Visible Learning
Over the past two years the school staff have undertaken action research into how children learn best via a project called Visible Learning. This has been based on the ‘Mind Frame’ work by John Hattie. After collating our evidence, trialing different strategies and presenting our findings, I was delighted to receive the following email this week from Laura McWhinnie , Regional Director of Osiris Educational:
“It has been a great privilege to be able to work in partnership with you as you embarked upon your Visible Learning journey and committed to embedding the Visible Learning principles at St. Catherine’s Primary School. I would like to congratulate you on your successful application to become a Level 2 Visible Learning Plus Partner MAT. The case study that you have submitted, capturing your journey, was of high quality and provided a deep insight into how you have moved from evidence to impact. This is the first of its kind in the UK.”
A huge congratulations to all the staff who have worked tirelessly to enable such a fantastic result to be achieved. As a Visible Learning school our aim is that..
Pupils take ownership of their own learning. They know where they are within the curriculum and what their next steps are. Using their knowledge of their own learning, they can track their own progress. The pupils know what to do when they come across something they don’t know and have strategies to progress with their learning. Pupils seek feedback and respond to it, and more importantly they give feedback to staff about their teaching.
Pupils are active in their learning and are assessment capable. Assessment Capable Learners can ask and find the answer to: Where am I going? How am I going there? Where to next?
Pupils can employ a range of meta-cognitive strategies developed through a shared language of learning. Pupils see learning as hard work, have a ‘can do’ approach and a desire to succeed.
By further embedding Visible Learning strategies we encourage children to really challenge themselves. Each class, has a ‘learning pit’ when they find the learning difficult and challenging. The children often put themselves in to the pit, and work on strategies and skills to assist in their learning in order to achieve their learning intention and success criteria. We encourage the children to place themselves in the pit as this is where learning is at its best.
Visible learners are able to: