Lesson Observation

Observe a lesson and explain clearly how a specific element of the appropriate POS for that key stage is met.

I observed a year 9 set 3 lesson and looked at the way in which the lesson followed the Key Stage 3 programme of study. The lesson was focused upon the use of apostrophes and the use of assessment for learning to improve written work. Section 2.3 was used within the lesson to ensure that pupils progressed. 2.3.w states that pupils should be able to “signal sentence structure by the effective use of a full range of punctuation marks to clarify meaning”. Miss A had identified that apostrophes were a common problem for this particular class and therefore had planned this lesson to help them to understand how to use them properly. Miss A then had pupils re-read a piece of marked work in order to improve what they had already written. This focused on the programme of study 4.3e - that the curriculum should “provide opportunities for pupils to evaluate and respond constructively to their own and others’ writing”.

The lesson began with an overview of how apostrophes should be used. Miss A then used a starter quiz that asked the pupils to correctly place an apostrophe within a sentence. The main aspects of the lesson had a focus on the writing element of the programme of study but also linked in with the speaking and listening aspects of it. 4.1.c highlights that the curriculum should “provide opportunities for pupils to use speaking and listening to develop their reading and writing”. This relates to the way in which the starter quiz was presented as it relied on the pupils to be able to listen carefully in order to understand what Miss A wanted them to do with each sentence that they were writing. 

The lesson then moved on to a focus upon assessment for learning. The students were asked to look at a diary entry that they had previously written. This work had been marked by Miss A and needed correcting and adding to. The class was asked to correct spellings and punctuation and to add extra information to a question that Miss A had written on their work. This incorporated 2:3.q that pupils should be able to “use planning, drafting, editing, proofreading and self-evaluation to shape and craft their writing for maximum effect”. By encouraging the pupils to correct their own mistakes they were able to see where they had made a mistake and why. Miss A’s question had then prompted them to add extra detail and to expand and develop their writing further. Miss A worked her way around the class in order to help anyone that had any problems and while doing this she was able to praise the good work that they had done.

Miss A wanted the class to focus particularly on any spelling mistakes that they had made. This relates to 2.3.w that pupils should be able to “spell correctly, increasing their knowledge of regular patterns of spelling, word families, roots of words and derivations, including prefixes, suffixes and inflections”. In order to keep them focused upon their spelling Miss A set homework for the class to write down 5 words that they had misspelt and to learn how to spell them correctly. This would enable them to see what words they had repeatedly spelt wrong and to improve their spelling through practice and to help recognise regular spelling patterns. 

Miss A had a clear planned and focused lesson that was able to relate to a good amount of the writing requirements within the programme of study. She was also able to utilise other aspects of the POS, especially the use of speaking and listening.