Whatever It Takes

Ensuring that all students achieve

The Disadvantage Gap

• 42% of disadvantaged students gain 5+ CEM compared to 67% of non-disadvantaged students

• Social background explains 14% of variance in student performance in the UK compared to 8% in Finland

• There are bigger variations in the performance of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students within schools than there are between schools. This is more marked in the UK than in other countries

• The most advantaged 20% of students are 6x more likely to go to a select university than the most disadvantaged 40%

Characteristics of effective action to tackle underachievement

Ofsted Pupil Premium Update July 2014

• Proper analysis of where students are underachieving and why• Good use of research evidence, like the EEF Toolkit, when choosing strategies• Focus on high quality teaching, rather than compensatory interventions • The best teachers lead English/Maths intervention groups• Frequent use of achievement data to check the effectiveness of interventions

and adjust, rather than waiting until after the intervention• Systematic focus on clear student feedback and improvement strategies• Designated senior leader has clear overview of the funding allocation• All teachers are aware of Pupil Premium students • Strategies for improving attendance, behaviour or family links if these are an

issue• Performance management of staff includes discussions about Pupil Premium

students

The best schools...Cracking the Code: Report by the Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission

Oct 2014

1. Use PP Funding strategically2. Build high expectations: Whatever It Takes culture3. Focus incessantly on the quality of teaching4. Have tailored strategies to engage parents5. Prepare students for all aspects of life: building character and careers & university

preparation

1. Use PP Funding strategically

• Robust data-driven analysis of students and classes• Use informed practice on what works from sources like the Education Endowment

Foundation Toolkit• Focus on the basics: literacy & numeracy• Have threshold literacy and numeracy standards• Ensure that all students have mastery of these through their time at school• Focus on life skills using destination data to measure success: to what extent do

disadvantaged students have the knowledge, skills and advice to thrive when they leave?

• Look at the impact of poverty on learning: uniform, health, diet, participation in extracurricular activities, parental engagement, homework, and risks of being bullied

• Look across the student spectrum, not just at borderline students• Review targets for disadvantaged students to ensure that these are aspirational• Analyse the deprivation of the entire student body (two thirds of children in

poverty in the UK live in working families)

Robust Tracking

Analysis of students and classes:• What milestone targets do you want to meet?• Who is making expected progress?• Who is making more than expected progress? What learner/ class/ teaching characteristics could be

shared?• Who is making less than expected progress? Why? What are the learning/ teaching gaps? What can be

done? • Is our information accurate: moderated, sustained in light of actual results etc.?• Does information match evidence of progress in students’ work?• Where are gaps narrowing? Why? What learner/ class/ teaching characteristics could be shared?• Where are gaps failing to narrow? Why? What are the learning/ teaching gaps? What can be done? • What are the effect sizes of strategies being used?• Create a Strategy Handbook of effective strategies used across the school

Frequent use of achievement data to check the effectiveness of interventions and adjust, rather than waiting until after the intervention

Possible areas to include in an audit of underperforming students

• Attendance rates• Mobility rates • Behaviour records: including detentions, other sanctions, and exclusions• Profile of GCSE options • Profile of subject sets• Profile of quality of staff• Ambition Audit• Pattern of participation in extracurricular and out-of-school activities• Identification of additional support • Parental support, including attendance at parents’ evenings• Allocation of work experience and internship placements• Destination Data• Involvement in student leadership• Well being survey

Forensically targeted intervention

Short, sharply-focused interventions measured for impact• Peer Coaching• Peer Team or Class challenges• Clinics• Coaching• Catch ups• Master classes• Targeted threshold concept coaching• Self-supported study staffed by teachers• Involvement of parentsMeasure the effect size of interventionsEnsure that there is an overview and planning schedule for intervention

Week Threshold Concepts

Students Intervention Method

Practice set Impact

Intervention Structure

Area of Intervention

Type of Support When? Celebration of achievement

Threshold conceptsLiteracy SkillsLearning Skills

Learning Motivation

Quality TeachingDepartment Coaching

Learning Coach (Building Learning Power)

Peer CoachScholarship Form

Prep Study Buddy Group

Form TimeLesson Time

Self-Supported StudyExtended School Day

Weekend SchoolHoliday School

GraduationPostcards home

Bacon buttiesPhone creditsICT vouchers

Book vouchersStationery vouchers

School Trips vouchersBecoming a lead learnerBuy Back Time Vouchers

Consider use of form tutors e.g. key groups with Maths or English form tutor

2. Build high expectations: Whatever It Takes culture

Unwavering commitment to closing gaps• Shared sense of moral purpose• Aspirational targets• Helping students to stand out from the start e.g. providing music tuition• Strong discipline• Smart uniform• Insist on high standards of work: For ideas see How to Book Polish @

lovelearningideas.com• Celebrate success: Great Work Galleries, Alumni Network• School environment• Reinforce ambition: signs on doors of where teachers went to university• Study Facilities: Library, Silent Study Area • Resources: High quality stationery, ICT etc.• Scholarship Forms• QQ data on all students• Pastoral focus on improving barriers to learning e.g. attendance, behaviour and

homework completion• Employment of Learning Coaches

Whatever It Takes: Failure is not an option

P for ProgressContract

Prepared for

Learning

Present

Positive about

Practice

See the Point

[and the power]

Parents on Board

Equipment, ready to work hard, homework, prepared to concentrate

‘Nuff’ said

Prepared to work hard, keep practising and not give up

Understand the concept of ‘Powerful Knowledge:’ that no student should be excluded from key knowledge

Understand that parental support can add 8 grades value overall

3. Focus incessantly on the quality of teaching: teachers

High quality teaching has more impact on disadvantaged students. Sutton Trust evidence showed that ‘over a school year, [disadvantaged] pupils can gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning with very effective teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. • Build a sense of moral purpose in the school [and recruitment processes]• Reward staff for succeeding with challenging classes• Focus on mentoring, coaching and use of middle leaders to drive improvement• Deploy the best teachers to tackle underperformance including as form tutors• Focus CPD on building teaching capacity in tackling underperformance• Focus T&L working parties, conferences and R&D on tackling underperformance• Ensure high quality recruitment [and retention] of new and experienced staff• Share informed practice as a key part of CPD • Collaborate with other schools to deliver coaching and training, enable

secondments, support ITT and gain good practice from outstanding schools elsewhere in the country

3. Focus incessantly on the quality of teaching: curriculum

• Depth before breadth: ensure that new students below reading and maths standards master these before they receive a broader academic curriculum

• Focus on students gaining cultural capital: a study over 101 months found that on an average day the Times makes 2700 references which require background knowledge for comprehension

• Consider class sizes. How can these be utilised for greatest impact on underachievement?

• Consider timetabling: core learning at optimum times, opportunities for spaced practice

• Consider block scheduling: an IoE study showed that in Science, A/B block scheduling resulted in higher results than traditional schedules

3. Focus incessantly on the quality of teaching: teaching

• High quality teaching see Lesson Ingredients for Learning @lovelearningideas.com• Teachers with rigorous subject knowledge• Teachers with high expectations• Focus on students gaining mastery of threshold concepts• Focus on precise literacy• Focus on behaviour for learning• Focus on effective feedbackFor more ideas see Raising the Bar @Headguruteacher

4. Have tailored strategies to engage parents• Funded outreach workers• Focus on building engagement with parents as part of transition from primary school• Visiting family homes or neutral ground• Engagement with other agencies• Family Coaches• Parent Peer Coaches• Family ICT Tech Support• Family Library • Weekly drop in• Award ceremonies• Student performances and galleries• Targeted parents meetings and contracts to include:

i. Discussion of parents’ aspirations for their childii. Discussion of the impact of continued underperformance on their child’s life iii.Sharing research on parental engagement iv.Discussing areas for improvement – comparing their child’s work to their better

performing peers (using examples of work to demonstrate to parents rather than using abstract concepts or levels).

v. Guidance and ideas on how parents could help to address underperformance. “Parents really buy into the tailored support”.

5. Prepare students for all aspects of life: building character and careers and university preparation

All students ‘in-line-of-sight’ of work• Goal-setting beyond academic results to career goals• Social and cultural capital building• Early engagement with universities• A knowledge-based curriculum tailored to individual needs • Early engagement with employers focused on utilising employers’ expertise about

the workplace, not just on aspiration-raising• Tailored offers to prevent students from dropping out of study or work• Aspiration Programme• Business Mentors and Careers Cafes• Use of QQ data• Support for development of literacy: Reading Bingo, DEAR Form Time once a week,

D Factor, Word Bingo