Transcript Pedagogies in RE

Personalising Learning and
Assessing Progression in
RE
How to ensure good RE in the new curriculum context
S
According to HMCI Christine Gilbert, in the Teaching and
Learning 2020 Review, personalised learning (PL) is:
‘Taking a highly structured and
responsive approach to each child's
and young person's learning, in
order that all are able to progress,
achieve and participate. It means
strengthening the link between
learning and teaching by engaging
pupils – and their parents – as
partners in learning.’
It is helpful to consider five
components of PL:
1. assessment for learning;
2. effective teaching and learning;
3. curriculum entitlement and choice for pupils;
4. changes to the organisation of a school, such as
workforce remodelling;
5. going ‘beyond the classroom’ into the community
through initiatives such as extended schools.
'Assessment for Learning'. See http://schools.somerset.gov.uk/re_sows/
1. Assessment FOR learning involves:
S gathering and interpreting evidence about pupils’
learning; and
S learners and their teachers using that evidence to decide
where pupils are in their learning, where they are going
and how to take the next steps.
(QCA and the Assessment Reform Group, 2001)
2. Effective teaching and learning involves:
S helping pupils know how they are doing;
S encouraging pupils to make progress;
S helping teachers plan to meet pupils’ learning needs,
S ensuring standards are maintained in RE;
S raising standards in RE;
S improving pupils’ learning experiences;
S supporting the school’s overall strategy in providing a broad
and balanced picture of individual pupils’ educational progress.
3. Curriculum entitlement and choice:
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as an integral, ongoing and informal part of teaching, through, for
example:
S conversations with pupils about what they know and can do;
S questions differentiated to provide opportunities for pupils of
differing abilities to demonstrate their knowledge and
understanding;
S gathering information from pupils’ self and peer assessment
activities.
S as a formal, planned activity, through, for example:
S an initial assessment of what pupils already know and can do, e.g.,
through a ‘mind-map’;
S differentiated tasks linked to the ‘levels’ in the syllabus;
S summative tests;
S pupil interviews.
4. Workforce remodelling and other changes.
Sample strategies (1):
S ensure that learning objectives are clear in advance of each
assessment activity, so that pupils responses can be easily
related to those objectives;
S be very focused on what it is you are assessing, e.g., by
limiting the number of objectives to be assessed;
S instead of recording every pupil’s achievement, record only
those which failed to meet or which exceeded the expectation;
S be flexible about classroom organisation so the majority of the
class may be working while you assess a small group or
individual pupils;
4. Workforce remodelling and other changes.
Sample strategies (2):
S conduct interviews with a sample of pupils representing
different ability levels to assess their learning over a longer
period of time;
S be aware that there are a variety of ways in which pupils can
demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understanding and
teachers can record their achievements;
S across a whole year’s programme it is expected that pupils’
progress in both attainment targets will have been assessed.
Going ‘beyond the classroom’.
Consider:
S an initial assessment at the beginning of a unit to establish a
baseline;
S a formal assessed task towards the end of a unit to provide
information about progress and standards being achieved. This
will allow time for pupils to reflect on what they have learnt and
for teachers to adjust their planning appropriately;
S making links with parents/carers through, e.g., a short
questionnaire about the forthcoming programme of learning for
RE.
Assessment of RE in
the new secondary
curriculum and
assessing pupil
progress (APP)
In the new secondary
curriculum, there should
be more opportunities
for pupils to cross
subject boundaries and
to engage in learning
beyond the school.
See ‘Sacred Spaces’ at www.lotc.org.uk/
Why use APP?
Teachers have identified the following benefits of APP:
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It gives a detailed profile of what a pupil can do in relation to the
assessment focuses – see the six ‘key concepts’ or fields of enquiry’ in
RE;
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It enhances subject knowledge and promotes a broader curriculum;
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It directly informs future planning, teaching and learning;
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It provides greater clarity and understanding of targets, progress and
feedback;
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It reduces reliance on testing.
See: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/app
Attainment in RE is also about:
S the development of positive attitudes such as those listed in the
QCDA non-statutory programme of study and in all locally
agreed and aided schools syllabuses;
S attitudes of curiosity and fairness, for example, are not
necessarily covered in the level statements, but are certainly
worthy of encouragement and recognition;
S some aspects of ‘attainment’ in RE may remain hidden. It is not
the task of the teacher to grade pupils on their level of
‘spirituality’, for example. Teachers can only work with what is
communicated, but should be sensitive to the variety of ways in
which pupils may communicate their thinking.
Evidence of pupils’
attainment in RE can
be gathered from the
whole range of
learning experiences:
writing, art work, oral
responses to reflective
experiences, hot-seating,
‘diamond nines’, check-list
activities, role plays, mind
maps, circle-times and
debates, surveys, matching
activities and so on
Find ‘Spirited Arts’ at www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts/
Methods of recording pupils’ work
and progress include:
S recording names of pupils at either end of the achievement
spectrum;
S using a mark-book with learning objectives listed in the
columns;
S providing pupils with self- and peer-assessment sheets;
S making digital records, making ’comment books’ to scribe
comments from pupils as they contribute to a discussion or
debate. These can then be displayed.
Activities which are
designed to be assessed
should provide
information about what
further experience pupils
need and what they need
to practice, as well as
what they can do already.
Remember that feedback giving
guidance on how each pupil can
improve, plus time to do so, is of
more value than grading or giving
marks.
More formally, assessment
information might also be used
to:
S plan the next stage of a class’s work, taking account
of the mix of ability within the class, and of the need
to challenge all pupils to make progress;
S report on pupils’ attainment and progress, using a
list of simplified level statements:
http://betterre.reonline.org.uk/assessment/cando.php) as a
bank of comments to guide pupils’ learning.
Designing your own assessment
activities (1):
1. select the sequence of lessons to be assessed;
2. use your agreed or aided schools programme of study to select
a suitable point on which to focus the assessment activities;
3. spend some time (preferably with colleagues) developing a
good Key Question;
4. note the ‘context’ of the assessment, indicating the relevant
learning that has already taken place;
Designing your own assessment
activities (2):
5. decide the area of focus for the assessment from the A - F ‘Key
Concepts’ for the Unit as appropriate for your syllabus. You
should focus on TWO areas;
6. use your syllabus learning objectives or a list of simplified
‘Can-Do’ levels to fill in the range of level descriptors. You
could focus on just ONE statement for the ‘majority class
expectation’, or, THREE different levels;
7. design inclusive activities to fit the descriptors, bearing in mind
your Key Question.
Designing Assessable Activities
Focus on TWO of the fields of enquiry and select an appropriate range of ‘can-do’ statements to
guide your activity design. Here is an example of how it might work:
KEY QUESTION: Can religious art change people’s lives? Focus areas: C & E PLTS: Self-managers & Creative thinkers
Context
All pupils should:
Most pupils should:
(Majority class expectation)
Some pupils could:
In work on the crucifixion in
Christianity and the three marks
of existence in Buddhism, pupils
have considered such concepts
as inspiration, love, sacrifice,
anatta, anicca, dukkha, and
examples of Christian and
Buddhist symbolism.
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LEVEL DESCRIPTORS
(Objectives for learning and
assessment)
C5 I can use a wide religious
vocabulary in suggesting
reasons for the similarities and
differences in forms of
religious, spiritual and moral
expression found within and
between religions.
C6
I can use correct religious and
philosophical vocabulary in
explaining what the
significance of different forms
of religious, spiritual and moral
expression might be for
believers.
E5
E6
I can use reasoning and
examples to express insights
into my own and others’ views
on questions about the
meaning and purpose of life
and the search for truth.

seek advice from believers in
making comparisons between
two different symbols of
religious belief;
generate their own questions
about these symbols and give
answers from their own and
other perspectives.
I can ask questions about the
meaning and purpose of life
and suggest answers which
relate to the search for truth
and my own and others’ lives.
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by a set date, produce a
portfolio of Buddhist and
Christian designs with
explanations linking
symbolism and belief;
write a summary of their own
views on the most important
ideas being expressed in the
designs.
Full list of statements: http://betterre.reonline.org.uk/assessment/cando.php
Choose a personally
challenging medium such as a
poem or a multi-media
presentation to interpret a
favourite piece from the
portfolio and hypothesise why
it might help believers
understand more about life’s
deep questions.
C7 I can use a wide religious and
philosophical vocabulary as
well as different of forms of
expression in presenting a
clear picture of how people
express their religious, spiritual
and ethical beliefs in a variety
of ways.
E7 I can give my personal view
with reasons and examples on
what value religious and other
views might have for
understanding questions about
the meaning and purpose of
life.