REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY PROJECT REPORT

Transcription

1 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY PROJECT REPORT Wales Centre for Equity in Education University of Wales Trinity Saint David June 2014 Contact Wales Centre for Equity in Education University of Wales King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff, CF10 3NS

2 Report Authors Professor David Egan Dr Linda McConnon Dr Russell Grigg Lizzie Swaffield The Wales Centre for Equity in Education is a national policy and applied research centre dedicated to improving educational equity in Wales. It is a joint initiative between the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The Policy Observatory is collaborative project between the Wales Centre for Equity in Education, the four Regional Education Consortia in Wales and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Contents Section Title Page 1 Introduction 3 2 Background 3 3 Methodology Research Design Case Study Themes The Trialling Model Sample Sampling Procedure Invitation to Participate Participants Ethics Data Collection Rigour 13 4 Findings 13 5 Case Study Reports Trialling Model 148 2

3 1. Introduction Overcoming the effects of living in poverty is one of the most significant challenges children and young people face in gaining the skills and qualifications that can improve their life chances. The reasons for this situation are complex, but evidence from Estyn, educational research and professional practice suggests that schools working with parents, families and the wider community can succeed in overcoming this situation. 1 This report, developed and submitted by the Wales Centre for Equity in Education at the University of Wales Trinity St David and the University of Wales is based on a joint project led by the Central South Education Consortium on behalf of the four Regional Education Consortia in Wales 2 and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action to set up a Policy Observatory. The aim of the Policy Observatory is to contribute towards the development of a robust body of evidence that can be used by schools, the Regional Education Consortia, and the Welsh Government to reduce the impact of poverty on educational achievement. The Observatory has worked closely with the Department of Education and Skills, other Welsh Government policy areas (particularly Communities First), the third sector (through the WCVA 3 Anti-Poverty Taskforce), Estyn and other organisations. It has ensured that its work is fully aligned to the on-going evaluation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) procured by the Welsh Government. 2. Background The Welsh Government (2012) is committed to preventing poverty in Wales and mitigating its impact on children and young people s lives. 4 A key element of the Government s strategy is narrowing the gap in educational achievement associated with poverty. The Minister for Education and Skills has identified the reduction of the impact of poverty on educational achievement as his major priority for education in Wales. This 1 Estyn (2012) Effective practice in tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools, Cardiff: Estyn. More recently, the inspectorate has published training materials for schools. See Estyn (2014) Promoting good practice in tackling poverty and disadvantage, Cardiff: Estyn; Egan, D. ( 2012) Communities, Families and Schools Together, London, Save the Children; Egan, D. (2013) Poverty and low educational achievement in Wales: student, family and community interventions, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Kintrea, K., St Clair, R. and Houston, M. (2011) The influence of parents, places and poverty on educational attitudes and aspirations, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 2 North Wales; South West and Mid Wales; South East Wales; and Central South Wales. 3 Wales Council for Voluntary Action 4 Welsh Government (2012) Tackling Poverty Action Plan , Cardiff: Welsh Government. 3

4 national priority has been taken forward through a number of interrelated policy initiatives, with schools being funded to undertake interventions through the School Effectiveness Grant (SEG) and the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG). The Welsh Government has developed frameworks for its other two national education priorities that focus on improving literacy and numeracy. These frameworks encapsulate effective practice and, assisted by a National Support Programme, attempt to embed this practice in all schools. Welsh Government (2013) advice to schools and local authorities, on how best to address the Poverty priority, has focused on how to make effective use of the SEG and PDG grants. 5 The guidance draws upon evidence from Estyn and educational research. 6 Recently schools have been able to match their use of PDG with additional funding made available through Communities First. The Wales Centre for Equity in Education has also recently published a resource for schools and education leaders on effective use of the PDG. 7 The Policy Observatory has been developed in line with this guidance and also draws upon the work of a Strategic Group 8 for Reducing Low Achievement set up by Central South Education Consortium. This Group is firmly of the view that schools would be better placed to address this Priority if the guidance provided by the Welsh Government was supported by evidence based on current success within Wales and through robust trialling of promising interventions, designed to test their efficacy. 3.1 Research Design 3. Methodology This research has been designed to identify, on the basis of rigorous evidence criteria, effective practice currently taking place in Wales. The Policy Observatory delivers two distinct but complementary elements: Case studies of effective practice where the impact of poverty on educational achievement in school, family and community contexts has been reduced. 5 Welsh Government (2013) School Effectiveness Grant and Pupil Deprivation Grant , Cardiff: Welsh Government. 6 Estyn (2011) Tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools: working with the community and other services, Cardiff: Estyn; Estyn (2012) Effective practice in tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools, Cardiff: Estyn; Estyn (2013) Working together to tackle the impact of poverty on educational achievement, Cardiff: Estyn. 7 Egan, D, Saunders, D. and Swaffield, L. ( 2014) Making Effective Use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant, Cardiff, University of Wales. 8 This Group is made up of representatives from primary, special and secondary schools, local authorities, Communities First, Families First and third sector organisations in the region. 4

5 A model for the future trialling of promising interventions that could lead to a robust evidence base being developed and used by schools, Regional Education Consortia and the Welsh Government. The case studies comprise examples of practice drawn from school, family and community contexts. These are in a common format in both English and Welsh and available on the Learning Wales website. 3.2 Case Study Themes The case studies were written around three broad inter-related themes: leadership, teaching and parental engagement (Figure 1). The case study settings have a very clear focus on improving pupils achievement and wellbeing. Effective use of data was a sub-theme arising from leadership and teaching. Leadership Learners achievement and wellbeing Parental engagement Teaching & Learning Figure 1. Main case study themes Table 1 summarises for each case study their focus points linked to the themes. The leaders and teachers in each case study have effectively narrowed and/or closed the achievement gap between pupils receiving Free School Meals (FSM) and those who do not. 5

6 Leadership Teaching and Learning Parental engagement Theme Case study setting Focus Selection Criteria Ysgol Glan Gele Infants and Nursery, Conwy Ysgol y Dderi, Ceredigion Pencoed Comprehensive School, Bridgend Strategic planning to tackle the impact of poverty Use of data to identify and support pupils who are falling behind Use of data to support the aspirations of young people and to identify and support pupils who are falling behind Pupils receiving Free School Meals (FSM) achieve well above local and national average in Foundation Phase indicator Infants and Nursery school KS2 FSM pupils outperform non- FSM pupils over last 5 years Welsh-medium school The achievement gap between FSM pupils and non-fsm pupils has significantly narrowed at KS4 Ysgol Hen Felin Special School, Rhondda Cynon Taf Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn, Gwynedd Oakdale Comprehensive School, Caerphilly Bishop Secondary, Swansea Gore Workforce development through staff training, self-evaluation, and distributed leadership Identifying low-achieving pupils and developing a range of strategies to improve their performance Developing a framework to support highquality relationships and learners wellbeing Supporting low achieving pupils to reach their target grades Improvement of at least 1 P SCALE judgement for each child throughout the academic year Special school Over the last 5 years, FSM pupils achieve well above local and national averages at KS3 and KS4 Welsh-medium school The achievement gap between FSM pupils and non-fsm pupils has significantly narrowed at KS3 and KS4 Over the last 5 years, FSM pupils achieve well above local and national averages at KS3 and KS4 Ysgol Bassaleg Secondary School, Newport Feedback, peer-to-peer learning and learners thinking skills Over the last 5 years, the achievement gap between FSM and non-fsm pupils has been closed Mount Stuart Primary, Cardiff St. Mark s Church in Wales V.A. Primary School Engaging parents and families to overcome cultural barriers Engaging parents to support the wellbeing of vulnerable children Over the last 5 years, FSM pupils have outperformed non-fsm pupils at K2 Over the last 5 years, Foundation Phase and KS1 FSM pupils have outperformed non FSM pupils Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership, Cardiff Y Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Significant improvements in pupil attendance Over the last 5 years, FSM pupils achieve well above local and national averages at KS3 and KS4 Table 1. Summary of case study focal points 6

7 3.3 The Trialling Model The trialling model will lead to the development of ready for implementation interventions, of a robust, experimental approach, which also allows for different community contexts in Wales including Welsh-language communities and Welshmedium education. The interventions to be considered for trialling include those collected in the case studies (in order to provide evidence that these are able to be replicated more widely) and those that are supported by research undertaken by organisations such as the Sutton Trust, 9 the Education Endowment Foundation 10 and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Sample The Project Team drew upon the robust body of research developed through investigation and inspection evidence on how the impact of poverty on educational achievement can best be reduced. The research team received initial quantitative contextual and results based data on 1576 Primary and Secondary Schools from across the whole of Wales (see Table 2). Regional Education Consortia Number of schools included in initial data sample North Wales 434 South West and Mid Wales 449 South East Wales 243 Central South Wales 450 Total 1576 Table 2: Initial Data Sample- Primary and Secondary Schools

8 In addition to this initial sample of 1576 schools, in order to be equitable and inclusive, the team opened up a call for contextual and best practice data from Special Schools and Community Based Educational Projects from across Wales. 25 settings responded increasing the total sample to 1601 (see Table 3). Type of School or Total number of schools Education Project within data sample Primary 1360 Secondary 216 Special 2 Community 23 Total 1601 Table 3: Inclusive Data Sample- Type and Number 3.5 Sampling Procedure Each of the four Regional Education Consortia provided the research team with contextual and performance data collected between the academic years of 2008/9 through to 2012/13. Every school- primary and secondary across Wales was included in the analytical scoping exercise. Data included: School Name Total number of pupils on roll Average % number of pupils in receipt of free school meals (FSM) over 5 years Average % number of non FSM pupils achieving: Key Stage 1 CSI and FPI Key Stage 2 CSI Key Stage 3 CSI Key Stage 4 Level 2 Inclusive Threshold CSI, Core Subject Indicator. Pupils achieving the expected level in English or Welsh (first language), mathematics and science in combination. 13 FPI, Foundation Phase Indicator. Pupils achieving at least outcome 5 in "Personal and social development, well-being and cultural diversity", "Language, literacy and communication skills - English" / "Language, literacy and communication skills - Welsh" and "Mathematical development" in combination. 8

9 Average % number of FSM pupils achieving: Key Stage 1 CSI and FPI Key Stage 2 CSI Key Stage 3 CSI Key Stage 4 Level 2 Inclusive Threshold The initial scoping procedure included sorting schools by Key Stage within each Consortium. The quantitative data was then tested against three primary criteria: 1. The average percentage number of pupils in receipt of free school meals 2008/ The average percentage number of pupils (both in receipt, and not in receipt of free school meals) achieving Key Stage Core Subject Indicators and Level 2 Inclusive Threshold 2008/ The percentage point difference between the average number of pupils (both in receipt, and not in receipt of free school meals) achieving Key Stage Core Subject Indicators and Level 2 Inclusive Threshold 2008/ After the data had been tested three reports were generated ranking schools that best fitted each of the primary criteria. Cross referencing was carried out across the three reports in order to determine which schools best met all three criteria. A final report then produced a long list in order to examine the top 80 outliers across the entire data set (20 from each Consortium) ensuring an equal spread of schools and Key Stages. The Policy Observatory Project Team then liaised with the Regional Education Consortia, WCVA and Estyn to utilise their expertise about local contexts and, in collaboration produced a short list to ensure appropriate geographical balance. From the initial sample of 1601 schools and community settings, fourteen were selected for further case study data collection (see Table 4). 14 Level 2 Inclusive Threshold, 5 GCSEs Grade A*-C Including Maths and English/Welsh /9 to 2011/12 for North Wales and Central South Education Consortia 9

10 Type of school Number of schools selected for case study data collection 16 Primary 6 Secondary 5 Special 1 Community 2 Total 14 Table 4: Case Study Sample- Type and Number These schools and settings were selected via a rigorous analytical and consultation process. The Data Collection Procedure, Section 3.9 details the quantitative scoping process carried out during the first Phase of the project, which included interrogating performance data held by the Welsh Government School Standards Unit. This produced a long list of schools for possible selection through further consultation. The Policy Observatory Project Team then liaised with the Regional Education Consortia, WCVA and Estyn to utilise their expertise about local contexts and agreed a short list. Short-listed schools and settings identified as prospective case studies of effective practice were then cross-referenced to ensure that they did not duplicate those already provided by Estyn and those to be collected by Ipsos-Mori (currently evaluating the Pupil Deprivation Grant on behalf of the Welsh Government). 16 One primary school withdrew from the project due to senior staff illness at the school reducing the number of primary schools to five, one of which was an Infants School. This totalled 13 final case studies. 10

11 3.6 Invitation to Participate The Regional Education Consortia initially introduced the research team to the schools and settings by telephone and and the research team followed this up with a personal invitation to participate in the project. 3.7 Participants The fieldwork leading to the writing of the case studies involved a range of people from each school and setting including: Headteachers Members of the Senior Leadership Team Teachers Teaching Assistants Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service Members of the Governing Body Pupils Parents and Carers Community Project Co-ordinators Family Liaison Workers Volunteers Specialist Advisors 3.8 Ethics Ethics were negotiated and agreed with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and adhere to the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Researchers (BERA, 2011). 17 The procedures included issuing a plain language statement to all participating schools and settings informing them of the aims and anticipated outcomes of the research, and written informed consent forms for participants partaking in the case study data collection. The right to abstain or withdraw from the project at any time was upheld. Both raw and analysed data material was stored in a secure projectspecific data system

12 3.9 Case Study Data Collection A team of three researchers were allocated a caseload of schools and settings: Researcher Primary Secondary Special Community 1 (LM) (JJ) (AM) 1* *Infant School Table 5: Case Study Allocation Initial quantitative data scoping was complimented by qualitative desk research to further set the context for constructing the rich case studies. This included collecting information via Estyn reports and the school s website. Researchers were given a copy of the case study template (see below), which was drawn up by the Project Steering Group, setting further criteria for data collection. Name of Case Study Type of setting (pre-school, primary school, special school, secondary school, community based, family based, other) Summary of case study Brief description of geographical/community context Description of the intervention/s undertaken Funding of the intervention/s Future development of the intervention/s (including plans or potential to roll-out to other settings) Evidence of impact Key Contact Table 6: Case Study Template During fieldwork site visits, researchers conducted a number of informal interviews and focus groups with a wide range of participants (see Section 3.7). Three methods were used to collect data: voice recordings (transcribed), researcher notes and reflections. Many schools and community settings also gave researchers copies of 12

13 their prospectus, intervention leaflets, PDG plans and reviews, data tracking systems, year books, PowerPoint presentations, toolkit manuals, study guides, lesson criteria, parenting plans and community delivery strategies. This wealth of quantitative and qualitative data was then pulled together to write a rich triangulated case studies incorporating multiple perspectives and authentic voices Rigour The researchers upheld protocols and procedures making each stage of the project transparent and thus the project team sought to maintain quality and trustworthiness in terms of credibility and dependability. Following initial drafting, all case studies were circulated amongst the Steering Group and were returned to the individual schools and settings for their validation and approval. All comments and suggestions fed back to the team were acted upon to ensure that the case studies were accurate and true reflections of the facts and narratives as presented to the researchers. 4. Findings Although each case study is unique, a number of common findings emerge that make a difference to narrowing the achievement gap between pupils receiving FSM and those who do not. These are summarised in table 7. A simple tick system indicates the extent to which the case studies demonstrated behaviours to the research team. A double tick indicates where these were very evident and put forward by the case study as particularly important factors in narrowing the achievement gap, while a single tick is used where these were less prominent to the researchers in the specific case study contexts. Where there is no tick this does not mean that the behaviours are absent in the case study. Rather, these were not the focus of the research. A far more rigorous research methodology is needed to explore the effect size, or relative significance, of the various factors in narrowing the achievement gap. Part 2 of this report sets out the potential scope for further research. 13

14 The emerging findings from the case studies suggest that often a combination of factors contribute to improvements in learning for all pupils. Many of the leaders and teachers in the sample make very effective use of data to track the progress of pupils, identify areas of underachievement and implement appropriate support strategies. These are carefully monitored to assess their impact and, in some cases, a designated leader takes overall responsibility for analysing trends and evaluating the impact of intervention strategies. It is, therefore, apparent that leadership at all levels in the school has a critical role to play in developing positive strategies designed to reduce the impact that poverty can have on the achievement of pupils. The quality of teaching is a key factor in raising standards. Hence the deployment and professional development of staff have a high priority in the case study schools. Teachers use a range of approaches to engage the interests of learners. The curriculum, including extracurricular activities, is often tailored to meet learners needs, interests and choices. Schools use a range of catch-up programmes, which target mostly literacy skills. Invariably, there is a strong emphasis on improving attendance, behaviour for learning and building pupils self-esteem, confidence and resilience. Learners receive focused feedback on how well they are doing and how they can improve. In some cases, there is a strong focus within the school on aspects of pedagogy such as promoting pupils independent thinking skills. All the case studies recognised the importance of parental engagement and had set about this in different ways. Several focused on developing parental confidence and basic skills through adult learning classes. These are seen as a means of building a strong dialogue between home and school. Several case studies also illustrated the significance of establishing, sustaining and evaluating strategic partnerships with the wider community. 14

15 Themes Particular factors Settings YGG YYD Pen YHF YUT O BG YB MS SMC EC FP Leadership Designated senior leader Teaching and Learning Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Strategic plan which focuses clearly on the achievement of pupils receiving FSM Training and deployment of staff including specialists Strong link with governors Multi-sensory teaching strategies Catch-up programmes Tailored curriculum building on learners interests and capabilities, including extracurricular activities Wellbeing and behaviour for learning programmes including a focus on attendance, listening to learners and building self esteem Effective feedback and assessment Metacognitive strategies Engagement with parents and wider community Strong dialogue with parents Adult learning Establishing sustaining partnerships and strategic Table 7. Factors that contribute to improved standards in case study settings 15

16 Key Settings Nursery/infant Primary Secondary Special Community Behaviours Very prominent Present Ysgol Glan Gele Ysgol y Dderi Pencoed Comprehensive School Ysgol Hen Felin Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn Oakdale Comprehensive School Bishop Gore Secondary School Ysgol Bassaleg Secondary School Mount Stuart Primary School St Mark s Church Primary School Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan YGG YYD Pen YHF YUT Oak BG YB MS SMC EC FP 16

17 Presented below are the tagging summaries for the case study reports linked to the themes. The full case studies are attached as an Annex to this document. Tagging Summaries Theme: Leadership Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Glan Gele Local Authority: Conwy Type of School/Setting: Infants and Nursery Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 283 Free School Meal Percentage: 34% Focus of Case Study The importance of having a strategic plan to tackle the impact of poverty, focused on leadership, the deployment of staff, successful learning and teaching strategies and parental/community engagement Key Impact Factor The school does significantly better than local authority or Wales averages in the percentage of pupils on free school meals who achieve the Foundation Phase indicator. In the most recent year 100 per cent of children on free school meals achieved this indicator compared to a local authority average of 73% and a Wales figure of 66%. Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol y Dderi Local Authority: Ceredigion Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: Welsh Number of Pupils: 139 Free School Meal Percentage: 21% Focus of Case Study The use of data to identify pupils who are falling behind and who are then supported by appropriate school based interventions with the support of specialist staff who build self-esteem and self-efficacy Key Impact Factor Between 2012 and % of free school meal pupils at Ysgol Y Dderi were on an intervention programme. Key Stage 2 results over the last five years reported by Ysgol y Dderi show that FSM pupils have outperformed non FSM pupils; this was found to be by % 17

18 Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Pencoed Comprehensive School Local Authority: Bridgend Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 879 Free School Meal Percentage: 13% Focus of Case Study The effective use of data to support the aspirations of young people so that they can develop the resilience to achieve their potential; and to identify pupils who are falling behind who are then supported by appropriate interventions Key Impact Factor In % of GCSE students achieved the equivalent of 5 A*-to-C grades. In 2009 the gap between FSM and Non FSM Level 2 Inclusive achievement was 38.4% - in 2013 this was reduced to 11%. Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Hen Felin Local Authority: Rhondda Cynon Taf Type of School/Setting: Special Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 164 Free School Meal Percentage: 52% Focus of Case Study Workforce development through staff training, self-evaluation, and distributed leadership Key Impact Factor Improvement of at least 1, possibly 2 P SCALE judgements throughout the academic year. 18

19 Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn Local Authority: Gwynedd Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: Welsh Number of Pupils: 270 Free School Meal Percentage: 10% Focus of Case Study Identifying low-achieving pupils and developing a range of strategies to improve their performance including additional learning experiences and engaging their parents. Key Impact Factor Over a five year period the school performs significantly better in the attainment of its FSM pupils at KS3 in the Core Subject Indicator (average of 66.3%) compared to the local authority ( 51.9%) and Wales ( 43.4%) averages and at Key Stage 4 in the attainment of Level 2+ ( 52.3%) compared to local authority ( 25.1%) and Wales (22.4%) figures. Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Oakdale Comprehensive School Local Authority: Caerphilly Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 599 Free School Meal Percentage: 19% Focus of Case Study High quality positive relationships built on mutual respect that have been developed throughout the school using a framework for the wellbeing of pupils and staff by the Senior Leadership Team Key Impact Factor In 2013 the percentage of FSM pupils who reached the expected KS3 Level - core subject indicator was 76.0%, and non FSM pupils 76.2%, a gap of 0.2%. In 2008 the gap between FSM pupils and non FSM pupils achieving the Level 2 threshold of 5 GCSEs at Grade A*-C was 35.3%, in 2013 this was reduced to 10.9%. 19

20 Theme: Teaching and Learning Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Bishop Gore School Local Authority: Swansea Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 1041 Free School Meal Percentage: 26% Focus of Case Study Supporting low achieving pupils to reach their global target grades through innovative learning and teaching, a skills-based curriculum and additional personal and study support. Key Impact Factor Over a five year period the school performs significantly better in the attainment of its FSM pupils at KS3 in the Core Subject Indicator ( average of 51.6%) compared to the local authority (42.7%) and Wales (43.4%) averages and at Key Stage 4 in the attainment of Level 2+ (34.7%) compared to local authority (25.3%) and Wales (22.4%) figures. Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Bassaleg School Local Authority: Newport Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 1670 Free School Meal Percentage: 6% Focus of Case Study Teaching approaches including feedback to pupils, developing thinking skills, and peer-to-peer learning which have been made effective by home grown toolkits and systems of support Key Impact Factor Key Stage 3 Core Subject Indicator results show that Bassaleg School has been successful in completely closing the gap between FSM pupils and non FSM pupils (2012 FSM 89.5% Non FSM 89.9%, 2013 FSM 95.0% Non FSM 93.1%). 20

21 Theme: Parental Engagement Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Mount Stuart Primary Local Authority: Cardiff Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 402 Free School Meal Percentage: 44% Focus of Case Study Engaging the parents and families of young people to overcome cultural barriers and the challenges of being a learner with English as a second language Key Impact Factor In 2010, 2011, and 2013 FSM pupils outperformed non FSM pupils at Key Stage 2 (5 year average FSM results 83.5%, Non FSM 79.16%) Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: St. Mark s Church in Wales V.A. Primary School Local Authority: Pembrokeshire Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 120 Free School Meal Percentage: 42% Focus of Case Study Supporting the well-being of vulnerable children and engaging parents and families of young people to enable learning which is provided through care, support and guidance Key Impact Factor Over the last 5 years (2008/9 to 2012/13) Key Stage 1/Foundation Phase FSM pupils have outperformed Non FSM pupils (average FSM results 94.6%, Non FSM 84.4%) Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership Local Authority: Cardiff Type of School/Setting: Community Language Medium: English Focus of Case Study Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Key Impact Factor The proportion of pupils leaving Year 11 with 5 GCSE passes has increased significantly. The Federation increased the number of adult learners enrolling from 25 in 2012, to 130 in

22 Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan Local Authority: Flintshire Type of School/Setting: Community Language Medium: English Focus of Case Study Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Key Impact Factor A greater willingness for parents and children to want to engage with school and attendance has increased. As well as encouraging learning there is also support for behaviour, wellbeing and team around the family meetings.. 22

23 5. Case Study Reports These case studies are true and accurate reflections of the facts and narratives as presented to the researchers, and are the voices of the participating schools. 23

24 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Glan Gele Local Authority: Conwy Type of School/Setting: Infants and Nursery Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 283 Free School Meal Percentage: 34% Focus of Case Study The importance of having a strategic plan to tackle the impact of poverty, focused on leadership, the deployment of staff, successful learning and teaching strategies and parental/community engagement. Glan Gele Infant School Ysgol Glan Gele is a large infant school of 300 pupils from 3 to 7 years of age situated in Abergele, Conwy, North Wales. Each year group is organised into three classes. The school serves a predominantly disadvantaged area along the North Wales coast. Approximately 38% of pupils are currently receiving FSM. The Welsh Government Index of Multiple Deprivation identifies the Abergele - Pensarn ward as the 195 th most deprived ward in Wales. 18 The Case Study The school has developed a whole-school approach to reducing the very strong link between poverty and low educational achievement. This approach includes: an action plan that is strategic, developmental, collaborative, evaluative and sustainable and informs the school improvement plan (SIP) acting as a lead practitioner school and through its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) funding, networking with other schools locally and throughout Wales to identify practice that can improve pupils attainment and progress developing strategies to work with parents and the community in improving educational outcomes effective deployment of teacher assistants who work with pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their basic and social skills 18 The most deprived LSOA is ranked 1, and the least deprived 1,

25 The school has a strong moral purpose that governs all aspects of its life and work and is a recurring theme discussed during staff meetings. This ensures that teachers and learning support assistants understand the importance of the school making a difference to pupils life chances through intervening early (within the first four years of a child s education) to in combatting deprivation and underachievement. An action plan was drawn up to reduce the impact of poverty on pupils attainment following an Inset session. It focuses on interventions based upon the four key aspects identified in the Welsh Government criteria for spending the Pupil Deprivation Grant. These are: Supporting children to do well in school Developing leadership School transition plans Improving family engagement Improving community engagement Role of the Progress Manager The post of Progress Manager was created within the school s senior management team. It includes responsibility for monitoring and evaluating pupils progress using an on line tracking system. The progress manager along with the class teacher makes the maximum use of formative assessment data to set targets for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who with extra support are challenged to attain a level above that expected for their age (Foundation Phase Outcome 6). The Boxhall Profile is used to identify and target support for pupils who are not making the expected progress in school. These pupils often have barriers to effective learning such as low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Support is provided weekly within a small nurture group to strengthen these pupils emotional, social and personal skills. Teaching Assistants (TA s) work with pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their basic and social skills during lunchtime pastoral groups of targeted FSM pupils. TA s work closely with class teachers to track the progress and attainment of these pupils. They work with pupils on individual targets during these lunchtime pastoral sessions to raise attainment in Literacy and Numeracy and keep a record of all activities and attainment. They also run Homework Clubs for year 2 pupils to ensure they have the support needed to complete home tasks and Learning Log activities. Forest and Beach schools, led by seven fully trained staff including two Outdoor Learning mentors, support wellbeing and the development of social and emotional skills. The school has used the Sutton Trust Toolkit 19 to target further improvement in pupil attainment and wellbeing. Strategies found to be most effective were adopted within classrooms and in nurture groups and include developing: Effective feedback to pupils about their learning

26 Peer tutoring during most lessons (Talking partners) Metacognition ensuring that pupils understand how to develop their skills of learning including learning independently. These arrangements ensure early intervention and additional support where and when needed and are believed to be effective in helping to ensure that all pupils remain on track to attain their potential by the end of the Foundation Phase. Developing Leadership The headteacher takes responsibility for analysing data with SLT and the Governors and in developing an annual action plan using the PDG to tackle the influence of poverty on achievement. She also ensures that the plan and its vision are discussed during staff meetings and understood by all. The Progress Manager oversees the implementation of the plan. A Family Liaison Teaching Assistant was appointed using the PDG in September 2012 to develop existing links with the community and to ensure that they are part of the vision the school has developed. A Personal and Social Development Leader coordinates approaches to wellbeing in the school and tracks the progress of FSM pupils within pastoral groups. A member of the Governing Body leads their work in analysing and monitoring the attainment of FSM pupils, helping in the setting of targets and the drawing up of the deprivation action plan. The Chair of the Governing Body also monitors the progress of FSM pupils. Family Liaison Assistants lead the Nurture group each day and carry out a range of engagement, training and support activities with parents. They also attend multi- agency and child protection meetings. School Transition Plan This is identified in the school s action plan as an area for development during spring New protocols on transition arrangements are being drawn up with the junior school, involving sharing of formative data on pupils attainment as they progress through the Foundation Phase. This is designed to improve partnership working between the infant and junior school to improve continuity and progression in pupils learning and raise teachers expectations of pupils on entry to KS2. Improving Family Engagement Having been persuaded by evidence on the importance of family engagement, the school introduced learning logs (see below) for parents to support their children s home tasks. These are designed to promote a continuous dialogue between parents, pupils and school and have improved communication of pupil progress and individual targets. 26

27 Positive parenting to support their children s home tasks through Learning Logs What is a Learning Log? Learning logs provide parents with information on what learning their children will be undertaking each week. The Learning Logs are sent home each Friday and contain work which introduces the pupils and parents to the tasks and challenges for pupils the following week. How are Learning Logs used? The class teacher adds appropriate learning tasks in the log on a weekly basis. The home tasks are an introduction and an extension to the work to be completed in class the following week. The home tasks are designed to help pupils develop their curiosity and to aid independent and personalised learning. What is the role of parents in contributing to their children s home tasks and learning log? Parents are expected to: show an interest and discuss the home task with their child; provide support when and where needed; tell the class teacher either verbally or through the learning log if the child finds the work too difficult or too easy; enjoy being taught by their child and to share in their learning; and ensure the learning log is returned to school on time each week. Improving Community Engagement The school has strong links with the community. Volunteer helpers are drawn from parents, grandparents, friends of the school, trainees from higher education teacher training institutions, individuals in training as learning support assistants from further education colleges, people with links to local businesses and industries and sports volunteers. The school holds weekly Family Learning sessions delivered by a local college funded by Welsh Government. This group focuses on helping parents and carers develop their children s basic skills. The school also delivers Parenting Courses ( Positive Parenting ) on a regular basis in partnership with a local community group. A local college also works in conjunction with the school to deliver IT courses for parents, the most recent being An introduction to the i-pad. Parent Partner sessions are held once each term. Every class invites in parents and carers for the afternoon to access the curriculum with their children. This is an opportunity to showcase recent work and further engage parents in their children s education. 27

28 Evidence of Impact Glan Gele High performing, school in the top 25% of schools from similar socio - economic areas 28

29 29

30 Where are we now? FP2 Attainment Summer 2013 Outcome 4 Outcome 5 Outcome 6 Difference at 06 FSM LLC Literacy LLC Literacy 9% 61% 30% 22% 6% 42% 52% Non FSM MD 4% 61% 35% 17% Mathematics Non MD 4% 44% 52% FSM PSD 0% 61% 39% 16% Non PSD 4% 31% 65% 30

31 FSM pupils outperformed non FSM pupils in 2012 as three non FSM pupils had Statements of SEN 31

32 Future Developments Glan Gele Infants is a Lead Practitioner School and hosts visits from numerous schools in the north Wales region and from elsewhere in Wales who come to view good practice in combatting disadvantage. The head also visits other schools to share expertise and to advise on all matters relating to practice in the Foundation Phase. The school wishes to develop as a centre of excellence in providing school- to- school support. The headteacher believes that if a common pupil tracking system was adopted by all the primary and secondary schools in the cluster this would assist efforts to improve attainment, particularly that of the most disadvantaged pupils. The school s new transition policy will explore these ideas initially with the junior school where pupils will transfer to at seven years of age. The hope is that it could be adopted throughout the cluster into KS3. Funding Interventions are financed through: the School Effectiveness Grant (SEG) and the PDG. 32

33 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of leaders developing a wholeschool approach to reducing the impact poverty has on educational achievement. Theme Particular factor YGG Leadership Designated senior leader Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Strategic plan which focuses clearly on the achievement of pupils receiving FSM Strong link with governors Training and deployment of staff Teaching and Learning Multi-sensory teaching strategies Catch-up programmes Effective feedback and assessment Metacognitive strategies Engagement with parents Strong dialogue with parents and wider community Promoting adult learning Establishing and sustaining strategic partnerships Key Contact Julia Buckley Jones Headteacher Glan Gele Infant School Abergele Conwy LL22 7NU Tel:

34 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol y Dderi Local Authority: Ceredigion Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: Welsh Number of Pupils: 139 Free School Meal Percentage: 21% Focus of Case Study The use of data to identify pupils who are falling behind and who are then supported by appropriate school based interventions with the support of specialist staff who build self-esteem and self-efficacy Ysgol y Dderi Ysgol y Dderi is an area community primary school under the control of Ceredigion Local Education Authority (LEA). It is located in the village of Llangybi, near Lampeter and serves a wide rural area, which includes the villages of Silian, Betws Bledrws, Cellan, Llanfair Clydogau, Llangybi, and Llwynygroes. The school has been designated category 'A' by the LEA, which means that Welsh is the main medium of teaching and learning, but aims to ensure that pupils are fluent in both English and Welsh by the time they transfer to secondary school. In the school's opinion, its natural catchment is neither prosperous nor economically disadvantaged 20. There are currently 139 pupils on roll 21 and the school s five year average percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is approximately 21% which is above the average for the Local Authority and nationally across Wales. 22 The Case Study Dysgu, Rhannu a Gofalu - Learn, Share and Care are the school s core values and this case study focuses on the use of data to identify pupils who are falling behind and who are 20 Estyn (2008) Inspection Report of Ysgol y Dderi, Cardiff: Estyn 21 My Local School Stats Wales 34

35 then supported by appropriate school-based interventions alongside specialist staff who build self-esteem and self-efficacy. Teachers believe in a friendly and warm environment where respect is shown towards each child as an individual. Ysgol y Dderi aims to create a happy community school for all of its pupils by: Promoting existing friendly and neighborly relations, creating a sense of belonging to a wider area administered by the school. Promoting the feeling of belonging to a rural, bilingual community. To enable pupils to forge links and form friendships with peers who come from different cultures and backgrounds. To listen to pupil views within the "Child Board" and "Eco and Healthy Board". Our teachers understand the importance of nurturing and teaching self-respect, as well as respect towards others and property. 23 Equality Pupil Voice Ysgol Y Dderi prides itself on being an inclusive area community school. In 2008 Estyn reported that an outstanding feature of the provision is the school s success in promoting equal opportunities, addressing social deprivation and challenging stereotyping. 24 The school has an eclectic mix of children and parents from many different backgrounds, which has manifested a caring ethos. The school has some pupils from travelling families, some from disadvantaged homes, and some that have been home educated and have started school at a late age. Our children are very tolerant, nothing much fazes them, there is a real mix of people here, they just see it as working with friends and family. The core value of the school is to be tolerant and respectful no matter what your background is. Headteacher Building relationships with children is key to raising self-esteem and attainment at Ysgol Y Dderi and staff are extremely mindful that poverty, deprivation, and disadvantage can happen in many forms, and ensure that all pupils are treated in the same way and are not made to feel different. The headteacher ensures that school uniform costs are kept to an absolute minimum and wants everyone to be able and proud to wear the school jumper. We want all our pupils to feel part of the school, the same as everybody else. We are very sensitive if people are feeling different. We go the extra mile, if we can help we will by using financial resources to buy school uniform and offer delicate children emotional support. 23 Ysgol y Dderi website Estyn (2008) School Inspection Report of Ysgol y Dderi, Cardiff, Estyn, point

36 Headteacher When children start at the school they are given a book bag, and as they progress they get a school pencil case with a fountain pen, pencils, ruler and rubber, and a personal smart sack which sits over the back of their chair to keep their books in. We make sure everyone has the same tools to work with, that contributes to self-esteem and motivation to learn too. SENCO The school has a palpable supportive atmosphere where every child is clearly valued, and all staff want each and every child to do well regardless of their circumstances, and to be able to reach and fulfil their own potential at whatever level and in whatever form that may be. Life Experiences We respect pupils who do not reach the expected level at the end of each key stage, for us if pupils have worked hard and are fulfilling their own potential we celebrate and respect that. Headteacher Ysgol Y Dderi operates the Cornerstones Experiential Creative Learning Curriculum 25 that offers pupils opportunities to: ENGAGE - DEVELOP - INNOVATE - EXPRESS The headteacher wants all pupils to have valuable learning and believes that rich experiences have helped to raise standards. Estyn concurs: There are outstanding features in the learning experiences provided for pupils. The school provides a broad and rich curriculum that includes all the statutory requirements. Pupils' learning is effectively enriched by a wide variety of educational visits and extra-curricular activities, and the outstanding use of partnerships. All these features improve pupils' learning experiences and contribute substantially towards raising standards. Estyn School Inspection Report (2008) Staff are aware that some children do not get purposeful enrichment activities at home and therefore does not rely on children having had life experiences with their family; instead the school provides that for all its pupils. We don t take children on trips as treats; they are part of our curriculum. SENCO

37 Some recent themes and visits include: The 7 Wonders of the World - following research pupils presented their findings to the Wales Tourist Board. Skin Deep - pupils made a television advert for the NHS advertising the prevention of spreading germs. Electric Rainbow - pupils held a light procession for the king in the dark. Art Gallery - pupils visited Tate Modern, London and set up and ran their own art exhibition for visitors. As a rural school travel is expensive and the PTA support off site experiential visits by match funding travelling costs every time, thus helping parents with financial commitments. If pupil consent forms do not get returned to the school the headteacher will phone up parents and see what the reasons are for the children not having access to the experiences and resolves the situation. The headteacher will help with costs, but has found that reasons are not always financial and that sometimes there are family reasons, e.g. vulnerable parents are wary of letting children travel long distances, or are unable to pick up from the bus in the evening. In these circumstances staff reassure pupils and parents and will transport individual children home if necessary. Interventions Ysgol Y Dderi operates a system of early intervention. Assessments are carried out on a regular basis across the whole school to identify pupils who are falling behind or who need extra encouragement. This includes teacher assessments and NFER testing where pupils are banded in colours- red, amber, and green. County guidelines are then followed for eligibility to an intervention programme (see table below). The SENCO also cross references the NFER scores with each teacher to make sure that they are a true reflection of the child and not a one off bad day event. The SENCO then decides who is eligible, and who will get the most out of each intervention, and then invites parents in to talk and agree a suitable course of action to follow. Parents know that interventions are helpful, it is not frowned upon here. SENCO 37

38 Intervention Groups SATPIN (Early Phonics) TRANDEP (Early Phonics) Catch Up (Reading) Dyfal Donc (Reading) Toe by Toe + Word Wasp (Dyslexic tendencies) Visual and Auditory Memory Groups Springboard Maths Ceredigion Counting Mathematics Entry Criteria Red band children in English spelling Standardized NFER scores of 84> Red band children in Welsh spelling Standardized NFER scores of 84> Orange band children in English reading Standardized NFER scores of (85-94) Orange band children in Welsh reading Standardized NFER scores of (85-94) Where there is a discrepancy between pupil s oral ability and written work. Shows signs of dyslexic tendencies. Analyse LASS test scores. If there is a big difference between the auditory and visual memory try and boost the lower memory. Orange band children in mathematics Standardized NFER scores of (85-94) Red band children in mathematics Standardized NFER scores of 84> 38

39 Sensory Circuit (Release energies or settle children into the school day) SULP (Social Group) ELCLAN (Improving Listening Group) Participation in a short sensory motor circuit prepares children to engage effectively with the day ahead. Behavioral clues such as fidgeting, poor concentration, excessive physical contact or overall lethargy can indicate that a child is finding it difficult to connect with the learning process. When children have low self-awareness and self-esteem and social interaction problems. Structured scheme written by Alex Kelly. Reception children who find listening difficult. Short sessions once a week that develop their early listening. As a Welsh medium school staff are aware that if their data was compared with an English medium school their scores would be lower as at Ysgol Y Dderi they do not start formal English lessons until Year 3. There is a steep learning curve in Year 3, however pupils are not disadvantaged, staff can see that pupil s minds are more open to understanding language and soon catch up. The school draws on its bilingual strengths and delivers half termly blocks of either Welsh or English interventions; they never overload the children by delivering both together. Staff work closely with parents and the Local Authority who deliver training and support to run the intervention programmes. Every Teaching Assistant has been trained in their own intervention specialism and children consistently know who is supporting them by having a designated intervention key worker. Ysgol Y Dderi delivers their interventions in short sharp bursts for 10 to 20 minutes at the same time every day, 5 days a week, in small working groups to raise confidence. Detailed Individual Education Plans (IEP) are drawn up and every member of staff has a copy which forms a working document for review and reflection. Children also draw up their own IEP to have ownership of their learning which they then take home to show parents and discuss their learning and progress. As a parent I value the open door policy, if you have concerns you can come in and talk to someone and know that you will be taken seriously. We are kept informed at every stage; I know exactly what is going on. Parent He [my son] can see his progress, he has his child friendly IEP so he can see how far he has come. Parent At the start of each intervention children are encouraged to self-assess themselves by looking at each of the topics, then using a range of facial expressions rate how confident they are. 39

40 At the start the start of the term I was getting smiley faces for everything, now children know that they can tell me honestly how they are feeling about a topic and I will help them. SENCO Across the whole school, in every lesson children are always encouraged to have a go and actively risk take. If a child feels uncertain about what they are doing at any time they place an R in a circle in their books to indicate to the teacher that they are taking a risk. This way of working also links to habits of mind and thinking about thinking, and also allows the teacher to assess levels of understanding and know that children are not second-guessing the answer. Specialist Intervention Role- Teacher of Dyslexic Students Ysgol Y Dderi regards itself as extremely fortunate to have secured the services of Miss Collette who through personal parental experience trained as a teacher of dyslexic students. Miss Collette works at the school two mornings a week, either with pupils on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. Children are referred to Miss Collette for screening at the age of 8 years if teachers are concerned about discrepancies between their ability to work well orally and in writing. Pupils with dyslexic tendencies can describe and present ideas by talking out loud, yet have difficulty putting pen to paper to form letters, and struggle with handwriting and constructing ideas on paper. Firstly Miss Collette will see the teacher and get a sample of classwork and then speak to the parents who must give permission to carry out the LASS Test (Lucid Assessment System for Schools). The test is a fun computer based set of games designed to assess children s: Visual Memory Auditory Memory Phonic Decoding Skills Phonological Processing Single Word Reading Cloze Reading Spelling Individual Words Reading Nonverbal Intelligence Following testing, a clear visual report is produced which Miss Collette analyses and then recommends which methods, strategies, and techniques are going to work well and benefit each pupil. If we didn t have the LASS Test we would be guessing how to teach them. SENCO 40

41 Staff are advised to focus on one aspect of improvement at a time and to be sensitive to colours and fonts. Miss Collette advises that black on white is not appropriate for pupils with dyslexic tendencies and staff do not use black and white for PowerPoint presentations and furthermore do not ask pupils to copy from the board. Where possible pupils wear tinted coloured glasses as this lowers visual disturbances such as letters jumping around, or falling off the page. Staff will try different colour overlays to see what works for each child. Evidence of Impact My Son s self-esteem and confidence has grown. Now he will get a book and sit and read on his own. He will tell you that he would never have read a book on his own before, not until he started working with Miss Collette. He is more willing to spend time on his homework now that he can read and access the information. Parent Between 2012 and % of free school meal pupils at Ysgol Y Dderi were on an intervention programme. The school carefully tracked pupils progress and the increase in results is evidenced below. Working scores go up and behaviour improves. We have got data that goes back a few years; we can see that these things work. SENCO LASS Test Average Increase Visual Memory % Auditory Memory % Phonic Decoding Skills % Phonological Processing % Single Word Reading % Cloze Reading % Spelling Individual Words % Reading Nonverbal Intelligence % Dyslexia can manifest in so many different ways, if it wasn t for LASS and Toe by Toe we would not have been able to catch and help those children. Last year 16 children were identified as having dyslexic tendencies, this year it is 9 children. If those children did not work with Miss Collette they would not have got Level 4 in English. Headteacher Reading Intervention Average Increase Dyfal Donc Catch Up

42 Before my son came to this school he became more and more disengaged. Now he has expectations that he can do it, this school goes above and beyond what others do. Parent The school has recorded pre and post intervention scores for the Talk About Programme by Alex Kelly which helps children with social and emotional development. Graph Demonstrating Changes- Pre and Post Talk About Over the last five years the average attainment Foundation Phase (FP) figures reported by Ysgol y Dderi show that FSM pupils have outperformed non FSM pupils by %. The Headteacher notes the figures for 2013 appear lower than 2012; this includes the results for 3 children with severe complex needs in the cohort. Results Key Stage 1 CSI , FPI Pupils FSM 100% 86.67% 77.87% 100% 80% Non FSM 90.91% 86.67% 79.41% 90.91% 87.36% Average FP Results FSM Non-FSM % % 42

43 Key Stage 2 results over the last five years reported by Ysgol y Dderi also show that FSM pupils have outperformed non FSM pupils; this was found to be by %. Results Key Stage 2 CSI Pupils FSM 100% 100% 75% 100% 95.65% Non FSM 66.67% 63.64% 93.33% 90.91% 86.97% Average KS2 Results FSM Non-FSM 94.13% % Future Developments Ysgol Y Dderi has embraced changes in education, and has placed more focus on a futures orientated culture, and is constantly looking for ways to improve and move forward. Whatever the children need we will try and find something to help them, if it s not working we need to change, one size does not fit all. Headteacher The SENCO, with the support of the Headteacher is currently exploring a virtual online emotional development support group. Staff have been on a training course and believe that it has potential benefits for the children in the school to be linked up with children around the globe in order to become part of an international peer support group. Further exploratory work is now underway and trailing is soon to begin with targeted children. Funding Part of the PDG pays for: Staff training Specialist roles Associated intervention tools 43

44 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of leaders using data effectively to identify those pupils who are falling behind and to provide and evaluate appropriate early interventions. Theme Particular factor YYD Leadership Designated senior leader Rigorous use of data and self-evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Catch-up programmes Tailored curriculum Wellbeing programme focusing on self-esteem Engagement with parents and Strong dialogue with parents wider community Strategic partnerships Key Contact Heini Thomas Headteacher Ysgol Y Dderi Llangybi Lampeter Ceredigion SA48 8LY prif@ydderi.ceredigion.sch.uk 44

45 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Pencoed Comprehensive School Local Authority: Bridgend Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 879 Free School Meal Percentage: 13% Focus of Case Study: The effective use of data to support the aspirations of young people so that they can develop the resilience to achieve their potential; and to identify pupils who are falling behind who are then supported by appropriate interventions Pencoed Comprehensive School Pencoed Comprehensive School is a mixed 11-to-18 community focused comprehensive school of around 879 pupils 26. The school is located in the small semi-rural town of Pencoed, four miles east of Bridgend adjacent to the M4 motorway. The school serves a catchment that crosses two Local Authorities. Most pupils attend from within Bridgend Local Authority and a large minority of pupils come from Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Authority. There is great diversity in the catchment area with several pockets of deprivation. Employment rates are reasonably high due to the close proximity to the M4 corridor; however, most pupils come from homes with middle to low incomes. 27 The five year average percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, is approximately 13% which is below the average for the Local Authority and nationally across Wales. 28 The Case Study Pupils of all abilities attend the school and all staff firmly believe in the following core values, which have been embedded in everyday practice: 26 My Local School Estyn 2010 School Inspection Report 28 Stats Wales 45

46 Pupils First Learning Time is Paramount Mutual Respect Working Together Consistently Celebrate the Best - Challenge the Rest This case study focuses on the effective use of data to support the aspirations of young people so that they can develop the resilience to achieve their potential; and to identify pupils who are falling behind who are then supported by appropriate interventions. Community Pencoed Comprehensive prides itself on being a happy and caring school 29. Situated on an extensive green field site with high quality facilities in all areas, the school offers excellent sporting and performing arts accommodation, which are also used widely by the local community. The school has a strong family and community ethos, exemplified by its unique House and Pastoral systems, which are very popular with pupils. Pencoed students are very active in their fund raising activities for local charities. There is a constant stream of different activities by all pupils throughout the school year. A recent example was reported in The Gem Newspaper 30, Year 12 pupils raised for equipment for Cerys Griffiths, a pupil at Croesty Primary School, Pencoed. We believe that a happy, healthy and well supported young person will then have every opportunity to develop to their full potential academically, personally and socially. 31 School Vision Current school initiatives either led by the school or in partnership with others include: the Senior Citizens Lunchtime Club, Project 1932 with Dr Louisa Evans, The Zone After School Childcare Club, and Keeping Up With Your Child Classes for parents. Pencoed s Journey The Gem January 23 rd 2014 Pencoed pupils fundraising helps support local family 31 Pencoed Comprehensive School Website 46

47 In April 2010, Estyn carried out its core inspection of the school and as a result made significant recommendations for improvement. Following the inspection of 2010 the school entered a period of full review and produced a Post Inspection Action Plan which has continued into the School Improvement Plan and fully adopted Quality Cycle. A key aim during the review period was to change the ethos of the school, with the longer term aim for significant improvement in standards. The Governors Strategic Group was set up and acted as a critical friend and has been instrumental in raising accountability, as a result the Governing Body received the Bronze Award from Governors Wales acknowledging their hard work. In September of 2010 the school launched its new Pupil Tracking System, which is reviewed constantly and continues to evolve. Pupil Tracking System Pencoed Comprehensive School places great emphasis on data. The Assistant Head leads as Data Manager and has a team of support staff including Pupil Performance Managers. Since 2010 the whole school has adopted the effective use of data to raise aspirations and improve performance as the school realised at the time of inspection expectations were too low and staff and pupils needed to be challenged to reach for new goals. The school Data Manager sets targets using Fischer Family Trust D Data Set 32 which predicts pupil outcomes as at Key Stage 4, then together in consultation with pupils and teachers sets even higher aspirational targets and draws up a planned trajectory as to how pupils are going to reach their goals. Governors review targets and will also challenge teachers if they are not high enough. According to the headteacher pupils have responded well to these aspirational targets, they are now embedded in every aspect of teaching and learning, including homework and attitude. Our targets are set on the FFT. Sometimes when you get your targets you think whoa I will never get that, but then you get clear guidance and help how to get there and you feel a lot better. You are always challenged to exceed your own expectations. Pupil Voice Pupils are split into Houses and Heads of House write a Standards Review report 3 times a year which drills down on the attendance, performance, and behaviour analysis of each individual pupil. Heads of department also produce reports 3 times a year and both of these are presented for discussion to the Headteacher and Governors. We look at attainment and attendance, where interventions are put in, all levels, ages and stages, all abilities, all groups across the school, we analyse by FSM, SEN, more able and talented, boys and girls

48 Headteacher All staff, pupils, and governors recognise that data management has been a powerful tool in raising standards in teaching and learning. Accountability within the data is most definite as the headteacher is confident and secure that the data held is accurate and robust. Pupil progress is constantly being tracked and mapped in a consistent colour coded format which everyone understands the vocabulary. Colour coding- green= on track, amber= 1 grade below, red= 2 grades or more below. Visually this makes it easy to see where there are pockets of underachievement. From the data we can see which pupils are underperforming and set staff targets to bring them up to their FFT aspirational level. There are conversations happening about the data all the time, with teachers, pupils and parents which means that expectations about attainment and achievement are so much higher. Headteacher Each pupil gets an individual colour coded report termly and a summary is sent to parents. It plots grades and also measures attitudes to learning. Inside each pupil planner there are set spaces for data report stickers and inside the front cover of every individual subject book pupils will set targets, plot tracking and comment on their own progress. Parents are also texted to tell them when pupils have had a data sticker in their planner and all of these tools are consistently colour coded. An example is shown here: I think it is good, the data stickers are helpful because you know exactly where you are. The colours are good, it is clear to see your targets and results. You can challenge your marks if you think they are not right, as long as you are able to demonstrate your point in a reasonable way the teachers will always listen to you. Pupil Voice The sophisticated data tracking system has been developed in house at the school. Staff realised they needed a secure system and devised one suitable for their own needs. Several 48

49 members of staff researched what was on offer in the market and visited other schools. They then re-grouped, shared ideas and came up with a new system. With the aid of a Local Authority data expert the team set their criteria in Schools Information Management System (SIMS) and manipulated their data, they then exported it into their own designed Excel format spreadsheets. This system was successful and the team continue to work in this way as they are confident in its reliability, even quality checking its robustness: When we get data from national tests we can use it to great effect to cross reference to our own data tracking system and results data. Data Manager A data tracking screen shot is shown here: Keeping everybody informed and involved in data tracking has made a big difference to the way teaching is planned. Accountability for teaching is very high as pockets of underperformance can be quickly identified and monitored. Every teacher has continual and constant access to the data management system, and every department has their own folder in the system so that they are able to see what went well, what worked, and what needed adjusting for certain sets of pupils. Staff can clearly see how much support have children had and what strategies they can put in place for improvement next time. 49

50 Pupil Targeted Interventions Pencoed Comprehensive School offers over 20 interventions, which the school uses to effectively map pupil progress and well-being on its data system. Asking for help- our children realise it is OK, there is no failure, it is alright to get support. ALNCo All Year 7 pupils are tested on BKSB Live. 33 The programme requires pupils to undertake an initial assessment, which then directs them to an appropriate diagnostic for their ability in literacy and numeracy. Following testing each pupil receives an individual printout of their strengths and areas for development in both literacy and numeracy skills and hence provides a learning plan. Class teachers are able to use the profile data to plan lesson time to target key groups of pupils needs and reinforce the gaps in the basic skills of the children in their classes. Following on from BKSB, the school also has intensive one-to-one interventions such as Spotlight and Catch Up. Spotlight is an intervention programme designed to help pupils with numeracy skills. Many pupils accessing Spotlight have not picked up numeracy concepts and skills in primary school, some have misunderstood the way it was taught or missed school when the rest of the class shown key skills. Pupils attend for 30 minutes each week and focus on a specific skill; they move on once they have fully grasped the concept and are able to effectively demonstrate it. Catch Up literacy intervention is a structured, intensive one-to-one programme intended to develop and encourage good reading skills. The programme concentrates on phonics, sounds, and letters and includes a short written activity to develop sentence structure, and reading and writing comprehension. This intervention is complemented by the star Reader scheme. All of Year 7 is now on this programme. After testing, pupils are given a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) which means that the books they are working with will neither be too hard, nor too easy and indicates the point to which they can be stretched. Sixth Form Buddy Readers work with targeted pupils to further encourage reading. Once pupils have read a book they complete an online quiz, which will assess if they have really understood the book. Individual reports on quizzes can be produced to inform progression. In addition, the programme works in conjunction with the English department s scheme of learning. Each class in Key Stage 3 has one lesson per fortnight in the library to read and complete star Reader tests and quizzes. The school also currently offers the PUPIL Course. PUPIL stands for Pupils Understanding Problems in their Locality. At present this programme is targeting groups of pupils in Key Stage 3 by working on projects that raise pupil awareness of their actions and lower anti- 33 BKSB supply interactive solutions to improve English, maths and ICT skills. See: 50

51 social behaviour through improving communication and team building skills. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) regularly attend to support pupils in school and in the community. Rewards The data tracking system holds league tables for attendance- classes with the best attendance records get the Bacon Buttie Reward every half term. Hot bacon sandwiches are delivered for the whole class. Pupils can also win a Fast Pass to lunch. Pupils with 100% attendance can skip the dinner queue and go straight to the front to be served immediately for a whole week club- at the start of term each pupil will get 500 points. Lesson by lesson they can earn positive points by either: high attendance, being active in class, being club members, and improving performance on half termly tracking. The scheme is supported by sponsorship from local businesses and pupils get entered into a prize draw to win prizes such as bikes, scooters, electronic tablets, vouchers etc. The draw takes place at the end of term during the Celebrating Success Award Days and attendance has dramatically increased at the end of term because of these days. We know that to do well you need to be here. The prizes are really good, you can win a bike, a tablet, vouchers, money, sweets, I really wanted to win the scooter last year. Pupil Voice Pupils highlighted in the Green Banding on the data system were given congratulation letters on the basis of being on or above target. Progression was also recognised for pupils who made significant gains in aiming to reach their target, i.e. moving from red to amber, or making significant progress between levels. Posters were put up around the school to identify and congratulate these pupils and names were also read out in assembly and communicated to parents. Evidence of Impact No parent wants their child to fail; we have found that conversations about learning and aspirations are now taking place at home that perhaps we not happening before. Headteacher The school s monitoring data shows increased attendance from 92.3% in 2012 to 93.8% in 2013 and exclusion rates fell significantly. Every time pupils access a service it is logged on the Behaviour Management System in SIMS and all interventions are measurable. Well-being services and emotional interventions are measured by using questionnaires at the start and at the end of the programme and these have been shown as effective. 51

52 As an inclusive school Pencoed monitors all of its pupils to ensure they receive appropriate interventions according to need and impact is also documented. Success can happen on many different levels, one of our children moved from the special needs unit to mainstream school, this was a massive success. Governor Many staff share stories of children who passed a range of GCSEs who never thought it was possible. In % of GCSE students achieved the equivalent of 5 A*-to-C grades. The school has also been effective in closing the gap between Free School Meal (FSM) pupils and non FSM pupils and is evidenced in the following Level 2 Inclusive achievement data over the last five years between 2009 and Pupils FSM 13.0% 16.7% 35.3% 50.0% 50.0% Non FSM 51.4% 45.1% 45.1% 59.4% 61.0% My Local School Data 34 Future Developments

53 The headteacher is keen to develop pupil voice and is proposing a pupil led school improvement plan to sustain the success culture. The Data Team are also looking at new ways of working with information and how they can continue to use data to get best possible outcomes for learners. Funding The school has comprehensive plans for the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) activity including: Robust identification of pupil need and tracking progress. A systematic approach to intervention, support and feedback, including those at risk of disengaging from learning and whose attendance is a cause for concern. Making provision of high quality for learners experiencing material disadvantage who have ALN, are educated otherwise than at school, or who have emotional social and behavioural needs. Access to enrichment activities, removing financial barriers to participation, providing activities and out of school opportunities: free breakfast club, visits, purchasing resources. Additional tuition and personalised independent learning through loaned ICT notepads. Personal support and mentoring to improve well-being and readiness to learn: purchase Rapid Reading Scheme. Family Engagement Officer (currently working with 60% FSM client base) to develop strategies that involve the family and community to signpost learning, e.g. Reading Café. To embed opportunities for learner voice to be fully involved in decision making. 53

54 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of leaders using data effectively to identify those pupils who are falling behind and to monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions to address underachievement. Theme Particular factor Pen Leadership Designated senior leader Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Clear and robust evaluation and performance management Strong link with governors Teaching and Learning Effective feedback and assessment Tailored curriculum Engagement with parents and wider community Strong dialogue with parents Key Contact Mr David George Headteacher Coychurch Rd Pencoed Bridgend CF35 5LZ Tel:

55 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Hen Felin Local Authority: Rhondda Cynon Taf Type of School/Setting: Special Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 164 Free School Meal Percentage: 52% Focus of Case Study: Workforce development through staff training, self-evaluation, and distributed leadership Ysgol Hen Felin Ysgol Hen Felin is a day, community special school situated in the Local Authority of Rhondda Cynon Taff. It provides for 164 pupils aged from 3 to 19 with statements of special educational needs (SEN) which include severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, hearing impaired, and emotional and behavioural difficulties 35. Pupils come from areas within the local borough, many of which have pockets of social deprivation. There are 17 looked after pupils at the school and currently 52% of pupils are entitled to free school meals; this is considerably higher than the Local and National figures across Wales. The Case Study Ysgol Hen Felin has a mission to provide a secure nurturing environment where all children can achieve their potential. Vision Statement 36 A Happy friendly, welcoming community where the Ethos of mutual trust and respect between pupils, staff, parents, and visitors 35 Estyn 2009 School Inspection Report 36 Ysgol Hen Felin Website 55

56 produces a Nurturing environment which ensures individuals can fulfil their potential. A Forward Thinking school where professionals share and extend their expertise And Equality of opportunity is facilitated by placing equal value on all individuals A Locally active school where the development of life skills ensures the success of Inclusive initiatives within the school and the community whilst keeping up to date with National trends in education, training, and social inclusion. This case study focuses on workforce development through staff training, self-evaluation, and distributed leadership. Ysgol Hen Felin s Journey Ysgol Hen Felin operates a number of strategies to keep pupils engaged and participating in school life. In order to attain learning outcomes some pupils have their own timetables or a suitable limited curriculum with access to main classroom activities. Specialist resources may be needed and in some cases pupils are given additional time to complete tasks. More challenging behaviours are monitored by individual behaviour plans (IBP), and the school helps parents and carers by training and equipping them with appropriate strategies and supportive emotional coping networks. Ysgol Hen Felin enforces a whole school policy, which protects individuals from prejudice and discrimination both overt and covert. It offers pupils opportunities to live a full and rewarding life and takes part in many educational enrichment visits, e.g. exploring art galleries such as Tate Modern, London and visiting the Wales Millennium Stadium to watch Wales play rugby. I like going on bus trips and going in lifts - pressing buttons. Pupil Voice The headteacher is an active member of the Special School community and through numerous partnerships he has been able to trial and establish effective interventions in order to combat deprivation and disadvantage. Many of these are openly shared with other colleagues with the intention of developing best practice in the sector. That should be our motto why not - why can t we do it? Headteacher 56

57 In more recent years staff at Ysgol Hen Felin have become acutely aware that they want to further their engagement with education policy and practice and are developing ways to bridge the divide between mainstream and special schools. As a result of this reflective thinking staff are currently working on how they can tell the story and show the difference that their practice makes. We want people to engage with us and know what we are doing - we want to share that. Headteacher This message is particularly pertinent as the majority of pupils at Ysgol Hen Felin have in fact already had a mainstream experience; and have then joined the school at a later stage in their school life during Key Stage 3. We have a far more inclusive education system in Wales, what people should do is look to us how they can apply what we have learnt and then apply it in mainstream school. Headteacher Specialist Intervention- DIR (Developmental Individual Relationships) CTC Autism 37 is an interdisciplinary team of enthusiastic professionals who work with children and young people with difficulties in communicating, relating, and thinking. The team base their intervention on the Developmental Individual Relationship (DIR ) model which works from a child friendly and person centred perspective. DIR practitioners value each individual child and family in their own right and will tailor the approach to suit their needs. CTC works with families to support them in their experiences of raising an exceptional child, and provides training to Ysgol Hen Felin staff, promoting best practice quality services to families by: Presuming competence in all Promoting well regulated and engaged individuals Helping individuals to live as independent and fulfil their lives Ensuring that individuals develop a good sense of self Preparing individuals to live successful and happy lives- emotionally, socially, behaviourally and academically to the best of their ability A DIR specialist visits Ysgol Hen Felin 2 days a week to work with families, individual children, and staff to overcome difficulties and remove barriers to enable full and accessible learning. Children with special needs will often become nervous and stressed especially if they are emotionally and sensory deregulated. Even simple tasks like sitting still and listening at circle time can be confusing and scary for some children. Consistency and

58 communication has been proven to be key in helping pupils at Ysgol Hen Felin become more regulated, organised, comfortable, and engaged with their teachers, peers, and surroundings and are now able to move forward to reaching their full potential. There has to be a two way interaction - without that classroom situations are difficult. DIR Specialist Initial coaching demonstrates how to relate to the child and specialists model floor-time which is used to assess the children developmentally. Parents and practitioners are taught how to look at each child and understand individual in-depth differences, e.g. motor, sensory, and behavioural processing systems, and then set goals around understanding each child s way of being in the world. Affect and motivation are a big part of DIR; working with the child to communicate strategies and understanding, thus not making them do it. Relationships are built on what is deemed to be the right affect for the child, by altering the tone of voice, the words used, gestures and body language- all increase engagement and motivation. This does not always mean that interactions are dramatic ; sometimes practitioners will need to keep calmer so that the children can take time to regulate themselves and react differently. It s fun and friendly, we have lots of great people to work with. Pupil Voice Children and young people become engaged because staff have been trained to create meaningful interactions and reduce anxiety to help them cope with the world. Children are moving on a lot quicker because they feel in control of situations. DIR Specialist Families also benefit from knowing why children act the way they do, they are able to acknowledge, recognise, and understand behaviours and feel more confident in their interactions with their child. Evidence of Impact- Documenting and Reflecting DIR encompasses different developmental levels ranging from shared attention and regulation, through to complex problem solving, and symbolic emotional thinking. 58

59 Developmental Levels Dr Stanley Greenspan Adapted by Mari Caulfield After initial assessment pupils have goals and targets set for them that they will be working towards and staff actively encourage activities and lessons that support these goals and targets and constantly monitors progress towards reaching these. During every DIR session staff are taught how to document pupil s behaviours, actions, and if appropriate use of language by video recording. Once practitioners have evidenced the goal they save the video clip to a shared data base and log the clip number on the pupil s individual working profile. The evidencing of clips serves two purposes: Firstly- Staff are able to build up a comprehensive case study of each pupil s developmental progress, this can span across several months and even years. Secondly- Staff actively use video clips to engage in critical reflection and self-evaluation. A staff reflection sheet is used as an evaluative tool to assess each video clip; it asks practitioners to tick Yes or Keep Trying for a range of questions, for example: Was I able to keep the interaction going? Did I encourage the child to make decisions and use ideas? How did I support the child to move up the developmental ladder? After answering the tick box questions, staff are then asked to write short examples of what went right, what did not work so well, and what they can do to improve next time. The video clips and accompanying reflective notes are then shared with other team members for group 59

60 discussion and further action. The impact of working in an open and honest self-reflective way has two distinct benefits- firstly the child is getting expert quality care and provision, and secondly other staff are able to learn from sharing and engage in identified professional development opportunities. Ysgol Hen Felin is striving towards having a trained observer and documenter in each class. Staff are also developing an electronic app to enable practitioners to quickly document evidence on an electronic tablet and upload it to a central database system. CTC specialists are also working on mapping DIR goals and linking progress to the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework and understand the importance of telling the whole story in a consistent format. Continuing Developments Staff at Ysgol Hen Felin have recently put in place two other strategic interventions which run across the whole school: Read Write Inc Little Big Maths Read Write Inc is a phonic based approach to raise literacy levels and claims to develop: fluent, enthusiastic readers; deep comprehension of texts; confident speakers; and keen writers. 38 Little Big Maths sets out to ensure there is progression within the context of the child s play, self-discovery and personal learning journey. This framework is known as A-CLIC (Amounts Counting, Learn Its, It s Nothing New and Calculation) and is characterised by accurate steps of progression (known as Progress Drives) that make new learning easy and obvious to children. It provides a seamless transition into the Big Maths programme, but can also be implemented in isolation. 39 We are using interventions to raise standards; it is not just a tokenistic gesture. We want people to know that we are part of the same agenda. Headteacher Staff were empowered by the headteacher to find suitable interventions to raise aspirations and attainment through monitoring progress and enabling pupil assessment to be carried out with pupils who have lower cognitive ability. Staff chose the interventions by visiting other schools both mainstream and special. They chose Read Write Inc and Little Big Maths as they felt the programmes could be adapted in school for all pupils to access small steps and

61 stages which they felt were ideal for pupils with special educational needs. Staff then set about re-writing the developmental stages of each intervention, as they wanted to be able to show progress for each child. We needed more sub levels as it looked like our guys were standing still and were not moving forward, but this was not the case we knew they were making progress and we needed some way of demonstrating that. Teacher Key members of staff developed their own internal tracking system using an Excel spreadsheet which took each of the stages of development and then broke it down into a further 7 sub stages. Our schemes are an assessment and skills ladder in one. We can carry out diagnostic grouping for pupils by ability and show progression. Step by step, prescriptive levels show what we need to work on with each individual child. Teacher Voices At present in Wales there are no Special School Data Sets, which means that there is a lack of expert knowledge in the field to create a robust tracking system to compare and contrast pupil progress. Therefore Ysgol Hen Felin have created their own in house assessment system, which is currently in the final stages of development and will begin trialling soon. We raise expectations internally because externally we need more experts in the field. We have adopted mainstream models but adapted them to meet the needs of our pupils and our school. We have to overcome barriers - we want our guys to have access to the same systems of education. Headteacher All staff at Ysgol Hen Felin are passionate about continually striving to move forward and are currently working with a Student Information Management System (SIMS) IT expert to develop a package to enable other special schools to compare and contrast the data sets of their pupils so that special schools can validate their results. In mainstream it is expected that the whole class develops at the same time. Here we differentiate and focus on individual pupils and work to that need. In a year we look forward to reviewing the complete developmental picture of pupil progress. Teacher Staff at Ysgol Hen Felin have embraced challenge and change and think that the key to success has been thinking about their own teaching. A step-by-step approach to 61

62 understanding learning has also brought them all back, re-winding to the start so to speak has helped deepen their knowledge. Staff talk about picking up gaps in teaching which has enabled them to see what they needed to put in place. Communication, support for each other and reflecting in a safe way, have also been key developments at the school. By doing self-evaluation you can make an impact on standards. What s interesting about it is that staff can engage with school improvement and therefore standards have risen as a result of this way of working. Headteacher Impact The headteacher states that although measuring impact is a particular challenge for the Special School Sector due to the complex needs of the pupils, staff at Ysgol Hen Felin has seen an improvement of at least 1, possibly 2 P SCALE judgements throughout the academic year. This is a significant difference than in previous years. Headteacher Funding Ysgol Hen Felin is using its Pupil deprivation Grant (PDG) to fund consultants, develop staff training, and purchase specialist resources: Consultant to put interventions in place Staff training to build capacity and continue work when consultant off site Invested resources: eye gaze tracking system to enable engagement and communication through eye movements Specialist resources: Read Write Inc and Little Big Maths Develop physical literacy practice - staff bring child development know how, P.E. consultant brings physical education know how and both merge together to develop best practice Partnerships to develop drama sessions to enable pupils to be themselves The Headteacher notes that the school has used the PDG creatively in order to buy in specialist services not normally available through the delegated budget. The school intends to further enhance these services during the next financial year by focussing on building capacity in order to provide sustainability. 62

63 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of leaders using data effectively to identify those pupils who are falling behind and to monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions to address underachievement. Theme Particular factor YHF Leadership Designated senior leader Rigorous use of data and self-evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Clear and robust evaluation and performance management Teaching and Learning Effective feedback and assessment Tailored curriculum Wellbeing programme focusing on raisings elfesteem Engagement with parents and wider community Strong dialogue with parents Key Contact Andy Henderson Headteacher Ysgol Hen Felin Gelligaled Park Ystrad Rhondda Cynon Taff CF41 7SZ

64 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn Local Authority: Gwynedd Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: Welsh Number of Pupils: 270 Free School Meal Percentage: 10% Focus of Case Study: Identifying low-achieving pupils and developing a range of strategies to improve their performance including additional learning experiences and engaging their parents. Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn Introduction Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn is one of the smallest secondary schools in Wales. It is an comprehensive school offering education predominantly through the medium of Welsh and sometimes English. It serves a large rural and coastal catchment area and around 25% of its pupils come from Welsh-speaking home backgrounds. According to data on the My Local School website 40 there are 270 pupils in the school, 9.7% of whom are entitled to free school meals (FSM). The current number on roll is 259 and 9.6% are FSM pupils. The school has traditionally only had a small number of pupils entitled to free-school meals. However, it has often had a high proportion (currently 30%) of pupils with additional learning needs (ALN). Therefore, the main focus in terms of support and intervention has been on these pupils, some but by no means all who would also fall into the FSM category. The school has frequently targeted support for various categories of pupils, for example, boys, in addition to GCSE C/D borderline and pupils who risk leaving school without entering education, employment or training (NEETs). The school believes its small size has a positive impact. This can best be summarised by the following quotes: We are a small school and we know all the pupils and families so well

65 Most teachers in non-core subjects will teach all the pupils in years 7-to-9. We work as a team with the teachers. We feel valued by most teachers. The teaching staff work well with support. Head of Key Stage 4 LSA Voices I know the pupils very well; I teach them all. Things can t work in isolation in a school this size. There s no hiding place. Head of Science I know everyone in the school. I teach them all. Everybody knows everybody. Head of Art The Use of Data and Related Interventions The school has a very effective data-capture system, developed over the last few years. This enables it to effectively map pupil achievement and attainment. It uses colour-coding which allows staff a very quick and straightforward overview of pupils progress and achievement. This includes grouping pupils under a range of categories, one of which is FSM. Furthermore, with such small numbers, teachers and support staff say it is very manageable for them to get an overview and be aware of every pupil s progress and current attainment on a continuous basis. The systematic analysis of progress, achievement and attainment data by the headteacher forms the basis of departmental reviews. Each department is required to define what support it will provide to enable pupils to meet specified aspirational targets. They are also asked to provide an evaluation of how effective and successful the actions were. Half-termly whole-school reviews of pupil progress, achievement and attainment include a section on FSM pupils. The Senior Management Team (SMT) monitors a targeted group of pupils (on the grade C/D boundary or equivalent) in years 9 and 11. Departments undertake this same role with similarly targeted groups in years 7, 8 and 10. The close in-school attention and scrutiny to these pupils is accompanied by regular dialogue and, when necessary, meetings, with parents. Classes are organised in three sets for the core subjects from year 8. Staff believe this makes planning and teaching more straightforward and enables the school to create small bottom sets where a lot of individual attention can be given to pupils (especially with the increased level and specialism of LSA support now available). 65

66 The whole system is now targeting pupils in a more robust fashion. Headteacher Additional Support for Pupils Additional support has been provided outside the classroom. This can take the form of oneto-one or small groups working on bespoke revision and catch-up programmes. Much of this focuses on literacy. There is also increased support through appointing another Learning Support Assistant (LSA) with a specific responsibility for numeracy. There is a very clear support system for pupils in the core subjects with after-school Helpline drop in sessions each week. There is one for science, English and mathematics along with a lunchtime session for Welsh. All pupils are welcome to come to these and the school reports that they are generally well attended. However, particular attention is given to try and ensure those pupils who have little or no facility for doing work at home are able to attend. Other subject teachers are willing to organise lunch-time meetings, including on a one-to-one basis, to deal with any pupil queries or concerns. Some Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) funding has been used to appoint a LSA, one of whose roles is to track all FSM pupils and advise on any intervention and support strategies for them. Reading buddies have been used whereby pupils in year 11 volunteer to work with year 7 pupils in registration periods at the start of the school day. The centrally located Library provides a good setting for this activity. Out-of-school-hours activities included Breakfast Club and Homework Club, where the takeup by both FSM and non-fsm pupils is consistently high. The Breakfast Club is held daily from 07:45 until 08:30. It was set up by one of the Learning Support team. It offers the obvious advantages of proving a nutritious and healthy start to the day at school (due to the large catchment area some pupils have very early starts and, for some others, there is no tradition of eating breakfast at home). It also reinforces social skills. Pupil feedback also indicates other factors, which may well help pupils settle well before the start of the school day. It s also good to be able to talk to Mrs Sheedy. Mrs Sheedy is really nice and good to talk to. Mrs Sheedy is very nice and funny and she is nice to talk to first thing in the morning. Pupil Voice The Homework Club runs once a week for two hours. The same member of the Learning Support team who set up the Breakfast Club established it. The club is held in an ICT room 66

67 and this provides pupils with additional resources and equipment with which to undertake their work. It is intended to provide a supportive environment for pupils, with ready support from the member of staff present. There is an incentive to attend as those who come eight times or more are awarded a certificate. The Club is also somewhere where older pupils readily help younger ones with their tasks. It aims to make pupils more confident and motivated learners as they tackle tasks and assignments in a well-equipped, supportive setting rather than one where they may struggle to get any personal or material help and are isolated. Some recent pupil comments that seem to endorse this include: Homework Club is jolly and warm as can be. The minute I walk through the door I feel relaxed. Homework Club is great. It s for two hours after school and it allows you to do your homework with your friends. Homework Club is AMAZING! We get a good 2 hours after school every Thursday night. We get to do our homework and print it out for free and Miss Sheedy is always there to help and we get to be around our friends. Going to homework club is better than doing homework at home because if you re not sure of something you can get help and advice from Miss Sheedy or your friends. I like it because when I try to do my homework at home I get distracted but I don t at homework club. Pupil Voice There is a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities. These include skillsbased activities such as Chess Club and Scrabble Club, field trips, visits to the theatre and other places of educational interest such as the National Library of Wales. The school ensures that no pupil will miss out on these because they do not have the money to pay for them. The school s hours (08:30-14:45) mean that there is still a reasonable amount of time remaining in the afternoon for extra-curricular activities, revision classes and Homework Club. Pupils are felt to be more inclined to stay on at school than if there was a 15:30 or later finish. There is also conscious effort to timetable these activities so as to avoid unnecessary clashes. Work with Parents and the Community Building on-going dialogues with hard-to-reach parents through close and regular contact with outside agencies and specialist services is a priority at Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn. Staff work with parents who lack confidence to approach the school and have an awareness that this is sometimes the case with pupils from disadvantaged homes. Teachers and other school staff are trained to be good listeners and offer guidance to help parents make decisions, which influence their children s education. Staff communicate with parents by telephone and offer face-to-face meetings which are sometimes carried out in the home 67

68 which helps parents to feel more relaxed and comfortable. Many parents have written to the school to praise their excellent communication with parents: Since my son started at your school I have been very impressed by the up to date and correct information sent home via newsletters and text messages. Parent Voice A half termly Newsletter keeps all parents informed of school events and developments and is circulated to key places in the community such as the Leisure Centre, the Health Centre, Dentist, Library, and Shops. Specialists are invited into school to run workshops, some of which lead to qualifications such as OCN: Babysitting DJ Skills Physical Recreation Information evenings are held in order to offer advice and gain parent s opinions and views. This is also achieved via surveys and questionnaires. An FSM pupil support questionnaire has been developed by the school and encompasses questions such as: Has your child taken part in any of the variety of trips offered by the school? If so, which ones, if not, why not? How much do you feel you are able to help your child with their homework? A little, - A lot, - Not at all? Can you suggest any alternative or additional support that could be provided for your child which you feel would benefit them? On information and parent s evenings, if parents are unable to attend due to transport issues, the school will act as a go between and put parents in touch with other families who are perhaps travelling in the same direction so that they can offer lifts to each other. The school has an extremely successful partnership with the local Rotary Club and all pupils have access to events that are sponsored by the club, such as Young Chef and Young Musician of the Year. The Police Service also works in collaboration with the school and Youth Workers on a Community Garden Project at the local railway station. Outcomes The small numbers of pupils who receive FSM (four or five in a year group) make year-onyear comparisons and conclusions within the school or with other schools very risky. Nevertheless, in 2013 performance showed the school gaining Level 2+ outcomes above the Family, the Local Authority and Wales. This was mirrored by the performance of FSM pupils. 68

69 For 2012 a break-down of individual pupil performance of the eight FSM pupils who sat GCSE showed that seven attained Level 2, six the Core Subject Indicator and six Level 2+. All eight attained L1. Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of leaders using data effectively to identify those pupils who are falling behind and to monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions to address underachievement. Theme Particular factor YUT Leadership Rigorous use of data and self-evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Catch-up programmes Tailored curriculum Engagement with parents and wider community Strong dialogue with parents Key Contact Mrs Helen Lewis Headteacher Uwchradd Tywyn Station Road, Tywyn LL36 9EU Tel:

70 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Oakdale Comprehensive School Local Authority: Caerphilly Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 599 Free School Meal Percentage: 19% Focus of Case Study: High quality positive relationships built on mutual respect that have been developed throughout the school using a framework for the wellbeing of pupils and staff by the Senior Leadership Team. Oakdale Comprehensive School Oakdale Comprehensive School is an 11-to-16 co-educational English medium school maintained by the Local Authority of Caerphilly County Borough Council. The school serves the villages of Oakdale and Penmaen and the surrounding area. The area is one of mixed housing with relatively little social disadvantage or deprivation. There are currently 599 pupils on roll. 41 The school was founded to serve a mining community in the South Wales Valleys and the social and economic post-industrial circumstances of the area are typical of the region. Approximately 19% of pupils have been entitled to receive free school meals over the last five years; 42 this is above the average figure nationally across Wales. The ethnic profile of the school is almost entirely white British and all pupils have English as their first language. 43 The Case Study This case study focuses on high quality positive relationships built on mutual respect that have been developed throughout the school using a framework for the wellbeing of pupils and staff by the Senior Leadership Team who focus on a mission to create a happy and productive community in which all are valued My Local School 42 Stats Wales 43 Estyn 2009 School Inspection Report 44 School website at 70

71 The headteacher started at the school in April 2007 with an inspection due in November The appointment of a Curriculum Deputy Head in September 2008 and a Pastoral Assistant Head in January 2009 along with the Bursar who was already in post established the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) as it is at present. There is absolute clarity regarding the requirements for leadership at the school: creativity, problem solving, high aspirations, an outward-looking approach, the ability to maintain high-quality relationships in a fast-paced environment and loyalty are pre-requisites to members of the senior leadership at Oakdale. The Chair of Governors describes the headteacher as: Having a clear sense of purpose and vision, attuned to the governors' view of a community school; a willingness to listen to staff, governors and parents; a remarkable ability to synthesise complex issues and then take appropriate action; a credibility through delivering on promises; and a skill in communication both internally, with other schools, and to a wide range of audiences. Chair of Governors According to the school the areas that have had the biggest impact on improving standards are: Leadership and Management- providing a vision and establishing a common purpose in a no blame culture. Behaviour and Attendance- providing a civilized and civilizing community, where attendance and good behaviour are the norm. Curriculum and Achievement- providing a clear academic purpose and the framework to deliver it. Teaching and Learning- providing a culture where risk taking with learning experiences is encouraged and best qualifications for all is the goal. Oakdale s Journey With an inspection due in November 2008, the headteacher quickly developed the school's core values through a series of meetings. These meetings took place across the whole school and in collaboration staff established what was good and what was not, and then the Head took a clear top down approach to deal with identified shortcomings with the backing of the staff and governing body. The new SLT was established to implement this approach. The inspection in November 2008 graded the school as adequate, but the commentary noted 'a sea change' in the prospects for the schools future. Before the headteacher started the staff were already working on a sanctions and rewards system. The headteacher recognised this as a developing strength and encouraged the staff to develop this system and was robust in supporting it. With the appointment of the Pastoral Assistant Headteacher, the pastoral team of five Progress Managers and the Special Needs Co-Ordinator they all set about working with the Curriculum Team Leaders and staff to ensure a level of consistency across the school in the application of sanctions 71

72 and rewards. This became the foundation for all the other developments in the school and along with the pastoral care, still is today. Pupils trust us, they know they can come to us for help, the children are very loyal, if they think that something has come up that is unjust they will come to us and tell us because they know we will deal with it. Behaviour for Learning - Sanctions and Rewards System Teacher Voice School discipline is a key priority at Oakdale framed through behaviour for learning. The SLT advocates and reinforces the effective use of simple behaviour rules, which are applied consistently across the school, in every class and in every corridor. No matter what time of day, or which lessons are on pupils can be seen following their set routines for lining up, entering classrooms and settling down to work in their lessons. There is zero tolerance for shouting out, bad language, and leaving class. Students value inclusivity and vulnerable children are accepted and nurtured. The school day is conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect. A sense of calm and purpose is palpable around the corridors. During the transition period (Year 6-to-7) pupils are inducted into the school culture. Clear and consistent messages and guidance are given to the pupils about the expectations of the school in relation to attendance, behaviour, aspirations and achievement. Start of Year 7 the boundaries are clearly set, we all know where we are, we are told how to behave and the rewards we can get, and the sanctions if we don t. Pupil Voice Children know that clear boundaries will be applied in every lesson, we expect the same standards of behaviour from every pupil. Teacher Behaviour for learning discipline is done in a positive way, teachers are not shouting, telling pupils off or making them sit in silence, there is a feeling of respect, there is no conflict, and pupils know what is expected of them. There is no anger and sanctions are clear, and all staff and pupils adhere to the same system and work together to reinforce this. As a result pupils know exactly what the consequences of inappropriate behaviours and actions are, (S1 to S5- range of sanction codes, detention, report, etc). Teachers are able to teach because they are not fighting fire and in every lesson the children expect to be taught. The school actively uses a data tracking system to easily identify groups of pupils who cause concern and disruption, who forget books and equipment, who don t do homework, and do not wear the correct uniform. Sometimes I need to learn what not to do, I didn t realise what I was doing. 72

73 The planner helps, my parents can see all my rewards and if I get a sanction we can talk about it. Parents are not happy if you get a sanction, I changed my attitude towards lessons, I learnt from my mistakes, I am now on track. Pupil Voice During the sea change lunch times were also identified as a cause for concern so the SLT decided to keep all of the pupils in school. The village went quiet and all the disruptions, rubbish etc stopped. Targeted exclusions were high and the community respected the teachers and the decisions being made at the school to tackle inappropriate behaviour and were talking about things happening in school using the same language (sanctions and rewards). Our community likes strong discipline. Pastoral Assistant Headteacher Across the whole school, at the end of every term pupils can win a range of prizes such as a camera, a Wii console, an ipad, and ipod. There are also inter-house competitions and prizes for excellent work and attendance reward trips to the ice rink, cinema and McDonald s. Each Year Group also has its own raffle draw to make it fair. If you are really good you are proud of yourself. Everyone tries to work towards the end to win the big prize; we are all working towards that goal. Pupil Voice Pupils trust their teachers and relationships have been developed by building on a bedrock of mutual respect. When the results come in and grades continue to rise it gives staff the confidence to realise that what they are doing in a consistent way is working, and they want to carry on and develop their practice further. Staff have also noticed that pupils want to be in the majority and have become more academically driven. It s now fashionable to be an achiever, to be well behaved; all children regardless of their background want to be part of that, children are striving to move forward, they want to be part of that challenging ethos. Teacher There is a common shared assumption that pupils clearly know that they are coming to school to work and focus on their attainment. Oakdale also has a reward system for GCSE exam results. Conversations about worth and value start at Year 10, and Year 11 leavers can potentially earn the following: 73

74 Paper Grade Conditional Result Reward Higher tier English A* English Pass Maths Higher tier Maths A* Maths Pass English Higher tier English A Higher tier Maths A Foundation English C Foundation Maths C Any other level - 2 grades above FFT predictor Rewards are paid as cash on collection of results. The highest pass score in English will win that pupil an ipad mini and the highest pass score Maths will win that pupil an ipad mini. We know this is common practice and contracts are made at home up and down the country. We make our own deal with pupils as an additional incentive which eases the pressure at home for some of our parents. Deputy Head Teaching and Learning According to staff at Oakdale the systems used for monitoring progress are rigorous and robust, and have been improved through the use of high quality data. The headteacher provides high quality data training for key staff and data is presented so that vulnerable groups, including Free School Meal (FSM) pupils in every subject can readily be tracked. We identify our free school meal pupils early on, we know the background of the children; we know what is going on in their lives, we are continually monitoring their wellbeing and progress, we want them to be getting the best results. We have very tight procedures, if pupils are in need the Headteacher will provide for them, we deal with everyone as individuals. Teacher Voice The SLT has a firm belief that clarity of purpose allied with fewer distractions really focused the school on outcomes, and the leadership team were able to concentrate on teaching and learning. 'State of play' interviews with middle leaders developed robust accountability, and a key role was played by the style of leadership through an open-door policy, which developed trust and a no-blame culture. Approachable friendly teaching staff have reciprocal trusting 74

75 relationships between them and risk taking in practice is encouraged by the SLT. This is reinforced by comments from teaching staff: We all share good practice. We are not afraid to go and observe other lessons, we can pop in and out, take notes. If something is successful we can all take it on board. Teacher We have got no issues with staff trying things, if staff get an idea we encourage them to try it, see what happens, evaluate it, if it works great, tell others, if not move on and try something else. Deputy Head A Teaching and Learning Group was set up and developed the teaching and learning toolbox, and the leader of the team provided INSET on assessment for learning, and learning to learn. All staff went off site to a hotel for the day and had external INSET to augment the teaching and learning toolbox. For example the school now has a traffic light system in place- red, amber, and green laminated cards can be shown in class for pupils to demonstrate their understanding of a lesson, or to ask for help. And small white boards are also in use in classes to encourage pupils to have a go at answering questions. The participatory tools help teachers know if they have pitched the lesson correctly. Teacher Staff meet regularly in curriculum teams to ensure consistency in the development of policy and procedures, and to provide opportunities to showcase best practice, this includes engaging parents and encouraging learning at home. One of the common things we hear is we didn t do it like this in our day. Teacher In order to overcome such barriers to learning the school held a Parental Core Development Evening. By focusing on pupils that needed an extra push to get the C Grade 30 parents were targeted and 21 turned up. Pupils and parents attended together and spent 1 hour with the Maths and English Departments. Participants were provided with basic equipment such as pens, pencils, tracing paper, compasses, angle measurers, rulers, and past paper resources. During the evening participants were given clear guidance and information as to what they can expect to happen for their children from January to June in order to get parents engaged in helping them to help their children. Following on additional pupil homework was set each week which parents were expected to check, and after teacher marking was handed back to parents for their information and to help track their children s progress. Parental drop in sessions are also run throughout the year for those who would like more guidance and support. 75

76 The evening was also designed to encourage parents to think about their children having informed life opportunities and to think about having conversations with them about aspirational futures. Parents reported positive feedback and said they understood the need to be honest with their children and tell them why it is important to have real life skills. We tell all our pupils never give up, every child is expected to achieve their potential. Deputy Head Oakdale has developed an effective mentoring system to monitor pupil progress, and Form Tutors are responsible for the academic progress of all the pupils in their care. As a progress driven school mentor and mentee meet on a 1-to-1 basis every term to discuss results and continue to drive aspirations. By changing tutors around the SLT was able to see who worked best and most effectively with certain year groups. The mentoring system at Oakdale now runs in a cycle. There are set Year 7 mentors, which stay the same, and then in Year 8 pupils have a new mentor that then stays with them until Year 11. This means that when mentors get to the end of a Year 11 cycle they pick new Year 8 pupils up in the next academic year and then follow their progress through the school until they reach Year 11. We are here to help and support them, and to make sure that they leave here with the best opportunities to get out of the circumstances they are in, and we tell them that qualifications are their opportunity in life. Developing Learner Voice in Oakdale Comprehensive School Form Tutor The Student Voice Group consists of nine pupils from Years 7-to-10 and is a sub-group of the student council; members of which are elected by their forms. Focusing on teaching and learning the group met for three sessions to discuss the following themes: What are the qualities of a good teacher? What makes a good lesson? What gets in the way of learning in class and what helps students to learn? During each discussion session pupils created a poster on the theme. These posters were displayed in the staff room on the teaching and learning notice board and a report detailing these posters was distributed to all staff. The lessons are good; the teachers are interacting with the students. 76

77 I would tell the teacher if I thought the lesson was not working well, I would tell them what could make it more interesting; people will not learn as well if they find it boring. Pupil Voice Pupils produced a DVD summarizing their findings. This DVD was shown during assemblies. Staff attended assemblies along with their forms, and this ensured that it was clear to pupils that staff had seen the DVD. Feedback from pupils who viewed the DVD was very positive, many commented on their empathy towards the views expressed; for example one pupil said: The DVD was really good because they were saying what we all think. 45 Pupil Voice Pupils also carried out a lesson audit via survey and offered feedback reflecting the quality of the teaching and learning in Oakdale from their perspective. There were three sections to the questionnaire: The structure of the lesson Perceived lesson outcomes Relationships between staff and pupils and how teachers are perceived The data was analyzed and a non-judgmental report was produced. All staff were given a copy of the report which generated much discussion in the staff room and was an agenda point in curriculum area meetings. We need to continue to develop pupil voice so students continue to see themselves as active partners in the school's life and work, not as passive consumers of a pre-planned product. This sense of partnership needs to be revitalised every year through students' participation in regular reviews of their work and progress, and through the sincere attention that staff pay to their opinions on all aspects of the school's activity and organisation. Deputy Head Oakdale pupils have made a video which is available on the Pupil Voice Wales website:

78 Evidence of Impact Pupils are now leaving school with possibilities: Primary school was too laid back; this is a much better environment to learn. I want to carry on learning, I am thinking about College or University. Pupil Voice Hard work by staff and pupils has led to a closing attainment gap between FSM pupils and non-fsm pupils (see graphs on following page). In 2013 the percentage of FSM pupils who reached the expected KS3 Level - core subject indicator was 76.0%, and non FSM pupils 76.2%, a gap of 0.2%. GCSE Level 2 results over the last five years have also produced an attainment gap reduction. In 2008 the gap between FSM pupils and non-fsm pupils achieving the Level 2 threshold of 5 GCSEs at Grade A*-C was 35.3%, in 2013 this was reduced to 10.9%. The hard work continues as going forward the challenge at Oakdale is to reduce the attainment gap at Level 2 inclusive threshold which is the volume of qualifications equivalent to GCSEs at Grade A*-C including one in English or Welsh first language and one in Mathematics. My Local School Data 46 Pupils who have reached the expected KS3 level - Core subject indicator

79 Represents the percentage of pupils achieving at least level 5 in English or Welsh (first language), mathematics and science in combination My Local School Data 47 Pupils achieving the level 2 threshold- 5 GCSEs at Grade A*- C Staff at Oakdale respect and look up to the SLT and suggest that they have had a significant impact on the whole school, however also feel that they too are equally recognised as part of the success story and that they have been driven forward to succeed by the energy levels of the SLT who act as role models for the rest of the staff. The head is inspirational, he came in and shook us up, we were ready for change, we wanted leadership. They are a really good team; together they form an excellent triad. Any point of the triad is accessible, we know that if we need to we can go directly to the Head, we would not have to go through a line manager. Teacher Voice

80 Future Developments Staff at Oakdale are currently piloting a student voice survey focusing on are you a good learner? Based on a Likert Rating Scale pupils are asked to rate themselves on 20 questions relating to different aspects of learning, for example: Do you feel comfortable working with friends? Do you feel comfortable with your teachers? Do you ask for help when needed? Are you happy to be pushed in lessons? Are you happy to tackle hard and tricky questions? Staff are currently trailing the robustness of the survey tool and are assessing the potential uses of the data. Oakdale School is currently maintaining a strong focus on the following areas: Consistency of and creativity in teaching A personalised curriculum Engagement of students Relations with the outside world Inspirational leadership Being excellent is not the end of the story we realise that maintaining that excellence will be even more of a challenge than achieving it. Deputy Head The Deputy Head is proud of the school s achievements and is passionate about education in Wales, and speaks openly about a necessary cultural shift in attitude towards teachers and learning in order to have respectful engagement with schools and raise aspirations. Funding The school is planning to use its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) to develop key supportive roles throughout the school and focus on the following key areas: Learning Coaching Library Support Literacy and Numeracy Catch Up 80

81 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of developing high quality relationships among staff and between staff and pupils. This includes a focus on promoting wellbeing and listening to learners. Theme Particular factor Oak Leadership Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Wellbeing programme focusing on raising self-esteem Engagement with parents and wider community Strong dialogue with parents Key Contact Mr Martin Davis Deputy Head Oakdale Comprehensive School Penmaen Road, Oakdale Blackwood NP12 0DT

82 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Bishop Gore School Local Authority: Swansea Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 1041 Free School Meal Percentage: 26% Focus of Case Study: Supporting low achieving pupils to reach their global target grades through innovative learning and teaching, a skills-based curriculum and additional personal and study support. Bishop Gore Bishop Gore is a comprehensive school in the Sketty area of west Swansea of 1041 pupils, 26.2 of whom are entitled to free school meals (FSM). The school admits pupils from a large number of primary schools, over 50% of the current year 7 are preferred placements. Twenty seven per cent of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The school is currently in performance band 2 of five for secondary schools in Wales. In its most recent Estyn inspection 48 the school gained judgements of Excellent for both the Overall Judgement of the School and Prospects for Improvement. 49 Key Developments Over the last five years the school has developed a range of interventions that it feels has contributed to its success in promoting high levels of attainment, including the relatively high levels of performance of children in receipt of free school meals. These are driven by a very strong focus on individual pupils and developing teaching and learning programmes that cater for the needs of the full range of pupils

83 We don t give up on any pupil. Assistant Headteacher We look to remove the barriers to learning. We don t let any pupil get away! Inclusion Manger Member of English Department The school uses a comprehensive data capture and analysis system that enables it to identify and categorise pupils in a variety of ways and gives easily recognisable indicators of progress and attainment. This, in turn, leads to systematic tracking of pupils and enables teachers within and across departments to access and compare pupils progress and facilitates effective intervention and support. The data capture for pupils entering the school in year 7 draws on a variety of sources; NFER, end of key stage 2 teacher assessments, Midyis (the Middle Years Information System) and, since this year, the results of Literacy and Numeracy assessments conducted as part of the Welsh Governments National Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks. The school reports a very strong correlation between these and the Midyis returns. Working on the information these measures provide, the school then gives each pupil a Global Grade. These are seen as aspirational, based on ambitious, but what are felt to be, realistic targets. The grades range from A to E and each pupil gets one grade only, applied to all subjects. The target is then for pupils to maintain or improve this grade and this forms the basis of the Progress Reviews that are the key component of the school s focus on getting all pupils to achieve their potential. The reviews take the form of a detailed conversation with parents/carers and pupils about their current progress matched against their global grade. The discussions are based around progress grades, which unlike the Global Grade, can be adjusted downward as well as upward. There are two progress reviews in year 7, three in years 8-10 and four in year 11. The global grades and progress reviews are really helpful. Gives you an idea of where you are and what you need to do to improve. Year 10 Pupil Most teachers are good at letting me know how I can do better. Year 8 Pupil On the basis of data analysis the school organises pupils into ability bands from the start of year 7. There is very strong commitment and support for this among teaching staff. They consider it makes planning, teaching and assessment more straightforward and differentiation far more manageable. There is also conviction that, in particular, academically able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, benefit from being in classes with pupils of 83

84 similar ability. They believe it creates a dynamic learning environment for these pupils that might otherwise be missing. There are effective support measures to further enable these pupils (and others) to make good progress. Lunchtime and after-school facilities are provided for pupils to do homework and revise. The school will provide transport for those pupils it knows would otherwise be unable to stay behind. There is also subtle but consistent support for those pupils whose families find it difficult or impossible to pay for items of school equipment and educational visits. There are revision sessions for key stage 4 and AS/A level pupils and students in school holidays while there are thirty-seven mentors (mainly support staff) working as one-to-one mentors with year 11 pupils. The teachers are always there to help. Year 10 pupil There are always revision classes and you can do homework after school or lunchtime. Most teachers give praise and encourage you. Year 10 Pupil Year 8 Pupil The school also provides very strong support for those pupils with additional learning needs (ALN); sixty per cent of the current cohort of ALN pupils is also entitled to free school meals. The school invests heavily to create small, well-resourced classes and also provide the means for individual and small group work around a range of catch-up programmes. In addition, there are Nurture Groups in both key stage 3 and 4 where provision is very carefully tailored to individual needs and includes behaviour management and life skills programmes. The close and effective working relationships with external agencies, further enhances the focus on both improving pupil well-being and enabling progress in basic skills. The BHi-5 nurture provision caters for the needs of Key Stage 3 pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Pupils are withdrawn from lessons and are provided with individualised programmes of learning, the focus of which is to raise confidence and selfesteem with a view to re-integration into full-time mainstream lessons. This is achieved using a number of tools and strategies, which include behaviour support, access to Mi-Space, social skills work, literacy support and numeracy support. The BHi-5 is staffed with a Specialist behaviour teacher, a lead teaching assistant and a teaching assistant who also supports pupils in mainstream lessons. The Mi-Pod is a facility established to meet the needs of Key Stage 4 pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Pupils are supported by being provided with individualised timetables and programmes of learning. Two Teaching Assistants also support pupils in the Mi-Pod. 84

85 ELEV8 is a KS4 provision that supports pupils with social emotional an behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and/or attendance difficulties through targeted learning. Pupils are provided with individualized timetables and programmes of learning. They follow a reduced and modified curriculum supplemented by work Placements and some mainstream lessons. Most pupils are supported at ELEV8 on a full-time basis. ELEV8 is managed by the SEBD coordinator, led by a senior Teaching Assistant and supported by specialist teachers and additional associate staff. Further evidence of how the school can identify specific groups of pupils and support them effectively can be found on the Best Practice section of the Estyn website. 50 This highlights partnership working with the Ethnic Youth Support Team, a voluntary group in the community, to support ethnic minority learners who were also disadvantaged and at risk of underachievement. A revision programme in English, mathematics and science was provided for these children that led to improved attainment and behaviour. Teaching and Learning Faced with a decline in academic performance and a changing catchment the school decided to make significant changes to its learning and teaching approaches. We were burying our heads in the sand, we needed change. Assistant Headteacher Under the leadership of the headteacher the school has, over five years, worked systematically to develop approaches that address a wide range of learning styles and learning needs. The approaches are linked to a variety of teaching styles to encourage pupils to become confident and independent learners, increasing use of information technology resources (ICT) e.g. the recent substantial investment in I-Pads, the promotion of peer-evaluation and assessment and the carefully planned training programme for, and involvement of, a large team of support staff. The deployment of support staff is carefully planned and is thought to be particularly effective in the way they support the curriculum (see below). We don t think of teachers and LSAs we just think of us as staff. Year 11 Pastoral Head Through an extensive programme of continuous professional development a consensus on approaches to learning, teaching and assessment has been developed amongst staff. I have worked in three schools and never known one where there is so much consistency between staff about teaching and assessment

86 Geography Teacher Initiatives are given both time and training. Assistant Headteacher Teachers are encouraged to be fully aware of pupils capabilities, strengths and areas for improvement. They develop this knowledge through strong classroom relationships, easily accessible and rich attainment data and regular and focused formative assessment. Through the target grades they are provided with pupils also know how well they are progressing. Pupils are aware of where they are and what they need to do. This leads to a competitive element. Mathematics Teacher Groups of year 8 and year 10 pupils strongly agreed that most lessons are interesting and clearly explained and that their teacher know them well. Pupils felt confident about asking questions and contributing to class discussions. They felt that they got good support and encouragement and that they felt they were listened to. Curriculum Development Over the last five years there have been a number of developments to bring the curriculum in line with principles and practices initially promoted by the headteacher and senior management team (SMT). These look to make the curriculum more creative, flexible and pupil-centred. There is a consistent focus on pupils having many opportunities to learn through varied experiences and activities. In Year 7 pupils follow a skills-based learning programme, which builds upon their work in primary school and allows them to apply the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired form their curriculum areas in a highly creative way. This learning model is then continued into years 8 and 9. In Key Stage 4 as well as the cores subjects of the curriculum and the Welsh Bac, pupils are able to follow a range of pathways, which reflect their interests, capabilities and future opportunities. Extra-curricular activities Combined with a strong focus on all pupils achieving to the best of their ability, the school places a great emphasis on its caring ethos. We believe that, by giving many opportunities to pupils to enjoy experiences outside the curriculum, to work with each other and the community Headteacher 86

87 Statement: Swansea EduNet 51 The school succeeds in providing a wide range of extra-curricular activities and views this is yet another and important means of enabling all pupils to discover their potential and to achieve. There are so many opportunities and activities (Head Girl), some of which derive from the results of pupil surveys and other means of developing the Pupil Voice. The school ensures that no pupil/student is unable to participate in extra-curricular activities because they cannot afford to. Outcomes From the benchmarking data for key stage 3 places the school in the upper quartile for both the core subject indicator (CSI) and English. The performance in mathematics is, with the exception of 2012 (median quartile) in the upper quartile. The key stage 4 benchmarking data for places the school in the upper quartile for both the Level 2 + threshold and the Level 2 threshold. The performance of boys is particularly strong in the Level 2 + threshold; their attainment for is above that for the Family of Schools, the Local Authority and for Wales. The whole school performance in attaining the Level 2 threshold is also impressive. For each year from it is above that for the Family of Schools, the Local Authority and for Wales. From 2010 to 2013 it was well above the Family of Schools. At an individual level the comments of one year 8 pupil are a fitting conclusion: My work has really improved since I came to this school. My Global Grade was a B but now it s gone to A. Pupil Voice

88 Summary The key message from this case study is that a combination of a tailored curriculum, a strong focus on pupils wellbeing and the professional development of staff contributes to higher standards for all learners. Theme Particular factor Oak Leadership Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Tailored curriculum including extracurricular activities Wellbeing and behaviour for learning programme focusing on raising self-esteem Tailored curriculum Extracurricular activities Key Contact Ryan Davies Headteacher De-la-beche Road Sketty Swansea SA2 9AP Tel:

89 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ysgol Bassaleg School Local Authority: Newport Type of School/Setting: Secondary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 1670 Free School Meal Percentage: 6% Focus of Case Study: Teaching approaches including feedback to pupils, developing thinking skills, and peer-to-peer learning which have been made effective by home grown, in house toolkits and systems of support Ysgol Bassaleg School Bassaleg School is a mixed 11-to-18 school maintained by Newport Local Education Authority (LEA). The school is situated on the outskirts of the city of Newport. The majority of pupils who attend the school come from the city and a significant minority come from more rural areas. The catchment area is that covered by the High Cross, Marshfield, Mount Pleasant, Penrepoeth, and Rogerstone Primary Schools. Bassaleg School currently has 1670 pupils on roll and of these 347 are in the Sixth Form 52. The majority of pupils come from neither prosperous nor economically disadvantaged areas. Over the last five years the number of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) has averaged around 6% 53, this is lower than the average for the Local Authority and nationally across Wales. However 33% of the current Sixth form are entitled to an Educational Maintenance Allowance and therefore staff are mindful that they have to cast the net wider than just FSM pupils as they believe that a significant population of pupils are borderline FSM and are thus consciously aware of the concept of in work poverty. The Case Study Bassaleg School strives for excellence in all aspects of school life. The general aims are that the school: 52 My Local School Stats Wales 89

90 will be a happy and caring community where there is encouragement and opportunity for all learners to achieve their potential, where they feel valued as individuals and learn to co-operate with one another; will be an ordered and disciplined place, where the students know that they will find the guidance and support they need; recognises all the needs of the learners intellectual, spiritual, social and physical and endeavours to meet those needs in a manner suited to the individual; sees that learners are recognised as individuals and are cared for as individuals; continues to strengthen the links which have been developed with the community which it serves and of which its learners are part 54. This case study focuses on teaching approaches including feedback to pupils, developing thinking skills, and peer-to-peer learning which have been made effective by home grown, in house toolkits and systems of support. Standards Culture - What makes an outstanding lesson? A standards culture has evolved over time at Bassaleg School. During 2008-to-2009 the school became interested in the Skills Framework and staff took it on board as statutory. As a result of focussing on the key skills of literacy and numeracy with an increased emphasis on thinking skills staff re-wrote all Key Stage 3 schemes of work. Using a subject specificskills based framework staff then looked at the best of the research available and then unpicked it to see how they could make it their own and apply it to their school. Staff wrote a classroom handbook and developed and distributed guidance as to what they expect an excellent lesson to look like in Bassaleg, this includes the delivery of: Feature Start of lesson Engagement of students Style of teaching Teaching methods Differentiation Independence of students Relationships Productivity and behaviour Excellent Objectives shared with and owned students; links with new learning made explicit. Challenging expectations established; clear sense of pace. All students engrossed in their work. Students persevere with tasks and are highly motivated to succeed. Teaching is based on expert knowledge and is stimulating, enthusiastic, rigorous and consistently challenging. Teaching methods are imaginatively selected to deliver the learning objectives of the lesson, with a wide variety of activities to meet the needs of students with different learning styles and different abilities. Demands of activities are matched sensitively to individual needs. All students extended in their learning. Independence and collaborative work is very much in evidence. Students are aware of how to manage and extend their own learning. Excellent positive and supportive yet challenging relationships in classroom which are conducive to very high levels of personal development. Time is used very productively for independent and collaborative work. All students are engaged in their own learning throughout the lesson, with excellent awareness of time 54 School prospectus 90

91 Teacher knowledge Questioning Achievement Progress Assessment Use of other adults in the room Homework Plenary Literacy/ numeracy/ict tasks management. Student behaviour is exemplary, with active involvement in the lesson. The teacher has expert knowledge of the subject and pedagogy. S/he uses their expertise to maximise student learning and achievement, both in the subject and in teaching and applying cross-curricular skills. The teacher employs a wide range of questioning styles and strategies to ensure student learning is extended. Questions are carefully planned to scaffold learning and challenge all. Achievement of all students is consistently very high in relation to student capability; the students attain excellent added value. All students make considerably better progress than expected. Accurate teacher assessment of student learning underpins careful planning. The teacher consistently involves students in assessing their own learning, highlighting targets that need to be addressed in different activities in order for students to continue to improve. Students increasingly take responsibility for their own learning. Well-directed teaching assistants who enhance the quality of learning in the classroom through working in partnership with the teacher and students. Homework, extension tasks and independent research further extend student learning. Students are actively engaged in evaluating the progress they have made in meeting the learning objectives and can accurately identify the next steps in their learning. Highly effective cross-curricular links, which enhance students understanding of key skills and their application in a range of contexts. Staff have worked on formulating a clear and consistent marking criteria matrix and regularly meet to standardise their judgements. This is consistent across all levels in the school. We started to realise that a plenary talking about skills to discuss what have we learnt today during this lesson? was almost not worth having. How have we used the skills is a much more demanding question and actually gets the children to think and apply their knowledge. Assistant Headteacher Thinking for Learning Programme During the transitional phase from Year 6 to Year 7, upon entering Bassaleg School pupils become part of the Thinking for Learning Programme. Metacognition is at the heart of the programme and pupils are given one lesson a fortnight in teaching how to think, this also instils in pupils an understanding of how they learn through: Metacognitive processes Higher order questioning Leading peers Active presentation of ideas Development of communication skills Teachers at Bassaleg do all they can to make learning active, fun and interesting. 91

92 I am encouraged to ask lots of questions; it makes me more confident about my learning. Pupil Voice Following the course pupils are then encouraged to try out their new skills in other subjects across the school and as a result pupils feel that they are confident and resilient learners. However Bassaleg staff are now at a point where they feel that their thinking and learning programme is embedded across the curriculum (taught implicitly through subject skills) so that now teachers and pupils need new challenges. There is a danger in any organisation to think you have arrived there is always something you can do to tweak and improve and move forward. We want to make us even better as an organisation and keep developing as a centre for excellent learning. Headteacher Staff are now actively developing a digital transition phase model with partner primary schools which encourages literacy and numeracy skills across subjects. A Global Learning Virtual Platform will enable the delivery of new skills and Bassaleg pupils will be empowered to go out to primary schools to train their staff and pupils how to engage with the technology. This cloud based network initiative entails an interactive magazine where the aim is to communicate, work together on collaborative projects, and assess each other s work. The Teachers Toolkit The teachers toolkit was designed to develop thinking and communication skills and includes many practical resources and strategies to enhance reflection and articulation. The toolkit enables all staff in leading excellent practice across the curriculum and offers guidance on how each resource and strategy can be used to positively impact on pupils learning. In the toolkit there are a variety of items to develop the skills of pupils of all ages and abilities, and facilitates no hands up to ensure all pupils contribute to the lesson. As Dylan Wiliam advocates, no hands up means that thinking and participation are not negotiable! Deputy Headteacher citing Dylan Wiliam Tool Mini whiteboards Dry wipe pens and erasers Traffic lights Questions matrices Suggested Use To facilitate no hands up and promote all students response systems. To indicate levels of understanding of each section of the lesson. Identify who is in most urgent need of support. Pupils working on green can be utilised to guide and support pupils who are displaying red. Devised from Anderson s Taxonomy to support pupils in forming high order questions. 92

93 A3 question matrix Thinking skills dice Coloured tokens Thinking hats Playing cards Exit passes Post it notes and question wall Question bean bag Blob tree Group role badges Wordle Think, pair, share Electronic randomisers Displayed in each classroom as a continuous visual aid to promote the use of high order questioning. Kinaesthetic resource based on Anderson s Taxonomy, supports pupils in forming more evaluative questions. Also used at different stages of the lesson to indicate to pupils which skill is being developed: remembering, analysing, creating etc. Can be issued to pupils on entry to the classroom to indicate which group they will work in or what roles you require pupils to assume in the lesson. Tokens can represent questions and the number of tokens issued to pupils at the start of each lesson can indicate how many questions one expects each pupil to pose or answer. Can be employed in discussion tasks to solve a problem. The strategy is an excellent means of developing pupils communication and collaborative skills. Can be distributed at the start of each lesson to help to facilitate no hands up and encourage all pupils to respond. The teacher can select a card from their own pack at random and the pupil with the matching card can be invited to contribute. Alternatively, the card can be selected by the teacher and any pupil from the matching suit can contribute. This can be most effective with more reticent or less able pupils who feel very uncomfortable in contributing; this group option offers support. Available at the end of each lesson for pupils to respond to a particular question, e.g. to formatively assess pupils understanding of a key concept to inform future planning. Also used by pupils to record any questions they might have and act as a bridge to new learning. To record questions which are then in turn displayed on the class question wall. To ensure all pupils are contributing to the learning within a lesson. Used by students in periods of reflection. The diagram provides pupils with a visual representation of how they might be feeling at a particular stage of a lesson or about a particular task. Can be distributed when engaging pupils in group work to support staff in allocating roles and identifying the various skills needed in effective group work. Information resource - go to copy and paste any text into box and a wordle is formed. Can be displayed to students at the start of a lesson to develop pupils thinking when trying to establish the learning objective for example. A frame to support discussion tasks and encourage collaborative learning. To further facilitate no hands up and encourage all pupils to contribute. Following distribution of the toolbox kits to every class, members of the senior leadership team put together a manual and then went into each department to explain how to use it in context. I can wander around the school and in every class there will be some part of the toolbox in use. It has been a fantastic piece of whole school training and is a great resource. Headteacher The Headteacher states that the toolkit has had a great impact on ways of working at Bassaleg School; lesson observations produce consistent results, and the quality of pupil work in books and attainment outcomes is evident. The pastoral impact has also been significant. If you have a lesson that is well planned and pacey and taking students on a journey of improvement they do not want to missbehave, students are engaged and therefore there is less need for intervention strategies for behaviour. 93

94 Pastoral Assistant Head Developments The current CPD model is training all staff to research the use digital applications to motivate and inspire, and staff are moving on and evolving their practice with digital technology. You have to have a research culture, we don t launch in with something whole school until we know what the pitfalls are and can see that it is having an impact on learning, because if it isn t you have to question the value of doing it. Headteacher Staff at Bassaleg School are very excited to introduce their first version of the Digital Toolkit. Last September they embarked on a journey that would build on existing innovative teaching and learning methods and ignited a new era of pedagogical practice to inspire, motivate and challenge all learners. Starting with a pilot study involving 10 members of staff, 10 classes from across all key stages, and a Digital Leaders Pupil Group voicing the opinions and ideas of the students, they began to research and evaluate how digital technology can be used to positively impact on raising standards in literacy and numeracy. The outcome of this pilot study is the Digital Toolkit. To support all staff in this agenda, leaders have created a 12 month CPD programme of six tailored workshops to meet the individual needs of staff in order to up-skill them and equip them with the knowledge of how these applications can be used to support skills development across the curriculum. The workshops are expertly led by Digital Leaders who have been instrumental in motivating colleagues to embrace this exciting agenda. An extremely in-depth document details the applications and explicit links to the Literacy and Numeracy Framework so that staff can use the Digital Toolkit as a practical resource to support the planning of lessons in all key stages. Study Skills Support Study Skills Support Provision currently has 100 learners in Year 10 and Year 11 and runs in a dedicated space within the school. The study skills space has a computer room and a classroom, which has comfortable chairs and grouped tables to work at in an informal relaxed atmosphere. 5 lessons a fortnight (100 hours per academic year) are dedicated to study provision and this is instead of taking an option which aims to try and improve attainment across the board. During each study skills session pupils are asked to set themselves a target. This is written in each individual pupil s working booklet or file in a thought bubble and then pupils tick a box to indicate if the target relates to: Coursework Classwork 94

95 Homework Revision Research Other Study skills incorporates the full range of subjects and some examples of targets might include activities such as making revision flash cards; reviewing teacher comments; making improvements to coursework; proof reading homework to re-write before handing in; or online activities- e.g. listening to podcast etc. Pupils will then take their booklet or file to the teacher so that they can check the target and distribute pupils to the correct learning environment, i.e. computer or desk-based room. At the end of each session pupils review their progress and a tick box in their booklet to indicate if they have achieved their target yes or partly. They then complete a small speech bubble to note what they did during the session to achieve their target and start to formulate their goals for their next study skills session. Every half term pupils conduct a review or tally exercise to see how many sessions and targets they have set in each of their subject areas. This information is then discussed at regular assessment points during the term with a member of staff during pupil progress meetings. Current attainment grades are then mapped onto the tally exercise and a scoring system shows if pupils are on target or indeed shows what they need to do to achieve better results. This is enhanced by using a colour coding system: blue = above target, green = on target, amber = one grade off target, and red = two grades off target. This visual aid then helps both pupils and support staff to see where they need to be putting in more work and spending more time on specific subjects. Sometimes we are seeing that the red ones are the ones where pupils have not put in as much effort and have spent less time on. Assistant Headteacher This forms part of our language we use with pupils, when they come up to us with a target at the beginning of a session we will ask them what colour subject this is so that we can check that they are spreading their time more evenly - this helps them manage their workload effectively. Assistant Headteacher One lesson every half term is dedicated to showing pupils how to improve their study skills and how to revise effectively. Bassaleg School helps their students understand what their preferred and effective learning styles are by completing a questionnaire relating to auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic learning and then matches them up with revision strategies which will work best for them. Staff then encourage pupils to vary these techniques so that they keep active and work with their thinking brain to make study creative and effective. 95

96 Two big statements we constantly hear is I read my books and I m not going to start too early as I would have forgotten it all by the time the exam comes, we tell students to start early and review regularly as this commits information from the short term to the long term memory. Assistant Headteacher Bassaleg pupils are also taught about the theory of brain and understand what whole brain learning means. Diagnostic games are played and demonstrate to pupils how to best memorise information. Managing stress levels also forms part of the study skills package and staff help pupils deal with the pressures of Year 11 by generating revision timetables and managing workloads effectively. Developments Staff at Bassaleg developed the study skills programme from the learning coach training course and an increased awareness developed from supporting pupils who were taking 14 GCSE or equivalent qualifications who ran the risk of getting stressed and overloaded, and not achieving their target grades. The course started being offered to a range of target children, but as time has progressed and staff have been able to see how successful it has become it is now offered to all pupils and will soon become embedded and take the place of an option. This is about children reaching their target grades, it is not just for those pupils who need to reach a grade C, it includes higher tier and MAT children as well. Headteacher A recent pupil survey found that 100% of participants agreed that they would recommend study skills to a friend, 100% agreed it improved their learning, and 98% agreed it improved their grades. Peer-to-Peer Learning At Bassaleg School co-constructed learning between pupils is core to every lesson. Pupils are extremely practised at leading learning and in some circumstances the dynamics of the lesson are completely pupil led. I like the trust and freedom I get when making decisions, it helps me to become more independent. The amount of discussion and debate we do encourage us to think for ourselves." Pupil Voice Peer learning can range from pupils setting goals and assessing understanding of tasks, to think, pair, share dialogues. Pupils get one minute to think alone and on a laminated sheet note their thoughts, then they get one minute to discuss this in pairs, then they share it 96

97 amongst their peers in class. These types of collaborative discussion are totally embedded in classroom practice. If you ask a question you cannot be answering it yourself a few minutes later, you need to allow think time. Headteacher Collaborative peer-to-peer working has also had an impact on peer mentoring. Relationships between pupils are more mature and has developed a culture of inclusivity. Bassaleg operates a reading and maths buddies scheme which is run by its Sixth Form A Level Students who extend their support across the whole school. Members of the Sixth Form are also assigned to form tutor groups to offer social and emotional support. This dedicated team receive formal training and monitor pupil progress by keeping a portfolio of work and they have done with pupils which counts as accredited work towards their Welsh Baccalaureate community hours. The voluntary scheme is oversubscribed and many buddies are students that received support from a reading or maths buddy when they were lower down in the school. There has been an acute focus on up-skilling pupils to enable them to effectively assess each other s work, this has been facilitated by sharing the right criteria with them so that they can mark work in a productive and consistent way. Using a basic 2 stars and wish concept was not enough for Bassaleg School. They found that pupils were giving each other generalised comments such as well done, good work, you have understood this. Instead, staff wanted their pupils to give constructive feedback based on the assessment criteria so that they can give a detailed response indicating what needs to be applied and included to ensure that the work meets high standards. Students use a range of assessment matrices to indicate to peers not what, but how they need to improve. Feedback is specific and of high quality which reflects the marking dialogues which take place between pupils and teachers to encourage and facilitate effective feedback. Literacy skills have also improved, as this is the medium for the marking. Unless that wish is something that pupil can use and apply its use is very limited. The quality of diagnostic assessment shows us how much progress pupils have made and helps us track how pupils have made use of the comments and feedback. Assistant Headteacher Evidence of Impact - Celebrating Success The greatest impact Bassaleg School has seen is in its Key Stage 3 Core Subject Indicator results. Not only has it been successful in closing the gap between Free School Meal (FSM) pupils and non FSM pupils between 2009 and 2012, in 2013 Bassaleg Key Stage 3 FSM pupils outperformed the non FSM pupils as evidenced below. Pupils

98 FSM 81.8% 77.8% 68.8% 89.5% 95.0% Non FSM 87.7% 87.3% 90.2% 89.9% 93.1% My Local School Data 55 Represents the percentage of pupils achieving at least level 5 in English or Welsh (first language), mathematics and science in combination. GCSE Level 2 Threshold results (5 GCSEs at Grade A*-C) has also increased for Bassaleg s FSM pupils (see table below). Pupils FSM 75.0% 60.0% 44.4% 66.7% 79.2% Non FSM 77.9% 82.0% 77.1% 84.6% 92.5% GCSE Level 2 Threshold Results Staff are currently working towards raising attainment in GCSE Level 2 Inclusive (5 GCSEs at Grade A*-C including one in English or Welsh first language and one in Mathematics) by targeting interventions and revision workshops for its FSM pupils

99 As part of Bassaleg s commitment to sharing and celebrating good practice across the school, they scheduled time in the calendar year to invite departments to showcase how they have used elements of the teachers toolkit to positively impact on pupils learning. Each department was invited to prepare a 10 minute presentation to be delivered to all staff. Any member of the department was welcome to be part of leading this presentation and included a key focus from the following: A discussion of one or more of the elements of the toolkit Modelling / demonstration of a practical activity A discussion of a lesson plan, sequence of lessons, or scheme of work Pupil or staff evaluation of how such strategies have positively impacted on various skills: reflection, communication, quality of questioning or on pupils interaction within certain groups Video of a lesson or part of a lesson Images to represent the learning process A discussion of how the toolkit has developed assessment for learning practices within the department Our ethos is that anybody can lead anything - not just senior or middle leaders. We have a wealth of talent across the school and invest in all of our staff. Headteacher Staff and pupils have also taken a lead role in presenting at national teaching and learning conferences and have held workshops to disseminate the importance of having a framework to engage learners. This has stimulated great interest in the field. We have had requests to buy the toolkit, but we encourage schools to develop their own because it is about finding out what works for your school, success will only be guaranteed if you go on a journey - the journey of change. Headteacher Funding Bassaleg School has targeted the use of its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) on the following: Pastoral support workers Targeted interventions Monitoring of attendance Revision workshops for FSM pupils 99

100 PASS (Pupil Attitude to Self and School) analysis Pre-school, break time and after school learning support to increase ICT access Alternative learning pathway provision enabling full curriculum access Develop an alternative course for learners with additional needs 100

101 Summary The key message from this case study is the importance of promoting learners independent thinking skills and providing high quality feedback. Theme Particular factor YB Teaching and Learning Effective feedback and assessment Metacognitive strategies Key Contact Elizabeth Thomas Headteacher Bassaleg School Forge Lane Bassaleg Newport NP10 8NF

102 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Mount Stuart Primary Local Authority: Cardiff Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 402 Free School Meal Percentage: 44% Focus of Case Study Engaging the parents and families of young people to overcome cultural barriers and the challenges of being a learner with English as a second language. Mount Stuart Primary School Mount Stuart Primary School is a large and growing school situated in the Butetown district of Cardiff which is a Flying Start catchment and Communities First area 56. Most pupils who attend the school live within the catchment area, which is described as socially and economically deprived. 57 The school caters for pupils aged three to eleven years of age. There are currently 402 pupils on roll, including 83 in the part-time nursery % of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Pupils come from at least 37 different ethnic groups and speak over 21 different languages. 89% of pupils speak English as an additional language. The language acquisition levels of most pupils are at new to English (40%) or early acquisition (46%). The school identifies that 25% of pupils have further additional needs. 59 The five year average percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is approximately 44% which is above the average for the Local Authority and Nationally across Wales Communities First is a community focussed programme that supports the Welsh Government s Tackling Poverty agenda. 57 Estyn 2013 School Inspection Report 58 My Local School Estyn 2013 School Inspection Report 60 Stats Wales 102

103 The Case Study Learning and Living Together is the school s core purpose and this case study focuses on engaging the parents and families of young people to overcome cultural barriers and the challenges of being a learner with English as a second language. At Mount Stuart Primary School we value the contribution of all children and cultures and our chosen aims are to ensure that the children are educated in a caring environment 61 The schools caring ethos is at heart of everything they do: School Vision H- Happiness E- Equality A- Achievement R- Respect T- Trust Community Networks Mount Stuart Primary prides itself on being a community school, and has always had a strong interest in promoting the use of English language as historically the community which the school is part of has been strongly influenced by its mixed cultural heritage. Many pupils, parents, and grandparents have acute and sometimes first-hand knowledge of the historical development of the docks area, which is now known as Cardiff Bay. The school has worked very hard to overcome cultural barriers and recently hosted a Ladies Hafla Evening to raise money for a new mini bus. There was food, dancing, and music. The idea came from a Teaching Assistant who responded to a wish for a community night just for women. The staff created a unique atmosphere by blacking out the windows and making a safe space where women could relax, and if they wanted to, take their headscarves off, listen to the music, eat, and talk freely. The school has many Bilingual Assistants, some of whom are ex-pupils and act as role models for the children. They are always on hand and available to relate to parents and speak to them at the beginning and end of each day by placing themselves out in the playground along with key members of the Senior Leadership Team. Mount Stuart has many high profile celebrity visitors such as Cerys Matthews, and has strong links with a plethora of outside agencies and professionals. Hospitals, school nurse and doctor, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, behaviour specialists, social workers, specialist resource teachers, early years forum, looked after children s service, volunteers, and secondary feeder schools all form part of the school s network. Staff recognise the value of multi-agency working and allow professionals to come in and carry out their work on the premises. 61 Mount Stuart website at: 103

104 Sometimes agencies come into school to work, we do stuff in school that parents should be doing but may not have the confidence to do themselves or they may not have the skills to understand the importance of keeping the appointments or doing the exercises. We will also take children to appointments if parents don t have transport. EMTAS Co-ordinator In return for their co-operation, a valuable reciprocal two-way working relationship has been forged where school staff can ask agencies for help, guidance and advice. The impact of working together means that we get extra help for the children we work with so that we can help parents come to terms with the challenges they face with their children. SENCO Knowing that someone cares for their children has been acknowledged and celebrated by parents, and the school has been nominated for the Investing for Families Award. Interventions Eversheds Readers Eversheds is one of the world s largest corporate law firms. Every week a team of Cardiff office employees visit Mount Stuart to read with the children. Staff and pupils look forward to the visits and the acting headteacher acknowledges the impact of the scheme: Some of our children come from large families where Mum and Dad s time is stretched thinly; this scheme gives our children one-to-one time to interact with a professional person who is actively taking an interest in their reading progress. Acting Headteacher Sponsored by Eversheds for the fourth year running, Business in the Community's Give and Gain Day is dedicated to getting thousands of employees in the UK and internationally, out of the workplace to volunteer in their local community. Eversheds also sponsors an end of year party for all the children who have taken part in the reading scheme throughout the year and after enjoying food, refreshments and games, Eversheds gift them a personally chosen book to take home. For some of our children this is the first book they have owned. 104

105 Acting Headteacher Open Invitation Nursery staff at Mount Stuart recognise the acute importance of early years language and play development as many of the children enter nursery without being able to speak English. It is not just reading and writing, they need the language to engage in maths, so we also tackle singing songs and rhyme to encourage this. Nursery Teacher Nursery staff actively encourage parents to learn with their children. They wait until the children are well enough settled into the year and then invite parents in to join them on a weekly basis. The Open Invitation sessions run for 6 weeks and there is a separate focus each week: Importance of talking together Using the outdoors Beginning mark making and writing Creative play Sharing books and stories Singing songs and rhymes At the start of the session practitioners will share a story that gets the children and parents involved, then they encourage them to go off and explore different activities related to the story, but the emphases is on active participation and doing together. The session is drawn to a close with song and rhyme time and has been proven effective in encouraging families to learn together. Engaging the parents as part of our school community is the main thing; it has become clear that this builds confidence that they can approach us. Nursery Teacher Nursery staff have actively coached parents how to play and model activities for them so that they can see how to do it which gives them confidence to have a go and try it for themselves. This tackled the misconception that parents thought that learning was all about sitting down and writing. Seeing parents as part of the learning is important, our Mums needed confidence to get involved with physical play. We like to get all the family in and engaged, especially Dads; it is about the whole family. Nursery Teacher 105

106 Curriculum Mornings Staff at the school thought that parents evening was too formal, they were very off putting and a lot of parents felt intimidated: One year we only had 6 parents attending, now parents are very relaxed when they come to them, we have to run parents evening over two nights now. Teaching Assistant Staff thought that parents were reluctant to come to school; it wasn t that they weren t interested; they were a bit afraid and frightened. In order to break down this barrier all the parents were invited to a Curriculum Morning. Children wrote invitations to parents come to my class and see me reading and writing. The response was overwhelming and was a hugely successful turning point in how the school approached relationships. The school created a relaxed and informal welcoming atmosphere and allowed visitors to go in any class they wanted to, not just their own child s class. For example their child may be in Reception but they are welcome to go and see what goes on in Year 6 class without asking permission. The school opens its classroom doors, letting parents come in to see how their children are being taught regularly throughout the year and each time there is a different topic or focus, e.g. Thinking Skills, Science, Maths, or IT. Family Literacy The impact of the curriculum mornings has been that parents see their children learning and they want to learn too, they want to be able to help their children read and also to be able to go into school and understand what the teacher is saying and doing. Our parents do value education; sometimes they do not have the skills to help their children. A lot of our parents are now going to classes to gain new skills. Acting Headteacher As well as running a range of adult learning classes Mount Stuart School has a family literacy strategy. Parents can turn up and take their child out of class to go to family literacy; there is no need to book. During the session teachers model strategies for the parents and offer guidance on how to get skills to support their children. We let the parents lead it, they wanted to know how you teach reading and phonics, how you teach handwriting, what is the best way to help their children learn, and how can they help the children at home. 106

107 SENCO Adults can also learn English for themselves and many parents are learning key life skills, e.g. how to write their address, fill out forms, and how to speak to the doctor. These sessions are equally valuable to the children: It is nice to have Mum and Dad come into school we learn more when they are there, we do sounds, tricky words- last week we did L words and O words. Mum and Dad are learning the same sounds as us, we take work home and talk to Mum and Dad about it, we talk about things we have done together. The teacher gives out leaflets and Dad tests me. Pupil Voices Pupil Targeted Interventions Mount Stuart School operates a range of pupil targeted interventions, for example: SAIL and Nippers mathematics; Rainbow and Rapid Readers ; and STARS literacy programmes. We assess our pupils in July ready for the next year so that we are prepared for September. SENCO The SENCO tracks pupil levels by banding results in a traffic light system- red, amber, and green. The red children are the ones we would target first as they are the ones most in need of support and help. It s very hard to split the FSM and SEN needs of pupils, we make sure all the children have provision. SENCO The SENCO makes sure that the intervention is matched to the needs of individual pupils and uses tracking sheets to monitor the impact of interventions before, during, and after the programme has run. The data is looked at globally once a year to assess if the intervention is working, if children are making progress, and if they need to change programme or move groups. STARS stands for Specialist Teachers Accelerating Reading Skills in school and is supported by Cardiff Schools and Life-Long Learning Service. STARS is designed for children who have already had an intervention and are still not making progress. 107

108 STARS operates in small groups and support is given to pupils 3 times a week for an hour over a whole year. Pupils work through the programme to develop a variety of skills in: hearing and writing sounds and words, spelling activities, and rhyming syllables. They write their own mini book and get a typed copy of their work. Parents are also encouraged to support STARS by making sure that children attend school so that they can access the programme, help with activities sent home, read stories and offer praise and encouragement. Reading schemes in operation at Mount Stuart have a range of different coloured books, and a set of questions for monitoring reading and understanding through a writing activity. Staff at Mount Stuart state that the reading schemes are popular with the children and pupils like to measure their own progress: Rapids has a special teacher, they test you, if you get a good benchmark then they tell you what level you are. I am on orange, when I go up to green I will be happy. This is my second year of Rainbow Readers I have gone from yellow to violet and I m really proud of that, I have made good progress and I can see a huge improvement from last year. Pupil Voices Multi-sensory techniques are also reported by the staff as a fun way of teaching; where building up language through reading books is complemented by physical kinaesthetic learning. Children love fun, fly swotting- splatting words ; treasure hunting- searching for words ; and magnetic letters- where they can speak, touch, move, and manipulate words. Teaching Assistant Evidence of Impact Over the last five years Mount Stuart Primary School pupils in the Foundation Phase have averaged results in Key Stage 1 Core Subject Indicator (CSI ), and Foundation Phase Indicator (FPI ) as follows: Pupils 5 Year Average Attainment FSM 70.6% Non FSM 79.8% 108

109 According to the school there is a slight dip in Foundation Phase achievement and Mount Stuart has been identified as the most challenged in the School Family. We track all pupils, our FP pupils are a bit lower than we would like, but by the end of KS2 they are doing really well. Acting Headteacher Assessment and identification of need trigger a range of interventions and pupil progress is evaluated and monitored as evidenced here: The difference is quite remarkable, I have seen children start on P Levels and they come out at Level 3. SENCO There is a definite impact, the strategies they learn they take back to the classroom and the teachers say they see a difference in the children s behaviours in class. Teaching Assistant As pupils move through the school they make progress and according to the Key Stage 2 national benchmarking Mount Stuart has maintained a level of performance that has resulted in the school being placed in Quartile 1 for the first time in 5 years. In 2010, 2011, and 2013 FSM pupils outperformed non-fsm pupils at KS2. Pupils FSM 70.6% 87.5% 90.9% 78.6% 90.0% Non FSM 70.7% 80.3% 77.9% 83.8% 83.1% Pupils who have reached the expected KS2 level - Core Subject Indicator 109

110 My Local School Data 62 Represents the percentage of pupils achieving at least level 4 in English or Welsh (first language), mathematics and science in combination Future Developments Mount Stuart Primary has close links with its feeder secondary- Fitzalan High School where staff regularly attend training and professional development days. Through collaborative working with Fitzalan, Mount Stuart has been introduced to the Family Learning Signature intervention 63 and two TAs have been trained in the approach. Created by BusinessLab, a leading UK developer of organisational and community change tools, the Family Learning Signature is a unique and engaging approach designed to help education authorities to improve attainment, attendance and behaviour, particularly with hard to reach families and disengaged learners and provides a unique visual picture of a family's capacity to benefit from the opportunities of learning. Families are invited to a signature meeting to find out what their attitudes to learning are, what access they have to learning tools, and how schools can best support what individual families want and need. There are no right or wrong answers and no perfect results. Practitioners are trained to talk to families and ask a series of questions, e.g. Do you have somewhere quiet for your child to work at home? Do you go to the library? and Do you have a computer with internet access?

111 The results of each question are recorded in a colour grid and indicate to the practitioner clear ideas and signposts that can be offered to the family. Schools will ask permission to use the results to offer better services to families. This may range from family events, advice and information, access to support services and school partnerships. For example Ikea visited the school to show the parents cheap desks they could buy, and then ran a free after school club with internet access. Mount Stuart is currently developing this tool for recognising family needs and aims to pilot it with its FSM pupils this summer in Year 4 and then again in Year 6. Funding Part of the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) pays for specialist roles and intervention tools. Mount Stuart is currently focussing on the following areas: Developing use of INCERTS 64 to track progress of FSM pupils Termly learning reviews of FSM pupils Increase capacity for supporting FSM pupils through in-class support and targeted intervention Additional catch up support for literacy and numeracy KS2 FSM pupils Purchase mobile tablet devices for access to Hwb literacy and numeracy support Introduce peer teaching observations of giving high quality feedback to pupils Develop and implement a programme of health, fitness, and wellbeing enrichment targeted for FSM pupils and families Nurture groups for Foundation Phase FSM pupils 64 Incerts is an independent, non-profit organisation working to transform assessment practices. See 111

112 Summary The key message from this case study is that a combination of factors contributes to reducing the impact of poverty on pupils achievement. While parents may value their children s education, they do not necessarily have the confidence and skills to support them. These can be developed in partnership with the school, as a means of improving their children s skills. Theme Particular factor MS Leadership Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Multisensory teaching Catch-up programmes Tailored curriculum Engagement with parents and Strong dialogue with parents wider community Adult classes Strategic partnerships Key Contact Lynne Berriman Acting Headteacher Mount Stuart Primary School Adelaide Street Butetown Cardiff CF10 5BS schooladmin@mountstuart.cardiff.sch.uk 112

113 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: St. Mark s Church in Wales V.A. Primary School Local Authority: Pembrokeshire Type of School/Setting: Primary Language Medium: English Number of Pupils: 120 Free School Meal Percentage: 42% Focus of Case Study: Supporting the well-being of vulnerable children and engaging parents and families of young people to enable learning which is provided through care, support and guidance. St. Mark s Church in Wales V.A. Primary School St. Mark s Voluntary Aided School is a Church in Wales Primary School catering for pupils between the ages of 3 and 11. The school is situated on the southern outskirts of Haverfordwest and primarily serves the catchment area of Merlin s Bridge. Children from practising Church in Wales families from outside the catchment area are also warmly welcomed. As St. Mark s is a Church in Wales School, collective worship and religious education are founded in the Anglican tradition. At the present time there are 120 children on roll and 5 classes. 65 The school s five year average percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) is approximately 39%, however current eligibility is 42% which is significantly higher than the average for the Local Authority and nationally across Wales. 66 The Case Study In partnership with parents and the local community, governors and staff of St. Mark s School aim to equip their children to be responsible, caring, well educated and independent, in accordance with Christian values so that they can make a positive, worthwhile contribution to society. This case study encompasses supporting the well-being of vulnerable children and engaging parents and families of young people to enable learning which is provided through care, support and guidance. 65 School Website 66 Stats Wales 113

114 St. Marks School aims to: Provide a caring, family environment aiming for high social and academic standards promoted by good teacher example. Teach the children the fundamentals of Christianity, so they can adopt Christian attitudes and grow in the Christian faith, which will enable them to make a purposeful and social contribution to society and make them respect other cultures and beliefs. Provide a varied and stimulating environment, catering for all ages and abilities, so encouraging every child to work to his/her full potential in every aspect of the curriculum (including extra curricular activities). This will lead to developing a feeling of esteem and confidence in every child. Provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all visitors and new entrants and encourage parents to participate and share in the responsibility for their child s education. St Mark s Journey According to Estyn, St. Mark's Primary School has been improving its care, support and guidance for pupils and their families for many years. 67 Using early intervention methods to improve attendance, reviewing teaching strategies to better engage with pupils and introducing a values based education, the school has made good progress. As a result, all pupils except those with significant, complex needs have progressed by at least two levels in National Curriculum assessments from key stage 1 to key stage 2. The former headteacher, Mrs Debbie Davis, introduced many of the systems and procedures that have successfully been put in place in the school, and which have now been rolled out across the Local Authority. In the term prior to the appointment of Mrs Davis, forty five pupils had been excluded. Now we do not have any exclusions. Governor Voice All understand the school s vision statement and motto, Pride in Success. There is an open door policy and relationships have been built on mutual respect, and parents are not afraid to approach the school and ask for help. This is embedded through the provision of a free early years parent and toddler group run at the school every Tuesday and is open to all members of the community, not just parents with children at the school. The local clergy plays an active role at the school, with its own alter, services and celebrations such as Christenings are conducted at the school. The school is also fully supported by the Governing Body

115 Our staff really understand the community and the children. They take time to listen to them and will provide whatever they need - they really care. Governor Voice St. Mark s has a Multiagency Hub on site, which is a base for many professionals: Attendance Officer Behavioural Support Officer Educational Psychologist MAT (More Able and Talented) Advisory Teacher Springboard Learning Advisor In years past St Mark s School has also worked in partnership with counsellors and youth workers, and the Acting Headteacher hopes that following re-structuring these services will return to the school in the near future. Interventions PASS - Well-being diagnostic tool Twice a year in September and June, or when a new pupil starts at the school, trained staff invite pupils to use the PASS (Pupil Attitudes to Self and School) 68 diagnostic tool. Each PASS attitudinal measure is related to key themes and theories of well-being and reported outcomes give a focused insight into individual pupil s thoughts and feelings related to school, for example: School connectedness Perceived learning capability Self-regard and self-efficacy Preparedness for learning Attitudes to teachers General work ethic aspiration Confidence in learning Attitudes to attendance Response to curriculum Once analysed a colour coded report is produced for each cohort (red, amber, green) to identify pupils who may need to access a range of interventions. Further individualised

116 drilled down student profile reports can also be produced to suggest factor specific interventions to align with identified areas of weakness. These may relate to strategies for inappropriate behaviours, social difficulties, anxiety, or depression. Pyramid Club Three dedicated and professional school staff members have taken the lead in running The Pyramid Club at St. Mark s. The focus of the club is to provide a safe place for less confident pupils to boost their self-esteem and raise their self-efficacy. The club runs on an invitation only basis and referrals are made via the following routes: PASS data Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Key worker, teacher, or parent concerns about shy or withdrawn behaviours The club runs a 2 hour session once a week after school in a 10 week cycle with different year groups in rotation and is free of charge. No more than 10 children access a cycle at any one time. Data tracking of attendees shows that approximately 75% of pupils who access the club are in receipt of free school meals. The club operates a set routine every time it meets to provide consistency and continuity for sensitive children, starting with meeting at circle time and then moving to cooking and sharing food. Children help to choose menus and make healthy food which gives them increased ownership. Quality of food is not compromised as staff firmly believe children deserve to have a nice experience. They eat, and share quality social time together, which improves co-operation and the etiquette of table manners. Children take it in turns to clear and tidy away through a self-devised responsibility rota and then settle down to make art and crafts and play games. Many children make new friends and increase their circle of peer groups; this has been recognised by parents as a strength of the club. My son really enjoyed his time at Pyramid Club; he is happy, he has made more friends and enjoys school a lot more now. Parent Voice After the children have fully settled in and formulated and agreed their rules, they get to rename the club and make it their own for the time they are attending. As children become more relaxed and comfortably social a local trip is organised, and an end of club party is used to highlight the children s progress and celebrate their achievements. Documentation is key to evidencing the children s progress and staff take photographs and note observations and informal conversations with children and parents and log them in a club file. A new file is then made for every 10 week cycle and all club files are archived in safe storage. Club leaders review these files for team evaluations and to check pupil progress. 116

117 Club Leaders followed a group of former Pyramid Pupils to track their development, and as a result of their increased confidence accompanied them to a conference at Parc-y-Scarlets where the pupils presented a workshop to educational practitioners throughout South and West Wales. Confidence for these groups of children has increased throughout the year; they have regularly taken part in assemblies and reading aloud in group and class work. Skills Keyworker SMILE - St Mark s Improving Literacy and Emotional Well-being Initially started as a literacy programme, SMILE has developed and evolved into an umbrella for a range of additional skills support interventions. The project aims to focus on promoting language development in target groups, through enhanced speaking and listening activities, accelerated literacy programmes, guided reading, spelling and comprehension activities. It also supports anxious pupils, provides timetable sessions for homework, reading and maths to increase confidence and also supports pupils with dyslexic tendencies. Pupils are taken out of lessons to attend SMILE groups for 4 morning or afternoon sessions a week. Key Workers and the Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) track pupil progress and note the marked improvement of hard work and determination shown by pupils. Evidence of Impact They quickly gelled as groups, working together; respecting each other s need for a quiet space and thinking time. Skills Keyworker Key Skills Workers produce a SMILE evaluation report which contains pupil tracking of measurable outcomes. Recent results of pupils attending SMILE include: Subject Measure Percentage of pupils English Year 2 Outcome 5 (Level 2) 100% English Year 6 Outcome Level 4 100% Maths Year 6 Outcome Level 4 100% SMILE is a quiet place to work; it helped me concentrate on my spellings and maths skills. SMILE helped me get to Level 5 Reading. I loved the phonic books. Pupil Voice 117

118 Between 2012 and 2013 PASS results for FSM pupils also showed a positive increase: PASS Area of Learning Increase for FSM Pupils Learning Capability 58.1%+ Preparedness for 58.5%+ Learning Learner Confidence 58.5%+ Over the last five years between 2009 and 2013 pupils at St. Mark s have achieved the following results 69 : Key Stage FSM Pupils Non FSM Pupils KS1CSI and FPI 94.6% 84.4% KS2 CSI 72.3% 79.8% Springboard Springboard is a Learning Pembrokeshire Project, which runs a wide range of fun, free and exciting courses for adults and families in targeted areas. Springboard currently operates in 6 primary partnership schools and St. Mark s has its own Springboard Advisor based in its multiagency hub. St. Mark s dedicates 1 day a week to Springboard, and as well as courses being free of charge, there is also a free crèche provision which removes barriers to enable parents access to learning. Springboard s courses are designed for adults and families to access a range of learning activities both individually and together. Through joining one of the courses families can have fun, learn new skills, meet new people, and open up their horizons. Different programmes and activities are run every half term and take place in the school building. Mornings usually focus on adult learning time and afternoons are dedicated to family learning time where children come out of class to join mum, dad, or other family members for fun activities. Morning and afternoon sessions are 2 hours in length and are timed to fit within the school day, and courses follow a set programme of events. The programme is set for specific year groups at a time e.g. Year 1 and 2 together (first half term), then Year 3 and 4 together (second half term) and then this progresses throughout the school and alternates. The programme changes every half term so that we can move through the school and engage different parents. Springboard Co-ordinator Springboard works in partnership with schools to decide what topics and themes they want to focus on. Literacy and numeracy is always a focus but it is mostly presented in an embedded way though topic based approaches (see below) and sometimes it is presented in a more specific and direct way. 69 Figures supplied by ERW 118

119 The project aims to engage adults in active learning opportunities such as: Bread baking and cake decorating Beauty makeovers Carpentry Busy bee gardeners Rocket science Stained glass and ceramics Singing Magic mosaic making Cards and computers 50 per cent of each course is accredited and 50 per cent is non-accredited, this makes it more accessible to a wide range of learners. We ensure that it is not overwhelming for those parents who have not done any formal training for a while so that they do not feel anxious about what they are doing. Springboard Co-ordinator All of the courses are universally accessible and are open to all families, there is no stigma attached and enrolment is easy. Families can enrol on courses in a number of ways, by text or telephone, or by posting a reply slip in the dedicated Springboard Post Box in the school s reception area. When enrolments come in Springboard Advisors review the percentage uptake from both FSM and non-fsm families, they then focus on engaging participants from Communities First postcodes, or who have children in receipt of free school meals. Advisors use smart targeting and recruitment strategies such as giving gentle reminders in passing casual conversations and actively follow these up by making phone calls to try and ensure that 50% of the participants are FSM families. Working with hard to reach families can be difficult, however we rarely struggle to fill our courses they are extremely popular. When they first hear of it they are not really sure, but once they engage with us they want to come again and again, they will then tell their friends and they come too. Springboard Advisor From September 2013 to February 2014 Springboard has run 82 different courses across their 6 Partner Schools and have attracted 686 adult enrolments, and 233 children have benefited from spending quality time working with their families. Once families realise that they can spend quality time with their children on an individual basis that makes a massive difference. Springboard Advisor 119

120 Evidence of Impact Regular evaluations are carried out and extremely positive feedback is common across all settings, therefore cross-referencing shows that impact is successful. In St Mark s 100% of parents felt that the course had helped them and their child: Feel good together Learn something new Bond as parent and child Do new things together in free time Take more interest in learning at school Be more positive about school activities Many parents reported increased confidence and feelings of well-being associated with quality 1-to-1 time spent with their child for bonding and said that they carried on exploring the activities with the resources provided at home after the course had finished. Other feedback included: D enjoyed 1-to-1 with me; it helped him to get interested in writing. He has to focus and listen to instructions. If my science teacher had been this much fun in school I might have learnt more. Parent Voices Progression tracking data has noted the successful changing profile of learners within the county of Pembrokeshire and as a result of Springboard 30 adults from 3 Partner Schools have gained an accredited qualification and 20 went on to study with other course providers. Developments are currently underway to increase progression tracking across all 6 Partner Schools and to work in partnership with Swansea University and Pembrokeshire College to increase recruitment onto Higher Level Qualification Courses. Future Developments St. Mark s School has appointed a new headteacher and is eagerly awaiting her arrival so that they can embark on the next stage of their journey. The trialling and piloting of a new friendship diagnostic tool is due to commence in the near future. The tool will produce spider-grams of peer groups, which will enable staff to target interventions and further support and nurture pupil wellbeing. Staff have also expressed a keen interest in the FAST programme (Families and Schools Together, Save the Children) 70. Many families that have attended Springboard to increase

121 skills through instruction and guidance are now ready to become empowered and train as FAST volunteers. Funding St. Mark s School is currently planning to use its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) to focus on the following: Track the progress of pupils affected by poverty and all vulnerable learners to identify appropriate provision Target FSM learners throughout Year 2 and KS2 with the aim to raise standards in Literacy and Numeracy Target learners for Pyramid After School Club Target Year 6 FSM learners to receive additional transition support into Year 7 Increase family engagement supported by the new role of Inclusion Family Officer Improve safeguarding Improve attendance Pupil voice Restorative practice Peer mentoring training In addition the Springboard Service Level Agreement requires 3000 towards the cost of running the project on a commitment of 1 day a week for a whole year. St. Mark s is matched funded by the Local Council, and in other Communities First areas it is a 3 way split between the school, the council, and Communities First. We talk about this a lot and discuss the impact of the work and feedback with regard to our budget. This is definitely working and very worthwhile. Governor 121

122 Summary The key message from this case study is that strong links with parents and a focus on promoting pupils wellbeing is central to reducing the impact of poverty on their achievement. Theme Particular factor SM Leadership Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Teaching and Learning Wellbeing programme focusing on raising self esteem Engagement with parents and Strong dialogue with parents wider community Adult classes Strategic partnerships Key Contact Mr R Owen Acting Headteacher St. Mark s Church in Wales V.A. Primary School St Issells Avenue Merlin s Bridge Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA61 1JX admin.stmarks@pembrokeshire.gov.uk 122

123 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership Local Authority: Cardiff Type of School/Setting: Community Language Medium: English Focus of Case Study: Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership The Ely and Caerau Local Partnership set up ACE 71 (Action in Caerau and Ely) to create a lasting legacy for the successful Communities First 72 programme in the area. ACE aims to: Bring the community together Support community groups Manage and develop local projects Employ staff and create local employment opportunities Manage community buildings Promote the needs of Ely and Caerau with the Council and other service providers Find ways of bringing money in to regenerate Ely and Caerau ACE works alongside community groups based in Ely/Caerau and Fairwater/Pentrebane (Cardiff West) who ensure that Communities First work is shaped and influenced by the local community. Each partnership group nominates 1-to-2 members to sit on the ACE board to represent Communities First issues. ACE provides overarching support for the Communities First team, ensuring that the programme is effectively delivered through monitoring and programme evaluation Communities First aims to contribute, alongside other programmes, to narrowing the education/skills, economic and health gaps between our most deprived and more affluent areas

124 The Case Study - Ely Caerau Federation Cluster Ely Caerau Federation Schools are situated on the West side of Cardiff. A large proportion of the community falls into the top 10% most deprived areas in Wales. Ely and Caerau are Welsh Government Communities First designated areas. A survey undertaken by Estyn in 2013 showed that 20% of Federation Pupils enter secondary school with a reading age below nine years and six months; this is generally considered the level of functional literacy. Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership is led by the Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator for Ely Caerau, who is also Chair of the Learning Centre Partnership Board which pulls together all the headteachers from the primary and secondary schools in Ely Caerau, and all the Partner Agencies which supports learning, helping to raise education attainment in the area and support families well-being. There is also a team of professional interlinked practitioners, Family Learning and Liaison Officer, Youth Progression Mentor, and Adult Learning Co-coordinator. Staff have co-designed an innovative programme that supports the Communities First Learning Communities theme to engage with parents, carers, pupils and families to try and overcome some of the barriers to learning in an area that has high levels of social and economic disadvantage and uses Results Based Accountability (RBA) to plan, monitor and evaluate performance. In the Federation there are two secondary and six primary schools: Secondary Glyn Derw pupils 38.8% Free School Meals (FSM) Michaelston pupils 45.1% FSM Primary Herbert Thompson 457 pupils 55.4% FSM Windsor Clive 418 pupils 53.2% FSM Hywel Dda 389 pupils 57.4% FSM Trelai 433 pupils 48.1% FSM Pencaerau 341 pupils 49.0% FSM Millbank 134 pupils 30.4% FSM December 2013 figures The Federation has found that although parents are significantly more engaged in their child s learning during primary school years they become disengaged during the secondary school years when young people need even more engagement from home to support learning. Parental involvement and family learning seems to happen much easier at primary level so we wanted to showcase what happens in primary school with interactive displays so that we could maintain some of that momentum and link parents to secondary learning because that is when we have noticed parental engagement drops off. Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator 124

125 The Federation is investing in a new learning ICT platform which will include a parent portal. This will enable parents to more frequently monitor the progress of their own child. We have invested in a social learning environment (Yahki 73 ) to encourage parents to work with their children outside of the school day. The Achievement for All 74 initiative is currently in place and we are seeking to use this to complement and consolidate all current programmes. Federation Assistant Head (Teaching & Learning and Training) Ely Caerau Federation Schools Learning Showcase Event The first ever Ely and Caerau Federation Schools Learning Showcase event was held at Western Leisure Centre on Wednesday 17th July 2013 from pm. This event was codesigned by the Federation cluster of schools and Cardiff West Communities First/ACE as a means of promoting family and community engagement in schools and learning opportunities for all ages and was also a forum to raise the profile of each school in the cluster, presenting a cohesive, joined up approach to learning across all the Key Stages. The event showcased how working together with other partners and agencies enables the provision of a holistic range of school and community based interventions to engage families and promote family learning. The Federation aimed to inspire and encourage parents to work with the schools to help improve educational outcomes for their children; to help raise the aspirations and educational outcomes for children who are affected by poverty and disadvantage; and to break the link between poverty and low attainment. In affluent areas parents are much more engaged with schools, parent s evenings are well attended, whereas our parents don t understand how important that is, so we are trying to change the whole ethos of understanding that children will do better in school if parents are involved. Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator In order to plan the event learner voice groups from both Glyn Derw and Michaelston Community College secondary schools got together with the Community Team led by the Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator and Dynamix 75 for a consultation evening. Initial invitation to participate in the consultation was presented to the learner voice groups by posing two initial questions: Dynamix is a social enterprise and workers co-operative whose aim is to create a fairer society by developing people's skills for participation, co-operation, inclusion, play and enterprise. 125

126 Would you like your parents to be more engaged with your school? Would you like your parents to be more interested in what you do so that they could support you better in your learning? Subsequent discussions led the groups to conclude that the answer to both questions was yes and that they would like to be involved in the event. The learner voice groups consisted of approximately 40 pupils, 20 from each school and the consultation evening was held at a local restaurant. The planning was followed by the sharing of a meal. The Learning Board organised the activities, which were based very strongly on the ideas of the pupils. Approximately 500 people attended the Learning Showcase Event which included: Interactive exhibitions and taster sessions by schools and partners Performances from school choirs and performing arts groups Free family time play sessions on the Play Bus 76 Free buffet Consultation session led by pupils Part of the event included a pupil run consultation. Prior to the event Dynamix trained the volunteer pupils how to run a consultation and equipped them with the necessary skills and methods to get data and information. The pupils then consulted with parents at the event with the support of Dynamix in order to research the following questions: Why schools put on parents evenings but not all parents attend? What kind of things could be done to give parents the opportunity to see what schools are doing? How can parents become more involved in their child s learning? Interestingly prior to the event pupils shared the assumption that their parents and carers were most interested in grades and results, reports, behaviour, anti-bullying policies, trips, uniform, and then parents evenings. They also thought that the things stopping their parents and carers from engaging with school included attitudes; that they thought their parents felt uncomfortable; and thought it unnecessary and not important. Contrary to these beliefs the pupil researchers found out that 49% of parents would like to know more about how their child is doing in school and that text, phone and are the best way to communicate with parents. They also discovered that in order to feel more supported by the school parents want: information, quickly and regularly including lots of good news; to be told as soon as possible if there is a problem; and to feel valued and that their children are valued. 76 Play bus access had to be earned by visiting 6 exhibitions at the event. Children were not allowed to enter the bus alone they had to be accompanied by a parent or carer so that they could enjoy the play experience together. 126

127 With regard to parental involvement it was found that: work, confidence, timing, not knowing what is going on, and lack of childcare were the most preventative barriers. Most of the parents felt that parents' evening was either OK or good. However they thought that the organisation, queuing and appointment systems could be a lot better. 77 Dynamix concluded that lots of relaxed opportunities for parents to come to school should be created; this could include coffee mornings / evenings, intergenerational events and community events and that these should be particularly focussed on Year 7 families to prevent barriers from forming. The more opportunity there is to come in to school then the less likely parents are to feel uncomfortable about being there. The majority of people consulted had not heard of Family Learning, but those who had described it as very positive. We want our families to know that at school this is what we are trying to do, we don t see our schools as being just for the children, we want the whole family to be engaged in school and we want the school and the community to have a direct link as it is a hub that can improve the lives of anyone connected to it. Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator Dragonfly Year 7 Parent/Pupil Workshops Super Start These workshops were offered to all pupils and their parents at the start of Year 7 in They involved a one and a half hour workshop that enabled pupils and parents to openly and honestly explore how well they were settling into Year 7 and to deal with any issues arising in their attainment, friendships, homework and family life etc. For the first half of the workshop parents and pupils attended separate workshops so they could engage with their peers and then in the second half they came together to share what they had learnt. At the end of the workshop every pupil had an action or set of actions and goals that they had chosen to work on and parents then committed to supporting their child with these goals. The Super Start programme is designed to empower parents to support their children to raise aspirations and attainment at the commencement of their secondary school education. The programme was also designed to assist in a pupil s transition from primary to secondary school. Every parent/guardian attending a Super Start session was entered for a prize draw to win an electronic tablet to support learning at home. Objectives for the pupils: to reduce anxiety about the transition from primary to secondary to start exploring their aspirations for the future to introduce them to the support network available in school and encourage dialogue between parents, pupils and teachers 77 Dynamix Report 127

128 Objectives for the parents: to improve their relationship and attitude to the school to offer guidance and support in how they can help to support their child s learning, most particularly their literacy and numeracy skills to empower parents in supporting their children to explore and challenge limiting beliefs and barriers to learning, affecting both parents and their children to encourage them to develop aspirations for their children and themselves Evidence of Impact Evaluations reflected a very positive response to the workshop. Pupils reported that they found the session useful, giving it an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 and clearly felt an increase in their confidence in regards to being in Year 7, with the average rating increasing from 6.8 before the session to 7.7 afterwards. There was also an increase in how comfortable they felt about asking teachers for help, with their rating rising from 5.3 before the session to 6.9 after the session. The most marked increase in the ratings was in regard to how comfortable they felt about asking their parents for help before and after the session, as this increased from 6.2 to 8.2. Many pupils fed back that what they found most helpful about the session was having the chance to talk about their problems and feelings. It gave me ideas of what I can do to build my confidence. I found it was easy to figure out my worry in the session. We can communicate better. Pupil Voice Parents evaluations also demonstrated that the workshop had a positive impact reporting a considerable increase in how confident they felt about their child settling into Year 7, with the average rating increasing from 6.7 before the session to 7.9 afterwards. There was also an increase in how comfortable parents felt about coming into school to speak to teachers about their child, with ratings rising from 7.2 to 8.2. Parents gave the workshop a 7.8 rating for the overall usefulness. The main reasons given as to why the session was useful included: meeting other parents, being able to voice their concerns about their child and making contact with the Year Head at the school. Many also valued finding out things about their child that they didn t know. Really helped me to have 1-to-1 time with my daughter. Good to learn things about my child that I didn t know. Useful to talk to other parents who are going through the same experiences. Parent Voice 128

129 50% of participants expressed an interest in a follow-up session, which would clearly indicate that there is a need for continued support for some of the families of Year 7 pupils in the form of workshops and coaching. Transition Family Activity Afternoons The Transition Family Engagement Programme runs in both Glyn Derw High School and Michaelston Community College after school from 3-to-5pm one day each week. Families with children in Year 7 and the feeder primaries are also invited to attend. The core aims of this programme are to ease the transition from primary to secondary education; to strengthen the relationship between parent and child; encourage family and community engagement in secondary school; signpost parents and adults into progressive school and community based courses programmes; and improve the confidence and social skills of vulnerable children to support engagement in school and improve learning outcomes for children from a disadvantaged area. Family activities include: Arts and crafts Healthy cooking Storytelling and reading cafes Planning community/school and fund raising events Family trips The project has become embedded in the School s Wellbeing Plan and is used by pastoral staff to refer families who have been identified as vulnerable, who require extra support, and have children who are not engaging in school and are at risk of possible exclusion. The project is run in partnership with Cardiff West Communities First/ACE. Evidence of Impact Parents and pupils are asked to complete a questionnaire at various points throughout the programme. They are also involved in the decision-making surrounding activity choices and trips etc. 100% of those attending rate the provision as very good or excellent. 12 parents during the 2013-to-14 period have signed up to other adult learning courses. Developing Post 16 and Adult Learning Opportunities Cardiff West Communities First/ACE, in three distinct and interconnected parts, is facilitating this project. 1. The first part is the development of the Western School Federation Post-16 and adult learning curriculum through partnerships with key education providers. 2. The second part of the project is the development of Post-16 and adult learning opportunities within the community that will lead to engagement and progression to further study and employment. This is being delivered in partnership with a range of local education providers and Universities. 129

130 3. The third part is the development of Pathways to Higher Education and Employment. This partnership aims to bring together learning providers who together can assemble a range of progression routes to Higher Education for community members regardless of their prior level of educational achievement. The project aims to make a range of progression routes to high quality employment transparent and accessible and give clear sign-posts to employment opportunities that meet with Welsh Government priorities. Development of the Western School Federation Post-16 and Adult Learning Curriculum The proportion of pupils leaving Year 11 with 5 GCSE passes has increased significantly and has placed new demand on the Federation 6 th Form (see tables below). This project brought together the Federation with ACE, Cardiff and Vale College and St Davids College to broaden the 6 th Form curriculum to offer a much improved range of AS and A level choices together with a broad range of Level 3 BTEC vocational courses. Glyn Derw High School and Michaelston Community College Results Key Stage 3: Core Subject Indicator Glyn Derw Michaelston 2010/11 (Actual) 58% 45% 2011/12 (Actual) 60% 60% 2012/13 (Actual) 69% 62% 2013/14 (Predicted) 79% 74% 130

131 Key Stage 4: Level 2 Glyn Derw Michaelston 2010/11 (Actual) 33% 37% 2011/12 (Actual) 62% 56% 2012/13 (Actual) 80% 62% 2013/14 (Predicted) 68% 72% Key Stage 4: Level 2 including English & Maths Glyn Derw Michaelston 2010/11 (Actual) 22% 19% 2011/12 (Actual) 34% 25% 2012/13 (Actual) 27% 25% 2013/14 (Predicted) 42% 34% Attendance Figures are also showing improvements: Michaelston Community College November % January % March % Glyn Derw High School November % January % March % 131

132 Development of Post-16 and Adult Learning Opportunities within the Community Cardiff West Communities First/ACE is working with a range of education providers to expand the breadth of adult learning courses that are delivered locally. This is seen as particularly important as many community members experience significant barriers to accessing good quality provision outside the area due to financial and mobility difficulties. The project has brought together Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff and Vale College, Neighbourhood Learning and a range of other smaller providers to assemble a local curriculum. The range of opportunities includes engagement courses, Basic English and Maths, GCSE s and a suite of Level 4 vocational short courses that are accredited by HE institutions. The curriculum is being expanded in both a reactive and proactive way. Development of Pathways to HE and Employment Cardiff West Communities First/ACE is facilitating a project that will develop a clear curriculum that is fully supported by a range of HE providers that each contributes qualifications which are mapped to career goals. Some of this local provision is already in place however other elements are being developed in order to provide a series of educational pathways that are mapped to priority areas for employment and skilled employment. A key priority is the development of pathways that are designed to be accessible to all, whatever their prior educational achievement. The curriculum will to allow local people to acquire the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to sustain educational progression that are mapped to professional qualifications which are supported by appropriate advice and guidance. Evidence of Impact The Federation increased the number of learners enrolling from 25 in 2012, to 130 in This is contributing to raising aspirations and Level 3 educational attainment within the community. By September 2014 the Federation will expand provision and the total learners benefitting is expected to reach 250. In the period June 2013-to-January 2014 Partners have introduced 40 new courses that are delivered locally within Ely, Caerau, Fairwater and Pentrebane. With an average cohort of 12 learners per programme, these courses have engaged around 500 residents. The work with providers is planned to continue this trend and bring-on many new courses for the local community. Thanks to ACE and Communities First for the Youth and Community Work course and the support with child care. I'm sure all this learning will be useful and I hope it will help with the voluntary work placement that I'm going to do now and in the future. Thanks to all E. E is an asylum seeker living in a hostel in Ely 132

133 The school and community based adult learning programme across Ely Caerau is a key element to improving the home learning environment to equip parents to support their child s learning and to help close the gap between social disadvantage and achievement. We want parents to see learning as part of their lives which has an impact on them wanting their children to achieve; they then have the ammunition to support their own children s learning. Schools and Community Learning Co-ordinator Future Developments Time Bank - Give time, get credit! The Federation also aims to broaden experiences. A group of disengaged youngsters facing exclusion recently went on a coach trip to London, however this was not a free trip the youngsters and accompanying parents and carers paid with time credits. Time credits are a community currency; they can be earned by volunteering time to the local community. In return for giving up time to help others, 1 hour of giving, helping, and serving someone else will equal 1 time credit. Time credits have no monetary value, but allow volunteers to buy time with Community Partners offering activities- e.g. 1 time credit will buy you an hour in the leisure centre. Time credits can be used at selected: Play, climbing, bowling, and leisure centres College beauty and hair salons Gardens, country parks, and galleries Camping and caravanning holidays Theatre, music and drama shows Community parties, events, and trips Time credits can be earned in a variety of ways, for example: Helping children learn Mentoring Assisting at a homework club Planting and maintaining gardens Litter picking Running community events There are two time banks - a school time bank, and a community time bank. The ethos behind the project is to encourage helping others through volunteering, community spirit, and active citizenship. It helps people living in poverty by earning time to pay for activities and events and encourages young people to earn and not to expect to get things for free, thus increasing greater autonomy and self-esteem. 133

134 Between 2010 and 2012 a 2 year pilot of Time Bank was run, this has now ended and the good work continues, however the scheme is now being re-developed for brand new launch. Following consultation and re-evaluation it is hoped that the new scheme will include time credits being paid for time spent in GCSE revision thus creating a new way to raise aspirations and raise attainment levels. Funding Learning Showcase Event Families First Grant for Community Focused Schools Engaging parents Cardiff West Communities First/ACE Dragonfly Year 7 Parent/Pupil Workshops Super Start Families First Grant Community Focused Schools Engaging parents Pupil Deprivation Grant Cardiff West Communities First/ACE Transition Family Activity Afternoons Pupil Deprivation Grant Neighbourhood Learning Community Foundation of Wales Cardiff West Communities First/ACE Developing Post 16 and Adult Learning Opportunities Welsh Government Communities First Initiative Time Bank Communities Currencies in Action Project Interreg IVB NWE Programme Big Lottery Fund 134

135 Summary The key message from this case study is that parental engagement is critical to reducing the impact of poverty on pupils achievement. Theme Particular factor SM Leadership Rigorous use of data and self evaluation Engagement with parents and Strong dialogue with parents wider community Adult classes Strategic partnerships Key Contact Ruth McDonald Schools and Community Learning Coordinator Glyn Derw Michaelston Federation and Communities First ACE Tel:

136 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT POLICY OBSERVATORY Tag Summary Name of School/Setting: Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan Local Authority: Flintshire Type of School/Setting: Community Language Medium: English Focus of Case Study: Strengthening links with communities, family and parental engagement Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan The Flintshire Parenting Strategy Group is a multi-agency sub-group of the Local Service Board. The Board leads the multi-agency work that needs to be done in partnership to achieve improved outcomes for children, young people, and families in Flintshire. The Welsh Government requires every County to develop a plan to set out the priority areas and actions needed to deliver improved outcomes for all children, young people, and families, as part of the Children Act 2004 and also sets the requirement to have a Single Integrated Plan. The Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan supports working with parents through a think family approach. The vision is one where confident parents have expectations and aspirations for their children, and there is a confident workforce that has the skills, qualities and experience to support children and young people in achieving the seven core aims detailed in the Children and Young People s Partnership Plan Flintshire Parenting Strategy and Delivery Plan covers 5 Key Areas. Key Area 1. Parenting- Raising the profile and parent participation. 2. Families receive the information, advice, signposting or support they need. 3. Parenting skills and family learning. 4. Parents, education and the school setting. 5. Services are delivered with professional competence and ethical practice. The 5 key areas span across all education provision, pre-school primary school secondary school special school and family based learning. This case study focusses on 78 Flintshire in Partnership 136

137 two family based learning providers in primary schools and documents the future developments of one special school in implementing the parenting strategy and delivery plan. Flintshire Family Interventions in Practice Key initiatives are on-going in Flintshire: Family learning through Welsh Government funding within the school environment, through the LEA. Parenting programmes delivered locally with Flying Start 79, to support the transition to School, funded through Flying Start, Families First 80 and school. Recruitment of a Family Workers; funded through a joint bid from Communities First 81 and Pupil Deprivation Grant, within the school consortia. Primary school and secondary schools supporting work with parents, and releasing members of staff to receive training, qualifications and supervision in work with parents and family, and to prepare and deliver sessions, along with time for effective engagement and relationship building between worker and parent, and child-parentworker, funded through Families First and school funding. Case Study Settings 82 Ysgol Merllyn, Bagillt Ysgol Merllyn is an English medium school situated in Bagillt, midway between Holywell and Flint. Nearly all pupils who attend the school are from the village of Bagillt, which is an area of significant social and economic deprivation. Around 24% of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is above Local Authority and national averages across Wales 83. In recent years the area has seen an increase in members of the Polish Community and the school now describes its catchment as mixed. When the current Headteacher commenced in post over 2 years ago she realised that although the school offered family learning and parenting programmes, parental engagement was limited. She knew that there were parents that she wanted, and needed to talk to, and then set about finding ways to get these parents involved with daily life at the school. 79 Review of Parenting Support for Flying Start 80 Families First is designed to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. It emphasizes prevention and early intervention for families, particularly those living in poverty Communities First aims to contribute, alongside other programmes, to narrowing the education/skills, economic and health gaps between our most deprived and more affluent areas Small sample of good work being undertaken 83 Estyn 2012 School Inspection Report 137

138 The school decided to go down the nurture route and set up an open access space by using a classroom with a door that could be directly opened out onto the front playground allowing simple and easy access for visitors. The classroom underwent total transformation and is now a bright and colourful, welcoming and comfortable meeting place. There are tea and coffee facilities, a play area, and a mixture of furniture including sofas and armchairs for relaxed conversations and tables and chairs as required for deskwork. At first the team targeted nursery parents by opening its doors every Friday morning; they started with this group as they felt that if you get good habits formed in nursery they will carry on throughout the children s time in school. The group became so successful that the school has now rolled this out to other year groups and has appointed a full time Family Liaison Worker based at the school, which has evolved from the needs of the parents. It is very much down to the parents, we want to understand what they need from school, we want to know what we can do for them, for example last week the parents came up with the idea that they wanted to observe a phonics group. Family Liaison Worker The headteacher suggests that standards at the school are being raised through modelling best practice for parents and showing them how to best encourage learning at home. This is done through inviting parents to observe a teaching in action session. During a session practitioners are not telling parents what to do they are allowing them to engage at their own pace and comfort level, by watching, asking questions, or having a go for themselves. Parents have commented that they didn t realise that when they are talking to their child, they need to relax and let them lead the conversation and then build something together rather than just giving them instructions all the time. We are empowering parents, we are not being prescriptive, there are no set rules to follow, we are giving parents the confidence to be role models for their children. Headteacher I m not from around here and didn t know any of the other parents before I came here, it s made me a lot more relaxed around the other parents, I found that I could approach the teacher which meant that I was able to feel comfortable to ask how I could help my son get along and help him get ahead, it s made me want to train as teaching assistant. Parent 138

139 The headteacher notes that the impact on the children has been evident, there is now a greater willingness for parents and children to want to engage with school and attendance has increased. As well as encouraging learning there is also support for behaviour, wellbeing and Team around the family meetings 84. Parents are not afraid to ask for help: One parent was very nervous, they would not have gone to the meeting without me, it can be very overwhelming. Family Liaison Worker The Family Liaison Worker will also signpost to other services through the Flintshire Family Toolkit which contains a plethora of resources, information, and further contacts to get the appropriate advice and support. Many school visitors comment on its supportive atmosphere and the open relationships among staff. I feel like I have turned a generation around you only saw the headmaster if there was a complaint or the children were in trouble. When I was in school, I don t think my mother met one of my teachers, there was such a huge divide, you were terrified of the teachers. Governor I hated school; I was ruled with an iron rod it was never relaxed, we spent more time not listening. I thought if my son goes through that it will make me very sad, I don t want that for him, I want him to be able to speak up and talk to me and his teachers if he has any problems. Parent Moving forward the school has decided to use some of its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) to invest in the FAST Programme (Families and Schools Together, Save the Children). 85 The team is in the process of setting up its resources and putting together a free hamper for every participating family, which contains things like cooking utensils and apron, DIY equipment e.g. torch, games, toys, and books. Many of the parents from the Open Mornings have asked about becoming volunteers including parents from the Polish Community who would like to act as translators. I asked about volunteering work because I wanted to get involved. My communication and confidence has grown within a few weeks, I am now a trained member of the FAST Team. I found it really interesting to get to know about different areas of the community and it has opened my eyes to all the jobs that 84 The Team around the Family can offer advice, help and support in bringing together the right people to help

140 people do here. I have never been so confident and happy as I am now. Ysgol Cae r Nant, Connah s Quay Parent Ysgol Cae r Nant was built in 2012 for the purpose of amalgamating Dee Road Infants School and Custom House Lane Junior School. The school is situated in Connah s Quay, a large urban town that lies in industrial North East Flintshire. The school opened in September 2012 and currently caters for 351 pupils aged 3-to-11. The school teaches through the medium of English. There are approximately 19% of pupils in receipt of free school meals 86. Staff at the school have set up and developed a Family Learning Programme. Every Friday they offer additional support by opening their doors to all parents and provide a direct link to learning through workshop based sessions. We tried to target parents, but they felt like they were being singled out so we opened it to all parents, we have found that within the group there is mixed ability so they have formed their own support network. Family Learning Lead There is no need to book a space and the school offers a free crèche. This has been developed through links with a local college where students can come to school and get hands on experience looking after children whilst parents are taking part in the workshops. There is a menu of workshop learning courses and 1 course runs at a time and lasts for 6-to- 7 weeks. Chatterbox- Foundation Phase Language and Play and Number and Play- Nursery Chatterbox Plus Literacy- Reception to Year 6 Chatterbox Plus Numeracy- Reception to Year 6 Incredible Years- All School Years Children are very much involved with the sessions and enjoy working with Mum and Dad and other Carers each week. We found it was really hard to get parents engaging with each other to practice learning so we brought the children into the workshops so that we could see the interactions between parent and child. 86 My Local School 140

141 Family Learning Lead The format of the workshop follows a set routine so that parents feel comfortable and know exactly what to expect. Tea and coffee Start session discuss expectations Run through slide show of photographs- talk about what has been happening in class that week and how the children have been learning Children join the group; demonstrate what they have learnt and teachers model what happens Set up hall like working classroom with designated bays Parents and children move around bays and a timer allows them 10 minutes in each one to work together doing interactive fun things Singing fun time Children go back to class Interactive parents plenary- asking questions and developing understanding Fill out evaluation and complete learning journals Evidence of Impact- A parent s story A parent of four children is offered attendance at an Incredible Years Parenting Programme 87 delivered by Flying Start. After much encouragement she attends and as a result this enhances her confidence and reinforces her ability to attend the Family Learning Group in her children s primary school. Here she is offered the Incredible Years School Readiness Programme, and other parenting and child sessions, which support her and her children in literacy and numeracy. This provides an opportunity to build her parenting skills and understanding of the importance of school attendance for her children, developed through respectful relationships and partnership with the parent. It is through this that she begins to seek help and support with her parenting and other issues that she needs to resolve to help her to gain employment. As the workers have undertaken their Work with Parents Qualification, they are equipped to provide the parents with the information in an empowering way that meets the principles and values in work with parents, according to the National Occupational Standards for Work with Parents 88, and thus advice is offered in an empathetic way. The parent also discusses her older child who is in the secondary school. Because the primary and secondary school have a dedicated family worker they are able to signpost the parent to this service and she is able to get further help, knowing that she is not going to be criticised for seeking help. The parent is inspired to continue learning and applies for a place on a higher education social care course at the local college. She is offered a place because she has been able to demonstrate adult learning, has established goals for herself, and expresses that she knows

142 this will better support her family. The parent continues with her studies and gains employment, and is able to purchase their own family home. Relationships in the household improve, and so has the parents and children s wellbeing. Developing Future Practice - Ysgol Pen Coch Ysgol Pen Coch in Flint is a co-educational special school for up to 104 pupils aged from 2- to-11 years. Pupils at Ysgol Pen Coch have a wide range of special educational needs. These include moderate, severe, and profound and multiple learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. A few pupils have additional sensory impairments and communication difficulties. Approximately one third of pupils are entitled to free school meals. 89 Staff at Pen Coch have invested in the Incredible Years programmes 90. The school has embedded the Dinosaur Social Skills and Problem Solving Curriculum into its everyday practice. The programme involves the use of several puppets, Dina Dragon, Wally and Molly Pupils, and Tiny Turtle. The goals are to: Promote children s social skills, self-regulation, and classroom behaviour Making friends and learning school rules Understanding examples of feelings Wally teaches problem-solving steps Tiny Turtle teaches how to self-regulate and manage anger Dina teaches how to do your best in school (e.g., cooperation, listening, quiet hand up, stop-look-think-check) Molly teaches how to be friendly (waiting, sharing, helping, taking turns, teamwork) Molly explains how to talk with friends (suggestions, apologize, compliment, forgiveness) Pen Coch Virtual Tour Video has examples of the programme in practice. The school is now investing some of its Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) into the Incredible Years Parenting Programmes to encourage parents to develop children s resilience and sense of responsibility, and support their children s learning. 89 School data

143 Other Future Developments A multi-agency group oversees the Parenting Programmes development work, and there are triad meetings between Parenting Strategy, Flying Start and Family Learning to maintain links, strengthen cohesion and minimise duplication within schools. A School Health and Wellbeing Group has been formed who support these developments within education settings including Early Entitlement through to Secondary Schools and alternative provision. Flying Start expansion will continue and Families First funding has been awarded for next year to continue to strengthen and develop the work with parents of adolescents. The Strategy Group will also continue to offer the City and Guilds 3599 Work with Parents qualification to staff who are working directly with parents and children. And continue to identify effective research and implement this into local practice. Funding Welsh Government funding for Family Learning. Families First funding for training in parenting programmes and offer of work with parents qualifications. Flying Start funding for training in Incredible Years Baby, Toddler, Pre-School Basic, School Readiness and the Parenting Puzzle. Social Care Grant for training in Incredible Years Baby, Toddler, Pre- School Basic, School Readiness and the Family Links Parenting Puzzle. Families First funding to support school staff to offer parenting support to parents of adolescents, offer training in Challenging Years and Take 3 training and appropriate supervision and mentoring. Social Care grant to support some training places (due to Welsh Government funded places no longer being available to each authority area this has been replicated through the Social Care Grant and expanded to a further programme to be offered locally). 143

144 Summary The key message from this case study is that effective strategic partnerships with parents and the wider community contribute significantly to reducing the impact of poverty on pupils achievement. Theme Particular factor SM Leadership Engagement with parents and wider community Training and effective deployment of staff including teaching assistants and specialists Wellbeing programme Strong dialogue with parents Adult classes Strategic partnerships Key Contact Gail Bennett Flintshire Parenting Strategy Coordinator Early Years and Family Support Children s Services The Westwood Centre Tabernacle Street Buckley Flintshire CH7 2JT Tel (01244) Gail_Bennett@flintshire.gov.uk 144

145 6. TRIALLING MODEL Background 6.1 BACKGROUND 6.1. The Welsh Government s vision is that no child or young person is disadvantaged by poverty by The Welsh Government s Tackling Poverty Action Plan makes it clear that approaches that combine whole school improvement with specific pupil-level interventions will be necessary to ensure that schools improve overall and that attainment gaps narrow The Education Minister in the Welsh Government has made education s contribution to achieving this vision, his top priority. The way in which he believes this can be achieved is to be set out in a forthcoming Education and Poverty Plan. The Pupil Deprivation Grant will provide additional funding to schools to support this plan. 6.3 In order to achieve the Welsh Government s vision, we need to know what works well. Organisations such as the Alliance for Useful Evidence have highlighted the need for rigorous evidence to demonstrate the impact of initiatives in all areas of social policy, including education. 92 This is particularly important during times of economic austerity. 6.4 This outline proposal comes from the four Regional Education Consortia and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, working with the Wales Centre for Equity in Education at the University of Wales Trinity St David. It is one of the outcomes of a project funded by the Welsh Government from December April 2014 to set up a Policy Observatory to capture and disseminate examples of effective practice in school and community settings in Wales and to undertake the initial development of this outline proposal. Aims and Objectives 91 Welsh Government (2012) Tackling Poverty Action Plan , Cardiff: Welsh Government. 92 Mathias, M. (2013) What Works Wales, Alliance for Useful Education. The Alliance for Useful Evidence is a partnership of individuals with a shared aim to promote the use of evidence in government, charities, voluntary organisations and public services across the UK. 145

146 6.5 This outline proposal is designed to establish a stronger evidence base on what works well in reducing the impact of poverty on educational achievement that can be used by schools, local authorities, Regional Education Consortia, the Welsh Government and other organisations. 6.6 The case studies presented earlier in this report provide examples of success in reducing the achievement gap between pupils eligible for free schools meals and those who are not These examples, however, do not tell us how the interventions work in other words, we do not know enough about the active elements within the intervention and how are they exerting their effect. In the context of medicine, as the Medical Research Council points out: only by addressing this question can we build a cumulative understanding of causal mechanisms, design more effective interventions and apply them appropriately across groups and settings By researching further individual interventions we will be able to identify their effect sizes. But the research design will also include process evaluation because the lack of impact may reflect teething problems, or a failure to implement the intervention, rather than genuine ineffectiveness. 6.8 The aim of this outline proposal is to develop within a Welsh educational context a programme of trials of proven and promising interventions that could be used to support key areas of education policy in Wales including the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF), the Education and Poverty Plan and the focus on teacher enquiry and school-to-school working within initiatives such as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), Lead and Emerging Practitioner Schools and the Masters in Educational Practice The emerging findings from the outline proposal could also be used to inform the Schools Challenge Cymru Programme. They would also be of relevance to the Tackling Poverty Strategy and to key programmes within that strategy such as Communities First and the Early Years and Childcare Plan. 93 Medical Research Council (2010) Developing and evaluating complex interventions: new guidance, p.7, available at 146

147 6.10 The trialling would be undertaken in a robust manner blending in an innovative way rigorous experimental design methodologies and robust methods of teacher enquiry. This will ensure that a strong evidence base is created so that the interventions to be trialled stand up to scrutiny and can be transferable to other contexts across phases, settings and languages Theories of change, which underpin the interventions, will be discussed. Consideration will be given to the conditions within which improvement can happen and how cultures can change. We know that even when our schools and local authorities focus on the right things, such as literacy and numeracy, invest heavily in professional development, assign appropriate resources, develop leadership and concentrate on system-wide change, this does not guarantee improvements in standards. 94 This may be because, for example, there is a lack of focus on what teachers need to do differently or because teachers are neither motivated nor engaged to apply recommended strategies. Many theories of change are weak on capacity building. It is essential that the proven interventions are not used superficially or in a piecemeal manner. Trialling Proven Interventions 6.12 The proposed interventions have been identified on the basis of their proven or promising potential Proven interventions have been selected from reliable meta-analysis research evidence such as studies undertaken by the Sutton Trust and John Hattie s Visible Learning Programme 95 from the case-studies of effective practice identified by the Policy Observatory Programme and those signposted as sector leading by Estyn Fullan, M. (2006) Change theory. A force for school improvement, Centre for Strategic Education Seminar Series Paper No. 157, November 2006, available at:

148 6.14 They also reflect the emerging findings of What Works Centres being set up by the UK Government which are responsible for gathering, assessing and sharing robust evidence to inform policy and service delivery Two of these Centres relate to education: one operated by the Sutton Trust/Educational Endowment Foundation focuses on improving education outcomes for school-aged children, while the other reports on effective early intervention and is run by the Early Intervention Foundation. 98 The proposal draws on what these Centres and other research organisations highlight as proven interventions The Sutton Trust/Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit summarises research on 34 topics so that teachers and schools can improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The summary takes into account three factors: average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost Strategies such as employing teaching assistants, setting learners in ability groups, providing after-school clubs, reducing class sizes, introducing performance pay for teachers and focussing on raising aspirations are all either ineffective or not effective enough to justify their costs, in terms of their impact on learning outcomes Figure 1 highlights four interventions that are proven to be among the most significant in terms of raising attainment for children and young people with effect sizes included The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a charity set up in 2011 by the Sutton Trust as lead charity in partnership with Impetus Trust. The Sutton Trust-EEF Toolkit offers an accessible summary of educational research, which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. It currently covers 30 topics and is based on work by Durham University. 99 Average impact is estimated in terms of additional months progress expected of pupils as a result of an approach being used in school, taking average pupil progress over a year is as a benchmark. Sutton Trust EEF (2014) Sutton Trust EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit, Sutton Trust EEF. 100 Effect sizes quantify the difference in learning between two groups. 148

149 Feedback (8 months) Peer-to-peer learning (6 months) Metacognitive strategies (8 months) Raising attainment Parental involvement (3 months) Figure 1. Selected intervention themes and potential learning gains in months Source: Sutton Trust/Education Endowment Foundation (2014) In relation to high quality feedback whilst the evidence from meta-analysis is powerful 101, there are very few clearly documented examples of how this works in practice, particularly within a Welsh context A pilot action research study on behalf of the Sutton Trust involved nine treatment and five comparator schools in the London Borough of Bexley. All pupils in Years 2-6 took part in the study. One of the key conclusions was the need for a more structured programme targeted specifically at low achieving pupils and pupils eligible for free school meals. 102 The project did not assess the impact on pupils attainment in a robust way although it reported some evidence of promise for students eligible for free school meals One of the Policy Observatory case studies features Bassaleg School in Newport. It captures the success the school has had in closing the gap between Free School Meal (FSM) pupils and non FSM pupils at Key Stage Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. (2007) The Power of Feedback, Review of Educational Research, Vol. 77, No. 1, pp Hattie, J. and Yates, G. (2014) Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn, London: Routledge

150 6.21 The case study notes that a significant factor in this success has been high-quality feedback whereby: Students use a range of assessment matrices to indicate to peers not what, but how they need to improve. Feedback is specific and of high quality which reflects the marking dialogues which take place between pupils and teachers to encourage and facilitate effective feedback. Literacy skills have also improved as this is the medium for the marking. We started to realise that a plenary talking about skills to discuss what have we learnt today during this lesson? was almost not worth having. How have we used the skills? is a much more demanding question and actually gets the children to think and apply their knowledge. Assistant Headteacher at Bassaleg Secondary School 6.22 Metacognitive strategies are designed to make learners think about how as well as what they learn; for example, setting personal learning goals, thinking aloud, selfquestioning, self-talk, reviewing and evaluating progress. Metacognitive strategies have been defined as sequential processes that one uses to control cognitive activities, and to ensure that a cognitive goal (e.g., understanding a text) has been met Such strategies go hand in hand with Assessment for Learning. This is why the two were linked when the Welsh Government launched its thinking skills and assessment for learning programme, run as a pilot between The pilot outcomes included improvements in learners performance, enjoyment and engagement Estyn s evaluation in 2011 found that there had been improvements in pupils attitude to learning, the confidence and engagement of lower-ability pupils had improved and pupils were generally more enthusiastic about their work. However, too few schools had developed a whole-school approach to embed the programme. 103 Livingston, J. (2007) Metacognition: An Overview, ERIC, p.4, available at Welsh Assembly Government (2009) Why develop thinking and learning in the classroom? Cardiff: WAG, p

151 6.25 Bassaleg school is one of the few that has done so effectively over a sustained period. Its inspection report for 2010 noted: A very effective focus on developing learners thinking and learning skills. This makes learners more aware of how they learn best and encourages them to identify and apply links between subjects Almost all teachers ask well-targeted questions which make sure that learners are actively involved in lessons It also noted its use of assessment for learning and promoting learners thinking skills as being important factors in its success. The school has developed its own thinking toolkit, which includes various strategies Peer-to-peer learning has been highlighted in a two year randomised control trial (RCT) of peer tutoring in reading and mathematics in 128 primary schools in Fife. It reported that cross- age tutoring was significantly better than regular teaching; but same-age tutoring was not. However on short-term evaluation, pupils did significantly better than control pupils in both years, and cross age and same age were similarly effective. Low socio-economic pupils, lower reading ability pupils and girls did significantly better The proposed trialling programme would focus upon each of these areas of proven research evidence and develop practice-based verification of their efficacy in a specifically Welsh context, thereby increasing the potential for these interventions to be used to good effect throughout the Welsh education system On the basis that these interventions are based upon large-scale research studies, including randomised control trials, the work undertaken would not attempt to replicate these outcomes. Rather it would focus upon finding specific Welsh examples of these approaches being used in an effective way. This is likely to 105 Estyn (2010) Report on Bassaleg Secondary School, Cardiff: Estyn, p Miller, D., Topping, K. J., & Thurston, A. (2010) Peer tutoring in reading: The effects of role and organization on two dimensions of self-esteem, in British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), ; Topping, K. J., Miller, D., Murray, P., Henderson, S., Fortuna, C., & Conlin, N. (2011), Outcomes in a randomized controlled trial of mathematics tutoring, in Educational Research, 53(1), pp

152 assist the fidelity and adoption of these interventions by schools, other organisations and practitioners in Wales. Trialling of Promising Interventions 6.30 The proposed trialling would also consider promising interventions that have the potential to reduce the impact of poverty on educational achievement, particularly those that are related to but distinct from the work of schools This reflects both the robust body of knowledge that whilst schools can play an important part in reducing the impact of poverty on the achievement of their students the maximum effect of that impact is probably confined to between 20 and 30 per cent of the difference in relative student achievement 107 and the importance of wider family and community engagement which together constitute the remaining 70 to 80 per cent of impact Meta-analysis of outside of school interventions which can reduce the impact of poverty on the education of children points to parental/family engagement as being the most promising, followed by extra-curriculum opportunities and mentoring for young people, which generally are community based These research outcomes are well supported by inspection evidence 110 and are reflected in the focus on the importance of education in the leading Welsh Government anti-poverty programmes Flying Start, Families First and Communities First It is proposed, therefore, that trialling be undertaken into promising parental/family intervention programmes, which are currently being used in Wales and community-based interventions. 107 See for example Muijs, D. (2010) Effectiveness and disadvantage in education: can a focus on effectiveness aid equity in education? In Raffo, C., Dyson, A., Gunter, H., Hall, D., Jones, L. and Kalambouka, A. ( Eds) Education and Poverty in Affluent Countries. London: Routledge. 108 Carter-Wall, C. and Whitfield, G. (2012) The role of aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in closing the educational attainment gap. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 109 Egan, D. ( 2013) Poverty and Low Educational Achievement in Wales: Student, Family and Community Interventions. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 110 Estyn (2013) Working together to tackle the impact of poverty on educational achievement. Cardiff: Estyn 152

153 6.35 There are many initiatives designed to promote greater parental/family engagement in school life The most effective interventions focus on promoting both academic outcomes and parenting skills. This proposal focuses on trialing the Family Learning Signature programme BusinessLab, a UK consultancy firm in change management, developed the Family Learning Signature. 112 The Signature name reflects the uniqueness of each family. The programme is based on the premise that there is significant benefit to be gained by aligning strategic support and interventions with the learning capacity of a family - particularly if families direct the learning The FLS focuses on areas such as transition stages from primary to secondary school, engaging with hard to reach families, improving attendance among families with persistent absenteeism from school, and improving self- assessment and self- referral to programmes available to them by families. 113 It has been extensively adopted by the Children and Young People Partnership in Swansea and has more recently spread to schools in Carmarthenshire and Cardiff. 114 There is, however, currently no independent research evidence on the effectiveness of FLS The Policy Observatory work has identified two promising examples of community-based interventions that are focused on poverty and education. The Ely Caerau Federation Schools Community Partnership comprises two primary and six secondary schools. The Federation offers various programmes designed to mitigate the impact of poverty on educational attainment. The Federation has found that although parents are significantly more engaged in their child s learning during primary school years they become disengaged during the secondary school years when young people need even more engagement from home to support learning. The Partnership arranged a Super Start programme of Year 7 pupil-led consultation workshops with parents to deal with issues 111 Aston, H. and Grayson, H. (2013) Teacher Guide: Parental Engagement and Narrowing the Gap in Attainment for Disadvantaged Children, Slough: NFER Terrace Road Primary School, in Swansea, uses FLS to develop understanding of Year 6 transition to secondary school

154 arising in their attainment, friendships, homework and family life. The Super Start programme is designed to empower parents to support their children to raise aspirations and attainment at the commencement of their secondary school education. Feedback from questionnaires indicates significant gains in learner and parent confidence Another programme offered by the Federation seeks to develop the post-16 and adult learning curriculum to improve study and employment prospects. The project has brought together Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff and Vale College, Neighbourhood Learning and a range of other smaller providers to assemble a local curriculum. The range of opportunities includes engagement courses, Basic English and Maths, GCSE s and a suite of Level 4 vocational short courses that are accredited by HE institutions. In terms of impact, the Federation has increased the number of learners enrolling from 25 in 2012, to 130 in 2013 with an anticipated rise to 250 in The Federation has found that the use of time credits has proven particularly effective in engaging disaffected young people. 115 There are two time banks a school time bank, and a community time bank. The ethos behind the project is to encourage helping others through volunteering, community spirit, and active citizenship. It helps people living in poverty by earning time to pay for activities and events and encourages young people to earn and not to expect to get things for free, thus increasing greater autonomy and selfesteem. There are plans to provide time credits for time spent in GCSE revision thus creating a new way to raise aspirations and raise attainment levels The Flintshire Parenting Strategy Group is a multi-agency sub-group of the Local Service Board. The Board leads the multi-agency activity to achieve improved outcomes for children, young people, and families in Flintshire. This is achieved in different ways: At Ysgol Merllyn, Bagillt, the emphasis is on developing modelling for parents who are invited to a teacher- in- action session so that they can see at first hand the importance of questioning, observation and discussion. The school also uses some of its Pupil 115 Time credits are a community currency; they can be earned by volunteering time to the local community. In return for giving up time to help others, 1 hour of giving, helping, and serving someone else will equal 1 time credit. Time credits have no monetary value, but allow volunteers to buy time with Community Partners offering activities- e.g. 1 time credit will buy you an hour in the leisure centre. 154

155 Deprivation Grant (PDG) to invest in the FAST Programme (Families and Schools Together, Save the Children) Trialling of promising interventions of this type would create a new evidence base that could provide Wales-based examples of the interventions highlighted by the research reviews undertaken by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and others. Given that the research evidence for these interventions is not as frequent or robust as the largely school-based proven interventions highlighted above, there would be a need for more extensive research using a mixture of methods, including randomized control trials.. Methodology 6.43 The proposed trialling would be undertaken using mixed methodologies: pre and post, experimental design including randomised control trials, using qualitative and quantitative data, and an innovative form of teacher professional enquiry. As is indicated above these would be proportionate to the existing evidence base i.e. the extent to which they are proven/unproven Where appropriate to the intervention, teachers will score learners in pre and post tests and follow up, using multiple indicators of academic and behavioural performance. Researchers will also undertake qualitative observations in the classroom and other contexts to assess behaviour and social interaction. Where possible, triangulation of views will be achieved by surveying parents, teachers and learners, pre and post-trial. The research team would use standardised instruments with established validity and reliability Where appropriate, randomised control trials will be used in an attempt to provide a definite answer to the question of whether an intervention was effective in meeting its objectives. It is recognised that a range of factors affects most educational outcomes, such as higher standards of attainment. To test the extent to which the intervention was responsible for the change, counterfactual measures would be used to estimate what 116 Operated by Save the Children. Each participating family receives a free hamper, which contains things like cooking utensils and apron, DIY equipment e.g. torch, games, toys, and books. See: 155

156 would have happened in the absence of the intervention. The counterfactual measures will take the form of randomised control trials (RCT) where groups, randomly selected, will not receive the intervention Schools will be invited to participate through referral from the Regional Education Consortia. A representative sample will then take into account linguistic and geographical contextual factors. Welsh-medium and English-medium Early Years settings, primary secondary and special schools will be considered for inclusion in the sample In relation to unproven interventions in the family and community contexts highlighted,, what emerges is that rather than a single intervention, it is their holistic cultures that make the difference combined discernable factors related to the nature of collaboration, values, beliefs, customs, socio-historic context and leadership It may be necessary, therefore, to use both experimental research designs and naturalistic research, focusing on how people behave, to explore what makes school/community partnerships such as these so effective. This could include elements of ethnographic research such as conversation analysis. This assumes a realist position which acknowledges that intervention programmes and policy changes do not necessarily work for everyone, since schools and communities operate in different contexts. The success of any intervention depends not only on its inherent merits, but the combination of interpersonal relationships, institutions and infrastructures through which and in which the intervention is delivered In the family and community contexts that have been identified for trialling, the cooperation of the programme providers and Community partnerships involved would be sought as will be the support of Flying Start, Families First and Communities First at Welsh Government level In addition to experimental research design methodology and naturalistic research, a robust form of teacher professional enquiry will be developed. This will provide the 117 In an RCT, the allocation of individuals, groups or local areas to receive the intervention is determined by lottery or some other purely random mechanism. 156

157 trialling with a unique and innovative approach to identifying what works in reducing the impact of poverty in school and community contexts in Wales The reasons for adopting this innovative approach reflect the knowledge we have that simply identifying what works through experimental research studies does not ensure that these outcomes will become embedded in professional practice. This has been recognised by the Alliance for Useful Evidence and in the work of Ben Levin who argues that if research evidence is to change practice we have to mobilize knowledge through teacher involvement in both producing and disseminating it The example of high-quality feedback is a case in point. Such feedback is a key element of Assessment for Learning, which has been strongly endorsed by the Welsh Government, the research community and others for many years. 119 Few practitioners in Wales are now unaware of such elements as sharing learning objectives, success criteria, peer and self-assessment. Yet despite increased awareness within the profession and the inclusion of Assessment for Learning within Estyn s Common Inspection Framework, there has been very little evidence that this has contributed to improved standards. 120 Concerns remain over variations within and between schools, specifically the quality of teachers oral and written feedback, diagnostic assessment, target setting and learners involvement in assessing their own progress The architects of Assessment for Learning, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam, believe that most schools are doing it wrong because they have not understood the key principles. Teachers have focused on monitoring pupils progress rather than developing pupils learning and thinking skills. 121 Experts suggest that what is needed is a clear strategy for professional development where Assessment for Learning is seen in terms of better teaching beyond the cosmetic and mechanistic approaches The trialling proposal would seek to address situations such as this through a form of teacher professional enquiry that builds upon the Welsh Government s Professional 118 Levin, B. ( 2013) To know is not enough: research knowledge and its use ; Review of Education, vol 1, no 1, February 2013, pp Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998) Inside the Black Box, London: King s College. 120 Estyn (2011) The developing thinking skills and assessment for learning programme, Cardiff: Estyn. 121 Stewart, W. (2012) Think you've implemented Assessment for Learning? TES, 14 April

158 Learning Communities (PLCs) programme. 122 In the most effective PLCs, measured by the difference they make to school performance and learner outcomes, the participants engage in collaborative and interdependent learning. PLC model (Welsh Government, 2013) 6.54 In general the weakest element of PLCs has been action enquiry. Too many schools are not clear about expectations and how to undertake this critical element in the process. Phase 3: Action Enquiry (Welsh Government, 2013) 6.55 The trialling would seek to enhance existing support for PLCs available on the Welsh Government website. 123 It would do so by providing practitioners with the evidence base 122 Welsh Government (2013) Professional Learning Communities, Cardiff: Welsh Government. 158