YORKSHIRE TRIANGLE NETWORK

We are linked to several other schools through our involvement with the Yorkshire Triangle network. This is a unique network of schools as it crosses four Education Authorities. Our network is made up of the following schools:

Carfield Primary School, Sheffield (www.carfieldprimary.org.uk)

Loxley Primary School, Sheffield

Stocksbridge Junior School, Sheffield (www.stocksbridgejunior.co.uk)

Wisewood Primary School

Linthwaite Ardron CEA Primary School, Kirklees (www.linthwaite-ardron.org.uk)

Richmond Hill Primary, Doncaster

Sitwell Junior School, Rotherham

Mrs Little is the Network Co-ordinator for Oughtibridge School. She works closely with the network co-ordinators from the other schools. Many initiatives have arisen due to our involvement with the network. e.g.

Peer Monitoring Programme

Y3’s are paired with Y5’s and the Y4’s paired with Y6’s. The older child mentors the younger child. They hear the child read and talk to them on how their reading can improve. We have tested the children at the beginning of the programme and at the end of a six-week period. We found that the children’s reading ages increased substantially for both mentors and teachers. Many thanks to Sam Gaymond at Stocksbridge Junior School for the idea.

Playground management through playground zoning

Mrs Little and Miss Stimpson developed this programme at Oughtibridge with the help of Mrs Butler, the PE Co-ordinator. The children enjoy well-managed and well-equipped break times and there are far fewer accidents and squabbles. The Midday Supervisors have been trained to instigate and develop play. The parents group, SOS, have supported the school through funding much of the equipment and storage needed.

Learning Walks

Our School Council visited Gilthwaites First School in Kirklees. The children were met by children from Gilthwaites School Council who led them on a Learning Walk around the school. The children made notes on a specific focus and took photographs as evidence. The focus groups were as follows:

Year 3	Vibrancy and content of displays
Year 4	Behaviour and attitude of the children
Year 5	Facilities and fabric of the building
Year 6	Playground facilities

In the afternoon, the children conducted lesson observations with a focus on speaking and listening and to observe how children engage in a lesson.

The visit was reciprocated later in the term and School Council discussed their observations. It was a very valuable exchange for both schools.

´Sands of Time and Countdown´

The major initiatives have come from Richmond Hill School and, thanks to their brilliant ideas in Sands of Time and Countdown, the mental ability and rapid recall of multiplication facts of the children has improved. This initiative has raised levels of attainment in mathematics through enjoyable personalised accelerated learning in just fifteen minutes a day.

Sands of Time

• Sands of Time is designed to embed multiplication facts in a fun way; the competitive element particularly appeals to boys.
• Every day for a set number of weeks, the whole class completes the same sheet of multiplication facts against the clock for five minutes.
• They are then rapidly marked by the pupils who are looking for a personal improvement, initially in their score and then in their time.
• The results have been amazing, pupils love it and it gives a very focused start to the day and in all our schools the ability to recall and apply multiplication facts is rising rapidly.

Countdown

• Countdown is a principle rather than a pack of resources and works by constantly revisiting prior learning and therefore keeping pupil knowledge revised.
• The teacher puts ten mixed questions on the board - they get progressively harder and the pupils have just ten minutes to complete them on plain paper.
• They are then rapidly marked, using pupils to provide answers and appropriate methods.
• The teacher uses this as an assessment and this informs the following days questions.
• Pupils keep a record of their own personal achievement and the time taken.
• Pupils really enjoy this activity and are more confident in their approach to mathematics - Sats results will show if we have been successful!

Mrs Little and Mrs Wilson, the Science Co-ordinator, have now used the principals of Countdown in Maths to create a Countdown in Science Programme for Years 3 and 4. We are trialling this in school at the moment.

This sharing of good practice and the opportunity of continual professional development for staff has been tremendous. Being part of the Yorkshire Triangle Network has enabled our school to improve in English, Maths and Pastoral Care. We look forward to continuing the links.