Raising standards for everyone and closing the deprivation gap Codi Safonau ar gyfer pawb a chau’r bwlch amddifadedd

“... There is a strong association between living in poverty and low educational qualifications with this being both a cause and an effect of poverty in Wales.” Wales Centre of Equity in Education March 2014

“Schools can have a significant effect on improving the achievement of disadvantaged students. To bring this about they need to: Have strong moral purpose. Leadership that focuses the activities of the school on this purpose. Place a strong focus on the wellbeing of students. Use data to track students and prompt early interventions. Provide high quality teaching.” Professor Athro David Egan

 A region where high levels of skills and qualifications have not been the norm in the past.  Local employment – three generations of unemployment within families is common  A battle to break the cycle  Lack of role models  Lack of resilience to maintain aspirations

 761 pupils  Pupils come mainly from socially deprived and economically disadvantaged areas.  40% of pupils live in the 20 wards of the Rhondda Valley that are among 50 of the most deprived wards in Wales.  17.4% of pupils claim free school meals (99 pupils) – National percentage of 17.7% (2014)  The school that faces the biggest challenge within its Family

Estyn, March 2014  Standards – Adequate  Learning and Teaching – Good  Leadership – Good  Current performance – Adequate  Prospects for Improvement – Good National School Categorisation System 2016  Standards Group 1  Support Category – ???????

Dangosyddion Gap (Percentage Points)

Summer 2015 Results

FSM Gap / nFSM – Summer 2015 GCSE Results

 Strategic Planning - Whole school priority - Based on self evaluation outcomes School Improvement Plan / Departmental Improvement Plan – specific attention to the Pupil Deprivation Grant - Clear, focused actions. Half termly milestones - Specific member of the SLT - Ensuring ownership and accountability - Aligning SIP objectives / Whole School Performance - Management - Involvement - Pupils, Families, Staff, External Agencies, Governors, LEA - Monitoring, Evaluation, Appraisal – ensuring consistency

 SLT set targets  Common agendas, across the school  Formal meetings – 2 per half term  Regular communication daily between the line manager and middle leaders. Huge emphasis on accountability.  Weekly feedback on standards of learner groups at departmental / progress/ SLT meetings in order to ensure shared understanding of pupil progress on an individual level

Additional provision – -Additional sets in mathematics at KS4 -Mathematics tutors are Y11 class tutors – additional mentoring sessions -L2+ Revision Weekends / After-school sessions -Continuous Interventions - L2 threshold/L2+ threshold/CSI/FSM/ALN/MAT -Vocational qualifications -Significant investment -Tailored timetables -Daily adjustments to individual pupils’ timetables -Early entry to examinations -Coordination of provision for pupils with other establishments -Pastoral weeks prior to examinations -Appropriate curriculum and learning pathways.

How do we do this?

 Distribution of responsibility to an SLT member  Forming a PLC to identify the needs of staff at every level with regard to using and analysing data  Extensive staff training on data analysis and interpretation  – Developing holistic use of a range of data sources and tightening the tracking system on a whole school level  Data Packs  Subject Profiles  Class Profiles

EVERYONE! KS3 & 4 Learning coaches Support staff Skills Coordinators Class teacher Subject teacher Year Leaders Subject Leaders Progress Leaders SLT

- Personal mentor - Interviews twice per half term - Mentors for KS3-5 learner groups - Plays a role in the process of ensuring appropriate learning pathways - Time to ensure a meaningful process – positive impact on outcomes - Specialists for learner groups - Specialist training for Progress Leaders that enables other middle leaders - Tailoring the curriculum to individuals - Listening to the Pupil Voice - Offering constructive feedback that has an impact on outcomes

Planning Individual Learning Pathways Big curriculum changes – fit for purpose Examinations Coordinated revision timetables / Revision weekends At least 1 L2 qualification for Y9 Older students – MAT mentors Learning coaches The Key Stage 4 ‘Hub’ Work Experience / Off-site education PLC - NQT

Learning PathwaysLiteracy/Numeracy Extra- curricular Feedback Specialism /Training Curriculum tailoring Skills

- Agreed Cluster Pedagogy since Developing the Collaborative Classroom - Developing the Independent Learners - Skills of working with others - Thinking practice (Art Costa)

WELLBEING FAMILIESATTENDANCE COUNSELLING PUPIL VOICE AGENCIES PASTORAL SUPPORT ELSA

Holistic support is fundamental to the success and progress of children and young people towards their potential.  Team Around the Family  FAST (Families and Schools Together)  Termly Multi-agency Review Panel for Pupils  LEA Wellbeing Officers  Counselling Service  Communities First  E3

“Disadvantaged learners are more likely to become disenchanted with school from an earlier age than other learners. This is because they often perceive the school curriculum to be irrelevant, are less likely to accept the school culture and have a poorer attendance record. These characteristics, together with a lack of aspiration and less chance of achieving their potential, mean that disadvantaged learners often feel excluded from school life.” Estyn 2012 ESTYN 2012

 Frequent Reviews in the Form of Questionnaires (Super Survey, Quizdom)  Focus Groups  Suggestion Box  1-1 Sessions (Mentoring Sessions, Pastoral Interviews)  Peer Mentoring – ‘Take Care’ Mentor  Year Councils  School Council Listen but then respond.

% Whole School Attendance – 2012 – 89.70% % FSM Comparison

“Disadvantaged parents and their social networks can lack the experience and knowledge to help their children. Engaging parents to help them understand what their children’s aspirations involve and what will help achieve them is an effective way of raising attainment” Joseph Rowntree Foundation 4 Key Areas -Parenting Skills -Developing parents’ education and skills -Getting parents more involved in the work of the school -Developing and maintaining links between the home and the school