parents with advice and activities on how to support children’s learning

·         To provide parents with information on the Learning Skills Curriculum

·         To support children and parents in their persuasive writing

·         To build relationships between parents and school

Positives

·         Children and parents thoroughly engaged and enjoyed all the activities

·         6 parents attended the first evening, but this increased to 13 for the second evening

·         Parents generally worked with their children on a range of activities for well over an hour.

·         They particularly welcomed opportunities to work with ICT such as the digital microscope and database activities.

·         Parents welcomed the Literacy Writing resources and were keen to work with and support their children with persuasive writing.

·         Parents showed a great deal of interest in the Learning Skills Curriculum and were keen to find out more about generic learning skills

·         The school were pleased with the attendance from both evenings and welcomed the opportunity to engage and work with parents on a shared theme.

Improvements

·         The attendance on the first evening was disappointing but this was possibly due to the late notification. When parents had more notice and information for the second evening attendance was much improved.

·         Teachers generating support from the children could be developed further.

·         A special guest for the event such as an eye witness would help to generate greater attendance.

·         Access to specific family learning web resources will also be available in the future.

The Future

·         Family learning units will now be available to all schools undertaking Predator week activities.

·         Family learning units will also be incorporated into all themed week activities.

·         Enhancements will include access to specific web activities and/or special guests.

Evaluation: Thematic Studies – Units based on Learning Skills Curriculum

Introduction

• Clifton: A Performing Arts School have piloted the introduction of Thematic studies in Year 7 this year. This approach provides pupils with a dedicated day a week to study Learning Skills based activities within the theme of Journeys,
• The first two units have now been completed focusing on historical journeys and space journeys.
• A team of ten teachers volunteered to teach within the program and these were trained with the support of the Zone team to deliver activities based on the LSC.
• Dedicated training days, in class support and visual literacy resources have been used to launch and support the program.

Aims:

·         To provide Year 7 children with a ‘bridge’ from Primary to Secondary structure

·         To develop children’s learning skills in Year 7

·         To engage and motivate children in a Thematic area

·         To raise attainment through a cross-curricular approach to learning

·         To develop a team of teachers to sustain the thematic approach in the future

Positives

• The first two units of Thematic studies have proved to be extremely well received by both children and teachers.
• Children’s written work has been of a much improved quality due to the cross-curricular nature of the task and the extended periods of time allowed to complete each task.
• Drama input and activities, such as the video message from Mike Delgado in the Antarctic and his subsequent visit have proved extremely successful in motivating children and developing communication skills
• Children’s generic Learning Skills have developed through the program and these have been noticed as being utilised in other subjects throughout school.
• The team have developed a comprehensive assessment system based on the Clifton Learning Skills passport, with children set regular targets and reflecting systematically on how and why their learning has progressed.
• Support from the Zone team has been welcomed by the Thematic teachers both in the form of ideas, resources and practical training in Circle time and P4C.
• The school report increased motivation, engagement and achievement in the Thematic studies lessons with children keen to share their learning with parents and visitors.
• The Thematic team are enjoying developing the project and are increasingly confident in targeting specific learning skills and applying these to a cross curricular theme.

 Improvements

• Thematic studies is now in a position to spread the benefits of the Learning Skills approach in teacher’s own departments
• To continue to develop independence and ownership within the Thematic team