Nancy
15-07-2008, 02:43 PM
Project Overview:
The Transition project evolved as a distinct thread in the Hull systemic intervention. Throughout Hull, and nationally, there is a trend for pupils’ performance to take a sharp decrease as they move from primary to secondary education. In the first term, pupils are distracted by having to learn the new rules of a complex system, different teachers and different expectation in every class, being lost, working with new groups of friends and losing touch with old ones, new subjects, different routines for food, drink and bathrooms, fear of bullying, actual bullying and more. It’s no wonder they have little time for concentrating on learning! We designed a project that taught older pupils (aged approx 14) to become peer mentors for the younger children.
We ran a 10 week programme covering:
· Building rapport and communicating effectively
· Working well in diverse team
· Setting and achieving personal outcomes
· Re-creating and maintaining a confident, learning state
· Coaching and giving feedback
· Keeping your cool in conflict
· Sensory specific techniques for spelling and maths
· When to ask for help
Our idea was that by training the group in self-modelling and modelling each other, we would enable them to become experts at managing their own state and staying able to learn and focus. Having experienced these developments themselves, they would then be able to run the exercises with younger pupils and mentor them effectively.
We worked with older pupils who had difficulties in academic performance and behaviour in order to ensure that the kids could relate on a personal level to overcoming fears, and also to make the project useful to the schools on more than one level. We worked in groups of up to 30 pupils and at least 2 teachers from each schools. The presence of the teachers meant that we were able to co-train apprentices and leave the resources for the project to run in future years without our intervention. The project is now running independently in the LEAs we’ve worked with.
Evaluation:
We’ve been researching and evaluating this project since 2004, supported by Liverpool John Moores University. When compared to a group of year 7 pupils in similar schools who did not undertake the programme, our participants report:
· Improved spelling
· Confidence to speak in class and were
· Better able to explain themselves in conflict
· Improved ability to reduce bullying.
Interestingly, there were no significant differences on the reported impact to year 7 and year 9 pupils, meaning that the year 9’s could pass on the material adequately with minimal input from us once we had trained them.
Teachers say:
“After the project, transition became more pupil centred and more centred on the individual. I noticed the older pupils gaining in confidence and for the quieter ones, an increase in maturity and willingness to talk. A notable change in attitude to adults and ability to listen to and take on board things these adults say”.
“I had vastly underestimated the pupils’ ability to listen and learn without needing a very long settling in period at all”.
“It was a massive learning experience for myself and the other teachers. The feedback model and the use that Nancy made of it helped me to develop what I already understood and to learn what I hadn’t considered necessary”
Pupils say:
“I used to mess about and not take lessons seriously. Now I can be part of the group without ruining it by laughing” year 7 Pupil
“I can work with my group and do it together” year 9 pupil
“I used to just sit there and listen to other people, now I give my answer really quick” year 7 pupil
The Transition project evolved as a distinct thread in the Hull systemic intervention. Throughout Hull, and nationally, there is a trend for pupils’ performance to take a sharp decrease as they move from primary to secondary education. In the first term, pupils are distracted by having to learn the new rules of a complex system, different teachers and different expectation in every class, being lost, working with new groups of friends and losing touch with old ones, new subjects, different routines for food, drink and bathrooms, fear of bullying, actual bullying and more. It’s no wonder they have little time for concentrating on learning! We designed a project that taught older pupils (aged approx 14) to become peer mentors for the younger children.
We ran a 10 week programme covering:
· Building rapport and communicating effectively
· Working well in diverse team
· Setting and achieving personal outcomes
· Re-creating and maintaining a confident, learning state
· Coaching and giving feedback
· Keeping your cool in conflict
· Sensory specific techniques for spelling and maths
· When to ask for help
Our idea was that by training the group in self-modelling and modelling each other, we would enable them to become experts at managing their own state and staying able to learn and focus. Having experienced these developments themselves, they would then be able to run the exercises with younger pupils and mentor them effectively.
We worked with older pupils who had difficulties in academic performance and behaviour in order to ensure that the kids could relate on a personal level to overcoming fears, and also to make the project useful to the schools on more than one level. We worked in groups of up to 30 pupils and at least 2 teachers from each schools. The presence of the teachers meant that we were able to co-train apprentices and leave the resources for the project to run in future years without our intervention. The project is now running independently in the LEAs we’ve worked with.
Evaluation:
We’ve been researching and evaluating this project since 2004, supported by Liverpool John Moores University. When compared to a group of year 7 pupils in similar schools who did not undertake the programme, our participants report:
· Improved spelling
· Confidence to speak in class and were
· Better able to explain themselves in conflict
· Improved ability to reduce bullying.
Interestingly, there were no significant differences on the reported impact to year 7 and year 9 pupils, meaning that the year 9’s could pass on the material adequately with minimal input from us once we had trained them.
Teachers say:
“After the project, transition became more pupil centred and more centred on the individual. I noticed the older pupils gaining in confidence and for the quieter ones, an increase in maturity and willingness to talk. A notable change in attitude to adults and ability to listen to and take on board things these adults say”.
“I had vastly underestimated the pupils’ ability to listen and learn without needing a very long settling in period at all”.
“It was a massive learning experience for myself and the other teachers. The feedback model and the use that Nancy made of it helped me to develop what I already understood and to learn what I hadn’t considered necessary”
Pupils say:
“I used to mess about and not take lessons seriously. Now I can be part of the group without ruining it by laughing” year 7 Pupil
“I can work with my group and do it together” year 9 pupil
“I used to just sit there and listen to other people, now I give my answer really quick” year 7 pupil