From ‘Requires Improvement’ to Bett Award finalists - the impact of LbQ on SATs

SATs are fast approaching, which means schools throughout the country are busy searching for quality resources that have a positive effect in the classroom. Something that can genuinely impact learning, will engage and motivate pupils, and won’t add to the burden in terms of teacher workloads.

One such school was Washacre Primary in Bolton. Washacre has faced many challenges in recent years, culminating in a Requires Improvement rating from OFSTED in 2017.

Year 6 teacher Cherise Duxbury was brought in to raise standards and overcome these challenges, something that she and the whole school worked incredibly hard to achieve.

Cherise was introduced to Learning by Questions by Bolton SICT’s Deb Lyons at a local workshop event. After seeing it in action, she was convinced LbQ could help bring about a positive change to Washacre. What happened next is remarkable.

Cherise says, “As soon as Deb Lyons showed me LbQ I was totally sold, straight away. As soon as I saw the results matrix showing the children having their work marked automatically on the platform, I was hooked. I found that I could then walk around the class, guiding the pupils and intervening where necessary.

“Then there was the planning and content aspect, with lots of information that was readily available for me to access. I couldn’t wait to get back and use LbQ straight away!"

LbQ has been used in the classroom at Washacre for the past 12 months. What has resulted in that time is nothing less than a whole school turnaround, with the school catapulting themselves a staggering 41 places higher in the league tables!

Cherise adds, “Our SATS results for maths increased by 30%. Last year we had 57% of students reach the expected levels, this year 85%, which is just, wow! Also, our school has achieved 7% greater depth only once in the last 3 years. This year, we have managed to reach 31% greater depth.

“It’s not just maths either. In terms of reading, before LbQ our expected reading score was 39%. This year, we’re expecting 69%, so another 30% increase. If that doesn’t show the impact of the LbQ platform on a classroom then I don’t know what does. Those results are phenomenal.

“In terms of helping me as a teacher, it has improved my subject knowledge, along with that of my TA, but my word it has improved my work-life balance! I’m not spending hour after hour looking for resources, the work is targeted where it needs to be targeted and there is no marking for me...no marking!

“LbQ does it all for me, so I can now be the creative teacher I want to be. Could I have done this without LbQ? Absolutely not.”

This staggering transformation hasn’t gone unnoticed. Washacre were recently named as a finalist for the Impact Award at Bett 2020, the largest EdTech show in the world. This is a richly deserved pat on the back for the amazing work that the staff and pupils have put in. Cherise and Deb Lyons attended the awards on behalf of Washacre and the local authority. Although not named as winners, they were immensely proud to be in the running.

So, there you have it. A prime example of the impact LbQ can have on SATs results, as well as the work-life balance of teachers.

You can find our range of SATs practice papers, each with instant feedback and automatic marking, here.

You can watch Cherise discuss the impact of LbQ on SATs results here.

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