Ensuring your school is ‘progression ready’.
From the analysis of your tracking and assessment data, identify current gaps or strengths
· in provision
· in teaching
· in learning
· and the trajectories required to impact on progression targets
Use the audit to help you:
· identify features that are working well and having a positive impact on children’s progress, and where evidence of these features might be found.
· identify those features that need more development or refinement.
· highlight the key issues and the main priorities that will ensure that your school is ‘progression ready’.
Consider:
What your leadership team and colleagues will need to do differently?
What teachers and TAs will need to do differently in their classrooms?
The implications of this for CPD, both in terms of subject knowledge and pedagogic development?
A Progression-ready school – a review document for headteachers and senior management teams.
Periodic assessment – Assessing pupils’ progress (APP)Do you have a strategic plan to strengthen periodic assessment in your school through the use of the APP process?
Does the plan:
· promote good assessment for learning and day-to-day assessment practices to gather ongoing evidence of progress?
· identify opportunities for in-school standardisation and moderation?
· ensure that by summer 2009 all teachers have a good understanding of National Curriculum levels and what progress through the levels looks like, in mathematics, reading and writing?
Is the information from periodic assessment being incorporated into your tracking system?
Is this assessment information leading to the identification of specific factors that need to be addressed in order to improve:
· rates of progress?
· combined attainment in mathematics reading, and writing?
Does the assessment enable teachers to identify next steps in pupils’ learning and the related actions for planning and teaching?
Tracking pupils’ progress
Do you have a rigorous tracking system in place throughout the school?
Does your tracking provide you with a clear periodic view of progression throughout the school?
How do you use the information from the tracking system to help you to identify:
· pupils at risk of not making two levels of progress?
· where in the school progression is strongest/weakest?
· whether progress is equally effective in mathematics, reading and writing for all groups of pupils?
· where the quality of learning and teaching may need to be strengthened(for example, those entitled to FSM, EAL learners, girls)?
Does the school ensure that there are regular opportunities to discuss the progress of children or groups of children?
Clear trajectories for all pupils
Is on entry assessment used to set clear trajectories for all pupils from one year to the next?
Do the outcomes at ends of key stages meet expectations?
Is knowledge about children who are falling behind expected rates of progress shared (i.e. through pupil progress meetings)?
Are there mechanisms to translate this knowledge into action for those not on track to reach age related expectations and make at least 2 levels progress?
Is there a systematic link between tracking and the school’s intervention system?
Does the school plan for appropriate intervention strategies (including one to one tuition) to ensure that pupils who are not on track get appropriate support?
Are there effective mechanisms in place to ensure progression between year groups or key stages?
Is information about children’s trajectories and progress shared and discussed with parents?
Learning and teaching - translating numerical data into action
Is there a positive learning ethos with high challenge and high expectations where children are active partners in their learning?
Is the information from periodic assessments giving a clear view of the issues in the learning and teaching of mathematics, reading and writing?
Are teachers using the information from periodic assessment to adjust planning and classroom practice to meet the needs of all pupils
Are teachers drawing on PNS materials and best practice to help them make the adjustments?
Is there a robust pedagogy linked to framework objectives with effective strategies for small groups (ie talk for learning, precision intervention as part of quality first teaching, including guided work)?
Are children active partners in their learning?
Do children understand what they need to improve and how to do it?
Are children developing the capacity for self [and peer] assessment?
Do the children have appropriate targets?
Do teachers provide immediate, constructive and quality feedback (oral and written) that fosters motivation and provides guidance for what to do next?
Are teachers encouraged to involve parents in their children’s learning, e.g.
· through regular opportunities for discussion and sharing of information;
· practical help in how they can best support their children’s learning?
Professional learning
Is the leadership team confident about age-related expectations in the Primary Framework and what to look for in learning, teaching and planning to address progression and breadth?
What strategies are in place to further develop quality first teaching and build capacity?
How far is the school’s CPD programme based on evidence of use of the kinds of professional learning which will provide the highest impact in the classroom, e.g collaborative classroom based CPD?
Does the CPD programme ensure that there are regular opportunities for staff to develop their understanding of National Curriculum levels, the assessment focuses and appropriate evidence of attainment and progression?
Does the governor training programme ensure that governors are adequately prepared to discuss the progress of groups or individuals in the school?