Pioneer School for Professional Standards and Digital Competence Framework

Lindsey Hastings Assistant Head • Ysgol Bryn Elian is an 11-18 school with approximately 900 pupils on roll, 165 of whom are 6th formers. The school serves the community to the East of , comprising , , Llysfaen and surrounding areas. In addition, a significant number of pupils travel to the school from outside its immediate catchment area. The overwhelming majority of pupils come from English-speaking homes. • Ysgol Bryn Elian is renowned for the care and individual support provided for pupils. Examination results are consistently above the national average in all Key Stages. • Ysgol Bryn Elian is served by a dedicated and highly professional teaching staff, numbering approximately 55. • Our recent Estyn inspection in October 2015 grade us as Good and Excellent and we are a Green school.

DCF Pioneer School • Staff informed through a Whole Staff Briefing. This was followed by in house training and many staff opted to continue in their own Professional Development. • Developing the DCF over the first 12 months. • DCF outreach to schools and other stakeholders. • Developing classroom materials. Developing DCF over the first 12 months. • Strand 4 – Data and Computational Thinking. • Most challenging strand in the view of the majority of schools to deliver. • Focus on ensuring it’s not all about computer programming, but solving problems logically.

Outreach to schools and other stakeholders Presentations to primary and secondary schools to explain the DCF. Sessions with the cluster schools to embed the DCF in their programmes of study. Visited universities to explain the DCF to trainee teachers. NQT session and workshop at Ysgol Bryn Elian. Classroom Materials • Developing materials that highlight the individual strands. • Taken this further to develop materials that cover a number of elements/strands. • 21st June – delivering a workshop at the National Digital Learning Event in Swansea on mobile application prototyping. • Over the next year, we plan to continue planning more materials for the classroom to support staff across Wales, to build confidence and to give them the tools to deliver the DCF in their schools. • https://t.co/d6ASlivD6b • www.twitter.com/DCF_Cymru

Professional Standards Pioneer • On return in September, staff were informed of our status as a Pioneer School for Professional Standards. • Staff were given a brief overview of what this involved and how to get involved.

Pedagogy

Collaboration Leadership

Innovation Professional Learning

Working as one…to secure effective pedagogy

9 Trials • Trial 1 - Use the student voice to review 2 of the standards. • Trial 2 - SLT Discussion to establish understanding, implementation and measure of the standard. • Trial 3 - Whole school INSET – Presentation on the ethos behind the standards and how they link to teaching, learning and Donaldson. Discussions in Departments of 3 Pedagogy standards. • Trial 4 – Collaboration between HoD and RQT to create, implement and evaluate a SoW based on 3 standards.

• Trial 1 – Standards Focus

• The teacher works to ensure that learners appreciate how high-quality product and performance outcomes lead to improved learning and improved habits of well-being. • Learners are enabled to understand how their focus upon personal well-being and their drive for appropriate outcome, medium and quality has impact in terms of usefulness for the purpose and audience. and • Reflection with learners is planned by the teacher as a natural part of the learning experience and leads learners to consider their behaviour and outlook. • Evaluation of learning looks at all aspects; the products, quality, development of learning, aspects avoided, and the extent to which the four purposes are addressed within reflection on the learning exhibited. From this there is a natural focus on the future behaviours necessary to be extended as a learner.

Influencing learners…building positive learner disposition

Sustained high End of performance Induction QTS

12 • Lindsey Hastings from Ysgol Bryn Elian, Hayley Blackwell from Ysgol Eirias and Sixth Form Representatives from both schools discussed the way in which these standards might be evident from classroom practice and whether they think they are useful standards for teachers to have to enhance pedagogy and pupil outcomes.

Summary of Findings from Trial 1 • Year 13 learners from two schools were selected to take part in a discussion of two of the standards. They were chosen as they are close to the age of starting at University so they were able to provide a point of view with no prior knowledge of the standards. They were also able to suggest ways in which they believed the standards could be assessed and measured in terms of what they would practically expect to see in the classroom. • Overall, learners felt that the standards were quite wordy and sometimes difficult to interpret and understand. However, they appreciated that their understanding may change as they got older. • They really liked to idea of autonomy and focussing on individual areas of progression.

Trial 2 – Standards Focus • The teacher actively supports the work of the phase or department and begins to demonstrate an awareness of the range of processes and skills involved. • Perceptive and positive contributions are made where necessary to support the work of the school wherever it is needed using expertise and experience to fulfil the aims of the school.

Leadership

Sustained high performance End of Induction QTS Leading colleagues, projects and programmes

16 • Standards and points for discussion were issued to SLT a week prior to discussion. • Leadership team: • Mair Herbert (Acting Head), Dave Humphreys (Deputy Head), Janet Campion (Acting Deputy Head), Allen Heard (Acting Assistant Head – Head of ICT), Rob Render (Assistant Head – Head of Maths), Annest Waters (Assistant Head – Head of Languages), Lindsey Hastings (Assistant Head – Head of English). • There is a range of expertise amongst the team.

• Questions: • Do you understand what the standard means? Are they worded correctly/easy to understand? • How easy is it to assess and measure the standard? • Is it a useful/realistic standard? • Is the progression appropriate? How long would you expect the progression to take?

• Trial 2 Outcomes: • Overall, the SLT were concerned with levels of ambiguity in the standards and the extent to which they are open to interpretation. However, after a further meeting with GWE it is clear that this is what they are designed to do. There was a general feeling of unease in terms of the fairness and equality of their application in different settings. Trial 3 – Standards Focus • There is clear evidence of sustained embedding of the four purposes for learners. • The way that the four purposes have been embedded, developed and extended is clearly articulated, with pedagogic evidence made available to colleagues.

• Records and reports accurately describe the progress made by learners, key learning needs and outline important next steps • Analysis of data and evidence enables insight and decision about provision. Records and reports enable other interest groups to efficiently recognise issues and to act accordingly

• The teacher works to ensure that learners appreciate how high-quality product and performance outcomes lead to improved learning and improved habits of well-being • Learners are enabled to understand how their focus upon personal well-being and their drive for appropriate outcome, medium and quality has impact in terms of usefulness for the purpose and audience.

Unpacking Pedagogy…fitting with ‘Successful Futures’

Refining TEACHING

Advancing Influencing LEARNING LEARNERS

21 • The purpose of the presentation was to try and link Donaldson’s Successful Futures (a presentation was given by the Acting Head on Donaldson and curriculum before the presentation and discussions on standards) to the new teaching standards. • We wanted to ascertain, from all staff, their views, opinions, recommendations and understanding of the new standards: how they interpret them and what they perceive the impact to be. • We provided each Department with some prompt questions and three standards to discuss and asked them to feedback after a discussion.

• Questions: • Do you understand what the standard means? Are they worded correctly/easy to understand? Are they open to interpretation? • How easy is it to assess and measure the standard? What kind of evidence would you expect to see in order to assess the standard? • Is it a useful/realistic standard? • Is the progression appropriate? How long would you expect the progression to take? • Can you see how the standards link to Donaldson’s Successful Futures?

Summary of Trial 3 • Overall, staff felt that the standards were another assessment measure. Even though I tried to introduce them as a guide to enhancing our own practice and improving teaching and learning, this is not the view-point of many staff. I believe their concerns lie in clarity and interpretation to ensure every teacher in every school is subject to the same measures.

• We discussed the delivery and introduction of the standards to the profession as Pioneer schools in the last meeting, emphasising that they had to be launched in a positive way to ensure they were received as a tool for highlighting areas of improvement, professional development and expertise. I have found this very hard to achieve, resulting in negative feedback. I think this is definitely something that must be achieved if we are to avoid negativity and the profession seeing the standards as a further burden and/or disciplinary tool.

Trial 4 • Rationale: to look at teaching pedagogy, designed for the digital age, in order to analyse the impact of the process towards evaluating areas for professional development, based on the new teaching standards. • Final Outcome: Create a podcast for prospective Year 7 students, giving them advice on how to stay safe on the Internet; advice on what to expect when they begin Year 7 or advice on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. • An ever developing SoW led by student needs in order to get to the end product. • Ongoing at the moment. Other • Highlighting of work for assessment. • DIRT • Data analysis for progress – GCSE. • Change Management Plan • English Committee – engage learners in topic selection • Questionnaire Year 10 – what they would like to study in Year 11. • Dialogue in books between teacher and student. • Collaboration between students. • Habits of Mind – Mentoring • Open Evening - Donaldson

• Upcoming Trials Trial 5 Marking and Assessment.

Growth Mindset research and implementation.

Create proforma for lesson observations and performance management to consider the new teaching standards.

Continue to develop, analyse and act upon YBE Cycle of Enquiry.