| Aberdeenshire Council |
|
| Strategy |
| Working directly with schools to
implement effective literacy and numeracy strategies |
- Baseline and professional judgement assessments carried out
in early 1998.
- Teaching/learning programmes developed from assessments and
extra resources (staff and materials) in place to support the programmes by end of April.
- All schools have held orkshops for parents/carers of
incoming P1s, using Sheffield University REAL materials to support staff.
- Language packs consisting of a quality book, a game, finger
control activity, a rhyme card and support materials for parents/carers prepared and
provided for loan to incoming P1s during the summer term.
- Staff development of 2.5 days out of school and additionally
in-school support from the Early Intervention Team.
- Evaluation and monitoring through: analysis of original
assessments; self-evaluation using Performance Indicators derived from Interchange 50; classroom
observation studies to ascertain pupils’ task impression of literacy activities.
- Development of mechanisms to evaluate and support
pupils’ progress from pre-school year to end of P3.
- Developing Early Intervention web-site for the dissemination
of good practice and the support of enhanced learning opportunities for children.
|
| |
| Scope |
- 21 schools (ranging from 2 teacher to 20 teacher schools)
- 771 pupils (P1 & P2)
- 304 families (involved in pre-school workshops)
|
| |
| Achievements and emerging lessons
|
| 79 workshops for parents of
pre-schoolers in supporting their children as learners - now an integral part of P1
induction in these schools. |
| Sound evidence of networking
between practitioners sharing best practice. |
| Guidance and staff development
on learning and teaching in the early years has been very well received and acted upon by
teachers. |
| All intervention has been
aligned to school development plans. |
| Self-evaluation using
Performance Indicators is consonant with the Authority’s Quality Assurance
procedures. |
| The importance and effectiveness
of delivering staff development directly to classroom personnel has been clearly evident.
|
| |
| Local Views |
| "The teachers clearly
demonstrated the relevance of early home learning to the development of literacy, and
parents were encouraged to build on existing good practice in innovative ways. Meaningful
connections were made between everyday learning and school learning. One parent who has an
older child in P2 said that she understood the homework better now and was able to help
her child more confidently because she had been ‘taught by a
teacher’". (Adult Basic Education Tutor who worked alongside the teachers in
preparing and delivering the workshops). |
|
| "Have more time for
teaching - good quality input" (Newly qualified teachers). |
|
| "Children have greater
attention, concentration and confidence as a result of extra staffing and opportunities
for small group working on a regular basis." (From a school in an area of very
high community deprivation). |
