Stretch and Challenge
by Matthew Gilbert
1. Evaluating 'Stretch and Challenge'
2. Potential issues
2.1. Mental health and wellbeing
2.2. Safeguarding
2.3. Stress
2.4. Additional marking
2.5. Deadlines
2.6. Quality control
2.7. Independant learning - learning taking place
2.8. Time consuming to make materials and resources
3. Programme information
3.1. 80% of the Pricne's Trust programme is practical
3.1.1. 80% of the programme is external to the classroom
3.1.2. Community projects
3.1.3. Team building residential
3.1.4. Fundraising activities
3.1.5. Work placements
3.1.6. Next steps - visits to businesses and organisations
3.2. Learners from a wide range of diverse and challenging backgrounds
3.2.1. Probation
3.2.2. Mental health charities
3.2.3. Young carer organisations
3.2.4. Specialist centres for those with learning difficulities
3.2.5. College withdrawals
3.2.6. Long term unemployed
3.2.7. Educational underachievers
3.2.8. University graduates
3.2.9. Low confidence and self-esteem
3.3. Qualification
3.3.1. Entry level 3
3.3.2. Level 1
3.3.3. Level 2
4. Stretching - Challenging
4.1. Analysing articles on topics relavent to projects - embedding maths, English and ICT
4.1.1. Finding facts
4.1.2. Finding statements
4.1.3. Finding statistics
4.1.4. Finding quotes
4.2. Proof read and amend spelling mistakes - embedding ownership and respect in work
4.3. Asking questions that require more thought process and explanation this can help to bring out deeper learning which will help all learners
5. Amended plan
6. Evaluating activities
6.1. Activities where learners are able to choose from a range of extension activities were more like to engage positively and work with more motivation
6.2. Activities where learners were only given a narrow choice of many one or two extension activities showed less interest and required more motivation from myself to participate. This took additional time from being able to support the needier learners
6.3. Learners being able to see the positive aspected of researching and finding information out for up coming sessions. This gave the learners motivation and pride in their work and future projects.
7. Evaluating Challenging activities
7.1. Activities where learners were required to work independantly and find articles relating to the project and find maths/English related information helped learners who were studying Entry level 3 and Level 1. Building key skills for their own personal development
7.2. Certain learners with challenging behaviour or poor mental health could at times become stressed and overwhelmed needing breaks when there wasn't much time left in the session. Then having to get them back and engaged for the next session.
7.3. Some learners were disinterested from the session as they had already completed their work. Additional tasks were not of interest.
7.4. Learners really preferred at times the peer support they would recieve rather than from myself or the learning support in the classroom
8. Evaluating extension activities
8.1. Certain extension activities like English and maths quizes was well recieved by some learners, the majority didnt have any enthusiasm
8.1.1. Certain extension activities like English and maths quizes was well recieved by some learners, the majority didnt have any enthusiasm
9. Providing more choices of extension acitivies and responsibility
10. Focusing on learners with difficulties and providing them with extension activities that encourage their learning through positive experiences
11. Giving out a range of activities that learners can work independantly on. Tailored worksheets/activities/research opportunities
12. Assign learning support to different students at different stages during the ssession. Remind the learning support to move around and help.
13. Second action step
13.1. Learning support engage well with all learning and encourage to take part. This has increased participation
13.2. Learners with difficulties more have been recieving prease well and increased their attention and answering of questions
13.3. Having all staff aware of extension activities and how they can challenge learners has helped with confidence in their own practice
14. Fact Finding
15. Peer insight
15.1. Simple exercises and activities
15.1.1. Keep short 5 - 10 minutes
15.2. Give a choice of activities and exercises
15.3. Give learner ownership
15.4. Peer support to help other learners
16. Learner engagement
16.1. Fun and interesting
16.2. Keep it short
16.3. Give time to help others
16.4. Relevant for next lesson or current lesson
17. Planning
18. First step
19. Resources
19.1. Quiz cards
19.2. ICT research
19.3. Aims and objectives
20. Personal development
20.1. Developing confidence
20.2. Develop independance
20.3. Develop self-motivation
20.4. Soft skills
20.5. Additional responsibility
21. Academic development
21.1. Develop English skills
21.2. Develop maths
21.3. Embedding maths, ICT, and English into extension activities
21.4. Give learner work that will stretch, e.g level up/harder worksheet
22. Programme relevance
22.1. Extension activity relevant to the programmes needs
22.2. Challenging learners promotes personal development
23. Programme timing
23.1. Plan additional activities that correlate with the different aspects of the programme
23.2. Short extension activities that are easy to embed
23.2.1. Extension activities that can be picked up the following session
23.3. Extension activities that are not stressful and allow learners to gain from
24. Peer observation
24.1. Classroom management
24.2. Use of support staff
24.3. Use of learner-peer support
24.4. Timing of activities
24.4.1. Timings of activities
24.5. Preorganised activities
24.6. Classroom culture - set up an environment where learners can comply with the routine and work independantly
25. Classroom layout
25.1. Environment that allows learners to move around and access computers
25.2. Learners can easily give peer support
25.3. Extension activites located around the room
26. Extension activities
26.1. Research into upcoming project
26.1.1. Finding numbers of organisations, writing a phone script, making phone calls, sending emails
26.2. Look into fundraising
26.2.1. Possible activities, fundraising targets, writing a donation letter
26.3. Self-assessment rating
26.4. Work placement preparation
26.4.1. finding contacts, phone numbers, names of organisations,