Week 6: Workload and Planning and Teaching Resources

Self-Study Tasks

In your school, investigate one foundation subject: History

Look at the school’s long-term plans from Reception to Year 6 to identify progression

At Nicol Mere, there is a curriculum map which details the content that needs to be taught in each year group, alongside when it should be taught. E.g. Y1 are taught about the changes within living memory, which reveal aspects of change in national life and when it should be taught (Autumn, Spring and Summer). Topics are taught in chronological order throughout the years in school (Nicol Mere, 2021).

What resources are currently used to support teaching in this subject?

• Classroom displays

• Historical artefacts

• Primary sources, such as photographs and paintings

• Secondary sources, such as textbooks

• School trips

• Expert knowledge from guest speakers

Look at any existing sequences of plans that are available

How is technology used in this subject?

• Designing posters for the children to have in their books

• Creating resources such as fact files, to engage in independent research

• Designing the classroom displays

• Use of videos, clips and quizzes

• Comparison of changes in technology then and now

Consider how you could develop your subject knowledge in this area in the future

• Workshops

• Guest speakers / historians

• Subject leads with specialisms

• CPD training

• Trips

Then, collectively plan a sequence of Foundation lessons, one of which will be delivered by a class teacher. Use the Edge Hill Primary Principles of Planning to support you.

Questions:

1. What are the 5 principles for planning that OfSTED identify that should help teachers to manage workload if they are followed? Make notes on each of them

1. Marking

   • In Wigan, 15 schools looked at reducing workload by carrying out the recommendations of the in-depth review

Principles of effective marking identified:

1. Meaningful

2. Manageable

3. Motivating

New Approaches:

1. • 1. Highlighting learning objectives

     2. Using marking codes

     3. Verbal feedback

   • Reduction in time spent marking and recording, and an improvement in teacher morale and helped relieve the burden of the marking processes

   • There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach - a balance is needed between a core and consistent approach and trusting teachers to focus on what is best

2. Planning

   • Planning is needed / valuable and can be in any form - written / typed, etc.

   • Reduction in planning - no excessive planning, asking for support

   • Planning is critical and underpins effective teaching

   • Creating detailed written plans can become a 'box-ticking' exercise and create unnecessary workload - such daily or weekly plans should not be a routine expectation

   • Schools should spend time planning collaboratively, and engage with a professional body of knowledge and quality-assured resources, teachers perhaps plan separate subjects and discuss together

   • Greater flexibility to accommodate different subject and phase demands

3. Data

   • Throughout the year you assess children and produce data to pass onto SLT

   • It is not the teacher's responsibility to manipulate data and work out a percentage; this is down to the SLT

   • Reduces workload

4. Appraisal

   • Set targets at the start of the year for all teachers

   • Slots throughout the year to observe and ensure your meeting targets - SLT responsible for making sure there isn't too much pressure

5. NQT Support

2. What are the recommendations for teachers to help manage planning workload?

SLT should ensure there is ongoing work to develop a shared understanding of effective teaching to inform planning, underpinned by effective continuous professional development, however, the same format of planning should not automatically be required across the school. Demands made on teachers should be considered in relation to planning, to ensure that minimum requirements to be effective are made. Where more intensive plans are needed for pedagogical reasons, reviews should be put into place.

Senior and middle leaders should ensure that a fully resourced, collaboratively produced, scheme of work is in place for all teachers for the start of each term. They should also make it clear who will be planning new schemes of work and associated resources, what time they will have available to do so, and how this will be made available to all staff in a timely fashion.

SLT should ensure that the highest quality resources are available, valuing professionally produced resources as much as those created in-house. With this, teachers should consider use of externally produced and quality assured resources, such as textbooks or teacher guides. Schools should allocate plenty of time for substantial planning, working with subject leaders to identify alternative ways to evidence ‘effective teaching and planning’, emphasising teacher development. As well as this, teachers should engage in collaborative planning to develop their skills and knowledge, to share their expertise, and to benefit from the expertise of their peers. Subject and phase leaders should lead discussions on quality assurance with SLT / governors to help them understand where a subject specific approach may be most appropriate - and why the volume of paper plans may be inadequate (Gov.uk, 2018).

References

• GOV.UK, 2018. School workload reduction toolkit [online]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit [Accessed 1 March 2021].

• NICOL MERE SCHOOL, 2021. Home [online]. Available from: https://www.nicolmere.wigan.sch.uk/ [Accessed 14 January 2021].