Key Stage 3 National Strategy

1. Key Stage 3 National Strategy Introducing curricular targets and reviewing action points Science

2. Objectives for the unit • To have a clear understanding of numerical targets including aspirational targets • To take a numerical target and translate this into specific curricular or teaching targets that will improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding • To refine practice in relation to identifying and constructing action points • To be clear about the sources of evidence that can be used to monitor and evaluate action points Slide 1.1

3. Overview of the unit Session 1 From numerical targets to curricular targets Session 2 Reviewing action points Session 3 Monitoring, evaluation and next steps Slide 1.2

4. Objectives for session 1 • To have a clear understanding of numerical targets including aspirational targets • To take a numerical target and translate this into specific curricular or teaching targets that will improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding Slide 1.3

5. Task A Do you need to give greater attention across the curriculum to identifying, communicating and pursuing curricular targets for individuals and groups of pupils? (Key Stage 3 National Strategy Managing the second year, page 29) Slide 1.4

6. Task B part 1 In pairs, briefly discuss and agree a shared understanding of the phrase: ‘the science target for Key Stage 3’. Slide 1.5

7. Task B part 2 In pairs, take turns to explain to each other how you have established a departmental target for Key Stage 3. Slide 1.6

8. Sources of evidence forcurricular targets These might include: • Key Stage 3 test analysis; • internal test analysis; • lesson observation; • scrutiny of samples of work; • small-group interviews with pupils; • monitoring planning and assessment procedures. Slide 1.9

9. Discussion points • How does the current view of an aspirational target differ from the more accepted notion of a target? • What systems will you use (or are you currently using) in your department to establish appropriate curricular targets? • How will you develop the idea of curricular targets with your staff? Slide 1.13

10. Plenary for session 1 By the end of the session participants should: • be clear about the structure of the unit; • be clear about numerical targets; • be clearer about aspirational targets; • have clarified their understanding of what is meant by a curricular target; • have identified how numerical targets are related to curricular targets. Slide 1.14

11. Objectives for session 2 • To refine practice in relation to identifying and constructing action points • To develop action points from curricular targets Slide 2.1

12. The DfES five-stage cycle for school improvement Slide 2.3

13. Key principles of writing action points • Define purpose • State how it will be done • State the resources needed • State how you will know it has been done • Consider how it could have been done better Slide 2.4

14. SMART targets • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Relevant • Time related Slide 2.5

15. Identifying priorities for action • Manageability How much can we realistically hope to achieve? • Coherence Is there a sequence that will ease implementation? • Consonance The extent to which internally identified priorities coincide or overlap with external pressures for reform. From The empowered school by Hargreaves and Hopkins (Cassell, 1991) Slide 2.6

16. Task E • Record your initial impressions of the quality of the presentation and the clarity of the statements before moving on to a more systematic analysis of the action points using the criteria on the analysis sheet. • You have 5 minutes to consider the action points and fill in handout 2.8. • Then for 2 minutes in pairs discuss how helpful the criteria on handout 2.8 were in supporting your analysis. • Finally repeat the process, looking at extracts from your own action plan (or another one provided by your consultant). Slide 2.7

17. Task F Retrieve the curriculum target you worked on in part 2 of task D. Write an action point that is drawn from this curricular target. Try to incorporate the messages from task E into writing your action point. If you need a format to write your action point, ask for handout 2.14 and use the same headings to construct your action point. Slide 2.13

18. Discussion points Having completed session 2: • What are the strengths in your departmental plan? • What are the areas you would like to review? • What do you find easy about writing action points? • What are the more demanding aspects of writing action points? Slide 2.15

19. Plenary for session 2 By the end of the session participants should have: • reviewed the DfES five-stage cycle for school improvement; • a clear understanding of the features to look for when reviewing action points; • developed action points for a curricular target. Slide 2.16

20. Objective for session 3 • To be clear about the sources of evidence that can be used to monitor and evaluate action points Slide 3.1

21. Some definitions Monitoring The collection of evidence concerning the quality of the department’s provision of education or of the outcomes for the pupils in order to ascertain the extent to which the department is successful in achieving its objectives. Evaluation The assessment of the value of actions, or of the implementation of a policy. It requires a set of criteria against which the evidence collected from the monitoring process canjudged. From NPQH access stage material Slide 3.2

22. Sources of evidence for curricular targets/self-evaluation These might include: • Key Stage 3 test analysis; • internal test analysis; • lesson observation; • scrutiny of samples of work; • small-group interviews with pupils; • monitoring planning and assessment procedures. Slide 3.5

23. Task H Look at the improvement plan extract you have been given. What positive features can you identify in relation to: • monitoring? • evaluation? How could monitoring and evaluation be improved? What evidence is being gathered for monitoring? Which other sources would you include? Slide 3.7

24. Task I Consider the action point you produced in task F. • How will you monitor this action point? • How could you evaluate the success of its implementation? Make a note of your decisions and discuss them in pairs. Slide 3.8

25. Plenary for session 3 By the end of the session participants should: • have identified a range of appropriate monitoring activities; • have identified how monitoring informs the evaluation of progress made with action; • have reviewed the suitability of the monitoring and evaluation procedures in place in a number of sample improvement plans; • have begun to identify the next steps needed in order to monitor and evaluate action points. Slide 3.12