How are more effective schools supporting disadvantaged pupils to achieve? Shona Macleod NFER November 2016

What I’ll discuss... 1. Context 2. Aims and study design 3. Strategies adopted by schools 4. The building blocks of successful practice 5. The improvement journey 6. School risk factors 7. Conclusions 8. Resources for schools

The KS2 attainment gap has narrowed since 2011 70 % of disadvantaged pupils achieved level 4 in 2015 compared to 85% of others Source: DfE, 2015

The performance gap at KS4 narrowed at first but then tailed off 36.7 % of disadvantaged pupils achieved 5 A*-C in 2015 compared to 64.7% of others. Source: DfE, 2016

Negative consequences for disadvantaged pupils include Lower wages Higher unemployment Poverty is transmitted from one generation to the next Source: Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, 2014

Research study design 1 What are the characteristics of schools identified with success in raising disadvantaged pupils’ attainment? (Analysis of national performance data) 2 What quantity and mix of strategies are being implemented in more and less successful schools? (Surveys of over 1,300 schools) 3 How does implementation influence success? (Interviews with 49 school leaders)

Strategies adopted by schools

Schools used an average of 18 strategies to support disadvantaged pupils between 2011 and 2015

Schools’ approaches to supporting disadvantaged pupils Schools identified the following strategies as the most effective Paired or small group additional teaching Improving feedback between teachers and pupils One-to-one tuition

How strategies related to success Greater success was associated with: schools introducing their most successful strategy earlier using fewer strategies using metacognitive, collaborative and peer learning (secondary) Less success in primary schools was associated with the following combinations of strategies: strategies to improve behaviour, attendance, aspirations, the classroom/school environment and pupil engagement in the curriculum additional staff resources to work specifically with disadvantaged pupils, new literacy or numeracy interventions and paired/small group additional teaching

Overview of value for money (Diagram from Professor Steve Higgins and EEF) 1.0 Promising Feedback Meta-cognition Could be worth it EY intervention Effect Size (potential months gain) Peer tutoring Collaborative learning Homework (Secondary) 1-1 tutoring Summer schools Digital technology Phonics Smaller classes Parental involvement After school Needs careful thought Individualised learning Teaching assistants Performance pay £0 Ability grouping £1000 Cost per pupil

Peer learning, collaborative learning and metacognition Peer learning (same-age or cross-age tutoring, reciprocal learning to consolidate learning) Collaborative learning (joint or shared tasks in small groups) Meta-cognitive approaches (helping pupils to think about their own learning more explicitly) Examples include SRSD, Talk for Writing and Changing Mindsets

‘Self-Regulated Strategy Development’ (SRSD) EEF Project – based on US research Calderdale Excellence Partnership 23 schools: Y6 & Y7 Focus on writing Average 9 months additional progress Greater impact for FSM Now being examined at scale http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/using-self-regulation-to-improve-writing/

Meta-cognition and self-regulation Meta-cognition: explicit strategies to Plan… Monitor… Evaluate… your own learning Self-regulation Move from external to internal regulation “Scaffolding” learning (and dismantling the ‘scaffold’) Includes managing motivation/perseverance Aim is to become automatic

A simple model of meta-cognition Strategies to plan Key steps/clear goal/visualisation Notes/diagrams Strategies to monitor Keeping on track Comprehension monitoring Progress check Strategies to review What worked/didn’t work (process) Check criteria (outcome)

Making planning explicit Clear objectives/ targets Understood and explainable by learners Strategies for planning Talk partners, identifying key steps, visualisation, brainstorming Tools Diagrams/ maps/ flow charts, tree diagrams/ storyboards

Monitoring Use the plan – identify the ‘tricky’ bits Identify how to deal with these? What do you need to keep in mind? Self or peer questioning strategies Use ‘buddying’ Reminders ‘Keep on track’ mats/ organisers

Reviewing Hard to make effective Review prior to starting next time? Strategies to improve – focus on process as well as outcome Effective time to talk…

But if most schools are doing lots of similar things, why are disadvantaged pupils doing better in some schools than others?

The building blocks of successful practice

1. Whole school ethos of attainment for all More successful schools see pupils as individuals rather than stereotyping disadvantaged pupils as a group with similar problems and less potential to achieve. They take responsibility for helping all pupils succeed

Successful schools avoid stereotyping disadvantaged pupils Whatever we throw at these disadvantaged children, some of them are still struggling to make that progress. They just haven’t got it… So we don’t throw loads at these children. They make the progress that I think they’re capable of. Headteacher, less successful primary school When I am talking about our disadvantaged students I am absolutely determined that I see each of them as an individual rather than generalising them and moulding them together. Senior leader, more successful primary school

2. Addressing behaviour and attendance More successful schools have effective attendance and behaviour strategies They follow up quickly with individuals and families They provide emotional support to address underlying issues

3. High quality teaching for all More successful schools emphasise high quality teaching first They invest in staff training, monitor performance and share good practice

For poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s learning. Sutton Trust (2011)

4. Meeting individual learning needs Staff work to identify barriers, interests and what might help each pupil make the next steps in learning. They provide targeted support for under-performing pupils during curriculum time, in addition to learning support outside school hours. They seek strategies best suited to addressing individual needs, rather than just fitting pupils into their existing support strategies.

5. Deploying staff effectively More successful schools identify the strengths of each staff member They devolve responsibility to frontline staff and use TAs well They deploy their best staff to work with pupils who need the most support

6. Data driven and responding to evidence More successful schools review progress every few weeks, spot any signs of underperformance and address them quickly. Teachers engage with the data themselves: they input, analyse and use it to underpin their teaching. They have a consistent marking scheme which recognises pupils’ achievements and sets out the next steps in their learning. They monitor the success of support strategies and make evidence-based decisions about whether to keep, adjust or replace.

7. Clear, responsive leadership Senior leaders in more successful schools ensure that staff are willing to do whatever it takes to help each pupil to succeed. They hold every staff member accountable for pupils’ progress. They share their thinking and work collaboratively. They ensure their schools are linked into key local/national networks. They ensure staff share best practice.

The improvement journey

According to senior leaders in more successful schools ... There is no ‘magic bullet’ Achieving better results takes time The quality of implementation is important

Example: Small group additional teaching More successful school Pupils with similar needs are withdrawn from alternating non-core curriculum lessons for tailored support from a TA trained in literacy interventions Less successful school Struggling pupils are taken out of English lessons to work on an online literacy programme, supervised by a TA who has received no specific training.

Example: Parental Involvement More successful school Higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) go to community centres to talk to parents about the importance of learning and aspirations. They show parents the curriculum pupils are covering and how to support their child. Less successful school Staff provide pupils with homework books showing the day’s assignments. Pupils take the book home. There is space for teachers and parents to leave comments about pupils’ progress.

Schools’ pathways to success Continued development Seek opportunities to share and improve practice Embedded Focus more strongly on taking calculated risks, using data and early intervention Intermediate Introduce T&L strategies and individualise approaches Basic Attendance, behaviour & emotional support. High quality teaching Timescale 3-5 years

School risk factors

Characteristics associated with poorer performance of disadvantaged pupils Schools with: Disadvantaged pupils who had lower results on entry Higher levels of pupil absence A lower proportion of disadvantaged pupils Larger year groups Higher percentage of pupils with SEN (KS2 only) Rural schools (KS4 only)

Some thoughts on how to address risk factors If your school has fewer disadvantaged pupils or larger year groups, make sure they are not getting ‘lost in the system’? If your school has little pupil premium funding, focus on low-cost targeted strategies ? If your disadvantaged pupils have low prior attainment, identify and address under-performance when they enter your school?

Conclusions Schools can make a key difference to the life chances of disadvantaged pupils There is no single strategy or set of strategies that make the difference Investing in high quality teaching is key Schools need to make their own choices, monitor progress regularly and take action The quality of implementation is as important as the choice of strategies.

Reflections or questions?

What’s your view? What’s your response to the building blocks of success? Does the four-stage improvement journey reflect your experience? Have you got any other suggestions about how to address the risk factors? How can you use these findings to inform your work?

Resources for schools

Useful resources Details of this research and briefing for schools are available on the DfE and NFER websites: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications and www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/PUPP01 The families of schools tool: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/resources/families-of- schools-database/ DfE service for comparison of school performance: https://www.compare-school- performance.service.gov.uk/ Sutton Trust/EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/toolkit-a-z/ Pupil Premium Review Guide: http://tscouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PPR-guide- Spring-2016-refresh-FINAL-1.pdf Pupil Premium Awards case studies: http://www.pupilpremiumawards.co.uk/ Teacher workload and marking: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511256/Eliminating- unnecessary-workload-around-marking.pdf Teacher workload and data management: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511258/Eliminating- unnecessary-workload-associated-with-data-management.pdf

References Department for Education (2015). National Curriculum Assessment at Key Stage 2 in England 2015 (Revised). (Statistical First Release 47/2015). London: DfE. Department for Education (2016). Revised GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2014 to 2015 . (Statistical First Release 01/2016). London: DfE. Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (2014). State of the Nation 2014: Social Mobility and Child Poverty in Great Britain. London: The Stationery Office. The Sutton Trust (2011). Improving the Impact of Teachers on Pupil Achievement In the UK: Interim Findings. London: The Sutton Trust.