An inspector calls - Vocabulary

 In my last post, I asked myself some of the initial questions an Ofsted inspector might want to ask about our curriculum in relation to Grammar. I think I put our case across coherently. But the question isn't really whether I think our curriculum has a coherent vision. The question is does that vision meet what an inspector is looking for. In this post, I am going to rehearse some honest answers to questions on Vocabulary.

Here we go:

How do you cover and revisit vocabulary in a planned way?

 Our curriculum works like a snowball where new language is added on to the repertoire pupils already have. In this, some language is more important than other language. Rather than parachuting in “revisiting” of a previous topic into a later topic, we try to curate pupils’ growing repertoire of language where it is gathered into a snowball. We focus on this snowball getting bigger and bigger, and pupils being able to use it. We are not obsessed with chasing after every last drop of melting snow, as long as each pupil has their snowball and is looking after it. Compacting it to stop it melting, rolling it around to get more to stick to it, and having some fun with it.

At the centre of this snowball is a core of verb + infinitive structures. Which means we have a strong verb lexicon which is transferred across topics.

About 15 years ago, we stripped our curriculum down to this core, concentrating on pupils getting very good at using the language they know. We are now in the process of adding more language back in, so that it integrates with what they know and can do. For example, weather with “if” sentences in units in Year 8, numbers in different units, clothes…

The words pupils learn are set out on Quizlet, directly integrated with the work they are doing in lessons. Typically the words for each unit start with short chunks. These build into longer sentences and eventually into model answers. The words from Quizlet can also be used to set work in other sites such as Blooket. We are shifting from a punitive “You must learn your words” model, to a low stakes model of, “Meet these words over and over, until you end up learning them.”

 As well as a curriculum designed to not abandon words from one topic to the next, we are using lesson starters and computing work to deliberately re-familiarise pupils with words they have seen before. Our “Fluent in 5 minutes” starters ask pupils in Year 8 and Year 9 to work with words and structures from previous years and previous units. Scheduled work on interactive tasks inWord (dragging and dropping words, putting spaces back in sentences) in the computer room makes sure pupils are regularly working explicitly on structures and vocabulary from previous topics. Our booklets also deliberately recycle examples from previous topics, for example by asking pupils to use a model answer on Holidays to help scaffold work on Jobs.

How do you ensure pupils know high frequency vocabulary?

The fascination with “high frequency” vocabulary and not exposing pupils to unfamiliar words, does not come from the National Curriculum Programme of Study which schools have to teach. It features in the controversial Ofsted Research Review. We ensure that pupils know the structures that we have identified as most powerful for constructing their repertoire. In line with the National Curriculum (and in KS4 with GCSE), this is aimed at developing their ability to communicate. In particular to give and justify opinions, to develop ideas and points of view, to talk about events in the past and future, and to narrate events in detail.

So we have focused on a core of verb + infinitive and a strong verb lexicon. We had stripped our curriculum down to this core, and concentrated on pupils getting very good at using it. We are now starting to add more vocabulary back in, so that it integrates with and expands that core, always while curating what pupils can actually do with their language. And monitoring their ability to communicate is the best way to monitor what sticks, what accumulates, what can be used with increasing fluency, and what might overwhelm. Which I think are also key concepts for Ofsted.

 Our “Fluent in 5 minutes” starters are used to address the balance of the focus on form and meaning. If pupils are focused on meaning-heavy words such as maison, petit or chien, we use the starters as a low stakes regular way to shift the focus to the words like une, est, a . We make sure pupils do know what words in sentences literally mean, for example, “I have 12 years.” We have reintroduced a list of the 100 most common words on the back of pupils’ target language prompt sheet, as a reminder to pupils and to teachers as to what the most common words are.

 We are always looking at what words pupils need to expand their existing repertoire. For example adverbs for setting actions in time are going to be a big focus to be introduced earlier and maintained as part of the repertoire.

 High frequency words are by definition encountered in authentic texts. When we look at songs, stories or poems, we make sure we focus on these words, because they are the words which can unlock any text, especially when it contains unfamiliar low frequency words.

I think I have taken the luxury of being a little more aggressive on the topic of High Frequency words that I would with an actual ofsted inspector. But also I have only asked myself some initial questions here, without further detailed probing. So again, I need to step back and have a good think about my answers here.