An Educational Northern Powerhouse needs McKie Mastery: Core Power Teaching and Learning
Children in the north of England underachieve compared with those in other parts of the country. George Osborne, the former chancellor and co-author of the Northern Powerhouse, commented on this in early February 2018, and Amanda Spielman, OFSTED’s Chief Inspector says similar things. The facts bear out their opinions. Northern children lag behind their southern counterparts by a clear GCSE grade across the board. 14% of schools in OFSTED’s North East, Yorkshire and Humberside region failed to meet inspectors’ standards compared with the national figure of 11%.
Low educational standards usually fuel deprivation across generations and communities. Two schools are proving that it doesn’t have to be this way. A new approach to teaching and learning has emerged that could transform the achievement of children, enable schools to be world-beaters and give some meaning to what we understand by ‘the Northern Powerhouse’ .
Core Power Teaching and Learning isn’t a programme, nor a quick fix, nor a scheme, nor a prehistoric throwback to ‘positive discipline’. It is a whole-school approach which integrates strong drivers of progress and achievement in very innovative ways. 1) Pupils are not automatically grouped by age but by where they are up to in their learning. 2) They all get feedback and encouragement at every stage of every lesson. 3) They work within a familiar lesson structure where the teacher leads them to independence and self-confidence in small manageable learning steps. 4) They are reviewed and regrouped as appropriate every eight weeks or so. 5) Skills mastery is linked to a rich vibrant curriculum where they put what they have learned to good use. 6) High levels of pupil engagement and good behaviour result from the well-paced, interesting lessons, motivational approaches and familiar routines and expectations.
It all works.
Gerald Swain (former Director of the English programme Secondary National Strategy)
