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      string(5634) "‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comUsing Pupil Premiummonitoring software to closethe achievement gapOfsted Inspectors want proof that Pupil Premiumspend is having a direct impact on pupil achievement.Teachers need to know who their Pupil Premiumchildren are, what other factors might affect theirperformance and what interventions are in place forthem. Here we look at software designed to monitor ifschool interventions are making a difference with theextra funding for these pupils…http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comThe Pupil Premium was introduced in 2011 with the aimof reducing the impact that underlying inequalities haveon children’s educational attainment. It is allocated toschools in addition to standard funding in proportion tothe number of students registered for free school meals.The funding aims to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils andclose the gap between them and their peers. For the 2014-15 schoolyear, funding has increased to £1300 per eligible student for primaryschools and £935 for secondaries. In addition, £1900 is availablefor looked-after children.A significant rise in the funding at primary level, together withan increased focus from Ofsted on how schools are using PupilPremium funding, means that schools now more than ever need to beaccountable for how the money is being spent, and the results.Headteachers and school governing bodies are held accountablefor the impact of Pupil Premium funding. Ofsted’s inspectionframework looks at the attainment of pupil groups, and in particularthose who attract this additional funding.Ofsted also use performance tables, which show theperformance of disadvantaged pupils compared with their peers.In addition, schools are required to publish details online of howthey are using the Pupil Premium and the impact it is having on pupilachievement.Senior leadership teams are under increasing pressure to provehow their use of Pupil Premium is being used to close the attainmentgap between those children on free school meals, and those whoaren’t.Closing the attainment gapPupil Premium funding is intended to reduce the gap in attainmentbetween students registered for free school meals and their peers.Therefore, it is used most valuably when allocated to initiatives thatboth improve standards and help schools to efficiently measure thoseimprovements.A crucial resource to help schools allocate funding is the SuttonTrust-EFF Teaching and Learning Toolkit. The Toolkit is an accessiblesummary of educational research which provides guidance forteachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve theattainment of disadvantaged pupils.This is a practical guide to effective deployment of targetedfunding. Based on a large number of academic studies, it providesguidelines on the effectiveness of a range of strategies in improvingstandards for disadvantaged students relative to their peers.http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comThe Toolkit recommends introducing immediate and reliablefeedback as one of the most cost-effective measures to tackleinequality. It is relatively inexpensive to introduce and provides thegreatest gains in attainment. Importantly, feedback is effective whendirected both at students and at staff.SoftwareMany schools are using software such as Accelerated Reader toboth gather immediate feedback and inform instruction.  AcceleratedReader helps monitor and manage independent reading practice. Itincludes feedback mechanisms such as instant indication of studentperformance when taking quizzes on the books they have read andreal-time updates on progress towards personalised goals. This alsogives opportunities for praise and encouragement as well as furtherdirection for future progress.Accelerated Reader also provides staff with valuable dataabout student progress which can be used to inform instruction andintervention strategies where required. Groups of students can bemonitored independently of one another – the relative progressof boys and girls, for example, is available to see at a glance. Inthe same way, the attainment of free school meal students can bemonitored and additional steps taken where necessary to ensurethat they are making progress relative to their non-free school mealspeers.As well as monitoring individual progress of each pupil, tools likeSTAR assessments can be used to see how the attainment gapis being closed over time. Typically taken once a term, this type ofcomputer-adaptive assessment makes it very easy to see any gapsbetween those that attract Pupil Premium funding, and those thatdon’t. It is also clear to see if the attainment gap between them isclosing – and the effectiveness of any intervention strategies that maybe in place.http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comCase study – how Mountbatten School used Pupil Premium to raise literacy standardsThe Mountbatten School is a large co-educational academy for students aged 11 to 16. The school is situated in the Test Valley inHampshire, close to the New Forest National Park, serving a largely rural catchment area. Accelerated Reader was implemented in 2011as an intervention strategy for students in Year 7 who enter the school with reading ages below their chronological ages.Vanessa Glister, lead"
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Digital Learning

Using Pupil Premium monitoring software to close the achievement gap

10 Feb 2015

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      string(5716) "New outlookBuilding on our school’s commitment to research and evidence-based practice we found ourselves naturally reflecting on the potential of research as a key driver and enabler for many aspects of the core work of the school. In order to deepen teacher understanding of research and development as a core strategy for school improvement, and thereby embed a culture of research, it has been necessary to establish new roles, processes and systems to secure capacity and capability for research activity. Within this, the allocation of time and creation of tangible structures have been pivotal in securing commitment and understanding of how research ‘fits with’, and indeed underpins, school improvement. Critically, an investigation of the conditions needed to establish a professional research culture has supported positive, manageable change. The articulation of these conditions into an overarching research strategy has been a key focus, enabling a deeper understanding of how to embed research within and across schools to meet identified priorities. Establishing a supportive professional research cultureDefining the skills and attributes of the teacher researcher A starting point… An exploration of the behaviours and attributes of a researcher provided a useful stimulus  for whole team discussion during an Inset session.  We undertook an initial session with all of our teaching staff, approximately 35 in total, with an aim to evaluate its success before widening the input to our Teaching Assistants. In view of the fact that we had a large teaching team, comprising staff with a wide range of experience and qualifications, the following activity provided a level playing field for all, prompting full engagement and a lively exchange of experiences!Through this activity we gained a deeper consideration of the skills and attributes demonstrated both at a personal level and professionally. This was powerful in establishing a shared definition of what it means to be a ‘researcher’ and how our professional competences build on our everyday experiences. It also  supported the facilitators in fostering a positive research ethos, encouraging all staff to see themselves as researchers and that research is not purely the jurisdiction of external agencies and universities.  As Handscomb and Macbeath have reflected the term ‘research’ can have unfortunate connotations of white-coated boffins in laboratories, and unread impenetrable articles in esoteric journals. “The experience of teachers working in schools that are committed to research is in sharp contrast to this stereotype. In these schools research covers the widest gamut of activities, rooted in the day-to-day life of the classroom and the ongoing business of the school itself and its relationship with the community.’ (Handscomb and MacBeath, 2003)Teachers as knowledge creators  The belief in teachers as enquirers and knowledge creators has a strong heritage, and has been pivotal in effecting change in our context, both in relation to teachers changing perceptions of professional learning, but also significantly in relation to how they identify themselves as professionals. The BERA-RSA Inquiry into the role of research in teacher education (2014) recognised ‘research literacy’ as a ‘key dimension of teachers’ broader professional identity, one that reinforces other pillars of teacher quality: notably subject knowledge and classroom practice (see Box 1 below).Box 1:  Dimensions of teacher effectiveness and teachers’ professional identity (BERA, 2014)The sharing of reports and think pieces highlighting the importance of teacher research is helping to endorse school-based activity and is building aspiration. Further evidence cited in the BERA-RSA Inquiry has provided such endorsement. In summary, the report confirmed that:internationally, research-rich school environments are the hallmarks of high performing education systems; to be at their most effective, teachers need to be engaged withand need to be equipped to engagein enquiry-oriented practice;a focus on enquiry-based practice needs to be sustained so that disciplined innovation and collaborative enquiry are embedded and become the normal way of teaching and learning rather than the exception.  As facilitators, one of our key drivers has been to unlock teachers’ professional curiosities, enabling them to recognise both their professional expertise and responsibility to contribute to a wider knowledge base. 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Collaborative research is giving"
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'How to do it' Guides

How to … establish a culture of teacher research and development

20 May 2019

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      string(347) "... we will be descr ibing howthat may be done, through a pr ocess of instructing (toinform) and coaching (to support) the development ofresponsible behaviour.When teachers are still establishing the social conditionsfor learning with a class it is a good idea never to take anythingfor granted. Teachers need to use ..."
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      string(5688) "genuinely do notknow how to per form these learning behaviours: howto listen to a teacher, how to engage in question andanswer sessions, how to work independently, with apartner, in a group, and so on. Or it may be that somedo know how to do it , but choose not to. Whatever thereason, teachers in today’s classrooms need to establishthe routines for their lessons by a conscious effort ofteaching. In the next article we will be descr ibing howthat may be done, through a pr ocess of instructing (toinform) and coaching (to support) the development ofresponsible behaviour.When teachers are still establishing the social conditionsfor learning with a class it is a good idea never to take anythingfor granted. Teachers need to use clear activity directions thatidentify the behaviour needed to engage in each part of thelesson. Activity directions are not something independent ofIt may be the case that some pupils genuinely donot know how to l isten to a teacher, workindependently, and so on. Some do know how todo it, but choose not toBehaviour managementBehaviour managementBehaviour managementBehaviour managementBehaviour managementManaging Schools Today June/July 200662the curriculum. You therefore need to think about how youplan out your teaching of the required ‘learning behaviours’alongside your teaching of the curriculum.Once that learning behaviour is internalised as a learnedskill it becomes a ‘routine’ within the lesson, and do es notneed continued coaching. Giving clear directions (andthen coaching using supporting and correcting feedback)is fundamental to the establishmen t phase of theAssertive Discipline method.RelationshipsThe third of the behavioural three Rs stat es thatpositive relationships exist b etw een teacher andpupils. When these are in place then the teacher feelscomfortable and relaxed when working with thesepupils while, in turn, the pupils are able to display theirtrust in their teacher ’s judgement . That trust may beshown, for example, by the way in which pupils areprepar ed to tackle tasks set b y their teacher whichmay be p erceived as difficult or sometimes tedious .The pupils will under take these tasks bec ause theyhave that good relationship with their teacher. Theirtrust in the teacher allo ws them to understand thatworking on this task will be in their best in terests; theytrust their t eacher to make those decisions (“if theteacher asks us t o do this, there must be a goodreason”).So pupils will tackle tasks that they might otherwisehave chosen not t o do – not out of a sense of fear(“there will be some retribution from on high if we don’tdo what he says”) but out of positive respect. Someteachers may have established their roles and routinesfor the lesson, but they do not enjoy p ositiverelationships with their pupils. Roles and routines havebeen established through intimidating the class. Thepupils’ experience of their teacher is someone who isunsympathetic, who deals with them harshly – a‘disciplinar ian’ who has achieved that role throughhostile rather than assertive means.Where positive relationships exist then thecommunication from the teacher will, of course, be mostlypositive in nature. Not just the words spoken but also thenon-verbal communication will display high levels ofpositive effect: there are more smiles than frowns, moreencouraging words than words of disapproval.We looked above at the idea that the different faces ofdiscipline involve different levels of self-control on the partof pupils. In just the same way we can see that building aset of positive relationships with children involves a journeyfrom external to internal locus of control. At the rules–consequences level, relationships are built on the securityof a firm behaviour framework and strong reinforcementfor appropriate behaviour. This will often involve the use oftangible incentives – postcards, sticks and stars.As students become more responsible, the teacher islikely to use more encouragement rather than directpraise. Encouragement can take several forms. It mayinvolve naming an appropriate behaviour and adding aformative comment such as “Ahmed, that was good lessonfeedback today; you are using more evidence in yourlesson reviews” or “Josie, your answer showed me ho wmuch more thoughtful you have b ecome.” Or it maysimply in volve drawing out a pupil ’s knowledge orbehaviour a bit further : “That was a really interestingexplanation – can you expand it a little more?” And therewill be times when a smile or nod is sufficient to let astudent know they are on the right track.We recen tly saw a maths teacher working with amixed-ability group of Year 10 students. She had themseated in mixed-ability gr oups of four or five students.She gave each group an envelope containing slips ofpaper describing problems of varying difficult y. Sheinvited the groups to solve the problems co-operatively.The students got to work right away and in each groupthey wer e suggesting differ ent ways to tack le theproblems. This gave the teacher the opportunity to visiteach group, giving encouragement and informationwhere required. Her role was clearly that of mentor. Theclass had a firm grasp of the routine and the way theyworked showed that considerable independence hadbeen built into the strong relationship between theteacher and her class.When that p ositive relationship exists – where pupilsfeel they can trust their teachers – pupils will be morelik ely to discuss their problems or their worries. Thesewill primarily be about academic problems and issuest o"
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Special Needs

The three Rs of behaviour

16 Apr 2018

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      string(390) "endorseschool-based activity and is building aspiration. Furtherevidence cited in the BERA-RSA Inquiry has providedsuch endorsement. In summary, the report confirmedthat:■ internationally, research-rich school environmentsare the hallmarks of high performing educationsystems;■ to be at their most effective, teachers need to beengaged with and need to be ..."
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      string(4554) "endorseschool-based activity and is building aspiration. Furtherevidence cited in the BERA-RSA Inquiry has providedsuch endorsement. In summary, the report confirmedthat:■ internationally, research-rich school environmentsare the hallmarks of high performing educationsystems;■ to be at their most effective, teachers need to beengaged with and need to be equipped to engagein enquiry-oriented practice;28establish a culture of teacher research and development……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………➜How to…■ a focus on enquiry-based practice needs to besustained so that disciplined innovation andcollaborative enquiry are embedded and becomethe normal way of teaching and learning rather thanthe exception. As facilitators, one of our key drivershas been to unlock teachers’ professional curiosities,enabling them to recognise both their professionalexpertise and responsibility to contribute to a widerknowledge base. An ongoing expression of thisbelief and expectation, reinforced by senior leaders,is instilling teacher confidence and promoting risk-taking and greater self-questioning.This is supporting teachers in understanding their rolein the context of the current self-improving schoolsystem, recognising Hargreaves (1999) long-standingcall ‘to treat practitioners as the main (but not the only)source for the creation of professional knowledge’builds on his claim that, ‘education should learn fromindustry and medicine in creating knowledge and callfor a more central role for practitioner research in suchknowledge creation, linking it directly to the agenda forschool improvement’.A culture of empowerment, supporting professionalautonomy, where teachers are given encouragement and‘permission’ to make decisions and pursue preferredlines of enquiry underpins our work. A research hubmodel of working is now embedding, as explored morefully in the next section. Collaborative research is givingrise to a stronger articulation of practice and generatingrich professional dialogue, instilling confidence andhelping to cement new professional relationships acrossthe alliance schools.Making time for enquiryThe importance of allocating time (team meetings,full staff meetings, INSET days) to establish theconditions within which research can flourish cannotbe underestimated. In reality, time remains an ongoingchallenge, particularly in view of the pressuresof ‘top down’ directives and high stakes testingregimes, generating a sense of disenfranchisement anddisempowerment.The investment of time has enabled the introductionof new, visible roles, structures, systems and processesto ensure robust, rigorous and systematic approachesto teacher research. These include: the establishmentof research hubs and communities for collaborativeresearch; the application of a common researchmethodology to support research journeys andinduction for SLEs and senior leaders as researchadvocates.EthicsA focus on research ethics has been an important keyfocus, supporting teachers to make reflective decisionsthroughout the research process to determine thenature and impact of their enquiries. The adoption ofthe BERA Guidelines for Educational Research (2011)is supporting this decision-making.■■ Professional learning task: Creating theright conditionsHow do you currently create opportunities forstaff to articulate their practice and engagein reflective professional dialogue and deepquestioning?To what extent do your teachers regardthemselves as researchers? Is there a need tode-bunk any myths…?The Leadership of EnquirySchool leaders’ understanding and endorsement ofresearch and enquiry has been pivotal in establishing aresearch culture. Citing teacher research in the contextof a change embracing vision for school improvementand innovation has proved a powerful, persuasivestrategy across the Teaching School Alliance. Themodelling of research and evidence-based practiceon an everyday basis by senior leaders is furtherstrengthening the research culture; promoting an ethosof empowerment and risk-taking. On a practical level,this has included:29establisha culture of teacher"
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Professional Development

How to … establish a culture of teacher research and development

12 Sep 2016