Becoming a Thinking School helped our pupils become self-motivated learners
Judith Stephenson is Thinking Schools & Research Lead at Barbara Priestman Academy, Tyne and Wear. Here, she discusses the philosophy behind Thinking Schools and how it has helped her pupils, who are all on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our journey to becoming a Thinking School began back in 2008; it has been a complex and demanding process, but the impact on our school and its pupils has been dramatic. What prompted you to become a Thinking School? We had observed that a vast number of our students, who are aged 11-19, were passive learners. They were being given information in order to pass exams but there was little opportunity for them to discover things for themselves. What we wanted was to raise the level of challenge and for them to become self-motivated and lead their own learning. All our students have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or complex needs and this was an added factor we needed to consider when trying to find an approach that they would be able to connect with. Our students like things to be right or wrong and find it difficult when there isn’t a ‘right’ answer. The majority of our students see subjects as very separate entities and compartmentalise skills; they find transferring skills between subjects difficult. We started off by introducing two tools from the Thinking Schools approach: David Hyerle’s Thinking Maps and Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats, both of which attracted us because they were such visual ways of learning. We also introduced Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Dramatic Enquiry, which is a fusion of P4C and drama. We saw a difference almost immediately: as soon as we introduced the thinkingmaps, there was an almost immediate increase in the level of classroom talk. Many ASD children are very solitary and find group activities and working co-operatively very difficult. It takes them out of their comfort zone and they feel enormous pressure. Using visual mapping (the maps) and having something tangible on which to record their ideas gave them more confidence during discussion as they didn’t have to remember what they wanted to say. In addition to improving students’ independent learning, we also wanted to challenge them in the difficulties they had with empathy and seeing things from other people’s perspectives. In Dramatic Enquiries, learners are placed in the centre of a fictitious dilemma and they have to decide for themselves about the questions they need to ask and the rights and wrongs of the given situation. It encourages them to be active, inquiring individuals. Initially some staff thought that some of our ASD students would really struggle with the idea of taking on a role and pretending to be someone else as empathy is an area that a lot of students with ASD find very difficult. But Dramatic Enquiry was so powerful that we now run a session every term. We also got involved in the National Theatre’s Connections programme which provides a director to come into the school and work with pupils on a play. After performing in a local venue we were among just 12 groups – chosen from 500 – to perform at the Dorfman Theatre in London as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival. The boost to the students’ self-esteem was immense, and we had letters from those involved in the programme commenting on their professionalism and the standard of their performance as an ensemble. In December 2011 we became the first special school in the country to gain recognition as a Thinking School and in July 2016 achieved Advanced Thinking School Status. When we began our journey, we needed to consider what was essential in the leading of a Thinking School. For us, it was the fact that it was a shared vision; written together as a whole staff team so that everyone had ownership. From that vision came a shared ethos that involved all staff, students and stakeholders thinking creatively and critically and continuously reflecting on their learning while developing a culture where this happens naturally. The Academy worked with Thinking Matters. Thinking Schools are accredited by Exeter University. For a list of accredited schools, see socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk
Liverpool headteacher up for National Autistic Society Award
Mrs Ania Hildrey, headteacher of Abbot’s Lea School in Woolton, has been shortlisted for the National Autistic Society’s prestigious Autism Professionals Awards, in the Achievement by an Individual Education Professional category. The annual awards recognise people, services and schools across the UK who are making a difference to autistic people and their families. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on 27 February 2020 at Birmingham Town Hall, following the first day of the National Autistic Society’s Professionals Conference. Mrs Hildrey was shortlisted by an independent panel of Autism specialists, who were looking for high standards of innovation, creativity, impact and sustainability. By celebrating their achievements, the National Autistic Society hopes to increase public understanding of Autism and inspire other people and organisations to make a difference too. There are thirteen awards for individuals and organisations, covering education, health, social care, employment, and volunteering. Mrs Hildrey was born in Lublin, Poland. She graduated from the University of Marie Curie-Sklodowska, earning Honour’s Degree in Special Education and moved to Denmark to learn about alternative teaching approaches at Det Nødvendige Seminarium. She later completed her postgraduate research studies based on pedagogical practice in special schools in Denmark and as a result, gained a Master’s Degree from Warsaw Academy of Special Education in 1998. Her interest in special education took her to the UK in 1999, where she has settled both personally and professionally, teaching and lecturing in a range of schools, FE Colleges and at the University of Glasgow. She took up her first senior leadership position in 2003 and progressed to leading special schools as a Headteacher since. In 2016, she joined Abbot’s Lea School as its current headteacher – one of the largest and most successful special schools in the country, which caters for over 250 students, age 3-19, with Autism and associated learning support needs. Her vision is to create an International Centre of Excellence in Autism Education, Research and Professional Development and to make Abbot’s Lea the best specialist school in the world! She is passionate about research-led practice and driven to improve the quality of lives of those with complex needs. In particular, her work focuses on improvement of the transition from childhood to adulthood, independent living, personal autonomy and empowerment, freedom of choice, self-determination, economic wellbeing, employability and family planning for people with learning difficulties. There are around 700,000 known autistic adults and children in the UK. Many more autistic people, and girls and women in particular, are undiagnosed and often misunderstood. Many people living with Autism need extra time to process information, like questions or instructions, feel intense anxiety in social or unexpected situations and may find sensory stimuli painful or distressing. Every autistic person is different and will have their own strengths and challenges. Some autistic people might need 24-hour care; others may need clearer communication or a little longer to do things at school or work. Without the right support or understanding, autistic people can miss out on an education, struggle to find work and become extremely socially isolated. Mrs Hildrey said: “I’m truly delighted and humbled to be a finalist in the Achievement by an Individual Education Professional category at the National Autistic Society’s Autism Professionals Awards – it came as a total surprise and I was very moved by the announcement. “It is my absolute goal – personal and professional – to help the lives of those with Autism and associated communication, interaction, social imagination, sensory and learning differences. “At Abbot’s Lea, we are proud to deliver the highest quality of specialist holistic education for students, ensuring they are given the same opportunities students in mainstream education receive, with particular focus on learning key life skills, receiving career guidance and work experience opportunities that will set them up for life. “As ever, whilst I thank whomever has felt it was right to nominate me, I am merely a representative of the whole school community and as such, I wish to thank, in turn, the entire team of exceptional professionals with whom I am privileged to work.” Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society’s Centre for Autism, said: “Our awards celebrate exceptional people, schools and services making a huge difference to autistic children and adults, and their families. “All the finalists should be commended for impressing the judges and standing out among so many excellent nominations. “We want to celebrate their achievements and share their stories, so we can promote innovative autism practice and inspire other people and organisations to help create a society that works for autistic people.” Find out more about autism, the Autism Professionals Awards and the Professionals Conference by visiting: autism.org.uk/professionals
Building The Classroom of the Future
Building The Classroom of the Future: Why Tech Will Be An Asset and a game changer for Education Dr Andrew Hobbs, Chief Operations Officer of the UK’s biggest children’s home-learning support provider, Exemplar Education, explores how AI will reshape the learning environment of the future. Few issues have captured the public’s consciousness as much as AI and the rise of the robots and what it could mean for the job market of the future. The speed at which technology is evolving is faster than anyone could have imagined and with that comes an overarching sense of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of our hard-earned skill sets growing redundant, fear of everyday tasks being replaced by AI all together. The anxiety surrounding the impact of AI does not come without warrant. The Office for National Statistics recently revealed that over 1.5 million jobs will fall into that category of uncertainty in the next ten years. But with one in five teachers expecting to leave the classroom within two years and a further two-fifths wanting to quit by 2024, according to a poll by the National Education Union, it seems the threat of redundancy as a result of AI is just another concern to add to a growing list of workplace pressures for teachers. With respondents citing excessive workloads and tough accountability practices, the poll gave incisive insights into the most pressing challenges facing the system. When asked “what would be the one thing that would make your job better in the next 12 months?” respondents pointed to a stronger work-life balance with a less excessive workload and a reduced focus on assessments and marking. Surely then we should be pulling out all the stops to retain our talented teachers and looking more positively at the technical innovations that will make a major mark on the classroom of the future. While policymakers can look towards simplifying and reducing the admin pressures confronting teachers; any review which fails to consider technical innovation and how it could re-imagine the classroom of the future, could only ever work in the short-term. Many teachers feel under pressure on a day to day basis, there’s no denying that, which makes it ever more important that they feel supported and appreciated. A teacher’s success in the classroom has the power to single-handedly transform our children and their futures. With technology ever evolving it is imperative that the teachers and the education system evolve as well, so the role of the teacher is not diminished. While we should never look to the future with rose tinted glasses, we should be looking at the positive changes that a more technical world can bring to the classroom of the future. A compelling PricewaterhouseCoopers report suggested that AI would be more of an asset to the UK economy that previously imagined, creating 7.2M extra jobs – easily offsetting the 7M jobs it displaces. The firm estimates that the education sector could benefit from 200,000 extra jobs. Technology and teaching should not be pitted against each other as they go hand-in-hand and will continue to do so for many years to follow. Change is challenging for most people; it always has been, and it always will be. But technology in the classroom shouldn’t be seen as a force of evil, but rather as a tool. A tool to support teachers and allow them to continue to do the jobs that robots or technology simply can’t do – empathise, connect and work with children to get the best out of them. There is no denying that AI will have an impact on the economy, but in regard to learning, I believe that the advancements will only work to re-emphasise the importance of a teacher’s role in their classroom. Through my work at Exemplar Education, I have seen first-hand how combining technology and traditional teaching enhance a child’s learning. Rather than replacing teachers, robots and AI could free up their time by handling the jobs that a teacher doesn’t need to be doing – the more administrative-based tasks. If we can utilise technology on these repetitive or time-consuming tasks, such as routine marking, reporting and record keeping, it will ensure that teachers are freed up to get on with actual teaching and not zapped by the baggage that comes with it. There is every reason for us as a profession to embrace technological advancement in our sector with confidence. About Exemplar Education Exemplar Education is the largest UK supplier of high quality, affordable, supplementary home-based maths and English education. Starting in 1991, Exemplar Education has developed and refined the use of home-learning to supplement and support schoolwork in maths, English and reading, from Year 1 to GCSE and now have over 350 people working from 6 locations across the UK. Over 400,000 children in the UK have registered on Exemplar Education programmes.