Category Archives: Mr Railston’ s blog

I have been very impressed over the last couple of years with the way our children adapt to a new challenge. As with all things, we need to reinvigorate our approach to learning. The GROWTH MINDSET idea has faded a little and doubts have been cast on how accurate the YET message is… HOWEVER (it’s a big however), we never saw growth mindset as a isolated approach. We look at barriers to learning, building learning power, talk expectations, learning dispositions and individual needs when planning our learning at CMPS. This means that we can use the ‘BUILDING LEARNING POWER’ approach to identify and impact on our children where we need to the most. Getting ready for September and the new academic year we are starting by looking at concentration. As you see on the front page and on DOJO, the children have been set a challenge. It will be interesting to see how they interpret that challenge over the week and what they feed back to us. I will let you know!

The mind is everything. What you think you become – Buddha

After Easter we look to the new. This is a little out of our educational timeline but we do love to jump on any passing train (of thought) and speed into the new and brighter future grasping firmly onto our rediscovered positive aspirations. We have a lot to look forward to and a lot to be mindful of. With this term come SATS and assessments for the children. this can be viewed as the end of our Y6’s journey at CMPS or the beginning of the next stage in their lives. I much prefer to look on it as the next stage. We know we are doing our jobs when we send young children who are ready to leave us to their next class or school. This need to move on to the next challenge is natural and shows that the child has developed and a love of learning that needs to be continued. New beginnings.

Recently I had a long discussion with a family member who is very dissatisfied with the school her son attends. It got me thinking quite deeply about the role of the parent in education and the changes that we are going to be forced to make here in CM. Budgets are decreasing and they are going to have quite a large impact – however, as parents, we still need to see the best happening for our children. This cannot be done alone. Neither school or home can educate children to their potential in isolation. We have a very good relationship with a lot of parents but hardly see others. I see children immersed in reading and sharing their love balanced against children openly upset because their parent won’t read with them at home. I have parents asking how they can help and give their children the best possible start and parents who we cannot reach. Everyone has their own life and circumstance but when we all come together there is only one possible outcome – the best chance for YOUR child possible. I post as few pictures of my children on Twitter not to show off but to create an opportunity for discussion. My child did not get a good level of development at Reception (putting him in the lowest 20% of his school). He is a summer born child and he was 5 weeks prem. At the last parents meeting we were told he’s on-track to achieve age related (he’s in Y2). This is great to hear but I get more of a buzz from him picking up a book at 6 years of age, sitting in the garden and reading to himself. Unprompted and completely enjoying himself (after he’s played in his tree house, been out on his bike, played with his sister and been out for a ‘coffee’ with the family around town).

We will again be looking at how we can provide this at school and I will be reaffirming the message with the teachers that they must engage with the parents to make this happen. Thank you to all the parents who are there – making it work. To the other parents – how can I / we / school help you? We will be looking at new ways of getting information out to you. I will be asking to see you to talk about your children. It is really worth re-reading some of the material on growth mindset. How we speak to children and each other. What we are trying to achieve. I like to think we are trying to achieve happiness. This video really spoke to me… happiness-v-fun! The key message (and this video is for grownups) is choice. How can your choices make you a bit happier everyday. Obviously, we would be happier if your children were doing really well at school. Education unlocks opportunities and creates chances…

Easter is a time for regeneration… for everyone.

You might have noticed this on the front page… Over the next few posts I’m going to have a go at making it a bit more real…

In our school journey we believe… belong… become…

When you read something like that it’s often hard to cut through the words to the actual meaning of the them! Every school has discussions like this. We all want the best for the children and communities that come to our school. All the children. This is when words like this really hit their true meaning. We want to instil these ‘words’ into the life of the school. I often stand in front of the children in assembly and talk about a love of learning. The fact is that this comes from life and the experiences around us. How many questions does your child ask and how do you answer? Is learning a journey you share together? If you all don’t know – do you find out? Together? Children learn from all their experiences. This is why at school we search for the best way to stimulate. The BIG experience is – more often than not – the best option. Going and seeing something is FAR more interesting than looking at a picture or listening to someone telling you about it. This love to find out is something that has it’s roots in a question. Personally I love questions in 3s. More than that and you are into a bit of a problem area. The first question – to clarify something that’s happening. “Dad, why is the sun so hot today?”. What do you answer? Do you state the obvious? Do you push through the question because actually, at the moment, you are doing some really important grown up activity? Do you stop and wonder? The quality of your response (note response – not answer) then sets the bar for the following discussion. If you choose to spend some time and ponder then you are going to have some fun! If you relay the obvious – “It’s summer!” Then you are in for some more questions. Children will ask questions until they understand. Why not take a different approach? “Let’s find out!”. That throws the ball back into learning’s court! Is there a way you can experience why the sun is hotter today than yesterday? Are there other factors your child has noticed? How do you even feel the heat from the sun?

With an eye on our end goal… we will become… how will the approach we take to our children’s questions help them become life long and successful learners. Remember (as I do with my children every day), the adults in their lives are the role models for their future. Those who know no different will not be different.

Be unique… think differently!

Have a happy holiday. Maybe I will get another chance to post on our school vision soon… or… if you have any questions?

This has been a busy week! I have attended the Board Meeting of our ‘Core Group’ of schools in the Teaching School Alliance, worked with Mr Guyler on our ‘variation project’ with the Institute of Learning and on Friday I will be at the Local Learning Community meeting. Next week I am very pleased to be taking part in the Future Senior System Leaders Programme – the only programme I have had to interview for! This is in Bristol over Monday to Wednesday and then I am back in school Thursday.

It was lovely to welcome the children back to school. There are no end of themes for a new year assembly! We chose to start of the new year thinking about our manners. How thinking about manners can ultimately improve our learning dispositions and help others learn too!

In December I sent out this communication:

Recently we have had a number of children coming into school, which is fantastic because with growth comes new opportunity. Immediately, the growth in numbers and the projections for the coming years gives the opportunity to get back to single classes for each year group. So we will be changing the  classes so that the Junior children will be staying in year groups all day – like the Infant children do.

So, why are we doing this in the middle of a year?

Ideally we would have waited until September, however, we must act NOW  to ensure we have the best  provision available for the children NOW – when the need is greatest. To wait would mean we do not do the best for the children. It will mean a change of teacher for some children, however it will also:

• reduce the number of children in each class and allow the teachers to plan and teach within one national curriculum year.
• rejoin the split of children in year 4 and year 5.
• allow the teachers across two schools in the Federation to plan together more effectively.

The classes will be (and the teachers will be based in the same room unless otherwise stated):

We will also be teaching to curriculum strengths in the afternoon as we have done this term, ensuring  we maintain our unique Sea School provision which Mr Hockley is working on developing. Classes will continue to receive specialist teaching in languages, music, ICT and PE over the week on a rota basis.

We will be working very hard to ensure that all children make the very best progress at school and to do that we continue to need your help. Please ensure your child sees this change as positive and explain to them that it is necessary to ensure they meet our high expectations.

We held a parents voice, which 5 parents attended. I had a letter from one further parent. We had a fantastic discussion with the group about the school and the changes which we have had to make for the good of the children. Over the coming months I hope to implement much of what the group asked for. Until them, the next parents voice will be on the 21st of January. You are more than welcome to attend.

We hosted a Headteacher from a not too near school on Friday. A reciprocal visit for work I have been doing at her school. It was lovely to complete a learning walk across the whole setting – Tiddlers to Year 6. We saw some great teaching and had a very useful discussion about how we can strengthen our schools.

This week coming I have some miles to cover. Monday is at school with our Executive Head. Tuesday I will be at our Learning Community meeting and then having a Head of School meeting afterwards. On Wednesday our Y6 teachers are moderating work together and we have a joint staff meeting to look at writing across the Federation. On Thursday and Friday I am off to Manchester to attend a PREVENT conference. I will then be delivering training across the Federation in addition to the work we have already been doing.

http://combemartin-sch.org/safeguarding-prevent/

To most the ‘Alliance’ sounds like something out of Starwars. As part of the Teaching School agenda we are part of the North Devon Teaching School Alliance NDTSA as well as being Federated with Woolacombe. 

On the agenda is how we support schools, how we train teachers, the research we do and what continuing professional development we offer. A complex agenda with many local schools and Head Teachers involved. So, I am at Broomhill involved in moving the Teaching School forward in the local and regional arena. 

On Wednesday I am at a conference which puts disadvantaged families at it’s centre. One of our biggest challenges is developing all children equally, improving the outcomes for all. The biggest area at CM – where we have good outcomes for disadvantaged children – is attendance. Our Free School Meals attendance can be greatly improved. Expect some new ideas coming soon!