Creating an adaptable class space

One of the things that always struck me as a student in secondary school, in contrast to one in primary, was being sat on a group of tables with friends in the latter and being sat in rows in the former. Now, I'm sure that my mind is playing tricks on me and this wasn't quite the case, but it certainly was close to this.

During my time in primary education I can remember laughing a lot in the classroom and working with friends; it was a comfortable and enriching environment that felt 'shared'. In secondary, I have a strong vision of working hard and stressing a lot more with less communication with my friends. Why was this? Because work got harder and I had to concentrate more? Because I didn't have as many friends as I did in primary school? Or was it because of the layout of the classrooms that I worked in affected my mood?

Does how a classroom is set out have an effect on our learning?

This was certainly one of the things that I wanted to explore when I first began teaching. There was something really exciting and challenging about designing my classroom layout.

During the summer holidays I always take the time to read about the children I will be having in my class in September. These read ups can come from notes that I had from previous teachers about which children work well with others and which don't, or reports written on them about attitude and behaviour. Also, I may find out that some children prefer to be closer to the front and that others need to be further at the back: all this information helps me plan ahead and design a layout that'll work.

The first thing I do is totally clear the whole room of tables and chairs. On my Interactive Whiteboard I then write down all the names of the pupils in my class (in the diagrams below I have written numbers instead) and decide who will sit with whom during most lessons. When I have done this, I begin drawing in my tables and chairs, bearing in mind the following:

* How can I maximize space within the classroom with the amount of pupils I have?

* How can I make the classroom look less cramped?

* How can I get the most out of the kids depending on where I sit them?

* Can I lay out the classroom differently to everyone else?

The latter point may seem egotistical but it isn't meant to. Being creative and unique with space will hopefully encourage my class to think differently and see that the classroom is an adaptable resource. I also hope that other teachers might look in and say 'hey, that looks interesting, I might try that layout some time.'

My standard class layout (where I will be wanting them to work in pairs or independentaly) is to have a pair of curved rows (see below) and then two sets of grouped tables at the back. This allows the opportunity for group work at any time as well as individual work - I also make sure that there is a LOT of room at the front of the class, so that there is carpet space for reading; work on the Interactive Board, or note taking. Carpet space should be seen as a complete priority.

The second layout is one where all the tables are put into groups. Since most tables sit two children, this means three pairs nestled into each other, creating a larger rectangle. This lends itself well to consistent groupwork and/or work where sharing equipment and tools is important: art, science, DT forexample. Grouping tables like this helps to promote more discussion.

The third layout that I like using is when we're doing Drama or PSHE (where we need as much carpet space as possible). With this layout, we place the tables and chairs into as huge a square as possible. The children's chairs and desks face in towards the centre of the room and link together. This can be a little cramped, but we have a huge space in the centre of the room in which to do circle time or a fun Drama activity.

I would say that throughout the week, my classroom changes into these three setups several times: it'll depend on the work set and my mood, as well as the mood of the class. If they're as high as kites then I know that groupwork will be difficult to perform. If they're focused and in the right frame of mind then I'll happily take on any layout. The main things I always aim for are:

* Does the child have enough room to work at all times?

* Do I have enough room to work alongside a child even if it's crouching down opposite/next to?

* Can all the children see me when I talking to them at the front of the class?

I think this is a good starting point for any teacher who is considering changing their layout. It's dead easy to become stuck with the same format that 'works', but being 'fresh and imaginative' as Sue Cowley puts it in 'You can create a thinking classroom' can, I feel, have a really positive impact on the learning that goes on within your room.

Wantage CE Primary School Book-Group: The Start of Something Big?

The Running of a successful book-group within the Primary School.


Ever since I first became a teacher at Wantage CE Primary, back in 1999, I have been striving to get every child in my class to become as avid a reader as I am. I feel that it is the duty of every teacher to do this. Real reading can open up our eyes to the world we live in as well as appreciate the world within ourselves too. With this thought I set about making sure that I frequently read a wide and challenging range of books that would ensure healthy booktalk within the classroom. Over the years I attempted many different approaches to raising the standard of reading within the school, be it reading and sharing what I have read with the class; having a reading hour where parents come in and we read in small groups to children; handing out my recommended reading lists at parents’ evenings; to finally setting up a Reading Group.
The idea of starting a Reading Group occurred when I joined one myself several years ago. This group is hosted by Mary Sutcliffe, a former lecturer of mine from Westminster College (now Oxford Brookes). I found the meetings rewarding and insightful on many levels and was reading books that would have slipped my notice. Debate about whether a novel was good or bad was always healthy as was discussion of characterisation and theme. The fact that coffee and cake were added into the mix always helped too!
When I began teaching Year 6 in September 2007, I decided that I enjoyed my Reading Group so much that installing one within the school would be a good idea. My first approach, and in fact the one I stuck with, was to open it up to Year 5 and 6. Prior to the decision, I had flitted with the idea of doing one in Year 3 & 4 also. However, my wife rightly decided that one club was enough for the time being.
Marcus Sedgwick’s ‘My Swordhand is Singing’ was to be our first book. The choice itself was based on the year’s nominees for the Carnegie Medal. I had read plenty of Sedgwick before and thought that this was a novel (and author) that none of the children had read before. As the weeks prior to the first meeting passed I had the great joy of watching several of my pupils read the book during quiet reading and neighbours asking what the book was about and that the cover looked ‘cool’. Also, in the letter reminding the pupils of when the meeting was, I stated that they could bring a snack or two (mainly chocolate based) if they wanted. This, of course, went down a storm!
At the first meeting we were all nervous. The club took place in the school’s infant library. In the middle of the huddle was a small mountain of chocolate and lemonade. All the pupils sat anxiously with their copy of the book as well as another recommended book (which they had been asked to bring along). After the disastrous first fifteen minutes, where I allowed them to eat and chat about the book, we managed to get a good discussion going. The reviews were mixed, which was excellent as it started a self-running debate about the novel itself as well as the characters and their actions. Those who were quiet were either pulled into the conversation by me or a peer and we managed to get a great deal out of the discussion. The only problems were that the session was too short (1 hour) and we had to rush the recommendations.
News travelled fast. When the following book had been decided ( ‘Catcall’ by Linda Newbury ), the number of pupils who had signed up for the club had doubled. We now had 26 pupils attending and one Teaching Assistant who had asked if she could come along to the following meeting: to which I heartily agreed. This time I was better prepared. Having read the book earlier on, I decided to get in contact with Linda Newbury and tell her that ‘Catcall’ was being read in our group. She was an absolute saint and not only wrote an email back within moments, but also sent the group a stack of bookmarks and two books signed and made out to ‘Mr. Tobin’s Reading Group.’ Naturally, the children were enthralled about this and set about reading the book with great aplomb. It was nice to see not only purchased copies of Catcall in my classroom, but also editions loaned out from the local library (which I had advised parents to consider if they couldn’t get hold of a copy). To my pleasure, it turned out we had all the copies of ‘Catcall’ that the Oxfordshire Library owned.
The second meeting took place recently (we decided that one every six to seven weeks was more than enough). This time I only allowed the food and drink to be consumed when the main discussion was over and we were making our recommendations: this helped sort out the chaos at the beginning and allowed for real booktalk. As a group, we decided to devote our library display to the work of Linda Newbury with a focus of writing reviews on ‘Catcall’ (which was loved by all). I spoke a LOT less in this meeting, allowing the children to do the talking and debating. Rather touchingly, the Year 6s were aware that they would only be here for around another two meetings and then would have to leave for secondary school. They asked if they could return next year for the meetings to which I agreed to give it some thought.
Overall, I feel that the book group has been a success on many different levels. On a personal front, I am running a club which I thoroughly enjoy being a part of. In fact, we have had to extend the club by an extra fifteen minutes as we weren’t getting through the content. It is also a joy to watch the enthusiasm emanate from these readers who are not only talking about the story, but also the style of writing adopted by the author as well as the credibility of the character’s actions and themes too. They are even making connections with other books that they have read in relation to the one we are reading and more importantly, reflecting upon how much they are learning about the world around them.
I think our Book Group is a great success and will continue to be so. Any teacher who enjoys reading and wants to share this enthusiasm with their school, should consider a similar approach. For me, the hardest part is sitting down and choosing the book. I have found a failsafe approach is to either go to www.writeaway.org.uk and look through the reviews relevant to your age category or go to the book awards sites that are out there and see which titles are making a noise. I don’t know how the Book Group will adapt throughout the years but I definitely state that as long as it runs I will be doing my utmost to delivering stories and worlds that these children may have missed had they not had the opportunity or guidance.
‘Broken Glass’ by Sally Grindley is our next book.

The Creative Curriculum

'The Creative Curriculum' seems to be the buzz word floating around Education these days. Be more creative ! Be flexible ! Marry subjects together ......but also make sure you're high up on the National League Tables. 'You cannot have it both ways,' is what I keep hearing in the back of my mind. I read recently that England is 'pre-occupied' with National Standards. The word 'pre-occupied' really caught my attention. Pre-occupied. It gives the impression, and rightly so, that the Government is more interested in 'measuring' education rather than seeing what's at the heart of it. I find it rather ridiculous to be 'creative' when you're enveloped within a system that is obsessed with statistics: how can you measure creativity?



When I first started teaching ( 8 years ago )I can remember the vitality and excitement. I spent hours coming up with new ideas and fun ways to teach what I wanted to teach, within the boundaries of 'titles' given to me by my then co-Year 4 teacher. She was well aware that I wasn't following school guidelines to the letter and that I was just trying to be as exciting and creative as I possibly could.

This was beneficial for the children and for myself. There are times now where you feel as if an invisible leash of sorts is tied around you; gently tugging every so often as if reminding you to stay on track and to remember that they'll need to know SKILL X or SKILL Y in order to pass through their SATs.



Rant over....



'Creative Curriculum' - One of the aspects of this is the Cross-Curricular approach: teaching across the subjects, or teaching one theme throughout a range of subjects. Not so long ago, this used to be called Topic Work. It's funny, you know, when the Head has to introduce these new schemes he often finds himself battered with lines such as 'this is what we did 20 years ago' and 'back to Topic Work! What were the last 20 years about then?' Poor chap ! Poor teachers ! And therefore: poor kids !


Ahem....I did say the rant was over didn't I !

There is a lot to be said for teaching one or two things through many subjects. You can see straight away how everything can or could connect. If I taught the Greeks in History, I can see experiments in Science and Forces coming in (Icarus and Gravity ;P) or even PE (Olympic Games). In English I'd do word origins (better with the Romans, but hey ho!). Geography would tie in well there too - we could use Google Earth (IT) to look at images of Greece and plot where all the Ancient Buildings and Landmarks referred to in the Tales (Literacy again) are to be found. I could go on and would rather not as I love the Greeks, but they're taught in Year 4 !



My take on this approach? I'm not so sure. I think it is a wonderful and brilliant idea - I'd go wild, but I don't believe you should bend other subjects out of shape to just fit around an idea - it doesn't work like that. An example would be that I hear a lot of 'You can do Literacy through History' or 'ICT through History'. Yes, you can, up to a point but we must not forget that children also need to learn key discrete skills in these subejcets too. I get fed up when I see so many children in ICT just use a paint program to draw something that they have been learning about in History. How is that ICT? More importantly, how is that even History? It's nothing at all.

Bring on the Creative Curriculum, I say, but don't lose sight of Key Skills that we want children to leave school with which will empower and enable them to succeed in the future.