The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

The PlenaryThe Plenary

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Aims:Aims:

• To identify the key features of To identify the key features of effective plenary sessionseffective plenary sessions

• To suggest some ideas for plenary To suggest some ideas for plenary activitiesactivities

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

ActivityActivity

• Which aspects of the plenary are well Which aspects of the plenary are well developed in your developed in your class/class/school?school?

• Which aspects would you like to Which aspects would you like to develop further?develop further?

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Key priorities fromKey priorities from the HMI report: the HMI report:• ‘‘The plenary continues to be one of the weakest parts of The plenary continues to be one of the weakest parts of

the literacy hour’the literacy hour’

• ‘‘Unsuccessful plenaries miss opportunities to extend Unsuccessful plenaries miss opportunities to extend pupils’ contributions when they present their work, and pupils’ contributions when they present their work, and fail to involve other pupils. Where there have been too fail to involve other pupils. Where there have been too many tasks earlier in the lesson, the majority of the many tasks earlier in the lesson, the majority of the pupils have not been involved in what is being discussed’pupils have not been involved in what is being discussed’

• ‘‘Plenaries are often too short and teachers frequently are Plenaries are often too short and teachers frequently are doing no more than going through the motions of doing no more than going through the motions of conducting one’conducting one’

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Key priorities from Key priorities from the HMI report cont...the HMI report cont...• ‘‘The best plenaries make a significant contribution to the The best plenaries make a significant contribution to the

pupils’ learning. Invariably, they are successful because pupils’ learning. Invariably, they are successful because the pupils have shared a common task earlier in the the pupils have shared a common task earlier in the lesson. The teaching is highly purposeful: there are clear lesson. The teaching is highly purposeful: there are clear objectives for the lesson and these are revisited explicitly objectives for the lesson and these are revisited explicitly in the plenary’in the plenary’

• ‘‘Successful plenaries also review the learning and Successful plenaries also review the learning and reinforce expectations’reinforce expectations’

• ‘‘Effective plenaries also motivate pupils for the next lesson Effective plenaries also motivate pupils for the next lesson through homework or questioning’through homework or questioning’

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

When planning When planning the plenary...the plenary...• provide a range of opportunities to review provide a range of opportunities to review

learninglearning

• identify questions to consolidate and identify questions to consolidate and

extend literacy skillsextend literacy skills

• build links between plenary and other build links between plenary and other

elements of lessonelements of lesson

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

During the plenary...During the plenary...

• challenge the children to justify challenge the children to justify

their ideastheir ideas

• provide feedback to clarify and provide feedback to clarify and extend the children’s thinkingextend the children’s thinking

• assess the learning against the assess the learning against the lesson objectivelesson objective

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

After the plenary...After the plenary...

• review success and record review success and record informationinformation

• use the information to use the information to inform future plansinform future plans

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Effective plenaries...Effective plenaries...

• return to the learningreturn to the learning

• connect the learning from this lesson to connect the learning from this lesson to

prior knowledgeprior knowledge

• help children to make generalisations, help children to make generalisations,

and establish theories and conclusions and establish theories and conclusions

• enable children to use their new enable children to use their new

learning to test prior knowledgelearning to test prior knowledge

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Video ObservationVideo Observation

As you are watching the As you are watching the

video, identify:video, identify:

• two strengths of the plenary;two strengths of the plenary;

• anything you would do anything you would do differently;differently;

• what the teacher needs to do what the teacher needs to do next.next.

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Ideas for plenariesIdeas for plenaries

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Share your ideas!Share your ideas!

The PlenaryThe National Literacy Strategy

Home-time!!Home-time!!