Primary Campus Weekly Update

Toolkits to support children

Here at NAIS Hong Kong, we are committed to understanding and supporting every aspect of your child’s developmental needs, their next steps and recognising the progress they have made in school. An important point here is that we are talking about children’s emotional and academic development. To build a picture of the whole child, we combine formative and summative knowledge which together provide a holistic picture of your child as a learner.

We use a formative toolkit that is based on day-to-day, ongoing, informal methods that help teachers monitor your child’s academic and emotional progress during the term. These may include class quizzes, class discussions, listening to children read, peer feedback or spending time with your child. The primary goal is to identify strengths and areas for improvement, allowing teachers to tailor their lessons and provide targeted support where appropriate. Formative toolkits encourage growth, helping your child develop confidence and a love of learning.

Within our assessment toolkit, summative assessments take place at the end of a learning unit or term. These are more formal evaluations, such as end of unit assessments, reading quizzes or assessments, project-based work, or perhaps presentations. They are designed to evidence your child’s mastery of specific skills or knowledge at the end of set time frame. Our summative toolkit, while important, is only one piece of the puzzle that helps teachers to best support our children.

Together, these approaches allow us to gain a deep understanding of your child’s progress, not only academically but also socially and emotionally. We can structure our next steps for children’s needs. As Dylan William said, ‘that is why assessment is, indeed, the bridge between teaching and learning’. This balanced perspective ensures we can celebrate their achievements and address their needs effectively.

Presenting at EduTech Asia 2024, Singapore, by Mrs. Thomson – Deputy Head Teacher
On the 6th November I presented at the EduTech Asia conference in Singapore at the invitation of Dr Kate Erricker, NAE Group Head of Education Research. Heaving with highly experienced educators and tech experts from all over Asia, EduTech Asia 2024 was the perfect forum to showcase Nord Anglia’s Metacognition research project, a collaboration with Boston College, to share practical examples currently being used at our school. It was an inspiring event where I was able to connect with passionate educators, policy makers and students from across the globe.

Metacognition – or simply, thinking about thinking – and the Learner Ambitions have been in our children’s vocabulary and school life since its introduction last year. Our teachers have been, intentionally, giving children tools and strategies, ‘Thinking Routines’ to support their development of 21st century skills for the future: Collaboration, Commitment, Compassion, Curiosity, Creativity and Critical. We have a Learner Ambition focus each half term and celebrate children’s achievements in assembly and our children proudly wear their Learner Ambitions badges.

It was a real privilege to share our great work and practical examples at the conference. In the near future, we will share more about this pedagogical approach with our parent community through a workshop – watch this space!

I hope our families have a great week ahead,

Stephen Sharma
Head of Primary