ICT: Optional training sessionPresenters’ notes

Moving ICT forward: Departmental planning for effective pupil tracking

Effective pupil tracking session

45 minutes

Introduction5 minutes

The session is designed to ensure that the subject leader (SL) and teachers are skilled in using pupil tracking to identify underperformance.

Session 1 is to ensure that all teachers are aware of what makes effective pupil tracking and are familiar with the Secondary National Strategy’s key messages.

Session 2 identifies current practice and the strengths and weaknesses of the department.

Session 3 uses the outcomes of the first two sessions to strategically plan an effective pupil-tracking system.

The plenary focuses on producing an operational plan for developing an effective pupil-tracking system.

Follow-up will be essential.

The activities build on actions arising from:

  • departmental self-evaluation
  • review of the scheme of work (SoW) to prepare pupils better for summative assessment and examinations
  • lack of use of data and no pupil-tracking system in place – needed to support pupils’ progress, to identify pupils at risk of falling behind – to target support and intervention.

Objectives

Participants should:

identify the department’s current practice for pupil tracking

share good practice for pupil tracking

identify areas for developing an effective pupil-tracking system for the department.

Outcomes

The SL and teachers should be able to:

  • align current practice with school/department policy
  • develop an effective pupil-tracking system for the department
  • reduce underperformance through effective pupil tracking.

Resources

  • Supporting exemplar Excel-based tracking system files accompanying this training:
  • ICT tracking tool subject and group
  • Year 9 2008 tracker with overview.

Preparation –pre-course task

Teachers should be prepared to describe to a colleague the expected range of attainment of the pupils in one class/group, identifying pupils with particularly high or low expected attainment; they should justify their decisions, clearly explaining the evidence their expectation is based upon.

Starter

This starter builds on teachers’ current practice and ensures that they are able to describe how they have made judgements about pupils’ attainment.

Paired work

Each pair should share the expected range of attainment for their chosen group/class. They should identify pupils with particularly high or low expected attainment and describe what evidence they have based their expectations on.

Take brief feedback and ensure that:

  • the importance of the evidence base is emphasised
  • colleagues are aware of the full range of prior attainment data that are available in their school and how they get it. Data may include CATs, SATs, FFT, MIDYIS, etc.

Activity 1– Share key messages from ‘Tracking for success’

5 minutes

This activity is about ensuring that the department is clear about the key messages from Tracking for success(Ref: 1545-2005FLR-EN) and its role in identifying pupils that need additional support and intervention.

Introduction

Use page 4 ofTracking for success(Ref: 1545-2005FLR-EN)to support an explanation of effective tracking.

Activity

Independent work

Refer each teacher topage 4 ofTracking for success(Ref: 1545-2005FLR-EN). Ask the group to highlight what they consider to be the key aspects of pupil tracking.

Whole-group work

Take brief feedback, picking up on appropriate comments to lead a discussion that emphasises the key messages for effective pupil tracking.

Key messages are:

  • Pupil tracking can ensure that where progress slows or stalls, difficulties can be picked up quickly and appropriate action taken.
  • Pupils’ progress should be tracked regularly and systematically through ongoing assessment.
  • The analysis of assessment data should be used to:
  • inform discussions with pupils to review their performance and progress towards their targets
  • adjust teaching programmes in response to the curricular targets set
  • inform intervention and booster programmes.
  • Pupil tracking must be manageable.

Activity 2 – Identify and clarify current practice10 minutes

Refer each teacher to page 11 from Tracking for success(Ref: 1545-2005FLR-EN). Through a led discussion, pose questions based on the following questions.Highlight the need for effective and regular departmental review and self-evaluation if SLs are to evaluate the quality of teaching provision.

Record what is done well and what could be done better.

  • What is the range of attainment and attendance within each class that you teach?
  • Are you aware of the prior attainment of each pupil that you teach, not only in your own subject area, but also in others?
  • How do you make use of this information?
  • Do you set and review curricular targets with your pupils?
  • Do you use the outcomes of monitoring to adjust your teaching plans as necessary?
  • What specific intervention strategies do you use to support pupils who are falling behind? Are these used as part of the lessons or as a special programme?
  • Do you identify the small steps that represent progression in your subject and share this with pupils so that they know what they have to do to make progress?
  • How do you maintain an overview of pupils’ progress, discuss their progress and identify those in need of additional support?

Note

Some departments/teachers may need additional support to ensure they fully understand how to set and review curricular targets. Additional training may be appropriate using Assessment for learning(AfL) resources and/or consultants.

Activity 3 – Strategic planning to improve pupil tracking

20 minutes

Activity

Having identified key aspects of effective pupil tracking, current good practice and areas for development, this activity should take the form of a consultant-/SL-led discussion to plan for effective and manageable pupil tracking for the department.

Whole-group work

The discussion should focus on ensuring that all teachers know how to find out about their pupils’ prior attainment and what the department’s/school’s policy is on using this information. They should be clear about the department’s/school’s policy on setting and reviewing curricular targets with pupils which focus on specific aspects of knowledge, understanding or skills in ICT to secure progression.

Use the discussion to ensure that all teachers are clear about how review outcomes can be used to inform the choice of booster and intervention programmes used in lessons.

Have a consultant-/SL-led group discussion to ensure that all teachers are clear about how to:

•involve pupils in regular discussions about their progress and use National Curriculum level descriptions or GCSE grade criteria to demonstrate what they need to do to improve and attain higher standards

•share learning objectives with pupils so that they are aware of what they need to learn and why

•provide high-quality oral and written feedback on pupils’ work and opportunities for pupils to engage in self-evaluation and peer review.

Have a consultant-/SL-led group discussion to ensure that all teachers are clear about the department’s/school’s policy on pupil tracking. Ensure that all colleagues are familiar with the whole-school system including procedures, paperwork, key dates, etc.

Reference could be made to subject leader development meeting 2 and/or Tracking for success(Ref: 1545-2005FLR-EN).

To conclude this activity, make available the Excel-based resources which each show different aspects of tracking which could be incorporated into the practice of the department.

  • Year 9 2008 tracker with overview

A system for monitoring individual progress against targets for classes in Year 9 and which aggregates data to produce a summary of departmental progress.

  • ICT tracking tool subject and group

A full three-year recording and analysis system allowing for individual, subject and teaching group analysis.

These files are provided to stimulate debate and discussion on the ways in which a tracking system could be initiated or further developed within the department. None of them will provide an off-the-peg solution for a department’s needs, but teachers should review them and identify which aspects and elements of practice would be their next steps of development for their practice.

Plenary – Developing operational plans for effective pupil tracking

5 minutes

Consultant/SL should summarise the current situation, relating its strengths and weaknesses in using pupil tracking to identify underperformance and the route forward to improve practice and/or align practice with policy. SMART goal posts should be clearly identified,as follows.

  • What needs to be done?
  • By whom?
  • By when?

By the end of this session, the:

  • SL should be able to write a departmental action plan and policy for departmental pupil tracking
  • teachers should be able to write individual action plans for tracking their pupils.

ICT subject leader development materials/autumn 20061

Secondary National Strategy© Crown copyright 2006