Thunk: Would increasing the class size develop the richness of formative assessment and learning for the pupils?

Lets think back to our thunk…. ‘Would increasing the class size develop the richness of formative assessment and learning for the pupils?’ This question obviously deserves more discussion and analysis than an initial hinge question may provide, and we are ideally placed to investigate it - Start with Why, How, What - Structure it with the Plan- Do- Review Methodology

Expectations within Literacy Pupils need a reading age of 12.5 to access the basic GCSE questions I use this as an assembly at KS2: why language is so important Describe, Explain, Discuss, Reflect, Support, Evidence,

How do you ensure that pupils can access these types of questions? AQA 2017 Spec Papers How do you ensure that pupils can access these types of questions?

The Importance of Transition: KS2-4 Has anyone seen a Literacy or Numeracy SATS question before?

Do enough of us in Secondary understand and appreciate the increased expectations in KS2?

There has been an increase in expectations at KS2, has this translated into KS3?

What can over reliance on diagnostic detail lead to? What does these depict? What can over reliance on diagnostic detail lead to?

Academic Transition: Why should we focus on the KS2 to 3 Academic transition? Key Stage 3: The Wasted Years Hypothesises from exemplified, routine inspections that Key Stage 3 is not the priority for many secondary schools That too many secondary schools focus on the empirical side of transition (the data) to the detriment of the experiential side (prior and post learning) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/459830/Key_Stage_3_the_wasted_years.pdf

The Focus: Academic Transition By applying positive interpretations through Collaboration Moderation Reflection The Focus: Academic Transition What How To ensure that all pupils experience a positive and relevant learning transition from KS2-3-4 Why By utilising all staff and their expertise By allowing pupils to be active, not passive, in curriculum making

RAISEonline: The now defunct method of analysing school improvement Whilst statistically significant does not always mean Educationally significant; it can show which areas could be in need of transitional development It can also depict where a school’s focus is and where it needs to be in terms of intervention on progress and attainment.

What has your experience of transition been? How could we ensure that transition between key stages is effective and helpful for all pupils? Are the Key Stage 3 curriculums you have been teaching fit for purpose anymore? Are you already focussing on KS4 rather than KS3? Reflect: Have you observed apathy within KS3 so far? What did this look like?

What questions do we have about transition? Collaboration (a) Should the level of communication and interaction between feeder primary's and Secondary be increased? (b) Do we all know what is being taught in a KS2 classroom? (c) How much pupil involvement is there in the curriculum, i.e. Are pupils active or passive in the development of the curriculum? Moderation (d) Are the Key Stage 3 curriculums in all core and foundation subjects planned with Key Stage prior attainment and pupil experience in mind? (e) Where does the school’s focus lie in terms of pupil progress and attainment? Reflection (f) Is there a suitable level of challenge, stretch and breadth in the Key Stage 3 curriculum? (g) What role could Middle Leaders play in ensuring that the QT&L in Key Stage 3 is preparing the pupils for the challenges ahead, (Key Stage 4, exam pressure and technique). (h) What does academic apathy look like in Key Stage 3?