Free Flow Info: seeing pupils in a different light
Free Flow Info encourages Pupil Voice and a mature attitude towards learning. It provides a two-way flow of information that creates an awareness of out of school learning.
Free Flow Info encourages Pupil Voice and a mature attitude towards learning. It provides a two-way flow of information that creates an awareness of out of school learning.
Free Flow Info methodology recognises the importance of one-to-one feedback and encourages its use where possible. This enables pupils to more fully understand their achievements and what their next steps need to be. The Sutton Trust/Education Endowment Foundation Toolkit identifies effective feedback as being the single most effective strategy for raising pupil performance; a staggering additional 80% per pupil per year.
Free Flow Info provides parents and their children with things they want to talk about. There is no better way to ensure an enthusiastic conversation than when pupils are allowed to select their own uploads to illustrate their achievements. Each term pupils also select 4 or 5 pieces that they think best reflect their learning, to place in their ‘Key Learning Portfolio’ but have to justify their selection to other pupils, providing the opportunity for some very meaningful discussions about learning.
Parental Engagement creates its impact when parents have regular, positive conversations about school at home with their children. Through full implementation of FFI, schools use the bespoke web platform to deliver the statutory requirement for reporting to parents, to increase the quality and quantity of parental understanding through formative reporting methods spread over 10 months of the school year, reducing teacher workload.
Summative reporting methods are impenetrable to many parents regardless of their own education, and convince many that they can have no useful role to play in support of their children’s education. Free Flow Info allows parents to understand their children’s achievements in the context of individual pieces of learning. By using only positive comments, all pupils can be assured that conversations at home will be positive experiences.
“ Children benefit from having conversation and engagement through the year with parents and teachers, which can support their learning ” Parent, Washington Tyne & Wear
“ We shouldn’t underestimate peer tutoring - there is tremendous value in children supporting other children ” Headteacher, Oxfordshire
“ Pupils enjoy finding their best work and placing it on the web platform ” Deputy Headteacher, Newcastle upon Tyne
“ As a school, we have seen a strong link between the progress of pupils in classes where parental engagement is high ” Deputy Headteacher, Newcastle upon Tyne