‘PROGRESS FOR ALL’ PRESENTATION TO ESSEX SECONDARY HEADS DAVID WOODS SEPTEMBER 25 TH, 2013

PROGRESS ‘OUR PRIORITY NOW IS TO ENSURE THAT NO CHILD GETS LEFT BEHIND; WE MUST CREATE A REALITY WHERE EVERY SCHOOL AND EVERY PUPIL IS MAKING PROGRESS DFE POLICY STATEMENT

References 1) Unseen children: access and achievement 20 years on – Evidence Report. OfSTED (2012) 2) ‘The most able students’ – OfSTED Report (2013) 3) ‘The Tail – How England’s schools fail one child in five and what can be done’. P.Marshall (Ed) ) The Sutton Trust Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Teaching and Learning Toolkit (2012) 5) ‘The pupil premium’: how schools are spending the funding successfully to maximise Achievement – OfSTED, 2012

Unseen Children: access and achievement 20 years on – Evidence Report The Report considers disadvantage more broadly than previous reports, looking at all children entitled to free school meals and asking where they are and how well they achieve. Many live in areas that might be considered generally affluent but nonetheless are performing poorly. Many others live in places that are relatively isolated, such as Coastal towns. There are other groups that perform poorly …..there is too much variation in the achievement of pupils with special educational needs, looked after children and children from Traveller, Roma and Gypsy backgrounds.

Unseen Children White British pupils from low income backgrounds are by far the largest of the main disadvantaged ethnic groups (two thirds of the total number eligible for free school meals.) In % of pupils from low income backgrounds left school with 5 A*-C EM compared to 63% of their better off peers. Only 26% of disadvantaged white British boys and 35% of white disadvantaged girls achieved 5A*-C EM

Unseen Children Our education system has undoubtedly got better over the past 20 years and now serves many children well. But a large minority of children still do not succeed at school or college, becoming increasingly less visible as they progress through the system. The OECD highlights this as a particular weakness of the English educational system which is often called our ‘long tail of underperformance’

A disproportiante number of these young people are from disadvantaged backgrounds.. the link between disadvantaged and academic failure is far from being an iron law. Deprivation does not determine destiny. Many young people from low income families succeed brilliantly…..mainly because their schools have the highest expectations for each of them and are relentless in what they do and secure excellent headway in realising these expectations. Unseen Children

Unseen Children – HMCI Recommendations The first recommendation is for OFSTED. We will be tougher in future with schools who are letting down their poor children. Schools previously judged outstanding, which are not doing well by their poorest children, will be re-inspected. Second – the development and roll-out of sub-regional challenges aimed particularly at raising the achievement of disadvantaged children but also at raising standards generally All post 16 providers should report on the rate of progress and outcomes for young people previously eligible for free school meals.

The most able students – OfSTED Report, 2013 The Data Almost two thirds (65%) of high attaining pupils leaving primary school securing level 5 in both English and Maths did not reach an A* grade or A grade in both these subjects in non-selective schools Just over a quarter (27%) of these previously high-attaining students did not reach a B grade in both English and Maths GCSE in 2012 In 20% of non-selective 11 to 18 schools not one student in 2012 achieved the minimum of 2 A grades and one B grade in subjects required by Russell Group Universities.

OfSTED Commentary In around 40% of the schools surveyed the most able students were not making the progress of which they are capable. Predictably the able students who are most likely to underachieve are those from poorer backgrounds Too many non-selective schools are failing to nurture scholastic excellence…….. these pupils are not challenged and supported sufficiently from the beginning

Characteristics of the schools doing well for most able students Leadership determination and focus High expectations among these students, their families and teachers Effective transition arrangements at 11 maintaining the progress and pace of learning Early identification of the most able students Curriculum flexibility – allowing the most able students to be challenged and extended Expert teaching supported by formative assessment and purposeful homework Tight checks on the progress of the most able students Effective training and co-operative practice ensuring that teachers learn from one another

OfSTED Will: Focus more closely in its inspections on the teaching and progress of the most able students, the curriculum available to them, and the information, evidence and guidance provided. Consider in more detail during inspection how well the pupil premium is used to support the most able students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Report its inspection findings about this group of students more clearly in school inspection reports.

For pupils:- Progress targets – high expectations (above expected progress) Progress tracking with rigour and vigour – use of sub levels Progress league tables for pupils Progress tutoring – specific interventions Progress Pupil Profiles (pupil case studies) The Progression premium – pupil premium funding linked directly to progress A RELENTLESS FOCUS ON PROGRESS

PROGRESSION PUPIL PROFILES Examples of accelerated progress / above expected, drawn from particular groups of pupils written to a template. White boys and girls entitled to free school meals Special Education Needs Looked after Children Examples of pupils making four levels of progress Specific minority groups

PROGRESS TEMPLATE Context Evidence of progress The Pupil’s story The tutor’s story / Head of Year or stage The teacher’s story / specific interventions

PROGRESS FOR STAFF Personalised development programmes e.g ITP and OTP or developed by the school Performance management and progress Participation in CPD [Increased percentage of good and outstanding teachers in Departments and whole school]

‘Our aim should be to support the school system to become more effectively self-improving. The primary responsibility for improvement rests with schools, and the wider system should be designed so that our best schools and leaders can take on greater responsibility, leading Improvement work across the system. WHITE PAPER, NOVEMBER, 2010

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SCHOOL SUPPORT AND CHALLENGE NLE/NSS Specialist Leaders of Education Local Authorities Chains, Collaboratives and Partnerships Local Leaders of Education Teaching Schools and Alliances Designated Outstanding Teachers Future Leaders & Teaching Leaders School Sponsored Academies Sponsored Academies

LONDON CHALLENGE Effective partnership and networking – seeking best practice Challenge & support systems Structural & radical solutions Strong accountability A relentless focus on Teaching and Learning Shared vision, purpose and objectives Making full use of data Close attention to narrowing gaps System Leadership PURPOSE, PASSION, PROGRESS AT A PACE

‘Over time headteachers came to see themselves as ‘London Headteachers’ responsible for the performance of pupils across London and not just within their own schools. They became actively involved in leading the strategy, supported by Challenge Advisers who were there to broker the best support, successful leaders and schools were encouraged to organise training for others and there were opportunities for schools to work in partnership in order to share effective practice and exchange innovations. OfSTED Inspection Report (2010)

SUCCESSFUL AREA BASED INITITIATIVES /OfSTED A high level of ‘political’ will and accountability A clear focus on raising achievement A shared focus that involves the best local leaders and schools in directly supporting other schools in strengthening leadership and teaching Support and challenge through expert leaders, advisers and consultants brokering bespoke solutions Sufficient flexibility to respond to the specific needs and context of the target area Sufficient executive powers to take decisive action where improvement is too slow

SEEKING AND MODELLING BEST PRACTICE Links to Teaching Schools, Outstanding Schools and Universities Examples of innovation and creativity Inter-school excellence visits Peer Reviews Use of outstanding teachers to model best practice Publications of best practice case studies

THE ESSEX BIG THREE Every school a good school Top quartile performance Closing attainment gaps RAISE THE BAR AND CLOSE THE GAP

AN EMERGING ESSEX MODEL Essex system leaders – NLEs and LLEs Essex Excellence Networks – subject based and hosted in schools – knowledge capture and sharing Essex Excellence Practitioners – ASTs, SLEs etc. Essex Excellence Visits / seeking and modelling best practice Essex Partnerships Networks, and Teaching School Alliances Essex Excellence Board / Support and Challenge

‘Give them teaching that is determined, energetic and engaging. Hold them to high standards. Expose them to as much as you can, most especially the arts. Root the school in the community and take advantage of the culture the children bring with them. Pay attention to their social and ethical development. Recognise the reality of race, poverty and other social barriers but make children understand that barriers don’t have to limit their lives…..Above all, no matter where in the social structure children are coming from, act as if their possibilities are boundless’ Charles Payne