Working in partnership with pupils

1
Working in partnership with pupils
Classroom management and partnerships
2
Learning outcomes

• You will understand
• different types and degrees of participation
• elements of effective communication and how
  communication can be improved for pupils
• how pupils can be included in assessment for
  learning, and
• how to support pupils in setting and reviewing
  their targets.

3
Learning outcome
Activity 1

• You will understand different types and degrees
  of participation.

4
United Nations convention on the rights of a
child

• Children, who are capable of forming views, have
  a right to receive and make known information,
  to express an opinion, and to have that opinion
  taken into account in any matters affecting them
• Article 12United Nations convention on the
  rights of the child

5
Pupils and decision-making

• Children and young people with SEN have a unique
  knowledge of their own needs and circumstances
  and their own views about what sort of help they
  would like to help them make the most of their
  education.
• They should, where possible, participate in all
  the decision-making processes that occur in
  education.
• DfES, 2001

6
Principles of pupil participation

• Clear commitment to involving pupils
• Valuing involvement
• Equality of opportunity to be involved
• Pupils involvement should be evaluated and
  reviewed.
• DfES, 2003

7
Pupil participation

• Formal happens at set times and for a
  reason, eg. at the annual review of a
  statement of SEN
• Informal happens as part of daily interactions,
  eg. in the corridor.

8
Making decisions

• Personal made by pupils, eg. about their own
  
  learning goals
• Public involve pupils deciding about planning,
  policy or resources, eg. about the
  development of the schools disability
  equality scheme.

9
Disability Discrimination Act 2005

• Every school must now have a disability equality
  scheme (DES)
• Disabled people, including pupils, must be
  consulted on such schemes.

10
Ofsted

• Encourages inspectors to obtain pupils views
  about their learning, personal development and
  the school
• Talks to individuals, groups and school councils,
  and issues pupil questionnaires
• The 2005 framework encourages the use of case
  studies of vulnerable pupils which includes
  talking to those pupils.

11
Learning outcomes
Activity 2

• You will understand
• elements of effective communication, and
• how communication can be improved for pupils with
  SEN and/or disabilities.

12
Effective communication

• Some pupils have difficulty expressing
  themselves, using appropriate language
• Some key skills that pupils need to express
  themselves may need to be taught
• Listening to children shows respect and builds
  their self-esteem.

13
Essential skills

• To help pupils express themselves and talk about
  their feelings, teachers should model and teach
  the key skills of

• greeting people
• listening attentively
• speaking calmly
• taking turns
• refusing politely.

14
Essential skills (continued)

• To help pupils express themselves and talk about
  their feelings, teachers should model and teach
  the key skills of

• asking questions
• responding to queries, and
• sustaining a conversation.

15
Active listening

• Set the scene by
• finding an appropriate time and place
• sitting adjacent to, not opposite the pupil
• making eye-contact, and
• checking that the pupil with a hearing or other
  communication impairment can see your face.

16
Active listening techniques

• Give the pupil time to respond
• Help them focus on the main issue (learning and/
  or behaviour)
• Reflect on what is said to check understanding
• Keep suggestions brief and concrete avoid
  passing judgement
• Use practical examples to aid understanding
• Write down key issues and commit to specific
  follow-up.

17
Effective communication

• Why might some pupils find it difficult to
  communicate with teachers and their peers?
• How can teachers make sure that pupils with
  communication difficulties are clear about what
  to do next?
• How can teachers ensure that pupils receive the
  correct support?
• How can collaborative learning be encouraged
  where pupils can talk and listen to each other?

18
Effective communication (continued)

• How can teachers questioning aid communication
  skills?
• How can the rule of one person speaking at a
  time and the other one listening be taught to
  those who find it difficult?
• How can teachers ensure that the views of pupils
  are acted upon?
• What choices do pupils with statements of SEN
  have at annual or transition reviews?

19
Learning outcome
Activity 3

• You will understand how pupils can be included
  in assessment for learning (AfL).

20
Evaluating AfL

• Do pupils
• understand their own goals
• understand how they will receive feedback
• feel supported in self-assessment, and
• receive constructive comments or marks?

21
Evaluating AfL (continued)

• Do pupils have opportunities for
• self-correction, and
• peer assessment?
• Do adults
• pinpoint pupils strengths, and
• ensure opportunities to take part for those who
  are vulnerable to being excluded from the process?

22
Learning outcome
Activity 4

• You will understand how to support pupils in
  target-setting and monitoring their own progress.

23
Possible barriers

• Understanding of target-setting process
• Vocabulary
• Anxiety about process
• Unrealistic expectations
• Belief that ability is fixed you are either
  clever or you are not.

24
Possible barriers (continued)

• Time involved
• Progression path for those at lowest levels of
  attainment
• Comparison with peers attainment
• Too many targets.

25
Managing target-setting

• Many schools have target cards or passports
• Pupils with SEN and/or disabilities may need
  targets to be put in picture form
• Some targets may be provided, some negotiated
• Targets some may be generic, some
  subject-related
• Review behaviour targets more often than
  learning targets
• Targets challenging but achievable.

26
Using pupil self-assessment sheets

• Pupils can record their progress through a half-
  or full-term on self-assessment sheets
• Pupils can write comments for themselves, someone
  can scribe for them or they can draw pictures to
  show how they feel
• Sheets can be used in a school action-plus review
  meeting or included in the review of a statement
  of SEN
• Sheets may be used each term for every pupil in
  the class and kept in assessment files.

27
Learning outcomes
Activity 5

• You will
• reflect on key learning points from the session,
  and
• identify your own key points of action in order
  to consolidate and apply your learning.