Encouraging active learning in P1 - North Ayrshire Council
Background to active learning in North Ayrshire
The importance of play as a vehicle for learning has long been recognised and supported in North Ayrshire’s schools and nurseries. North Ayrshire was involved in the Government's Early Intervention programme in 1997 (which aimed to raise standards of literacy and numeracy in the early stages of primary school) and as part of this, the authority took a radical look at the methodology and teaching approaches in the early primary.
There followed a rolling programme of staff development for all infant staff, together with staff tutor support and additional resources. The impact of the programme was significant, with marked improvement in attainment in P1 and P2. An important aspect of the training was to promote the importance of play and active learning:
Play is an appropriate and powerful vehicle for learning and must be included in planning programmes of study for literacy and numeracy in the early years.
Extract from advice issued to North Ayrshire’s schools in 2001
Although much good practice was evident during the ensuing years, concerns were raised through the monitoring and evaluation process that in many infant classes there was too much reliance on schemes of work and a return to more ‘static learning’.
The pressures on schools and local authorities with regard to target setting and external accountability, together with the demands of the curriculum, meant that there was a certain narrowing of focus and a concentration on more formal methods when teaching literacy and numeracy.
The Primary 1 Play Initiative
The launch of A Curriculum for Excellence in November 2004 provided an ideal opportunity to review current practice. A Curriculum for Excellence clearly states that the Early Level of the achievement framework should embrace active learning, building on the strengths of the nursery curriculum in P1.
HMIE also welcomed the range of interesting learning opportunities which promote purposeful play (Improving Scottish Education, 2006). This indicated that the time was right to relaunch North Ayrshire's advice on learning through play, giving teachers the support and ‘permission’ they sought to include play/active learning as part of P1 pupils' daily programme, and not as a reward when they had finished their ‘work’.
Although the transition arrangements for North Ayrshire’s nurseries and schools were well established, it was agreed to review current practice and make a number of improvements, which would include the Primary 1 Play Initiative.
Aims
- To build on good practice in nursery
- To improve children's nursery/primary transition experience
- To increase staff awareness and understanding of the importance and benefits of learning through play
- To make learning in P1 fun for the children and staff
- To ensure children have the best possible start to their primary education
- To embrace the principles of A Curriculum for Excellence.
