‘Both’, not ‘Either’: Raising Attainment in English AND Maths

1. ‘Both’, not ‘Either’:Raising Attainment in English AND Maths Geoff Barton & Julia Upton Download free at www.geoffbarton.co.uk (Presentation 82)

2. About Us

3. ? Is it really so difficult to get a grade C in English and Maths after 11 years of compulsory schooling …

6. What How How do we help students to overcome them? What are the barriers to progress in Maths & English?

7. Today: • Morning: • Focus on Maths and English: • Theory to Practice • Afternoon: • Focus on tracking, motivating, mentoring

8. 5 starting-points: • For most students, it’s not about intervention: it’s the classroom • Mentoring may be a wasted resource • Language may be the key to success in both subject • The roles of Head of English & Maths have changed • Start from 100%

9. Maths

10. ‘Both’, not ‘Either’:Raising Attainment in English AND Maths Geoff Barton & Julia Upton Download free at www.geoffbarton.co.uk

11. English … & whole-school literacy

12. Impact in English: What we know works Geoff Barton Download free at www.geoffbarton.co.uk

13. What

14. How

15. What

16. Subject Reviews 2005 & 2009 “English at the Crossroads”

19. The Matthew Effect (Robert K Merton)

20. The rich shall get richer and the poor shall get poorer Matthew 13:12

21. “While good readers gain new skills very rapidly, and quickly move from learning to read to reading to learn, poor readers become increasingly frustrated with the act of reading, and try to avoid reading where possible” (SEDL 2001)

22. “Students who begin with high verbal aptitudes and find themselves in verbally enriched social environments are at a double advantage.” The Matthew Effect Daniel Rigney

23. Poor readers more likely to drop out of school and less likely to find rewarding employment … “good readers may choose friends who also read avidly while poor readers seek friends with whom they share other enjoyments” The Matthew Effect Daniel Rigney

24. Stricht’s Law: “reading ability in children cannot exceed their listening ability …” E.D. Hirsch The Schools We Need

25. “Spoken language forms a constraint, a ceiling not only on the ability to comprehend but also on the ability to write, beyond which literacy cannot progress” Myhill and Fisher

26. The Matthew Effect: The rich will get richer & the poor will get poorer

27. Are we teaching English? • Are target grades for English & English Literature the same? • Sample students – do they know the difference? • Are they immersed in non-fiction reading and writing? • Do they know the key ingredients of letters, leaflets, descriptive writing, etc English: Starting-points

28. Long-term: • Collaborative talk • Modelling spoken language • Connectives • Teacher talk & questioning • Quick hits: • High status • S&L assessment days Speaking & listening:

29. Long-term: • Teach reading skills • Wider range of texts, esp non-fiction • Reading communities • Quick hits: • Don’t allow literature to dominate • Use non-fiction reading starters • Model writing about texts Reading:

30. Long-term: • Model writing very explicitly • Sentence variety • Teach and display connectives • Quick hits: • Target boys and showing ‘making’ Writing:

31. How

32. Basics: • Mapping for students • Monitoring, sampling, etc • Stabilising behaviour • Intervention: • English leaders • Withdrawal for target groups • Extra sessions – such as?

33. Impact in English: What we know works Geoff Barton Download free at www.geoffbarton.co.uk

34. Whole-school literacy

37. Demo

38. What makes a difference in English?: Students: 1 Paragraphs 2 Short & long sentences 3 Connectives 4 Planning 5 Visual vocabulary

39. What makes a difference in English?: Teachers: 1 Teach English 2 Model writing 3 Stop condoning mediocrity

40. ‘Both’, not ‘Either’:Raising Attainment in English AND Maths Geoff Barton & Julia Upton Download free at www.geoffbarton.co.uk (Presentation 82)