Pupils led lessons at a Rastrick school for a whole day.
Around 170 year nine pupils at Rastrick High School - which has just been named the top local non-selective state school for improvement in GCSE - were tasked with leading classes for year seven and eight pupils.
The pupils came up with lesson ideas, learning objectives, resources and then even delivered Thursday’s classes with the school’s teachers on the sidelines should they need any support.
Joe Newsholme led a year eight English class alone and developed a lesson on poetic devices – and it’s inspired him to want to be a teacher.
He said: “I put myself forward for it because it’s a great opportunity. It was up to me to plan the lesson and deliver it. I was a bit nervous but quickly got over it and everyone is doing really well.”
Imogen Rhodes and Esha Tabasum, both 14, led a religious studies lesson and Imogen said: “We came up with a key discussion topic of spirituality. I think we were both a bit nervous but once we set out the objectives it was fine.”
Esha added: “It’s helped us both. Imogen wants to be a teacher so it’s been good for her. I’d like to be a doctor and this made me think about communication skills.”
Religious studies teacher Mark Stephenson was impressed: “They came up with the subject and lesson plan which is adventurous for a year seven group but they responded really well.”
And 32 maths classes were taught by 64 year nine pupils. Maths teacher Jennie Bradbury and colleagues worked with the pupils to devise a cumulative frequency lesson with data from the African Nations Cup.
Jennie said: “We only gave them the data and it was up to the pupils to think how to use it for a maths lesson.
“I think it’s made them realise that not everyone learns at the same level and pace, so they’ve had to think how to teach.”
Elliot Tyndall led a PE lesson and created routines for pupils and said: “Everyone has been well behaved. I think it has made me think what teachers put into a lesson and how we should respond.”
Deborah Adamson, the teacher who helped create the day, said: “It’s the first time anything like this has been done and all the pupils will write review sheets and we’ll look at how we can do it in the future.”
Headteacher Steve Evans added: “Today exemplifies our ethos to challenge our students and they’ve certainly risen to the challenge.”
Rastrick has previously invited former students back to inspire current students and three of them returned yesterday to speak about opportunities after school. One was beat-boxer Patrick Hirst who told them to take all they could from education.
The Field Top Road school is also in the top 90 schools nationwide for the greatest sustained improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grade GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and mathematics GCSEs.
The school was informed on the top 90 ranking by Minister of State of Schools, David Laws, who said it was based on GCSE results since 2012.
