1. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Our Aims
Use voting pads and our learning platform to aid
formative assessment.
Cross-curricular use in ICT, French and
Religious Education.
Evidence and Practice Competitive Grant

2. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
About our school
• Richard Coates Church of England Middle School is a
mixed, rural school with 460 pupils from age 9 to 13
across 4 Year groups. We take pupils from 6 feeder
schools with a large range of backgrounds. Our school
motto is “Let your Light Shine” as we feel all pupils
should have the opportunity to achieve and celebrate
those achievements in any curricular or extra
curricular means.

3. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Our Aims:
The aim of the project was to introduce and
use our Learning Platform across the
curriculum subjects of French, ICT and R.E.
We have implemented a variety of ICT
assessment types and evaluated their
effectiveness. These assessments have
included the use of voting pads and online
assessments from our Learning Platform,
NorTLE (Northumberland Teaching and
Learning Environment.

4. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Our Objectives
• To ensure the Learning Platform (NorTLE) is
used across three subjects within our school.
• To use voting pads to aid formative assessment.
• To understand pupils attitude to learning and
technology.
• To trial the online assessment questionnaire on
our Learning Platform.
• To start to implement APP materials in ICT.

5. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
How did we meet our Objectives?

6. “To ensure the Learning Platform
(NorTLE) is used across three
subjects within our school.”
• NorTLE is now used by
every Year 8 pupil in
all ICT lessons. It is
also used for lesson
planning in French and
RE.
• As well as peer
assessment and
setting homework
tasks.

7. “To use voting pads to aid
formative assessment.”
• Voting pads have
been used in French
and ICT to aid
assessment.
• In ICT they allowed
assessment of
learning styles and
formative
assessment.

8. “To use voting pads to aid
formative assessment.”

9. “To understand pupils attitude to
learning and technology.”
• NorTLE’s learning platform Question
Engine and the voting pads were used to
question pupils on these topics. The
outcomes could then be evaluated.

10. Examples of Results I prefer lessons
where
1. We can discuss things.
2. There is something to look at
(like a picture, chart, diagram or
video) or something to draw.
3. Where we can do something
Type Number practical – or at least move
Auditory 2 around
Visual 6 57%
Kinesthetic 7
43%
0%
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Th
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1)
2)
3)

11. “To trial the online assessment
questionnaire on our Learning
Platform.”
• This was set up and used by pupils however,
it took longer to set up than the voting pads
and we had some initial problems compiling
the results.

12. “To start to implement APP
materials in ICT.”
• As these were only
introduced to Middle
School staff in late
February this has
not been
implemented but a
start has been made
to assess work in the
future. Pupils
targets for the
current piece of
work however are
related to the APP
levels.

13. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
What were our evaluation processes?
• Teacher evaluation of the effectiveness of
the hardware and software and pupils use of
it.
• Pupils’ evaluation of the effectiveness of the
hardware and software.
• Data evaluation of the assessment results and
evaluations given by pupils.
• Progress recording of pupils through the
project.

14. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
What were the outcomes of our
evaluation processes?

15. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Teacher evaluation of the effectiveness of
the hardware and software and pupils use of
ICT
it.
NorTLE has now become the key resource in Year 8 teaching and
learning in ICT. It has been used to hand in homework, aid discussion,
plan lessons, save resources for lessons and hold assessment data.
Even though we have spent hours learning about NorTLE I am sure
there is still much more to learn. We are very lucky that
Northumberland County Council have been updating the platform as we
have progressed through the grant and we are very much looking
forward to the new assessment software that we hope will be
available to us soon.
The use of the voting pads was also a huge success with the low ability
pupils and has given a range of data regarding their progress.

16. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Teacher evaluation of the effectiveness of
the hardware and software and pupils use of
it.
Religious Education
The homework and discussion forum on NorTLE was particularly
successful and exceeded expectations. Pupils were asked to comment
on a place where we could see hatred in the world today. As well as
making their own observations, pupils also commented on the thoughts
and opinions of others in a helpful and respectful manner. This gave
them an insight not only into the thoughts of others but also caused
them to reflect on their own answers in light of other pupil comments.
The main issue I had with this task were pupils being unable to access
the learning platform at home. However, most overcame this by using
school facilities in their own time.

17. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Teacher evaluation of the effectiveness of
the hardware and software and pupils use of
it.
French
The voting pads and associated Turning Point Software immediately
struck me as having a natural affinity with the work we have been doing
on the new materials; major links being the technology aspect but also
that the software readily lends itself to assessment of reading and
listening skills and the modules of work are based on the use of
thinking for learning skills to analyse the written word and develop
language learning skills. The Learning Platform (NorTLE) provides
further opportunities for the development and delivery of assessment
materials linked to the National Curriculum Attainment Target 4,”
writing”, through use of the discussion forum.

18. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Pupils’ evaluation of the effectiveness of
the hardware and software.

19. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Data evaluation of the assessment results and
evaluations given by pupils.
French
The scope for the use of these technologies with regard to assessment
and evaluation, including self and peer assessment and evaluation of both
teachers and pupils is wide. One way in which it is intended to use data
gathered on pupil attitudes to different methodologies in French is to do
further research into the sorts of language activities the boys prefer and
then specifically plan a group lessons around the types of activities boys
indicate preferences for in a bid to raise enjoyment levels and improve
motivation of this target group, as the percentage of boys within a mixed
group who indicated that they really didn’t enjoy the subject was very high
even though the percentage of students within the target group who said
that their enjoyment levels were reasonable or good was over 60%.

20. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Data evaluation of the assessment results and
evaluations given by pupils.
ICT
The use of the voting pads was a huge success with the low ability
pupils and has given a range of data regarding their progress. The
data showed that all pupils have made some progress on 9 of the
key areas of the topic. The question engine data also shows pupils
have enjoyed the topic and which area they enjoyed the most. One
of the most useful pieces of data from the voting pads showed the
types of learning style of the pupils involved. Most pupils were
either kinaesthetic or visual learners which lends itself to the
style of teaching and learning in ICT lessons. We hope to use this
voting pad resource with all pupils in Year 8 to gain a broader
understanding of their learning style.

21. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Data evaluation of the assessment results
and evaluations given by pupils.
The use of this data allowed us to share targets with pupils based on
the APP (Assessment Pupil Progress) grids in Key Stage 3. This was
shared with pupils through their Work folders on the Learning
Platform. This also allows for parents and other staff members
teaching cross curricular ICT to see their targets and was a very
beneficial way of sharing this information

22. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Progress recording of pupils through the
project.
Pupil’s progress was
recorded on NorTLE’s
assessment section
through the grant.
Pupil’s targets were
also recorded here.
Pupil’s final results
will also be shared
here at the end of the
Spring Term.

23. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Barriers we have overcome
• Technical Issues
File types – Initial problems with our webcams
software was repaired by our technician but took some
time.
Home access – Some pupils could not load
NorTLE at home, the addition of an extra menu has
helped this for some pupils but not all.

24. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
• Equipment Issues
Videoing – It was quickly realised that the
equipment we had in school would not produce quality
videoing needed for this project. This was therefore
added to our proposal.
Lesson time – One hour a week per target
group did not allow enough time for curriculum work
and introduction of equipment.

25. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Impact and Sustainability
Internally the project has already had an
influence on other departments.
• We have given training to the whole staff and
this, combined with the training received
through the project, will enable them to be used
more widely throughout the different
departments and Year groups.

26. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Pupil’s Views
Pupils have had greater focus in lessons and been well
motivated to use the new software and resources. This is
shown through pupil evaluations and the confidence that
is seen in their attitude and behaviour.
•“I feel like I can use NorTLE now, not just in lessons
but at home too.” (Anon pupil, year 8)
•“The voting pads were fun and I enjoyed using them”
(Anon pupil, year 8)

27. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Teacher’s views
All members of the staff involved in the project feel that
it has been extremely beneficial to their teaching and the
learning styles of the pupils.
“I am so glad that we have been given the opportunity and
time to implement our learning platform with our Year 8
pupils. Having had this time and extra training has ensured
that any technical issues have been overcome quickly and
allowed use in all Year 8 ICT lessons, whatever ability”

28. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Teacher’s views
“The training and use of the Voting Pads has been the
most beneficial part of this project in French. It has
allowed easy assessment of the County’s new schemes
of work and I have already suggested its use with our
partnership schools and look forward to sharing our
work and ideas with them.”
“ I have really enjoyed using NorTLE and am
particularly keen to use and expand the discussion
forum section in RE, as well as other subjects I teach
through the year.”

29. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Transferability and portability
• This project is sustainable but with more time and
money. As our vision states we hope to share our
findings and resources with our staff and feeder
schools. This can be completed in the current academic
Year depending on funds and availability of staff.
• All resources can be shared throughout the school and
with colleagues throughout the County of
Northumberland through use of the NorTLE online
central library. As this is a county-based learning
platform access is inevitably limited to colleagues
within the county.

30. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Key Learning Points
• Time is so important. Without the grant the
planning and creating of resources would not
have been so vast.
• Meeting and evaluating each others work
allowed us to all evaluate the outcomes and
teaching styles.
• Pupils enthusiasm and kind regard for
technology was overwhelming and informative.

31. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
Advice to others
• Allow time as a team to create resources and
evaluate.
• Ensure time for pupils to use the equipment
before using is as part of a lesson.
• Meet regularly as a team to support each
other and lend ideas.

32. Richard Coates Church of England
Middle School
The future use of NorTLE and Voting
Pads in our school
From the pupils thoughts on the video you can
see that NorTLE and the voting pads are a
resource that the pupils and teachers enjoy
using. We hope that this and more training
will inspire the rest of our staff and
pyramid staff to also use these pieces of
software.