Craigfelen Primary School

In short: Craigfelan is a primary school in Wales that uses entrepreneurial learning to motivate and inspire pupils, whilst ensuring that they make progress, by using Entrecomp for teaching and assessment.

Age group: 9-11 for pilot, now used at 4-11

Initial challenges: The decision was made to incorporate enterprise into the heart of the curriculum with an initial evaluation exercise being used to study pupil progress so that the children knew what they needed to develop or what their next step would be. The pupils needed support to see the relevance in what they were learning, and how this would link to their future lives.

What they did about it: At the start of the Autumn Term each class teacher picked three children and highlighted the skills the children had on the EntreComp Framework. They held a meeting with each child and assessed their work, using observation to make the judgement. After one term the three children were assessed again against the Entrecomp Framework. The results from this assessment was shared with the pupils and they worked on two areas during the next term before a further assessment was completed. The progress against the Entrecomp Framework was then compared to the pupil’s end of Key Stage Levels and National Test scores.

Results: At each stage of the process the pupils became more confident in discussing what they had achieved and could also suggest how they could improve. This had a very positive impact upon their motivation to learn and they could fully understand why they were completing the tasks given. The interview and discussion times were vital for this to work. The intervention was so successful that the process was rolled-out across the whole class of pupils to both engage pupils and to identify more able and talented pupils in the field of enterprise.

Relevance for entrepreneurial teaching: The EntreComp framework was specifically chosen as it offers the learners the opportunity to develop the skills to be entrepreneurial. Teachers found it easy to use and self-explanatory.

Applied assessment methods and tools: This process enables skills and competencies, beyond that of subject disciplines, to be formatively assessed and progress mapped. Performance assessment is key, as the students are assessed on real-life tasks. In discussion with the pupils about their learning, the students themselves are involved in reflective assessment. There are three assessment and subsequent feedback points.

Contact information: craigfelen.primary.school@swansea-edunet.gov.uk

Website: http://www.edunet.link/craigfelen/