Friday 16 November 2012 | Vol. 2 | No. 11

Memorable lesson Why paying a visit to a ‘memory palace’ may MEMORY SKILLS bring rich rewards 4 ARE KING Getting to better know the inside you

Behaviour 100-MINUTE Emotions 8 HISTORY

A checklist for a classroom atmosphere Practice LESSONS Time management 10 Pathfinders Pupils teach staff to Play it again, Sir play instruments 13 Hodgkinson Research Spiritual growth 14 Hodgkinson MICHAEL SHAW

‘Intelligence is the wife, imagination is the mistress, memory is the servant’ Victor Hugo French poet, novelist and dramatist (1802-1885)

TESpro is a weekly supplement for TES, designed to explore and share cutting-edge practice in teaching today. To suggest projects, schools or events to include, or to pose questions for our career and behaviour experts, email [email protected]

Next week in TESpro ● A practical guide to assessment for learning Remember good old ● How teacher empathy can prevent bullying ● Research: what difference excellent teaching makes

rote learning? Forthcoming events

THIS PAGE is frequently an impassioned grump against those who 17 November (London) seem set on reducing lessons to old-fashioned rote learning. But London Festival of Education what if getting pupils to commit lots of information to memory wasn’t Institute of Education, University of London such a bad thing? Join in the education debate at a special one-day Yes, we should be worried about some of the current moves to turn event backed by TES and the Institute of Education, the clock back on assessment. The planned longer exams for teenag- featuring performances, debates and demonstrations, ers look as if they will reward only those who are best at memorising as well as workshops from the National Theatre and and regurgitating information. TESpro behaviour guru Tom Bennett. However, the education secretary’s plans to encourage primary londonfestivalofeducation.com pupils to recite poetry by heart have met with little resistance from schools. Most do it already, and those who don’t normally think it’s, 21 November (London) well…a nice thing to do, perhaps nostalgically muttering half- Whole Education conference remembered lines of verse. Kings Place, York Way Similarly, primary teachers have yet to take to the streets in protest The not-for-profit group Whole Education’s third at the recommendation that children learn their times tables up to annual conference will be on the theme “Becoming 12x12 rather than the minimum of 10x10 set by the national curricu- World Class”. Speakers include Mick Waters, former lum. Again, most primary schools do it already and can see the benefit director of curriculum at the QCA, and Maggie Farrar, (even just because our system of time and months is still based interim chief executive of the National College. around the number 12). www.wholeeducation.org Some information still needs to be committed to memory. Access to the internet may be making us less reliant on our memories, but just 23 November (Bolton) as there is still a place for core knowledge in the age of Wikipedia, we TeachMeet Bolton have to help the next generation resist the temptation to outsource Heathfield Primary School, 5-8.30pm their memories to Google. The school – home to blogging teacher The best way to improve pupils’ ability to retain information may @DeputyMitchell – is hosting a TeachMeet. not be rote teaching, or even flashcards and mnemonics, although Presentations for the event include “Let’s make a they still have a place. Making better use of the brain’s proclivity for whole class den in two minutes – can we do it?”. imagery can also yield results, as deputy headteacher Jonathan bit.ly/ob0Vmw Hancock, a two-time Guinness World Record holder and former World Memory Champion, discovered (pages 4-7). Store your copies of TESpro So memorisation should be one of the skills our schools help to for future reference in a promote. It just should not be the only skill. special TESpro binder. Go to www.tslshop.co.uk/merchandise Michael Shaw is editor of TESpro Hodgkinson or call 0844 543 0064 to order [email protected] @mrmichaelshaw yours for just £4.50.

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 3 propedagogy Memory skills maysoonbeking Thereismoretorotelearningthanrepetitionand chanting,explainsateacherandmemorychampion

RICHARD VAUGHAN

“REPEAT AFTER me,” the teacher would say One teacher who knows this better than just before their pupils – in neat little rows of most is Jonathan Hancock, deputy head swing-top desks – would take a deep breath and at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in begin the collective chanting. Brighton, who is a two-time Guinness World “Tyger, tyger burning bright / In the forests of Record holder and a former World Memory the night / What immortal hand or eye / Could Champion thanks to his amazing feats frame thy fearful symmetry?” of memory. For some readers, this will bring back memories Hancock has since used his powers of of their schooling (while also evoking frustration recollection to establish the Junior Memory that “eye” will never, ever rhyme with “symmetry” Championship, after the Learning Skills unless you come from Birmingham). For some Foundation approached him to create a it may even describe a lesson today, but for programme and competition that could be others it will be as alien as the cane. used by schools to boost their pupils’ powers People with A few short years ago, the days of classes of concentration and teach them invaluable the best obediently reciting works from England’s memory skills. memories usually literary canon seemed mostly to have gone the The teacher, now 40, said he first became assign pictures way of William Blake. Indeed, it was only those interested in testing his memory when still to things bastions of traditionalism – the English public at school. He was a fan of the Guinness schools – that appeared to continue the World Records books, as well as the popular practice of rote learning by chanting in unison. television programme Record Breakers, and But when Michael Gove swept into power in so made a bet with a friend to see if he could 2010, he brought with him a desire to return set his own world record. schools to those days, and in June his desires “I came across a world record that was for the were laid out in draft proposals for a new greatest number of playing cards memorised, primary curriculum. and as I was into card tricks I thought I would The changes call for all primary school pupils give it a go,” Hancock says. from the age of 5 to be able to recite poetry by He investigated how he would go about the heart, while the education secretary has challenge, and stumbled across memory demanded that primaries should offer lessons techniques that would give him a clever way in the classical languages Greek and Latin, as of remembering each playing card. well as in modern foreign languages, including “The method said to attribute a memorable Mandarin. person or character to each card, so the ace of In English, the programme of study for Year 1 hearts would be Elvis Presley, your teacher or sets out plans for five-year-olds to be taught Mickey Mouse,” he says. “You then create a poetry while starting to learn basic poems and story from each of the characters to help you taking part in recitals. remember which cards will come next in the By Year 2, pupils will be expected to “build up sequence.” a repertoire of poems learnt by heart and recite At the age of 16, Hancock set the record some of these, with appropriate intonation to for memorising six shuffled packs of cards, make the meaning clear”. 312 in total; he then broke the record for But before you slap on your mortar board, memorising cards in the fastest time. dust off your book of Latin verbs and get your Unsurprisingly, his newly discovered pupils yelling “amo, amasHodgkinson, amat, amamus, powers helped him with his schoolwork amatis, amant” in chorus, there may be better, and he eventually went on to study English

more engaging ways to approach rote learning. at the University of Oxford, achieving a first- GETTY

4 tespro 16 NOVEMBER 2012 King of poems Learn a poem and England’s royal history in one go. Here is a rhyme to remember the kings and queens of England since William the Conqueror:

Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve/ Harry, Dick, John, Harry three/ Edward one, two, three, Dick two,/ Henry four, five, six, then who?/ Edward four, five, Dick the Bad/ Harrys twain and Ned, the Lad/ Mary, Lizzie, James the Vain/ Charlie, Charlie, James again/ William and Mary, Anne O’Gloria/ Four Georges, William and Victoria/ Edward seven, Georgie five/ Edward, George and Liz (alive).

Hodgkinson

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 5 propedagogy

class honours degree thanks to his find things different from his days at school,” ability to memorise 50 essays. Hancock adds. After a career in radio and as an author of One teacher who is well versed in these more than a dozen books on how to boost one’s methods is Ashley Winters, head of Lodge memory, Hancock trained as a teacher five Farm Primary School in the West Midlands. years ago, and has focused on passing on his The headteacher has used the techniques knowledge to boost pupils’ memory. and taught the memory skills at two very The technique, according to Hancock, was different schools and seen impressive results used by the ancient Greeks and later the at both, with his previous school producing Romans, who would assign pictures to things two Junior Memory Championship winners. and then construct a mental journey or place “I moved from a school with students with the pictures in an imaginary building to help high aspirations coming from high-performing them remember. families to one in an area with high deprivation “People with the best memories usually assign and very low aspirations,” Winters says. “I pictures to things that are hard to remember, brought this programme with me and in its first particularly abstract things such as numbers, year we had one of our students come third poems that are difficult to understand or nationally.” equations,” Hancock says. “Once you have The take-up was relatively slow at Lodge assigned your pictures to things, you can then Farm, Winters says, in comparison with his first bring in colour and texture, linking pictures school. But a club was set up to encourage together to create your own memory journey.” children to try to boost their memories and by doing so improve their learning. Whole-brain thinking The club’s subsequent success has led to it The technique works particularly well among being incorporated into planning, preparation primary pupils, as young children are more and assessment (PPA) sessions at the school, inclined to think in images. The method draws and Winters says that the benefits it brings to on the creative side of children’s brains as well pupils who undertake the programme are as exercising the logical side, bringing about unparalleled. what Hancock calls “whole-brain thinking”. “If you look at every child who took part in But he is quick to point out that learning the programme, their progress is excellent,” memory skills does not just amount to pupils he enthuses. “Every single child who took part being able to store information without made greater progress in Year 6 than they did knowing how to use it. Focusing the mind on in Year 5. And 100 per cent of the pupils made remembering things eventually forces them more than expected progress, and 100 per cent to understand how things work. were higher than what was expected of them “There is no point in teaching pupils lots nationally.” of interesting things if they don’t know how The headteacher admits that in Year 6, pupils and why they are being taught them,” he says. are expected to progress a little more than “This is a big element of teaching. If I were to previous years as the teaching is more teach my pupils this technique to remember concentrated ahead of their key stage 2 exams, We make rote something in maths, they would begin to use but he believes that the results of the memory learning fun with it and pick it up quickly, but before long they programme account for more than just a variety of can’t remember the techniques – they just preparing for a test. resources know how to do it.” “All the children made at least four average Hancock admits that he is interested by the point score [APS] progress, while 80 per cent changes being brought in by Gove, but thinks of them made more than four APS progress and the minister would be surprised by what rote that is across reading, writing and maths,” learning has become since his schooldays. Winters says. “The thing about remembering by rote [is that] And while the head is in favour of rote it is a very valuable skill but it’s not just about learning, he does not necessarily agree with repeating things over and over,” he says. Gove’s interpretation of what that actually “I think it is useful knowing a few poems by means. “Number bonds is a type of rote heart, but you don’t have to know it by drilling learning, but he may not think of it like that,” pupils like a staff sergeant, as that quickly Winters says. “We make rote learning fun with becomes boring.” a variety of different resources and a wealth of Instead, he takes his pupils on a memory information. If Michael Gove wants everybody journey that could be set anywhere: a to stand up and chant then I am not sure that computer-game landscape, for instance. is the right route to take.” The pupils will then attribute a picture to the But he agrees with the essence of what is first line of the poem, and from there build up achieved through learning by rote, and that a stack of knowledge. Hodgkinsonchildren should be able to access information “I would be very eager to have Gove in one off the top of their heads rather than at the tap

of my classes, as I am quite sure he would of a computer key. GETTY

6 tespro 16 NOVEMBER 2012 THE METHOD OF LOCI

First used by the Romans and ancient Greeks, the method of loci is said to be employed by nine out of 10 memory champions and is promoted by Jonathan Hancock as his favourite technique. The ancient Greeks quite literally worshipped memory, naming a goddess after it in the form of Mnemosyne, which is where the word mnemonic comes from. Greek senators would often employ the method of loci to enable them to absorb and regurgitate swathes of information when giving speeches without the use of notes. Often referred to as a “memory palace” or the “journey method”, the method of loci enables people to attribute images to a list of Shakespeare plays, a deck of cards or a shopping list and then, as they journey through their “palace”, they embark on a narrative using the images they have created. The technique is said to have been the brainchild of a Roman called Simonides who, luckily for him, stepped out of a banquet right at the moment the building collapsed killing all the other guests inside. Simonides realised he was able to remember exactly where each guest had been sitting, thus enabling him to identify the otherwise unidentifiable remains of the unfortunate diners.

Revision tips from Jonathan Hancock

● Try to think in pictures – memories love pictures. ● Use your imagination to picture historical events, scientific experiments or dramatic scenes in books and plays. ● Exaggerate the pictures – make them funny, violent, exciting or weird and you will be amazed at just how powerfully they activate your memory. ● Create connections to make it easier to remember. ● Try to link every new idea with something that you already know. Compare the facts and figures you want to learn with others already stored in “Pupils could Google everything and just get your brain. the answer they need, but you can’t rely on that ● Start creating your own connections by thinking and you must have the basics. I truly believe up scenes and stories that link the “picture clues” that every child should leave school with a Rote learning is you design. A story is a powerful way of learning certain level of numeracy and literacy so that not just about long lists of information, each item linking with they can continue on whatever path they repeating things the next to guide your brain through all the choose to take,” Winters says. over and over important memories. “We have to prepare these children for jobs ● Don’t just read and re-read a list: invent pictures, that haven’t even been invented yet, so having link them together in a story and take your a firm grasp of the basics is essential. It is our learning to a new level. job to pass on to the generation below us the ● Make it personal – it’s always easier to remember skills that will keep this country and the world things that have happened to you. economy going, and the essence behind all ● If you’re learning history, imagine how it would that is rote learning, which is still very feel if you were in the middle of the battle. much needed.” Hodgkinson● In geography, take an imaginary journey to a foreign land and think what it would be like www.juniormemorychampionship.com for you.

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 7 probehaviour

CLASS CHECKLIST

You can download Victor Allen’s Emotional Intelligence Checklist free from TES Resources. It includes checks on:

● Welcome and introduction ● Classroom layout ● Heating ● Lighting ● Displays ● Ventilation ● Emotional atmosphere ● Safety ● Care ● Relevance ● Encouragement/praise ● Positivity ● Emotional intelligence development ● Empathy ● Tone ● Body language ● Conversation/ relationship building ● Direction ● Classroom routines ● Peripheral vision and hearing Aroomwitha ● Leadership ● Mentoring ● Coaching ● Vision-target view to learning Download the checklist from bit.ly/QufVBA Theclassroomenvironmentiskeytohowpupilsfeel– andconsequentlyhowtheybehave–saysVictor Allen

GOOD BEHAVIOUR is not exclusively a product experience and your behaviour begins, almost of relationships; it is also a highly emotional immediately, to conform to expectations. business. The environment that we find ourselves It is also important to understand the effect in will always have an effect on our own and that the colours in the room can have on people. others’ emotions and, consequently, behaviour. This is something to bear in mind when putting When entering a building or classroom, we are up classroom displays and notices. Let the all subconsciously evaluating how the room, the words and the displays be an extension of what ambience is making us feel. We assess if it is too you want to say. Let them become an underlying hot or too cold, too light or too dark, clean or comment on your actions and speech. As you messy, if the air is fresh or stale. We make judge- move around the room use what is there to ments about the initial greeting. Is it personal, extend the meaning and the purpose of the cold, welcoming, warm, enthusiastic? lesson so that the pupils are reminded of Our verdict will affect how we react or perform what has gone before and what is expected during our stay in the room. when they enter your room. To appreciate how behaviour is influenced We all learn more, retain more information and by surroundings, thinkHodgkinson about your reaction are able to think more constructively when the when entering a place of worship, a library, an environment and those around us are adding

amusement park. Your emotions prepare for the to the experience in a positive way. GETTY

8 tespro 16 NOVEMBER 2012 THE BEHAVIOUR QUESTION

When I was leading residential social skills and Behaviour in my lessons is getting worse. I used to emotional awareness courses for young offend- see four or five pupils behaving unacceptably every ers, I always made it a priority to be based in session – now it can be more than 10. Year 8s destroy new, clean centres with en-suite rooms and my books and Year 9s are equally vile, throwing pens graffiti-free walls, knowing all too well the when I’m not looking, chewing gum, lying to me, potential positive effects. arguing. And that’s with my trying to lay down the Only once did I have a problem with a young law, making use of praise and being consistent from person who “wanted to tag the place” and Day 1. I can’t do anything. They say I’m the only one therefore daubed graffiti on a wall. Interestingly, who gives them detentions. But I’ve gone part-time, the reaction from his peers was to report so following up behavioural incidents isn’t easy. this misdemeanour to me, as well as reprimand- ing the perpetrator. The place deserved respect What you said and my young people responded appropriately. Littlez1 I am absolutely convinced that, had I taken If you are part-time then after-school detentions might be difficult, them to a more “average” establishment, I so why not stick to break- or lunchtime detentions? Kids often hate would have done nothing more than lessen them more because they’re losing time with pals so will do more to expectations. avoid them. Also, they don’t necessarily require a call home.

Yourclassroomisyourcastle Mr W Considering the time constraints of a lesson, it Don’t resort to constant shouting and displays of is absolutely imperative that teachers are pro- irritation and frustration. Stay calm, speak softly and active in ensuring a positive climate within their plug away at them assertively and not aggressively. Be learning environment. determined to raise the standard of discipline and they Sometimes, classrooms can become an exten- will thank you for it and start to enjoy your lessons. In the sion of a teacher’s own work style, which does meantime, though, punish them for their cheek! not always make them a professional learning environment that exudes positive emotions. The expert view When pupils enter your classroom, you are Hmm, sounds like you are doing all the right things: consistency looking to set high expectations and establish a – check; praise – check. I suggest the following ways forward: culture of respect and hard work. Take time to ● As you are part-time, make sure that every detention you think. What vocabulary would you be using in a set is logged ruthlessly and then enlist someone else to take description of your classroom and what does detentions when you are not there. Your head of department this say about you and your expectations? would be the obvious candidate. If they cannot do it then Do you ever have to apologise about your proceed around the tree of hierarchy until someone will. classroom environment in any way? Are any of ● If detentions slip through the net, or if someone no-shows the reasons for the apologies in your power to and the follow-up does not happen then the pupils just think, change and, if not, how much can you make it a “Brilliant, we might get away with it.” It ends up being as bad priority for others to implement the necessary as if you didn’t have any sanctions or boundaries at all. modifications? ● A child bragging that “You’re the only one who gives me If you are looking to address behaviour in detentions,” is a bit like me bragging that I beat only my wife. your classroom, be convinced that you have It is not something for them to be proud of. Maybe the other addressed everything under your control. teachers don’t bother, but they should. And it is their behaviour The observation and evaluation checklist (see in your lessons that counts here. panel, left) has been devised as a tool to enable ● Plan lessons for behaviour – get stuck in with the worksheets if reflection on a range of influences in your class- you have to – because behaviour is prior to learning. Set them room. Use it honestly. Do so independently or something that the nice ones can pursue by themselves, leaving ask a colleague to observe in a supportive way. you to get the others on task, taking names as appropriate. Which aspects can you clearly note as making ● Make sure you have a seating plan. a fundamental contribution to the positive ● Somehow, find time for phone calls. learning environment? Which do you feel need You are a good teacher. You care; you try hard; you are giving altering? everything you can; and you want them to do well. It is in your power to influence how people Be kinder to yourself and forgive yourself for are going to feel while they are in your the failings of others. Keep at it. Good luck. classroom, making it vital to reflect on every- thing that may potentially have a positive or Tom Bennett is author of The Behaviour negative impact. Guru and Not Quite a Teacher. Read more As the saying goes, “It’s not what you say or from Tom on his blog, behaviourguru. how you say it that I will remember, it’s how you blogspot.com, or follow him on Twitter at made me feel.” @tombennett71. His latest book, Teacher, is out now, published by Continuum Victor Allen is a freelance behaviour and Hodgkinson leadership consultant and founder of Mirror Post your questions at

ISTOCK Development and Training. www.mirrordt.co.uk www.tes.co.uk/behaviour

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 9 propractice

Time management: 100-minute history lessons at Farlingaye High School

In brief and occasionally you might get away with it. At Farlingaye High School a heavy emphasis However, no one can teach lessons in 100 min- on planning and subject-specific professional utes without putting in the preparatory effort.” development has helped it to keep pupils Too much preparation can, however, lead to engaged in history through its unusually long lessons that seem too rigid, so teachers take 100-minute lessons. care to make the activities flexible and swap them when necessary. The project Lessons are also divided up so that pupils do Even exceptional teachers can find it challeng- not spend the entire time in the same place. ing to keep every pupil engaged for the duration Individual exercises are mixed with group tasks, of a lesson. This challenge becomes even greater mini presentations and whole-class feedback at schools such as Farlingaye High, where the sessions, and pupils often spend part of the day is split into just three 100-minute lessons. lesson working on computers in the humanities However, staff at the comprehensive in Suffolk department’s computer area. take care to ensure that the lengthy classes History teacher Nicola Hetherington says are used to their advantage. that the longer classes mean “pupils have the This is particularly clear in the school’s history opportunity to reason things out for themselves”. department, which has worked on ways to use “It actually means that they talk more and we the lengthy classes to provide its pupils with a talk less,” she adds. deeper development of historical understanding. One Year 8 lesson that Ofsted observed fo- Each lesson is intricately planned to allow for cused on how industrial changes in the 19th opportunities to explore subjects in depth. century created social and economic conditions Headteacher Sue Hargadon says: “You cannot that made it even more difficult for the police to wing it in 100 minutes – you can try in 35 or 40 catch criminals, including Jack the Ripper.

Making the shortlist yes/no, to show whether or not you will be call- ing this candidate to interview. How do schools decide whom to shortlist? I When an application comes in, the office ask because two years ago when I was staff allocate a candidate number to it, photo- applying for jobs I got several interviews, copy the original and then anonymise it. By this but now that I’m trying to move school I mean that they remove the front page of the I haven’t had any luck with my applications. form, where your personal details are, and also any references elsewhere to your name and so Well, how they shortlist will vary from school to on. The shortlisting panel gets the anonymous school, of course, as there is no rule or regula- version of the application: just the candidate tion about it. But I’ll describe what I would call number on it, so your gender, your possible good practice in shortlisting. ethnicity and anything else suggested by It starts when the decision is made to fill a your name and personal details does not affect Careers vacancy, with a very clear person specification the decision. advice from being drawn up, so that the shortlisting panel The panel members then compare the applica- knows just what it is looking for. Then a chart is tion with the criteria, putting ticks and crosses Theodora devised, having down the left-hand side the cri- in the column as appropriate. This allows them Griff teria that have been identifiedHodgkinson in the person to see which candidates meet all the criteria in specification, and along the top the candidate the person specification.

numbers. The last item on the criteria list will be There will, of course, also be factors that could ANDY BUNDY

10 tespro 16 NOVEMBER 2012 progress in their historical knowledge, thinking and understanding”. Key to Farlingaye’s success with its longer lessons has been its “ideas bank”, affectionately referred to by teachers as “the pack of cards”. This is a collection of 52 cards put together by the school’s teaching and learning group, with The school ideas for activities, starters, plenaries and group work. Name Farlingaye High These include the “guess the objective” game School where pupils are given a taste of a lesson – with Location Woodbridge, video clips, for example – and then predict what Suffolk the lesson objective will be on cards, which are Intake The proportion put aside until later. who receive free school meals or have a Signsofsuccess statement of special This approach has been so successful that it led educational needs is low to the department being judged outstanding in a Age 11-18 history subject inspection in 2011. History has Numbers About 1,800 become the most popular optional subject at key including sixth-formers stage 4, with more than 50 per cent of the pupils choosing to take it for GCSE. Results are consistently first-rate and the pro- portion of pupils gaining the highest grades is well above average. The pupils are enthusiastic, with one Year 10 saying: “The history teachers seem to enjoy hard work – but that’s great because it means that they know what they are on about and our lessons are just brilliant.” What the inspector said “They have a clear rationale and an enquiry- In that one class, pupils undertook individual based curriculum; they know what they want to and collaborative work, a myth-busting task, teach, how they are going to teach it and why memory games, a Facebook-inspired task and a they should be teaching it. As a result, they version of the television game show Family use the opportunities offered by 100-minute Fortunes. lessons to deliver inspiring lessons in which The ability to fit all this into one lesson resulted teaching and learning are outstanding and in a group of motivated and engaged pupils through which students make outstanding who the inspectors felt made “considerable progress.”

result in a candidate ticking all the boxes yet not being shortlisted. These would include things CAREER MISTAKES such as poor grammar or spelling, failure to follow instructions or an inappropriate letter of application, including one that is plagiarised. Disillusion and top of me, seeing education officer Make sure that you don’t lose out on account of disengagement nothing but impossible was simply: “Tackle these failings. Youhavesome tasks, intractable it, Gerald”. That’s I’m sorry that you haven’t been having success unhappy experiences students and what I should with your recent applications. Have you been and in no time at all unnecessary paperwork. have done. following the advice that is set out in the TES you have talked I was difficult to live Given the will, jobseekers forum? It could make all the differ- yourself into hating with, depressed and the energy and the ence for your next application. your job. It happened bad company in the capacity to learn from to me. Yes, I had pub. When I left, the colleagues I would Meet Theodora Griff online foolishly leadership were still have left that on the TES Jobseekers sought and visibly relieved. position as soon as forum or in person at a taken was reasonable, but TES Careers Advice the wrong What is the right on a high, with Service seminar or Hodgkinsonjob. But I thing to do? handshakes all individual consultation. allowed it The best advice round.

ALAMY bit.ly/uWhqN2 to get on I ever had from an Gerald Haigh

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 11 Hodgkinson propathfinders

INNOVATIVE PRACTICE Working in harmony Aschemethatofferspupilsthechancetoteachstaff a musical instrument sounds like it’s taken off

DARREN EVANS

The background ● Don’t try to run the scheme if you don’t have St Bede’s Catholic College in Bristol has a strong the instruments. St Bede’s was lucky to have music programme and more than 300 pupils a large number of instruments left over from either play or are learning to play a musical an earlier investment, but the project is still instrument. putting a strain on the music department’s When assistant headteacher Paul Williams said resources. he would like to learn to play an instrument and ● Keep it small. Lobbett says that the other members of staff expressed a similar inter- project has grown more than she expected, est, head of music Jessica Lobbett started to and that she would have put a cap on think how it could be achieved. numbers if she had known. The project She found a number of pupils who were willing ● Don’t let pupils teach more than one member to give up their time to teach staff, and put a of staff. It is a tough job and a great deal of Approach Having pupils notice up in the staffroom. concentration is required. teach staff how to play Lobbett hoped for 20 staff to sign up, musical instruments but within three weeks 58 people, including Evidence it works Started September 2012 teachers, support staff and even the school’s Lobbett says that the project has brought pupils Leader Jessica Lobbett, receptionists, had agreed to meet the challenge and staff closer together. It has also helped head of the music to learn an instrument from scratch. staff to realise the pressures and demands department placed on pupils and, likewise, it has helped The project pupils to see staff in a different light. So far no Lobbett says that the corridors and practice one has left the project. “The desire of the staff rooms of the music department are now burst- to be involved in lifelong learning is matched by ing with musically-challenged teachers being the pupils’ passion to teach the instrument they taught by musically-talented pupils. play,” she says. The school Before school, during break and lunchtimes and after school, a band of 42 dedicated “pupil Name St Bede’s peris” (as in peripatetic teachers) from Years 9 Catholic College to 11 greet their “students” for a regular lesson Location Bristol in their chosen instrument, including piano, Pupils 980 trombone, trumpet, clarinet, drums and guitar. Age Range 11-18 Their goal is to reach a competent Grade 1 Intake Pupils come from standard by Christmas, when they will put on all over the Catholic and perform in a joint concert. diocese of Clifton, “My initial hope was that a few willing teachers including Bristol and would put themselves forward to learn and in beyond, and encompass so doing expose themselves to the same frustra- a wide range of tions that are experienced by pupils when academic abilities and embarking on learning something new,” social backgrounds Lobbett says. Ofsted overall rating “I was sure that a small number of pupils would Outstanding (2007) be prepared to take part in the project, but I was astounded to see how many of them were so willing to give generously of their free time.” Tips from the scheme ● Try your best to treat the pupils as teachers, because that’s the role they have signed up Hodgkinson for and that respect will encourage them to

BARBARA EVRIPIDOU / THE POST, BRISTOL NEWS & MEDIA keep going.

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 13 proresearch It’s what’s on the inside that counts Encouraging pupils’ ‘spiritual development’ promotes self-knowledge and relaxation, finds Adi Bloom

TALKING ABOUT feelings during lesson time can Their teacher believed that this was a valuable be more relaxing than watching television, exercise. “It’s them thinking about themselves, pupils say. And being aware of their own feelings and the things that matter to them,” she said. gives pupils renewed confidence when interact- The spirituality programme also included yoga- ing with classmates, new research claims. like relaxation, allowing pupils to sit in silence. Yee-Ling Ng, of York St John University, Many staff members extolled the virtues of this conducted qualitative research into the teaching classroom calm. One said: “Often in the class- of spirituality in primary schools. She inter- room, they don’t get the chance to just be silent.” viewed 52 pupils in Years 3 and 4, as well as A classroom assistant said: “They just sort of their teachers and classroom assistants. Her find- realise where they are, the environment they are ings were presented at the British Educational in. They need to be quiet…in order to get on Research Association conference, held at the with the day.” University of Manchester this autumn. The pupils, too, saw the benefit of such still, Since 1992, responsibility for pupils’ “spiritual small periods of calm. Year 3 pupil Beth said that development” has fallen on schools, and is a she had “learned how to stay more calmer and criterion for inspection by Ofsted. However, Ng relaxed”. Adam, from the same year, said that he points out that there is no effective nationwide had learned “things like relaxing. Yeah, relaxing. programme of spiritual pedagogy. This can leave Just relaxing in the day. You just relax your teachers with little sense of how best to intro- muscles, and feel calmer…Everything comes You have duce the subject into the classroom. out of you, and you…just enjoy that moment.” teached me that She therefore encouraged teachers to allow everybody is time and space for children “to reflect, question, Somethingfromnothing speshle in their focus, use their imagination and share their Year 3 pupil Bernice said that she had learned own way developing awareness of self and others”. She something from doing nothing: “I used to think, then examined the results of these activities. like, every time I was relaxed, I was just lying Much of the classroom reflection focused on down and then watching TV or something. But the importance of individuality. “You have teached then you showed me that you can, like, do things me that everybody is speshle in their own way,” when you are lying down that can make you feel Year 3 pupil Bertha wrote. “It doesn’t matter even more relaxed.” what other people think about yourself, because Following the lessons, teachers reported that you are unique and you can kinda only have one.” pupils were less wary of playground judgement. A Holly, also in Year 3, agreed. The lessons, she teaching assistant noted that pupils had become said, helped her “to learn who yourself is, even if more friendly to one another and were careful to yourself is dressed like a lemon walking around ask others if they wanted to join in their games. with your friends”. “Before the lessons, I felt a little nervous that In fact, the pupils acquired a fairly sophisticated all of my friends would find out my deepest sense of what “yourself” refers to. “It means… stuff,” Holly said. “But after the lessons I felt not, like, your outside, like your eyes or your really relaxed.” senses,” Bertha said. “But you think about your Year 3 pupil Caitlyn explained that she felt emotions…what you feel on the inside. newly able to start “saying things that we don’t “On your outside, it’s like your body. But, on normally say to people”, including facts about the inside, it’s quite private, and it’s kinda really “my religion, what I care about, who I care like yourself.” about, and my life story”. Part of learning to understand themselves, “Spiritual development in the classroom is pupils said, was understanding what was import- viable,” Ng concludes. “Certain skills need to be ant to each of them and what made them happy. facilitated in the classroom, otherwise innate “What is your heart’s desire?”Hodgkinson Holly asked. Year 4 spirituality may lay buried deep within.” pupil Aidan, meanwhile, reflected on: “What is Bertha summed it up slightly differently. meaningful to you? Where is your special place?” “Basically, we all have soft spots,” she said.

14 tespro 16 NOVEMBER 2012 Links Ng, Y. “Spiritual Development in the Classroom: pupils’ and educators’ learning reflections”. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 17(2): 167-185 bit.ly/PsK8nJ

Yee-Ling Ng, York St John University: bit.ly/XlnUVa

International Journal of Children’s Spirituality: bit.ly/U0H7Na

WHAT PUPILS AND TEACHERS SAID

Caitlyn, Year 3: what you feel on the something. But then you have to think really hard. “I learned that I shouldn’t inside…Because on your showed me that you can, But this is something hide my expressions… outside, it’s like your like, do things when you already inside you. It’s my religion, what I care body. But, on the inside, are lying down that can part of you.” about, who I care about, it’s quite private and make you feel even and my life story.” it’s kinda really like more relaxed.” Teacher: yourself.” “They are not used to Bertha, Year 3: Supply teacher: finding those kind of “You will learn about, Bernice, Year 3: “There is no right or thoughts…It’s just not at not, like, your outside, “I used to think, like, wrong answer…If I ask the forefront of their like your eyes or your every time I was relaxed, Hodgkinsonthem something from minds…Deep thoughts senses…but you think I was just lying down and literacy, it’s kind of are not something that

GETTY about your emotions… then watching TV or academic, isn’t it? You they are prepared for.”

16 NOVEMBER 2012 tespro 15 Hodgkinson