SCHOOL CASE STUDY: Earlsmead Primary School in Haringey

We talk constantly about how LbQ is beneficial for teachers and their pupils, so we thought it would only be right for you to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. We sat down with Sheree Oliver, Year 6 Teacher at Earlsmead Primary School to see how they use LbQ in the classroom.

What were your first impressions of LbQ?

I loved it. I was introduced to it during lockdown by a colleague and have continued to use it in the classroom. Year 5 & 6 used it mostly for maths and then the whole school bought into it. It has revolutionised the way I teach.

Was it the remote learning section that unlocked it for you or does it work for you in the classroom just as well?

During lockdown, LbQ definitely made a difference. You could teach with the online whiteboard and the children would then answer the questions and you could see what they were answering, which helped support those pupils who were struggling.

When we returned to school, Year 6 used LbQ for maths and found it really beneficial as the teachers can keep an eye on which pupils are getting the questions wrong and support those children, so no one is left behind.

Did you find you had bigger gaps after lockdown and did you reassess or did you already know because you had been using LbQ?

The children got so used to learning remotely they struggled returning to the classroom. LbQ definitely supported with spotting pupils who were struggling as pupils were reluctant to ask for help and put their hand up. Maths coordinator used LbQ to make personalised Question Sets for the lower levels.

What do you think are the main benefits to using LbQ?

I like the real-time data so that I can target the pupils I might otherwise miss. The instant feedback that the pupils receive is brilliant and encourages them to check their work. We tell them to move on after 3 attempts. The children can also mark their own work.

Do you have a lot of differentiation in your class?

Being able to set multiple tasks I can set reasoning questions for different groups of pupils at the same time.

Do you go back and look at previous data from using LbQ to forward plan?

Everyday. I love the colour coding as it’s a snapshot as whether or not the pupils understood the lesson and tells me how many pupils finished the Question Set.

How different would it have been if you didn’t have the data from LbQ to make decisions with?

To be honest, I don’t remember ever teaching without it. I do find it more difficult when I go back to a worksheet activity because I have got used to using Learning by Questions.

Do you find pupils answer more questions when using LbQ than a worksheet?

With the pupils able to see on the interactive whiteboard which question everyone is on, there is a bit of competitiveness in the classroom as they can see if they’re falling behind and it pushes them on.

What kind of cohort do you have and what are your challenges?

2-form entry school. Chromebooks for Year 4, 5 and 6. We have a lot of AEL children. English not first language.

Is there anything you would like to say to others who might consider LbQ?

It's a brilliant resource and teaching tool, especially for maths. Definitely sign up!

Want to see a live lesson of LbQ? Contact the team who will arrange for you to see LbQ in action at Earlsmead Primary School.