Hands-on ICT for hands-off learning

It may not look like a school of the future, but Robin Hood Primary School in Birmingham uses ICT in ways that give pupils a truly 21st century taste for learning. This article explores how the school has remodelled its spaces to enable a new approach to learning and teaching.

From the outside, Robin Hood School does not strike you as being a school of the future. It is in fact a converted secondary modern school, built in the 1930s, with classrooms running off its long straight corridors. The school has done its best to minimise the disadvantages by removing partition walls where possible and running corridors into classrooms to give a more open feel. Where that has not been possible, parts of the corridor walls have been replaced with glass to let in light.

The school is situated in Hall Green in Birmingham. Here the headquarters of the National Front abut the affluence of gated communities and detached houses. Robin Hood School has 15 per cent of its 477 pupils on free school meals and two out of three are from the Indian subcontinent. However, standards are high. "Many of the children come into school with development levels which lag far behind their chronological age but by the end of Key Stage 1 they are exceeding the national average." (Neil Hunter, Headteacher)

Everywhere you go in the school, children are working in small groups, often in an apparently teacher-free zone, and yet they work quietly and co-operatively, using the group as a resource and asking for adult help as and when they need it. Much of this approach can be attributed to the widespread use of computing. From Apple Macs to Bluetooth devices to dedicated computer rooms - technology permeates every aspect of the school day. The school has computers throughout with a ratio of about one device per three pupils – but the emphasis is on appropriate use of technology. For example, the interactive whiteboards move up and down so that they are at the right height for pupils who can use them independently and are not reliant on a teacher to act as an intermediary. For the older and perhaps more self-conscious pupils, the school has invested in Bluetooth technology and graphics tablets so that they can contribute and share ideas from their desks.

The school starts with a huge emphasis on speaking and listening and language skills. Many of the children come from families where English is not the home language. This has many advantages as the children are natural linguists, and the school capitalises on this talent, introducing French and Mandarin in year two. But before they get to this stage they need intensive work on phonics, reading and writing.

Along with the basic skills, children are inculcated into the school’s way of doing things from the nursery onwards. Collaborative learning, individual responsibility and ‘negotiated learning’ are at the heart of learning in the school. Even at Foundation Level, children work quietly in groups, perhaps working in pairs on computers, talking about what they are doing and referring to a ‘coach’ if they have particular problems.

This is an extension of how many children behave in family settings where younger children will work and play by themselves and ask for help as and when they need it. The school works hard to blur some of the boundaries between school and home. In the morning there is ‘learning agreement time’ when parents will come in and spend half an hour with their children as they decide what they are going to do during the day. The child will ask "What am I doing? What do I need? How do I get help?'" and parents might help their child with some cooking, or to work out how to manipulate an image on the computer or spend some time playing musical instruments. At the end of the day, in a family group of 15 children, they reflect on whether they have achieved their goals.

While this is a very clear example of personalised learning in practice, how successful is it for children with special needs? The school sees a number of advantages. First, much of the work is conducted in groups, using strategies such as Spencer Kagan’s Numbered Heads, whereby pupils are placed in teams and given a number from one to four. They work together on a question, making sure everyone on the team knows the answer. The teacher calls out a number and those pupils have to stand up to represent their group. In this way, children learn to share knowledge, discuss and support one another, which are fundamental life skills.

Children who need extra help can be supported by an adult as they would be in other schools, but they may need less supervision as they are learning from others in the class. Children with behavioural difficulties seem to experience less frustration because they have more control over what they do in the way of work, and when they do it. In addition, they can develop and explore their own interests during the school day, so that school seems to have more relevance to their lives.

So, from the very beginning, children of all abilities take ownership of their learning and as they get older they learn to manage themselves and their time and become truly independent learners. The children are encouraged to develop their own interests and work on them in the classroom too. This might sound like a recipe for chaos but in fact works very well. Pupils may work alone or in small groups; they may choose to work on a personal interest and then negotiate a time with the teacher or another adult to work on particular skills or topic.

"Negotiated learning means striking a balance between pupils’ special interests and the demands on the national curriculum," said Neil. "The teachers’ job is to make sure that each child is fulfilling their potential with appropriate levels of challenge for their age and ability."

Further information

Robin Hood Primary School