Buckinghamshire County Council Improving Schools Programme Spring Term Network Meeting Using the...

Buckinghamshire County Council

Improving Schools ProgrammeSpring Term Network Meeting

Using the Whole Curriculum to Raise Standards

Involving Governors in School Improvement

Kate Rumboll,

Cathy Tracy and Sarah Leonard


Outline of the morning

• Exploring how :– Standards can be raised by enhancing English and

mathematics skills across the curriculum– Governors can be more effectively involved in school

improvement


What does ‘creative’ mean?

• Table activity– What does creative currently mean in your school?– What do you hope it means in the future?– How will you ensure a consistent approach to

creativity in your school?– How do you currently support curriculum

development and what will this support look like in the future?


What does ‘creative’ mean?

• Creative learning widely characterised as:– Questioning and challenging– Evaluating what might be– Exploring ideas, keeping options open– Reflecting critically on ideas, actions and outcomes

– High levels of enjoyment for both staff and pupils!


What supports creative learning?

• Well-organised cross-curricular links that allow scope for independent enquiry

• Inclusiveness, ensuring that the curriculum is accessible and relevant to all pupils

• A focus on experiential learning, with knowledge, understanding and skills developed through first-hand practical experience and evaluation

• Well-integrated use of technology



• Effective preparation of pupils for the next stage of their learning

• A broad and accessible enrichment programme• Clear and well-supported links with the local community

and cultures, often drawing on local knowledge and experience to enhance pupils’ learning

• A flexible approach to timetabling to accommodate extended, whole-school or whole-year activities

• Partnerships that extended pupils’ opportunities for creative learning



• All 22 primary schools in the Ofsted survey retained distinctive literacy and daily mathematics sessions for all year groups.

• In 18 of these, English and mathematics were linked explicitly to other subjects. In all the schools visited the survey found evidence of the positive impact of such cross-curricular approaches on pupils’ attainment and personal development.

• Only three of the 22 primary schools found any difficulty in integrating the Primary National StrategyFrameworks into their planning for creative learning


Share your ideas

• Table activity:– What are your current creative and curriculum

development successes?– Are there opportunities for learning outside the

classroom? • http://www.lotc.org.uk

– Examples of exciting events to start a topic or embed learning.


2005 – 2006•Literacy and numeracy

driving the curriculum to improve standards

2006 – 2007

•Developing thinking skills•CPD

•Performance management•Learning skills development &

PSHCE•Links with school residentials

2007 – 2008

•Thinking skills•Curriculum development groups

•ICT - laptops •Renewed framework•Introduction of MFL

2008 - 2009•Three NQTs – subject leadership

and accountability•Reform curriculum development group

•ICT changes


Leading Learning

Jennifer Gamble – Ash Hill Primary School


Coffee


Involving Governors in effective school improvement

• What do your Governors currently know/do?• What would you like them to know/do?• What are the barriers?


Workshop Activity


Workshop activity feedback

• Feedback from groups• How could you involve Governors in these processes?• Are there any barriers – what could be done to

overcome them?• Questions for Governors to ask (ISP)


Developing the Governing body

• Inspectors will judge:– The effectiveness of the governing body in

challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities are met.



• To be secure a ‘satisfactory’ Ofsted judgement, the Governing body needs to demonstrate the following:

– statutory responsibilities

– well organised

– visible

– know the strengths and weaknesses of the school

– understand the challenges

– engage often with parents and pupils - respond quickly to their views

– directly involved in setting appropriate priorities for improvement

– holds the school to account for tackling important weaknesses



• ‘Stronger Governance Systems’ (SGS) is a package of self assessment materials to help Governing bodies better support schools

• http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/189870


The four elements of SGS

• Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities: Clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the governing body

• School improvement planning: The characteristics of a good plan that drives improvement and facilitates close monitoring of impact.

• Key indicators of how the school is doing: Using data to identify the school’s performance level – questions to ask and what to do about what you find out.

• School self-evaluation – the role of governors: Guidance on governors’ role in relation to the school self-evaluation


How the SGS materials work

• An overview and user guide which explains the scope and potential of the programme;

• Overarching quality standards to describe the impact and nature of effective practice;

• Self-assessment materials that use the quality standards to help the governing body clarify what it does well, and where and how it needs to improve;

• Four elements, each exploring an aspect of improvement with related governor training materials

• Resources and web links offering a range of other easily accessible resources.


Structure of each SGS element

• Four elements, each exploring an aspect of improvement through:– a rationale to explain its nature and importance– quality standards, relevant to the particular element and

selected from the overarching standards, to define good practice in this aspect of governance

– exemplification showing what good practice looks like in each quality standard

– governor training offering examples of materials, templates and powerful processes to help governors achieve the quality standards


Using the SGS materials

• Identify areas for development from using RAG rating against quality standards.

• Identify CPD units that address these areas.• Download appropriate documents.• Explore recommended links.• Gather relevant school documentation.• Evaluate by repeating the RAG rating process to gauge

progress.


Next steps for your school governors


ISP updates

• April data collection for Year 6 and Year 2– What is the current attainment picture– What are the predictions for attainment at the end of

the year?• A provisional reminder that the next ISP network

meeting is the morning of 9th June, 2011 at Chartridge.


Any questions?


Lunch

Buckinghamshire County Council Improving Schools Programme Spring Term Network Meeting Using the...

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