Autumn Term - 13th December 2021

Whole School CPD Focus:

Feedback and Questioning

Walkthru Cluster:

Feedback and Questioning

Reflections…

As we approach the end of term, it is a good time to reflect on our teaching and learning focus – feedback and questioning – over the course of the last ten weeks. Sometimes, in the dark morning and evenings of the long Autumn term, it is difficult to feel positive and uplifted by what we have achieved in the classroom but there have been many many reasons to feel proud.

Using Sherrington’s ‘Walkthrus’ to guide us, we have explored various strategies:

• Cold-Calling
• Think-Pair-Share
• Show-Me Boards
• Check for Understanding
• Say It Again Better
• Probing Questions
• Process Questions
• Feedback that Moves Forward
• Whole-Class Feedback

These strategies have become part of common practice across school.  As departments, we have been focusing on embedding two within our department’s pedagogical practice. Most departments have chosen to embed cold-calling and this is a strategy that has certainly become more apparent across school.

Whilst focusing on these feedback and questioning strategies, we were also trying to maintain focus on embedding reading strategies through our Reading Warriors approach. Teachers have maintained focus on the key reading skills: clarify, question, summarise and predict.  These skills must continue to remain central to our approach to teaching reading as a school.  After all, we are ALL teachers of literacy.

So, we will move into a new term and we will keep the plates of feedback and questioning spinning, whilst considering a new CPD focus: spelling and writing.  This is not switching focus completely and our evidence-informed CPD strategy is based on the EEF’s report ‘Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools’ which states that schools should ‘combine writing instruction with reading in every subject’.

So take some time over the break to take stock, reflect and feel proud of yourself for embracing the new feedback and questioning strategies; then be ready to welcome in the New Year with a slight shift in focus with a new set of Walkthrus to support you!

CPD Cascade

Please complete one of the two CPD modules by the end of January (JHA)

Sexual Harassment and Gender Stereotyping

Free online training to tackle sexual harassment, language and gender stereotyping.

https://training.ukfeminista.org.uk/

Understanding the New DfE Report on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Between Children in Schools and Colleges 2021

https://thenationalcollege.co.uk/hub/view/webinar/understanding-the-new-dfe-guidance-on-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children-in-schools-and-colleges-2021

National College

Remember that there are subject-specific watchlists available in National College.