1. Achievement for All Cymru

2. Plan for the session
Background on the Achievement for All Programme
What it is
Where it’s come from
Practical implementation in a school (including input from a current Pathfinder school)
Next steps – how to get involved
Questions

3. Background
Overarching WG priority to tackle poverty: Building Resilient Communities
Education – Breaking the link between poverty and low educational achievement
“From tonight, cutting the link between deprivation and attainment becomes our top priority.”
Huw Lewis, Minister for Education and Skills
October 2013.
"Our involvement with the Achievement for All Schools Programme has been the most significant driver for improvement at our school. The impact on student outcomes for the most vulnerable has been enormous. Working with our coach we look forward to continuing to develop our school systems and continue to improve results."
Claire Price, Headteacher, Chepstow School

4. The Education Attainment Gap

5. Raising Attainment, Narrowing the Gap.

6. What is Achievement for All
The Achievement for All schools programme is a tailored whole-school improvement framework that improves progress in reading, writing and maths for ALL children and young people, particularly those eligible for the Pupil Deprivation Grant, looked-after children, service children and those identified with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The programme is led by a strong partnership between an Achievement Coach, a senior experienced education professional who makes regular coaching visits to each school, and a nominated senior school leader, the ‘school champion’.
Together with members from right across the school community, they develop an Action Plan that blends
tailored, school-driven activities with a series of high impact interventions, focused on our four interdependent elements:
Leadership
Teaching and Learning
Parental Engagement
Wider Outcomes and Opportunities.

7. Our History Lamb Inquiry 2009:
“A school cannot be a good school unless it caters properly for ALL the children it is there to serve.”

8. Pilot Evaluation
Overview of the evaluation
28,000 pupils - able to compare outcomes with all pupils nationally
Quantitative information studied, including pupil attainment and progress in English and Maths, absenteeism data, behaviour reports
Qualitative information drawn from extensive interviews with school leaders, teachers, parents and students

9. Pilot Results
Pupils with SEN in pilot schools progressed faster on average than all pupils nationally with SEN in English and Maths across all age groups
Schools reporting “excellent” relationships with parents rose from 12% to 48%
10% improvement in attendance of persistent absentees across pilot schools
Significant reductions in bullying and behavioural problems reported by teachers
Increased awareness of and focus on SEND - “Putting SEND back with the class teacher”

10. Progress in Maths
Compared with National Average for Pupils (with/without SEND)

11. Progress in English
Compared with National Average for Pupils (with/without SEND)

12. 2013 Impact Data
Pupil Progress
(Average Point Score*)
(May 2013)
English
(Reading and
Writing)
Maths
Achievement for All
Baseline to Term 3
Source: PwC
4.2
3.8
National SEND
Source: DfE
2.8
2.5
National Non-SEND
3.2
3.0
Vulnerable pupils within schools working with Achievement for all make 50% more progress than the national average for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

13. Roll out in England
We are now working in over 2000 Schools – Primary, Secondary, Special and PRU.
We have an Early Years and a Post-16 pilot which extend the ages we are working with from 2-19 years-old.
Achievement for All is written into the Green Paper on SEND 2011, and DfE Response in May 2012, and referenced in relation to the new draft Code of Practice 2013
Elements of AfA referenced in the Ofsted framework

14. Achievement for All Cymru
In partnership with Welsh Government, The Wales Centre for Equity in Education and South Central Consortia we are currently running a Pathfinder across 14 schools which started in January 2014.
The partners involved in this Pathfinder will support the development of Achievement for All Cymru in preparation for wider rollout from September This development will involve contextualisation of the programme materials and the creation of a Welsh medium version. This work will build on the very significant investment in both the pilot and national roll out in England (over £35m).
Following on from our initial positive conversations, we also hope to involve the remaining three education consortia in development activity and secure their support for the broader roll out from 2014.

15. The Four Elements …and their synergy with ‘Improving Schools’
Effective leadership at all levels in schools, through supporting leadership development
Effective learning and teaching in schools, through improving the quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy and, supporting teacher and support staff professional development.
Strengthening our approaches to inclusion with a particular focus on improving behaviour and attendance
Building effective partnerships around schools, through building capacity at national and regional levels, developing professional learning communities (PLCs) and empowering and engaging with parents/carers

16. ‘Target Pupils’
Pilot schools targeted about 20% of pupils with SEND in years 1, 5, 7 and 10 (in first year, and then again in second pilot year)
AfA schools choose which year groups and which vulnerable groups of children to target.
Schools identify 2 target groups and track the progress of targeted groups/children. At least 20 pupils in a primary school and 50 in secondary.
‘Key teachers’ for targeted children hold a structured conversation with their parent/carer each term – so avoid ‘overloading’, but ensure large enough target groups.

17. The Achievement Coach
Experienced professionals who work alongside schools, providing support to implement the AfA framework
12 visits per year (1-3 hours)
Partnership, coaching approach, working with the School Champion and others in school
Undertake Needs Analysis with School Champion/SLT
Help school identify target groups of pupils

18. Keys to Success
Regular support of Achievement Coach working alongside the School Champion
Builds on strengths of school and addresses priorities through initial and on-going needs analysis
AfA integrated in school’s strategic plan – this is not bolt on
Training/workshop sessions co-led
Regular analysis of data and tracking of progress of individual children and groups by teachers
Networking between AfA schools
Leadership from SLT

19. First hand experience from a current Pathfinder School

20. Who has benefitted from Achievement for All?
69,995
Parents/
Carers
77,296
Target pupils
1,000,000
Pupils
25,674
Teachers
9,244
School Leaders
21,568
Wider
Professionals

21. PwC Interim Social Impact Report
Define scope & stakeholders
Map outcomes
Evidence & value outcomes
Establishing the impact
Communicate results
School Champion survey conducted in May 2013 returning a total of 149 responses from an initial sample of 727 (a 20 per cent response rate);
Teaching Staff survey also conducted in May returning 131 responses from a total of 72 Achievement for All schools;
Achievement for All school Average Point Score (APS) data for 116 of the 149 schools that responded to the Achievement for All School Champion survey and returned a minimum of 3 terms of APS data by the Summer term, validated by PwC; and
Qualitative data returned in Spring termly submissions and analysed by Achievement for All 3As.
Drawing on part of the evidence base that will be available

22. Interim findings: motivation (SOURCE: PwC)
On average respondents selected three choices from a list of characteristics, reflecting expectations that Achievement for All could have a positive impact for pupils with a range of needs.
Children with SEN(D), pupils in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM) and Looked After Children (LAC) factored highly in decisions to take up the Achievement for All programme.

23. Interim findings: programme outcomes (SOURCE: PwC)
Improved social-behavioural outcomes
Accelerated progression and attainment
Improved attendance
Focus on reducing exclusions
Fewer exclusions
Increased aspiration and positive attitude (pupils and teachers)
Pupil confidence and self-esteem
Increased focus on attendance
Student engagement with school
Wider range of learning & teaching approaches
Pupil voice
Parents / carers engaged in their child’s education
Focus on engagement through structured conversations
Greater extra-curricular participation
Improved teacher/pupil relations
Better use of data
Flexible curriculum
Identification and confidence in SEN
Improved teaching practices
Focus on wider outcomes
Increased civic involvement
Focus on those with complex needs
Parent / carer skill and confidence
Reduced bullying
Teaching staff share the leadership's commitment

24. Interim findings: pupil and parent impact (SOURCE: PwC)
Impact on pupils
Pupils in Achievement for All target groups are increasing their attainment in reading, writing and maths. According to teachers, pupils are also raising their aspirations and improving their confidence and self- esteem.
According to teachers some of the largest increases in outcomes were in relation to pupil confidence and self-esteem, pupil aspirations and positive attitude, and in the use of data to better understand pupil progress.
Based on a weighted average of APS data, schools involved in the Achievement for All programme for a minimum of three terms have increased APS in reading by 5.2 points, in writing by 4.9 points and in maths by 4.8 points.
Impact on parents, carers and teachers
Some of the most pronounced improvements to date have been in relation to; the height of teacher and pupil aspirations for pupil achievement, and parent/carer engagement with, and skill and confidence to support children’s learning.
Qualitative case study research suggests that parents and staff are working more effectively together to address the individual needs of each child. Schools are beginning to devise bespoke methods of recording and reviewing Structured Conversations.

25. Interim findings: pupil and parent impact (SOURCE: PwC)

26. Achievement for All Cymru
In partnership with Welsh Government, The Wales Centre for Equity in Education and South Central Consortia we are currently running a Pathfinder across 14 schools which started in January 2014.
The partners involved in this Pathfinder will support the development of Achievement for All Cymru in preparation for wider rollout from September This development will involve contextualisation of the programme materials and the creation of a Welsh medium version. This work will build on the very significant investment in both the pilot and national roll out in England (over £35m).
Following on from our initial positive conversations, we also hope to involve the remaining three education consortia in development activity and secure their support for the broader roll out from 2014.

27. Next steps Questions

28. Cost: £7,500 per year ex VAT for 2 years initially More information: Nick Aslett (Director of Quality) Registration: