The Teaching Awards 2002
The Teaching Awards 2002 Best Practice Weekend and National
Awards Ceremony took place in London on the weekend of 26
October 2002.
The day of Best Practice began with category specific workshops
for the 145 Regional Winners. These were facilitated by Teaching
Awards 2001 National Winners- continuing the principles of
peer led development and mentorship. Other workshop topics
included Citizenship, Science Year and CPD.
See below for the results of the workshops and case studies
from these inspiring teachers and teaching assistants. For
further information on The Teaching Awards and to read about
2002 National Winners go to www.teachingawards.com
. You can also click on the link below to see the results
of The Teaching Awards 2002 Regional Ceremonies held in the
summer throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Citizenship initiatives
26 October 2002, Teaching Awards Best Practice Workshops, London
Citizenship is as hard to define as its name implies and a new kid on the block in terms of the national curriculum.
To see the actual script that prompted this discussion or
top tips for best practice click on the links below.
Top tips
Case study - St Joseph’s RC Girls in Lisburn
Case study - Dovecote Primary in Wolverhampton and Marshwood Primary, Lyme Regis
Schools are choosing to tackle the subject in many different ways – by investigating the concept of community by looking at how the school fits within its community and further afield. Into the melting pot comes ethics, religion, value systems,individual self esteem – an array of interrelated topics which impact on virtually every single curriculum area. Communication is a key strand – communities talking to each other.
The Teaching Awards workshop involved a forum theatre presentation led by the Crag Rats – Val, Gemma and Ian. They acted out a scene in the staff room where a Head tries to dispose of the subject in a one-off event – Red Nose Day – against reasoned arguments from two members of staff for a cross curricular and a whole school ethos approach. School ethos can mean not just anti-bullying but an examination of democracy as it affects pupils. As John Irwin Head of Talbot School, Sheffield observed: “Human rights is a scary issue for teachers.”
School councils complete with elections and committees responsible for playground discipline or rubbish collection were how many schools chose to account for Citizenship according to the delegates. But there were a lot of other interesting initiatives – circle time, charity events, pupil newsletters, local History projects and, in one Secondary school, Remembrance Day – where the whole school honours the dead of all conflicts and every department is involved.
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Case
study
- St Joseph’s RC Girls in Lisburn
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Northern Ireland’s EMU project – short for Education for Mutual Understanding – is aimed at reducing sectarian tension. Catholic and Protestant schools are twinned and classes visit each others schools for shared lessons which also serve to demolish some very old prejudices. St Joseph’s RC Girls in Lisburn is twinned with the protestant Harmony Hall Primary a few hundred yards up the road. Trust is growing up to the point now where the pupils are discussing sensitive issues. Says Headteacher Maria Gough, “We’re looking at History and where prejudices come from and what we can do to change those prejudices.”
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Case
study
- Dovecote Primary in Wolverhampton and Marshwood Primary, Lyme Regis
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Dovecote Primary in Wolverhampton is tackling the issue of emotional care head on. One day a week, a worker from the National Society for the Protection of Children - the NSPCC, visited the school to run workshop sessions and to mentor children. Head teacher Gill Beddow is enthusiastic. “It’s not seen as a response to bad parenting. It helps children. It’s another adult they can talk to and it raises self-esteem.”
Meanwhile red cards and yellow cards, those markers of disciplinary infringement beloved of tough schools and football referees are banned at Marshwood Primary, Lyme Regis, Dorset. The Head, Rosie Giles, prefers to hand out green leaf cards for good conduct and each Friday each class votes for a Bright Spark, the pupil who has achieved the most during the week. Says Giles, “This is not for the highest marks, it’s the pupil who has made the most difference in their own terms. It could be three correct spellings, or it could be for an act of kindness, or anything.”
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Reports
from the National Workshops 2002
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Reports
from the Regional Workshops 2002
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Rosie Giles, Head Teacher at Marshwood Primary in Lyme Regis
Let the children set the agenda. Our pupils decide the terms on which their Bright Spark award is given. Rosie says “Citizenship comes from having a debate about what constitutes achievement. The pupils judge. And it’s a great boost to their self-confidence.”
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Lisa Wedderkop, Year 5 teacher at Honeyhill Primary in Peterborough
Foster a sense of communal responsibility. Honeyhill Primary in Peterborough appoints Play Pals from among its Year 6 to look after younger pupils during break times and report to Honeyhill’s home school liaison officer. Lisa says “Play pals become role models, developing play skills and co-operative behaviour.”
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Joe Dunn, Head of Southey Green Junior School in Sheffield
Exploit educational visits. Joe says: “Don’t underestimate the value of an educational visit. Some of the kids on our local estate have never been as far as the city centre. It’s important for them to understand what local government means, where the town hall is and what happens there."
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