Watlington Partnership Vulnerable Learners

Impact of Socio-economic In many education systems the primary focus is on the school with little reference to individual potential or socio- economic factors. This might be explained by the fact that it is a lot easier to work on the school system than to eliminate child poverty, create a society built on high trust, ensure effective parenting and create positive community relationships. Yet these are the very factors that explain the relative success of some schools and some school systems. (John West-Burnham)

Impact of Quality Teaching? Quality of teaching is the only thing that really makes a difference to achievement for all groups and makes more difference to groups we identify as disadvantaged Do our teachers know which children are disadvantaged?

Impact of Quality Teaching The difference between a very effective teacher and a poorly performing teacher is large. For example during one year with a very effective maths teacher, pupils gain 40% more in their learning than they would with a poorly performing maths teacher. The effects of high-quality teaching are especially significant for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds: over a school year, these pupils gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning with very effective teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. In other words, for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s learning. (Sutton Trust 2011)

Inform, Raise Awareness, Develop Culture We focused on securing equity, closing the gap and the achievement of the most vulnerable. Securing the 20% (50:30:20) that the school controls by: Working to eliminate variation Deploy the most effective staff to optimum effect Ensuring the most appropriate teaching and learning strategies are being employed Ensuring that teachers are engaged in improving practice Identifying all forms of vulnerability and developing appropriate intervention strategies for each Developing a culture and system of personalized learning Support strategies to secure literacy across the community Developing parents as co-educators. Develop partnerships to secure well-being across the community Build leadership capacity across the school, the community and other agencies

Collaborative Work Identification and planning for individual needs – see blanked vulnerable pupils plan Network groups of subjects leaders and heads of department (cross phase groups) to share good practice in subjects Joint practice development – cross phase visits in maths and English to see good practice and identify opportunities for further improvement. Appreciative Enquiry approach, not lesson observations, Lesson Study Cycle – focus on learning Focus on developing writing – in English network group Private speech and language specialist – supporting one child and one TA from each school including secondary school Joint school and children’s centre project – focused on engagement of hard to reach parents/carers Shared data, strengths and weaknesses across all partnership schools Joint Professional Development for all: Jim Smith, Ian Gilbert, Sir John Jones, Sue Hackman Shared resources more time and financial stability to smaller schools

Complex Needs Forces families (especially where the parent is intheatre) Families in receipt of FSM and those in financialdifficulty and low income Family in relationship breakdown or crisis (includinghousing) Drug or alcohol misuse/dependency Working parents who are often absent and have notengaged with the school Domestic violence Children who are carers, in care or who have asibling with a SEND Children who have an attachment difficulty or emotional, behavioural difficulty Any child at risk of exclusion or with a medical needthat means they cannot access an aspect of thecurriculum Parents, children (or both) with a SEND or poorhealth (including mental health) which may meanthey are unable to provide an adequate level of care Children whose parent has died Low attenders and poor punctuality Children with EAL where neither parent speaksEnglish as a first language Included on school’s SEND Register Vulnerable Pupils Matrix – 2014/15

Plan for Individual Support