By the sea at Margate - Kent Transformation Network

Early morning in Margate

It was a privilege to have been asked to present at the Kent Transformation Network on behalf of CILT and the CfBT this last Wednesday in a cold and blustery Margate.  Despite the wind outside, that nearly swept many of us away, the buzz inside the wonderful Turner Contemporary Gallery was really good.  Forty teachers from across Kent attended a number of workshops - my colleague from Suffolk Lara Townsend talked about ideas for providing a motivating and engaging Y9 curriculum. There was Jenny Carpenter, the languages adviser from Barking and Dagenham, presenting a session on how to create more autonomous language learners, Sharon Czudak on alternative forms of accreditation, Pete Spain looked at better use of listening resources in lessons, whilst Irene Wilkie ran a session on grammar, and Sue Short delivered a presentation on 'Developing a desire to read in the foreign language'.  I was asked to provide a run down of useful websites and tools that can spice up MFL lessons.  Trying to get though 30 or so ideas in 45 minutes was always a big ask, but I think I managed to just about pull it off.

Such a wide range of talks meant that there was enough to cater for everyone's interest, and it was great to catch up with some of the #mfltwitterati - the ever-growing band of Modern Language teachers who on twitter - they seem to be everywhere now!

Turner Contemporary

In the current climate where CPD opportunities are under financial pressure, and where schools are more reluctant to let staff have time off school, these sort of events are excellent methods of getting more information, meeting new colleagues and sharing new ideas with like minded people.

Exam boards still don't pass the test...

Photo: comedy_nose

The recent allegations regarding examiners 'giving away' key information has provoked another outpouring of annoyance from many in the teaching profession.  I seriously consider the examination system in this country to be discredited, mostly unaccountable, and more interested in making profit than trying to get the best out of our students, and upholding standards.

For one, does the country need so many different exam boards? The idea has, I suppose always been about choice.  If we don't like what one board does, well we can switch to another.  We changed boards a few years ago, feeling that our students would do better under a different organisation.  Not that the discussion was not entirely around teaching and learning, but about which board would be fairer (and easier) for our students.  In all honestly, these are not the sort of discussions schools should be having, but in the chase for the A*-C percentage, then it is only logical to weigh up one's options.

If we bemoan the standards that our students achieve, and their apparent lack of skills upon leaving school, I feel you can point the finger at teachers.  Yep, it's our fault.  It's our fault because we teach the students what they need to know to pass the exams, and have no time in the curriculum for anything else.  Until the assessment changes, then this will carry on.  How students can achieve A* or A at GCSE in a modern language, and yet still lack the grammatical understanding for AS Level is an outrage.

Of course, to help train (rather than teach) students to pass their exams, there are a number of useful strategies.  First of all you invest in your course resources.  A good text book is a start.  It helps if you buy the text book that is "exclusively endorsed" by the exam board that your students are following.  You can also attend the CPD workshops run by the exam board, for which schools have to pay, but then it's really important that we know all the hints and tips that the chief examiners can offer, isn't it?  The fact of the matter is that the exams business is just that - a business, and there is money to be made from it - but is profit coming before standards?  Maybe someone else can answer that question.

If we expect the best from our students, then surely we should have the same expectations of the examination bodies that assess them.  As teachers we work hard, and at times under extreme pressure to prepare students for the GCSEs and A Levels, and we have a right to expect that the exams are marked fairly and consistently.  The rise in the number of remarks (for which schools have to pay) would indicate that consistency is not being applied as it should.  Why not? In modern languages I have been stunned by the differences between the marking in French and Spanish, often taught and moderated by the same teachers. Then you only have to look at exam papers that have errors on them.  That is a disgrace which should never, ever happen. 

I'm not a massive fan of Mr Gove's policies, but I welcome any review he orders into the awarding bodies, in the hope they get their house in order.

Is the 'reality' as bad as that?

Over the weekend I was drawn by Chris Harte's post on twitter to John Bald's post on ConservativeHome.com in which he draws comparisons between Passmores Academy in Harlow and the Mossbourne Academy in Hackney.  Frankly, I was stunned by both the tone of the article and the level of ignorance it portrays regarding modern comprehensive schooling.  I'm not one to jump to knee-jerk reactions, so have waited a while to formulate a response.  

The Channel 4 programme Educating Essex, considered by some to be either a reality show, or documentary, depending on your viewpoint, aims to give an insight into the lives of selected students at Passmores.  Since the series started, it has been a conversation topic both in my staffroom, and at times in my classroom.  The general consensus amongst my colleagues and my students is of how realistic it is, and how well it reflects the situations and problems faced by many students these days.  It is very much filmed in an attempt to give a balanced portrayal of the difficult lives of teenagers, and the dedication, frustration, patience and endeavour shown by their teachers.  

The point of the programme seems to have passed John Bald by. 

"The pupils’ work rate in lessons we’ve seen has been far too slow, and their lack of commitment to or interest in their work pretty much constant."

In each episode, only a limited amount of time is spent actually in the lessons themselves, with the programme concentrating more on the story or issue of the student that features predominantly in that week's show.  Bearing in mind that filming went on for a prolonged period of time, and that images of students working quietly in neat rows doesn't actually make for good television, I believe Mr Bald's comment to be ill-informed and naive with regards to how the media works.

"...the head sets a poor example with his slack tie, crumpled collar and occasional designer stubble."

Does a good teacher become a poor teacher depending on their choice of wardrobe? Should a teacher with tattoos be overlooked for a position in a school because they may be perceived by some to set a poor example?

"The tables are part of the problem. A pupil’s attention should be on his or her work or on the teacher – this does not happen if they raise their head and see another pupil opposite them, as this invites interaction between pupils rather than work."

Agreed. Pupils should concentrate in lessons.  Pupils should also learn to work in groups, interact with each other, learn collaboratively, and learn with and from each other.  My students sit in rows.  They also sit in a horseshoe, in clusters of tables, or any way I see fit to challenge their learning and to promote interaction.  Again, Mr Bald, you saw a snapshot of what was going on and made a huge assumption of the state of the pupils learning.

"Three per cent of Passmores pupils reached the Ebac standard last year."

This is compared to 0% of pupils at Eton or Harrow.  I appreciate that Eton study the IGCSE, but these don't count for the EBacc either.

"Most of the pupils at Passmores do not hate school or education, or even dislike them. They are just indifferent, and see school work an interference with their social life, which revolves around cliques."

Considering that the programme focuses on Year 11 pupils, and at best we come face to face with 20 of them,  using the term 'most' is a huge sweeping generalisation. 

"Ofsted failed Passmores pupils by rating this school as outstanding, despite evidence of significant weaknesses in the demands made by teachers..."

The Ofsted inspection of Passmores says "...students' enjoyment of school is outstanding, confirmed by what parents and students told inspectors..." Whilst Mr Bald believes that the inspectors are missing failings in the school, the views of the major stakeholders would tend to counteract this claim.  Ofsted go on to say that "...there are high expectations of what most students will achieve...questions asked by teachers are of an unusually high quality..."

So not only does John Bald disagree with the management style and teaching that goes on at Passmores Academy, he also finds fault with the inspectors that graded the school as outstanding.  Teaching has moved on, standing at the front of the class and talking at pupils might work for some, but won't work for the majority.  I won't argue the fact that there are significant failings in the education system, but I dismiss his cynical view of a school based on at most 5 hours viewing.  That's even less time than an inspector would spend in a school.  Today's teachers are more caring, patient, sympathetic than they have ever been.  It's not my job to defend Passmores, but more to stand up against a generalisation and lack of balance that would shame my A-Level students.  I wonder what the Ofsted inspection was like for Waterloo Road.

ILILC2 - Preparing for the learners of the future!

Still filled with the great buzz that was last week's MFL Show and Tell at Cramlington Learning Village, it's already time to start thinking about another big languages event, taking place in Southampton in the New Year (25-26 February to be precise). Organised by Languages South East, ILILC aims to bring together modern languages teachers from across the UK and give them the opportunity to learn, share, get to know other MFL teachers, sample new resources, and get hands on training on the latest technological advances that can enhance pupils learning experience. The first get together (I won't use the word conference - it certainly felt a lot more informal and sociable than that!) was last February, and that event saw the University of Southampton full of delegates who were keen to develop. Technology in MFL seems to polarise opinion at present, where many colleagues' fear of Web 2.0, and a reluctance to break beyond the confines of PowerPoint are leading to many teachers reverting to 'old school' resource building and preparation. Contrast that with the next generation of teacher coming in the profession, who are already blogging, have a full presence on social media platforms, and for whom Web 2.0 is now the norm. This event promises to offer something new for teachers at all levels, from the seasoned pro to the technofool, and again, unlike other events, delegates will be able to participate fully in the sessions, ask lots of questions, and in many cases get to actually have a go (and a play) with much of what comes their way.

So as opportunities like this don't come around to often, I suggest you check out the website and book yourself a place!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Showing and telling in the north east!

This weekend saw the a very northern show and tell event organised at Cramlington Learning Village in the north east of England - a town even further north than Newcastle.

Organised by Chris Harte, this unconference brought together lots of teachers from not just the north-east, but across the country to share ideas and tips to help in our teaching, and also the pupils experience in learning a language.




The format of the day allowed willing volunteers to step forward for up to 10 minutes to talk about a teaching and learning idea, a resource, or a useful hint or tip. This was the first one I had been to, and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last.

In addition to the quick fire presentations, there were 'Genius Bar' sessions where people could literally pop along and ask questions about a range of tools, teaching ideas, and ICT hints.




There was a good turn out, and I for one felt that I left the day having learned lots of new things, and met lots of new people, who share a passion for teaching languages. In the current climate, with schools having to tighten their budgets, CPD provision has to change to be effective, and events like this, where teachers give up their time for free are outstanding ways of sharing good practice.

Location:Cramlington