Students Peer Assessing their SECRET Skills Simplified versions of levels 2-5 of each of the SECRET skills for easier recording of progress by students and their peers. Provided you refer to the source (www.learningbyladders.com) these can be repurposed for any use you wish including in student planners or as separate skill areas in student books

Self Managing Long or difficult tasks www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Be Organised This term ALL my work is organised with date, underlined headings etc. For the last 6 weeks I have brought all the equipment and books I need to lesson. I have my planner signed up to date and have not missed a homework deadline I have set my own deadlines for a piece of homework that took longer than a week so I met the deadline I completed a Self-Manager Challenge Go for it, Finish it This term I started all tasks set in class straight away I cut out distractions in class so they didn’t slow me down I kept trying for an hour solid on an impossibly hard or dull schoolwork task . I tried hard and repeatedly to improve something I know I’m not good at. Manage Emotion I carried on an learned at a time I felt sad or angry. In all lessons I have been calm, polite and confident. I’m a positive person.  If I’m sad I can chose the right time and share this. I was annoyed but acted kindly to someone who needed help. Manage Risk I made an activity safer or prevented an accident. I asked for advice from teachers and followed it  I volunteered to (and did) something I was nervous could go wrong. I wrote a risk assessment e.g. for an experiment I designed or in PE. Effective Participation in discussion & debate www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Identify Issues I shared my opinions about things in class or discussions I put myself in someone else’s shoes and saw their opinion I respectfully dug deeper to question someone’s views or opinions I designed and collected a survey or interviewed people to find their views I completed a Participation Challenge Persuade Others I listened to different opinions and explained which one I agreed most with I listened to someone’s opinion and explained it to someone else. I found evidence FOR and AGAINST ideas and came to a conclusion. I researched an opinion I didn’t agree with and gave three good reasons with evidence for agreeing Find Solutions I came  up with ideas that others find useful I broke a task up so I could get started on solving part of it I researched ideas and suggested solutions informed by arguments I broke a problem up into smaller ones and then got others to help me solve it Get Involved I raised money or did something active to help an issue I know the name of all my class and one thing each person cares about I motivated a group to get started and actually do things I stopped gossip or hurtful words by standing up for someone

Set Yourself Challenges Creativity For new ideas and new solutions www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Imagine I created a story, picture or performance based on my own ideas I explained something using an analogy (comparing it to something else) I explained how something was important by describing a world without it I designed an original performance, idea, design or solution to a problem Completed a Creativity challenge Make Links I put objects into groups based on something they had in common I found connections or found the odd one out. I used a metaphor or linked things in an original way I arranged information on a mind map or spider diagram showing connections. Question I asked a good question no one else had thought of I asked a ‘why’ question and followed with a good 2nd ‘Why’ I questioned something most people took for granted I can create something in which opinions, facts and beliefs have been mixed up Take Creative Risks I correctly completed a task but in a way nobody else had thought of I presented to an audience in a unique way. I created a performance or piece of art and presented it. I chose a way to express ideas new to me, practiced it for weeks then presented it Reflective Learning Making mistakes and learning from them www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Set Yourself Challenges I set myself a SECRET target and tried to achieve it. I asked someone else to set me a SECRET target and I achieved it I choose my lowest SECRET skill as a target and achieved it. I successfully completed a SECRET skill challenge Completed a Reflective Challenge Plan-do-Review I planned to do something new and stuck to my plan I made a plan followed it, then the next day improved it and followed the new plan I followed my own day by day plan for a week evaluating my progress and improved the plan each day. I set and stuck to weekly targets over at least 6 weeks. I reviewed progress each week. (e.g. exam revision) Share Learning I taught someone else an amazing thing I have learned. I made really good progress and told parents and teachers how I managed it In review day or at parents evening I gave examples of mistakes I learned from I shared how/if my 3 strongest and 3 weakest areas have changed this year Invite feedback I gave a really good response to feedback from my teacher A friend and I gave each other really good feedback and responded well I arranged to see the teacher to find out more when I got low grades. I listened and acted on their advice. I have done multiple drafts to improve work, requesting and acting on feedback each time

Enquiry Asking better questions to discover better answers. www Enquiry Asking better questions to discover better answers www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Explore a Question I have chosen a topic to find out more about I made my own question and planned how I would investigate to find answers I asked a question nobody else asked and planned a fair and balanced investigation I asked unique questions and then predicted possible answers before planning how to test these Completed an Enquiry Challenge Stay Objective I have used other people’s ideas as well as my own. I investigated at least two different answers to the question I collected results /evidence fairly and if it was an argument I gave equal time to both sides I collected evidence from different sources, not just those that agreed with my ideas Evaluate Evidence I have explained why I included some ideas and not others in my research / project All the information I included helped to answer the question. I explained why some of the evidence could be trusted more than other pieces. I evaluated all of the evidence I collected and gave good reasons for why I used it or didn’t Reach a Conclusion I found out something new about a topic that interests me I have said which is the most likely answer to the question and what answers are unlikely My conclusion used all my evidence and research to answer the question I had asked I wrote 2 possible answers to the question then used all my evidence to show the most likely Teamwork Where everyone plays their part www.learningbyladders.com/SECRET 2 3 4 5 Be Responsible I have volunteered to lead a team. I have taken responsibility for making sure work is fairly shared in the team I led a team through a big project and made sure everyone stuck to their jobs and did them well I have successfully led a team providing a service to others for 6 weeks such as room managers Completed a Teamwork Challenge Manage the Team I have helped others in the team so the whole team does well / finishes I have made sure everyone knows what they should be doing and sticks to the plan. I managed a team in a big project agreeing regular targets with each person and reviewing these I made clear plans to help our whole team keep improving and held regular meetings. Evaluate the Team I have praised people in the team when they do well I have Zapped or praised the progress in SECRET targets for each team member I stayed positive and professional when criticised, listened accepting they may have a point For 6 weeks I regularly gave advice to each team member that they found useful Build Team Strengths I have coached the team and checked people are happy and coping well I have made sure all opinions in my team are heard / respected I have sorted out any arguments quickly and fairly by getting people to understand both sides I have coached all people in the team over 6 weeks. Listening to them and supporting them