2022 Autumn Term 2

The know zone

  • The widening gap
    New Key Stage 2 data gives us the first real insight into learning post-pandemic and confirms that attainment has fallen with disadvantaged children hit hardest, says Tiffnie Harris. Will the government act? More
  • A sticking plaster?
    Will the government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme alleviate financial concerns? Hayley Dunn analyses the details. More
  • A new PAL?
    New legislation for schools concerning careers information comes into force from January. Kevin Gilmartin examines the details and implications for school leaders. More
  • All change?
    Two new announcements bring the potential for significant change to the post-16 and skills sector, says Anne Murdoch. Here, she shares the details. More
  • IT
    Are you using technology in an innovative way in your school, college or trust? Here, ASCL members share their views. More
  • Lessons from love
    Caroline Lowing is Head of School at Test Valley Secondary School, a small rural school in the beautiful Hampshire countryside. Here she shares her love for teaching, leadership, ASCL Council, gigs and a good wedding. More
  • Categorically speaking
    Just what are the rules on the number of Ofsted categories, asks Carl Smith? Here, he shares his own ideas on how the inspectorate could review the current number. More
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Are you using technology in an innovative way in your school, college or trust? Here, ASCL members share their views.

IT 

Developing independent skills 

At Leeds Sixth Form College – a member of Luminate Education Group – we’re focused on helping learners raise their skill and knowledge levels so they can elevate their aspirations, regardless of background. 

We introduced iLearn – a support hub for students to develop vital independent skills. A key part of this involved creating a studentfocused digital self-assessment tool. Working with curriculum staff to choose the right selection of skills, our iLearn team uses Google Forms, which students can use to indicate their confidence and experience across certain areas. The students are then offered targeted support to develop and monitor those throughout the year. 

Last year, we used the Canopy Workspace Skills platform to support students’ digital skills development and the results were terrific. Using Google Workspace, particularly Google Classroom and Google Meet, plus a blended approach to supporting skills development, we were also able to offer clear access to one-to-one and group support to more than 10,000 students across the Luminate Education Group. That represents a fantastic impact from a scheme that is being driven by our iLearn manager, Martin Wheatley, and his team. 

If you’d like to learn more about our innovative use of technology, please email martin.wheatley@leedscitycollege.ac.uk 

Rachael Booth 
Principal at Leeds Sixth Form College 

Virtual reality 

Our Head of ICT, Andy, has been instrumental in introducing a new concept of virtual reality (VR) into lessons and extra-curricular activities. We host an annual e-sports event that runs alongside the school’s Sports Day. This highly inclusive event includes team-based matches using a modified networked Minecraft game, with the rules and map developed by our own students. Running alongside the team matches, the students also compete to achieve the highest scores in Beat Saber using the department’s VR and the quickest times racing in Mario Karts. Having walked into a lesson when VR is being used, it is a strange sight watching students with headsets on, flapping their arms around, albeit in a choreographed manner! 

Moving forward, the headsets have been used extensively (having only bought them last term), and we have plans to use them in history lessons, in particular with the Anne Frank app, and with the art department to make use of the various graphics apps available. 

Richard Taylor 
Assistant Principal Director of Sixth Form, Hellesdon Sixth Form, Norwich 

New opportunities 

While the Covid pandemic led to a lot of disruption in schools, the following changes represent improvements that we might never otherwise have made in our college: n All homework is set, handed in, marked and handed back on Seesaw, an online platform. n Parents’ evenings are now always online (as a parent, I can now actually attend!); and we also find it easier to keep to time! n When we were not allowed assemblies en masse, classes would record them for simultaneous broadcast in classrooms, and we then sent them home to parents. We still do send them home, which parents really like. 

Martin Blain 
Principal at Canary Wharf College Glenworth

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