NEW PEDAGOGY LAUNCHED THAT INCREASES LEARNING WHILST REDUCING TEACHER WORKLOADS

Tony Cann CBE, the founder of Promethean, whose interactive white boards revolutionised classrooms in the nineties has launched a new Classroom App that promises to change schools once again.

The Classroom App ‘Learning by Questions’ (LbQ) has just undergone a year-long £1 million Feedback Project run across the UK.

Every teacher who took part in the trial* stated that LbQ had saved them time and 9 out of 10 teachers said that it had helped their pupils to achieve greater academic progress.

Baroness Estelle Morris of Yardley, former Minister for Education, spoke passionately at the launch about why LbQ is different:

“The literacy and numeracy strategies (employed in the past), were also evidence based and focused on pedagogy and although they had a positive impact on standards, they were enforced from the top. In the long term, teachers need to feel that they are exercising professional judgement whilst still using evidence. That is how you win the hearts and minds of teachers. That’s what is different about LbQ.  It’s using the best pedagogical evidence, but it’s not telling teachers how to teach.”

Professor Ralph Tabberer, former Director General of UK Schools visited South Grove Primary School in Waltham Forrest where he experienced the new pedagogy at work in the classroom. Professor Tabberer said:

“I have not seen a technological solution for schools that is anywhere near this quality. It does the things that lots of systems promise: differentiated and graduated content, challenge and support, individualised questions to practise, personalised and whole-class feedback in real time, error-diagnosis, and a scythe through all that marking that teachers otherwise have to do.

“Schools need to get on board now because the maths content is excellent.  (Science and English have since been added). The developers behind this are a proven team and I can’t wait for every update because, mark my words, this is cutting edge curriculum and it is going to be with us for years to come.”

Tony Cann, who was awarded a CBE for his services to education, appealed to the launch audience to tell as many people about LbQ, a large portion of which is a completely free resource for teachers:

“As developers we learned from teachers around the world, we learned from educational researchers and pupils. We have worked diligently and passionately to create a solution that answers the needs of pupils and teachers everywhere. It falls to you to spread the word.

“In ten years, we will not be the only ones delivering this pedagogy, but we will have been the first. Years from now you will be able to say that you were there at the beginning.”

*Based on 85 teachers completing the exit survey.