After a number of English lessons where certain children were not producing as much work as they were capable of, I considered the option of changing the seating for the next lesson (S7 – manage classes effectively). This was thought to be because of the dynamics of the tables and the strong characters on certain ones (S5 – secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn). This was therefore discussed with mentor/class teacher and it was decided that I would move the children round and see if there was an improvement (S5 – have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils). After much thought about this, I chose the new groupings and arranged these accordingly for the next lesson. At first, the children came in and were quick to want to move their books back to their original seats however, I advised them of the change and asked them to sit where their books were placed (S7 – maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary). During the lesson, the expectations and consistency of the work of the focus children was monitored closely. Thankfully, the change in seating had a positive effect on the progress of the children and it was decided that these groupings would stay. I therefore typed these up so that all of the adults in class had a copy and the seating could be continued for future lessons. Having the confidence to discuss this with my mentor and the secure knowledge of the children meant that I could better support the focus children to make better progress during lessons. It could have been more beneficial to have considered this sooner than now as progress could have been sooner and the changes could have been monitored for longer. Focused next steps: Continue with the new groups for english. Continue to monitor the progress of the pupils whilst in these groups All Stories