S1/2 Social Subjects ACfE /AifL Initiative

1. S1/2 Social Subjects ACfE /AifL Initiative

3. 1. What to do with a problem like Social Subjects? • What is the problem? • widely known about • perhaps controversial because it’s rarely discussed in public • Why are Social Subjects different? • structures influence behaviours (supermarket scenario) • Why are we competitive? • Uptake into S3 earns staffing, per capita, kudos and validation so it is a powerful, and not always positive, driver of behaviour. • How do we compete? • Trips • Classroom activities • Positive reinforcement • Tests

4. 2. What do you do with a problem like 5-14 assessment in Social Subjects? • Primary and secondary assess differently • The only way that you will get standardisation, rigour and objective, quality-assured assessments in S1/2 Social Subjects is by working on the input – as we do at SG and NQ level. • If it’s not standardised and there is no confidence in your Social Subjects team that there is a level playing field in terms of ‘level of demand’ of assessments,the S1/2 dip will continue. • Time to grasp the nettle?

5. 3. How does the S1/2 Initiative differ from the existing model? • Standardisation of the input at levels C to F – at last • Templates for writing assessments in KU and ES in History, Geography and Modern Studies • Equivalence of demand guaranteed

6. Template for Enquiry Skills Assessment for the Three Attainment Outcomes within Social Subjects Level D exemplar instruction: All questions based on presented evidence – 5 questions in all worth a total of 20 marks. 50/60 word account /description 1a) “Give two reasons why…” This could also be of the type – “two reasons for/against” 2 marks

7. Level D History exemplar: Source A Roman children only received a good education if they came from a wealthy family. Children from poorer families did not get educated because they had to work from an early age. Wealthy girls were only given a basic education before being trained by their mothers to look after the house. Boys started school at the age of six. They were taken to the ludus (primary school) by a slave who looked after them. Boys were often trained to become soldiers, politicians or lawyers. 1a. Give two reasons to show that boys were seen as more important than girls. 2 marks

8. Level DGeography exemplar: Reference 1 Malaga is a famous holiday resort in Spain. It was once a small fishing village with low roofed buildings and shuttered houses. Today high rise flats, hotels, clubs and restaurants are everywhere. The population swells in summer months when Malaga attracts thousands of visitors seeking sun, water sports and a busy night life. Malaga brings lots of welcome money to Spain. People come from all over Spain to work in Malaga during the long tourist season. 1a. Give two reasons why the population of Malaga increases during the summer months. 2 marks

9. 3. How does the S1/2 Initiative differ from the existing model?(continued) • Tests easy to write – no more agonising over output • Moderation – quality assurance is high • Fewer formal “summative/formative” tests per subject • Assessment evidence is personal and portable

10. 4. How is the system emerging at Ellon Academy? • Less formal assessment (by half) • Assessment information passed on and acted on • Single Social Subjects Report compiled and written by only one of the three Social Subjects teachers involved • Report records the best level gained and progress made. • Rotas are best for making “summative” evidence “formative” i.e. shared and acted on by next teacher • North Lanarkshire system is demanding – good! • Focus is turning to pupil improvement rather than uptake – good!

11. 5. Aberdeenshire Value Added • Social Subjects Secure Website • Electronic bank – can be downloaded and tweaked • Regular meetings of participants – sharing practice • Joint ventures – Social Subjects investigation • Peer and self assessment • Learning Intentions – Success Criteria

12. 6. How does our S1/2 Social Subjects Initiative match up against Circular No. 2? • The overall purpose of assessment to support learning is to provide all partners with sufficiently dependable information and feedback to inform judgements, choices and decisions about learning, and to inform planning for improvement. • Children learn and achieve best when they understand what they are trying to learn, get good feedback about how well they are doing, and get good advice about what they can do next to improve. • Sound quality assurance of teachers' assessments in schools and local authorities, so that all can share a common understanding of the outcomes and standards expected of children at different stages in their education √ √ √

13. Circular No. 2 • Effective classroom assessment is about looking carefully at different evidence and building from it a well-informed picture of how children are progressing, and what they need to do next to improve their learning - assessment of learning. The professional judgements that teachers make on this basis should be sound and dependable. • One important way for teachers to share standards is through local moderation. • HMIE in their inspections of schools and authorities will take an interest in, and report on, schools' and authorities' assessment policies and the extent to which they assure both the quality of learning, teaching and assessment and the dependability of teachers' summative judgements. They will want to be satisfied that policy and practice support learning, that information and data collected are dependable and of good quality, and that the analysis and use of data support planning for improvement do not reduce time for teaching, and are manageable and sustainable. √ √ √

14. 7. Next Steps 2007-8 • more Social Subjects in Aberdeenshire to follow • build up the bank of assessments to enable new entrants pick, mix and tweak assessment items • Year 1 evaluated and lessons learned and shared 2008-9 • invite primary 6 and 7s to join the system • Getting all primaries associated with a secondary to join would generate huge educational gains, making the transition to secondary seamless