Enabling pupils to become independent learners

Information about the school

Ysgol Gynradd Mynach serves the village of Devil’s Bridge and the surrounding area in the catchment area of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.  There are 33 pupils on roll between 4 and 11 years old, who are organised into two classes.  Welsh is the school’s main language and around 33% of pupils come from homes in which Welsh is the main language.  Around 15% of pupils have special educational needs and around 6% are eligible for free school meals.  The headteacher is in charge of two nearby schools (Ysgol Pontrhydfendigaid and Ysgol Syr John Rhys).  The school was inspected in May 2019.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The school celebrates the fact that it is a small rural school that provides a high standard of education by promoting a very strong sense of belonging and community.  One of the main challenges of small schools is the mixed age classes, which include 4 year groups and a very wide range of ability levels.  The school decided to promote strategies that would encourage pupils’ confidence and independence in their learning by nurturing independent, ambitious, capable pupils who are ready for lifelong learning.

In order for teachers to be able to focus and raise the standards of specific groups of learners, a number of strategies have been adopted that will enable pupils to develop as independent learners.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

Various strategies to encourage pupils to become independent learners include setting goals for their work, setting success criteria and assessing their own progress.  This leads to being able to self-control their motivation towards learning and prepares them to take joint responsibility for the way forward.

Pupils guide planning and choose themes to study each term.  The pupil’s voice has a prominent place within the school, and teachers listen to and act on pupils’ ideas and investigative questions.  This engages pupils’ interest in learning from the outset and is a key part of nurturing independent learners.

Teachers plan purposefully and ensure rich challenges and tasks, which include a large number of everyday experiences.  Pupils see the purpose in learning and relate to the tasks.  They have a great deal of interest and curiosity. 

Foundation phase pupils are immersed in developing independence skills from a very early stage.  Pupils were seen to be too reliant on support from adults and they needed to develop thinking and independence skills in order to encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning.  Through careful planning, they are encouraged to try, solve problems, make decisions, think and investigate.  The teacher provides regular opportunities for pupils to transfer knowledge and apply their skills to meaningful activities.  An example of this is Year 2 pupils presenting work such as a digital information leaflet on a tablet through an electronic presentation, a word processing package or by using green screen.  As a result of these daily experiences, pupils use thinking skills, make decisions, plan and manage their time.  They experience personal success, which helps to develop their self‑respect, confidence and independence.  This is a core element of teaching in the foundation phase.

Teachers and pupils have planned the marking policy jointly, and pupils assess their own work and that of their peers maturely.  Nurturing pupils to be able to give each other constructive feedback helps them to develop analytical thinking skills.  Nearly all pupils respond to this very positively. 

The next step in order to promote pupils’ independence was to develop a ‘Dysgu Dawnus’ scheme in key stage 2, which gives pupils opportunities to guide learning each week.  In pairs, pupils plan, prepare and deliver lessons.  This role-reversal gives pupils the motivation to prepare rigorously in order to explain and convey information effectively to their peers.  Pupils come to understand that the key to better explanation is deeper understanding.  Having empathy when reversing roles in this way leads to enriching and improving individuals’ recognition of each other.  Pupils enjoy doing this and take it very seriously.  They are given an opportunity to role-play, develop a more relaxed learning relationship with each other and encourage emotional growth, in addition to the intellectual development of the teaching and learning process.

‘Dysgu Dawnus’ has been a great success and is now one of the learning highlights of the week.  The teacher and pupils learn something new each time and it has certainly brought a breath of fresh air to lessons!  Even parents are keen to get involved in learning and support pupils to prepare lessons.

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

Teachers give pupils a wide range of opportunities to apply their skills in real-life situations, and the strength of provision for digital competence within the school plays a key part in developing all pupils’ independence and perseverance.

Pupils take ownership of their learning.  In the foundation phase, they apply themselves enthusiastically to challenges when choosing their own ways of presenting their work, for example in writing, orally, creatively or digitally.  Pupils of all abilities in key stage 2 succeed in delivering high quality lessons and are encouraged to learn from each other, and develop their own ideas rather than looking to the teacher for guidance.  Pupils can be seen to be succeeding in showing respect and interest in their environment, culture and heritage.

How have you shared your good practice?

In order to share good practice, the school has established a ‘Learning Quartet’ system with the two other schools in the federation.  Teachers and governors of the 3 schools observe lessons jointly, monitor and standardise books jointly and conduct learning walks every term.  This has raised standards of teaching and learning across the schools and is an excellent opportunity to share expertise and good practice in developing all pupils’ independence.

Pupils have the confidence to travel across the three schools to deliver lessons to other pupils.  Sharing good practice with pupils and teachers from nearby primary schools has strengthened pupils’ independence across the schools in the federation and beyond.  A number of primary school teachers within the authority are beginning to emulate ‘Dysgu Dawnus’ in their own schools.