Featured School
being highly interactive and, in some
cases, changing hanging the originally
planned direction, due to parental
initiated challenges. Teachers have
reported that time spent ‘marking’ has
dramatically lessened and that pupil
interaction with their feedback has
considerably increased and activated
deeper learning. At the beginning of
their journey with ‘Digital Feedback’
and a ‘Digital Learning Journal’,
the worry was that pupil progress
would be lost when it comes to the
accountability and inspection process.
When inspected last year for the first
time since its opening, the school was
commended for its use of the digital
platform for giving feedback. It was
described as pioneering and effective
in embedding children’s learning.
Flexible seating
The best learning environments
should nurture a pupil’s ability to
solve problems and make choices
independently.
They
should
be conducive to collaboration,
communication, creativity and critical
thinking.
RPS is become interested in ‘flexible
seating’ for pupils; the creation of
engaging environments that support
optimal conditions for growth. There is
abundant research to support flexible
seating in the classroom and most
research suggests that this approach
directly increases academic attainment
through greater engagement and
increased motivation, the benefits are
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wide-reaching and help support the
holistic development of the pupils.
Because flexible seating allows more
movement in the class, benefits
include the burning of more calories
through using up excess energy,
creating a better flow of blood to the
brain, improving core strength and
ensuring good overall body posture.
For example, pupils who fidget during
class instruction need to be able to
move in order to stay focussed. We
need to allow them to sit on a gym ball
or a chair which can swivel from side
to side. This will permit them to exert
their kinaesthetic energy gradually and
in turn will mean that they can remain
focussed and involved in the lesson.
Being comfortable also helps pupils
to stay vested in the task, and their
behaviour is equally positive. They
are willing to work with others, share
ideas and move around the room. To
answer the challenge posed earlier in
the article, staff at RPS provide a range
of seating options in their classrooms,
which means that there is now never a
need for all students to be seated at a
desk at the same time.
Staff Wellbeing
This year the school introduced
flexible finishing times for teachers.
Previously, teachers were required to
stay on the school premises until 4pm.
In a bid to improve the teachers work
life balance, teachers are now able to
leave when they feel it suits them best
(after the school day for pupils has
Class Time
finished). This has had a significantly
positive impact on teachers who have
children. They are now able to take
their children home and then work
later from home if required. Due to
our innovative Microsoft SharePoint
platform, teachers can all work on
the same documents from home if
necessary. This on-line collaboration
is more time efficient and cuts down
the need for lengthy meetings. This
new structure has been very well-
received and productivity has not
been compromised.
Flexible seating has also been
introduced for staff. If a teacher
prefers a different style of desk/chair
or position for working, this is normally
accommodated. The school no longer
provides
“standard”
classroom
furniture, rather it tries to meet the
individual needs of each employee.
Additionally, staff are not expected
to sit formally for INSET, rather they
are encouraged to choose a style of
seating that works best for them. This
could be a bean bag, sofa or standing
desks. Initially, most staff continued to
use the more formal seating, however,
over time, they experimented with the
more flexible options. Our motivation
for changing the way we conduct
INSET came from an observation
made in coffee shops around the city.
The sofas and comfy chairs are usually
the first to be taken.
Now, what will your
school do differently?