Getting them all on board

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Getting them all on board!
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The Ashcombe School - Helen Myers
www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk Ashcombe Road,
Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1LY Tel [phone]
Fax [phone] helen_at_djblow.fsnet.co.uk myers
.helen_at_ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk
www.all-languages.org.uk/
The Association for Language Learning the major
subject association in the UK for teachers of all
languages in all sectors of education and in the
field of business training. There is an Annual
Language World Conference and Exhibition.
www.linguanet.org.uk/
Lingu_at_NET
Keep in contact via the LinguaNet Forum
www.ict4lt.org
ICT4LT Training Modules
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The Ashcombe School - Helen Myers
Helen Myers Senior Curriculum Manager MFL
teacher helen_at_djblow.fsnet.co.uk myers.helen_at_ashco
mbe.surrey.sch.uk Keep in contact via the
LinguaNet Forum www.linguanet.org.uk
www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk
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Handouts

• PowerPoint presentation notes
• Letter inviting you to presentation days (ICT,
  Primary, Chinese)
• Broadening Horizons
• Primary article from The Teacher
• 'Accent' - termly school magazine

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Getting them all on board!
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Aim of presentation

• To give an overview of how we have got people on
  board
• Staff
• Pupils
• Governors
• Parents
• Community
• To be honest about our failures and successes!

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The Ashcombe School

• Brief introduction
• 1600 mixed comprehensive
• 14 FSM, 140 SEN, Ave
• Language College, but no selection
  partnership with local schools other secondary
  school, Special secondary school, 11 primary
  schools

Crucial but different element for success

• Welcoming
• Keen to share practice
• Half-termly presentations

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Main area of expertise ICT
Crucial way of getting other staff on
board Improving MFL ICT helped everyone!
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Our management approach

• Whole-school approach to 'Management of change' -
  LC a microcosm of this
• Situational analysis how will others view
  this? start from where 'they' are - NOT just
  talking about aims/objectives
• Overall message opportunities (rather than
  negative impact) win-win

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Our management approach

• Reflections on that slide ....
• easy enough to say ... text-book approach
  (typical interview response!)
• not so easy to do ... especially when you are an
  enthusiast, brimming with ideas!

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Our management approach

• Questions to be asking
• yourself while planning ...
• How can I give them the EVIDENCE and the FEELING
  that I know where they are coming from?
• How can I avoid 'stepping on toes'?

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Our management approach

• Some techniques
• ACTIVE listening ... counselling approach ... use
  THEIR phrases .. play them back to them
• Ban the phrases 'you should / you have to'
• Don't worry if you don't get there fast .. be
  patient

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Our management approach

• Approach to THIS TALK needs to 'model' this
  ...You are all in different situations
• new LCs, 2nd specialism
• high / low profile ML
• strong / weaker communities
• staff for / against -

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Our management approach

• I need to avoid 'solutions' and stress 'process'
  ... (essentially, which questions to ask)
• You'll probably wake up when I'm describing YOUR
  situation and giving you something YOU can use ..
  just as it will be for you ...

Your interest
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Where are they now?

• Now I'll suggest questions to ask, and give
  examples of what we found worked for us ...
• Staff
• Pupils
• Governors
• Parents
• Community

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The staff ML dept (1)

• PERSONAL ROLES AND DEVELOPMENT
• What is the role of HOD, and how do they feel
  about it? Ashcombe retains job description and
  accountability for the curriculum
• Additional time

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The staff ML dept (1)

• PERSONAL ROLES AND DEVELOPMENT
• What is the role of the staff and how do they
  feel about it? Ashcombe Opp to share
  responsibilities
• How do we give development opportunities to
  staff? Opportunity for training get promotion!
  additional professional bursaries / honoraria
  Support for any development opps (e.g. membership
  of ALL)
• How will recruitment be affected by the status?
  High quality applicants

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The staff ML dept (2)

• Possible opportunities for individuals
• ENHANCED TIME AND RESOURCES
• Allocation for additional training /
  demonstration / management
• Time in lieu for twilight sessions
• Increased access to quality resources
• (ICT, text books)
• Additional support for increased visits

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The staff ML dept (3)

• Possible solutions ..
• PROTECTION MORAL SUPPORT!
• Not involved in the paperwork (e.g. bid)
• Acknowledgement of severe grading (see papers on
  this downloadable from London's ALL site
  www.all-london.org.uk)

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The staff outside the dept

• Have we already got them 'on board' (e.g. through
  involving them in the decison-making to become a
  LC)
• OR
• Do we need to start now?

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The staff outside the dept

• Approach Tap into THEIR enthusaisms
• Ask 'what would enthuse YOU?' (rather than
  seeking to enthuse them!)
• Be flexible about allocating money to support the
  process

Their interest
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The staff outside the dept

• Possible areas to highlight
• Recruitment stress the benefits of the status
• Opportunities for more professional development
  and involvement in visits e.g. China, Tanzania,
  Comenius partners
• No disruption to the balanced curriculum (extra
  Spanish taken from subject which has over its
  time allocation)
• Better ICT infrastructure for all

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So many opportunities

• Visits - local, within UK
• Exchanges, foreign visits, activities week, ski
  trips
• Links with Romania, Tanzania and China

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The staff outside the dept

• Example Comenius Projects
• Gives opportunity to make contacts with other
  countries which can use this to 'badge' their
  activity
• Not much money - unhelpful rules - so use some LC
  money to support

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The staff outside the dept

• Observation re Comenius projects
• need for us to subtly 'take the lead' implicitly
  - often more management expertise in UK schools /
  Elsewhere often more limited, formalised set-up -
  inflexible procedures
• Don't get depressed if it doesn't work .. don't
  take it personally!

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The pupils
Their interest

• What do they think of languages?
• What is going to make them enthusiastic? (or less
  unenthusiastic ...!)
• Focus - from THEIR point of view, what can you do
  that will strike a chord? e.g. exploit world cup
  ...at one level, anything is better than nothing
  ... e.g. how to pronounce Thierry Henry .. and
  that he's known as Titi!

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The pupils

• Ideas Benefits for ALL pupils
• Regular access to ICT (multimedia suite data
  projectors in every classroom)
• Wide variety of resources (incl DVDs, CD ROMs)
• Special- esp now that ML not compulsory
• Better grades!
• Acceleration One and a half for the price of one
• Enhanced opportunities
• Events trips
• Celebration Accent, displays (including screen -
  e.g. Royds)
• LOADS of ideas from the LC network ...

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The pupils

• 'Big Events' to 'celebrate' languages /
  internationalism
• World Cup - tutor groups assigned qualifying
  teams - decorated room - played short matches at
  lunch time - culminated in cup final last Friday,
  (Euro 2008, Here we come ....! Ideas form Paul
  Keogh)
• European Day of Languages
• Awards evening - speakers
• Business Week - following slides

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The pupils
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IBW - Key aspects

• Approach
• Inclusive (all Year 10 participate fits with
  philosophy that anyone, including SEN, can learn
  MFL)
• Teamwork pupils working as a team (teams of 8
  carefully composed to mix attainment, attitude
  gender) teams gain points towards final prize

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IBW - Key aspects

• Language elements
• 3 sessions of Italian from scratch
• 2 sessions of Chinese (incl culture and language)

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IBW - Key aspects

• Application of language to
• 1 day of financial literacy
• (NatWest Face2Face - Italian focus)
• 1 day manufacturing simulation business game
  (Chinese focus)
• 1 day interview techniques

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Italian - detail

• 3 sessions of Italian in multimedia room with
  staff 'facilitating'

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Evaluation

• Student feedback
• Teacher feedback
• External feedback (Barry Jones)

It was clear that the language learning
programme had such a variety of focused activities
I wouldnt starve in Italy now!
Put me down for Chinese again next year. Xie xie!
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Recognition

• Mary Glasgow Award,presented by Edwin Glasgow

• The European Award for Languages judges said,
  The cross-departmental approach engaging
  teachers from other disciplines as facilitators
  is hugely successful. It clearly boosts morale,
  helps teacher-student relationships and shows
  students that they dont have to be experts to
  learn another language.

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Recognition

• Special assembly

• Included video of staff from other subject areas
  saying how they had learned and used languages

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Invitation to join us

• Come and experience it next week / next year
• It starts week beginning Monday 17th July 2006.
• You can come as an observer or a facilitator,
  meet staff and pupils as well as our Chinese
  students and teachers who will be over with us
  for part of the week from Shanghai, taking part
  in the Chinese sessions.

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Invitation to join us

• For more information, please contact Peter
  Thompson, Deputy Headteacher thompson.peter_at_ashc
  ombe.surrey.sch.uk

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The Governors

• Did they all 'sign up' to the LC status?
• Subcommittee - involvement meetings - share
  issues (e.g. severe grading)
• Invitation to observe offer to use resources
• Participation in trips

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Parents

• What do they think about the focus on languages?
• Induction Evening Open Evening to stress
  OPPORTUNITIES for extending pupils - getting an
  'edge' over others
• Access to resources (CD ROMs, dictionaries)

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Community

• Has it been easy / hard to involve the community
  in your status?
• How does the community view 'Languages' .. how
  might this specialism compare with your first
  specialism? (Be realistic!! .. need to be
  pragmatic enthusiasts!)

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The communityOur approach

• September 1998 - bid already included commitment
  of 20 funding to the community (win-win)
• DfES awarded matched funding
• Money oils the process!

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Community Sponsorship (1)

• Difficulties. 1998, hardware software sponsors
  allowed
• Compusys - hardware
• (prize-giving, presentations,
• test-bed)
• Vektor (software)

Vektor Cup for achievement in teaching languages
using ICT
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Community Sponsorship (2)

• BAA (flight path guilt syndrome!)
• Local firms (Johnson Engineering, UNUM insurers)
• Organisations (PTA, Trust)
• Individual (Martin Coe, Titan Tours, Governor)
• Breakfast meeting
• Lunch Chinese on European Day of Languages

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Community Sponsorship (3)
SSAT Governors (personal interest vs firm
nominating representative)
Jim Baker, Goldman Sachs language enthusiast!
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Community Business Courses Adult Ed

• Context Surrey has no community structure (FE
  and Adult Ed separate) no infrastructure in
  school for evening activities
• PTA evening Hands-on
• Adult Ed Tutors wooed, but uncomfortable with
  technology

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Community Business Courses Adult Ed (2)

• In-house attempt - Language courses and IT
  courses (issues focus of course, technology,
  tutor expertise, publicity, bookings,
  smiler/greeter, refreshments, welcoming
  environment)
• Working through East Surrey College
• Lack of internal infrastructure, so buy into
  others. Y1 Adult Ed Y2 East Surrey Y3
  University for Industry

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Spin-offs from International Business Week
win
win

• Employers get
• Practical way of supporting school (and a day out
  of the office!)
• Marketing opportunity through Careers Fair
• Local Business visit to Gouvieux
• Speakers (for Rotary Clubs local business
  groups)
• Opportunity to learn Chinese and visit China

win
win
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Community The Family of Schools

• What are relations like with your local schools?
  
• Strong? - already well-established within the
  context of first specialism / Extended schools
  agenda / Support services collaboration
• Unknown? - no collaboration?
• competitive? - strong suspicions that status is
  used as a 'marketing tool'?
• Put yourself in their shoes .. what would make a
  Primary Head want to turn up to a twilight
  meeting?

Their interest
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Community The Family of Schools

• The Family includes
• 2 secondary - 14 primary
• 1 special - Nursery

There are web links to other schools from the
Ashcombe site
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The Family of Schools

• How the group was formed and sustained
• Group set up prior to LC status
• Regular meetings chaired by local Primary Head
• Meetings attended by Headteachers
• Money / Goodies ... (e.g.colour printer)
• Now the 'bedrock' of collaboration in other areas

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The Family of Schools

• The DSLDG committee meet twice each term with
  meetings being held in the local schools

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The Family of Schools

• The DSLDG committee meet twice each term with
  meetings being held in the local schools

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The Family of Schools
Essential support

• Admin/Secretarial Support
• As Language College Secretary,
• Alison Owen provides essential
• support for the full range of
• activities and events.

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The Family of Schools

• International / European activities
• Sports Day
• European Primary Week
• The Big Sing
• Visits (pupils staff)
• Resources / ICT Support
• Modern Languages Work
• Outreach teacher
• organises development for teachers (full day,
  twilight, weekends away!)
• does 'model lessons'
• purchases and manages resources
• Some examples ....

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The Family of Schools
European Primary Week
Making bunting to celebrate links with France
A postcard to a Swedish friend
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The Family of Schools

• The Big Sing (held alternately in both
  secondaries in the town)

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The Family of Schools
Year 5 visits to both Secondary Schools
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The Family of Schools
ICT Outreach Teacher
David Seume works within the Language College and
with the Family of Schools on a variety of
projects incl website help
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The Family of Schools
The Ashcombe School website - which incorporates
the Language College resources and links to the
Family of Schools
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The Family of Schools

• ICT Training/workshop sessions
• - for and by local teachers (incl both
  secondaries primaries EBD)

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The Family of Schools

• Modern Languages Work
• INSET opportunities (courses, LEA)
• Outreach teacher Jennie Clarke skills the
  teachers trainer and facilitator
• Some examples ...
• Chinese
• Story Sacks

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Resources staff

• Who does the teaching in the classroom?
• Outreach teacher team teaching / lead
• Enthusiastic non specialists
• Class teachers
• Native speakers
• Teaching assistants
• Parents

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Resources planning documents

• What do they teach?
• QCA Guidelines for KS2 MFL
• Scheme of Work personalised for each school
• Glasgow
• Early Start
• Houlala
• Pilote
• Watch this space DfES KS2 Framework and
  training folder

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Story Telling
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Curriculum context

• International / European events
• Sports Day
• International Primary Week
• The Big Sing
• Visits (pupils staff)
• Resources / ICT Support
• Chinese club
• Exchange students visit primaries

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WEEKEND INSET in France(Paris and Lille)

• Purpose
• Cultural awareness and personal / professional
  development
• Cooperation between schools
• Development of resources and practical lesson
  ideas
• Activities
• Cultural visits immersion in language/literature
  /art/science
• Role play / interviews/discussions with local
  people
• Visit to cinema
• Collection of resources books, music, DVDs
• Filming / photographs of authentic shops, signs,
  buildings
• Visits to French schools

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Staff Training
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The Family of Schools

• Modern Languages Work
• Lingua C assistant visits
• Eva teaches us to sing in Italian!
• Exchange Visits

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The Ashcombe School