 |
Mathematics
breakfast club to raise achievement |
|
|
| |
 |
School: Deanery
High School |
|
Fellow: Fran Heald |
|
Email: fran.heald@ntlworld.com |
|
|
|
|
Interim report: |
| |
|
| |
Initial project aims |
|
|
| |
My original project aims were
to conduct research into the benefits of providing
focused extracurricular learning on individual
pupil achievement where previous assessment indicated
a predictor grade of D/C at GCSE. The project
methodology was to establish a breakfast club
targeting yr 11 pupils falling into this grade
boundary with the intention of maximising their
opportunities to achieve a grade C. In
addition to this primary goal it is also hoped
to explore whether the use of kinaesthetic teaching
and learning may improve their attitude towards
mathematics, which may continue beyond their
GCSE’s. |
| |
|
| |
Project Development and Realignment |
| |
|
| |
Due to my having changed schools and taken
on responsibility as Key Stage 3 coordinator
at my new school, I have had to make adjustments
to the project. I now work on a split
site school and this makes the provision of a
breakfast club for yr 11 pupils physically impossible
for me to deliver. Having reviewed by initial
project aims however I believe that the principles
which I am seeking to establish are equally relevant
at key stage 3 and I am grateful to the Gatsby
Teaching Fellowship that they have agreed to
a minor adjustment to the programme of work in
this regard. Therefore, I have adjusted
the delivery element of the project to commence
with preparation for the KS3 SATS exams in May
and to continue working with the same group towards
their Module 1 in the following November. |
| |
|
| |
Pilot |
| |
|
| |
At my previous school I undertook a pilot breakfast
club in order to conduct an early evaluation
of the impact of this type of targeted activity,
and learning from this has caused me to revise
in some respects how the learning is delivered
in order to ensure that learning opportunities
are maximised. I chose to use both an ICT
based questions module and kinaesthetic learning
in the pilot, however quickly identified that
using the computers didn’t allow the pupil’s
to discuss the maths, they just worked through
pages of examples and questions and lost the
opportunity for peer learning. |
| |
|
| |
I also explored the use of assessment for learning
and although this was valuable it did take up
a lot of time which could perhaps be better used
in active learning. Overall I want the
forthcoming sessions to be much more hands on
with pupil’s discussing what they have
learnt as they progress through each session
and avoid much of the form filling and paperwork
which I encountered with the pilot. |
| |
|
| |
What was particularly encouraging was the pupil
response to the opportunity which saw them attend
consistently over a period of 10 weeks. The
pupil feedback, that they want help revising
and to build confidence in their ability to do
exam questions, will be incorporated into future
sessions. |
| |
|
| |
Progress |
| |
|
| |
The revised programme of delivery is due to
commence in the first week of February and will
run for 10 weeks. The 10 week timescale is based
on the pilot, staff and resource resilience and
feedback from pupils who didn’t want to
feel that they were signing up to turning up
early for the rest of their school career. A
similar model will then be adopted for the module
1 exam at the commencement of the new school
year in November 08. |
| |
|
| |
The letters for the selected students have
been sent out and most importantly the breakfasts
have been ordered. The hardest part has
been to get enough suitable resources together
ensuring that they would generate debate and
be as kinaesthetic as possible, however I am
now well on the way to overcoming this hurdle
and am keen to get into the delivery phase next
month. |
| |
|
| |
Conclusion |
| |
|
| |
Whilst my change of role and school has undoubtedly
introduced an unforeseen hiatus to the project’s
development it has also provided me with an opportunity
to share new techniques with new colleagues and
to transfer much of my personal learning to date
to assist another group of pupils. The
pilot has greatly informed my plans and I am
confident that the next phase will inform my
research greatly. |
