Leading Learning

1. Leading Learning Through School Development Planning and Target Setting September 2008

2. EXPECTED OUTCOME By the end of the afternoon participants will have: • a refreshed understanding of the key principles of and effective practice in setting pupil-focused targets.

3. THE LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 requires schools to have a school development plan and to take account of the guidance issued by DE The Education (Target–Setting in Schools) Regulations 1998 require each school to set annual targets for pupil attainment and to set these in the first term of each year School Development Planning and Target Setting: Department of Education Circular 2008/13

4. THE PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT Current Performance Performance at GCSE (or equivalent) is the key measurement of achievement. The following statistics in respect of 2006/07 provide a general overview of performance:- • Just under two-thirds of pupils leave school with 5 or more GCSEs at Grades A*-C or equivalent (64.5%); • However the percentage achieving 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C) and which include English and mathematics is just over a half (52%); • Over the past 10 years improvement in these statistics has been gradual and the stark reality is that some 12,000 pupils are failing to achieve good GCSE (or equivalent) standards in English and Maths and just under 3,500 fail to achieve functional literacy and numeracy. School Development Planning and Target Setting: DE Circular 2008/13

5. “The Department is considering the response to the proposals for a new school improvement policy as set out in “Every School A Good School”. While final decisions have yet to be made, it is satisfied that the focus on self-evaluation, school development planning and target setting should remain.” School Development Planning and Target Setting: DE Circular 2008/13

6. QUALITY INDICATORS • Performance in assessments and public examinations; • breadth and balance of the curriculum; • the quality of the School Development Plan and, particularly, the targets for improvement; • outcomes of Inspection; • the quality of the schools Financial Management; • outcomes of staff, parent and student surveys; • quality of accommodation; • the range and uptake of extra-curricular activities on offer; • the view of Governors/parents/complaints against a school; • any collaborative arrangements with other schools and colleges; • pupil and staff attendance; • levels of suspension and expulsion. Draft School Improvement Policy: ‘Every School A Good School’

7. PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT (PSA) TARGETS • By 2011, 90% of school leavers achieving GCSE A* - G (or equivalent) level in English and Maths [PSA 19] (Baseline: School Leavers Survey 2005-06 = 85%) • By 2011, 68% of students gaining at least 5+ GCSEs A*-C by the time they leave school. [PSA 19] (Baseline: School Leavers Survey 2005-06 = 64.2%) • By 2011, 55% of students gaining 5+ GCSEs A*-C including English and Maths by the time they leave school [PSA 19] (Baseline: School Leavers Survey 2005-06 = 52.6%)

8. PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT (PSA) TARGETS (CONT’D) • By 2011, at least 30% of FSME students achieving 5+ GCSE A*-C or equivalent including English and Maths by the time they leave school [PSA 10 and 19] (Baseline: 2005-06 = 26.4%) • By 2011, at most 1.5% of year 12 pupils with no qualification at GSCE A*-G level or equivalent [PSA 10 and 19] (Baseline: Summary of Examination Results 2005-06 = 3%) • By 2011, 65% of A level students gaining 3+ A levels at Grades AC or equivalent in Year 14. [PSA 19] (Baseline: Summary of Examination Results 2005-06 = 63.5%) • By 2011, increase the participation rate of 16-17 year olds in fulltime education or training to 95% (Baseline: School Leavers Survey 2006-07 = 92%)

9. TARGETS TO BE SET • The measures of performance in respect of which targets must be set by the Board of Governors of a secondary school (including grammar school) are as follows:- a. the proportion of pupils which should be achieving Level 5 (or above) of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 3; b. the proportion of pupils which should be achieving Level 6 (or above) of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 3. • In the case of a secondary school which is not a grammar school:- a. the proportion of Year 12 pupils which should be achieving:- i. 1 or more GCSEs, or an equivalent vocational qualification; ii. 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-G, or Foundation GNVQ or NVQ level 1; iii. 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-G, or Foundation GNVQ or NVQ level 2. b. the proportion of Year 14 pupils which should be achieving 2 or more GCE A levels at grades A-E or equivalent, or Advanced GNVQ or NVQ level 3. • In the case of a grammar school:- a. the proportion of Year 12 pupils which should be achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C or Intermediate GNVQ or NVQ level 2; b. the proportion of Year 14 pupils which should be achieving:- i. 2 or more GCE A levels at grades A-E or Advanced GNVQ or NVQ level 3; ii. 3 or more GCE A levels at grades A-C. Education (Target-setting In Schools) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

10. “The targets are for average performance across the system and thus every school needs to play its part by improving performance year on year. The emphasis is on raising overall performance and narrowing the gap in achievement.” School Development Planning and Target Setting: DE Circular 2008/13

11. IN SHORT All schools are successful with some pupils, but some schools are successful with all pupils. Successful schools understand how to use their data to make practical changes in the classroom. They peel away the overall school figures to identify pockets of underachievement and the individual pupils and the risk of underachievement. They identify good practice and strengths and support staff to change practice in the light of a better understanding of pupils’ needs.

12. THE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS i The Review and Assessment Stage: How well is the school doing? ii The Target Setting Stage: What more should the school aim to achieve? iii The Action Planning Stage: What must be done to bring about the proposed improvements? iv The Implementation and Evaluation Stage: Which strategies can be used to achieve the school’s targets, and how can success be measured?

13. REPORT ON AN EVALUATION OF SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING • Reduce in number and prioritise the area for development. • Consider the extent to which the planning focuses explicitly on effecting improvements in teaching, the quality of the pupils’ learning and the standards they achieve. • Align development planning more closely to financial planning. • Develop arrangements to monitor and evaluate progress more effectively. • Match more carefully whole-school development planning and departmental planning. • Clarify targets and action plans based on a rigorous analysis of the school’s current position. • Engage more fully in target-setting and benchmarking. Report on an Evaluation of School Development Planning: 2001

14. WORKSHOP: EVALUATING YOUR SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES In your school pairs, use the self-evaluation tool to review the current school development processes in your school.

15. THE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS i The Review and Assessment Stage: How well is the school doing? ii The Target Setting Stage: What more should the school aim to achieve? iii The Action Planning Stage: What must be done to bring about the proposed improvements? iv The Implementation and Evaluation Stage: Which strategies can be used to achieve the school’s targets, and how can success be measured?

16. THE PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING THE SETTING OF PUPIL-FOCUSED TARGETS: • monitoring activity becomes interpretation; • analysis moves from whole-school to subject level to pupil individual level; • absolute scores move to value-added information; • summative assessment moves to the formative use of data; • data is used for diagnostic purposes as well as for accountability; • data as statistics moves to data as information and intelligence; • externally required practice is overtaken by self-engaged professionals and • it is recognised that the key challenges will be interpersonal.

17. AN OVERVIEW OF THE TARGET-SETTING IN SCHOOLS GCSE results and KS3 results received by the school Preparatory analysis is undertaken by relevant members of the SMT; assessment co-ordinator, heads of department. Comparisons are made with the previous three years. Trends and anomalies are identified. Provisional whole school target are considered. Heads of department have an initial analysis review meeting with their team. The initial analysis is shared and results compared with any projections/ targets previously agreed using an agreed school pro forma. Comparisons are made with other departments and initial interpretations made There is then initial discussion of the implications of the analysis for further development of learning and teaching strategies. They then consider the current Year 10, 11, 12 cohorts. Using their own assessment data about the pupils, any value-added or qualitative information about the pupils, they make initial projections for their pupils. Any pupil who is considered to be potentially underperforming is identified and a target set and recorded on an agreed school pro forma and returned to SMT. SMT begin to share their views of the initial exam analysis and likely targets for Years 10, 11 and 12, again using the range of internal and external data available. Refer to any value-added and base-line data available (CATs, YELLIS, reading scores, mocks etc) and benchmarking data. Note: It is important that this discussion is with the whole of the SMT team as it is one of the ways of developing the expertise of the team. It is also important that all members of the team feel comfortable with the data because they will be supporting middle managers individually through this process.

18. AN OVERVIEW OF THE TARGET-SETTING IN SCHOOLS (CONT’D) Target-setting and exam analysis meeting between SMT line manager and individual Heads of Department, using the completed aide-memoire to focus the discussion. Targets set for Years 10, 11 and 12. Summary of the subject analysis and the target grades are discussed further by SMT. The SMTaggregates departmental targets and considers whether the predicted subject grades will generate the number of % A* - Cs, A - Gs and average points score which the SMT believes the school should be achieving on the basis of its analysis. If there are concerns about any department’s targets, HoD and relevant senior line manager discuss the targets and analysis process and ,if necessary, negotiate changes. Principal presents targets to the Board of Governors. Targets are included in the School Development Plan and published. Subject teams continue their analysis of the implications of the targets for the development of the learning and teaching. Department Action Plans are generated to support the achievement of the targets focusing on learning and teaching processes. SMT trawl action plans for whole school implications. Anything which requires action on the part of SMT should be noted and included on the SDP Form teachers/tutors also have the predicted grades for their pupils. Form teachers maintain the overview of the pupil’ progress across the curriculum and provide support and mediation. There is a planned programme for the tutor to work with their tutees, individually, as a whole group or in small groups to support their pupils with their learning. Year Head maintains an overview of the year group’s progress towards the targets. A calendar for the whole year is produced showing the subject review dates, target-setting days, mocks etc.

19. FURTHER SUPPORT • A toolkit containing CPD materials, relevant DE publications, pro forma etc. • Link Officers/CASS personnel will be available to support the process in school.