Teach Secondary -Issue 15.1

Needto know The Youth Sport Trust has published its third ‘Class of 2035’ report, which aims to present a picture of what children’s attitudes and behaviours regarding physical activity will look like in that titular year, assuming no further change or action by then. The organisation published its first such reports in 2015 and 2020, then focusing primarily on the benefits of PE for social development, and the impact of digital technologies on play and sport. For the 2025 instalment, the Youth Sport Trust has turned to AI to predict the ways in which children’s development is likely to change according to how much they engage in play and sport over the coming decade. The resulting numbers include the stark projection that 48% of children will spend three or more hours on daily screen entertainment by 2035 (up 34% from current levels) and that 34% won’t meet the threshold of being active for at least 30 minutes each day. The report also highlights that Type 2 diabetes diagnoses in children will exceed 500 new cases annually. For more information, visit youthsporttrust.org 27,836 The total number of ITT entrants recorded for the 2024/25 academic year – up 6%on the entries for 2023/24 Source: DfE OLIVIA DUNN IS A TEACH FIRST GRADUATE, HAVING COMPLETED HER TEACHER TRAINING AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN HACKNEY; FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TEACH FIRST, VISIT TEACHFIRST.ORG.U “ Five… four – pens out of our hands – three… and we’re back in STAR… two tracking me… one. Wait, no. Let me try that again. ” I shuffled on the spot and took a deep breath before restarting. “ And we’re back in STAR in five… four – tracking this way – in three... two –making sure our hands are empty… one. ” “ Much better! ” exclaimed the leader of the INSET session. “ It’ll become second nature soon, don’t worry, ” someone said afterwards, as we left the training session. Later, stood inmy new classroom gazing at the rows of desks that would soon be filled with students the following day, I wasn’t so sure. If I was stumbling over something as simple as a countdown, how on earth would I ever teach a lesson – let alone two years of proper lessons? GETTING STARTED The training I’d received fromTeach First over the summer holidays had been predominantly online, with one week spent at an exemplar school. Over Zoom, we’d discussed the basics of planning for learning, classroommanagement in the abstract and the power of body language in making a good first impression. We knew just enough to get started, but nowhere near enough to understand just how challenging the coming academic year would be. I was lucky in that the school I’d been allocated to placed a real emphasis on practice. Most weeks, staff would assemble and rehearse responses to challenging scenarios, with positive framing and de-escalating language always at the fore. This could feel silly at times – role- playing a rude Y11 student, for instance – but it was hugely helpful having a script I could refer to for how to approach the kind of difficult situations that teaching inevitably entails. CASUALOBSERVATIONS My textbook Teach Firster’s misguided ambition to be a ‘great teacher’ from the off was quickly replaced by awe at seeing these senior colleagues in action – skilled professionals who had honed their craft over time. I was encouraged to regularly drop in on lessons across all subject areas, and note down any practice that I might want to copy. From deputy heads to ECTs, everyone knew to expect regular casual observations and feedback. Though intimidating at first, this proved to be the most effective catalyst for my professional development. I’m still indebted to this network of colleagues who were so generous with their advice and experiences. Through watching them, their successes came to feel replicable. Their routines became my routines. Their strategies for more challenging students became indispensable go-tos. Above all, I feel indebted to my mentor, who completed Teach First years before me. She embodied a winning combination of creativity and pragmatism, letting me try out new teaching strategies, so long as I later analysed their benefits and flaws. From the start, we collaborated on solutions and strategies, withmy autonomy and judgment given as much space as her own professional experience. It was a partnership that I found to be incredibly empowering, in an environment that could sometimes feel overwhelming. At the end of my two years, it was gratifying to look back and recognise how far I’d come, and howmuch of that was entirely attributable to the input and advice of my colleagues. My experience of Teach First led me to see how a school that encourages curiosity and risk-taking among both staff and students will be one where the best kind of learning takes place. WHAT I’VE LEARNT ABOUT... CPD DURING ITT 74 teachwire.net/secondary