A SAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING LESSONS: Validated …

1 A SAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING LESSONS: Validated summaries The following are summaries of lessons that were judged to be OUTSTANDING in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Highlighted notes refer to examples of how positive behaviour for learning is having a positive impact on the quality of learning. Examples of OUTSTANDING Lessons in 2011 - 2012 The following are the summary notes taken in a SAMPLE of OUTSTANDING lessons from a SAMPLE of subjects that were observed within the last twelve months. The intention is to provide a summary report of this kind on an annual basis.

2 Art Year 7: A Fish Project lesson Using Mask Making The lesson introduced pupils to various artists who use/have used different methods of mask making (eg Jackson Pollack, Damien Hirst, Rebecca Horn). Lessons began with clear expectations followed by the use of a rally table to engage the pupils in debate about the characteristics of a variety of pictures. Practical activity involved an unconventional approach to mark making that removed the conventional constraint of using a pencil, sitting at a table with a piece of paper.

3 Paper was placed on the floor and pupils used long sticks with charcoal and paint brushes and Indian ink. Music was played. Excellent engagement. Method removed barriers that would otherwise inhibit expression. lesson was effectively developed and well structured. Pace of learning and vocabulary acquisition was apparent. Buzzing atmosphere. Concepts like fluidity of line grasped and understood. Biology Y10: lesson on the topic of Photosynthesis The lesson began with a quick fire activity using a rally table approach.

4 All pupils were engaged on a task from the moment they entered the room. Persistent, high expectations were reinforced throughout the lesson . The lesson included a variety of activities including: leaf observation, matching definitions to diagrams and a game that included an opportunity for peer assessment. Conduct was extremely conducive to learning and it was clear that the format of the lessons ensured that the pupils were kept interested and on-task. L6: lesson on the topic of White Blood Cells The lesson started promptly and students were immediately focussed and on task.

5 The lesson provided some very good examples of techniques that could be used in any lesson to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Expectations were high throughout and the students responded impressively. There were 8 separate activities within the one hour lesson . A starter activity (rally table) was based around a picture of a white blood cell. Students shared existing knowledge and were immediately engaged. Students had ownership of their learning from the start.

6 A paired reading exercise had students feeding back to partners what they had just read a further example of students working collaboratively and taking responsibility. The lesson had pace and momentum and steep learning progression was clearly evident. Business Studies Year 11: lesson on the topic of The Marketing Mix This lesson had a strong practical element to it with pupils having been divided into four groups. Each group had prepared a product or service to present before a panel of judges in a Dragons Den style pitch.

7 The groups were required to talk about the 4 Ps (Place, Product, Promotion, Price) in their presentation and explain why they thought their produce would be successful. The panel, in turn, questioned each group and decided whether they would invest in the product and how much they would be willing to invest. The groups were also involved in assessing each other in terms of innovation and presentation skills. The engagement of the pupils was excellent and tested their understanding of the concepts.

8 The panel were effective at challenging the boys knowledge and had clearly been advised and prepared beforehand. This was an excellent example of how learning can develop within a well prepared lesson with minimal direct teacher input. In many ways the teacher took a risk here but the result was quite spectacular. The onus was entirely shifted onto the pupils. The lesson ended with a plenary that covered the key terms associated with the Marketing Mix: unique selling point , profit , equity , price etc.

9 The panel comprised a Year 13 student, the Community Partnership Manager and two student teachers. Chemistry Year 10: Ionic and Covalent Bonding The focus for this lesson was how do sub-atomic particles help us to understand the structure of substances. The lesson was a practical that followed a series of lessons that had focussed on chemical bonding. During the practical part of the lesson , groups worked with four unknown samples. The aims was for pupils to identify properties, understand that ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points and are sold at room temperature, and describe how ionic compounds can conduct electricity when they are molten or in solution.

10 Pupils in groups were fully engaged and on task. The teacher s role was to provide guidance and support and pupils worked on set activities (describing appearance, testing for electrical conductivity, dissolving in water, and estimating melting point). Following the practical, understanding was tested through a past GCSE question on the topic. The question was to be completed for homework and answers reviewed in peer to peer assessment. The lesson combined effective use of ICT to stimulate discussion and guide the practical activity with well structured group activity through to testing understanding by GCSE criteria.