Narrowing the Gap

1. Narrowing the Gap Effective use of the pupil premium

2. About this presentation David Weston - @informed_eduChief Executive, Teacher Development Trust.Former teacher, data consultant, author, ITT trainer, Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Education Teacher Development Trust - @TeacherDevTrusthttp://TDTrust.org/The national CPD charityNational Teacher Enquiry Network

3. Why focus on teaching? Source: Sutton Trust (2011)

4. Source: Robinson (2009)

5. Which tools? Hard choices… • Uniform improvements • Building improvements • Hire more Teaching Assistants • Curriculum change • Buy new computers • One day conferences • Smaller classes / splitting classes • Improving feedback • Improving questioning • Learning to learn • Frequent formative assessment • Quality of explanation • Co-operative learning *and* Direct instruction • Training teaching assistants

6. Sutton Trust-EEF Toolkit http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit

7. Sutton Trust-EEF Toolkit

8. Sutton Trust-EEF Toolkit

10. A word about Teaching Assistants Source: Sutton Trust (2011)

11. A word about Teaching Assistants ineffective effective TeachingAssistants Likelihood Effectiveness in previous studies

12. No guarantees Factors to consider • Probability of success: never/always vs rarely/usually • Cost: time and money • Pick your battles: buy-in& focus • Context: know your needs, strengths and weaknesses

13. Maximising success • Focus on learning, evaluate learning • Ensure teacher (and governor) buy-in • Start with high-probability ideas • Sustain intense, sharp focus on improvement • Enquiry learning: theory  refined practice • External support and challenge

14. 1a. Focus on specific learning Don’t focus on the means…. • Differentiation • Feedback • Classroom management • Use of voice • Use of interactive white-board • Use of learning objectives • Marking

15. 1a. Focus on specific learning Learning or behaviour issue, e.g. • Improving reading • Improve engagement in lessons • Improving structure of essays • Improving spoken fluency • Improving conceptual understanding of forces • Improving ability to manipulate algebraic expressions • Improving speed of hand-writing • Reduce disruptive behaviour Focus cohort of pupils, e.g. • Quiet FSM boys in Year 5 • All FSM pupils in Year 3 • Under-achieving girls in class B • Looked after children in reception • Pupils with EAL in French class 8Y2 • BME pupils with an English target grade lower than D in Year 11 • Pupils in Maths group 7M5 who have struggled with geometry Focus on the ends:

16. 1a. Evaluate the learning Unreliable evaluation: • 1. Students are busy: lots of work is done (especially written work) • 2. Students are engaged, interested, motivated • 3. Students are getting attention: feedback, explanations • 4. Classroom is ordered, calm, under control • 5. Curriculum has been ‘covered’ 6. (At least some) students have supplied correct answers (whether or not they really understood them or could reproduce them independently) Source Coe (2013)

17. 1a. Evaluate the learning A more reliable mix Objective true/false & one-correct-answer test, measurable performance thresholds, attendance Subjective teacher-judged grade of essay answers, peer assessment of artistic performances, self-evaluation of confidence Indirectmeasuring outcomes that may hint at success e.g. attendance rate, further-study take-up, hours spent on homework Direct measuring relevant learning e.g. exam question, oral explanation Qualitative description of enthusiasm for subject, observation of pupil learning strengths, focus group interview for course feedback Quantitativenumeric e.g. number of correct questions, self-rating on scale of 1-10, percentage of students graduating

18. 2. Ensure teacher buy-in • Involve teachers in evaluating needs • Involve teachers in value and impact judgements • Give some room for flexibility • Lead by example – take the first step • Build trust & relationships • Connect to values

19. 2. Ensure governor buy-in Explain: • How you identified needs • How you chose interventions • Your implementation plan • Your evaluation plan • Comparison to best practice

20. 3. Start with high probability ideas ineffective effective Smaller Classes Learning to Learn Likelihood Effectiveness in previous studies

21. 4. Sustain intense focus on improvement • One or two things at a time • Intensive focus: every week • Sustained focus: 30 to 50 hours (yes really) • The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

22. 5. Enquiry Learning Set up Choose an Enquiry Goal Design your evaluation Investigate the issue, get a baseline Enquiry, e.g.Lesson Study Try an intervention Interim review & expert input Refine your intervention Design your evaluation Finish evaluation Write a summary Dissemination & Sharing

23. 5. Enquiry Learning – lesson study • 1. Plan • Plan a lesson together. • Address each activity to your Learning Goal and predict how pupils will react and how you will assess this. • Pick 3 case pupils. • 2. Observe • Teach the lesson with your colleagues observing. • Pay particular attention to the case pupils • Conduct any assessments and/or interviews during & after. • 3. Reflect & Plan • As soon after the lesson as possible, reflect how each activity elicited the sought-after change. Were your predictions correct? Why?

24. 6. External support and challenge

25. 6. External support and challenge The expert needs to be: • Someone who genuinely understands the intervention • Someone who has experience of solving the problem • Someone outside your institution (or possible department) • Someone you alltrust and respect

26. A few other thoughts • Get in early – invest for the future • Rebuild learning foundations • Vocabulary, language and oral skills are often overlooked • Engage parents • Build networks

27. Your next steps • Audit your approach to Pupil Premium and CPD • Identify expert partners • Create a focused action and evaluation plan

28. @informed_edu What are we doing about it? • free national database of training with reviews, linked to Research in to closing the gap • National Teacher Enquiry Network. a network of schools who are collaborating to share and develop world-leading practice in CPD and R&D

29. http://GoodCPDGuide.com

30. NTEN National Teacher Enquiry Network CPD Quality Peer Audit A peer-audit against our CPD Quality Framework with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for excellent practice & policies. NTEN Lesson Study Comprehensive tools and support to implement a world-leading system of Joint Practice Development. Peer-to-peer support Connect with like-minded schools to observe and develop outstanding practice. National & Local EventsShare latest practice and learn from experts at our six national conferences and local member events. A powerful voice Have your views around staff development represented at the highest levels. Support for R&D + closing the gapEngage in both small and large-scale research, access evidence, implement quality evaluations and interventions. We are currently inviting applications for membership. Membership is graded according to institution size and starts from just £1000. http://TDTrust.org/NTEN

31. http://TDTrust.org/

32. Get in touch David.Weston@TDTrust.org @informed_edu@TeacherDevTrusthttp://www.TDTrust.org/http://www.GoodCPDGuide.com/ 020 7250 8276