The Delivering Social Change Signature Project

1. The Delivering Social Change Signature Project Planning effective intervention

2. Objectives: To highlight strategicplanning as a crucial factor underpinning the success of the Signature Project. To suggest a planningframework. To develop teachers’ awareness of a range of factors that inform effectiveintervention. To communicate a range of interventionstrategies.

3. Worst case scenario…

4. Rationale ‘Why are we doing this?’ Belief in the project is crucial. The absence of a positiveattitude to the work will undermine the success of the project. This is true of the leaders (the Heads of Department, senior management, the principal, the board of governors), the teachers and the students.

5. A positiveattitudeto the project does not arrive in an envelope with the Signature teacher. It has to be nurtured. This requires effectiveleadership. We affect each other’s attitudes! Excuses, interruptions, slow pace, lack of knowledge about the project, the perception that one teacher is acting in a vacuum, the absence of willingness to accept the role of leader…these elements are hugely damaging.

6. Just do it! Change often starts with just one person. As Head of Department, I held a passionate belief in the objectives of the Signature Project, the potentialforrealsocialchangeand the importance of GCSE English and Mathematics as essential qualifications for our students. This was, in part, a product of experiencing the success of intervention strategies from 2012-2013 and the impact on tangible results: moving from 33.8% to 60.2% A*-C in GCSE English.

7. Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. - Barack Obama Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. - Nelson Mandela

8. Or… Weasling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals…except the weasel. - Homer Simpson

9. Getting started... The board of governors, principal, senior management and Head of Department will: • decide on focusedsupportfor EnglishorMathematics or sharedsupport (in view of the school development plan and departmental results). • organise the interview procedure, short list candidates, use the Signature Project funding to appoint a new teacher. • decide whether the seconded teacher or the new appointment will provide targeted support for GCSE students.

10. Getting started... The board of governors, principal, senior management and Head of Department will: - develop a shared vision of the importance of effective intervention to ensure that students achieve their potential in GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics. - make links between intervention programmes, for example, the principles informing the SBALC action plan and the Signature project.

11. Who? A leadership model for the Head of Department What? Really? How? Now what?

12. A leadership model The Head of Department will: • plan departmental meetings to launch guidelines for the department’s involvement in the Signature Project. • ensure that the teachers in the department are informed about the objectives of the Signature Project, with emphasis on measurable improvement in GCSE results. What?

13. What? A leadership model The Head of Department will: • lead the teachers in the department in the development of a sharedvisionfor the Signature Project. • involve the wholedepartment in planning, monitoring and review.

14. What? A leadership model The Head of Department will: • take account of the aptitudes of the teachers in thedepartment to allocate specificroles – not just the Signature Project teacher but all Year 11 and 12 teachers will provide targeted support for selected students • plan the Signature teacher’s timetable, for example, to establish a balance between English and Mathematics; to facilitate sustainedsupport or rotationalsupport.

15. What? A leadership model The Head of Department will: • involve the wholedepartment in the selection of students. • lead each teacher to take account of the needs of the children in the school.

16. What? Selection of students The Head of Department will ensure that the selection process: • is careful and thorough • begins when students are in Year 10 (for example, Assessment 3 results) • reflects the effective use of data (for example, Progress in English results, Yellis test results, results of examinations, controlled assessment results, predicted Grades).

17. What? Selection of students The Head of Department will ensure that the selection process: • reflects each teacher in the department’s knowledgeof individual students • is not confirmed until the Signature teacher has had opportunities to observe the selectedstudents in the whole class context.

18. What? Selection of students • Teachers’ relationships with students is an important factor in the selection process. • Often, students’ relationship with the specific teacher was a deciding factor in establishing those students who remain in class and those who are withdrawn for support.

19. Really? Selection of students The Head of Department will ask the teachers in the department, ‘Have we selected the appropriate students?’ • review the selection of students • ask the Signature teacher to reflect on her observation of the selectedstudents in the whole class context before final decisions are confirmed • review the selection process, ‘Do these students have realisticpotentialto achieve Grade C with teacher support?’ ‘Do the selected students need support?

20. Really? The Head of Department will: • value the feedback of teachers who have forged excellent relationships with students. • invite feedback from individual teachers in relation to the allocated roles, ‘I think my strength lies in…’ ‘Paula and I can work together to…’ • review the decision making process, ‘Does it take account of the needs of the children in the school?’ Decisions must be based on data and informed knowledge of students; decisions must not be arbitrary.

21. How? The Head of Department will: • plan the Signature teacher’s timetable: will the Signature teacher give support to GCSE English students or GCSE Mathematics students or students in both subjects? • consider the appropriate balance if subject needs are to be shared • allocate at least five planning and preparation periods to the Signature teacher’s timetable

22. How? The Head of Department will: • review the Signature teacher’s timetable, for example, which students requiresustainedsupport and which students just require rotationalsupport. • plan departmental meetings to review the selection process

23. Now what? The Head of Department will: • invite teachers’ feedback – an environment of trust is crucial here. • review data, for example, controlled assessment performance, practice paper results. • invite students’ feedback. • take steps as a result of the review process.

24. Who? The teachers in the department What? Really? How? Now what?

25. Who? The Groundwork: Allocating Teachers’ Roles Identifying the Signature teacher Which teacher will deliver the Signature Project – the new appointment or the seconded teacher? This teacher must be identified as the Signature teacher. This teacher must receive training and support.

26. Who? The Groundwork: Allocating Teachers’ Roles Not just the Signature Project teacher but all Year 11 and 12 teachers will provide targeted support for selected students. Each teacher in the department must be aware of his or her role. Each teacher in the department must have clear knowledge of the students that he or she will support and agreed strategies to support these students.

27. The Signature teacher will: • observe the selected students in the whole class context to gain information about the children’s attitude to their work, work ethic and specific areas of strength and weakness. • in view of students’ needs, set targets for the Signature project, in relation to Grades and performance in individual units and tasks. What?

28. The Signature teacher will: • in view of students’ needs, set targets for the Signature project, in relation to Grades and performance in individual units and tasks. It is important that the Signature teacher perceives the targets as achievable, with sustained effort. The teacher needs to feel motivated! What?

29. Really? The Signature teacher will: • reflect on the observation to inform effective selection • reflect on the observation stage to inform planning for intervention strategies

30. How? The Signature teacher will: • either give support to GCSE English students or GCSE Mathematics students or students in both subjects. • provide sustainedsupportfor a small group of set students or rotationalsupport for students in a specific class. • suggested model: sustained support for at least one group of students throughout Year 11 and 12. These students will be withdrawn from the wider class on a permanent basis. In addition, rotational support for students who need some support to address specific weaknesses.

31. How? The Signature teacher will: • develop secure knowledge of the requirements of each unit: examination, controlled assessment • avail of a range of resources, including the examination mark scheme, controlled assessment mark scheme, examiner’s reports, up-to-date guidance from the examination board, moderator’s reports • plan effective teachingstrategies, for example, focus on specific questions in the examination

33. How? The Signature teacher will: • examine students’ timetables to allocate additional support. • Which students require further support? • Can students be withdrawn for other classes? for example, PR, a component which a child has completed (such as First Aid, which some students have completed outside of school).

34. Now what? The Signature teacher will: • in consultation with the Head of Department and other teachers in the department, review the targets established for the Signature project.

35. The Groundwork: Students • Strategic plans for the selection of students. • Selection should begin in Year 10. • Relationships with students are crucial. Rogers – three core conditions – genuineness is paramount- need to know that you care about their achievement. “I did it for you, Miss” is a wonderful thing to hear.

36. The Groundwork: Students • Relationships with students are crucial. Carl Rogers – three ‘core conditions’ refer to the adult’s attitude to the child, of which genuineness is paramount. • Students need to know that you care about their achievement. • You won’t believe in the potential for success if you don’t have effective relationships with your students. • “I did it for you, Miss” is a wonderful thing to hear.

37. The Groundwork: Parents • Parentalsupport must be encouraged. • Letter for parents. • Parental involvement – how to support your child. Training provided in St Joseph’s College.

39. Student self-assessment • The teacher cannot expect student self-assessment to be effective as a matter of course. • The teacher must provide clear structures and clear guidance for students. Example: Am I prepared to meet the requirements of the Unit 3a controlled assessment? • The teacher must first provide scaffolds to help students to understand the mark scheme.

40. Student self-assessment • Guide students to answer the question, ‘How do I achieve Band 3/4/5?’ • Involve students in realistic but ambitious targetsetting. • Focus on the requirements of the targetedBand. • Examine the examiner’s language with students and guide students to understand how to demonstrate the skills required.

41. Students must grasp the importance of high standards not just for this qualification but for their life. To say THEMSELVES without being told, that’s not good enough, I can do better.

44. Paragraph structure SP, PQC, PQC, CS, PQC, PQC, CP

48. Teaching Methodologies • Active Learning strategies. • Learning intentions are drawn from the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities framework. • The English teacher plans activities that lead students to not just ‘look’ but ‘see.’ • These activities encourage students to think, discuss and evaluate.

49. What is Active Learning? Active Learning is where you’re not sitting writing notes but sitting in a group discussing things. - Finn Campbell Active Learning is what you learn while you do it. You’re learning actively while you look at the work and you pick up little things. - Michael Kostek Active Learning is when you are working and finding your way of learning, participating and you’re really interested in the task set. - Christine Mc Atamney It’s the fastest and easiest way of learning. It also means sharing and getting ideas from different sources or groups. -Esther Bambidele

50. What is Active Learning? Active Learning is, I think, working with your class, sharing your own ideas and thoughts and being active with everyone in the class. Ashley Lo It helps you to learn by activating parts of your brain, for example, creativity and imagination that you would otherwise not use everyday. - Shauna Breslin Working in groups, speaking out and helping each other understand. - Conor Boyle Active Learning is when you’re not writing as much as you would usually write in English. It is when you are being active and having fun at it but you are learning at the same time. - Courtney Wetherall