Peterborough Better English Conference

1. Peterborough Better English Conference Moving English forward in your school Prue Rayner HMI Lesley Daniel Associate inspector 20 March 2015 Better English 20-03-2015

2. Introduction: purpose and objectives • Identify the challenges facing leaders of English in Peterborough using examples from Ofsted survey and inspection work. • Provide time to reflect on your practice and determine immediate and longer term actions to support improvement. • To consider how the leadership of English can influence whole school practice. • To identify opportunities for school to school sharing of effective practice to overcome the barriers to improvement. Better English 20-03-2015

3. English in schools: the good news? • around 70% schools were judged to be good or outstanding in their English subject inspections • nearly one in five secondary schools was outstanding in English • most pupils say they enjoy English lessons • teachers work harder than ever with intervention classes, Easter classes, clubs and the like • very few schools in the subject survey were judged to be inadequate in English. Better English 20-03-2015

4. English and literacy: general principles • Literacy: a set of skills (speaking and listening, reading, writing) essential to teaching and learning in all subjects – a shared responsibility • English: knowledge and experience across centuries and cultures, expressed and explored through fiction and non-fiction, poetry, story, drama, myth and legend, diaries, lit. crit., reportage…written and spoken in English. Better English 20-03-2015

5. Inspecting English and literacy- general principles • Inspectors must be clear about what is non-negotiable in the curriculum – the development of pupils’ literacy. • Inspectors must not expect staff to teach in a specific way. • Inspectors should expect all pupils to have an ‘excellent educational experience’ in English. Better English 20-03-2015

6. Improving EnglishChallenges to Leadership

7. The new National Curriculum:key changes • The primary programme is specific, highly structured and very detailed. • Most important changes in primary are the strong emphases on phonics, spelling and grammar. • The secondary programme is significantly shorter and less prescriptive. • The new secondary programme emphasises wide reading, author study, and a selected range of literature. • ‘Spoken English’ has a less significant role. • Modern technology is absent from the prescribed curriculum. Better English 20-03-2015

8. Challenges to LeadershipSpeaking and Listening

9. Leading English: the challenges Moving English forward, 2012 • ‘Speaking and listening were less likely to be priorities than reading or writing.’ • ‘Speaking and listening happened in support of other learning… • but were rarely the central focus of teaching.’ Better English 20-03-2015

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11. Leading English: the challenges • Early Learning Goal – Communication and language - speaking Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events. For children whose home language is not English, providers must take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning …. Must also ensure that children have sufficient opportunities to learn and reach a good standard in English language during the EYFS …….. Better English 20-03-2015

12. Leading English: activity Look at the two examples of teaching groups of EAL pupils. Highlight aspects of good practice that you are confident happen in your school. Identify pitfalls that might tempt your staff. Better English 20-03-2015

13. Leading English: the challenges Oral work: analysis and development The most effective teachers use questioning well to challenge more-able students. For example, in a Year 10 class, pupils were analysing a transcript from a popular reality television series. The teacher’s questions about speech patterns and language choices led to speculation and discussion, and to further questions, between the students. This kept all students involved and stretched their thinking. English subject survey inspection Better English 20-03-2015

14. Leading English: the challenges ‘There was too little analysis of pupils’ speech and how they might extend their talk in different ways.’ (English at the Crossroads) How do you analyse pupils’ language skills What is your curriculum provision for developing speech and vocabulary? Think about subject specific vocabulary. Good to share, need to know Better English 20-03-2015

15. Reading

16. Leading English: the challenges ‘Outstanding’ - Ofsted’s expectation • Pupils read widely and often across all subjects to a high standard. • Pupils develop and apply a wide range of skills to great effect in reading, writing, …... • The teaching of reading, writing, …. is highly effective … and cohesively planned across the curriculum. Inspection Handbook, April 2014 Better English 20-03-2015

17. Get ahead with wordsEveryone a reader Activity 2 Year 1 phonics check Discussion (Hand-out 2) What questions would you ask and what guidance would you give to a teacher whose pupils’ results were like those in example C? Better English 20-03-2015

18. Ofsted: Reading by six • The best primary schools in England teach virtually every child to read, regardless of social and economic circumstances, ethnicity, home language and most SEND. • Rigorous and sequential approach to speaking and listening and teaching reading, writing and spelling through systematic phonics*. • High quality and expert teaching that follows a carefully planned and tightly structured approach to teaching phonic knowledge and skills. • Pupils are given opportunities to apply what they have learnt through reading, writing and comprehension. • Nursery classes – strong focus on developing children’s capacity to listen, concentrate and discriminate between sounds. Better English 20-03-2015

19. Pupils should be taught to: Primary • apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet • maintain positive attitudes to reading and understanding what they read by: • continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays non-fiction and reference books or text books • reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes • increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books Better English 20-03-2015

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21. Pupils should be taught to: Secondary • increase the breadth of their reading • read for understanding • read critically Better English 20-03-2015

22. Leading English – the challenges Are teachers: • assessing pupils’ learning and progress in reading regularly and accurately • promoting a culture of reading widely and often for pleasure and information? • making sure that all pupils are reading, hearing, discussing a wide range of high-quality books • analysing reading competence of students entering Year 7? Better English 20-03-2015

23. Leading English: the challenges Does the school have the necessary expertise to support those struggling to read? Are those needing help quickly identified? Do you take the business of reading for pleasure seriously? How do you analyse, record and extend what your pupils and students are reading? Good to share, need to know Better English 20-03-2015

24. Writing

25. Writing curriculum Pupils should be able to: • write clearly, accurately and coherently, using language and styles adapted to different contexts. • write accurately, fluently and at length • plan, draft, edit and proof read confidently and effectively • consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Better English 20-03-2015

26. Inspecting English and literacy Urgent challenges include: • the gap between girls’ and boys’ achievement, especially in writing • evidence of lower standards overall in writing • poorer performance in English by pupils eligible for free school meals. Moving English Forward Ofsted 2012 Better English 20-03-2015

27. Inspecting English and literacy Barriers to success for boys include: • poor behaviour • low levels of motivation • low self-esteem and reluctance to risk failure • a reluctance to begin writing. Beyond the Crossroads 2009 a teachers’ forum Better English 20-03-2015

28. Inspecting English and literacy Barriers to success for boys include: • reluctance to begin writing (arising from…) • low self-esteem and reluctance to risk failure (leading to…) • low levels of motivation (prompting…) • poor behaviour. Better English 20-03-2015

29. Inspecting English and literacy Barriers to effective writing include: • too few opportunities for pupils to complete extended writing • too little emphasis on creative and imaginative tasks • too little choice for pupils in the topics for writing. Moving English Forward2012 Better English 20-03-2015

30. Inspecting English and literacy What works? • Encouraging pupils to play with language, to experiment • Drawing on pupils’ own experiences • Using marking to generate dialogue with pupils about their work • Teachers and pupils working together as writers Better English 20-03-2015

31. Leadership and management – subject or department How do you ensure that students are making progress in both what they are writing (content), and how they are writing (SPaG)? Better English 20-03-2015

32. Evaluating writing • Consider the questions on the ‘writing evaluation’ sheet. • Identify strategies and approaches in place that teachers and teaching assistants use. • Is there a difference? What do you need to do next? Good to share, need to know. Better English 20-03-2015

33. Leadership and management

34. Leadership and management: subject or department • Vision/ethos – the pursuit of excellence, modelling outstanding practice, high expectations. • Leadership and management of the quality of the implementation of policy and its impact on teaching, and behaviour as reflected in students’ achievement in English. • Thoughtful and thorough use of a wide range of evidence, including the responses of pupils, to review the impact of work across reading, writing, speaking and listening. • Subject plans identify very clearly how teaching is to be improved. • The importance of student voice. • Curriculum. Better English 20-03-2015

35. Leadership and management – features of an outstanding curriculum in English • Appropriate balance between reading/writing/speaking and listening. • Rich and varied programme which includes key areas, such as, poetry, drama, media, reading for pleasure. • Clear sense of progression within and across key stages. For example, a clear rationale about the timing of different units. • Contribution to students’ SMSC development. • Links with the world outside the classroom. • Opportunities to use modern technology. • Distinctive and innovative in order to meet the needs of every student. Better English 20-03-2015

36. Leadership of English Weaknesses in leadership: • little direction or identity for English • poor subject knowledge • allowing curriculum development to lag behind pupils’ changing needs. Better English 20-03-2015

37. Leading teaching

38. Quality of Teaching ‘Inspectors should gather robust evidence to judge and report on how well pupils acquire knowledge, learn well and engage with lessons.` Triangulation – leads to robust judgements. For example, triangulate data with progress seen in lessons and what is in books. Student voice is very important. Better English 20-03-2015

39. The quality of teaching The fictions • The faster the lesson, the better the learning. • The more activities crammed into a lesson, the more effective it will be. • All plans must have the same structure and be stuck to regardless of impact. • Reviewing learning: the more often the better. Better English 20-03-2015

40. Quality of Teaching – what else hinders learning? • An inflexible approach to planning lessons. • Misunderstanding what working independently means. (not the same as working individually) • Over-emphasis, at too early a stage, on a limited range of skills needed for test and examinations. Better English 20-03-2015

41. Quality of teaching – what leads to effective learning? • Excellent subject knowledge. • Plans: clear and realistic about what students will learn in the lesson. • Teaching: flexible and responsive to students’ needs. • Tasks: meaningful with a real audience and purpose. • Timing: allows the learning to take place. • Differentiation: real and appropriate. • Highly effective questioning and feedback. Better English 20-03-2015

42. Quality of teaching Problems: • limited subject knowledge • understanding of pupils’ difficulties and their consequent needs • ability to extend • fear of the unplanned • teaching to the test. Better English 20-03-2015

43. Observing teaching • How often, what for, culture? • Focus – teachers’ standards, key priorities, individual weaknesses, aspect of the curriculum, subject knowledge? • How is it measured? • Evaluation of learning, progress, different groups? • Expectations for feedback and consequent action. Better English 20-03-2015

44. Quality of teaching - activity • Read the evidence form on the Year 5 or the Year 10 lesson observation. • Fill in the evaluation section based on the information in the first half of the form. • What feedback would you give to the teacher on strengths and areas for development? • What other information would you require? • What lines of enquiry might these lesson observations generate? Better English 20-03-2015

45. Analysing teaching Better English 20-03-2015

46. Why sample pupils’ work? Paragraph 192 – achievement: • inspectors will spend more time looking at the range of pupils’ work in order to consider what progress they are making in different areas of the curriculum. Paragraph 183 - scrutiny of pupils’ work, with particular attention to: • whether marking, assessment and testing are carried out in line with the school’s policy and whether they are used effectively to help teachers improve pupils’ learning • the level of challenge provided, and whether pupils have to grapple appropriately with content, not necessarily ‘getting it right’ first time, which could be evidence that the work is too easy • pupils’ effort and success in completing their work and the progress they make over a period of time. Better English 20-03-2015

47. Work sampling In your school: How often do you do it, who does it? What do you do and what evidence does it produce? Who do you share the outcomes with? Better English 20-03-2015

48. Work sampling activity • For each pupil, choose three dates at least half a term apart. • Note improvements between the three dates in subject skills, knowledge, understanding. In other words, what can the student do that s/he could not do before? • How well does the standard of work match assessment? Discussion with pupils whose work it is • What have you learned in this topic / unit of work / half term? (Can the pupil sum up, using subject vocabulary with confidence?) • What can you do / do you know about what is new? • Pick an example of your best work. Why is it good? • What do you find the most difficult, do you get help to manage this? Better English 20-03-2015

49. HMCI’s Annual Report 2013-14: Successful primary headteachers and their staff know their pupils’ abilities well and they ensure that teaching is focused on getting the basics right, particularly in literacy. In contrast, less successful secondary schools are struggling to identify the needs of their pupils accurately enough. Better English 20-03-2015

50. East of England Annual Report 2013-14: A common feature of these (declining) schools is a failure of senior leaders to take action to prevent a fall in standards. The quality of teaching is inconsistent, with low expectations and not enough challenge, especially for higher ability pupils. This is compounded by ineffective use of information about prior learning which fails to provide these pupils with the flying start they need in Year 7. Better English 20-03-2015