Naace Strategic Conference 2009

Masterclass 5: Changing the way your school works

February 1, 2009

Sponsor: FrogTrade Limited

All learning platforms produce some efficiency in the ways teachers and pupils work. But the real impact comes when the platform enables teachers and pupils to themselves design and build systems in the platform to engage others. It is the control of visual design, structure of the sys-tem and of how users interact with it that matters. Immediate feedback enables refinement of the systems; the buzz of discussion around the school as to whose departmental website, tutor group or pastoral site is best causes rapid re-versioning. A positive spiral of creation with passion and engagement with enjoyment drives positive changes of attitude right across the school.

Ofsted’s report on Attleborough school puts it well - “Students are delighted with the virtual learning environment, which is having an outstanding impact on the school’s work. It has opened up state of the art learning for students as well as for parents and the wider community, has transformed the culture of the school and given a new slant and impetus to learning in the broadest sense.”

This impact is now being seen in many schools using Frog - the Masterclass is based on studies done by an independent consultant in 12 schools. All take different approaches but the central driver putting the schools on a faster improvement track is the same. The task now is proper evaluation and distilling the critical factors to make this replicable in all schools, which the class will discuss.

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