Raising Attainment

Thursday 7th October 2010, Grange Holborn Hotel - London, 09:30 - 16:15

Raising Attainment: Overcoming Underachievement in Schools

Overview

In a modern 21st century society, young people should leave schools with the qualifications and skills to enjoy a happy and successful life. The challenge of the education system is to prepare every child to make a success of their life, developing the broader skills and knowledge that they will need for this future world. Central to this is ensuring the link between deprivation and low attainment is broken.

It is widely known that children growing up in poorer families emerge from school with significantly lower levels of educational attainment. These achievement gaps are a major contributing factor to patterns of social mobility. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s recent report Poorer children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour? (29TH March 2010) - showed that achievement gaps already exist before children have entered school. The findings suggest that effective government policies aiming to change mothers’ and children’s attitudes could help close the attainment gap between the richest and the poorest.

The National Challenge, launched in 2008, challenged schools to reach a target of 30% of all pupils achieving 5 higher grade GCSE's, including English and Maths, by 2011. With it due to end next year, this forum will give delegates the opportunity to discuss what progress has been made in raising standards in secondary schools with particular focus on those whose students are underachieving at GCSE and how best to overcome barriers to learning. A key question remains, how do we address this at a primary school level? The Improving Schools Programme, launched in March 2008, focuses on children’s learning and the skills, knowledge and understanding that teachers and headteachers need to facilitate good progress and achievement with child learners.

Teachers change lives, they have the power to inspire, be positive role models and support children through their school life. To maximise the positive effect teachers have on their pupils, there needs to be effective teacher training, giving them the skills and support to deliver a first class education whilst overcoming the barriers, which can obstruct a child’s learning. But it is not only teachers that are important; it is the workforce as a whole. Bringing together a wider range of skills professionals from support staff to school leaders will ensure that barriers to learning can be addressed and there can be early interventions in problems.

The Education and Children’s Bill, announced 25th May 2010, shows the coalition government’s commitment to raising standards in schools and bridging the educational divide between the richest and poorest pupils. The main elements of the new legislation will provide schools with the freedoms to deliver an excellent education in the way they see fit; it will ensure that head teachers are held properly to account for the core educational goals of attainment and closing the gap between rich and poor. It will also guarantee that money follows pupils, with the introduction of a pupil premium, so the poorest pupils get the help that they need.

Agenda

09:30	Registration and Coffee
10:00	Chair’s Welcome Address Roy Blatchford, Former HM Inspector of Schools, Director, National Education Trust (CONFIRMED)
10:20	Still Climbing Towards Excellence Raising attainment levels of young students: adapting the programme to: suit local circumstances to meet local needs Key success factors Sir John Rowling, Education Consultant (CONFIRMED) and Simon Barber, Head Teacher, Carshalton Boys College (CONFIRMED)
10:40	Case Study: Essex Aimhigher Raising aspirations and motivation to enter Higher Education among young people in schools, further education and workplace learning who are from under-represented groups Increasing attainment of potential university students from disadvantaged groups, so they gain the vocational qualifications and learning skills to enter higher education Strengthening progression routes into university through vocational courses, apprenticeships, whether they are delivered in schools, further education or the workplace Working in partnerships with a number of varied educational establishments in Essex to offer opportunities and experiences so students consider progressing to Higher Education Maggie Weston, Aimhigher Coordinator, Essex University (CONFIRMED)
11:00	Learning: Creative Approaches That Lift Standards Using creative approaches to learning and embedding creative styles of learning within the National Curriculum Encouraging independent thinking through open-ended questioning The importance of effective and quality leadership with management and teachers having extensive subject knowledge to support creative approaches and styles Building confidence within pupils to develop and present their own ideas with increased fluency and imagination Ensuring all pupils have developed skills in technology to enhance their creative learning Effectively preparing pupils for the next stage of their learning The Creative Partnerships Programme Patrick Leeson, Director, Education and Care, OFSTED (CONFIRMED)
11:20	Questions and Answers Session
11:35	Coffee Break and Networking
12:00	Changing Attitudes and Behaviour to Improve Disadvantaged Children’s Attainment Closing attainment gaps between the rich and poor to improve social mobility Converting aspirations and high expectations into reality The need for further research and trials to prove factors can be changed and change would improve poorer children’s learning outcomes Improving the home learning environment for poorer children – Books and reading pre-school and IT in teen years Increasing family and children’s belief in education from primary school onwards The need for interventions in pre-school and primary school Helen Barnard, Policy and Research Manager, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (CONFIRMED)
12:20	Raising Attainment with a 21st Century Workforce Delivering effective teacher training which supports teachers in providing a first class education Masters in Teaching and Learning – Improve teacher quality, raise attainment and secure a better future for children The importance of continual personal development in raising standards of pupil achievement Giving teachers the power and support to deal with badly behaved pupils Support staff – Key to allowing teachers to teach Effective leadership and management - Investors in people Senior business managers – Allowing headteachers to concentrate on teaching and learning Embedding teachers in policy making Bob Johnson, National Official - Salaries, Pensions and Conditions of Service, NASUWT (CONFIRMED)
12:40	Questions and Answers Session
13:00	Lunch and Networking
14:00	Case Study: Engaging Young People to Raise Aspirations in Secondary Schools Partnership working between 3 local schools and City of London School for Girls The Urban Scholars Intervention Programme – Raising confidence and aspirations among able but under-achieving girls in east London Aims –Increase confidence and aspirations and improve national test results Subjects studied included – Critical thinking, English, Research and Presentation and Mathematics in classes designed in partnership Brunel Able Children’s Education Centre Outcomes – Improvements in confidence and aspiration, as well as performance and attitude especially in disaffected girls Vanessa Ogden, Head Teacher, Mulberry School for Girls (CONFIRMED)
14:20	Case Study: Raising Aspirations and Attainment Primary School - Kingsholm Primary School Setting up a university within the school to raise attainment and aspirations Bringing the whole school together to celebrate the skills they have learnt Running a series of programmes / modules such a graphic design, money management and radio production Building self confidence, self esteem and leadership skills Impact – higher attainment in literacy and numeracy Sharon Smith, Head, Curriculum, Kingsholm C of E Primary School (CONFIRMED)
14:55	Coffee Break and Networking
15:15	Case Study: City Academy Bristol – How do Academies Raise Attainment? Background – The Academy serves the 19th most economically deprived ward in England and Wales It is located in a New Deal for Communities Area Is at the centre of regeneration initiatives designed to raise attainment and support access to employment in the local area Results – 96% of students achieve at least 5 GCSE's An achievement and incentive scheme which includes a bursary for students progressing to university A specialist sports college promoting students to aspire to be sportsmen and women Working collaboratively with Bath University to provide progression routes Is a finance academy working in partnership with Careers Academy UK to promote financial capability Commitment to learning though the development of a professional learning community Ray Priest, Principal, City Academy Bristol (CONFIRMED)
15:35	Supporting Young People’s Learning The role of the YPLA Working with partners to secure seamless learning pathways from pre-16 to post-19 What the data tells us about trends in participation The Challenges - How to improve participation and attainment Collaborative working to improve outcomes for children Supporting local authority leadership to develop coherent, integrated and responsive services for all young people Providing financial provision for young learners Peter Lauener, Chief Executive, Young Peoples Learning Agency (CONFIRMED)
15:55	Questions and Answers Session
16:15	Chairs Summary and Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates attending this forum will be from the central and local government departments, councillors, senior officers, policy makers, NHS care and support providers and service managers with responsibility for the issues associated with child social care including: HR and personnel teams, service users and carers, disability groups and charities, recruitment and retention managers, social workers, private sector social care providers, residential care providers, trade union representatives, training organisations and consultants, local education authorities, social inclusion officers, teaching unions, and the third sector.