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National Standards KS3
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Introduction

The Secondary Strategy aims to raise standards by strengthening teaching and learning across the curriculum. The purpose of the strand is to raise standards by supporting and delivering high quality teaching and learning. It aims to help teachers to become more effective so that pupils improve in what and how they learn. To be successful, implementation will need good leadership and management, sustained commitment and strong support.

The principles for teaching and learning in the Foundation Subjects strand are consistent with those informing the rest of the Strategy.

A key feature of this Strand is the explicit attention it gives to the teaching of thinking skills and assessment for learning, which helps pupils to reach higher levels of attainment and become independent learners.

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Training Modules

The folder contains 14 modules. The modules are about teaching and learning and will be organised under four themes:

• planning and assessment;
• teaching repertoire;
• structuring learning;
• knowing and learning;

Planning and assessment

1. Assessment for learning in everyday lessons
2. The formative use of summative assessment
3. From planning to teaching and learning

Teaching repertoire

1. Questioning
2. Explaining
3. Modelling

Structuring learning

1. Starters
2. Plenaries
3. Challenge
4. Engagement

Knowing and learning

1. Principles for teaching thinking
2. Thinking together
3. Reflection
4. Big concepts and skills

Each module lasts 75 minutes and can be used on an Training & CPD day or in a twilight Training session. The training modules are designed to ensure that participants are:

• active;
• interactive;
• given space to consolidate thinking;
• encouraged to put the training into practice.

In October 2002 each school received three copies of the folder and two copies of the video. Extra copies of the video can be provided on request. These materials can be used whether or not the school is receiving additional support.

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What does a KS3/Secondary Strategy lesson look like?

Not everyone attends the Strategy training or has a chance to see the Strategy's videos of lessons. A typical KS3 lesson is described below to help those who might have a monitoring role to know what to look out for. Of course, not all lessons will look like this but it provides exemplification of some of the principles that underpin the Strategy in action.

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Extending Good Practice

The Secondary Strategy aims to make substantial and sustained improvements in teaching and learning. This will only be achieved if teachers and senior managers recognise the value of the training materials, and the consultant’s support, as essential ingredients in achieving such ‘improvements’. The challenge is to consolidate and embed these improvements within classroom practice and to share the benefits to ensure that they become self-sustaining.

The school’s Secondary Strategy management group should ensure a clear focus on improving teaching and learning by co-ordinating the various Strand activities so that their implementation is coherent and has the widest possible impact.

The DfES Strategy for professional development makes clear the importance of teachers of ‘learning from each other . . . learning from what works ‘.

A training matrix based on the research of Joyce and Showers (reported in ‘Creating the conditions for teaching and learning’ by David Hopkins et al ISBN 1-85346-689-1 published by David Fulton Publishers ‘00)

It has long been concluded that much professional development has been ineffective in changing classroom practice, as it has not reached inside the classroom. Evidence suggests that coaching is, by a distance, the most effective form of professional development, when measured by impact on student attainment. Hence, the training folder is likely to include two modules on coaching.

Coaching is a process in which a teacher helps a colleague to improve their practice. For example, a teacher who is more expert in teaching thinking skills may help another to plan a lesson, observe and video that lesson and then assist in the analysis of the lesson. Successful coaching is a learning experience for both teachers as it provides the opportunity to reflect on their developing knowledge and skills. By training coaches to work across subjects in sharing and developing pedagogical skills, a school will also be building its capacity to improve practice in the long term.

The Pilot appears to have generated a lot of interest in the development of school based peer coaching models, especially in those schools with well established teaching and learning groups and/or interdepartmental professional development programmes. However, the success of peer coaching as a vehicle for internally driven, sustainable CPD is highly dependent upon a range of contributing factors including:

• the active involvement of members of the SMT in the training and practice
• an established culture of ‘whole school’ developments in teaching and learning where teachers believe they have the capacity to improve and have confidence in their colleagues to support them in this

• processes which should not be stifled by paper work
• teachers who are trained both in the skills of peer coaching (a bad coach can do more harm than good!) and the teaching skills they are providing coaching in e.g. thinking skills, questioning, modelling etc.

To succeed peer coaching needs status within the school and support in terms of guaranteed time in order to allow it to happen. This is often difficult to achieve without the commitment of the SMT.

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Roles and responsibilities for the Strategy within schools

The foundation subject leader's role

The head teacher and senior management

The role of the head teacher is crucial in ensuring that the school is successful in raising standards of attainment and transforming teaching and learning in Key Stage 3 and 4. It is suggested that the head teacher should identify a member of the school senior management team to act as KS3/Secondary Strategy manager and to chair a management group. The management guides produced to support the Strategy (Management Guide: lessons from the Pilot (reference 0015/2001 and 2) provide helpful guidance and examples of good practice. The head teacher will also need to clarify the responsibilities of the heads of department and those responsible for cross-curricular aspects, as well as the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), and make them all members of the Strategy management group.

The school KS3/Secondary Strategy manager is expected to:

• lead, manage and monitor the implementation of the Strategy in each strand, including monitoring the quality of teaching in classrooms;
• keep the governing body informed about overall progress in raising standards in the Key Stage 3 Strategy;
• carry out, with the head of department, an annual audit/review of Key Stage 3 subjects throughout the school, using Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3 (Reference 0756/2001) and Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3 in Special Schools and Units (Reference 0137/2001) provided by the Strategy;
• monitor progress of the department action plan as well as progress of individual teachers, and take necessary action if action plan objectives are not met;
• plan and organize opportunities for keeping parents well informed about the school's implementation of the Secondary Strategy and ways in which they could support it;
• support heads of department, special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and other staff in ensuring that all pupils, including the least and most able, are supported and challenged through the development of the Strategy in school;
• deploy support staff, with the help of the SENCO, to maximize support for the Strategy;
• ensure that assessment data for incoming Year 7 pupils (using the Key Stage 2 Statutory transfer data and other available sources) is collated, analysed and used to set challenging curriculum targets for all pupils in Year
• agree, with subject leaders, the teaching staff to attend the training;
• manage the school's resource allocation, including release time for staff;
• monitor and evaluate pupils' progress, for example through classroom observation or sampling pupil's work.
• assess the need for a whole school training day. This could be used to provide training for all staff on a priority identified in the School Improvement Plan and might also enable departments to share FS developments already undertaken.

Senior Managers checklist for implementing the foundation subjects strand

The development of foundation subjects should be consistent with whole school improvement plans. The checklist for implementing foundation subjects outlines the sequence of actions necessary to implement foundation subjects together with the main questions schools need to consider.

The foundation subject leader's role

Ideally the lead ‘foundation subject’ teacher will also be the head department. If this is not the case then it is essential that the ‘lead teacher’ and Head of Department’ begin by clearly establishing who is responsible for what, as they will have a crucial role to play in implementing the Strand. Positive and sustained leadership of the department will ensure that it operates as effectively as possible. A separate Strategy booklet is available for all subject leaders about their roles. This helps to identify strengths and areas for professional development, and links to the National College for School Leadership's publication, Leading from the Middle.

There are three key responsibilities for a lead ‘foundation subject’ teacher in the context of the National Strategy:

• To lead, with support from senior management, an audit of the teaching and learning practices using the Key Stage 3 audit guide provided by the Strategy.
• To inspire and enthuse colleagues by offering curriculum leadership so that all staff teaching in Key Stage 3 regularly discuss and develop a common understanding of how to adopt certain practices and teach certain topics or particular groups of pupils.
• To manage developments relating to the strand and ensure that the department meets action plan objectives by provide a monitoring and support role.

In order to fulfil these responsibilities the foundation subject leader is expected to:

• identify strengths and areas for development through the audit review and agree an action plan with staff;
• identify which teachers could benefit most from the training offered through the Strategy and decide which of them should attend each of the courses, maximizing benefits both for the individuals and, through effective dissemination, for departments;
• lead on any review and refinement of schemes of work;
• support the preparation of teaching materials that all teachers can use, and develop the use of resources, including ICT;
• lead by example in the way they prepare for, and teach, in their own classrooms;
• work co-operatively with the SENCO in providing advice and support for staff;
• discuss regularly with the school KS3/Secondary Strategy manager the progress in implementing the Strand in school;
• consider, in discussion with other subjects departments, how subject-specific developments and cross-curricular aspects can support teaching and learning across the whole of Key Stage 3
• prepare and, where appropriate, lead whole-school INSET days to support school-based work across Key Stage 3;
• advise the head teacher on informing parents about pupil involvement in the Strategy and organize agreed arrangements.

If all or some of the above are delegated to another member of the department then it is the responsibility of the foundation subject lead teacher to have an overview of each aspect and to monitor progress.

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Auditing a Foundation Subject

Auditing is a key part of a school’s self review process and informs school improvement planning through the identification of strengths and areas for development. The purpose of the subject audit is to help a department or faculty to decide on priorities for strengthening its work and to identify action points to improve standards in the subject. Using their audit, departments will then select which training modules they should use to address these action points.

An audit is a useful way to review your department. The audit should seek to identify the sources of information and data that relate to standards of pupils’ attainment and which provide evidence of the quality of teaching and learning in the department. Consideration should be given to the value of the various sources of information and data. Ticking boxes doesn’t tell you anything. It is important to carry out some research including lesson observations and work sampling. However, be careful that this doesn’t become a bureaucratic nightmare.

The ‘Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3’ document requires the completion of the following sections:

• standards in Key Stage 3;
• attainment and progress in KS3 of different groups of pupils;
• attainment in different aspects of the subject;
• pupils’ attitudes and behaviour;
• planning;
• short-term planning;
• teaching;
• assessment;
• management of the subject and general issues;
• action plan.

To be successful, the auditing process should involve the lead ‘foundation subject’ teacher, the Head of Department and the KS3/Secondary Strategy Manager. All members of the department should be included in discussions and contribute to gathering evidence.

Some schools will already have much of the information to hand. It is not intended that the audit should involve unnecessary additional paperwork

The document ‘Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3’ (Ref: DfES 0756/2001) is provided by the DfES and can be downloaded in ‘Word’ or ‘PDF’ format from –

• www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/publications/

Further guidance on completing a subject audit can be found on the Key Stage 3 Strategy web site at:

• www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/

The web site has an interactive version of ‘Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3’, DfES 0756/2001 Revised 09/01, which includes hyperlinks to ‘guidance notes’. (by 1 July 2002)

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Action Planning

The departmental audit identifies action points to improve standards in the subject and the quality of teaching and learning and contributes to the school improvement plan. The action planning process helps teachers focus on the detail of what needs to be done and the resource implications. Action planning is an on-going process and plans should be kept under constant review.

Points to consider……

Why are you writing an action plan?

• Before you start, ask yourself these questions:

• Who is it for?
• What is it for?

• Your action plan will focus your department’s identified priorities for improvement and the action points which you will use to bring about this change

• Your action plan will inform others e.g. SMT, governors, consultants what you intend to do and the budget implications

How should you identify the ‘right’ priorities for your department?

• Consider carefully what is likely to make the biggest difference to teaching and learning?
• Do the priorities clearly relate to the outcomes of the department audit and to the school improvement plan?
• Avoid overload - focus on the priorities, don’t try to undertake too many initiatives and miss the most important one
• Identify a few things that you feel will make a difference and put your effort into this to make a permanent change
• Make the priorities clear and specific

What makes an effective Action Plan?

The action plan is a detailed description of what is going to take place in order to address the identified priorities.

• If you are finding it difficult to write your action plan, it may be that your priorities are not clear. Address these first.

• An action plan is a working document – a plan of action! As you carry out and evaluate individual actions you can update the plan. Build in time to review it.

• Action planning is a collaborative process - involve all the department.
• Actions should not be general statements. For example replace "review scheme of work" with "analyse activities in Year 8 scheme of work against Bloom’s taxonomy to assess level of challenge"
• Are the action points achievable within the timescale?

• Are the action points expressed in terms of standards of pupils’ performance and the quality of teaching and learning?
• Is it clear how actions will be achieved (e.g. who is responsible for what, by when and what resources are required)?

• Are the deadlines clearly stated?
• Is the nature of the ‘professional development’ activity required clearly stated? Is it clear who will provide this training?
• The priorities need to be shared widely and progress against them discussed regularly with those mentioned in the plan. They should be adjusted as necessary each time progress is reviewed.

What resources are necessary?

• Is each action costed? Are sources of funding identified? Is teacher time included?
• When allocating time to resources, it is good practice to estimate the time required for a particular task in hours or days - it is bad practice to simply state ‘time’ or ‘on-going’. If it is difficult to estimate the time required, it probably means that the task is too big and needs to be broken down into smaller tasks.

Success criteria

• This will depend on the nature of your priorities - ask the question: "How will I know that what I’ve been doing is working?"
• Success criteria need to be SMART, but are not necessarily quantitative
• Are the criteria for measuring success clear and are they measurable where possible?
• Are they expressed in terms of pupils’ standards and the quality of teaching and learning? For example, when judging the success of a change in teaching:

• And when writing criteria for a change in learning:

How will the work be monitored?

• Is data and information being collected systematically to inform evaluation?

• Evidence could be: internal and external test results; pupil/teacher questionnaires and interviews; a sample of pupils’ written work; teachers lesson plans; lesson observations; scheme of work; reward and sanction records etc
• Soft data (e.g. opinions, lesson videos) is as valid as more quantitative data, but is harder to evaluate. However, it can often can tell you more about teaching and learning and help you to identify next steps.

• Are the monitoring personnel named e.g. senior managers/ governors/ consultants?
• Make sure the collection of evidence is manageable and won’t take longer to do than the action it is monitoring!

Evaluation

• Who will evaluate the impact of the plan - are there named senior managers/ governors/ consultants?
• Are evaluation methods specified?
• How and when will evaluations be reported, and to whom?

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Getting the best out of your consultant

Teachers will meet the LEA's Secondary Strategy Consultants at courses and many will have the opportunity to work with them in school. Consultants are a valuable resource. They bring enthusiasm and credibility and are up-to-date with Strategy development. They also bring fresh expertise into the school and move staff beyond just training. Importantly, they help to drive home the training into classroom practice by coaching teachers.

It makes sense to think very carefully at the outset on how best to use consultants' time in school. Don't book them for services until you have established your priorities, specific targets and needs. Get your consultants to do the things you can't do, and use internal expertise for the other things. Above all enable the consultants to get into classrooms, where they can influence and develop actual practice.

Varieties of consultant support

We have found the following to be most frequently requested and fruitful ways in which a consultant can support a school:

• contributing to a subject audit, often by observing teaching:
• helping to analyse the audit. develop an action plan and negotiating my role in it:
• supporting a group of teachers revising their scheme of work; co-planning and co-teaching lessons with individual teachers - facilitating collaborative planning across a department or faculty
• coaching teachers by observing specific features of lessons and giving developmental feedback;
• offering demonstration lessons or parts of lessons, (such as starters, working intensively with one group, running a final plenary);
• planning with Key Stage 3/Secondary management groups e.g. whole school training days, and suggesting
  models’ for professional development e.g. coaching
• leading ‘bespoke’ training for whole departments or faculties – most successful where followed up by collaborative development time
• providing module training as a stimulus for cross curricular teaching and learning groups
• providing exemplification of FS work, across the range of subjects, from other pilot schools

Some schools have found it difficult to make full use of their consultant. A lot of time can be wasted making ad hoc arrangements for visits. The following alternatives may help you avoid this problem. It should be stressed that the options are flexible and are primarily intended for the convenience of the school not the consultant. The options can be combined or adapted as appropriate.

In all cases the first stage will be an initial meeting between the consultant, KS3/Secondary manager(s) and teacher in charge of the subject identified for additional support. The purpose of the meeting is to use the audit and other information to decide how best to work together. The second visit will usually involve lesson observations, so that the consultant can get a feel for the work of the department.

Options:

• The department and consultant identify a particular class or classes to work with on a regular weekly basis. Planning and review time, before or after the lesson, is included. All the visits are booked in advance.
• The department and consultant decide on some intensive blocks of time, for example, three days per term, to work together.
• The consultant visits on a pre-arranged schedule, e.g. once per fortnight each term. The focus for each session is negotiated at the previous session.
• The department and consultant meet off timetable for planning sessions each term, followed by a series of lessons in which the newly planned work is put into practice.

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