ICKNIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

1. ICKNIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL LEARNING LOGS

2. WHY CHANGE HOMEWORK PRACTICE? • OFSTED • Parents • Teachers • Children

3. WHAT WE DID • Investigation • SMT discussion • Trial • Whole school approach

4. WHAT ARE LEARNING LOGS? • Based on a ‘mind map’ • Learning Objectives are transferred from teachers’ plans • Each double page has a central map with branches • No set rules – no pre-described format • Reflective journal for children to record what they know – their thoughts, their learning and their feelings • A way to show how they can use their knowledge – a ‘consolidation of learning’ tool • An assessment tool for teachers • A focus for weekly learning objectives • A way to focus on the creative agenda • A way to involve parents and keep them informed

5. TRIAL • Process • Response Children – pupil questionnaire Parents – parent questionnaire Staff • Teething problems

6. NEXT STEPS • Staff Meeting • KS2 • KS1 • Foundation

7. WHY ARE LEARNING LOGS SUCCESSFUL AT ICKNIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL? • There is no right or wrong • It’s personalised • There is ownership and sense of pride • It is ‘child’, rather than teacher directed • They are inclusive • Children can be as creative and as imaginative as they like • Homework pressure is off • Children can inform teacher of any problems with work on an individual basis rather than in a class forum • Children are beginning to use Learning Logs as revision tools

8. THE FUTURE of LEARNING LOGS • Thinking skills • Target Setting • Creative Agenda

9. OFSTED JUDGEMENTS • The use of the home learning logs successfully develops pupils’ enthusiastic attitudes after school, and pupils show off their efforts to all who will listen • The school also sets high score on developing independent learning. One way of doing this involves the very good ‘Home Learning Logs’. These encourage independence very well because the home tasks set in them simply involve pupils demonstrating, in any way they wish, that they understand and have achieved one of the objectives for learning in that week • Parents also felt that the Learning Logs were useful both in engaging their children and in ensuring that they, as parents, had a clear understanding of how their children were doing • The Home Learning Logs have inspired many parents to participate in their children’s enthusiastic learning • The Home Learning Logs are used very well and effectively support pupils’ achievements as part of homework. An improvement since the previous inspection is the very good contribution made to pupils’ achievement by the use of Home Learning Logs which keep parents well informed and involved in their children’s learning