Lessons learned from Signature, Delivering social change PRIMARY

Session 1- Background on the Signature project Success story Refreshments Session 2- Good practice-7 quality indicators Interview about good practice Lunch Session 3- How to manage successful Intervention Session 4 – Lessons learned in Literacy and Numeracy Practical ideas Session 5- Implications for your school Final evaluation Outline of the day

Objectives for the course  To show the good practice of The OFMDFM Signature project from primary and post-primary sectors  To share the strategies which have been most effective in raising pupil achievement in English and Maths at the expected levels of attainment  To use the experience of the Signature teachers to disseminate good practice to other teachers

In 2012 the OFMDFM announced a Delivering Social Change Signature Project on improving literacy and numeracy. The aims of the Signature/ NISPLAN project have been : to increase the number of pupils in primary schools achieving at the expected level or above at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, Mathematics and Irish; to increase the number of young people in post-primary schools, achieving a grade C or above in English and Mathematics by the time they leave school, and to provide employment opportunities for 270 recently graduated teachers.

 Count, Read: Succeed messages  What is intervention? Schools monitored pupils’ progress regularly and used this information to refine the planning of intervention.  by the teacher as part of the programme  by a coordinator to gain an overview of the progress made  by a senior leader to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention Ethos of intervention

The 5 “things” that the class or subject teachers will do to raise standards in literacy and numeracy are, in order: 1. provide high-quality teaching for all pupils; 2. address underachievement as soon as it emerges; 3. address continuing underachievement with support from other staff in the school; 4. address continuing underachievement with support from outside the school; and 5. meet the needs of pupils after a non- statutory assessment through the SEN framework. C,R:S, p33

Success of intervention Collaborative Approaches Intervention teachers worked closely with the class teachers to plan what should be taught and how, and were prepared to adapt the materials and approaches to meet the pupils’ needs. Such approaches included concentrating on building pupils’ confidence, tackling common misunderstandings and providing opportunities for pupils to apply what they had learned. OFMDFM Signature Project

 Who is being trained?  Who is involved?  Who is leading/ managing it?  Outline of training  Overall messages from those involved Background to Signature

Teachers Appointed  225.4(FTE) – OFMDFM32.4(FTE) – DE  2(FTE) – by schools  260.7(FTE) – Appointed Overall  300 individual teachers employed  208 – Seconded Teachers (1 days training)  73 – Centrally Recruited (5 days training)

Overall Data – From Website  3042 – Primary Pupils Supported o 1561 – Literacy o 1402 – Numeracy o 79 – Irish  6658 – Post Primary Pupils Supported o 3023 – English o 3635 – Mathematics

6+ pupils – 94% Numeracy 6+ pupils – 86% Literacy 7+ pupils – 73% Numeracy 7+ pupils – 79% Literacy

Comments from Monitoring “Discussions with class teachers have highlighted an increase in confidence for children when attempting numeracy work. Children are enthusiastic about the withdrawal lessons and always participate well. All children receiving intervention support have successfully been awarded a Level 4 in numeracy and so have achieved their target.”

Comments from Monitoring “Establish greater contact with parents including face to face meetings with the parents of targeted pupils.” “High level of participation from students during in-school sessions Student, parent and teacher questionnaires carried out in January indicated marked improvement in student self-esteem and attitude towards learning and exams. Parent meeting provided valuable and positive feedback. Teacher records in regular English lessons indicate improved marks and anecdotal evidence from English teachers noted how much more positive students were about their English. Improved controlled assessments, attendance at after school sessions are positive and students are actively seeking help and support, even out of normal lesson time.”

Comments from Monitoring “Therefore after one full term (the second term) with the Signature Project pupils I feel better equipped to express opinions on the work covered and discuss the level of progress of individual pupils. Initially, it was decided to raise the profile of reading within the cohort of pupils. I wished to make reading a regular, enjoyable experience which embraced a lifeskill element. The concept of reading in one's spare time became a pivotal aim. Reading became a time filler, a life skill and a hobby all in one. My sense of drive ensured that I convinced my pupils of the importance of the art of reading which could enrich their life experiences. Trying to work with a spread of reading ability throughout the cohort provided direction and purpose.”

Close collaboration and team teaching with class teacher helped my inexperience Good balance of withdrawal and team-teaching Team-teaching to get to know the pupils initially and throughout the programme to gain an insight of how they are achieving in class Pupils during withdrawal can concentrate more Active strategies and practical approaches to problem solving VAK approach Class teacher introduced the learning. Small group tutorial helped the children to deepen their understanding Personalised learning What works well

 Continuous assessment, reflection and evaluation  Daily challenges  Celebration and rewards  VCOP and super sentences  Sharing targets with pupils - provided children with ownership of their learning.  Safe environment led to ‘have a go ‘ attitude  Meetings for parents about how to support your child What works well

 Settling in to one or more new schools  Timetabling- for withdrawal and weekly meetings with teachers – especially when some of the teachers were part-time  Regularly meeting with groups - either being used for subbing or children being needed elsewhere  What to do in the afternoons (mornings is the best time for lit /num work.  P7 pupils did not have enough time to improve. Next year should be better  Behaviour of some children in the group Challenges overcome

 Knowing the standard of level 4 Worked closely with the teacher and used the guidance given  Lack of parental support  Wrong target group  School not knowing enough about the project  Realistic target-setting  Showing improvement. Used class tests and adapted CCEA tasks to track children  Attendance  Perception of intervention  use of ipads, practical work and small treats helped.  Attitude of boys and/or P7 pupils  Timetables had to be looked at and confidence/relationships developed Challenges overcome

Success story  Tanya from St Matthew’s Primary School, Belfast

Quality indicators for successful Intervention Session 2

Effective Signature intervention pupils teachers leadershipplanning Monitoring & evaluating Collaboration & Communication parents 7 quality indicators

pupils Correctly identified, data used effectively, moved in and out of intervention, involved in their learning, setting targets.

teachers chosen well- either recruited by WELB (CR), or appointed by their school on secondment (S) or to fill the Backfill post (BF) equipped to know what to do plan appropriately use a variety of strategies tailor intervention to suit pupils track their pupils’ progress.

leadership supportive of the aims of Signature, at HOD level, at SMT/ Principal level and as teacher- tutor; set clear direction, plan intervention carefully and integrate the Signature teacher(s) into plan for school improvement promote the Signature intervention model as a legacy for the school.

planning appropriate and flexible at all levels- classroom work is tailored and adapted timetables are suitable allowing for monitoring and evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the model used ongoing assessment is used throughout.

Monitoring & evaluating ACTION PLANS are detailed and real, recorded online and regularly reviewed and adjusted; school tracking and pupil target- setting are used.

parents involved from the beginning and kept informed of progress.

Evaluate how far these indicators are evident in your school Discussion

Interview with successful practitioner Session 3

Interview with successful practitioner: managing Signature Session 3

Lessons learned : successful intervention strategies for English and Maths Session 4

 Understanding the levels Understanding the levels  Linking to teaching, assessment and tracking  Resources: VCOP, Pie Corbett, Literacy shed, Sue Palmer,  Activities: super sentences, visualisation Good practice in English

Seven ways to change a sentence:  Add words  Drop in chunks  Add at the beginning  Add at the end  Reorder or change words  Add a simile  Special effects Super Sentences

Add wordsThe tiny bird flew down the busy road. Drop in chunks eg ing/edThe bird, struggling against the wind, flew slowly down the road. Add at the beginningStruggling against the wind, the bird flew slowly down the road. Add at the endThe bird flew down the road, its wings flapping slowly. Re order or change wordsDown the M1 flew the small green parrot. Add a simileScreeching like a barn owl, the tiny bird flew down the road Special effectsFlapping furiously, the bird flew down the busy bypass. Super Sentences : eg. “The bird flew down the road.”

Add words Drop in chunks eg ing/ed Add at the beginning Add at the end Re order or change words Add a simile Special effects Super Sentences (Activity) eg 2 “ The man ran into the shop with his dog.”

 Understanding the levels Good practice in Maths

Implications for your school Any questions? Session 5

… the true measurement of success (of Signature) will take me far beyond the End of Key Stage. It will be judged in value added results, life forming habits that go beyond simple test scores. It is not just about their ability to use/develop important literacy skills across the curriculum. It is about continuing to use these skills and habits in real life situations. This in itself requires self-confidence and understanding. I am confident that this will happen for some of my pupils. Increasing this percentage is not only a personal goal but an overall aim shared by the school. I am also confident that our End of Key Stage 2 results will improve next year and beyond. For the most part the work that continues on a daily basis has been worthwhile and enjoyable for all concerned. The challenge still remains, “To work hard, express ourselves clearly, listen to others, to feel valued and thus to succeed”. Barrie McGowan – Good Shepherd Primary School- ( taken from Year 1 Monitoring form) The Legacy of the project

nisplan.welbni.org Final evaluation