Broadening pupils’ horizons and developing a culture of belonging
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Information about the school
Lewis Girls’ School is a comprehensive English-medium 11-18 school, maintained by Caerphilly County Borough Council. It serves the immediate area of Ystrad Mynach, as well as surrounding areas as far as Llanbradach.
There are 678 students on roll, including those in the sixth form. Nearly all students speak English as their first language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is approximately 21% on average over the past three years, which is similar to the national average. The percentage of pupils with additional learning needs is 12%.
The senior leadership team consists of the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and three assistant headteachers. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and one of the assistant headteachers took up acting posts in January 2020 and were appointed to substantive roles in September 2022
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The school’s vision for developing the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales was revisited by a new leadership team in January 2020. Research illustrated a link between developing confident, ambitious pupils and a school culture that focuses on a sense of well-being and belonging. In practice, this meant ensuring that pupils felt safe and valued in an inclusive environment that acknowledges diverse experiences, promotes identity and cultivates a connection to the school community. Leaders recognised the importance of a meaningful, relevant curriculum that engaged all pupils. The vision became one of ‘Belonging’.
In developing this vision, the school encouraged a wide range of stakeholder views. Pupils’ views were central to its realisation. A range of pupil forums were established to fully represent their perceptions, opinions and what mattered to them. All pupils were encouraged to reflect on their sense of belonging and their own experiences in school and within the local community. This was particularly in exploration of their sense of responsibility to the community and the wider world. Pupils engaged with teachers and leaders in the design of a curriculum that would develop ethically informed citizens and create a culture of diversity. Engaging pupils in partnerships with teachers and making contributions was key. This led to an increasingly wide range of curricular and extra-curricular experiences that consequently broadened pupils’ horizons.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
The school’s Health and Well-being curriculum was named ‘IBelong’ and is an integrated approach to developing pupils’ health and well-being. This area of the curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to become healthy, confident individuals. The ‘Statements of What Matters’ are used to link the well-being, active well-being (physical education) and food lessons together. For example: ‘Our decision- making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others’. In food lessons, pupils learn about eating trends, habits and fairtrade. This is linked to well-being lessons, where pupils are given opportunities to explore aspects such as ‘What makes a Year 7 pupil healthy?’ In active well-being lessons, pupils develop their physical health and understanding of the life-long benefits of physical exercise. The Relationship and Sexuality Education Code (RSE) integrates into the IBelong curriculum. When appropriate, the strands and themes of RSE are also incorporated across other Areas of Learning Experience (AoLEs). Staff are careful to avoid questions such as ‘Where can we fit in some learning about…’. Pupil forums such as the School Council, ‘ENFYS’ and the Anit-bullying Peer Ambassadors help Learning Development Teams (LDTs) to identify what is important to include, for example, same sex marriage and the approach to gender and identity. Pupils’ views also inform how teachers approach these topics, consequently shaping both the school’s curriculum and teaching and learning approaches.
As the ‘IDiscover’ AoLE developed, it became apparent that pupils needed more opportunities to link the subjects in the science and technology area together and develop cross-curricular links. This led to the introduction of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) lesson for all Key Stage 3 pupils. The vision was for a stand-alone lesson that would combine Design Technology, Engineering, Maths and Science style lessons/topics under an umbrella that would also link in with the IDiscover theme. Staff from the IDiscover team worked collaboratively to link the STEM lessons to the science, design technology and maths curriculum. Those themes being ‘Sustaining Planet Earth’ in Year 7, ‘Living on Planet Earth’ in Year 8 and ‘Planet Earth and Beyond’ in Year 9. This approach has been featured as a section of a book and will soon feature in a follow-up book highlighting the many further developments of the approach such as the outside ECO (Education and Creativity Outside) garden. Accompanying projects and tasks link to this, such as recycling waste plastic into usable sheets, which students use in a project for making and driving a Green Power Energy F24 racing car.
At the core of the approach was the aim to bring STEM to all pupils through a regular, project-based approach to learning in place of ‘drop down’ days or targeted sessions with more able pupils. The aim was to allow all pupils to succeed in STEM based activities and open minds to the possibility of STEM based jobs in the future. Learning is accessible to everyone and highlights, develops and reinforces the cross-curricular links between traditionally separate subject disciplines. In STEM lessons pupils are given opportunities to be creative in their approach to solving problems and learn from new situations. The topics and projects link to the ‘Statements of What Matters of the science & technology AoLE. Initially, the separate STEM lesson was rolled out to Year 7 pupils, and as the success of the approach became apparent it was adopted across Years 8 and 9. Each class has one STEM lesson per fortnight lasting one hour. The hour was ‘taken’ from the science curriculum allocation, which reduced from 6 to 5 hours a fortnight.
Through the same model of collaborative working during meetings and INSET days, staff from the IDiscover team worked with the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence Coordinators, linking the STEM projects to literacy, numeracy and digital frameworks. Again, learning had to be authentic, natural and purposeful. As projects were developed, through careful planning, entire areas of the ‘science’ curriculum were moved and incorporated into the STEM lessons, for example becoming ‘Forces’ in Year 7.
The IDiscover thematic projects were developed in the form of digital work booklets. These booklets incorporate the ‘Statements of What Matters’ from the science and technology AoLE. Through a digital platform, pupils work through their own digital work booklet, allowing them to work on their project in one place and being able to see the links within the IDiscover curriculum. This approach not only took advantage of each pupil having their own laptop computer, but also allowed for the use of various apps and programs to be linked into the digital booklets and used at home as well as in lessons, for example when working on ‘computer simulation/modelling of rocket launch angles and building and firing their own rockets’. However, ‘discrete’ lessons related to the specific subjects continue to feature where appropriate. The ‘hybrid’ curriculum develops purposeful and authentic links within and across the ILearn curriculum.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
The development of the curriculum transformed the school’s offer for extra-curricular experiences. This includes the ECO Club and STEM club, both of which are a result of the development of the IDiscover curriculum and IBelong curriculum. In the IBelong lessons, pupils develop their understanding of the lifelong benefits of physical health and well-being. This led to an interest and enthusiasm in improving their own health and well-being. Consequently, the Eco Club and Committee were created. Staff from a range of AoLEs worked closely with both groups. Pupils were given a budget, and then planned, measured, and costed a poly tunnel, which was constructed in. in February 2022. This was followed by pupils designing and then building 6 large planting beds using organic methods, thereby teaching pupils about the impact of specific farming methods on the environment. The IDiscover and IBelong staff and pupils worked together in growing specific plants. Some of these plants were grown to be used in food lessons to make mixed salads and soups. Others were grown to promote discussion about the ethical implications of specific fibers used in the textile industry. Pupils designed and made outdoor pizza ovens using sustainable materials and now use them in their food lessons.
The approach of the separate STEM lessons and linking topics and themes together through the IDiscover AoLE has proved very successful. Pupils can articulate links between the once separate subject areas and apply their skills across the AoLEs. For example, within the topic of fossil fuels and energy production. Pupils in Design Technology make links to the acquisition of raw materials and can explain how the raw material of crude oil is used in the production of plastic and energy, but also in synthetic fabrics in textiles lessons and chemical production in science lessons. Pupils are also able to transfer the knowledge, understanding and skills across the IBelong/well-being and ICalculate curriculum. For example, understanding the impact of a low income on a family and learning to read a salary slip, calculate how much tax an earner will pay and the importance of pension contributions in numeracy lessons. Pupils’ enthusiasm for STEM lessons has grown and this has resulted in a weekly STEM club. The activities have ranged from designing, building and driving an electric race car to pupils working independently to achieve particular awards and opportunities to compete in competitions with other schools. Pupils’ capabilities and self-confidence have grown as the club has developed. Parents have expressed their views on how much their children have enjoyed the activities, and how well they have grown in self-confidence and developed interest and knowledge in STEM subjects. The school regularly receives visits from local council members and alumni, interested in the work that pupils undertake in both their STEM lessons and STEM club activities.
As well as pupils’ ability to link sections and topics covered within the Science and Technology curriculum, a key provision of outside learning has developed. The ECO garden (Education and Creativity Outside) was created using extra government funding during the pandemic, so that its use was sustainable and would benefit pupils in future years The learning area was created on an area of three and a half tennis courts which had fallen into disrepair. It now houses a practice race track for the F24 race car, two 20 foot side opening shipping containers clad in wood with a roof area stretching between them and inside, with lighting, power and wifi so that pupils can undertake work on their laptop computers. Work benches, ponds and wildflower banks and areas as well as planters with various plants and flowers growing were all made by Year 7 pupils. This work is part of the transition projects with Year 5 and 6 children and pupil numbers in Year 7 have risen significantly over the last two years. This area is also used for teaching other subjects and year groups across the school.
The range of pupil groups, forums and clubs has provided valuable learning and leadership opportunities for pupils. It has established a strong pupil voice that influences the curriculum and is designed to meet pupils’ needs and address what is important to them. It has shaped their understanding of their rights, supporting them to develop as ethically informed citizens and enterprising, creative contributors in a culture that nurtures diversity. This allows for a school curriculum that is authentic and relevant to the pupils in the school and the wider community.
The school has shared the approach to curriculum development, particularly STEM lessons and STEM club activities, and also shared some of its projects with other schools.