How Avon Park School went from “Good” to “Outstanding” was written by Ed Wright – Deputy Head Teacher at Avon Park School.
In a world filled with information overload, metacognition has become a valuable skill. The ability to problem-solve effectively in a concise manner is not only appreciated but also essential in today’s fast-paced society. This blog explores the journey towards truly impactful learning that we have made at Avon Park School, the significance of the Great Teaching Toolkit, Science of Learning, metacognition, and why short is indeed sweet.
The Art of Recall
When it comes to recall, modelling and questioning is key. Modelling ensures pupils can see and hear a new concept, including messy thinking and use this new information to recall for a variety of tasks. It seems that children’s attention spans are shrinking, so it is crucial to deliver this new information in a concise and engaging manner. As our school’s OFSTED report in 2023 stated – “Through skilful questioning and modelling, they break down learning into clear steps.”
Impactful Adaptation
Adaptation does not mean sacrificing depth or impact. In fact, it challenges us to consider our thoughts and ideas into their most potent form for learners. By eliminating a one-size-fits-all approach, we can create a more powerful and memorable memory, knowledge base or schema. Each new skill or learning becomes intentional, carrying more weight and leaving a lasting impression on the learner. “Staff…use this knowledge to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum. This ensures that all pupils can access the curriculum, which is deliberately designed to give pupils lots of opportunities to revisit key learning.” (Ofsted 2023)
Informal yet Informative Assessment
The Great Teaching Toolkit has supported new understanding for clever assessment. Staff at Avon Park are now fluent with clever ways in which to assess and use this opportunity at all times to progress pupils. “Thorough assessment enables staff to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to target the specific gaps. All this work helps pupils to make excellent progress through the curriculum.” (Ofsted 2023)
How Avon Park went from “Good” to “Outstanding”
We wanted to create “clever thinkers”; pupils who can use skills across a variety of subjects to help them grow their arsenal in learning. By having a consistent approach to recall, retrieval, adaptation and metacognition from all teaching staff – through the Great Teaching Toolkit, Science of Learning Programme and school CPD – pupils were growing their capacity to know how to learn and when to activate learning and memory without evening knowing it!
Sign up here for a free Great Teaching Toolkit: Starter Account to see the platform, try a student feedback survey, and sample lessons from the courses.
