Learning & Development: Key Stage 1 - In character

In September 2012, the third change in just over a year was made to the inspection framework for schools in England. The changes made to the framework are significant, and present increased possibilities for creative and innovative practice in Key Stage 1 classrooms. At the heart of this change lies a seeming contradiction between Ofsted and the Department for Education's drive to formalized teaching with the new Ofsted inspection framework fundamentally being about children's learning and how this can best be achieved (Ofsted 2012a).

Inspectors have been directed to leave their own subjective views on styles of teaching at the door and observe the learning in lessons. What are pupils doing? Are they all actively engaged? Do children know what they need to do to improve? This is a genuine opportunity for practitioners to organize their environment, resources and delivery in a non-traditional way, and for children who are motivated, engaged, persistent and thoughtful to show the progress they are making.

The most important change is the movement from judgement on teaching to a judgement on learning. There are no prescribed methodologies so the structure of the lesson is no longer relevant and the teacher as transmitter is not the desired status quo. The Ofsted criterion for effective teaching for any age group is that it secures engagement, interest and concentration, determination, resilience and independence. The focus is on the children, what they are learning, and the progress they are making.

Children need to be able to discuss and describe their learning, and practitioners who keep the characteristics central to planning and provision will be rewarded with pupils who are able to work independently, to think about their learning and to articulate that learning.

Ofsted's own good practice guides celebrate such learning throughout primary years, for example An Enquiry-based Approach to Learning (Ofsted 2012b) which follows a Year 6 class and Preparing Children to be 21st Century Citizens, Contributing to Sustainable Communities (Ofsted 2012c). The current inspection regime supports practitioners to develop a 'how you learn' in addition to 'what you learn' approach as it values key characteristics of learning skills.

BEST PRACTICE AND CASE STUDIES

Case Study 1: Year 1, Horsforth Newlaithes Primary School, Leeds

Newlaithes was a junior school until September 2011 when it took in an intake of 60 reception children in a new building attached to the old site. Elizabeth Deare was employed as Foundation Leader and tasked with setting up the new unit. Inspired by a visit to Reggio Emilia two years earlier, she saw this as an opportunity to implement an educational philosophy that could draw on the work of Sir Ken Robinson (1999) and child development theory and practice.

The first year was very successful with 82 per cent of the children achieving a good level of development (GLD), making good progress from entry points. Parents, key partners from the beginning, were delighted with the skills their children had developed: children were exhibiting strong well-being and had effective 'learning to learn' skills. Parents wanted to see a continuation of the provision, and Elizabeth was able to build on this as they planned for the children's move into Year 1.

The staff were always very clear on their philosophy of education and adopted some non-negotiables which set the path for the provision. 'We were certain that children, as active protagonists in their own learning, had to have control... We knew that to make learning fun it had to be relevant and hands on with a great deal of play. We knew that the Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) levels were of the utmost importance and that we owed the children to provide them with life skills. They deserved to be independent risk takers who weren't afraid to be wrong and who persevered, children who could manage their own time and conduct their own research and learning... they needed to be collaborative and learn to negotiate, speak well and listen constructively. Finally, we knew involving parents and the wider family was important as we are all responsible for the children's learning.'

The Year 1 area was divided into four learning spaces which the 60 children can move across - with a huge variety of areas of provision including a large outdoor area with a small wood. At the start of the year the children developed two imaginary communities - Beech Forest and Magical Forest. These communities belong to the children and are used as hangers for the curriculum work.

Within these communities the children have developed their own characters with homes and jobs. Through these invented places the children have been involved in drama, literacy, maths, science, design technology, geography, dance and art work, as well as opportunities for problem-solving and discussing philosophical and ethical dilemmas. Using these places as a starting point has meant the children are intrinsically motivated and in control of the direction of their learning.

The children's search for a thief in the community led them to look for clues around the setting. They made a huge footprint pictogram in order to eliminate Year 1 children from the enquiries. The pupils have talked to a police officer, a barrister and a politics lecturer to develop the communities' justice systems. There are two constitutions written by the children and there has been a state opening of the Forest Parliament to declare the communities open. After one child said that thieves were 'not all bad but just very poor' an active discussion considered this idea and looked at how our communities care for disadvantaged people.

The children work on small group projects which they run without an adult most of the time, a progression from reception where the children worked on small group projects with an adult. The children meet with an adult at the start of the week to decide on the nature and direction of the project and then in their own time they conduct the work as a group. This has been very successful for developing personal, social and emotional skills; speaking and listening skills; and life skills. There has been huge progress in the children's development in these areas and this is impacting on all learning including reading, writing and maths.

With purpose and enjoyment at the core, the staff teach reading and writing through the community work but they also have Reading and Writing Workshops. In Reading Workshop the children choose a book nook which is a cosy place in the Piazza, the central space, and read alone or with friends, or with the house rabbit.

At the recent parents' consultation evening a significant number of parents commented on their children's positive attitude to reading which they see as both enjoyable and relaxing. In Writing Workshop the children choose what they write about and teachers develop next steps but through their chosen focus. Pupils are motivated to write as they have more ownership and control. Genres and text types are taught through daily literacy sessions. There are also daily maths and phonics sessions.

The concern for the school has been ensuring curriculum coverage while using this approach. So far it is going well, with recent levelling of reading, writing and maths showing a significant majority of children working at 1b to 2b in all three areas and pupils progressing well in all areas.

'It has been, and will continue to be, a challenge for us to hold onto the things we know are important as the curriculum is tight and getting even more prescriptive and knowledge based rather than skills led which it needs to be in these ever changing times.' (Quoted material from Elizabeth Deare, Horsforth Newthlaites Primary School.)

This is an extract from 'Improving the learning in primary schools: building on the early years', by Kim Porter, chapter eight of The Characteristics of Effective Early Learning: helping young children become learners for life (Open University Press, 10 January 2014)

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING

Edited by Helen Moylett and published this month by Open University Press, The Characteristics of Effective Early Learning: Helping young children become learners for life looks set to become essential reading for early years practitioners.

Its key argument is that how children learn is as important as what they learn. Through analyses of research, case studies and practical examples, the book explains how to support children's early learning and development through the characteristics and examines how children:

• engage in learning through 'playing and exploring'
• are motivated by 'active learning', and
• become 'creative and critical thinkers'.

Also covered are appropriate approaches to observation, assessment and planning and how to provide evidence of the characteristics in the revised EYFS Profile. David Whitebread provides an overview of self-regulation, while Clare Crowther assesses the role of the adult as 'learner'. Other contributors are Di Chilvers, Kim Porter, Sue Rogers, Judith Stevens and Nancy Stewart.

Nursery World readers will receive a 20 per cent discount on The Characteristics of Effective Early Learning (usually £19.99) if they order online via Open University Press's website at http://mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0335263267.html and insert the code NURSERYWORLD14 at the checkout.