securing outstanding leadership in history michael maddison hmi national lead for history, england...
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Securing outstanding leadership in history
Michael Maddison HMI
National Lead for History, England
SHP 25th Annual Conference
6 July 2013
Outline
Securing outstanding leadership in history
summarise the national scene: strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning in history in schools
analyse the components and characteristics of highly effective leadership, including
highly effective teaching and learning in history highly effective curriculum in history highly effective leadership and management in history
illustrate best practice with examples from some of the good practice case studies in history and other subject inspection work.
National scene: Ofsted’s evidence
Overview: a mixed picture – a successful subject in school but under pressure and some significant aspects in need of improvement
Primary headlines
Primary strengths:
pupils have better knowledge and make better progress where history is discrete
teaching is generally good but variable
Primary weaknesses:
pupils’ knowledge is episodic pupils’ chronological understanding
is variable and their ability to make links across the knowledge they have gained is weak
Secondary headlines – successes
History is successful in most of the secondary schools visited because it is
well taught by very well-qualified and highly competent teachers
well led.
The National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 (11-14) has led to much high-quality teaching and learning in history.
Attainment is high in the secondary schools visited and has continued to rise, particularly at GCSE and A level
Entries at GCSE and A level are also rising
GCSE Entries 1997-2012
Figures from 2005 onwards are for end of KS4. Figures prior to this are for pupils aged 15
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Nu
mb
er o
f e
ntr
ants
Art and Design Business Studies Drama English Literature
French Geography German History
IT Media/Film/TV Music
GCSE History Entries 1997-2012
Figures from 2005 onwards are for end of KS4. Figures prior to this are for pupils aged 15*2011 rev includes accredited iGCSE history courses
GCSE History Entries
33%35%
32% 31% 31%
202,900207,500
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
200,000
220,000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Nu
mb
er
of
Fu
ll G
CS
E H
isto
ry e
ntr
an
ts
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f p
up
ils a
t th
e e
nd
of
Ke
y S
tag
e 4
% of end-KS4 pupils Full GCSE History
A level and AS level History Entries 1997-2012
45,630
36,100
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
55,000
60,000
65,000
70,000
1997 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Nu
mb
er o
f en
trie
s
59,670 students were entered for AS-level in 2012
Secondary concerns – Key Stage 3
increasing non-specialist teaching – 28% no relevant degree
variabilty in teaching time for history – average: 60-90mins a week
whole-school curriculum changes in KS3 – e.g. two year KS3; cross curricular teaching; competencies rather than subjects
misuse of levels of attainment
poor planning for progression in the developments of students’ knowledge, understanding and subject-specific thinking
the failure of some subject leaders to provide a rationale for the curriculum they had put in place
Result
in some schools history has become marginalised standards are too variable and progress is not fast enough
Some students continue to be restricted in their subject
options at GCSE
Lower ability students are not served well at KS4 – does the current reform of GCSE offer an opportunity?
Assessment at GCSE: formulaic teaching leading to formulaic responses.
The growth of the one-year GCSE
Most students who take history beyond KS3 study modern world topics at GCSE and at A level
Secondary Concerns – Key Stages 4 and 5
Securing outstanding leadership in history
Securing outstanding leadership in history
History in the Primary and Secondary Years: An HMI View
(1985)
History from 5-16 – Curriculum Matters 11
(1988)
Good teaching, effective departments
(2000/01)
As a subject leader, do I …
As heads of department, working with subject teachers, do we …
As headteacher and senior management, do we …
Securing outstanding leadership in history
Ofsted, 2010; revised January 2013
History survey visits
Generic grade descriptors and supplementary subject-specific guidance for inspectors on making judgements during visits to schools
Overview:the constituents of highly effective teaching Subject expertise
knowledge dynamic subject
Learning
rooted in rigorous historical enquiry
Historical thinking and understanding
Assessment
enabling teachers to refine their practice and pupils to build securely on prior learning
Highly effective historical thinking and understanding The best learning in history took place when teaching developed
pupils’ historical knowledge and historical thinking through well-focused enquiries
Historical thinking = ability to investigate, consider, reflect and review the events of the past.
Teaching makes pupils alive to changing views of the past and helps them to understand
how and why interpretations and representations change over time
why history matters and why the particular topics they are taught are worth knowing
about.
Case Study: Developing historical thinking - Fox Primary School
Context: a group of pupils in Years 2 and 3 were studying the diary of Samuel Pepys.
Discussion: when asked how they would deal with another diary which told them something different, their response was unequivocal. ‘That’s ok’, said a Year 3 pupil, ‘because we would be able to check what Samuel Pepys had written’. Another pupil added, ‘We would have another point of view. You know someone who perhaps lived in another part of London and so lived life differently’.
Overview:The constituents of a highly effective curriculum
Acquisition of knowledge and development of chronological understanding
Understanding of key historical concepts
Development of historical thinking through enquiries
Clarity of rationale and thinking
Assessment which reveals whether aims are being achieved
An increasing level of expectation and challenge to ensure progression in historical knowledge, thinking and understanding
Distinctive and reflects pupils’ needs, interests and aspirations
Wide range of enrichment activities
How do we know it is highly effective?
Clarity of rationale and thinking
Why are we teaching, what we are teaching, how we are teaching it, when we are teaching it?
What do we want pupils to know, do and understand at the end that they didn’t know, couldn’t do and didn't understand at the beginning?
The effectiveness and high profile of history in the school is based on:
visionary leadership and highly efficient managementcommitment and enthusiasm of all history teachersexcellent understanding of current developments in the subjecta sustained record of innovation and success in inspiring pupils and improving their achievementconstant focus on inspiring confidence in and commitment to history in pupils and colleaguescritical self-evaluation - well informed by
exciting practice in history the effective analysis of performance
Overview:Characteristics of highly effective leadership
Gender: achievement of boys and girls
53
63 63 64 65 66 67 68
60
69 69 70 71 7274 74 74
67
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
1997 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
% p
up
ils a
ch
iev
ing
A*-
C
Boys Girls
7
5 6 66 6
7 7 6
Deprivation: achievement by free school meals
SEN: achievement
Ethnic groups: achievement
6460 60
51
86
27
76 76
58
6564 64
54
87
40
78 79
62
6765 66
54
87
38
79 78
63
6866
68
55
85
25
79 78
63
68
57
7275
29
81
58
50
58
66
59
7777
43
84
53
6164
0
20
40
60
80
100
African Bangladeshi Caribbean Chinese Gypsy /Romany*
Indian Irish Pakistani White British
Per
cent
ach
ievi
ng A
*-C
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
robust quality assurance leading to prompt, decisive action to
tackle relative weaknesses in teaching and learning in history excellent collaboration among teachers underpinned by joint
planning and the effective sharing of good practice in history subject-specific professional development needs of all
staff are very effectively and comprehensively assessed and met
ambitious aims based on a clear rationale for the subject and its place in the
education of pupils well communicated to staff and pupils, and matched with
skilled deployment of resources, including staffing subject makes an excellent contribution to whole-school
priorities, including consistent application of literacy and numeracy policies
Characteristics of highly effective leadership
Prompts for improving history
Key question: What can the inspectorate do for you?
Ofsted’s history subject web pages
Take a look at this:
Ofsted’s supplementary subject specific guidance for inspectors on making judgements on subject inspections
Keep up-to-date with Ofsted's work in history
Visit the dedicated history web pages on the Ofsted website at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/our-expert-knowledge/history-0
Ofsted’s history subject web pages
History professional development materials to support subject-specific school CPD
Published January 2012
Good practice case studies
Published from March 2011
Case Studies
Meaningful history for all – inclusion central to teaching and learning (Lampton School Academy, London)
Putting the local community at the heart of the KS3 history curriculum (Copleston High School, Suffolk)
Ensuring rigorous historical thinking (Cottenham Village College, Cambridgeshire)
Making the most of local history (Cape Cornwall School, Cornwall)
Outstanding teaching and learning in history in 100 minutes (Farlingaye High School, Suffolk)
Outstanding history in a two year KS3 (Harris Academy Crystal Palace, London)
Making history motivating, memorable and meaningful by inspiring teachers through an effective area partnership (Hampshire Secondary History Network)
Developing outstanding historical thinking in primary schools (Fox Primary School, London)
When teaching history remember to …
Plan only when you have answered the question: What do you want your pupils to know, do and understand historically at the end of the history topic/unit that they didn’t know, couldn’t do and didn’t understand when they started?
Teach through historical enquiries – provide the means not the outcome
Develop pupils’ historical questioning rather than providing the answers
Create time for historical debate, discussion and reflection prior to writing
Focus on analytical and discursive writing in history as well as descriptive and narrative writing
Embed the language of history – use historical terminology regularly
Use differentiation by outcome and by task when assessing in history
Include a history comment when marking a history piece of work
Emphasise historical thinking whether history is discrete or integrated
Use historical enrichment regularly to support learning
National Lead: [email protected]