THE VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL Co-Headteachers’ Leadership Presentation September 2015

Assessment at The Vale Growth Mindset

Words that parents will be hearing now: Assessment at The Vale Words that parents will be hearing now: beginning beginning + developing developing+ expected surpassing

What is mindset? Fixed Mindset -  people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.”

Growth Mindset - people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,”

So, why not put our energies to where we can make a difference So, why not put our energies to where we can make a difference?  Yes, brains and talent contribute to ability, but it’s dedication and hard work that develop them.  That means that as teachers and parents, we should not be focusing on predicted grades and latest test scores, but on providing the support and opportunities that will motivate young people.

What does this mean for our really good teachers? It means that they should expect excellence from every child.  Our children all need to be faced with tasks with high challenge and which demand high skills. It means we need to give our children feedback which is as immediate and as precise as possible to help them improve. It means that we should always encourage our children to be collaborative, to learn in groups and to help each other, but they also support them to take responsibility for as much as possible.

It means that teachers need to give tough messages that improvement is not easy and dreams may not come true.  However, that hard work will get one closer to ones dreams and just turning up and expecting to be taught will not.  Education is not something that is done to you.  It means modelling an endless curiosity for life and a love of learning, so that they know lessons are just the beginning of what you learn. It means helping our children to see the purpose in what they are doing and how it fits into the rest of their life. It means making sure that all children have the chance to fail a lot and to learn from their failures.

Effective, Authentic Praise

Fixed Mindset Praise You got them all right, fantastic Wow great drawing! What an artist! You got them all right, fantastic Fixed Mindset Praise You have a real talent for this! You’re a natural. Well done. You are very clever to remember those facts!

The Best Kind of Praise is …. is sincere is well-deserved is relevant is linked to process (learning), rather than outcome (achievement) is accompanied by constructive criticism is consistent

It was great how you tried lots of different strategies to get the answer You must have put a lot of time and effort into this work. Good job. Growth Mindset Praise Look at how much better your second attempt was – well done! You stuck at this really well and didn’t give up. Super effort!

Growth Mindset Language “Well done. You are learning to….” “I am really pleased you tried that. “Look what you have achieved.” “I like the way you……” “Don’t give up.” “What are you proud of?” “How are you more successful than before?” “You are a great learner.” “Be brave… have a go.” “Anything’s possible!”

Key Concepts for Children * concentrate * don’t give up * be cooperative * be curious * have a go * use your imagination * keep improving * enjoy learning

How can you help your child? As the most important adult in your child’s life it really will help if you: Encourage your child to be curious, to experiment, to use their imagination and to be messy. Praise their hard work rather than the marks they get. Make it clear that being hard-working and intellectually curious is cool.

Praise them when they think for themselves, work well in teams and change their minds after thinking something through. Accept that failure is a really important part of learning. Encourage them to do activities such as writing, reading, watching fiction, solving puzzles, exchanging cultural views and debating. Talk with teachers about support and opportunities rather than predictions.