habits. everyday excellence
Issue Dec
1
2021
BILLION POUND SCHOOLS
HEADTEACHERS' 'I LOVE HOW'
THE TA EDI FRAMEWORK
FIND OUT HOW TO LIVE HAPPIER, HEALTHIER AND WEALTHIER LIVES
OUR HEADTEACHERS' TOP PICKS THIS TERM
AVOID THE 'VELCRO' EFFECT AND MORE...
HABITS // CONTENTS
Contents 03 Billion Pound School by Simon Elliott,
Community Schools Trust
05 UTCN welcome
03
07 Social Loafing by Thahmina Begum,
Forest Gate Community School
Highlights Billion Pound School CEO, Simon Elliott tells us exactly how much impact we are making on the lives of our students - down to the penny!
09 Deliberate Practice by Joseph
Wolfensohn, Waterside Academy
10 'I Love How' by Headteachers of
FGCS, CCS and WA
11 Instructional Coaching by Iman
Mahamud, Forest Gate Community
School
07
13 Executive Coaching by Robert Price,
Social Loafing Thahmina Begum tells us how to spot our classroom 'free riders' and goes back to basics with a handy how-to on the old classic, cold calling.
Forest Gate Community School
14 Early Careers Vision by Lisa Smith,
Forest Gate Community School
15 Curriculum Booklets by Elizabeth
Fraser, Waterside Academy
17 Pitch Perfect by Marzan Ahmed,
Forest Gate Community School
19 Pathway 2 Excellence by Saher Butt,
09
Cumberland Community School
Deliberate Practice Joseph Wolfensohn reflects on poor practice from the old days and how the power of rehearsal before 'show time' trumps all.
21 Getting Better Faster by Scott Wallis,
Cumberland Community School
23 The EDI TA framework by Robert
Clark, Forest Gate Community School
GET INTERACTIVE Check out our videos of great practice whenever you see a QR code, grab your phone and have a watch.
01 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
23
EDI TA Framework Robert Clark uses research from the Education Endowment Foundation to help us get the best out of our teaching assistants: learn how to avoid the 'velcro' effect.
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTORS everyday excellence
Simon Elliott CEO Community Schools Trust
Elizabeth Fraser Head of Geography Waterside Academy
Thahmina Begum Headteacher Forest Gate Community School
Joseph Wolfensohn Science teacher & MAS Lead Waterside Academy
Iman Mahamud Lead Practitioner Forest Gate Community School
Robert Price English 2ic Forest Gate Community School
Marzan Ahmed Assistant Headteacher Forest Gate Community School
02 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
Saher Butt MAT English Advisor Cumberland Community School
Omar Deria Headteacher Cumberland Community School
Charlotte Whelan Headteacher Waterside Academy
Lisa Smith Assistant Headteacher Forest Gate Community School
Scott Wallis Deputy Headteacher Cumberland Community School
Robert Clark Assistant Headteacher Forest Gate Community School
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // SIMON SAYS
Billion Pound School We should do more to help children with their mental health. We really should. But how? By Simon Elliott
Let’s start by getting children better grades. If we get each child one grade higher across eight subjects, they earn, across their lifetime, an extra £207,000 (roughly £5,000 extra per year of a 40 year working life.) Having more money means less mental health issues. See below.
Let us go further. Let’s extend the life of children. Literally, let us make them live longer as if by magic. Guess what. That magic is better grades. If we get children better grades, they earn more money. And they end up less dead than they would otherwise. Have a look:
03 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // SIMON SAYS
An extra income of £1000 annually means 0.7 years of life. Click here if you don’t believe me. Using the figures above, that means that if we get children a grade better across all subjects, we keep them alive for an extra 3.5 years. Do the maths. There is more. If we get one grade better per student, across a whole year group, and we do this for 20 years, we’re a billion pound school. Creating long life-living, mentally healthy adults is what we’re about. Believe.
"IF WE GET ONE GRADE BETTER PER STUDENT, ACROSS A WHOLE YEAR GROUP, AND WE DO THIS FOR 20 YEARS, WE’RE A BILLION POUND SCHOOL."
04 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE NORFOLK
A new addition to the CST family A warm welcome to UTCN, our most recent school to join the trust. UTCN is a University Technical College in Norwich, with a focus on the advanced engineering and energy sectors. Headteacher Alex Hayes said, "Combining our established technical expertise with CST's academic excellence will mean that our students will progress to amazing futures." There will be lots to learn from each other's unique contexts. Already, CCS and FGCS have adapted a key routine - SLANT - having seen it in practice in UTCN. With its focus on being 'employer ready', students and staff alike have welcomed the change! CEO of the Community Schools Trust Simon Elliott said: “I have been incredibly impressed by the expertise and commitment from staff and leaders at UTCN. The young people who attend this school are in exactly the right place for them. They are engaged and passionate about their studies."
05 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE NORFOLK
06 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // TB BLOGS
By Thahmina Begum
SOCIAL
In social psychology, ‘social loafing’ refers to the tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group, compared to if they were working alone. First coined by Ringelmann in (1913), he noticed this effect in a tug of war game where he discovered the group pulling power was less than the sum of individual strengths.
In my primary school maths lessons, I was an expert social loafer. I hated learning times tables and to avoid getting picked for questioning, I would feign interest by nodding, earnestly track the teacher and during choral rehearsals, I would mouth along soundlessly but convincingly. It worked for ages, until I was found out in a test… One reason social loafing occurs is because of a lack of individual accountability. This of course undermines the ultimate goal in our classrooms: learning. In Doug Lemov’s very popular Teach Like a Champion 3.0, ‘Ratio‘ is the term used to describe how much thought is taking place in your classroom. Social loafers know it is easy to look like they’re thinking. Like I used to, they may well be looking at you as you teach and nodding along in the right places. When you ask a question, you may even get faces that indicate thinking. But really, they’re free riding if they know others in their class will be the ones you regularly call upon to
answer questions. Think about it: are there students in your classes that you are automatically drawn to because they always put their hands up? Or perhaps it is the students who are obviously not paying attention? Both types of students are easy targets for your questioning. But the social loafers hide in plain sight!
Cold call. Lemov calls it ‘loving accountability’. Create a culture where every student in your class understands that they may be asked to answer your question. Not because you want to catch them out. But because their contribution matters to you. Their learning matters to you.
Here’s a simple way to draw them out: 07 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // TB BLOGS
LOAFING
3. Call the student’s name and smile. What do you think, Shamayun? This way, they know that you expect them to answer and you care about their success. And there’s been no opportunity for social loafing! A high frequency error We can often accept ‘I don’t know’. Don’t. It fuels complacency and social loafing. Instead, tell them the answer and ‘reinforce’: That’s okay. I’ll say it to you and you say it back to me. “The term ‘reverence’ means to have deep respect for someone or something“ Now your turn. Shamayun repeats: The term ‘reverence’ means to have deep respect for someone or something, Miss. Correct Shamayun. Thank you. Peps Mccrea, in Motivated Teaching, tells us one lever for motivation is creating opportunities for success, early and often.
Here’s a good order to achieve a culture of loving accountability:
2. Provide Real Think Time (as opposed to teacher time!)
1. Ask the question first
Real think time allows every child the opportunity to succeed in answering that question.
That way, every student is considering what the answer may be. What does the term ‘reverence’ mean? If you say a student’s name first, followed by the question, the social loafers will begin their free ride…
You have 10 seconds thinking time. Social loafers cannot opt out yet – they know they may well be called upon!
08 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
What better way to do this than carefully worded questions, real think time and a culture of loving accountability? Maybe if I’d had it all those years ago, I’d be able to chant the 9 times tables today without breaking into a cold sweat. (Don’t test me when you see me in the corridor.)
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // DELIBERATE PRACTICE
DELIBERATE PRACTICE BY JOSEPH WOLFENSOHN
It's Thursday morning, it's been a long week, and the data capture deadline is looming. You receive an email introducing a new questioning strategy. “Give it a try in your lessons today!” it signs off. Fast forward to period 5 that day and you remember the email. Year 10 are in front of you. Would you feel confident to try something completely new or would you stick with what you know? It can be daunting to try new things, especially when it might derail the lesson and the quiet environment you've cultivated. Deliberate practice of teaching and learning strategies, amongst colleagues and peers in a no pressure, mistakes-don't-matter setting. It provides a fantastic opportunity to tweak and improve our practice and become not ordinary, but EXTRAordinary teachers. I feel more confident to give them a go knowing that I've run through them already and know what the potential pitfalls might be. Practising before “show-time” and receiving feedback is what many other professions would do. So why not teaching? We bring our own style, quirks and personality to our subjects and lessons but we also bring
09 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
alternative approaches and techniques. Collaborating with each other in deliberate practice gives a chance to learn from each other and continue our professional development. Gone are the days of once or twice termly observations - an unrealistic sample of what is really happening in lessons. Increasing pressure on teachers and let's be honest, planning those lessons hard to make sure they look good, isn't a great way to review our practice. Throw into the mix yet another email that day, or maybe a week or two later, with some feedback that's either far too generic to help anyone, that will go into the “oh, I must go back and read that in more detail when I have more time” (along with 100 other emails). Supporting each other allows us all to progress. Popping into lessons, whether it's with the intention to support or the intention to learn, gives us a much more representative view of the quality of teaching and learning happening in the school and powers us along that trajectory to being outstanding, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our students.
@CST_LONDON
10 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
SHAPE and rewards consistently.
3. ...uses the visualiser to model and narrates his thinking 4. ...pre-empts and tackle high-frequency errors and misconceptions head on 5. ...uses whole class systems like SLANT,
common errors very quickly 3. ...has clearly intellectually prepared for this point in her lesson to ensure quality questioning 4. ...is consistent in her language open
your hands....close your hands... 5. ...will clearly use the data from her whole class questioning to enhance her subsequent cold calling.
1. ...stands in the swivel position (front and in full view of the class) 2. ...uses cold calling to check for understanding
1. ...has established Heads Down as a clear routine in her teaching - they respond on cue 2. ...uses closed questions to establish
I LOVE HOW I LOVE HOW
2. ...thinks aloud which helps students learn how to do it 3. ...demonstrates how the 2D circle has transformed into a 3D one 4. ...poses a question to the whole class with a choral response 5. ...front loads her instructions to students before they begin their independent task.
1. ...is in a standing swivel position when using the visualiser to model so she can be seen looking
I LOVE HOW
Our headteachers narrate what they love about their top EDI pick of the term. They must select from hundreds of great EDI practice - it's a tough choice!
HABITS // HEADS' 'I LOVE HOW'
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING
INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING By Iman Mahamud
At the CST we have defined and refined what we believe good CPD looks like and how we can continue becoming the best practitioners we can possibly be. The overarching principles of our CPD: We can all improve, not because we’re not good enough but because we can be even better (paraphrased from Dylan Wiliam!) Deliberate practice is the linchpin to our professional growth. We want to get better faster. Live coaching will ensure this. The quality of feedback is instrumental to the growth of a practitioner. The success of the CPD is not what happens in the session but what happens after, in practice.
Instructional Coaching One of the ways we believe that will help us to get better faster is through instructional coaching. In our trust, we provide live coaching to each other focussing on the highest leverage action steps. These are most effective when they are small and precise. In our live coaching, we aim to model the action step, to help the teacher see why the action is so powerful and we also aim for it to be bitesized and concrete enough to be achieved within a week.
The preparation and the quality of practice is crucial. This is why every professional development session includes the opportunity for deliberate practice.
11 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING
Active ingredients of instructional coaching
1. A bite sized area for improvement: coach sets an action step based on this 2. A clear model of better: a mental model of what a good one looks like is created. This is then unpicked to see why it is better and how it can be replicated on teacher's own practice 3. Use of deliberate practice: the coach deliberately practices the step with the teacher in order to get it right before going ‘live’ in the classroom. The Golden rule we have is that it needs to be done standing up! 4. A standardised routine: in order for a change in teaching habit to occur, the action needs to take place regularly. That’s why we facilitate the coaching sessions to be scheduled and held regularly. We are locking in success. We have a cohort of selected coaches and coachees as part of our instructional coaching programme. Coaches and coachees are selected on the basis of desire; teachers who really want a 1:1 focus on their practice in the classroom with the view to improve. We aim to have a new cohort of coaches and coachees every term and hope to not disappoint too much those who don’t make it onto the first cohort!
12 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
Testimonials
The Instructional Coaching at the CST has been an invaluable tool in getting better faster. "Working with another member of staff in the classroom - they support you with enacting the feedback given immediately. This has been a game changer in my practice and I would 100% recommend taking part in the Instructional Coaching programme." SERISH FIAZ ENGLISH TEACHER, FGCS
To listen to the full testimonial from Serish, scan the QR code below!
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // EXECUTIVE COACHING
EXECUTIVE COACHING
There are moments, when we are walking up the mountain, when we may be tempted to stop and look at the view. This can be a dangerous impulse. It can lead to resting and self congratulation, and not a lot of climbing going on. Sometimes, however, a quick glance at where we’ve been and where we are going can be helpful. I was a coaching skeptic. To me it seemed like something too corporate and even uncreative. Perhaps it was something about the word ‘executive’ that did it, conjuring as it did images of Gordon Gecko and Wall Street. Having experienced the reality however, I have to admit to being impressed by the impact it has had. 'Executive', I now realise, is better understood not in its corporate sense but in its neurological one, as in executive function. These are the mental capacities for self guidance, judgement and memory, perhaps most crucially for memory of who we are and what our goals were when we started climbing. These will, of course, be subtly and excitingly different for everyone. In my case they involved memories of aspirations I had right at the beginning of my teaching career to have an impact in the creative arts. 13 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
"I was a coaching skeptic. To me it seemed like something too corporate and even uncreative."
By Robert Price
For me, as they are for so many, the arts are a life saving, endlessly inspiring source of action and resolve. Working with my coach I was able to recall what the impact was I really wanted to have, and begin taking meaningful steps towards it. I feel that I have found a path that I am excited to take. We discussed the goals and potential obstacles ahead, as well as how to traverse them. It was absolutely not a case of being directed from outside but rather being guided from within. It comes back to those two definitions of ‘Executive’. It is so easy to become reactive and allow ourselves to be overly influenced from outside. As teachers, the very busy lives we lead can unknowingly discourage us from pausing to reflect. Meanwhile, what some traditions refer to as the ‘small still voice within’ still calls us towards a purpose that we may have forgotten. Whatever you call that voice, a process that returns us to its influence, as coaching has for me, can call all of us to stop and admire the view behind, as well as consider the path ahead.
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // EARLY CAREERS VISION
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS TRUST
EARLY CAREERS VISION
By Lisa Smith
"We are aware that the value of live coaching, observation and professional discussion are all forms of effective CPD. These are considered to have the greatest impact on professional growth and change."
If you ask the average teacher, ‘What has changed about the NQT programme, now known as the ECT programme?” you’ll get the common reply - it’s changed from 1 year to 2. Yes, they are technically right, but what most fail to see is why the government introduced such changes. The simple answer is retention. It is well-documented that England has and continues to experience an unprecedented challenge in relation to teacher recruitment and retention. It is the Community Schools Trust’s hope and aim to not only retain our ECTs, but also (in the future) promote them within the Trust. It is a true honour to oversee the 28 - soon to be 30 - ECTs across the four schools in the Trust. Having been in the UK now for nearly 20 years and having completed my own NQT year here, fresh from Canada, I can honestly say that the quality of training and mentorship that our ECTs receive now is truly remarkable. I recall how NQTs twenty years ago would be shoved in a room with coffee and cookies and some haphazard CPD session scrawled on an ‘old skool’ whiteboard. (There were no interactive whiteboards then). Now, our ECTs have 30 minute focused sessions where deliberate practice is used in every single session. The sessions correspond to the Early Career Framework modules. They are delivered by the very best practitioners in the schools. Our Induction Tutors who directly work with our ECTs are thorough and relentless in their pursuit of outstanding teaching. We share our good practice across the Trust. UTCN are currently joining us virtually but we look forward to the near future where all four schools’ ECTs will be invited to a Cross Trust TeachMeet. Watch this space! We are a reflective Trust and constantly seek feedback from our ECTs. We are aware that the value of live coaching, observation and professional discussion are all forms of effective CPD. These are considered to have the greatest impact on professional growth and change. The Community Schools Trust is defined by our ECTs and because of them, it has proven a wonderful place to work.
14 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // CURRICULUM BOOKLETS
Maximising Learning with Curriculum Booklets
Nowadays, if you walk into a geography classroom at Waterside Academy, you will see geographical concepts imparted to students precisely and concisely, students on task, and twenty minutes of uninterrupted practice as the norm. The difference in the amount and quality of the work produced by students is, in my experience, staggering. There are of course, other factors at play, such as a razor sharp focus on behaviour; however, this doesn’t explain the rapid improvement in quality.
By Elizabeth Fraser
When I first joined the Trust as Head of Department, I was asked to begin converting our Geography curriculum into booklets. As someone with a background firmly in inquiry based learning, the idea of booklets was entirely alien, not to mention frowned upon in many circles, so I made my way into this terra incognita somewhat tentatively. Two months later, I was a booklet evangelist.
There has not been a large scale study on the impact of curriculum booklets hence the limited evidence apart from the impact I have seen within my own department. However, the curriculum booklets have been designed with evidence backed practice in mind, including but not limited to retrieval practice, chunking, teacher modelling, no split attention and implemented with a common framework for outstanding teaching.
Before booklets, lessons were often marred by pacing issues due to teacher ad-libbing and student disengagement, with intermittent independent practice.
My colleagues from a previous school are fascinated; “How is it possible that students are more focussed on booklets than on YouTube videos explaining the
15 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // CURRICULUM BOOKLETS
same concept?” It’s simple; they feel empowered. Knowledge is at their fingertips and doesn’t require them wrestling with cognitive overload from a slew of slides. We use “read, cover, write, check” to encourage students to revise if they need to but ultimately express themselves in their own words. The more they practice, the more excellent they become, and they become motivated by their success. It is not only the students that benefit from booklets. My team and I agree that the key benefits of using booklets are a massive reduction in cognitive load and planning time. As we recycle our annotations each
time a topic is taught, our lessons become ever more efficient and effective. With every revolution of a unit, we hone the best way to deliver content precisely and concisely to our classes, asking all the right questions at all the right times, and tackling high frequency errors before they are even made. Gone are the days of relying on a vague memory of having taught a PowerPoint the year before. Ultimately, I am so glad I was invited to try booklets. For my team, my students, and myself it has been an absolute gamechanger!
16 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // ASSESSMENT THRESHOLD STANDARDS
Pitch Perfect
By Marzan Ahmed
This year at the CST we have been fortunate to have more
What is it?
department meetings scheduled during the academic year.
Ultimately, it is ensuring that when teachers are modelling,
No that doesn’t mean more Hobnobs and Jaffa Cakes, but
we pitch the model to the top and differentiate down,
rather, more time for deliberate practise! Which is a lot
making sure the model both challenges the most able and
healthier, but more importantly, enables our teams to get
supports underachievers, making explicit reference to
better faster.
assessment standards.
The best part of our department meetings is the standard
Why is it important?
subject specific CPD item. This is linked to our EDI
It is important when sharing models, whether it's a pre-
bootcamps that take place across the school and delivered
written or live model under the visualizer, that the teacher
by the teaching and learning team. The bootcamps are 30
deconstructs 'what a good one looks like' (WAGOLL). This
minutes, short, sharp sessions for all teachers, every 2 to 3
will enable students to be confident in knowing what is
weeks focusing on our EDI framework, exploring a specific
expected and feeling like it is attainable.
strategy to refine our practice in the classroom using the ‘see it, name it, do it’ model.
Explicitly referencing the assessment threshold develops both the teacher and students' assessment literacy. It
Pitch Perfect
ensures that the teacher is continuously refreshing their
There are many examples of how the EDI bootcamp training
understanding of the assessment threshold standards and
has been followed up with subject specific CPD in
likewise it helps students to become confident in
department meetings. Here I will share the implementation
recognising and applying good academic practice.
and follow through of our recent EDI bootcamp, titled “Pitch Perfect” - not improving our singing - but rather the
At the CST, our assessment, monitoring and reporting
explicit sign-posting to assessment thresholds during
platform is the Dynamic Progress Reporting (DPR), where
teacher modelling, which is the third phase of our EDI
students are able to clearly see their progress on specific
framework.
key objectives across each of their subjects and these are built on assessment threshold standards. The effective implementation of this is through our teaching using our CST EDI framework.
Examples of how departments have deliberately embedded EDI bootcamp takeaways in their lessons.
In
Art, students were able to illustrate how to
secure a grade 9 where the teacher used another student's artwork to signpost their journey to a Grade 9. The description with the visual enabled the students to break down the WAGOLL.
17 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // ASSESSMENT THRESHOLD STANDARDS
In
BTec Sport the teacher provides a planning sheet
for the exam question where key aspects of the question are highlighted and linked to the assessment threshold. Teacher completes the “I-do” paragraph under visualiser using the planning sheet (with no split attention by ensuring all the students are watching) and makes explicit references to the assessment threshold throughout explaining their thought process whilst writing. Using the model paragraph and their planning sheet, students independently complete the exam question.
In
Geography, the teacher references the DPR
assessment threshold in a Key Stage 3 end of unit test, highlighting the response and signposting the features that would make the student progress from 'developing' to 'secure'.
In
Science, the teacher clearly maps out the skills
that students need to demonstrate to achieve a Grade 5, 7 and 9 for their independent task.
In
English, the teacher has highlighted each level of
the assessment objective and the mark scheme and has illustrated this in the model response. The students are able to clearly see what a good one looks like and how it is attainable.
18 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // PATHWAY TO EXCELLENCE
Pathway to Forest Gate Community School students, Farzana and Michael are our recent P2X students currently studying at Chigwell School, Essex and Dhruv and Adam studying at the City of London School.
Waterside Academy P2X students Kadija Jatta and Cemre Dirik are currently attending Fulham School in west London and Channay ButlerRevell are studying A-Levels at Ashbourne College in Kensington.
Cumberland Community School students received a million pound of scholarship places with students offered sixth form places at Mount Kelly in Devon, Wellington College, London, University College School, Hampstead, and Forest School in Essex.
19 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // PATHWAY TO EXCELLENCE
eXcellence By Saher Butt
What is special about the P2X provision at CST? Designed to surpass conventional ‘stretch’ and
What makes our provisions so special, quite simply,
‘challenge’ models that shy away from deliberate
is our collective commitment to raising aspirations
scripting for success, the Pathway to eXcellence
for these young people. The golden thread in our
program at CST delves deeper into the realm of
planning around progress begins with an
building confidence, igniting curiosity, exercising
appreciation for our students’ starting point and
creativity and sharpening skills for our more able
continues with a strategic set of interventions
students - early and consistently. Here at CST, we
integrated into our curriculum to promote
believe that today’s learners are tomorrow’s
independent learning.
leaders. So how do we step in? We empower them.
Our medium and long term plans boast of carefully crafted opportunities that enable
We’ve all been there, at the start of an academic
sophisticated thinking around diverse and
year, opening up our class data, scanning
challenging concepts. Subject specialists
correlating scores alongside each faceless cell on
regularly host lectures, facilitate workshops, lead
a spreadsheet. Scores that suggest Harry’s a
extra-curricular clubs in their area of expertise.
natural or Eva looks like she’ll get the grade...
Professionals work proudly to prepare our students
without you. Perhaps you recall the outdated term
for further education and their desired careers.
‘gifted and talented’ that would wave at you from another column, reassuring you that your
There is so much we do, and so much more we
assumptions were just an inevitable, fortunate
want to do because there is so much more our
reality? It screams, in fact, of a time when a label
students can become. In order to pave the way
was counterproductive.
for our future architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, neurosurgeons, novelists, pilots (and
For us at CST, students on our P2X program are
more), we use every day to inspire our students to
reminded that we see them, we hear them, that
strive for eXcellence.
our high expectations of them will bring out the best in them.
20 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // GETTING BETTER FASTER
Getting Better
Faster
By Scott Wallis
Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. VINCE LOMBARDI
The quote by Vince Lombardi makes me think about how far Cumberland Community School has come in terms of teaching and learning. As I walk around the school, either visiting lessons or simply moving from A to B I hear clear and consistent instructions coming from the classrooms I pass. ‘3-2-1 SLANT’ or ‘SHAPE that answer please’ and ‘add a Cumberland full stop to that sentence’ have become the common language for teachers and students at CCS.
21 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // GETTING BETTER FASTER
The power of these simple instructions being delivered consistently across all lessons cannot be underestimated. The positive feedback CCS receives from our ever increasing number of visitors is testament to the quality first teaching that is taking place in our school.
Getting better faster at CCS SLANT and SHAPE are just two examples of the strategies embedded into the CST framework, our five phase evidence informed guide that outlines clear guidance for all teachers to follow to ensure that they get the best out of the students they teach. Of course a framework is only useful if the teacher using it understands and applies it to their teaching. This is where Cumberland has made huge strides forward in creating a CPD plan that supports our teachers to ‘get better faster.' As the deputy headteacher in charge of teaching and learning, I have been able to carve out time for all teachers to take part in short snappy bursts of CPD that we call EDI (explicit direct instruction) training sessions. These sessions look at specific parts of the different phases of the CST framework. The sessions are regular and last for 30 minutes. They include elements of deliberate practice (opportunities to get up and deliver the phase) which is perfected before our teachers go ‘live’ in their lesson.
A shared goal The thing that continues to amaze me is that I am not alone in my mission for CCS to ‘get better faster’. I sent out a call for help at the beginning of the academic year for teachers who would
22 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
be interested in joining me in creating a new teaching and learning team that would meet and discuss the EDI sessions and support me in delivering them to the rest of the staff. I was overwhelmed by the response and we now have a group of over twenty members that share the responsibility of practising the upcoming session and delivering it to small groups of teachers to enable their practice to improve. This structure has allowed me to quality assure the delivery of the sessions while enabling the deliberate practice to happen in small groups rather than as a whole cohort. This personalised approach allows teachers to feel comfortable when taking part in deliberate practice activities while the lead can ensure that participants are applying the principles of the strategy correctly and unpick any misconceptions.
Coffee and Croissants - not just for the free grub! This web of support allows all teachers at CCS to focus on improving their practice in line with the principles of the school’s teaching and learning framework. On a Friday during our ‘Coffee and Croissant’ gathering, teachers share their successes and model good practice over a hot drink and a catch up. We also celebrate our EDI champions of the week, highlighting the excellent practice around the school. So, to go back to the original quote... we might not be perfect yet, but by enabling our teachers to practice, we will definitely get there faster.
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // EDI TA FRAMEWORK
EDI TA Framework ‘The more support pupils received from support staff, the less progress they made’ (Education Endowment Foundation, 2018). By Robert Clark
It’s time to reflect on what good teaching assistant (TA) support looks like in the classroom setting. Does a student working quietly with a TA in your room mean that learning is taking place? The short answer is no. In fact, this is the opposite of ‘inclusive education’. This student becomes segregated from the rest of the class and excluded from vital teacher feedback. This approach to TA support, deskills the learner and doesn’t promote essential independent learning skills. Mr Hutchinson refers to this as ‘the velcro effect’- when a TA is ‘stuck to’ a student. Imagine a classroom environment where the teacher (expert in the room), is able to prioritise their
23 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
feedback to students that require the most support. The TA EDI Framework is evidence informed and aligned purposefully with the teacher EDI playbook to allow for effective collaboration and clarity of roles. As we move away from ‘the velcro effect’, students are given more independence with the TA supporting all students in the classroom. Students' perspectives change as we have two adults in the room working collaboratively to insist on the highest expectations and progress. In the below examples, you will see how our TAs provide chunked instructions via the Now/Next boards and then move away to circulate and support other learners.
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // EDI TA FRAMEWORK
Through careful implementation of the TA framework in phase 4, the
‘Student TA island’, whilst the main body of the class is the ‘‘mainland’. As we stay ahead
teacher is able to ‘switch roles’ with the TA and prioritise students with additional needs for feedback and support.
of the curve and create what the EEF refers to as A more strategic approach to classroom organisation, based
Meanwhile, the TA is able to feedback, monitor and support the majority of the students who are ‘on track’ with their learning. This is just one example of how the TA Framework is implemented to
more around teamwork between teacher and TA.' I will leave you with the words of Ms Vrajitoru - “it’s time to sail away from the student TA island and back to the mainland."
establish effective collaboration. Ms Vrajitoru has her own analogy for the ‘velcro effect’. As a TA working with students in the classroom she has experienced first hand what it’s like to be 1:1 with a student and refers to this as the 24 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
HABITS // EDI TA FRAMEWORK
25 // HABITS // DECEMBER 2021
@CST_LONDON
habits. everyday excellence