We describe ourselves as an English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) 11-16 mixed comprehensive school in the very heart of the county of Devon. Although small, we have grown in recent years from a roll of 535 in 2014/15 to 703 pupils today, and we are still growing. In this time, we have developed our Key Stage 4 offer around the Ebacc so that everyone is entered for GCSE French, unless disapplied in agreement with the Heads of MFL, English, Maths and the SENDCO. 86% of pupils have been entered for Ebacc in Year 11 this academic year. Our objective is for 100% entry when our current Year 8 cohort joins Year 10. As a formula, it has been successful academically and culturally for our pupils, and our college is significantly oversubscribed – our families like it too.

Why though, you may ask, have we walked this path? Many schools have deliberately not promoted a language route as they go all out for the best Progress 8 (P8) score they can.

Firstly, a rising tide (of challenge) floats all ships. Ebacc lifts the school. A challenging academic curriculum is a pivotal part of our school improvement journey and keeps expectations high. It has. Secondly, we felt that there was a real moral purpose here – for two reasons. The first is that there is a sense of national shame that, according to the British Council, 62% of Britons can only speak their native tongue. Compare that to 71% of Swedes who can speak English proficiently, or 56% of French natives (Statista).

We should encourage our children to understand other nations and be inquisitive about their culture – the pursuit of a second language is key to this. The second reason is around entitlement. Language provision is a basic part of the diet in the private sector and selective schools – why not in our comprehensive state schools? Should it be only that the privileged elite expect to travel, work abroad and immerse themselves in a foreign culture? Are we so ingrained in our social status quo that the pursuit of a language is something pupils in non-selective state schools can just toss away at the end of Year 9 (or Year 8 in some schools, Ofsted allowing)? Social mobility is a big part of our thinking.

Why French? French was the dominant language of our MFL team when we looked to make a language core. It makes sense for ease of visits, and we run several residential trips to France in addition to a French Exchange. It is also, alongside English, a great advantage when travelling for our pupils and we hope that they do travel and pass on this joy to their own children. We want our pupils to be advantaged because they came to Chulmleigh and because they studied French. We want our pupils to have the advantages that the privileged few enjoy.

How does it work? With the focus on one language, we concentrate all our MFL teaching time to French. We have 3.3 FTE French teachers, and our head of department is an SLE. Pupils receive five hours a fortnight of French from Year 7 to Year 11. We do use EdTech to help us – platforms such as Active Learn and This is Language have been incredibly useful. However, we have attracted and retained high-quality teachers who teach the subject with great skill, and the confidence that this is a subject that is important to the college and therefore to the pupils. We are pragmatic about GCSE examinations – great results are important for the college, but more importantly for our pupils, and we have a significant number of pupils who transition to A Level and degree-level French. For our small rural community it is important for us to be looking outwards.

What do our numbers say? Chulmleigh’s overall P8 score has been well above national average since P8 has been in use. 0.43 in 2017, 0.51 in 2018 and 0.43 in 2019 – our pupils do well in comparison to similar schools in similar contexts (whether they all do MFL or not). The Ebacc average point score (APS) at Chulmleigh in 2019 was 5.21.

We are focused on what is important at Chulmleigh, great teaching and learning, great behaviour and respect and high expectations. You won’t always find our staff on the circuit of courses and network events because we are in the classroom. However, you will always find us very open to visitors and very happy to share our practice.

Suggestions on how schools can succeed with MFL:

• Give it the time it needs. Pupils need practice, the subject needs status. Think carefully about splitting time across two MFL subjects.
• Play to the strengths of your staff. Nothing beats a subject specialist, the integrity of your provision entirely rests on the knowledge and ability of your teachers. Focus on their specialism.
• Take your pupils to the country of the language they are learning. Our French Exchange is amazing, a true once in a lifetime experience that will always be remembered. We also run residential trips during the holidays (so pupils don’t miss classes), these really support what happens in the classroom.
• Rehearsal and testing. Give MFL the rigour it needs in Key Stage 3. Prepare and rehearse your pupils for what GCSE study is like. Give them competitive advantages as they approach Year 10 and 11.
• Find your nearest DfE MFL Hub. There has been funding into certain schools to promote teaching in MFL and improve outcomes – there will be a MFL Hub near you, so contact them. They are funded to share their practice and experience, and it is important that they do.
• Remember that the acquisition of languages is about social mobility – immerse your disadvantaged pupils in MFL early. Make sure they are on your residentials.
• Use target language with your classes. Do as much as you can in the language you are teaching.

As trailblazers in the world of digital education, ClickView puts the highest-quality video content for effective teaching and learning and deeper understanding at the fingertips of educators and students. Already trusted by over 4500 schools, colleges, and universities around the world, the free site was created by the team within a matter of weeks at the beginning of the pandemic. Aiming to ensure that there were no barriers to making the most of resources, no account logins, passwords, or subscriptions are required to access. 

To date, over 250,000 pages of free video from ClickView have been accessed. In addition, school-based adopters through the free initiative saw many 1000s of students gaining access to 1000s of quality educational video resources for them to explore and learn. As the uncertainty of the pandemic continues, ClickView has taken the decision to extend the use of the free platform, so educators can continue to provide students with the best-quality educational resources.

Visually stunning, curriculum-aligned video content at your fingertips, all 100% free

The huge catalogue of content is all curriculum-aligned, created by educators for educators. With nearly 800 videos available to browse, the library is split into Primary, Secondary and Teacher Professional Development resources, with subcategories for each key stage covering core subject areas, as well as student wellbeing. Helping to keep students engaged, the platform includes free access to educational video quizzes for blended learning.

As a result of the free platform, the team are delighted to have just been officially recognised as a ‘UK Business Hero 2020’ by the British Chamber of Commerce and HRH The Countess of Wessex. Launched by the British Chamber of Commerce in September, the campaign sought to acknowledge the incredible work UK businesses were doing, in what has been a hugely challenging year. 

Teaching online masterclass

In addition, responding to the pressures felt by educators in adapting to new methods, ClickView partnered with leading EdTech companies including Adobe, Makematic, iCivics and Participate to deliver a ‘Teaching Online Masterclass – ‘TOM’. 

A free video course for educators about how to teach online, featuring some of the world’s best thought leaders and instructors, it is full of practical strategies for online teaching. If you’re looking for support with how to teach online or incorporate blended learning, the TOM course is for you, https://www.clickview.co.uk/teaching-online-masterclass.

Blended Learning 

Head of ClickView UK, Michael Wilkinson, passionately believes that blended learning strategies remain a necessity, both in the long and short term. 

“Expanding online learning platforms and getting a better understanding of the key differences between physical and online teaching practices, so that teachers can be better equipped to confidently teach online, is of paramount importance and something that cannot be overlooked.

“We live in a digital world, the way we consume media and news has changed dramatically over the past decade, with online streaming services and subscriptions now being part of the norm. According to the latest Ofcom Media Nations report, changing behaviour during the pandemic appears to have accelerated the growth in viewing of online video.

“This rise in consumption of online video and its effectiveness to engage audiences highlights its importance as a powerful and important tool, which can no longer be overlooked in an education setting.”

What high-quality blended learning should offer:

• The opportunity for learners to demonstrate and apply learning
• The opportunity for learners to collaborate together online through meaningful activities 
• Regular feedback – crucial to maintain engagement and to gauge learner progression
• Opportunity for regular knowledge checks – online activities should be interactive rather than passive
• High-quality learning resources that are current, relevant, aligned to the curriculum and well produced
• A range of multimedia formats – video being a powerful tool 
• Key aspects of face to face teaching should be reflected online in both synchronous and asynchronous formats – include introduction, outline objectives of the session, regular knowledge checks, feedback and a plenary
• Face to face time should be used to unpick what additional support learners require and scaffold online learning episodes accordingly
• A space online for informal communities for peer support

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ClickView videos and resources remain freely available at www.clickview.co.uk/free. 

Childline data

• From April to October 2020 our trained counsellors held 1,593 counselling sessions with children about online bullying.
• Before lockdown measures were first introduced, from January to March per month there were on average 134 counselling sessions with children on online bullying.
• This average increased by 70% from April to October to 228 counselling sessions per month.

The main types of online bullying children have got in touch with Childline about since the lockdown include:

• People sending threatening or abusive text messages.
• Being pressured into sending sexual images or engaging in sexual conversations.
• Being excluded by other children from online games, activities or friendship groups.
• Other people creating fake accounts, hijacking or stealing a child’s online identity to embarrass or cause trouble using a child’s name.

Quotes from children who contacted Childline about bullying during the lockdown and Alex Gray, Childline Service Manager

“Ever since lockdown began, all of my friends have completely stopped talking to me and they’ve blocked me from social media. I’ve no idea why they’ve done this, it’s made me so paranoid. Now I’m really scared to go back to school. I don’t know who I’ll talk to.” (Boy, 15)

“I’m off school right now cos of Covid, but the bullies are still mean to me on social media. They text me saying things like I’ve got no friends, or will go on and on about how dumb I am. Sometimes I wish I was in school; I’d rather them punch me instead of saying horrible things about me all the time on the internet.” (Girl, 12)

“My best friends at school have been calling me names over Xbox during lockdown. They have been calling me fat and it upsets and hurts me because they were my friends before lockdown. I wish they could feel what I am feeling because then they would stop it. I am worried about going back to school and seeing them in case they carry it on.” (Boy, 10)

Alex Gray, Childline Service Manager said:

“Every year thousands of children contact Childline about their experiences of cyberbullying and tell us it can feel impossible to escape. Lockdown has exacerbated these feelings for many young people and from April to October our trained counsellors held more than a thousand counselling sessions with young people about online bullying. 

“As we are now in another national lockdown in England, many children will now face the prospect of spending more time online. Bullying can have a significant impact on their mental health and wellbeing and this can be felt long into adulthood, so it is vital that we are here for them and that they know who they can turn to for help and support.”

Advice from NSPCC and Childline

For children:

1. Talk to an adult you trust about the online bullying you are experiencing so you feel less alone and they can support you. This could be a parent, teacher or you can speak to a Childline counsellor on 0800 1111. You can also use Childline’s online message board to speak with other young people and share your experiences and feelings with children your age who are going through a similar situation.

2. Take a break from looking at your phone and do something you enjoy such as sport, listening to music or art.

3. Report and block someone if they are sending you messages that upset you.

4. Remember the bullying is not your fault.

5. Get into a healthy routine and make sure you look after yourself by eating healthily, getting enough sleep and taking time out for yourself.

For adults:

Signs to spot:

Although it can be difficult to identify that a child is being bullied online, here are some things parents can look out for

• Not wanting to go to school or take part in normal activities
• Getting anxious or angry if you go near their device
• Feeling withdrawn, upset or angry at home
• Problems sleeping or eating
• Having angry outbursts that seem out of character
• Spending more or less time online than normal

What to do if you think your child is being bullied online?

1. Talk to your child about what they like to do online and ask them what worries them. This is good way to encourage them to come to you with anything that might be making them feel anxious or sad.  If your child speaks to you about a negative experience they’ve had online, try to remain calm and don’t overwhelm them with questions and reassure them that it will be ok, and that you’re always there for them.

2. Show them how to report or block a message from someone that upsets or worries them.

3. Don’t take their device away if they’ve had a negative experience online. Although you may want to do this if they are upset, this may make them feel like whatever has happened is their fault.  Instead, suggest they take some time away from the app they received the messages on and do another online activity they enjoy like playing a game.

4. Know where you can get further support. Adults can call the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000.  Also, the NSPCC also information for parents and carers about other online issues that might affect young like Cyberbullying and Sexting.

How to keep your child safe online:

At the NSPCC, we have partnered with O2 and co-created the website Net Aware, which brings you reviews and the latest advice about the apps, sites and games your child is using. Net Aware combines the NSPCC’s expertise in protecting children and O2’s tech know-how, to help you keep your kids safe online.

Net Aware has tips to help keep children safe from cyberbullying. The website also has articles on keeping kids safe on conferencing apps  and 8 tips for keeping your kids safe online during lockdown, as well as an online safety in lockdown hub.

Here is some quick and memorable advice for parents so they can make sure their child is safe online by working together as a TEAM. 

T – talk about staying safe online

E – explore their online world together

A – agree rules about what’s ok and what’s not

M – manage your family’s settings and controls

***

Information on Anti-Bullying Week 2020: United Against Bullying:

Anti-Bullying Week takes place from Monday 16th – Friday 20th November 2020 and the theme is: United Against Bullying, underlining how we all have a part to play in lessening the impact of bullying. Last year 75% of schools in the country took part in Anti-Bullying Week, reaching well over 7 million young people. Odd Socks Day marks the first day of Anti-Bullying Week, when young and old wear odd socks to celebrate diversity and difference.

Find out more about Anti-Bullying Week at www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week, and get involved on social media via: @ABAonline #AntiBullyingWeek #UnitedAgainstBullying #OddSocksDay

The return to school has meant both teachers and learners have had to hit the ground running with respect to creating a COVID-friendly learning environment whilst allowing learners to thrive. This is no easy feat when accounting for the trauma and life changing experiences that these young people have experienced. This disruption to learning means vocational subjects are beginning to play a big role in education this year.

Vocational subjects as a response to Covid-19 related challenges

At the most basic level, vocational subjects offer a more applied approach to learning than their traditional academic counterparts. For some learners, this applied approach often proves to be a more engaging way to develop knowledge and skills, and ultimately succeed in their learning journey. There have always been, and always will be, learners that benefit from this style of qualification. 

With disruption caused to the usual structure of the classroom, we’re starting to see that some learners require more flexibility to successfully re-engage with learning. As we all know, after a long period of abnormality, it can be difficult to revert to what was once considered normality. For some learners, the ability to resume where they left off feels impossible. For students struggling to make progress in their pre-lockdown subject choices, their confidence, motivation, general wellbeing and mental health can be adversely affected. Choosing the right courses can play a crucial role in stimulating and motivating disengaged learners, helping to break down barriers to engagement and success.

The key to getting the right courses for the right students

A combination of academic and vocational options can help provide the broad and balanced curriculum school leaders are often striving for. Switching a traditional academic subject such as GCSE PE for a vocational alternative, such as NCFE’s Technical Award in Health and Fitness, not only broadens the subject matter learners are exposed to, but it also helps them to develop a wider range of skills and approaches to learning. 

The content, structure and assessment methods of vocational qualifications lend themselves perfectly to learners that demonstrate their best work outside of the pressures of exams. They are great for learners who enjoy applying knowledge to real-life scenarios rather than using it more theoretically. 

Many vocational courses have a combined Level 1/2 structure, which means that if learners don’t achieve at level 2, they automatically drop to a level 1, and so nevertheless achieve a nationally recognised qualification. This combined structure offers learners an extra layer of confidence, and decreases the risk of failure. With most vocational courses focusing on internal assessment, learners have plenty of opportunity to flourish. 

The most effective vocational subject delivery methods

Although vocational courses can be hugely beneficial for some learners, they can also be time-consuming and difficult to set up, and the last thing schools and teachers need now is an increase in workload. Teachers’ time is precious, especially during this pandemic where every day sees teachers pushed to their limits with extra challenges. Exceptional resources such as iAchieve can be the difference between being able to offer vocational options, and not. Any resource worth using needs to provide a good return on investment – whether this be the time spent developing it, or the money spent on purchasing it. It must be simple and quick to implement, lead to real learning, and be directly relevant to the qualification being delivered. If it can be endorsed for quality by the awarding organisation, even better.

When it comes to vocational subjects, it is crucial that the delivery methods and resources employed are optimal for the learning styles of the students studying them. It is often the case that learners who have a more vocational-based curriculum have an alternative set of skills to those learners who study more ‘traditional’ subjects.  

Online learning platforms have many advantages in supporting students’ learning. They offer flexibility and adaptability to both teachers and learners, providing an interactive experience that enhances learning. With the additional burdens teachers face this year, managing workload is more important than ever and online delivery solutions can play a huge role in reducing it. Giving students access to curriculum-aligned, online learning platforms such as iAchieve provides an engaging way of offering continuity and focus. 

Perhaps most importantly when considering solutions for vocational options, it should be clear how a resource builds on and is built on the qualification specification. Each iAchieve subject is matched directly to a nationally-recognised, DfE-approved, vocational qualification. iAchieve’s unique instructional design is applied to the carefully-selected specifications, turning them into complete online programmes. Each programme covers all the qualification content, learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

iAchieve has been supporting the successful implementation and delivery of vocational courses in Secondary schools across England since 2016. Our comprehensive, awarding-organisation endorsed programmes help schools to switch to vocational subjects smoothly, with little disruption or increase to workload. The online learning platform not only offers a framework for delivery for teachers, but it provides a personalised learning space for learners embarking on their vocational learning journey. 

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You can find out more about delivering vocational education by attending the iAchieve Vocational Conference. You can also find out more about iAchieve as a resource and delivery method by visiting www.iachieve.org.uk.

Quite frankly there should be a new job role created in all schools simply called ‘COVID Case Management’, because that is essentially what all leaders are inundated with throughout each working day. It doesn’t stop at work either: dealing with positive cases and emailing/communicating to parents and staff into the evening, ensuring that their school community is safe. I have the utmost respect for those headteachers who are spending their days putting out COVID fires, and I really hope all parents, staff and children appreciate their efforts.

People in general are feeling exhausted and not quite themselves at the moment, so that exhaustion is amplified for people working in schools. This is a result of constantly being driven by adrenaline, because no matter how you much you try to stay calm and focussed when dealing with these daily ‘closing of bubbles’ ‘positive cases’ and ‘isolation’ decisions, your brain will still be activating your adrenaline response from your amygdala and your emotional responses will flood in. At the time of writing, I can imagine there are many leaders who are sleeping their way through half term, mainly because it’s essential to recover but also because the whole country seems to slowly become barricaded by tiers and therefore you can’t really travel too far anyway.

I know from my perspective, as an assistant head, watching events unfold have caused me to feel a little uneasy. I’ve heard of so many schools in my local area and further afield that have had to close class bubbles due to positive cases. This virus is relentless, and no matter how ultra-prepared you are as a school, unfortunately it cannot prevent the spread.

I have been shocked at some teachers and leaders suggesting that COVID cases in schools are down to poor management. Absolutely untrue and unfounded. These sorts of comments are unwarranted, and they should think about how that school leader is feeling right now. They may already feel anxious and as though they have let others down. Empathy and understanding should come before any comments like that.

I think wellbeing and putting yourself first (when you can) is so important at the moment. As of writing (at the beginning of November), I booked in for four shoulder massages in September, one for each week; because I knew I would need them. I also joined the gym and focussed much of my energy on toning up and losing weight. I can tell I’m focussed and want to achieve my goal, as I have managed to lose three stone and feel much better for it. I know of other leaders that have put their all into fitness and achieving new goals. To be quite honest, that seems to be the only controllable factor at the moment.

I think it’s important we all exercise some realistic thinking at this time. I like to make sure I’m ultra-productive, as I’m certain most teachers/leaders do. However there is only so much you can do, only so many hours you can work, before you need to take a break and look after yourself.

With the recent news of another nationwide lockdown, but this time with schools staying open), it’s important to remember to look after each other. Teachers/leaders are pros at pretending to be okay, dealing with situations head on, but they may be hiding how much they are struggling; they may not even be aware that they are struggling.

So check in, be aware and keep other people’s wellbeing at the forefront of your mind and remember we are only human.

So with all of this in mind, here are my recommendations for how school leaders can stay upbeat right now while helping others to do the same:

1. Share the load, you have a team to help share the responsibility/burden.

2. Talk. Rant (to the appropriate audience). Let off steam when you can. Many elements of COVID life are frustrating at the moment.

3. Get out for some fresh air whenever possible during the school day. Breathe in the cold, windy calm.

4. Try and find time for downtime. Just sitting still, drinking a coffee/tea/whiskey – whatever your preferred beverage is – and just relax.

The free online lessons will bring learning to life by connecting students and teachers with fresh ways to build ocean literacy, discuss coral science and interact with coral scientists. There will be 24 digital Live lessons designed for students aged from 7 to 18 and lessons will take place with the exciting backdrop of the National Marine Aquarium exhibits with some of the largest aquarium viewing platforms in the UK.

Each lesson will feature an array of presenters and speakers from around the globe including presenter Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop from Encounter Edu and Dr Kristen Marhaver from the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation in Curaçao. Ocean Conservation Trust’s Schools Officer, Joe Farrow, will join lessons to showcase sharks at the National Marine Aquarium and highlight the importance of sharks within a balanced coral ecosystem.

Photos by CARMABI of reef in Curaçao

The live lessons hope to inspire STEM careers and develop environmental stewardship. They are also a great way to deliver education for the UN Sustainable Development Goals particularly SDG 13 on climate change and SDG 14 on the ocean. There will be lessons in English, French and German, all organized by age group and topic, with lessons for younger students investigating core biology topics through exploring coral science. Older students will be able to deepen their knowledge of ecosystems and human impacts from a range of experts.

Tune in from 2pm on Monday 9th November by following: https://encounteredu.com/live-lessons/axa-coral-live-2020 

Roger Maslin, CEO of Ocean Conservation Trust, said: “The Ocean Conservation Trust is proud to partner and contribute in this coral education opportunity. We truly understand the importance of protecting vital ocean habitats and believe education is the perfect tool for encouraging pro-Ocean behaviour in young people.”

Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop, Executive Director of Encounter Edu, added: “The coral reef is the most biodiverse of any ecosystem on the planet and directly support over 500 million people across the world. They are also among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, with the coral reefs in all 29 reef-containing World Heritage sites ceasing to exist by the end of the century if carbon emissions are not reduced.”

CARMABI Diver interacting with a grouper in Caribbean

The live lessons have been a success in previous years with Mrs. C Matthew from Northlands Primary in Bermuda adding that: “I cannot say enough about how much our students and teachers appreciated the AXA XL Live Coral Reef presentations. The students are still asking questions and we are so thrilled with their thought processes!”

Emily Carpenter from Bridgerule Primary, UK was also happy with the lessons saying: “This was an absolutely fantastic experience for the children. They developed a better understanding of the coral reef and they were over the moon when they heard their shout out and questions answered. Thank you.”

As well as the amazing Coral Live Lessons, The Ocean Conservation Trust also offers the opportunity of pre-booked virtual tours. The tours give pupils all over the UK the chance to learn more about the Ocean. The UN Decade of the Ocean begins in 2021 and the virtual tours and lesson plans are aimed to get the UK off to flying start. Alongside the tour, activities and lesson plans are offered as a package bundle giving users up to 2- or 3-days’ worth of activities and homework.

The virtual tours are bespoke, so one class will be taken on an hour and a half virtual tour around the aquarium with the opportunity to interact and ask questions as if they were really in the aquarium.

Holy Cross College is a pre-kindergarten-to-Year 12 Catholic school situated in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. As an Apple Distinguished School, the College is a global leader in contemporary, 21st century pedagogies that are Christ-centred and student-focused. The College’s Vision for Learning allows for all students to be engaged, challenged and progressing.

INNOVATIVE RIGOUR

At the end of 2018 as a part of the launch of our new Strategic Direction of the College, we invented the term ‘innovative rigour’. One of the arguments that people from traditional pedagogical backgrounds have against innovative pedagogies is that there is too much emphasis on engaging and interesting activities, and no rigour. This is not correct. Our use of the phrase innovative rigour captures the notion that 21st century pedagogies require teachers to make students sweat! 

I like to use the idea of strength training as an analogy: When a person wants to build their muscles, they lift heavier weights then they have previously lifted, often with a person to spot them. This causes their muscles to slightly tear, repair and grow! 

We need to be doing the same thing with our learning. If we remain comfortable and do not challenge students to go beyond what they have previously achieved, then we are not growing them. This is where the innovation comes in. If you are pushing a student beyond what they can already do, then you need to rethink how you progress them. 

We can all think of the time you have explained something to a student and they have given you that blank look. You then rack your brain to think of a different way to explain it – that’s innovation. Therefore, welcome to innovative rigour – push the students beyond what they can already do, and then rethink how you get them there! 

CO-TEACHING

Teaching in the 21st century is hard! The demands on teachers are ever-increasing but the industrial model hasn’t evolved to these demands. We differentiate learning, we personalise learning, and we grow students who are at significantly different levels of understanding and skill sets. To work in a silo doesn’t work. It takes a team to progress students! 

We do that through a number of ways at Holy Cross. Firstly, we are at a slight advantage, because all of our learning spaces are created to allow for team teaching. Our K-6 classes are built without dividing walls, one space for two classes. Our Middle School and Senior School learning spaces all have large sliding doors to connect rooms. We timetable our core learning areas together so that team teaching can be leveraged. 

Two teachers to 60 students is far more powerful than 1 teacher to 30 students. And, don’t forget what COVID-19 has taught us. Imagine having 1 teacher working with 20 select students, another teacher working with 20 other students, and then the final 20 students completing a lesson online. Then you can add an education assistant who could be leveraged, and even a parent helper. Suddenly, the realm of differentiation has changed dramatically! 

TEACHER AS ACTIVATOR

We have all heard the phrase ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’. We must step away from teachers viewing themselves as the bearers of knowledge. Just because you stood at the front and talked to the students for 45 minutes, or you got them to open their textbooks and read content – doesn’t mean that your students are learning: It just means you had your time in the spotlight. 

Our job as teachers is to activate the skills within students to become better learners. There aren’t many bosses in the real world that turn to their employees, talk at them for an hour and then sit them down for a test. What does a boss do in the real world? They come up to their employee and say “I have a problem, I need you to fix it”. If our students aren’t provided with the skills to ‘fix it’, then we aren’t preparing them to become global citizens. We need to teach students how to find information, how to interpret, how to present learning, how to think critically, how to think creatively. Essentially, we should spend more time exploring Michael Fullan’s 6Cs than teaching content. 

INTENTIONAL USE OF SPACE

Hand-in-hand with contemporary pedagogies is contemporary learning spaces. At Holy Cross we have great learning spaces. Contemporary learning spaces from K-12 setup to facilitate cooperative learning. There are no desks in rows. We have breakout spaces in every building to be leveraged by the students. 

However, with these spaces, if a teacher just throws the students into contemporary spaces with couches, high chairs, low chairs, round tables, individual desks and breakout spaces, then it will just cause chaos, and will have no positive impact on learning.

However, intentionally training students with these spaces will unleash the magic. “If you are looking to work individually, sit here. If you are looking to collaborate, this zone would be appropriate. If you would like some more support with X, come over to this space with me”. Conversations like this increase student agency, accountability on learning, and provide purpose to learning. 

STUDENT AGENCY

There is a lot of confusion in contemporary understandings of student agency and student voice. At Holy Cross we believe it is critical for these two ideas to go together. We define agency as setting up a learning environment where students feel a sense of empowerment and ownership. 

Voice is that students are provided with the opportunity to choose and to control elements of their learning process (a strategy to enable agency). In order to empower students with a student-centred pedagogical approach, we need to unlock their capacity to choose. This is agency – once again, it’s all about explicitly focusing on the skills of learning. When students are given increased agency, we can also provide increasing amounts of voice and choice, which also builds agency! 

The context

This class of 25, over recent years, have had a run of bad luck. Their teachers have either been off sick, left, or been job shares. In between that they’ve had supplies who unfortunately haven’t done them any good. Due to this inconsistency, they have developed an ‘us against them’ mentality. They’ve heard other adults call them the ‘worst class in school’, and they’ve taken that as a badge of honour. They expect adults to leave and give up on them because that’s all they’ve known. They don’t know how to learn effectively, they don’t know how to regulate their emotions and manage conflict and, above all else, they don’t know how to compromise and behave in a civil manner to one another.

Our school behaviour policy is based on ‘When The Adults Change’ (Paul Dix). We use scripts as behaviour reminders and follow the restorative approach to conflict resolution. The truth is, this is difficult to enforce in my classroom. At the moment, I’m working towards relentlessly applying this behaviour management system, but this is only one part of a complex tangle of needs and approaches I’ve had to try in 2 months of trial and error.

Circle time

For the last 2 weeks of half term we have been facilitating 1-1.5 hours a day of circle time. This is structured in such a way that we check-in and discuss how we’re feeling, share things we did successfully the day before and then reflect on next steps. In the first one we discussed what the classroom felt like then and how we wanted it to feel. From that we’ve identified 8 behaviours, or words, that we strive for and these form the foundation of each session. After half term we’ll adapt these sessions and focus on one of these words per week to fully embed their meaning for the children. The words are:

• Responsibility
• Safe
• Generosity
• Caring
• Considerate
• Positive
• Acceptance 
• Inviting

Educational psychologist

I appreciate this resource is dependent on individual schools’ situations and budgets, but I wanted to mention it. I’ve had a couple of sessions over FaceTime with our EP in which I explained the situation and she offered her advice. This included creating a ‘team’ along with a team song, motto, mascot and establishing myself as the leader – a crucial step toward eliminating the power struggle in the group. Some of this worked well, but other parts, such as ambassadors of key behaviours, didn’t work as well. I have kept some aspects of this, but I am continuing to work with the EP on what we’ve been doing and getting guidance on how to manage it going forward.

Praise, praise, praise

Some days are easier than others! However, I truly believe that positive emotion beats negative every time. It’s the way in which I’ve been delivering this that needs attention to detail. General, whole-class positive feedback and praise features regularly and is something the class needs to hear. We use postcards and phone calls home to target specific children, which always works well because it involves the parents. There are one or two children who benefit from 1:1 pep talks at least once a day. These children struggle with managing their behaviour, many with their temper, and they need consistent adult praise and recognition for every little thing they do well. To the point of praising them for tidying away efficiently and being ready after one lesson in the entire day. These small wins stack up over time, and are crucial to building relationships with the most vulnerable of my children.

Label the behaviour, not the child

I witnessed my headteacher do something amazing that I would never have had the guts to do before (for fear of an angry parent phone call later in the day), but it was done in such a compassionate yet ‘matter-of-fact’ manner that it really worked. A child gave an inappropriate response to a question in circle time to get a laugh from their peers. My headteacher had come down to be present and to support me. He challenged the answer, asking the child to explain their reasoning, and when they couldn’t, simply said he believed the child gave that answer because the child feels uncomfortable addressing these difficult emotions. After a few kind and encouraging words, he asked the child the original question again and they gave the most sensible and practical suggestion of the whole session. I am now building the confidence to call out and label behaviours. Using them as teaching opportunities to support the children and ensuring that I always follow-up with the specific child/children afterwards.

I appreciate a lot of the content here is more strategy than resource-based, so I have linked some useful reading below which has helped me in understanding my complex class over the last half term. I hope you find some of this useful:

• Behaviour Management Strategies for Challenging Children – by Sue Cowley
• Understanding and supporting SEMH pupils – Sarah Barlow
• Pillar 1: Consistent, calm adult behaviour – Pivotal Education
• Teachers Need to Be Taught To Teach Students to Behave – Tom Bennett

Not all parents feel comfortable walking into a school; not all had good experiences themselves either, which can be a factor in why some haven’t been more involved. Remote learning takes some of this worry away from them and, when done well, can really strengthen the home-school relationship. The home-school link is critical, and should be nurtured from the day our learners start school aged 3 or 4. Children need to see that a parent or carer is involved and interested in school. Not all parents can volunteer on school trips, or even do the school run each day, but as often as possible schools need to give parents opportunities to get involved. 

Primary schools are better at this on the whole, so secondary schools have always been looking for better ways to get the parents involved. My own MA dissertation looked at the differences between parental engagement between Year 6 and Year 7, and found that there are myriad of reasons why parents are often less involved in secondary education, with ease of access to teachers being one of those, and being uncomfortable in school another. Remote learning has broken down those barriers and given parents access to schools and teachers on their own terms.

Remote learning has made many schools think about how and what they share with parents. Apps such as Seesaw have come into their own, allowing parents, students and teachers to see the work at home that has been going on. Emailing has become more common, apps such as Class Charts or Satchel One / Show My Homework that share homework and messages have thrived, developing new features to cope with the demands. 

Sharing examples of good work, offering praise, posting comments on Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams work completed by students… all of these things mean that parents are able to easily be more involved now than ever before. Previous to this, it was rarer for students to take books home to show their learning. Keeping up with these systems is critical: parents will stop using apps that are rarely used by schools. Likewise, if they are too frequently used, they will become a burden. Look for ones that are mobile-enabled, use low storage and data, and allow parents to select what posts they get and when. This is vastly preferable to those which constantly ping messages onto your phone, or those which don’t work well on mobile devices.

It is important that parents are ‘trained’ in the use of the specific apps that schools are using. It’s useful for schools to share how-to guides in paper form with screenshots, or even share videos of how to access the main platforms and apps used by a school. This will help parents access the relevant edtech, making them feel part of the learning. You might even consider seeking out masterclasses or webinars demonstrating these resources to send to parents. Offer this assistance face-to-face if the situation allows, or virtually at several times during a day / evening to help all parents and guardians gain full necessary access. Record these sessions so that parents can return to them if they are stuck at a later date. Give parents a contact in the school, someone who can talk them through setting up and using these systems so that they feel confident in what they are doing. 

Remote learning should empower parents and guardians. The same screens that some people hide behind for less-than-positive exchanges online can also be a safety net for parents who are unsure of themselves in front of teachers (secondary ones in particular). Just as we have seen some students thrive with remote learning, so too have we seen some parents, and if we are heading toward a ‘new normal’, then I would love to see well-planned, remote parental engagement included as part of this. 

Traditionally, in the beginning of the school year, teachers go over rules and expectations for their physical classroom. An example of this may be to have students raise their hands before speaking, knock on the door before entering the classroom, etc.

When teaching in the digital classroom, these expectations need to be refreshed to align with the digital environment. A good way to do so is by looking at areas that need attention and tailoring your digital classroom rules accordingly.

Below are SIX vital types of digital classroom rules to help you develop your own and keep your digital classroom management efforts strong and effective.

Remember, this list should be re-visited throughout the school year to ensure consistency.

1. Virtual Meetings’ Etiquette

Here’s an example of what your virtual meetings’ rules or etiquette should look like:

Once completed, post it in your virtual classroom environment, or provide each student with a copy. Remind students to revisit it when necessary.

A few controls to check on your part:
1. Control mic settings to make sure students can’t mute each other.
2. Control Participants to prevent unwanted users from joining or knocking (requesting to rejoin).
3. Manage who can share their screen and who can send chat messages within a meeting.
4. You’ll also want to track Meeting usage to understand how your students are actually using it and how much time you’re virtually engaging with them.

2. Online Safety Rules

As we prepare and lead through the digital classroom, it’s important to set rules that help us ensure our students’ online safety.

One way to teach students about staying safe online and develop rules accordingly is to have them complete Google’s Be Internet Awesome.

It teaches them about digital citizenship and internet safety in a gamified environment — which we all know, students love!

3. Chat App Rules

Irrelevant conversations in Chat apps are the new form of ‘classroom side talks’’. And while you can easily spot side talk in the physical classroom, the digital classroom can be trickier.

First you’ll need to develop rules on how and when students can use Chat apps in class. You can also monitor Chat usage per user and get precise reports on where students are spending their time online.

4. Inappropriate Behavior or Comments

Inappropriate behavior or comments take various forms in the digital classroom . From virtual bullying to deliberately causing disorder. That’s why deviations from what’s appropriate should not be tolerated.

Develop your own list of inappropriate behaviour, and instead of punishing the student and revoking digital permissions, use this as a teachable moment.

For example, allow the student to delete the comments posted and reflect on their behavior by creating a video to improve their digital interactions.

5. Real Attendance

Remind students that real attendance isn’t just about logging in and off. It’s more about actively following up, staying engaged and contributing. Being distracted by side tasks, irrelevant activities, etc. should not be accepted.

6. Assignments Rules

Make sure you’re clear with students on how you expect them to complete assignments. This is super important to ensure a smooth flow of your Classwork.

Assignment rules can cover things like due dates, posting questions or answers on assignments, how assignments should be submitted for grading, etc.

You’ll also need to provide quality and actionable feedback on assignments and always check if students need help.

Closing thoughts

Maintain a POSITIVE tone
Write your digital expectations or rules using a positive tone. Use words like “please’, “yes”, and “and”. Refrain from negative words like “no”, “but”, and “do not”.

This helps students feel more comfortable in your class and connect with you better.

Engage and Involve them
It’s always nice to include your students in these rules or expectations from the start, that way they’ll become a lot more meaningful for them.

Brainstorm a list of digital classroom rules with your students using tools like Jamboard. Once completed, post the Jam in your Google Classroom as a material post and remind them to re-visit if necessary.