Page 11 - Athelstan Argus - May 2022
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THE ATHELSTAN TRUST THEMATIC REVIEW
Disadvantaged students through the lens of Creative and
Performing Arts
Following the success of the first Athelstan disadvantaged gap being closely linked to
review (SEND through the lens of Humanities), literacy skills. The sharing of key vocabulary
a second review took place in April. This and terminology was evident in books /
focused on collating the experience of our booklets and in many lessons, vocabulary was
disadvantaged students, using their Art, Drama, shared and revisited. Likewise, it was
Dance and Music lessons as the lens through reassuring to see how often teachers checked
which this was explored. The review was led by in immediately with their disadvantaged
School Improvement Leads Michelle Kilburn- students when circulating the room and
Bond and Emma Jane O’Neill revisited them regularly, using positive praise
Over two weeks, a total of 31 lessons were and encouraging language to support students’
observed, 50 student voice questionnaires were engagement.
reviewed and in each school, the We know that the greatest resource in any
disadvantaged / Pupil Premium lead(s) were lesson is the teacher and their enthusiasm for
interviewed to share the bigger picture the subject. The real magic in the observed
interventions that were impacting the students’ lessons was when the teacher used the
experience in the classrooms visited in the resources around them to model their
review. discipline themselves; students really
Similarly to the SEND focused review, it was responded well to their Art teacher drawing in
clear in lessons that positive and supportive front of them, their Music teacher playing along
relationships with disadvantaged students are with them, their Dance or Drama teacher
evident across all the Athelstan schools. This demonstrating how to transform a performance
picture is supported in the student voice, where for them etc.
high numbers of disadvantaged students The aim is for these reviews to be a
described their enjoyment of lessons, feel collaborative undertaking in terms of those who
consistently able to join in and feel supported by take part in observations but also in terms of
their teacher. responding to the questions for consideration
Across all of the lessons seen, there was an posed throughout the final report. Thank you
obvious strength in teachers’ ability to use 1:1, everyone involved but particularly to Helen
verbal feedback to offer individualised formative Wilkinson (Bradon Forest School), Laura
assessment that both supported individual Davies (Chipping Sodbury School) and
students to move forwards with their Kathryn Rodway (The Dean Academy) for
understanding but also enabled the teacher to volunteering to visit other schools and support
gauge the progress of students. If colleagues the observations. Since the report was
from other subject areas want to look at how to published, there has been an opportunity for all
successfully facilitate a class full of students those involved to meet and discuss the review
working on a truly individualised duty, the findings. Disadvantaged leads in each school
Creative / Performing Arts teachers are experts have been asked to use this report as a
in this! practical document to support further
Yet in spite of this spirit of creative freedom, development work in each school so please do
teachers are clearly conscious of the get in touch with them if you would like to read
the more detailed summary.
This wordcloud represents
the student voice responses
to the question: What do you
enjoy most about Art,
Drama, Music and Dance?
