Transforming learning through a focus on the habits of effective learners

Case study

Park View Community School in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was a high-performing school looking to break through an achievement glass ceiling. They used the secondary curriculum changes to achieve this transformation through a restructured curriculum with some aggregated curriculum areas in Years 7 and 8 and a condensed two-year Key Stage 3 for core subjects, and a focus on learning habits with a shift towards enquiry-based learning through a phased introduction of a local adaptation of the Building Learning Power (BLP) model, dubbed Park View Learning (PVL).

School context

Park View Community School is an 11–18 mixed language college with 1,458 students on roll, located in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

Nature of the reforms

Outcomes at the school were already very good, but an examination of how that had been achieved suggested high levels of teacher dependency and this was having a detrimental impact on students’ capacity as learners. As a response to this situation, the implemented reforms have two strands: structural reconfiguration and a focus on learning habits.

Structural reconfiguration includes a condensed core Key Stage 3 for English, Maths, Science, Languages and RE completed over two years. In Years 7 and 8, some curriculum areas have been aggregated to enable a themed approach:

• History, Geography and RE have become an area called Explore
• Drama and Music have become Perform
• Art and Design Technology make up Design

Pupils work in these areas for six to eight weeks on a single theme, and their work culminates in a presentation called The Final Challenge. The reforms are additionally supported by several curriculum special days such as a Campaign Day and a Space Day in Years 7 and 8 and the provision of a weekly reflection hour for students informed by the keeping of learning logs.

The focus on learning habits led to the development and adoption of Park View Learning (PVL). The model emerged from a period of intense research by a working party, and was constructed on the principles of Building Learning Power (BLP). Teachers engage in ‘split-screen planning’, working to objectives for learning habits as well as content, knowledge and understanding.

Leadership of the reforms

Key aspects of the leadership strategy were:

• a clear vision from the headteacher to transform the dependency culture to one where students are equipped with the habits of effective learners
• distributed leadership empowered through establishment of a volunteer working party to look at options for transforming learning, an approach that created learning advocates and stimulated learning conversations
• generous initial resourcing through a pump-priming investment in continuing professional development (CPD), with in-house provision supplemented by a culture of voluntary additional twilight INSET
• linkage of members of the senior leadership team (SLT) to work closely with faculty leaders to monitor and evaluate the impact of provision, and coaching for transformation where senior and subject leaders visit lessons, join in with the teaching at key points and give feedback
• systematic evaluative learning reviews with external inputs that gather and respond to student voice, and an expectation that teachers will engage with student voice as part of their own self-evaluation

Transition

Key Stages 3 and 4 have been rebalanced to increase time allocated to Key Stage 4 in the core subjects and to allow enriched learning experiences, to support the twin goals of high standards and the creation of capable learners.

Challenges

Challenges identified by senior leaders included:

• getting the coaching model to work well for all staff, by refinement to individual circumstances
• an initial focus on humanities subjects that could have led to some anxiety about effective transfer to other areas. Learning advocates have been used to mitigate this effect
• developing the use of the language of PVL, with subtle adjustments for the age of each year group
• combating "shallow enthusiasm” which bolts ideas onto existing methods rather than embedding new habits, through the use of regular classroom visits by senior staff and sensitive coaching
• maintaining initiative continuity as pupils move into Key Stage 4, and preventing it being seen solely as a feature of Key Stage 3

Key learning

• Leadership involved setting a clear direction and then engaging a wide range of others, allowing them freedom in designing the details of the solution.
• Promoting pedagogical research stimulated working party members, giving them confidence and belief in the credibility and authenticity of the initiative.
• Generously resourcing training and supporting the reforms with time gave a strong initial impetus and a clear payback in terms of energy and dedication in return for the school’s investment in the development of its staff.
• Provision of regular twilight training sessions and voluntary additional after-school training offered further support for teachers in developing their practice.
• Implementation of continuing coaching strategies sustained and refined the shifting of practice.

Research Associate: Mike Cook, Heckmondwike Grammar School