Data Testimonial - Cardross Primary School
In 2015, we were presented with a significant problem of practice within our school. Our results in writing were showing a steady decline, with a large percentage of students failing to show meaningful growth from year 3 to 5 in NAPLAN. This was also coupled with having low amounts of students achieve in the top two bands of Writing. What we knew was this, we had hard-working teachers and capable students, we were just not hitting the mark.
On the back of this data, we knew that we had to make a change in the way that writing instruction occurred within our school. We set about reviewing our current practices and searching for a writing methodology that aligned our school’s instructional model. After much searching we came across VCOP and Big Write.
On the back of this data, we knew that we had to make a change in the way that writing instruction occurred within our school. We set about reviewing our current practices and searching for a writing methodology that aligned our school’s instructional model. After much searching we came across VCOP and Big Write.
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I spoke to other schools who had implemented the program and received nothing but positive feedback.
As a result of these discussions all staff were sent to attend training with Sam and the Andrell Education team. The training was outstanding and provided us with the framework, language and methodology that we were searching for. Staff returned to school fully committed to the implementation of VCOP and Big Write. This implementation included the prioritisation of writing within our Annual Implementation Plans, Staff Performance and Development Plans and Professional Learning Plans. The prioritisation of this initiative gave staff the time to engage in cycles of peer observation. Staff also collectively planned and assessed students’ writing using the common language of the Big Write Assessment Criteria. Since the introduction of VCOP and Big Write at Cardross Primary School I have witnessed firsthand the impact of this approach to writing. A common language around writing is shared amongst staff and students. The depth of understanding around writing for staff and students has significantly increased. However, most importantly students feel empowered, they are in control of their writing journey. They engage in weekly Big Writes and ‘breakdown’ their writing with a learning partner searching for what worked well in their piece as well as how their writing could be improved. This process ends with students setting a meaningful and specific writing goal for their next Big Write. Early on, we could see that this approach was making teachers feel more confident in the planning, teaching and assessment of writing. We also saw that students were developing a love for writing. All of this was fantastic but we needed the data to prove that what we were doing was having an impact on the development of our students. In 2019, all of staff and students’ work had put was rewarded when Cardross Primary School was identified as a school of influence in our 2019 Panorama Data Report. This report also showed that when compared to similar schools, our school had the highest percentage of students with relative high gains between years 3 and year 5; 30% compared to 16%. Since 2017, we have also had no students in grade 3 fall in the bottom two bands of NAPLAN writing. The success of our school can be broken down in the following areas:
We have now embedded the practices of VCOP and Big Write across our school and our teachers often articulate that they could now never teach writing in any other way. If in your writing instruction is fragmented, students disengaged and results stagnant; VCOP and Big Write may just be your answer. I know it was for us. Simon Trembath, Acting Principal Cardross Primary School |