APP Middle School’s Project

1. APP Middle School’s Project Kirklees

2. The Vision • Every childknows how they are doing and what they need to do to improve and how to get there. They get the support they need to be motivated, independent learners. • Every teacher is equipped to make judgements about pupils’ attainment, understands the principles of progression and knows how to use assessments to forward plan. • Every school has in place a structured assessment systems for making regular, useful, manageable and accurate assessments pf pupils and for tracking progress. • Every parent knows how their child is doing, what they need to do to improve and how they can support the child and their teachers.

3. Laying the Foundations • Familiarisation - what are the benefits? • Support of Senior Leadership • Build partnerships • Identify ‘key players’ • Parental engagement • Monitoring and evaluation • Devote quality time to it – be relentless • Start small • Identify APP as a monitoring focus • Establish partnerships within school to share practice

4. Intended Outcomes • To engage all schools in Scissett Pyramid • To ensure that APP guidelines for writing are used consistently for all pupils • To ensure AFL strategies are utilised in all schools and share good practice • To introduce work shadowing between Year 5 and Year 6 teachers • To narrow the gap between boys and girls attainment • Improved attainment across KS2 writing • Improved Sats results in writing at KS2 • Teachers, parents and pupils know ‘next steps’ to make further progress with writing

5. Initial analysis of what was already going well • Key data shared although not always consistent across schools • Use of a common format for transfer of information • Supportive school communities • Transition arrangements • A variety of target setting systems & processes across schools • Professional relationships and dialogue

6. APP Writing Network • Half termly collaboration network meetings • Heads, subject leaders, Year 5 and 6 teachers • Focus on APP writing and joint moderation • Developed throughout the year and data was shared from Year 3 to Year 6 and analysed • Proforma was developed for work shadowing • Detailed agendas and extensive minutes – communication was key • Linked to the Narrowing the Gap project - funding

7. Gap tasks • Gap tasks were given at every meeting this was to give ownership to all parties involved; • collecting data • conducting pupil interviews about writing • designing a format for work shadowing • collecting samples of effective practice and pupils work to share with the group.

8. Outcomes- Pupil Attitudes Pupil surveys Y3-6 confirmed pupil enjoyment for writing was high. There was consistency across the schools. The following outcomes were revealed: • 98% pupils gave a positive response to the question ‘What do you like about writing?’ • 68% pupils indicated that they prefer story/creative writing as their favourite mode of writing • 31% pupils indicated that a calm quiet atmosphere helps them to write well • 100% pupils were able to give at least 1 strategy for improving writing • 80% pupils highlighted teacher feedback and targets as ways they found out how to improve • 78% pupils thought they were a good writer • 38% pupils said tests/timed assessment situations were situations where they found writing hard

9. Outcomes- Staff Attitudes • Staff surveys revealed high rates of satisfaction in the following aspects: • Focus on raising writing levels 85% • Focus on closing gap between boys & girls 82% • Focus on supporting vulnerable pupils 80% • Work Scrutiny 90% • Work Shadowing 85% • Data Analysis 76% • Moderation 94% • Opp. for own learning & development 86% • Termly Network Meetings 94%

10. Staff Attitudes “The project enabled me to build professional relationships with teachers” “Really good to compare standards/levels across all schools and share good practice” “The project has given me lots of strategies to move learning in my own classroom” What did teachers say? “Invaluable! Time to discuss, reflect and plan. Feel this has led to a much stronger shared vision” “Have valued discussions and practice that will support underachieving boys” Fostering positive, trusting relationships between schools, leading to consistent, smoother, more effective transition”

11. Parental Involvement • Pyramid parents evening to introduce APP, great interest shown • Greater involvement of parents in pupils progress as a result • APP introduced by Laurie Kwissa from the National Strategy • First and Middle school staff spoke to parents about the impact of APP-a surprise! • Workshops by English, Maths and Science staff on using the APP grids to assess work and to set learning targets • Small groups questions and answer sessions • Question and answer session • Parent questionnaire • Before tonight what did you understand about ‘assessment’? • Has the workshop increased your understanding? How? • How will you use this information to support your child’s learning? • What further information and support would you like to help you support your child further? • Writing celebration events in each school

12. More EffectiveTransition • APP data analysis used to identify vulnerable boys for extra transition writing project. • A day at the Middle school writing all day- They loved it! • Pupils voice questionnaires used at the start and at the end. • Pupils will be closely tracked across Year 6 and some will be given 1:1 tuition • All pupils have provided a piece of work that will be displayed in their new school • Every pupil has come with a current writing target that will be stuck into their books before they start their English lesson in Year 6 • Data analysis has led to pupils going into sets on arrival at middle school • Why? In the hope of greater enjoyment of writing and confidence and to lessen any dip on entry.

13. Impact- Evidence from Data Collation of data and subsequent analysis has shown improved pupil attainment in writing. Within the current Y5 cohort children made the following average points progress: • Y3 Y4 average 2.77 points progress across the cohort • Y4 Y5 average 3.82 points progress across the cohort • Y3 Y5 average 6.52 points progress across the cohort • Children’s average points scores increased: Y3 Average Points Score 19.14 Average level 3C+ Y4 Average Points Score 21.93 Average level 3B+ Y5 Average Points Score 25.72 Average level 4C+ • Vulnerable pupils (attainment 3C or below at end Y5) made good progress in writing in line with their peers, with the vast majority making 4-6 points progress during the year. • Attainment in reading is still higher than attainment in writing, in line with national trend.) . Data shows a 2.3 point difference between attainment in writing (APS 25.72, Average level 4C+) and attainment in reading (APS 28.02, average level 4B+) at the end of Y5.

14. Impact- Evidence from Data • Analysis of data by gender has shown that the gap between boys and girls attainment in writing has not significantly reduced: • Y3 Boys APS 17.71 Girls APS 20.26 • Y4 Boys APS 20.54 Girls APS 23.08 • Y5 Boys APS 24.17 Girls APS 27.02 • Closer scrutiny reveals that the points difference between boys and girls attainment in writing over the last three years has remained stable at an average of 2.5 points. • Attainment of both girls and boys in writing is generally high. There is no significant gender difference in the progress rates of boys and girls (Y5 boys Average Points Progress 3.73 and Y5 Girls Average Points Progress 3. 89 2009/10). • Points progress for both boys and girls showed an increase of 1 point from the previous year.

15. Wider Impact on Schools • Development of trust and a supportive environment, particularly data • Improved working together with a focus on assessment leading to a direct impact on teaching and learning • Confident application of APP and the consistent use across the pyramid • Improved understanding of pupils’ views of writing • Improved pupils engagement and enjoyment • Improved parental understanding of assessment and APP • Teachers, pupils and parents increased knowledge of next learning steps • Impact on teaching and learning by -sharing good practice -understanding the impact of transition on pupils • Improved and effective transition opportunities for pupils Future impact on standards: • A narrowing of the gap between boys and girls attainment in writing. • Increase in teacher confidence and knowledge • To be confident of impact we will need conversations, questionnaires with teachers, parents and pupils as well as analysing data

16. Next Steps • Continuation of half termly meetings about assessment, use of APP, AFL. • Continued moderation of pupils’ work • Extending this model to Reading, Speaking and Listening and Maths • Sharing good practice • Further work shadowing of Year 6 teachers • Tracking identified pupils • Extending the transition opportunities for a greater number of pupils • This is all with the aim of giving all stakeholders greater knowledge of the next steps for learning and therefore raising standards, enjoyment and achievement in writing and eventually reading, speaking and listening and Maths