Everyone Thinking

Everyone Thinking

Excellent participation is not measured by how many pupils put their hands up. At Harper Bell, we want every pupil to be thinking and ready to contribute.

Our practice is influenced by the idea of Ratio: increasing both the breadth of participation and the depth of pupil thinking. We therefore consider two questions: How many pupils are actively participating? How much of the thinking are pupils doing?

Participation Ratio

Teachers create frequent opportunities for every pupil to respond through strategies such as Cold Call, mini whiteboards, Everybody Writes, Turn and Talk and structured discussion. These approaches allow teachers to see and hear the thinking of many pupils, rather than relying on volunteers.

Think Ratio

We also consider who is doing the intellectual work. Pupils are expected to explain, justify, build on ideas, write, reason and develop answers. Engagement at Harper Bell means thinking, participating and contributing.