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Getting Better FAQ

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FAQ - The Answers

How reliable is your 'learning theory' base? Thankfully, we never built a schooling system on Skinnerian learning - another fad?

This is the question we ask ourselves all the time. Fortunately, teachers now have access to more evidence-based ideas than ever before about how learning takes place and the best ways to teach for this.

One of the most important results of this evidence is that one size does not fit all. Children have different learning styles, they have a portfolio of different intelligences and a range of emotional responses to the learning put before them. Good teaching - and good curriculums - need to respond to these differences in as practical way as possible.

The approach to learning taken by the IPC is not a singular approach to which everyone - teachers and children - has to fit themselves. It is a multi-faceted approach which works towards meeting the different learning needs of children in our classes.

What is the best way to manage the Assessment for Learning Programme.? What is the recommended number of skills to assess and how do teachers use the Self Assessment Rubrics as part of the curriculum?

The main thing to remember is to begin with small manageable steps; because the IPC Assessment for Learning is based on skill development it's important to remember that skills take time to develop.
Most schools are beginning by identifying some of the skills they wish to assess within the units they are implementing - either within one subject or one skill per subject, therefore, they begin with the end in mind. Once skills are indentified, for example, one unit or one subject may only turn out to be 4 'Be able to' statements. So this is manageable.
It's important to spend time on Assessment for Learning so that children are engaged in their learning and it's part of your planning for the next steps. It's a good idea for a school to have a training day on this or for schools to make use of the IPC Regional Conferences or our annual IPC Summer School Course. You will find further details under Professional Development and Events the website.

As the new IPC Assessment for Learning Programme is now up and running, will the IPC provide a report format that ties in with this in the future?

As IPC schools are all so different and reporting requirements vary so much, it would be very hard to provide any generic reporting format.

However, lots of schools are generously willing to share their report formats. Please use the ‘IPC Forum’ post a request.

Are there any IPC conferences for in-service training this year?

Throughout the year we offer a series of training opportunities, details are always on the IPC website.
You can also opt to have trainers come to your school.
Please contact us for more details – pd@fieldwokeducation.co.uk or telephone the IPC office.

Any there any relevant IPC articles on recent research into brain development and differing learning styles?

The first place you should go is to the IPC 'Learning Goals and Background Information' File. There is a very good introduction in there; it is an adaptation of various pieces our Founding Director, Martin Skelton has written for a number of different publications. If, when you have read that, you need to look at something else, an excellent general book is 'Teaching With the Brain in Mind', by Eric Jensen and published by ASCD in the USA.

Have the IPC produced assessment for history?

Our skills-based Assessment for Learning Programme helps you assess children's skills in a range of different subjects, including history.

This is now available online and in hard copy for IPC member schools.

Should we include assessment of the IPC Personal Goals on our report cards and if you do are they assessed in the same terms of "beginning, developing, and mastering"?

Schools are free to develop their reporting systems in a way which best suits their needs and there is no single IPC-recommended format.

Incorporating the IPC Personal Goals in the same terms as the other IPC goals seems consistent and will make it clear what your school values. At present we have no established criteria for the assessment of personal goals but will be very interested to see how your school develops this idea.

I am writing a school policy for IPC. Is there any help or do I start from scratch?

This is a question that many schools are now asking. We advise that you start by looking at sections 1 to 5 of the IPC Learning File. This will give you a good starting point as it gives very clear information about the principles of the IPC.

We would like to include information about the IPC in our parent handbook. Do you have information for parents besides the parent letters in the units? May we include explanatory sections from the IPC documents if we give credit to IPC?

We think that including information about the IPC for your parents in your parent handbook is a great idea and we are very happy for you to include explanatory sections from the IPC documents in order for your parents to have a better understanding of the curriculum.

We always think that it is important for parents to understand the ideas behind the IPC which is why our IPC Membership Package includes pre-prepared PowerPoint presentations for busy schools to use to help explain the IPC.

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