Back to basics at school proves to be a winning formula (From Leigh Journal)
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Back to basics is a winning formula at Lowton Church of England High School
5:20pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News
Lowton students like Alex Waterworth (left) and Danya Oberg are getting more out of their lessons.
A BACK to basics approach to learning which puts good behaviour and a positive attitude first is proving a real winner at Lowton Church of England High School.
LEARN, which stands for "Look smart, Equipment and homework, Arrive on time, Remain on task, No answering back" has been so successful that it has just received praise from education standards watchdog OFSTED.
Head teacher John Shanahan explained: “Students forgetting equipment or not completing their homework can be a real barrier to achievement. So we have decided to tackle issues such as these head on.
“When the government changed the law on detentions, allowing them to be issued on the same day, we saw an opportunity to introduce a system which has immediate consequences.
“Having always had good behaviour in school we feel that we are well on the path to outstanding as a result of this initiative.”
OFSTED's official verdict on LEARN was: “All students speak with one voice about the impact of the LEARN initiative, which promotes students’ self-discipline and which encourages them to take a more mature approach to all areas of school life.”
The school's Head of Science Paul Greenhalgh said: “LEARN has helped students to remain focused in lessons and, because teachers and students are not getting distracted with things like handing out pencils or dealing with uniform issues, we have found that we are getting even more work done.”
