The tasks provided with MTa Pass are designed to be stimulating but non-threatening for students with diverse backgrounds. Some appear to be easy, e.g. stacking the components on top of each other, but various constraints can be introduced to add levels of complexity. Other tasks are clearly more challenging, e.g. making money by creating various geometric shapes which have predetermined values.

Below is just a small sample of the areas where MTa PASS provides learning opportunities:

Key Stages 1 & 2:

• Listening to others
• Sharing ideas
• Valuing others
• Thinking skills
• Confidence
• Communication

Key Stages 3 & 4:

• Identifying and solving problems
• Developing creative and innovative solutions and ideas
• Effective team skills
• The impact of personal success versus team success
• Developing self confidence
• Comfortable learning from mistakes
• Respect for others
• Identify objectives that will lead to success
• Understanding what is 'personal success' to individuals.

Why is MTa Pass so flexible?

MTa PASS is centred on experiential learning. This means that although the teacher guides the student through the learning process, the detail is participant driven. In other words the student has the freedom the learn what is appropriate for them from that experience. Consequently the activities found within MTa PASS can be used with students who have very different learning needs. In fact we use some of the tasks in MTa PASS with KS 2 students and PhD students (as well as senior managers in business). This works because although the brief is the same the approach to the learning review and subsequent learning transfer is very different.

MTa PASS is used by schools to support Inclusion in two ways:-

1) Direct support of “Inclusion” Students

Many students who have been excluded from main stream education, or who are at risk of exclusion, do not possess some of the common skills required to interact effectively with others nor do they have attitudes that enable these skills to be used appropriately.

MTa PASS is used designed for use by small groups (although sometimes on a 1:1 basis with a teacher). Through its use students can develop the attitudes and behaviours that will allow students to; remain in or return to main-stream education, make greater use of their potential and contribute to society at large. Examples include; respect for self and others, self confidence, having an understanding of what 'success' means to them personally, developing a rapport, expressing their thoughts and ideas appropriately (so that others will listen way), listening to others, taking time to think about and understand how to make good use of what others say.

2) To promote classroom understanding and promote the value of diversity

MTa PASS activities require collaborative working, where success is often achieved through understanding and making good use of the strengths of others. Similarly the tasks and subsequent review processes help students realise where they need to improve and help them find ways to develop the attitudes and behaviours they need to do well.

Realising the value of others' strengths provides a stepping stone into diversity. Once students understand, appreciate and value others and their potential, they can be encouraged to question their own attitudes and any prejudices they may have about students with whom they do not naturally relate.

The QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) state that making provision for pupils who are gifted and talented should be an integral part of a schools approach to learning, and that this provision should enable 'ability to flourish'. We at MTa believe that our MTa PASS materials support this need.

Being Gifted and Talented covers more than just ability to succeed in tests. These students can have exceptional interpersonal skills, original and creative ways of approaching problems, or excel at expressing ideas in a clear and compelling way.

MTa PASS activities provide students with opportunities to push back their own personal boundaries, release more of their personal potential and develop key skills, attitudes and behaviours will enable them to make greater use of their abilities.

The activities engage small groups of students in tasks which are followed by structured learning reviews. The task is the platform for learning, i.e. during the learning review the becomes the focus for analysis of performance and subsequent personal learning.

These learning reviews are the key to the whole process as they provide Gifted and Talented students with, under guidance, opportunities to dig deep into their own personal behaviours and those of others within their team. Typically the analysis begins with individual work followed by group discussions to develop understanding and conceptual learning. A follow on activity provides opportunities to implement and evaluate the learning in a training situation before developing strategies for improvement elsewhere.

In 2005 Lancaster University conducted an evaluation of MTa PASS when used with Gifted and Talented Students. Read their findings here.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) deals with real life issues young people face as they grow up. It gives them the knowledge and skills needed to lead healthy and responsible lives as confident individuals and members of society.

This is where MTa PASS comes in. This comprehensive package offers teachers the materials needed to give students opportunities to develop the attitudes and skills that will enable them to become valuable and effective members of society.

Following involvement in short tasks, groups are guided through systematic review processes which help the students gain personal insights into each the qualities under discussion, e,g, mutual respect, self confidence, being assertive (rather than aggressive or passive) listening to, and making good use of, others' ideas.

The learning process is inherently flexible, so two or three students with different learning needs can learn very different lessons at the same time. e.g. as a result of a single discussion one student might learn to be less dominant, another to ask more questions, and a third the importance of expressing their own views to other people.

SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) is a DfES National Strategy to promote the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning of all who learn and work in schools.
There are many possible categories for social and emotional skills but SEAL uses a five-fold categorization.

• Self-awareness
• Managing feelings
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social skills.

The 17 experiential activities within MTa PASS give students an opportunity to understand, evaluate, practice, demonstrate, develop and apply most elements of all five of these categories in a safe, structured and engaging environment.

The DfES propose that skills will be most effectively developed by pupils and staff through a number of measures. MTa PASS supports each of these in turn.;

• A whole-school approach to create the climate and conditions that implicitly promote the skills and allow these to be practised and consolidated;

• Many young people are unaware of the value of SEAL skills. MTa PASS gives students the opportunity to experience the benefit that can be derived through applying these skills initally in the classroom and subsequently where ever they go. As the learning is experiential an activity can be used with a wide arrange of abilities, promoting a whole school approach.

• Direct and focused learning opportunities (during tutor time, across the curriculum, in focus groups and outside formal lessons);

• MTa PASS activities are focused on specific learning outcomes, yet the learning is experiential and student driven providing an engaging contrast to formal lessons. Some of the activities can be completed in 10 - 15 minutes so the learning can be fitted into tight time slots.

• Learning and teaching approaches that support pupils to learn social and emotional skills and consolidate those already learnt;

• All the activities within MTa PASS are focused on giving students the opportunity to understand the impact of personal attitudes (for self and others) and demonstrate, evaluate and practice inter-personal skills. MTa activities can run sequentially to consolidate and develop learning

• Continuing professional development for the whole staff of a school.

• MTa PASS activities are derived from another MTa product, MTa Insights, which was designed to develop managers in business. Consequently some of the MTa PASS activities can be used successfully with adults. Alternatively the pack can be expanded to include the MTa Insights activities which offer development for staff at all levels. Please see the MTa Insights pages or call us for more details.

The creativity of some of our customers and their enthusiasm to find ways to make the most of our products is wonderful......

MTa PASS was written specifically for use by students in schools, it was never conceived as a tool for use with parents. However when one of our customers (William de Ferrers School) decided that it would be a great way to demonstrate what can go on in a classroom to parents MTa PASS was brought into play. The parents got stuck in and found out what it was like to be back at school. And the result? ...…. "Terrific" they said.