Transcript Twelve Outstanding Secondary Schools

Raising standards - improving lives
SWLSEP
ASPIRING HEADTEACHERS CONFERENCE
Patrick Leeson
Director Education and Care
Ofsted
15 0ctober 2010
Raising standards, improving lives
Context
 It is no longer acceptable to use a child’s
background as an excuse for
underachievement.
 The challenge for schools is to make a
difference, to believe every child can
succeed, to narrow the gaps and reduce
the inequalities in outcomes and to provide
the advantage where it is lacking.
Raising standards, improving lives
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Since 1990s continuous improvement in schools’
provision and a convincing argument for proportionate
approach to inspection
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However, wide variation between individual schools and
concern about schools that decline between inspections

Rate of improvement in the performance of
disadvantaged groups remains slow and is too
variable

Previous inspection regime spent less time in
classrooms; the new framework has a better balance
between classroom observation and other sources of
evidence

The new framework is raising expectations
Raising standards, improving lives
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Improving picture, more than 68% schools good or
outstanding, (56% in 2009-10) but still too many
satisfactory or inadequate

In nearly 30% schools achievement and progress is no
better than satisfactory

More than half the schools that were satisfactory when last
inspected remain no better than satisfactory at their latest
inspection. Less than a third of satisfactory schools monitored
last year are making good progress.

Schools with high proportions of pupils entitled to free school
meals are more likely to be inadequate but a significant number
buck the trend and are good or outstanding
Raising standards, improving lives

School outcomes are related to advantage, 73% good and
outstanding schools in most advantaged areas, 48% in most
disadvantaged areas
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Teaching only satisfactory in 37% of all schools inspected this
year, 45% in secondary schools and 39% in primary schools

Currently 300 schools in special measures and 279 schools with a
notice to improve
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Nearly two thirds of local authorities have never issued a warning
notice
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Pupils’ well being is good or outstanding in 92% of schools but the
development of skills for pupils’ future economic well being is the
weakest of the 5 ECM outcomes. Literacy teaching is not prevalent
in secondary schools
School Inspection Survey
feedback
Well over 90% of schools that have responded to our post
inspection surveys have reported that:
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the lead inspector provided appropriate opportunities for the
head/senior staff to engage productively with the inspection
team
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the inspection identified clear recommendations for
improvements
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inspection judgements about the school were fair and
accurate

they would use the inspection recommendations to move the
school/ teaching forward
Raising standards, improving lives
Key features of the revised Framework
Pupils’ attainment and achievement

Higher expectations: a focus on different groups of pupils as
well as individuals and a greater emphasis on attainment.
More time spent in classrooms observing learning
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The judgement about pupils’ learning and progress has
high status. Schools receive credit for outstanding work to
improve learning and progress – and attainment - in challenging
circumstances
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As now, pupils’ achievement and progress limit the overall
effectiveness grade. Unless pupils achieve well, the school will
not be judged better than satisfactory overall
Challenges
Challenges
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Within school variation is crucial
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Big differences in how well schools improve attainment among low income
pupils
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Depends on what happens inside school
Schools who do not have deprived intakes need to help FSM children
achieve more
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And on wider factors
Including working with other services
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Looking beyond children who have obvious or acute problems
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Quietly achieve much less than richer peers and are affected for the rest
of their lives
Most low income children don’t truant, cause problems or present clear
issues
Closing Gaps in Educational Outcomes
 UK has one of the steepest ‘socio-economic gradients’
 Poorer children 8 months ‘behind’ richer ones by 5
 Gap widens through primary and secondary school
 By 16: 21% of poorest 5th get 5 good GCSEs vs 75% of richest
5th
 Low qualifications=less likely to work, more likely to have low
income
 Major factor driving poverty in adulthood
 And for the next generation of children
Closing the Gap in Educational Outcomes
Only 6% of white boys on fsm go to university. Narrowing
the educational gap narrows the opportunity gap in later
life:
Closing the Gap
Closing Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Progress from KS1 to KS4 highly variable for different groups.
National variations are evident from an early age:
Attainment by ethnic group, 2009
80
70
60
50
KS1
40
KS4
30
20
10
0
White
British
Traveller IH
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Black
Caribbean
Chinese
Closing Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Closing Gaps in Educational Outcomes
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Social Class
DCSF statistical release, 15 December 2009
Closing Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Performance between LAs varies –
‘What is my chance of attending an effective school?’
Secondary schools CVA: proportions of significant performers
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
What can be done?
What makes a difference in a child’s
world?
 Early experience
 Attitudes and relationships
 Activities outside school
Attitudes and relationships
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Recurring theme across studies
 Children from less advantaged backgrounds felt less in
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control at school
 Strong belief in importance of education
 But lack of confidence in ability to do well
 School perceived as coercive and controlling
 Lack of positive learning relationships with adults
Research focusing on excluded children highlighted
importance of building the right relationships
Activities outside school
Key elements of the social gap in educational experiences and
outcomes
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Different relationships with teachers and other adults
Different learning experiences outside school
Feeling less involved, in control and confident
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Need to improve engagement of disadvantaged children in
learning
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Create learning atmosphere with better adult-student relationships
Broader issues: access and funding
Closing the Gap
The evaluation schedule for schools
Teaching and assessment
Inspectors should evaluate:
 how well teaching promotes
learning, progress and enjoyment
for all pupils
 how well assessment is used to
meet the needs of all pupils
Leadership and management
of teaching
Inspectors should evaluate:
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how effectively leaders and managers realise an
ambitious vision for the school, have high expectations
of pupils and secure support from others
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how well the school uses challenging targets to raise
standards for all pupils and to eliminate any low
attainment among particular groups
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how well leaders and managers at all levels drive and
secure improvement, ensuring high-quality teaching and
learning
Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes

Twenty
Outstanding
Primary
Schools –
Excelling
against the
Odds (2009)
Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes

Twelve Outstanding Secondary Schools – Excelling against the
Odds (2009)
Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Focus on learning in and out of the classroom
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Learning is personalised and flexibly accommodates
learners’ differences.
Learners regularly experience choice and control over their
learning.
Schools ensure learners are engaged in their learning and
feel valued.
The system ensures that all students develop a solid
foundation of basic skills (primarily literacy, numeracy and
ICT) irrespective of socio-economic background.
In addition to knowledge acquisition, the curriculum
provides a holistic approach to the development of skills,
values and attitudes for 21st century living.
Learning is supported in and out of school
Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Focus on learning in and out of the classroom
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Teachers use a variety of student-centred constructivist
learning strategies.
Project-based, interdisciplinary and collaborative
approaches complement conventional teaching methods.
A wide variety of techniques is used to assess mastery and
application of the full 21st century curriculum.
Peer and self assessment is incorporated into the overall
approach to assessment.
All students and teachers have access to a high standard of
ICT resources (hardware, software, content and support)
both within and beyond school
Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Focus on learning in and out of the classroom
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Teachers and students are able to choose between a variety of
flexible, engaging environments that reflect students' interests,
promote collaboration and authentic project-based work.
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Resource decisions are focused around maximising learning
outcomes for all children.
Leaders build and sustain effective relationships with other
providers of children's services, community, private sector
and other partners.
Schools work as learning communities through the
promotion of collaboration.
The system is explicitly committed and ambitious to
overcoming existing inequalities.
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Closing the Gaps in Educational Outcomes
Focus on learning 21st century skills
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Gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing information.
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Leading other autonomous workers through influence.
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Communicating effectively, often using technology.
Working autonomously to a high standard with minimal
supervision.
Being creative and turning that creativity into action.
Thinking critically and asking the right questions.
Striving to understand others’ perspectives and to
understand the entirety of an issue.
Working ethically, firmly based in both your own society and
the planet as a whole.
Breaking the link between education,
disadvantage and place
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What can we conclude?
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High expectations and aspirations for all but also high values
with moral purpose to overcome inequalities
Child-centred focus that builds confidence, enthusiasm,
attachment to learning, emotional resilience, develops
opportunities, listens and respects, builds relationships
Determined support to individuals and groups to close gaps
Consistency in teaching, stability and relentless focus on high
quality learning across time and space, in and out of school
Partnerships – inside and outside the school to enhance
learning opportunities and impact on outcomes
Engagement with and support for parents and carers
High quality planning, with outstanding assessment practice at
its core
A curriculum that can deliver all of these
A focus on 21st c learning that is not bound by place