Kersland School
Measuring Impact
Responsive Planning
Example: Pupils in Room 2 asked their class teacher if they could make ‘Scooby Snacks’ as part of their class
topic. They voted on what kind of snack they would most like to make which was pizza. The pupils then chose
their own toppings for their pizza which they made in home economics. In art and design the pupils designed
their pizza using different materials and displayed this on their classroom wall. The children then discussed
foods that are considered to be healthy and unhealthy and presented their work in picture form. During this
lesson pupils discussed what healthy foods they enjoyed. Each child then made a healthy smoothie containing
their favourite ingredients.
‘I hadn’t planned to make Scooby snacks at all with the children. The pupils decided this for themselves after
watching a Scooby Doo DVD. The following lesson where the pupils designed their own pizza and looked at
healthy and unhealthy food seemed to progress naturally from the children’s ideas. They were so motivated
throughout the lessons and although this took our topic in a slightly different direction, the children were
developing skills that they can use throughout their school lives and beyond’. (Class teacher)
Peer and self assessment
Example: Pupils in Room 3 were given a choice of 4 areas that they would like to explore the following week
in relation to their topic. This was presented to the children using Boardmaker picture symbols. Pupils worked
with a ‘learning partner’ and collected photographic evidence of themselves achieving the goals that they set
at the start of the week. At the end of each week, pupils completed a ‘learning log’ where they assessed their
own and their partner’s work by saying whether they worked hard or could have worked harder.
‘I like my learning log because I get to give my friend a star if they have worked hard’. (Pupil)
Skills for learning, life and work
Example: Pupils in Room 9 turned the inside of their classroom into the Cluedo Mansion. In Art & Design,
pupils began by creating wallpaper for their room which they then had to learn to paste in order to stick it to
the walls. The young people involved were developing important life skills through their topic that they could
transfer to another context outside of school.
‘In the secondary department it is so important to encourage independence and skills for life and work.
Through our Cluedo topic we were able to gear our lessons around developing skills that the pupils can take
with them once they leave Kersland School. The focal point in our classroom was a dead body lying face
down on a grand table set for dinner. The pupils had to set the dinner table correctly and follow recipes in
order to cook all the food which was then laid out for dinner’. (Class Teacher)
Developing independence
Example: Pupils in Room 8 were encouraged to solve problems and develop their independence through their
topic, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. When a bottle of wine went missing from the class, it was down to the
pupils to find out who had taken it. The pupils then had to decipher whether the culprit was a man or a woman.
A glass left behind at the crime scene with a lipstick mark left on it narrowed down the suspects. Room 8 went
shopping in the local community where the girls in the class purchased a lipstick of their choice which they
had to pay for. Back in the classroom the pupils had to create their own lipstick mark to see if it matched the
one left on the glass. The pupils were able to work out from this and some other clues that the thief was their
very own classroom assistant.
‘For me this kind of activity is what Kersland School is all about. It is so important to encourage the pupils to
solve problems to develop their independence. Although the pupils found the lesson challenging, the pace and
the way that the lesson was delivered was at the right level for our young people. We all had a lot of fun
creating these kinds of activities for the pupils and they had a huge amount of fun taking part in them’.
(Classroom Assistant)
Recognising personal achievement
Example: Pupils created their own power point presentation, inserting photographic evidence of different
activities that they undertook in relation to their topic. They decided what they would like to say about each
photo and then presented this to their teachers. The pupils demonstrated a great amount of confidence when
presenting their findings.
‘Pupils understand that only their best is good enough and constantly surprise and delight us with their
achievements. Staff are keen to promote a ‘can do’ attitude in all school activities. Pupil achievements are
celebrated daily in class, weekly and annually at school celebrations’. (Headteacher)