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• Are there any benefits in attending a small school?

  Tue 27 Jun 2023 R. Smits

  There are several benefits to attending a small school:

   

  1. Individualized Attention: In a small school, pupils often receive more personalized attention from teachers and staff. This can lead to better academic support and guidance tailored to individual needs.

   

  2. Strong Sense of Community: Small schools tend to foster a close-knit community where students, teachers, and families know each other well. This can create a supportive environment, promote collaboration, and enhance social connections.

   

  3. Increased Participation: With fewer students, there are often more opportunities for involvement in extracurricular activities, clubs, sports, and leadership roles. Pupils may have a chance to explore a wider range of interests of their choice and take on active roles within the school community.

   

  4. Greater Access to Resources: In small schools, resources such as libraries, sports area, and facilities are typically more accessible to students. They may have more opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences and benefit from a low pupil-to-resource ratio.

   

  5. Enhanced Teacher-Pupil Relationships: With smaller class sizes, pupils can develop closer relationships with their teachers. This can lead to better communication, mentorship, and a deeper understanding of individual learning styles.

   

  6. Flexibility and Adaptability: Small schools often have more flexibility in tailoring their curriculum to meet the needs and interests of their pupils. They can be more responsive to changes and adapt teaching methods accordingly.

   

  It's worth noting that while small schools offer these advantages, larger schools may have their own benefits, such as specialist staff to offer a wider range of academic programs or more diverse student populations. Your choice ultimately depends on personal preferences and educational goals.

  

• 11 Things not to do at a school open day

  Mon 10 Jan 2022 R. Smits

  School Open Days are usually held in the Autumn term because parents are asked to make an application for school places in January. The deadline in Cumbria is the 15^th January. However, Borrowdale School, like most other schools, will allow your child to join at any time during the year. So any day is a good day for an open day and we’ll be opening our doors for prospective families on Wednesday this week.

   

  If you are looking for a school for your child, you will probably have already done some research. Maybe you’ve compared the schools’ websites and Facebook pages? But please don’t rely on the schools’ marketing materials alone.

   

  To get behind the gloss, there’s nothing like actually visiting the school. Often, you’ll know instinctively if you like the school. Seeing the school in action and watching how teachers and pupils interact will give you the best picture of the ethos and nature of the relationships in the school.

   

  Which brings me to the first ‘not to do’…

   

  1. Don’t think you have to take your child to the Open Day

   

  If your child is mature enough to come along, then definitely take them with you. Watch their reactions to what they hear and see. Encourage them to ask questions. Their views matter. Take note of how the teachers respond to them.

   

  But… the decision is up to you. If your child is still young and you know that he or she may be a distraction, think twice. Will your little one be shouting out: “Mummy can we go now?’ while you try and quiz the head teacher? Then maybe consider going alone on your first visit to the school

   

  Your aim is to get a real feel for the school. So, if you know your child is going to make it impossible for you to concentrate, leave them behind (for now). If you do like the school, you can arrange another visit or a taster day for your child.

   

  2. Don’t rely on the school inspection report or league tables

   

  This may seem a strange thing to say because our inspection reports are glowing! However, inspection reports and league tables give an overview of standards at a snapshot in time. Sadly, they tell little about a school’s ethos. Nor whether it’s a happy school with an enriching wider curriculum and great care for the children. Only you can decide that.

   

  Ofsted publications are a good starting point, but don’t rely on the report or SATs results as a meaningful indicator of the teaching standards. Teaching to test is what some schools have done to remain high up in the Ofsted league tables.

   

  No inspection report will tell you if it’s the right school for your child. You’ll probably know instinctively when you actually go into the school if you like the ‘vibe’

   

  3. Don’t believe ‘staged’ events

   

  Let’s face it, every Open Day is ‘show-time’ for a school. But we deliberately plan our Open Days in normal school hours. You get to see a normal school day, with normal school children going about their normal business.

   

  4. Don’t turn down the opportunity to chat with a pupil

   

  Notice if they are polite and articulate. Are they modest but assured? Or a brash smarty-pants? Watch how pupils interact with their peers and their teachers. Are they enjoying the day or does it seem like a chore? Ask them all the questions you like. Just chat away. Ask them:

  • What do they love about the school?
  • Do they get taught well?
  • What are their favourite and least liked subjects and why?
  • What is the head like – is he scary or fun?

  Remember that many children are unable to compare schools because they haven’t been to other schools. You can be a little clever with your quizzing; children give refreshingly honest answers!

   

  5. Don’t be shy. Talk to the head

   

  Leadership is vital in a school. If you are able to relate with the headteacher from the start, and he or she impresses you, you’re off to a good start. Are they genuine? Do you warm to them? Will they do the best for your child in the years to come do you think? Will they get to know your child and back them? Can you build a relationship with the head?

   

  A good open question to get a sense of whether your child will thrive there or not is; “What’s the right pupil for this school?” Try and find out if the school has a whole-child approach or if it’s more focused on academic achievement. You’ll already know which of these is best for your child’s personality. Don’t be afraid to ask about staff retention either. You’re entitled to know if the school’s a happy ship.

   

  6. Don’t miss seeing anything

   

  Most Open Days are ‘all access’ tours, so ask to see everything. Don’t be limited to a couple of token classrooms. See all the classrooms. How clean and tidy is the school? Is it noisy or calm? Are they using computers or iPads and how tired are the computers? Talk to the teachers in the classrooms you go into. Ask them what they see as the school’s strengths. If they seem awkward or unconfident, it could be a warning sign.

   

  7. Don’t forget to look at the walls

  Are the children’s efforts valued? What is the standard of work on display like? Does the display look fresh and cared for or has it been there for some time?

   

  8. Don’t pass up any chance to talk to parents

   

  If you’re visiting in school time and it crosses over with school pick-up, be brave. Start a conversation with parents waiting around. There’s nothing as revealing as what real parents have to say so try talk to them. Ask how they feel about the school. Why they chose it. What the school is good at. How happy they are with the school’s performance. You’ll also know from doing this if you’ll feel comfortable in that parent group.

  Home time is a good opportunity too to observe the children as they come out. Are they tired and happy? Or are they tired and demotivated?

   

  9. Don’t ignore the school’s social media

   

  There aren’t many schools today that don’t have at least a Facebook page. Even though keeping up with social media isn’t top of most school’s priority lists, they’re the perfect place to get a sense of parents’ engagement and an idea of what’s going on at the school. Are there parents’ reviews on the Facebook page? You can rely on these to be genuine because Facebook make it difficult to remove negative reviews without a good reason.

   

  10. Don’t go unprepared

   

  Open Days are your opportunity to ask all the questions you want. So get a list written down. For example, how do children of different abilities fare at the school? What sports and clubs are on offer? How much time is dedicated to learning outside the classroom? How are they preparing children for today’s digital workplace? What are the class sizes? Pin down all the answers you need for your child.

   

  11. Finally, don’t be afraid to trust your instincts…

   

  Much like buying a house, you often get a feeling for whether a school’s right as soon as you arrive. Most people make their decision on their gut instinct about whether a school is ‘a good fit’ or not for their child. And there’s nobody who can argue with that. No one knows your child like you do…

   

   

  Are you interested to visit the school?

  To arrange an appointment, please click here...

   

  Further Insights:

  Why quality learning can't be confined to classrooms

  Why small classes have a positive impact on pupils (and teachers)

  Why IT access in schools should be better than the children have at home

  11 Things not to do at a school open day

• Why IT access in schools should be better than the children have at home

  Wed 01 Dec 2021 R Smits

  In the modern curriculum, learning appropriate technology skills has become as important as learning to read, write, and maths. Technology is here to stay and schools should embrace it to prepare their pupils for the digital world of the future. It is not enough to teach IT as a separate subject.

   

  The world we live in is full of technology. We are able to connect to the internet at any time. Most children own devices such as phones, tablets and games consoles. In the future everyone will rely even more on technology.

   

  Therefore, access to digital technology should also be integral to everyday teaching and learning. Schools should teach pupils how to take advantage of the opportunities of using technology to solve problems, support their learning, present their thoughts and collaborate with people beyond their classroom. All schools teach pupils to be critical of the information on the internet and how to be a good digital citizen when interacting with others, including online bullying. This goes across all subjects as they are vital skills for life in the future. Isn’t it also education’s purpose to prepare the pupils for life with tech in the future?

   

  Sadly, most children have access to better equipment at home than at schools in terms of technology. In schools, pupils often have to share devices that are old, networks are slow, teachers lack confidence and stuff just doesn’t work. When teachers dread to use the IT equipment because it is unreliable and when pupils’ devices struggle and lessons fail, the pupils miss out and no progress is made.

   

  In Lockdown Learning, IT suddenly became key to providing education at home. Luckily, at Borrowdale School's IT has always been important and the governors of Borrowdale School had already recognised the importance of having excellent IT facilities so we were able to adapt quickly to the new way of working.

   

  In recent years, the school made it a priority that pupils have their ‘own’ iPad. These are now connected to 300Gb fibre into the premises (Gigabit Project) so all devices can be connected at the same time without losing speed. All our teachers use their Apple machines to support their teaching and the system just works seamlessly. By the end of February 2022, the latest upgrades to our internal network (upgrading all equipment to the newest WiFi6 standard) will be completed (DfE’s Connect the Classroom programme).

   

  The result is that pupils are carefully guided on their journey to become ‘digitally literate’ from a young age. Access to iPads in class is normal, and pupils use devices as an everyday tool for learning and presenting information, rather than a once-a-week lesson in an IT suite. The iPads also work from home when needed!

   

  Gigabit video:

  https://vimeo.com/650552304/4ef137983b

   

  Are you interested to visit the school?

  To arrange an appointment, please click here...

   

  Further Insights:

  Why quality learning can't be confined to classrooms

  Why small classes have a positive impact on pupils (and teachers)

  Why IT access in schools should be better than the children have at home

  11 Things not to do at a school open day

   

   

  

• Why small classes have a positive impact on pupils (and teachers)

  Mon 08 Nov 2021 R. Smits

  Reducing class sizes is considered to be an expensive approach to managing the ratio between pupils and teachers. But is it worth it? Well, this will depend on the approach of the school.

   

  What matters is that classes need to be small enough to permit the teacher to change their teaching approach. Research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that class sizes below 20 pupils give the best results.

   

  This is likely to be because teachers are able to have higher quality interactions with pupils and there is a higher level of focus because there are fewer disruptions. They also note that quality teaching in small classes is likely to lead to a change in the pupils’ learning behaviours, which in turn leads to better attainment, as well as improvements in behaviour and attitudes.

   

  Research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that during the primary school years, children get the most benefit from being in a small class. In their key findings on ‘Reducing Class Sizes’ they note that reducing class sizes has a positive impact of +2months each year, but because there is limited evidence in this area, it should be treated with caution.

   

  At primary school age, children are still developing the independent learning skills and self-discipline that they will need in secondary school. In secondary school they will be taught in a bigger group environment. Small classes provide the maximum learning boost and guidance to develop learning habits to equip them with the tools for secondary school.

   

  https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/reducing-class-size

   

  Reasons why small classes at Borrowdale School benefit our pupils:

   

  • Pupils receive more one-to-one time with the teacher, and no child gets lost in the middle. The more able children get the challenge they need. Nobody is allowed to ‘coast along’. All children get the support they need to succeed. Every child builds a quality, personal relationship with their teacher. 
  • With fewer pupils to get round, teachers at our school are able to give instant feedback on every child’s learning in the lesson. This means that misconceptions are quickly spotted and corrected.
  • It’s more fun. For instance, getting out and about is easy. With two minibuses, we can take two classes on visits on the same day! This means that we can take advantage of all learning opportunities outside the classroom. Teachers are able to be creative and adventurous in their ideas, and nothing is impossible.
  • Children learn at different rates and learning is seldom linear. Spurts and dips in performance are normal for people; children’s learning included. This could be because of the way they are developing or because other life issues are having an impact. Small classes provide children with stability and safety when pupils are feeling overwhelmed by personal problems outside school. Teachers can judge what’s going on and respond in a measured and appropriate way.
  • Teachers can fine-tune teaching to unlock children’s motivation. They don’t plan on the basis that there will always be three groups of children: below average, average and above average. All children deserve to be stretched to achieve their potential, whether their strengths are academic, sports, arts or drama.
  • Small classes have a more relaxed atmosphere, which benefits the quieter and less motivated child and the confident and extrovert child. In a small class it’s really obvious when a child is not participating and this is a good incentive for pupils to pay attention. When a child doesn’t contribute the reason is often self-belief rather than disinterest. In a relaxed atmosphere, the teacher can bring all children into group discussions. For the confident child, the close collaboration of the small class also has benefits. They learn to be respectful, tolerant and patient; useful skills for the future workplace
  • We often hear parents comment on how well we know their children. This is simply down to the amount of individual attention every child receives and our active involvement with them each day.
  • Teachers are able to teach. In large classes, the actual teaching can become sidelined for all the admin, organisation and other non-teaching tasks (marking, photocopying, etc.) take priority. This means teachers are enjoying their job and are happy at work.

   

  Are you interested to visit the school?

  To arrange an appointment, please click here...

   

  Further Insights:

  Why quality learning can't be confined to classrooms

  Why small classes have a positive impact on pupils (and teachers)

  Why IT access in schools should be better than the children have at home

  11 Things not to do at a school open day

   

   

  

• Why quality learning can't be confined to classrooms

  Thu 21 Oct 2021 R Smits

  Learning that takes place outside the classroom can be truly inspirational. Good quality learning outside the classroom provides opportunities for children to take risks, problem solve and use thinking skills. Research shows many benefits to a child’s all-round development, particularly in the areas of personal, social and emotional, language and communication. Trips and outdoor activities also complement the learning in the classroom because they are memorable and fun.

   

  There are endless opportunities for taking the learning outside in Borrowdale which is why learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. Like most schools in the country, we make the most of our location. We’re just very lucky to be situated in a very special location in the heart of the Lake District which gives us the perfect environment for learning (can you think of a school in England in a better location?).

   

  It is therefore a no-brainer for our teachers to focus on child-centered learning in the fresh air and to make the most of all that our grounds and the valley has to offer to make the curriculum relevant: experiential learning to study the different habitats, eco systems and geological features around us and real contexts for Science, Geography, History, Art, Biology and many other curriculum applications such as field study and data collection. It’s easy for teachers to take their class in one of our minibuses, and off they go exploring…

   

  The school also has plenty of natural spaces to use for all kinds of lessons; the grounds comprise of a mature woodland with some 500year old trees, a beck, a conservation pond, a firepit, a field, flower garden, vegetable garden and an orchard. Our school’s Forest School area, which is used every week by most pupils, is located between some old oak trees, high on the fellside behind the school. Low teacher-to-child ratios means that we can keep all children, including our smallest ones, safe when they are learning in the outdoor environment.

   

  We want our children to grow up fascinated with nature and learn how to look after their environment. Right from the nursery stage, children get to build dens, use and make tools and cook on a fire. They dig in the mud, identify creepie-crawlies with magnifying glasses and learn about the changing seasons, because only the very worst of weather will keep them inside.

   

  Yes, our children get messy! Yes, their feet (and sometimes everything) get wet. Yes, they do occasionally get stung by a nettle or they may get their clothes caught on brambles. But for us, that’s all part of the learning experience. And about helping the children to develop resourcefulness, resilience and autonomy. It’s character building.

   

  The six main educational benefits of Forest Schools:

  • Confidence: the children have the freedom, time and space to learn and demonstrate independence
  • Social Skills: children gain increased awareness of the consequences of their actions on peers through team activities such as sharing tools and participating in play
  • Communication: Language development is prompted by the children’s sensory experiences
  • Motivation: the outdoor spaces tend to fascinate children and they develop a keenness to participate and the ability to concentrate for longer periods of time
  • Physical skills: these improvements are characterized by the development of physical stamina and gross and fine motor skills
  • Knowledge: the children develop an interest in the natural surroundings and respect for the environment.

  (Source: the New Economics Foundation (NEF))

   

  Are you interested to visit the school?

  To arrange an appointment, please click here...

   

  Further Insights:

  Why quality learning can't be confined to classrooms

  Why small classes have a positive impact on pupils (and teachers)

  Why IT access in schools should be better than the children have at home

  11 Things not to do at a school open day

   

   

   

  

• Four- and five-year-olds at Borrowdale School take part in early language programme

  Fri 30 Apr 2021

  Earlier this week the BBC published a report with the title 'lockdowns hurt the children's language development.' In the Autumn term, Borrowdale School signed up to take part in a programme to support four- and five-year-olds whose early language and literacy development has been most affected by the pandemic.

   

  The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme is the most well-evidenced early years language programme available to schools in England. The programme was offered to the school at no cost by the Department for Education in response to disruption to schooling caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

   

  Developed by world-leading researchers at the Universities of Oxford, Sheffield and York, NELI involves scripted individual and small-group language teaching sessions delivered by trained staff. Training took place remotely during the lockdown period.

   

  The NELI programme, published by Oxford University Press, has been robustly tested through several trials, including two funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). The most recent, found that children who received NELI made, on average, +3 months of additional progress in oral language skills compared to children who did not receive NELI. The targeted language support provided by NELI will therefore be an important part of Borrowdale School’s response to Covid-19 recovery.

   

  The lesson in the photographs was focussed around the story of Cinderella. The story was told in full in the first session to ensure the children were familiar with it. In the second session the children were encouraged to retell the story as they were helped by held up prompt cards. In the third session (as photographed) the children were asked to choose a character. Then, as the story was retold, they had to jump up when they heard their character names. Following this, the children acted out their own version of the story using the masks that were provided to them. At all times, but specifically in language sessions, the children are asked to use full sentences to develop their language skills. They are also encouraged to include the new words they have learned during the sessions. We are encouraged by the progress the children have made so far. Not only does NELI help to improve the children’s speech, it also teaches good listening and attention habits which are encouraged throughout the day.

   

  Delivery of the 20-week NELI intervention had been planned to begin in January, however this had to be delayed until the school re-opened fully after the second period of partial closure. This means that the NELI intervention will extend into the next academic year to complete the full programme.

   

  Mr Smits, our headteacher commented:

  “Concerns around school starters’ language and communication development were growing in recent years and with the impact of COVID-19 this is even more worrying, so it is reassuring to know that the NELI programme is available to meet our pupils’ needs.”

  

• School visits resume - We're off to see the Vikings!

  Fri 23 Apr 2021

  Now the government are allowing schools to go on Educational Visits again, Borrowdale School is quick out of the starting blocks to make the most of it. The school is thrilled to be able to use its minibuses again taking to take the children out and about again to enhance their learning.

   

  This week Class 2 ventured out to Gilcrux to visit Moorforge’s longhouse settlement.  Here they met a Viking man who gave them a tour of his settlement and a weapon demonstration. It was a sunny day. The children also participated in a tug of war and had a go at spear throwing! Awana said “It was really fun and we learnt a lot” and Harley commented “The day felt like a story. It was really good throwing spears!” 

   

  The Class 2 topic is based on the book Viking Boy and previously the children had researched and constructed their own longhouses in the Design and Technology lessons. Visiting Moorforge enabled them to compare their own work to a real, life-size longhouse.

   

  Building on this, the children will now move on to use these first-hand experiences of the Vikings to produce a ‘Horrible History’ style movie. They will be writing a funny plot, based on facts and learn to use a green screen and the iMovie app on their iPads to record and edit their movies.

  The children can look forward to many more visits in the near future!

  

• Outdoor learning

  Fri 26 Mar 2021

  Outdoor learning at Borrowdale School

   

  Truly getting out and about and learning in the outdoors is one of the important parts of the ethos of Borrowdale school. Every week in the spring and summer months, pupils get to experience and learn outdoor sports such as climbing, abseiling, ghill scrambling, team building and much more at Glaramara Activity Centre, with their experienced and dedicated instructors. Pupils also go to Nichol End Marina for water sports such as kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, sailing, and windsurfing lessons. We are looking forward to the day that will allow the centres to reopen so that our pupils can return to doing these activities again.

   

  Outdoor Education is a part of the National Curriculum and is vital in providing a set of soft skills for our pupils. It helps children to develop self-esteem, take responsibility, co-operate with and respect the needs of their peers; extend their personal horizons through greater appreciation and understanding of the Lake District and the world. It helps children to understand sustainable relationships between people and their environment; enhances practical problem solving and team work skills. It also helps to promote a positive and knowledgeable response towards personal health and well being.

   

  Whilst we wait for our ‘normal’ outdoor sessions to resume, we decided that it was fundamental to our school that our outdoor learning continued. We therefore invested in equipment at the school such as Archery sets, a slack line and extreme golf kits. So far children have been enjoying afternoons out in the spring sunshine, learning the skills needed for Archery. It has been brilliant to see the children help each other, have great success and also take on the responsibility of keeping themselves and each others safe. We look forward to getting out and about this summer onto the fells and into the forests for forest school sessions and all other outdoor learning.

  

• Recovery, not 'catch up'

  Thu 04 Mar 2021 R Smits
  In a few days’ time, all children will be able to return to school. We should celebrate what has been achieved by all of you. Throughout this pandemic, despite all the challenges that come with remote learning, the children have carried on being engaged with the curriculum. They have been incredible; we should all recognise this and applaud them for it and I would like to thank all parents and staff for making this happen. Remote learning is tough on everyone, but together you made it work as best it could be.
   
  We are really happy that the children can return to school. But this generation of children is far from 'lost' as the media are trying to portray. I am fed up with the negative rhetoric from politicians, journalists and other people who have never stood in front of a class full of children. Children have not lost the capacity to learn! When children are happy and well, they are like sponges and as resilient as ever. We should not be worrying about 'catching up' but rather about 'recovery' from what has been a difficult period for them. This will take time, but this is what teachers do best. We have a well-resourced school, with highly skilled staff, and we are all dedicated to keep building the children’s self-esteem, knowledge, understanding and skills to prepare them for a successful future. Catch-up plans, tutoring schemes and summer schools are in my opinion quick fixes that will have little impact on the children’s life-long learning or success. I believe the children need quality over quantity; and we will focus on the needs of our pupils.
   
  When everyone returns, our focus will initially be on the children’s wellbeing so that they feel settled, valued, included and happy. We know that when children feel good, they learn better academically. We will allow time and support for the children to re-establish their friendships and relationships with each other and with their teachers. We will take children outside whenever we can and to interesting places further afield as soon as we’re allowed to. We will allow them to play and learn together.
   
  During these times of crisis, the quality of our relationships is what held our school community together: Pupils’ relationships with each other, with their teachers, parents and their children, staff and parents, governors and school etc. We all worked together and helped each other through the challenges. Thank you for your support; the children never stopped learning! Looking ahead, the relationship between school and parents will remain just as important to our children so we can give them the best chance to succeed in every way. I sincerely hope that this is the start of a successful recovery!
   

• Love from Borrowdale School!

  Thu 11 Feb 2021
  Please click on this link to see our message to the community and the rest of the world!