Gopher : small , burrowing rodent .
Gopher
So, what's that got to do with science? Well, the Royal society of Biology offers small grants to support transition between secondary and primary.
Further details Here
Now, generally secondary teachers apply for this, but I wasn't letting that stop me. I drummed up support from my local schools and applied.
Hey presto, grant received. Thank you again Royal Society.
After lots of emails we managed to fix a date and our local secondary school trained up some year 9 students to deliver a series of fun activities to year six pupils from the feeder primaries.
See some pictures Here
I will shortly be leading a staff meeting to share the experience and hopefully encourage others to apply for this wonderful opportunity.
Students teaching students.
Cross phase links.
Transition opportunity.
Fun science.
I'm still not sure what it all has to do with gophers, but it was certainly a great experience.
Why don't you go for it this year? 😉
Applications close end of this month.
Showing posts with label transition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transition. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Secondary vs Primary... Building trust
Today I had a meeting at our secondary school to discuss how we can all work together to ensure that progress made in primary schools can be effectively built on in secondary.
Having just attended the ASE Professional learning conference, my head was still spinning with the wealth of ideas and questions that it raised.
Imagine my disappointment to be told that baseline testing for science might be reintroduced as the children come up with, "... hugely inflated levels..."
AAARRRGGGHHHH :(
I totally get the accountability thing- it happens across all phases, every teacher is accountable for the progress made by the children, so accurate assessments are essential- over inflated levels are a headache for the next teacher. I'm really glad that levels have been abolished as this SHOULD get over that. (85% end of KS2 to reach expectations whatever they turn out to be might not be quite such a great thing; time will tell !)
BUT (excuse the irony) assessment is not and never will be an exact science. It is a professional judgement. Made on the basis of the experience and professionalism of the teacher.
How are we ever going to get over this? A through system from 3 to 18 perhaps?
There are some schools now with this age range; perhaps the "Y7 dip" doesn't happen in these schools? Perhaps there is better understanding between the phases, and perhaps expectations are more consistent? Perhaps...perhaps...perhaps...
I don't have a solution, but what do have is the determination to break down barriers and misconceptions between primary and secondary. We are all in this for the benefit of the children .
I have volunteered myself to be observed by as many of the secondary teachers as they like, not to show "model lessons" but to see exactly what goes on, our expectations, the high standards achievable. It's not "them and us" .
Bring it on. I have the bit firmly between my teeth, and like Rikki-Tikki-Tavi I am not prepared to let this one go.
Having just attended the ASE Professional learning conference, my head was still spinning with the wealth of ideas and questions that it raised.
Imagine my disappointment to be told that baseline testing for science might be reintroduced as the children come up with, "... hugely inflated levels..."
AAARRRGGGHHHH :(
I totally get the accountability thing- it happens across all phases, every teacher is accountable for the progress made by the children, so accurate assessments are essential- over inflated levels are a headache for the next teacher. I'm really glad that levels have been abolished as this SHOULD get over that. (85% end of KS2 to reach expectations whatever they turn out to be might not be quite such a great thing; time will tell !)
BUT (excuse the irony) assessment is not and never will be an exact science. It is a professional judgement. Made on the basis of the experience and professionalism of the teacher.
How are we ever going to get over this? A through system from 3 to 18 perhaps?
There are some schools now with this age range; perhaps the "Y7 dip" doesn't happen in these schools? Perhaps there is better understanding between the phases, and perhaps expectations are more consistent? Perhaps...perhaps...perhaps...
I don't have a solution, but what do have is the determination to break down barriers and misconceptions between primary and secondary. We are all in this for the benefit of the children .
I have volunteered myself to be observed by as many of the secondary teachers as they like, not to show "model lessons" but to see exactly what goes on, our expectations, the high standards achievable. It's not "them and us" .
Bring it on. I have the bit firmly between my teeth, and like Rikki-Tikki-Tavi I am not prepared to let this one go.
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