Timetables, Personal Contracts and Workshops

You may have looked at our timetable on our touchscreens in the mornings and wondered what it all means.

At Amesbury School we often learn through inquiries. Out of these inquiries come writing, reading and maths tasks that children need to do in order to answer their inquiry question or to explore and understand an essential understanding. At the moment our timetable has inquiries taking place at 9:30am. During this time children are working through the "Amesbury Learning Cycle" around their chosen inquiry. Children are learning in an integral way that involves a variety of curriculum areas to achieve understanding, a personal response and practical wisdom.

Our current inquiries include "Joy" and "Beauty". We are inquiring into what "joy for learning. joyful living" means and exploring what is beautiful. During these inquiries and the written tasks that take place we identify particular skills that children need to learn. We hold specific writing, reading and maths workshops that cover the skills needed. On our touchscreen timetable it will say "inquiry work" which covers all these things.

After morning tea the timetable says "Workshops and personal contract". For children who are still 'learning to read' guided reading workshops take place, as well as any other specific writing workshops that are needed according to the needs of the children and the inquiry. Personal contract time means that the children then work independently from their individual timetable. This includes tasks that are compulsory and some 'you choose' tasks that all evolve around individual learning goals. There are always teachers prompting, challenging and supporting the children during this time. The afternoon involves different maths workshops.

As children are all doing different workshops, inquiries and tasks on their contracts, it is difficult to show on one timetable what is happening during the day for each child. However they all have their own personal contract - which is an individual timetable, that they plan in the morning with visual pictures. As they complete different tasks and workshops they reflect on them and move the visual picture to the other side of the contract. This also helps them know where they are up to in their day and contributes to self management and having ownership over their learning.