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Posted By Chris Yapp,
08 September 2021
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NACE patron Dr Chris Yapp explains why he believes real change is needed to the assessment system, with potential benefits for learners at all stages of life and development.
Given the significant focus on assessment in education that has followed the two years of the pandemic so far, the question for me when thinking about the future is: “How radical a change is needed?”
Whether it’s abolishing GCSEs or changing grades from A-Z to 1-9, the real issue at the heart of the future system is whether the new system reflects the individual’s efforts, aspirations and capabilities better than the system I grew up with, still largely intact. Importantly, can the system be more inclusive and less stressful to teachers and students alike?
So, what do I want to replace 10 GCSEs and four A-levels with?
For reasons I won’t bore you with, my wife and I have used the pandemic to learn Portuguese on Duolingo. We now have a 304-day streak, unbroken. We have around 55,000 points and now we achieve 300 points a day from a slow start.
I don’t want to talk about the pedagogy behind Duolingo. I have some criticisms there, but I think there are some really interesting lessons on assessment and, above all, feedback.
The lessons are structured in levels around topics. There are tips for each section. A typical lesson takes around 10-15 minutes. At the end of each session points are given. After a number of topics, stories are opened. There are also timed lessons. Today we reached 74% of the course. We have found some topics harder than others. Each question has a discuss button and people can raise concerns and ask questions. Some phrases are ambiguous, or the English translation is tortuous. There are examples where there are multiple correct answers that generate debate. We find some of the discussions around Brazilian Portuguese particularly fascinating. There are leagues with relegation and promotion.
For children raised with gaming, the idea of levels and points comes naturally. Retrying a level until you get it right is part of the experience, not evidence of failure. So, instead of a Grade C, why not produce a system with 100,000 points available in 10 levels, with the ability to see areas of strength and weakness?
Importantly, the scoring follows stage, not age. Many parents are quite happy when their offspring are doing Grade 4 piano and Grade 2 violin at the same time. It is not evidence of failure that different skills develop at different paces for different children.
Why shouldn’t a child leave school with, say, five million points scattered across a wide-ranging curriculum?
Let me illustrate with some examples of how the assessment system could be adapted to support more personalised learning built around a child’s interest and capability.
Khalid is 12. His hobby is photography. He wants to understand colour better. He wants to do that now. Unfortunately, the physics curriculum covers that when he’s 13 and the art curriculum at 11. Here, his interests outside school could motivate his development across multiple subjects at a pace and direction of his choosing.
Amanda is 13. Her mother is Italian and they speak Italian at home. The school does not have an Italian teacher. If they did, she might get an “A”, but instead will get a “C” in French. Here her A grade may reflect less on the school than a C grade does. The school “fails” if she gets a C, but “succeeds” if she gets an A. Here, the rigidity of the curriculum and assessment models reflect neither the individual nor her teachers.
Hazel is 8 and a bookworm. She devours books and loves to talk about them, be they stories, science, geography or history. How does assessing her reading against a narrow range of books tied to specific topics demonstrate her strengths and interests? She is fascinated by space and is reading teenage books on the subject.
Every teacher I’ve met could tell me similar stories about the children they have taught.
I think it’s important also to think about what this might say about professional development of teachers.
Geoff teaches French. He speaks a little Spanish and has picked up some Greek on holidays. Using my Duolingo example above, why would it not be possible for him to develop language skills in other languages as part of his own development? It could be built around his personal responsibilities for family and leisure activities – again stage, not age. For the school, the ability to widen its language portfolio could be a valuable asset.
Similar models might help a chemistry teacher improve his understanding of, say, biology. Imagine a personal development plan where teachers agreed to 5,000 points a year of personal development, rather than 10 days, which may be difficult to manage and pressure of time may make ineffective.
None of this would be easy, or quick. But building assessment into the learning, rather than a bolt-on much later, could free teacher time to better use.
So many children are let down, in my opinion, by the current system that I will be disappointed if all we end up doing is replacing one set of exams by another with a rigid exam system and season. I’ve known children affected by divorce, hay fever, asthma and death of a parent, as just a few examples, whose grades did not reflect either their abilities or effort, or the ability and commitment of their teachers. Even worse, the month a child is born still has effects on grades at secondary school.
So, the real challenge is whether this would be more inclusive or not.
Here I can sit on both sides of that argument and remain undecided on how to optimise the system. My one observation is that from a young age, gaming is part of children’s lives across a wider social spectrum than is current societal expectation of schools. When a child gets stuck at Level 7, their friends will often help or share ideas. There is both competition and collaboration at work. Both are valuable adult skills.
Finally, the rich data from this approach could enhance the role of teachers as researchers and create a stronger culture of action research within education at school and college level. For me, this allows the creation of a record of achievement that allows for “partial” subjects, not just a few. A school visit to a museum, for instance, could have a quiz that is incorporated into the child’s records. After-school activities might also benefit from this approach. I visited a school some years ago that had an astronomy group. They were sharing topics and materials with other schools. That collaborative learning between teachers and schools was interesting to observe. Yet, there was limited recognition within the current system for that personal development.
A new year begins after two of the most difficult times any of us have experienced in our adult lives. Thank you all, for your effort and commitment.
Change is coming: let’s make it work for all learners, be they teachers or students.
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Posted By Sandy Paley,
08 September 2021
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Sandy Paley, NACE Associate and Executive Headteacher of Toot Hill School, shares key lessons learned from the teacher assessed grades (TAG) experience of summer 2021.
The teacher assessed grades (TAG) experience initiated deep curriculum dialogue and work scrutiny in our school, which turned into a valuable learning experience for all. Unsurprisingly perhaps, it highlighted staff and students’ long-standing overreliance on specifications and mark schemes – often limiting the development of wider knowledge and understanding, and its confident flexible use in a range of situations, not just in specification-driven assessment tasks and examinations. The impact of such focused professional dialogue clearly showed that school leaders should seek to hold more explicit curriculum and pedagogical conversations with subject leaders, particularly focused on true cognitive challenge within a transformative curriculum, as a vehicle to ongoing teacher development.
Key lessons learned from the TAG experience:
- Greater empowerment and training of teachers to be confident owners and enactors of their curriculum, rather than implementors of a specification, is required. Left underdeveloped, this is so limiting for all, particularly the most able at KS5, before embarking on more expert undergraduate study. Brave decisions should be encouraged around what is considered ‘important knowledge and understanding’ in a subject curriculum, with teachers improving their clarity on what should then be assessed and why.
- More able students benefit greatly from frequent learning checks beyond that of surface, recall knowledge, including application and depth of understanding, often well beyond an examination mark scheme.
- Flexible thinking and cognitive resilience should be deliberately developed, through the skilful selection of deeper learning opportunities for the most able students. This must move beyond ‘more of the same’ and additional ‘surface knowledge’, to deeper understanding of and diverse application of knowledge through wider lenses and study beyond set content; and should subsequently be assessed as such, not narrowed in its assessment by adhering to examination board mark schemes. Best practice involved assessment opportunities with a truly enriched focus on ‘doing so much more with less’. This was particularly evidenced with the most able at KS5.
- Increased levels of home/school contact, particularly focused on subject-specific information, wider opportunities and support, should be maintained and further considered. This will continue to improve parental awareness of their children’s ability and the unique challenges encountered by the most able students, as well as the opportunities available to them.
The perfectionist attribute that we see in many of our more able students did lead to additional worry during this period. Common concerns included:
- Periods of uncertainty about the nature of the exam season and evidence-gathering opportunities, fuelled noticeably by over-analysis of online speculation and over-scrutiny of exam board materials when released, revealing a real fear if teachers appeared to veer away from this.
- Course content that was perceived as ‘missed’ or not taught live in school, and the impact that would have not just on final grades but on student ability to be successful in further study.
- Grade inflation and the potential impact on university offers and the perceived validity of grades this year, and in the future.
This does highlight the need for us to focus on explicitly developing more able students’ self-awareness, regulation and confidence, and workload and wellbeing management, through our more able programmes.
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Posted By Claire Robinson,
08 September 2021
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Claire Robinson, NACE Associate and Challenge Award Assessor, and Headteacher of Holme Grange School, calls for recognition and celebration of the achievements of young people completing GCSEs or other qualifications in 2021.
As GCSE and A-Level results were released this year, it was inevitable that there would be publicity and opinion around them. Criticism often came from those outside the sector, passing judgement on a system which they have never experienced themselves, as educator or student.
Schools all over the country were put through possibly a more rigorous process of testing and evidence gathering this year, because it was inevitable that the validity would be questioned. Evidence required to justify grades was collected and the random inspection by examination boards that schools were subject to, meant that there was no place for complacency.
We should not underestimate young people. They know if they deserve their results and they also take responsibility for the efforts they put in. If they have been given a grade, it is because they deserved to be awarded it. Allow them to celebrate and let’s recognise the time and energy that teachers gave to make sure the results awarded were fair and beyond reproach.
A year like no other… yet much the same
A student’s success at GCSE is not reflected solely in their grades. GCSEs open the door to the next stage of a young person’s educational journey. If grades awarded result in gaining access to courses which would not otherwise have been accessible, a student will not succeed. No school is going to set their students up for future failure.
Pupils may not have sat official public examinations this year, but were arguably put through a more rigorous ‘testing’ system, and teachers continued to do what they always do: challenge and support their pupils to allow them to achieve the best they possibly can and meet their potential. Had visits been permitted to schools, many would have possibly wondered whether the examinations were in fact still being held, as we continued to provide an environment that allowed students to experience the examination system for which they had all been prepared, and would benefit from in the future.
In previous years, where ‘mock’ examinations are usually held just before or just after the Christmas break, students have made considerable progress as the time between mock examinations and the ‘real thing’ provides opportunity to work with focus and deep analysis of what is required to improve. This continued this academic year, yet was sometimes questioned as being unfair as teachers guided, challenged and supported students – as was ever thus.
Teachers are professionals and this year their professionalism was recognised as their judgments were valued and under intense scrutiny. Switching between online and onsite teaching and quite often a hybrid of both, teachers continued to ensure their students’ needs were met – academically, socially and emotionally.
Opportunities to thrive – not just survive
Teachers know their students well and good teachers always know at what level their student is achieving and what they need to do to improve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation also provide students with an opportunity to take greater ownership of their learning and apply metacognitive skills, nurturing self-awareness and developing skills for life.
Learners construct knowledge using cognitive strategies, and they guide, regulate, and evaluate their learning using metacognitive strategies, which is where real learning occurs. Students have applied a wider range of independent learning skills over the past 18 months and ‘thought about their thinking’ in a way which possibly they may not have done in ‘ordinary’ times. The pandemic opened opportunities in our schools for students to become more skilled at using metacognitive strategies; many gained confidence and become more independent as learners. Our able learners strengthened and when the correct pastoral support was given, academic success followed.
Let us also not forget, our young people are far more than a set of grades and we should not be defining them by these anyway. It is simply just one step along the journey they make. Let us take time to say well done for a group of people, who, if we allow them, could be the healthiest, the safest, and potentially the most resilient of any generation in modern history. Pupils have learnt how to manage life’s uncertainties and we should give them credit for that.
The world of education is one which has always, and is likely to always be, one which is open to others' opinions and ideas on how to make it better – from within the sector and from outside of it. We may have all been to school but not many have experienced school in a global pandemic! Most schools grew stronger; pupils did not simply 'survive' – many thrived because they were taught within communities that care, where professionals worked beyond all expectations to ensure children in their care continued to grow during these most testing of times.
“Just waiting to get out there and take our place in the world”
Yes, results are different this year, but let's not devalue the efforts our young people have made or that their teachers have given in order to support them. Teaching is a profession filled with people of integrity and it is also a great vocation. We have all come through one of the most challenging times in educational history; we have done so with great resilience, perseverance, professionalism and humour.
And has anyone asked the students about their thoughts and how they value their GCSEs? I finish with a quote from our head of school, a Y11 pupil in his final address to the school:
“We have been nurtured into citizens who are rounded and grounded, eager to make a positive contribution to the outside world… Not even a global pandemic can dampen our spirits, as a community we pulled together. The hours of live Zoom lessons, emails and Google Classroom notifications enabled us to continue our education in the comfort of our own homes.
“We are so much more than an educational establishment with a focus purely on academics – we are a laboratory filled with budding scientists, the next generation of ‘Michelin Star Chefs’, we are the ‘Steve Jobs’, ‘Shakespeares’, ‘Flemings’ and ‘Monets’ just waiting to get our there and take our place in the world.”
I think this is one example where expectations continued to be high, pupils continued to be challenged and to aim high, to be aspirational in their goals and supported and challenged to achieve them – as I have no doubt was echoed in schools across the country. Again, let’s celebrate what has been achieved, instead of picking fault in the young people and devaluing their efforts. This year’s GCSE students should be truly independent learners for life, as their future success will undoubtedly show.
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Posted By Christabel Shepherd,
25 March 2021
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Christabel Shepherd, NACE Vice-Chair and Curriculum Development Director
Following her live webinar for those leading on policy and provision for more able learners (full recording now available), NACE Vice-Chair and Curriculum Development Director Christabel Shepherd shares her own experience of seeing how a focus on more able can drive sustainable whole-school improvement, and the importance of embedding this understanding across the school.
In my recent live webinar for those leading on more able, I outlined the importance of developing a whole-school approach – sharing examples of what it might look in practice and guidance on how to develop, coordinate and embed such an approach.
There is often a misconception that supporting more able learners is solely the responsibility of the more able lead/coordinator. This is not the case. Whilst the more able lead will advocate for the more able, oversee policy and monitor and evaluate provision, this doesn’t happen in isolation. Everyone in school has a role to play in championing more able learners and in developing a clear vision for them. Fundamentally all should have an agreed understanding of the “who and why”, which in turn leads to professional dialogue and planning around the “what and how”. Delivering that vision is therefore everyone’s responsibility. This is why it is so important for the more able coordinator to have a clear understanding of his/her role and clarity around where others will support. A good starting point for this is NACE’s “ leading on more able” resource collection.
With this in mind, what would a truly whole-school approach entail for each staff member?
Roles and responsibilities
- Headteacher/SLT: more able leadership must come from the top; key curriculum and pedagogy principles for more able learners should be embedded in school policies, planning, monitoring and evaluation cycles; appropriate support, resourcing and CPD should be in place.
- More able lead: the more able lead coordinates the approach across the school, working alongside colleagues at all levels to ensure the needs of more able learners are understood and met. This may include mentoring other staff members, forging relationships with external partners, sharing relevant research, best practice and CPD opportunities, and coordinating school-wide audit and evaluation of more able provision.
- Subject leaders: subject leaders should ensure there is a clear and shared understanding of high ability and high-quality challenge in their subject, including guidance on identification and tracking of more able learners (including underachieving/potentially more able) in the subject, and ensuring appropriate provision is in place.
- Teaching and support staff: all teaching and support staff should be aware of the school’s policy for more able learners, understand the importance of high-quality provision for the more able and its wider impact, and be equipped and supported to deliver high-quality provision for the more able within a school culture of challenge for all. Teachers should also be clear about the need and mechanisms for assessing the achievement of more able learners and how to feed such assessment information back into teaching.
The wider impact of a focus on more able
During the webinar I also shared my own experience of seeing how a focus on improving provision for the more able has a much wider impact. At Copthorne Primary School, of which I am currently Executive Headteacher (formerly Headteacher), the school has had outcomes well above the national average, despite being in an area of high deprivation and with a vast majority of learners speaking English as an additional language. I believe this is because of our continuing commitment to and focus on improving provision the more able.
When you focus on the more able and you teach to the top, it raises standards and aspirations for all. It makes both students and staff look at things completely differently. This approach has the power to transform the whole school culture: energising, empowering, and embedding a commitment to research-informed, quality-first teaching for all. I have seen this transformation first-hand.
This whole-school approach permeates all of NACE’s resources and support for schools, including the NACE Challenge Framework©, NACE Curriculum Audit© and the newly developed NACE Assessment Audit©. All offer a lens through which to ensure the needs of the more able are understood and addressed at whole-school and departmental levels, while raising standards across the board.
With over 30 years’ experience of teaching in both primary and secondary settings, Christabel Shepherd is currently Executive Headteacher of Bradford’s Copthorne Primary and Holybrook Primary Schools. As a member of NACE’s senior team, she plays a leading role in the development and delivery of training for those leading on more able policy and practice.
Additional resources and support
- Resource collection: Leading on more able – explore our full collection of resources for those leading on more able – including updated guidance and resources to support review and development of school policy in this area.
- Recorded webinar: Leading more able policy and provision in your school – the full recording of Christabel Shepherd’s recent webinar is available to purchase for just £100, exploring the themes covered in this blog post in greater detail.
- On-demand modular courses – flexible recorded CPD modules to support those leading on more able, and for use in wider training across the school; including a focus on the role of the more able lead, identification, curriculum audit, planning for challenge and more.
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Posted By Jon Murphy,
17 March 2021
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Does your school have a dedicated link governor for more able learners? If so, are you using this role to full effect? If not, how could you benefit from and effectively develop this role?
In this blog post, NACE Associate Jon Murphy – a former teacher governor representative, headteacher governor (ex officio), clerk to governing bodies for seven years, and currently chair of a primary school governing body – explains the benefits of the more able link governor role and shares advice for effective implementation.
Great school governing bodies are not at arms-length; they are hands-on. School leadership is done with them, not to them. Strong governing bodies are acutely aware of the differentiation between their leadership role, the day-to-day management responsibilities of the headteacher, and the fine dividing line that enables them to work in harmony.
Prior to March 2020, visitor registers reflect the considerable amount of time governors spent in school, often in their link governor role. Blank pages for last year’s entries are testament to the impact of national lockdown measures on the many people who enhance and enrich life of a school.
Media platforms such as Teams and Zoom have thrown us a lifeline, boosting our mental wellbeing by keeping family, friends and the wider world in touch. For school governing bodies, these platforms provide a virtual route into school, enabling them to carry out their core school leadership function. However, even though we have been grateful for the contact video conferencing has given us, not being able to physically visit schools has narrowed the full contributions school governors are able to give. One of the key roles that has suffered most has been that of the link governor, the nature of which is hands-on and school-based.
However, the much talked-about tunnel light is now shining brighter and growing larger. Soon, under careful risk assessment management, governors will again be signing the visitor register and crossing classroom thresholds.
Earlier this term the DfE published an updated guide to external reviews of school governing bodies in England. It cites reasons for a review, including to help the governing body be more skilled, focused and effective; to be confident that it has a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities; to have the right number of skilled and committed governors to meet the needs of the school or academy; and to hold school leaders to account for improving outcomes for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.
As schools re-open to all learners, it seems timely to refresh our memories of the key purpose of link governors and how they contribute to continuous school improvement and the raising of standards.
Appointing a more able link governor: what, why and how to get started
The primary role of the more able link governor is to provide a conduit between the governing body and the school, to collaboratively monitor how strategy translates into practice, and ultimately the impact policy has on the raising of standards for more able learners.
It is not a mandatory requirement for a school governing body to appoint one of its members to the position of more able link. However, most appreciate the value and benefit for more able learners that this more operational governor role brings to the school.
School governing bodies are most effective when they undertake an interests and skills audit to enable them to best deploy their members to specific roles. Interests and skillsets of individual governing body members should be carefully considered when allocating them to a specific link role. Aligning the skills of an individual to the area they are supporting will directly impact on the success and effectiveness of that person in the role of link governor.
Guidance for more able link governors: how to be effective in the role
Seek out opportunities for continuing professional development
More able strategy and operation in school is diverse. Understanding the extent of its reach and the depth of its provision can prove a challenge to the non-initiated or non-educationalist. In undertaking preparation for this role, it is advisable that appropriate professional development is undertaken. Many governor services offer excellent CPD on curriculum provision and specific areas such as more able and ALN/SEND, often facilitated by school-based staff.
In best practice, the school’s more able lead will make presentations at governing body meetings on provision the school makes for more able learners. These presentations are an excellent first-hand source of expertise, information and experience. To be fully effective the link governor should grasp professional development opportunities which will enable them to keep abreast of local and national developments (particularly significant in Wales at present, with the pace of reform and the inception of the new Curriculum for Wales).
Develop your knowledge and understanding of school data
Data training is an important part of the induction of a new governor. Prior to classroom visits, a great deal can be learnt about the impact of a school’s more able provision by looking at and understanding what data is saying about the performance of the cohort of more able learners. In its raw numerical form data gives an overview of performance, but it is at its most useful when accompanied with a commentary explaining patterns, trends, comparisons and reasons – not excuses – for performance.
Governors should never react to data but they should think about it. Data is at its most useful and powerful when it is used to generate questions. A thorough knowledge and understanding of data allows governors to undertake one of their core responsibilities: to hold the leadership team to account and to challenge standards and performance.
The more able link governor should be aware that data generally only covers “academic” subjects, and that provision for the more able extends far beyond just academic achievement. NACE’s approach is to look beyond definitions that focus solely on academic achievement, “to include those who may be underachieving or whose skills and knowledge may extend beyond national measures of progress and attainment.” Understanding the school’s target-setting processes provides another source of data and can say a lot about a school’s aspirations and ambitions for more able learners. Establish strong and positive relationships with school staff
As with any link governor position, establishing a working relationship with the more able coordinator and teachers based on mutual trust and transparency will determine the success of the role. Sensitivity to the perception that staff have when the link governor is invited into the classroom is critical. Teachers must see the purpose of a link governor as a source of support and as a critical friend, not as an inspector. Do not approach the task in terms of “I am…” but instead “I will…”. For example: “I will look forward to learning from you and supporting you in further developing provision for our more able learners.”
Following adequate preparation to undertake the role of more able link governor, the first port of call for staff contact would be with the school’s more able lead/coordinator. Initial discussions should focus on the more able policy that has been adopted (or not, as may be the case) by the school governing body. A valuable insight can be gained about how, when and by who the policy was developed. Discussions will focus on how the more able coordinator ensures that policy and strategy translate into practice within the classroom. Ownership of policy is directly linked to its effectiveness and the more able link governor has a vested interest in becoming one of the co-owners.
A governor new to the link role should approach their first learning walk or classroom visits as an informal awareness-raising exercise, an opportunity to talk to staff, to get to know them, and to learn about the different strategies and methods used to provide for the more able. Until you know what the practice is, you can’t start to make contributions to support and develop it. First impressions on initial classroom visits are critical in establishing a good working relationship between the link governor and school staff. Positivity opens doors; negativity closes them.
Undertake regular monitoring through visits and discussions
As the more able link governor builds experience, confidence and staff trust gained from the initial awareness-raising visits, they can start to extend their more formal monitoring responsibilities. Monitoring of provision and standards is an important function of the link governor. Learning walks and classroom visits will allow a well-informed link governor to monitor how well policy is being implemented.
Visits should not be ad hoc; the purpose of classroom visits should be carefully planned and focused. Provision for the more able is extensive; it touches most areas of curriculum delivery and wider aspects of school life. The more able link governor should let staff know the purpose and focus of their visit so staff can prepare and share best practice. During the classroom visit only the agreed focus should be monitored; it is important not to be distracted from that focus. Staff trust can easily be lost if a link governor comments on aspects of practice that are not part of the agreed focus.
Discussions with teachers provide a measure of how consistently policy is being delivered. Importantly, listening to pupil voice is a key priority as part of the monitoring process and will give a strong indication as to the impact policy is making on individual learners. Discussions with parents can be valuable, and where held, governors’ annual meetings provide a vehicle to listen to the parent voice and to gain their opinion on the provision made for their more able child. Through stakeholder discussion, monitoring allows the link governor to understand any pressures or barriers (budgets, lockdown!) that may affect implementation of policy.
Recognise and celebrate good practice
We all thrive on praise and the proverbial pat on the back is always most welcome. Praise can be a self-fulfilling prophesy (and teachers can be their own worse critics). Tell someone they are doing a great job and they aspire to do even better! Learning walks and classroom visits provide that face-to-face opportunity to acknowledge hard work and good practice. Link governors are the conduit between the staff, and at times, an otherwise faceless governing body. They are ideally placed to acknowledge, thank and celebrate a job well done by committed and dedicated staff.
Report back to support whole-school review and improvement
Following a learning walk, classroom visit, or listening to stakeholders, the link governor should prepare a brief bullet point report for feedback to either a governor’s sub-committee (e.g. teaching and learning sub-committee) or to the whole governing body. In no way should reports be personalised and name individual members of staff; they should be based on how well policy is being applied and its impact on the provision that is being made. When any report is more widely shared with governors, there should be no surprises for staff.
Full governing body meetings provide an ideal platform for the more able coordinator to champion the provision the school makes for more able learners and to make the case for the further allocation of budget and resources. The strength of a governing body lies in the sum of its parts and each link governor constitutes a part of the whole. When each feeds back their observations, the full governing body gains an invaluable evaluation into how effectively their strategic lead and policy development is impacting on raising standards for learners.
There is a direct correlation between well-informed and strategically effective governing bodies and the work undertaken by their link governors. Each governor link role adds value to school improvement. It is incumbent on each link governor to do the best possible job they can: “a chain is as strong as its weakest link”. We get out of bed in the morning to make a difference, and the difference a well-informed and skilled link governor can make to the learning opportunities for more able learners is indisputable. In my own link governor role, I for one look forward to when we can walk back through the school gates again, alongside staff and pupils, to make a difference together.
Additional reading and support:
Ask NACE... Could you benefit from additional guidance in establishing or developing your school’s more able link governor? Whether you are newly creating this role, or keen to develop its impact, our “Ask NACE” service offers 1-2-1 support bespoke to your individual needs and school context. Find out more.
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Posted By Jamie Kisiel,
14 June 2019
Updated: 05 August 2019
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The NACE Challenge Award is far more than just a certificate or tick-box exercise, as Jamie Kisiel, Teaching and Learning Coordinator at NACE member Langley School explains…
Our decision to pursue accreditation with the NACE Challenge Award was originally generated from a surprising (to the school) target identified by the ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate). Our 2017 ISI report found that “more able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged to fulfil their academic potential”, generating a target to “ensure that all lessons provide sufficient challenge for more able pupils so that they are provided more opportunity to explore concepts and exploit their potential.”
The above was contrary to the school's efforts to increase rigour and challenge in the curriculum. So, following a review of strategic planning options, we decided that, although we had been working on challenge, we had not been doing enough to make a material impact. We decided to pursue the NACE Challenge Award, which would give us a framework to intrinsically address these targets as well as providing a wider vehicle for change.
1. Clear structure for school review and improvement
The NACE Challenge Framework provides a structure for schools seeking the NACE Challenge Award – but more importantly it offers a blueprint to build and drive challenge initiatives forward, developing a challenging academic environment for all. The Framework is categorised into six key elements which combine to ensure high-quality provision for more able learners, within the context of challenge for all. Through our focus on Element 3 (which relates to curriculum, teaching and support), a strategy to embed the Framework and develop a challenge initiative soon emerged.
2. Improve the quality of challenge for all learners
“A rising tide lifts all ships” – Joseph Renzulli.
Improving provision for the more able opens the doors of opportunity. The NACE Challenge Development Programme has given us a structure to introduce and maintain high-quality provision at whole-school, teaching and support levels. By emphasising challenge for all learners, including those with high abilities, a philosophy of enquiry and investigation can be nourished. A positive culture of learning continues to grow and develop, with opportunities to challenge mindset creating a more dynamic approach.
3. Challenge for staff, as well as students
The Challenge Framework requires that schools focus on developing challenge both for learners and for staff. This two-pronged approach helps to embed an ethos of challenge that permeates within and beyond the classroom. Staff are encouraged to become reflective practitioners and explore ways to professionally challenge themselves, whether it be through action research projects or coaching/mentoring programmes. This facilitates a symbiotic relationship where both students and staff work through the emotional struggles and triumphs by pushing personal boundaries, developing empathy in the process.
4. Develop in-school action research
The Challenge Framework provides a structured audit process that clearly identifies areas for improvement. Within these areas, schools can develop professional enquiries to address identified issues and investigate potential solutions and strategies for improvement. Regardless of size and scope, action research projects can provide practitioners with excellent opportunities for professional development that are tailored to an area of interest and bespoke to the school’s context and priorities. These investigations can be supported and shared through the NACE Research and Development Hubs – which offer regional-level guidance and support for practitioners conducting research with a focus on provision for more able learners.
5. Professional networking and peer support
Along the journey towards Challenge Award accreditation (and beyond), NACE offers a wide range of support, including formal training and INSET as well as opportunities to connect with peers. Free networking days such as the NACE member meetup I attended in Oxford last term have proved invaluable – offering a platform to generate and exchange ideas with likeminded practitioners, and an opportunity to establish contacts. These networks can then be used to create links across schools to benefit both students and staff. Many schools that have achieved the Challenge Award are very open to collaboration and support, whether through resources or observation days.
Find out more…
The NACE Challenge Award is an accreditation given to schools evidencing school-wide high-quality provision for more able learners, based on the detailed criteria of the NACE Challenge Framework. Both are part of the Challenge Development Programme, which also offers bespoke CPD and consultancy for schools seeking to improve their provision in this area. To find out more, click here or contact NACE to discuss available support and next steps for your school.
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Posted By Ann McCarthy,
05 June 2018
Updated: 22 December 2020
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Tired of collecting, recording, testing and reporting? Ahead of her upcoming workshop "Using data to inform learning and secure high achievement", NACE associate Dr Ann McCarthy shares five ways to ensure your use of data is much more than just a tick-box exercise…
Historically many schools have had reputations for collecting silos of data, which had no apparent use. Criticisms have included the fact that demands have been made for teachers to collect and record data, with only a fraction of that information being used to report on overall school effectiveness. Concerns about teachers’ workload have led to questions about the quantity and relevance of testing, marking, data recording and reporting activities.
However, most schools now understand that there is a place for data – as long as it is meaningful, targeted, and leads to positive actions in support of effective teaching and learning. Here are five ways to make use of data to improve provision for more able learners…
1. Focus on the individual.
All activities related to data collection should focus on the individual. Often we have a particular perception about what counts as “data”, but in fact all information collected in relation to any individual can be classified as data – whether this is qualitative or quantitative. Data collection should focus on supporting the creation of a learning environment in which individuals are able to demonstrate their learning, share what they know and can do, and have opportunities to take their learning forward. Teachers need to know what information and support learners require to achieve this. More able learners will then grow in skills and experience, take risks, extend their learning and take control.
2. Empower learners through data-sharing.
Teachers should share relevant data and information with learners, including the planned success criteria and measures – empowering learners to take control of their own learning. Collaboratively, teachers and learners should assess progress, taking steps to accelerate learning or overcome barriers to help learners understand and develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful and move forward as expert learners.
3. Draw on data to enhance classroom practice.
Teachers need information to be effective. They need to know what learners already know and can do, and the body of knowledge needed by learners to flourish in the future. This is supported by a strategic understanding of the curriculum and age-related expectations, as well as the ability to plan for the development of subject-specific knowledge and critical enquiry. Classroom practice is enhanced when teachers and leaders work together with the available data to develop consistently high-quality classroom provision, which remains focused on learners as individuals.
4. Share data to support professional development.
A challenge for teachers is to interpret subject-specific criteria and provide the best possible learning opportunities which will extend more able learners. Through the use of challenging and explicit learning objectives, teachers are better equipped to measure the impact of their work and refine their practice. Teachers should be given opportunities to develop their own subject knowledge so they have the confidence to deliver an aspirational curriculum. Through the use of high-quality shared and transparent data everyone can work together, provide collaborative support and raise expectations of what can be achieved. Through a shared ambition and supportive culture, data can be used effectively and constructively to improve professional practice.
5. Track data to promote raised expectations.
The performance of both individuals and groups of learners should be analysed and understood in order to ensure effective provision and support for continued challenge and growth. Data can be used to track the progress of individuals, groups and classes so that early action is taken to support teachers and learners. Excellent teaching should also be promoted and acknowledged. Through a focus on the routine use of data to inform the impact of teaching on each individual learner, expectations will rise and overall school outcomes will improve year on year. Through raised expectations there is clarity about what the school does well and must still achieve, precision in the activities that follow and rigour in the way this is undertaken.
Dr Ann McCarthy has been a NACE associate since 2017, with a focus on developing the charity’s more able school review work, guidance on the use of data to support more able provision, and action research programme. She is currently Improvement Director for a multi-academy trust, and has extensive experience in coaching, training and consultancy, as well as teaching and leadership roles in both primary and secondary schools.
Find out more…
The NACE Essentials guide to using data to improve provision for more able learners is now available via the members’ area of our website. Log in to access your free copy, or join NACE to access all member benefits and resources.
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Posted By NACE,
01 May 2018
Updated: 09 April 2019
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Estyn’s latest MAT thematic report, Supporting more able and talented pupils – How best to challenge and nurture more able and talented pupils: Key stages 2 to 4, examines standards, provision and leadership in meeting the needs of more able and talented (MAT) learners in primary and secondary schools in Wales.
Following on from Welsh Government’s announcement of fresh funding to support MAT learners, the report underscores the need for a renewed focus on MAT provision. It also provides clear guidance on and examples of effective provision and practice – including many drawn from NACE members and Challenge Award-accredited schools.
Here are 7 key takeaways for schools…
1. Strong leadership at all levels is at the core of effective MAT provision.
The quality of MAT provision and standards achieved is dependent on leadership with a clear vision for MAT and an emphasis on improving standards and provision through highly successful whole-school approaches and strategic planning, together with monitoring and evaluation which ensures that provision meets the needs of MAT learners.
2. Support for MAT learners should consider overall wellbeing, as well as academic factors.
Success in school relies on learners having belief in themselves, persistence and positive attitudes to learning. At NACE, we promote a range of approaches which can support all MAT learners in developing these attributes alongside effective learning for high achievement.
3. Strong subject knowledge underpins high-quality teaching and learning for MAT learners.
Teaching MAT learners effectively requires strong subject knowledge and an understanding of effective MAT pedagogy which deploys a wide teaching repertoire and skilful use of practices such as questioning and assessment.
4. Effective provision is grounded in high expectations and broad and varied learning opportunities.
High expectations correlate strongly with learners’ motivation and achievement, as does learning which enables them to develop to a very high level in academic, sporting, creative and technological skills.
5. Stimulating and challenging learning experiences should be planned with the specific needs and abilities of MAT learners in mind.
Teaching and learning activities should promote learners’ independence, problem-solving, decision-making, thinking and evaluative skills effectively and also develop literacy, numeracy or ICT skills to a high level.
6. Robust analysis of performance, monitoring and target-setting approaches informs effective MAT provision.
This includes clear and systematic procedures for the identification of prior attainment, current achievements and strengths using a wide range of information; the setting of appropriately challenging targets and learning experiences; and monitoring and tracking progress and achievements over time.
7. Staff professional development must support effective provision for MAT learners.
Teachers are at the heart of effective MAT provision. This is at the heart of NACE’s core principles and informs our approach to supporting schools. With a well-established track record in contributing to national policy, guidance and practice in Wales, we are currently strengthening and extending our work in all Welsh regions around the key issues highlighted by Estyn and the Welsh Government MAT policy.
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Posted By Tom Hague,
04 September 2017
Updated: 03 November 2020
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At the 2017 Pupil Premium Awards, NACE member Fullhurst Community College was celebrated as a regional champion for its success in raising attainment for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Deputy principal Tom Hague, who oversees the school’s pupil premium strategy, outlines the key factors behind this success.
While innovative, our approach to pupil premium is also simple, in that it’s grounded in good teaching and learning. We believe the most important factor is what goes on in the classroom, and this is backed up by research – but we also recognise the significance of other factors, such as attendance, behaviour and wellbeing. We take a “marginal gains” approach, trying to remove as many small barriers as we can for pupils, so they can do well academically.
Over half of our students qualify for pupil premium. As the majority, this group is always at the forefront of teachers’ minds, and the expectation of these pupils has to be high, because the school’s success is based on theirs. Though typically on entry our students start below the national average in terms of attainment, they still need to reach the highest levels to have the best prospects – and our disadvantaged more able learners perform above the national average for their group.
Combining external and in-school research
We use a simple software, MINTclass, to identify and track disadvantaged students. When underperformance is identified, we intervene rapidly, giving priority to these students in classroom interactions. We also ask teachers to mark these students’ work first, to ensure they receive timely feedback, and to keep them at the fore of teachers’ minds.
The data we track is not only shared with staff, but also with learners. Visual displays in each classroom show performance against targets, focusing on progress rather than attainment, with the aim of motivating students to keep improving.
Evidence from external sources is also used to inform our pupil premium strategy, including research published by organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation, DfE white papers, and the work of previous Pupil Premium Award winners. Such research has led us to run CPD on effective feedback, re-evaluate our use of teaching assistants, and even make changes to the way we reward students. However, external evidence is always approached with caution; we are aware that any single intervention will not necessarily work in every context.
Within school, we encourage our staff to engage in research projects, with the intention of raising standards for our students. Recent examples include a project by our Embedding Literacy Leader, evaluating the effectiveness of different reading schemes and subsequent outcomes among students. Such research is showcased in our weekly teaching and learning staff briefing, disseminated by faculty leaders, and uploaded to our staff VLE, so it informs our teaching and learning strategy going forward.
In-school research by one of our Curriculum Leaders focused on effective teaching and learning strategies for more able disadvantaged students, and identified modelling as particularly effective for this group. For example, instead of just giving students a practice paper and then marking it, we break the paper down into chunks. Students are given time to work on a section, then the teacher models the process of answering each question – showing them how the answer is arrived at, how to set it out, and so on.
The modelling approach has worked well in maths, English and science, and we plan to spread it across the whole school – not just for revision and exam preparation, but more widely. This will be one of our main strategies for all students, with a particularly high impact expected for the more able disadvantaged.
Removing barriers to achievement
Being a member of NACE has complemented our intention to continue to drive standards up for more able learners, both in the classroom and from an enrichment perspective. One such benefit of our NACE membership has been CPD, which has helped our more able coordinator to inform the planning and delivery of our More Able Programme. The online resources provided by NACE have been used across faculties within the school, and the research featured on the website has aided our development of teaching and learning for more able learners.
Part of our pupil premium funding goes towards CPD. The funding also covers our More Able Coordinator role, which focuses on support for more able disadvantaged learners, building cultural capital as well as academics. This includes a series of Year 7 projects which students present to parents each half term, and a Year 9 project with The Brilliant Club.
Careers guidance is another major focus in our support for disadvantaged more able learners, with the aim of raising their aspirations. Our full-time lead on enterprise and employability works with all students, with priority given to the more able disadvantaged to ensure they receive bespoke advice.
Beyond this, we try to remove as many additional barriers as we can. In the past year we’ve worked with the Education Endowment Foundation on a research project they were evaluating, running a project to educate our students on good sleep patterns and the importance of sleep. Another example involved reaching out to Specsavers after realising many of our students were reporting difficulties seeing the board; this led to Specsavers developing a free eye-screening kit which is now used by schools across the country.
Our recent success at the Pupil Premium Awards is recognition for the work we’re doing at every level in the school, involving all members of staff. It’s proof that the available research and guidance are effective, and that those marginal gains really add up.
Tom Hague is a deputy principal at Fullhurst Community College in Leicester. Tom leads on outcomes and curriculum, including the use of the pupil premium. Tom joined Fullhurst through the Teach First programme, and recently also completed the Future Leaders programme with Ambition School Leadership.
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Posted By Paul Dick,
03 April 2017
Updated: 22 December 2020
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Berkshire’s Kennet School recently attained its third accreditation under the NACE Challenge Award scheme, one of only a small number of schools to achieve this so far. Paul Dick, chief executive of the Kennet School Academies Trust, explains how the Award and underlying framework have helped the school raise standards for all students.
Kennet School is very proud of being only the 12th school in the country to achieve a third-time accreditation of the NACE Challenge Award.
The school is a large 11-18 academy, with 1,750 pupils on roll. It serves the “new” town of Thatcham and surrounding villages, and has almost doubled in size in the last 20 years, becoming the school of choice in a wide area. Kennet School has been rated outstanding by Ofsted from 2008-2014 and again from 2016. The intake is broadly average by most measures, and it enjoys both a Physically Disabled Resource and a Hearing Impaired Resource.
How has the Challenge Award made a difference?
We have found the Challenge Award hugely effective in raising our standards so that we gained an Ofsted outstanding rating, but also to maintain and improve further those same standards. The framework of the Award highlights the importance of a high-quality curriculum for more able children, but also one which benefits all children. Its strategic thinking and pedagogical structures are well-matched to one of our key mottos: “Better never stops”.
The Award helped us focus on ensuring that, both inside and outside the classroom, curricular and associated opportunities for all our children are second to none. Our Ofsted rating and exceptionally high scores in Progress 8 and in the Sixth Form underline the power of the NACE Challenge Award.
Planning and training key to success
I am proud of all we do, and our Challenge Award report reminds us that we have a “rich culture of celebration and achievement for all pupils, including the most able”. This is underpinned by our School Development Plan, and that is secured by the persistent and consistent commitment amongst our staff to improve their own skills and also those of our pupils.
Training for all in our academy has been key. Opportunities for high achievement within and outside the curriculum are planned for and therefore happen and are effective; such important issues are not left to chance.
Ongoing evaluation and improvement
A key strength of the Challenge Award is the fact that it identifies areas where the school can improve further, and we take these things seriously. We are considering further use of our virtual learning environment (VLE) to provide a forum for the most able, and we are considering how we can improve research techniques amongst our pupils. We also have issues to consider in the use of transactional language and mastery more generally.
As a head teacher, I commend the Challenge Award to every school. I have found it tremendously powerful at all stages of our development, in this school and in other schools where I have had management responsibilities. Whether the school needs to develop from a low Ofsted category and low achievement to a high-performing school, or go beyond the outstanding category, the framework provides the challenge, the direction and the energy for all.
Join the Challenge today!
Paul Dick is the chief executive of the Kennet School Academies Trust, and has been head of Kennet School since 1989. During this time he’s also led a number of other schools to strong positions, as well as serving on the board of the forerunner of QCA and contributing to a range of local and national developments. He won the Leadership Teaching Award for best leader in the South of England in 2000, and holds an OBE for services to education.
Find out more about the NACE Challenge Award.
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