Trainee has found little scope to develop students’ oracy

Cassie is undertaking her main teaching placement in a school that has previously placed a strong emphasis on direct instruction. The head of department, Tysoe, who has been in post for about ten years, oversaw a steady but significant rise in GCSE results (as measured by the proportion of students achieving Grade 4 or higher), which he attributes to a strong focus on clear presentation of the specific knowledge that students need to learn and regular use of retrieval practice. He also prioritises basic standards of literacy – insisting that each lesson should include an opportunity for students to practise writing in full sentences. While single words or bullet points might be permitted on students’ whiteboards (in response to regular retrieval practice questions at the start of each lesson), he expects more formal academic presentation of other written answers...