Shetland+Primary+Schools+Case+Study

=**SHETLAND PRIMARY SCHOOLS – CASE STUDY** =

After the introduction of the Greek primary school EuroProtypo, the group decided that it would be both interesting and worthwhile to incorporate more primary schools into our research. We also felt that it would be a great opportunity to compare the differences between Primary education and Secondary education and how personalisation within these departments differs.

The three primary schools that the team visited are detailed below:

**Bell’s Brae Primary**

 * The largest primary school in Shetland, situated in the centre of Lerwick, the capital of Shetland
 * Has 3 departments – Nursery, Primaries 1 to 7 and an Additional Support Needs department[[image:IMG_0322.JPG width="400" height="262" align="right"]]
 * Current role of 390 across the 3 departments
 * Pupils go on to study at the Anderson High School after completion of primary education

**Bressay Primary**

 * Bressay is a small island to the east of Lerwick, with a population of around 384
 * 7 minute ferry trip to main town, Lerwick
 * Current pupil role at the school is 17
 * Pupils go on to study at the Anderson High School after completion of primary education

**Sandwick Primary**

 * Situated in the South Mainland town of Sandwick in Shetland
 * The school is connected to both Nursery and Secondary departments in the same building
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The current school role is around 300 pupils, across the 3 departments
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Once pupils complete primary education they go on to study in the Sandwick Secondary

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Bell’s Brae**
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The team arranged 3 separate meetings with the Bell’s Brae Primary School – an initial meeting, an observation and an interview with Head Teacher Jennifer Wadley.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**__Initial Meeting__**
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Greg and Stuart attended a meeting with Mrs Wadley in order to discuss the possibility of arranging further observations, interviews etc. Mrs Wadley appeared very enthusiastic about the project and about the steps in which Bell’s Brae were taking to adopt Personalised Learning approaches. Mrs Wadley then pointed the group in the direction of Primary 6S class teacher Mrs Wendy Fraser. Mrs Fraser had begun a project where students created voki’s (avatars), which would introduce their e-profile pages. Their e-profile allowed the individual students to document when they had a good learning experience - this could be anything from completing a test in school to winning a football match outside of school, as long as they had learned something form the e <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">xperience. The e-profiles were online and so parents could access their own child's profile, using a password. This was a great chance for the team to see the initial phase of a project that would, hopefully, become a very personalised tool for teachers and students, as well as parents. Mrs Fraser seemed very keen for us to come and observe her lesson and to discuss //Personalised Learning// and invited us back for the following Friday.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**__Mrs Fraser’s Class Observation__**
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**The Class…** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">We were welcomed into Mrs Fraser’s class by a very pleasant pupil who led us to her classroom. There we had a short time to see what the students had been doing and a quick chance to ask them about the avatar project they were about to do.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The class then went down stairs to the computer room where they would create their avatar characters. From the beginning it was clear that it was going to be a hectic class, with 24 excited Primary 6 pupils and only Mrs Fraser and two other members of staff to guide the students. Mrs Fraser set the class a target of creating their very own avatar – designing their appearance and a paragraph of speech for the voki - by the end of the lesson. Once each pupil had completed their voki’s, they then had to insert their voki’s into their own e-profiles. By the end of the lesson, only 2 out of 24 pupils had completed each step of the process – well done, class 6S!

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The teacher explained the task by going through a step-by-step guide on how to create a voki, using the interactive whiteboard. This was met by chatting between stude <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">nts, but both Mrs Fraser and her additional staff were in control and could ask the students to be quiet. The students got on with the task, enjoying seeing how they could personalise their own voki’s appearance. Some students didn’t quite understand how to complete the tasks and so Mrs Fraser was there to give individual explanations on how to do it.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The class was very much a teacher led activity, as students had to be instructed on the different steps they had to complete to create their voki’s. However, pupils were given the flexibility to decide what their voki’s appearance would be and what they would say. There wasn’t much scope for individual student responsibility in this task, however it was a fairly personalised one.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**How was it //Personalised?//** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This task was only a small part of a much larger project that Primary 6S are working on. The voki’s were personalised in the sense that the students could choose what they looked like and what they said. However, this task contributed to a very personalised project, which will hopefully help each students learning. Once the project is up and running the students will be able to enter specific learning experiences that they have found important, as well as setting targets, enabling not only them, but also teachers and parents to monitor their progress and begin to see how they learn best. This is a great step for the school to be making to ensure that each students learning can be approached in a personalised way, to help each pupil develop to their full potential.

=<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Interviews** =

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The largest part of our research in Primary schools was talking to head teachers and class teachers in order to gain an insight into what they think the differences are bet <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">ween Primary and Secondary education. The teachers that we talked to were:
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Jennifer Wadley, Head Teacher Bell’s Brae
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Wendy Fraser, Primary 6S teacher Bell’s Brae
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ruth Mackenzie, Head Teacher Bressay
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Stuart Clubb, Head Teacher Sandwick
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Rachel Bell, Primary Head Sandwick
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Jenny Macdonald, Primary Teacher Sandwick

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">From their interviews we were able to gain a good insight into the differences between Secondary and Primary education, the benefits and negatives to Personalised Learning as well as other topics. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The following are questions which were posed to the teachers, and some extracts of the teachers responses.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__**What is Personalised Learning?**__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“It’s about meeting the need of each individual child, making sure they’re involved in their learning,// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//that they know what they’re learning, why they’re learning and knowing what success looks like….// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//It’s about good learning and teaching.”// **Jennifer Wadley**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“Teaching should be flexible and open for new ideas and should ask students about their opinion// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//and try to use it. The whole school should share the same approach.” **Wendy Fraser**//

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“It’s about assessment is for learning techniques, sharing criteria, sharing your learning intentions// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//with the pupils and always involving them in that process.”// **Jennifer Wadley**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“Personalised learning doesn’t mean that people just stay in their comfort zone and never move// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//into areas that are difficult.”// **Ruth Mackenzie**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__**Is there more scope for Personalised Learning in Primary compared to Secondary?**__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“There is arguably more scope for Personalised learning in the primary because they still have a// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//structure to their day which is less driven by 50 minute periods that can be problematic in the// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//secondary.”// **Stuart Clubb**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“////In secondary school there’s just curriculum to be covered. In primary teaching there’s definitely// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//more freedom and variety to be provided.”// **Wendy Fraser**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__**Can Personalised Learning always work?**__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“I think it’s always beneficial for pupils to see the point of their learning and for it to meet their needs.// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//There is times when choice is not the best thing and there is things they have to be taught, whether// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//they want to learn it or not.”// **Jenny Macdonald**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“I think that where it might not work is when the notion is that everything a person does has to be// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//personalised Learning. I don’t think it’s necessary. I think there’s got to be elements of personalised// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Learning but there’s also got to be elements of throwing people into situations where we don’t know// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//how they’re going to react or how the dynamics of the group are going to work, because you’ve got to// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//set people that kind of challenges as well.”// **Stuart Clubb**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“I can’t think of any situations where it wouldn’t work. To me it would always be beneficial, to me you// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//should always be using a variety of teaching strategies and you should always be telling bairns why// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//they’re learning something and always involving them in that process.”// **Jennifer Wadley** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“It can’t always work. It’s usually beneficial if you can use it but it’s unrealistic to have completely// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//personalised learning. For example in bigger school it’s physically impossible to have the variety going// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//on. Personalised learning in bigger school would mean working in groups.”// **Wendy Fraser**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__**What are the challenges facing Personalised Learning?**__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“I have a class of 25 and different age, so there is a huge of needs within my class, which m////akes it// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//difficult to make sure what you’re doing fits the needs of everyone.”// **Jenny Macdonald**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“Time. It’s fine doing a happy medium, you are trying to meet each child’s needs all of the time, but you// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//can’t give each pupil an individual curriculum the whole time. So it’s planning in activities where it can be// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//more personalised, but balancing that with other things so that you can physically do it.”// **Rachel Bell**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__**How has the Curriculum for Excellence affected Personalised Learning?**__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“I think there has always been scope for personalised learning within the primary system… the Curriculum// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//for Excellence, because of it’s requirements, facilitates you to have to focus in on it, you can’t avoid it.”// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Rachel Bell** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“Curriculum for Excellence has encouraged them [teachers] to move towards setting individual learning// <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//targets, exploring with the children what it is they want to learn (topics, etc.)”// **Ruth Mackenzie**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">From our time in Shetland Primary Schools, **3 main conclusions** can be drawn:


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Currently, Primary Education is __more__ personalised than Secondary Education
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Curriculum for Excellence is enforcing a personalised learning approach
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The majority of primary teachers feel that there is always scope for personalised learning

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Although the majority of teachers that we spoke to are in favour of a personalised learning approach it still faces opposition. Many teachers feel uneasy at handing responsibility to the students. Also, no one that we spoke to believes that their education system is perfect and this is summed up excellently in this final quote:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//“We here at Bell’s Brae are on a journey, we would never say: ‘yes we’ve cracked it and everyone is learning in a completely personalised way and how we want.’ I think everyone has to go that journey and go at a pace that suites them. I think what we have done is made big steps in some areas, and peerie ones in others…”// **Jennifer Wadley** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">