The Paragon - NWET&D - Improving Performance

So what needs to be improved?
Of course, for teachers to be able to personalise the learning of mixed-ability groups and provide work and activities that are challenging for every ability level is easier if they are able to:

- use any assessments of pupils abilities and attainments as a starting point for teaching
- provide activities of sufficient variety and depth to allow for different levels of learning to take place
- differentiate by trying to use various starting points and tasks for different ability levels
- anticipate and expect different outcomes
- acknowledge that all pupils will need varying lengths of time to complete activities
- understand that each pupil will grasp new ideas within varying timescales
- group pupils in different ways for different tasks
- use a manageable number of differentiated teaching groups. No more than four is a manageable
number
- carefully plan realistic deadlines so that all pupils have a sense of achievement
- continuously assess teaching groups and give feedback about their learning and their successes
- use assessments to set individual, group and class targets
- use marking creatively to inform pupils about their standard of achievement.

By developing these specific suggestions it is easier to recognise those areas of teaching that need to be of the highest quality. Once this has happened it is possible to monitor their effectiveness and to begin to make improvements.