Study Books

At Vernon Primary School, the children, staff and parents are very proud of the children’s study books. Each year, from Year 1 in Key Stage 1, up to Year 6 in Key Stage 2, children create a study book each term relating to their class topic. As the teachers plan in a holistic way, the study books reflect this style of teaching and learning.

Each term, the teachers plan holistically around a particular topic, e.g. Africa or Penguin Small. The study book then brings together a collection of cross curricular work demonstrating what the children have learnt. It provides the children, teachers and parents with a snapshot of learning throughout the topic and enables teachers to evaluate a range of learning from the foundation subjects and cross curricular learning from literacy, maths and science.

Work is presented in a range of different ways to excite and motivate the children to learn and then to celebrate their work once collected in their study book. The work may be presented in different ways: it may be mounted work, in little books, on a CD, it may include photos or pop out work.

Throughout Key Stage 1, children are supported in presenting their work; children are involved in discussion of what could go in their study book and how it could be presented. However, the mounting of work and display is teacher-led.

As children move through Key Stage 2, this develops to become more child-led and by Year 6, children will be making their own study books and presenting them themselves, encouraging more individuality.

At the back of the study book, there is an assessment sheet where the teacher can assess the children’s work related to objectives from the National Curriculum. The children also self-assess their own study books. These assessments will highlight how the children have completed a piece of work (individually, through group or whole class work) and then evaluate it, showing whether a child has achieved the objective, needs to consolidate it or needs to revisit it.

The children will be able to take these books home at the end of each school year.