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State of the n ation. West Sussex Deputies Network. 1 March 2013 Sue Williamson Chief Executive. English Education System. Structural changes Academisation Development of chains/federations/teaching school alliances Free Schools UTCs Studio Schools
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State of the nation • West Sussex Deputies Network 1 March 2013 Sue Williamson Chief Executive
English Education System • Structural changes • Academisation • Development of chains/federations/teaching school alliances • Free Schools • UTCs • Studio Schools • Demise of local authorities (removal of middle tier)
English Education System • Changes to qualifications and national curriculum • Wolf report - vocational education • Introduction of EBac – not statutory • National Curriculum review • Proposed demise of GCSEs – and introduction of EBac certificates
Thursday 7 February 2013 • A bridge too far • KS4 qualifications reform – consultation response • Accountability proposals – consultation launched • National Curriculum content – consultation launched • KS5 qualifications reform – no consultation
KS4 qualifications reform: the original proposals • ‘Reformed, more rigorous qualifications’ • End the race to the bottom (schools and boards) • One subject, one board • EBCs or a Statement of Achievement • P16 funding depends on English and maths • Restrict as far as possible controlled assessment, coursework etc • Remove opportunities to teach to the test (limit past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports etc) • ‘Vigorously discourage’ exam aids (eg calculator, periodic tables, source material)
English Baccalaureate Certificates • EBCs aim to identify student’s • - literacy and numeracy levels • - Understanding of subject • - Readiness to move on to further study • E,M,S: start 2015; exam2017 • H,G,MFL: dates depend on consultation • Computer science • Aligned to the best international standards • ‘Almost universal’ qualification • Tieringwill be stopped ‘to increase motivation & attainment’ • 90% pass rate? • New grade scales • Remove internal assessment from all EB subjects
KS4 qualifications reform: the revised proposals (1) • Climbing down or listening? • One subject, one board: a bridge too far • No EBCs, but reformed GCSEs and an EB • May 13: AOs publish proposed content for • English language • English literature • Maths • Science(B, Ph, Ch, Double award) • History • Geography • Start teaching 2015; first exams 2017 • Other subjects to follow asap; in place from 2016
KS4 qualifications reform: the revised proposals (2) • Universal exams accessible to same proportion as currently sit GCSE • No tiering • A common core, with possible extension papers for higher grades (tiering?!) • Extended writing; fewer bite-sized questions • Internal assessment and use of exam aids kept to a minimum • Controlled assessments kept to a minimum • Focus on knowledge based curriculum • Pass level set higher (more challenging content + more rigorous assessment) – proper preparation for AL
KS5 qualifications reform; no consultation “restore the reputation” of A levels (SoS) • A levels will be fully linear, with end-of-course assessment covering knowledge and understanding across the whole course. • AS will be retained, but re-established as a standalone qualification, as intellectually demanding as an A level but covering half the content and delivered over one or two years. • A Level advisory body to Ofqual; will also be involved in an annual post-exam review. • All these revised qualifications in place by Sep 2014, for first teaching in 2015. • A-level review will result in changes to the syllabuses of some subjects, eg more maths added to physics A-level, and more literature to MFL. • More exam questions requiring extended answers, fewer short-answer questions.
ABacc • A league table measure of those achieving AAB in three "facilitating subject" A Levels. • Facilitating subjects: English, maths, sciences, foreign languages, history and geography (cf EB). • But . . . leading universities do not require three of these subjects: • Informed Choices (booklet by Russell Group): recommends at least two "facilitating" A-level subjects – & only if student wants to keep options open • Universities want specialised expertise . . . Art, music etc
The new AS • No 'stepping-stone' AS-levels - all existing A-levels and AS-levels will have to be rewritten • AS will be 'the same standard as the full A-level but with half the content'. • A new name will have to be found for AS to avoid confusion with current exam.. • schools may not offer new AS unless universities start to include them in their offers. [Universities would rather keep the AS as part of the A level; they are a good predictor of A level success] • The numbers opting for individual A and AS subjects will change, with consequences for both staffing and the construction of option blocks. • The new AS can be taught over one year or two; a one year course may be more feasible in some subjects (eg history, geography) than others (French, art). • AS and AL classes in same subject could be taught together if exam bodies enable
Accountability • Consultation closes on 1 May 2013 • Proposed reforms to Primary assessment and accountability soon • No more 5+A*-CEM • The old EB measure continues • New Best 8 league table measure • A points-based system, so could relieve focus on C/D borderline at the expense of the most and least able • Emphasis on value added measures: progress from KS2 to KS4 (less focus on most able? impact on grammars? Primary/ secondary agenda?) • Good news for arts, technologies, sports etc • Incentivise schools to: • a. offer broad and balanced curriculum, inc EB • b. Ensure high quality teaching in wide range of subjects • c. Focus on all pupils across the ability range
Two new measures • Threshold attainment measure, showing % passing En and Ma • 2. A progress measure based on average scores across a suite of 8 qualifications from: • English • Maths • 3 further baccalaureate subjects • 3 other high value qualifications (Ebacc, other academic, arts or voc)
Two new measures cont… • no compulsory need for a science, a language or a humanity to achieve a points score on the new measure: “not in the spirit”; “breadth & balance?” • science will remain a compulsory part of the national curriculum – but academies?! • new Pisa-style sampling tests for key stage 4 pupils as a way of tracking national standards in education –rising GCSE results no longer a measure of the success of education policies • no CVA – but “I think one of the most important things we can do is ensure in any successor league table system the performance of students, based both on prior attainment and on their socio-economic background, is a feature.” (SoS). • However, schools’ achievements with particularly disadvantaged pupils will be published.
Accountability consultation Q’s Do you agree with the proposals for the headline accountability measures? Is there any further information we should provide about the performance of disadvantaged pupils? Should we look to use a relative measure as the floor standard in the first year of the new exams? Are there any other measures we should consider publishing? Do you think we should collect and publish test data from internal assessments through the Data Warehouse? What other data could be published to create the right incentives for schools, including special schools, to ensure the best progress and attainment for all of their pupils? Do you agree that the Department should stop the collection of Key Stage 3 teacher assessment results? How should we ensure that achievement beyond formal qualifications is recognised? How can national sample tests best be introduced?
National Curriculum • Knowledge-based content (cf the Core Knowledge Sequence – ED Hirsch) • Level descriptors removed • Programmes of Study to be slim, allowing schools and teachers greater freedom to develop their own curricula • Changes to the PoS and attainment targets for all subjects and key stages except KS4 En, Ma, Sc . . . . • KS4 En, Ma, Sc outside scope of consultation until May to allow their content to be considered alongside new GCSEs • ICT to be replaced by Computing • Limited disapplication of existing NC to help preparation of new NC
Other challenges • The new Ofsted framework • Rising floor target • Convergence funding • FE provision for 14+ • Raising of participation age • Economic climate
Education Select Committee • DfEis trying to do too much, too fast and before other key reforms – the new National Curriculum and the changes to the accountability system – have been fully set out. • DfEneeds to state clearly what it sees as the essential purposes of qualifications and assessment at 16. • GCSEs need improving, but many of the problems link to perverse incentives eg performance tables and exam board competition; no evidence that they are so discredited that a new qualification is required; and strong concerns about the impact of EBCs on other subjects. • It is not obvious how raising the bar on qualifications will help young people to achieve higher standards, particularly for the 40% who currently fail to get good grades at GCSE including English and maths. • The concept of single board franchising could result in unintended consequences and a highly complex tendering process. • The timetable is so tight that it could not only jeopardise the quality of any new qualifications and the franchising process, but could threaten the stability of the wider exam system, including A levels.
A challenge “……most people have entered the teaching profession because it promises a high degree of order, security, and stability.” ……..most educators are risk averse.
Craft ‘Expertise’ “………education has also been a “craftsman’s” trade….attracting people who enjoy working alone and take great pride in developing a degree of expertise and in perfecting “handcrafted products.”
Autonomy and isolation “Educators are, first, isolated from the fast-changing world of globalisation and business innovation. Most do not understand the fundamental changes that have taken place in the world of work….changes that require that, to be successful students will have to have very different skills from those needed a quarter century ago. Lacking daily exposure in their own workplace to these fundamental economic changes, most educators do not understand the urgency of many business and political leaders.”
The ‘egg crate’ Educators – who spend most of their workday with children – are also largely isolated from contact with other adults. The ‘egg crate’ organisation of work in most schools reinforces autonomy rather than collaboration. With few opportunities to work with other adults during their workday, many educators have not developed the skills of teamwork.
CBI – First Steps A new approach for our schools • Better education could add £8trn to GDP over the lifetime of a child born today • …underperformance is driven by narrow definitions of achievement that encourage a focus on the average – a kind of cult of relativism that says it is OK for a certain percentage of young people to fail. This must be challenged. A broader, bolder approach has the potential to be transformational. • …defining a new performance standard based on the whole person we want to develop, and a rigorous and demanding accountability regime that assesses schools’ performance on a wider basis than the narrow measure of exams.
http://www.wearethepeoplemovie.com/ 2009 Edge Foundation
Tomorrow’s Edge, A 2020 Vision “It’s becoming obvious that no one knows what the world is going to be like when the time comes for the younger to live in it, so perhaps the kindest thing we can do is to try not to burden them with the quaint details of today’s beliefs and customs, but just attempt to get across a few principles of how things interact, what is basic in human life, and to acquaint them with as thorough a cross-section as possible of persons, places, and things as they now stand. After this we can only give them a pat on the shoulder and wish them well.” Clark Gesner, 1968 “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. Alan Kay, 1968
Redesigning Schooling • Change is needed • Has to be led by education profession in partnership with other stakeholders
The “Net” Generation • Accustomed to instant gratification and “always – on” connection • Use the web for: • - extending friendships • - interest – driven, self-directed learning • - as a tool for self expression • Constantly connected, creating, and multi-tasking in a multi-media world – everywhere except in school • Less fear and respect for authority – learn from peers; want coaching, but only from adults who don’t “talk down” to them • Want to make a difference and do interesting/worthwhile work
The “Net” Generation are your students – do you understand what motivates them? Do you take this into account when planning your teaching?
The seven survival skills for 21st century students – Tony Wagner • Critical thinking and problem solving • Collaboration across networks and leading by influence • Agility and adaptability • Initiative and entrepreneurialism • Effective oral and written communication • Accessing and analysing information • Curiosity and imagination
The meaning of ‘personalisation’ • Personalising learning means meeting • More of the education needs • More of the students • More fully than ever before
The nine gateways to personalising learning Student voice Design&Organisation Assessment for Learning Workforce reform Learning to learn Mentoring&Coaching New technologies Advice&guidance Curriculum
Clustering the gateways to PL: the ‘deeps’ Learning to Learn Student Voice Assessment for Learning DEEP LEARNING Mentoring and Coaching New technologies DEEP SUPPORT DEEP EXPERIENCE Advice and guidance Curriculum DEEP EXPERIENCE Design and organisation Workforce reform
System Redesign – Institutional reconfigurations • From single to multiple institutions • Merging of phases – primary/secondary/special/further/higher • Flexible and permeable age cohorts • School day, term and year • Flexible time schedules • Design of buildings and learning spaces • Competence-based, trans-disciplinary curriculum • Academic/pastoral division • Smaller units within schools • School and workplace
System Redesign – Role reconfigurations • Co-construction between stakeholders • Governance • Widespread, school-based innovation • Initial teacher training and continuing professional development • Partners as teachers