Focus of Visit: RAP (Raising Achievement Plan) Priority 2;

School Self Evaluation

Information-Gathering Visit 1

Tuesday 17th December 2013

‘I think, therefore I am’ –

Promoting Creative Thinking and Active Citizenship

KS2 Multiple Intelligences Day

Six members of the Governing Body undertook observations and discussions around the day’s activities, as outlined below:

8.30pm Welcome, coffee and Governor Briefing – staff room
9.05 Multiple Intelligences Assembly – JP – Governors to observe
9.20am – 9.50am - Governor Participation Session 1
9.50am – 10.20am – Governor Participation Session 2
10.20am break – an opportunity for Governors to complete their own proformas and to meet with teachers
10.40am – Governors meet for information-sharing - staff room
PM – JP to type up visit report
3.05pm JP Meeting with LMs – feedback & discussion

Focus / discussion points agreed with staff:

How were the different multiple intelligences made clear and relevant? How was the concept reinforced?

In the assembly? In the sessions?

How did the day generate a sense of community / belonging?

How were children encouraged to think about the learning they were doing?

How were children encouraged to reflect on themselves as learners?

How were the children encouraged to see themselves as successful learners?

How were the children encouraged to see each other as successful learners?

Purpose of Visit:

To enable provide members of the Governing Body with an opportunity to gather information about the school’s half termly Multiple Intelligence Days
To enable members of the Governing Body to observe first-hand the extent to which the school’s new Multiple Intelligence days consolidate, build on and enrich the school’s learning culture and ethos, with a particular focus on the way in which pupils are able to perceive and talk about themselves as learners

Context: Separate Multiple Intelligence Days for KS1 and KS2 are held once every half term in the final week as part of the school’s Big (enrichment) Curriculum. All pupils take part in 8 activities, based on a single theme, each of which is planned to enable pupils to explore a particular Intelligence. Pupils are vertically grouped in ‘House Teams’ in response to a request made by pupils as part of the school’s Big Conversation system that they be given more opportunities to work in their House Teams.

Multiple Intelligence Days are planned and delivered by the school’s team of Learning Mentors (Level 3 TAs), which has the added benefit of freeing up class teachers to spend time on assessment for learning activities in preparation for Pupil Mentoring Meetings in the first two weeks of the next half term.

The system has been in place since last year, but this is the first time it has been evaluated.

It was noted that the school is very fortunate that members of staff are prepared to welcome

members of the Governing Body into their sessions.

Key Observations / Strengths

All pupils appeared to be confident in undertaking the activities asked of them as learners; they were clear about expectations and the sessions brought out the best in them

Governors observed that the ‘buy in’ from pupils was clear from the start of the day. During the assembly, pupils showed understanding of the theory of Multiple Intelligences and Learning Mentors ensured that learning opportunities were contextualised from the outset of their sessions

There was a ‘buzz’ of excitement amongst the children

Links between Intelligences were made explicit and good learning behaviours were highlighted for the children by the staff

Activities were well-structured, purposeful and enjoyable – resulting in high levels of engagement

Inclusion came out as a strength, with older pupils ensuring younger pupils were involved in all activities observed – as a result, all pupils were able to access the learning opportunities equally

Behaviour for learning was also a strength, with good interactions between the children, who came across as a ‘community’ of learners

Learning systems put in place to strengthen pupils’ language and literacy, scientific and mathematical skills and talk for learning over the past year were evident (particularly in the Word Smart and Nature Smart sessions) and it was clear that days such as these play a huge part in helping children to connect and ‘unlock’ their day to day learning in a broad range of contexts

The talk for learning that was going on around the tables was high quality – children were talking about learning

The school’s ethos and culture were highly visible throughout – Multiple Intelligence Days clearly support the school’s vision and direction but they also take it forward significantly

Opportunities were provided for pupils to share their successes and see other pupils as successful

Children are becoming more proficient at identifying different Multiple Intelligences and making connections between them in a variety of contexts

Team-working between adults was clear and planning around a single theme was undertaken in a ‘joined up’ manner, which facilitated and promoted children’s connections

Skilled questioning and well-timed interventions made the process of learning ‘visible’ to the children

Multiple IntelligencesDays are an important part ofour school culture of learning and the children enjoy it: in the words of one child, “I didn’t like anything about today – I loved it all!”

Areas for future consideration and discussion / next steps:

Chair of Governors to ensure that all Governors are aware of the quality of Multiple Intelligence days
SLT to explore ways of enabling members of facilitating teaching staff to observe a Multiple Intelligence Day because it gives children the opportunity to transfer and demonstrate their skills as learners in a different context – as such it would provide teachers with excellent opportunities to ‘know’ their learners in a way which they may not otherwise see
SLT, staff and Governors to explore ways of ensuring that parents more fully understand and appreciate the depth of the school’s culture of learning
Discussion point4 is tricky to achieve in depth: whilst pupils were offered many opportunities for immediate self-evaluation, there was not time for deeper reflection (the ‘how I know I was good at…’ discussions); all teaching staff are currently tackling the issue of deeper reflection, which often does not occur at the point of learning, but comes later, once the learning has ‘settled’. It is hoped that the new Multiple Intelligences reflection proformas which all pupils will complete the day after their activities will promote deeper reflection – SLT to monitor this in partnership with the Learning Mentor Team