Newsletter Achieving Excellence Together February 2017 – Issue 24 HER CANOL DE CYMRU Curriculum for Wales CENTRAL SOUTH WALES CHALLENGE w - Our Journey Towards a Transformational Curriculum In This Issue... Andrea May, Strategic Lead for Learning and Teaching at Central South Consortium Improving Outcomes p4 Enriching Pupil As a region, our progress towards the realisation of the Experiences p5 ‘transformational curriculum’ has most certainly begun! Lead Creative Schools p6 Your response to the mantra #creatingtheclimateforchange Professional Learning has been overwhelmingly positive. Hubs p6 Research Practice Partnerships p8 Teach First Participant Insights p10 Research Corner p12 Research in the Self- Improving School System p16 Welsh Language Charter p17 Modern Foreign Languages p19 Assessment for Learning p22 Growth Mindset p22 For more information on the Central South Consortium or if you would like to contribute to For this edition, I borrow the words of the inspirational Martin this newsletter, contact us at: Luther King to help us along our journey: [email protected] or telephone 01443 827500. ‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step’. Sign up here to keep up to date with the latest news and updates This is our message to schools! from the region in our weekly school bulletin, see our Our Pioneer Network have been extremely busy, continuing the CSC blog and follow us on work on developing the curriculum, with a range of expert input. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Work has started to refine the ‘What matters’ statements and to and LinkedIn. consider the progression steps. The Professional Learning Pioneers have received further expert input from Professor Mick Waters and Professor Mark Priestly, supporting them in their next task of www.cscjes.org.uk identifying the professional learning needs of the workforce. This is not an easy job and it will require all professionals to take responsibility for their own learning and development. Why not join them in their research by reading ‘Understanding by Design’ by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The book provides a useful insight into planning for ‘Big Ideas’ and the notion of ‘Backward Design’. Many schools across the region took their first steps in the Autumn term with centrally held engagement sessions which were well attended: for some this was their next step! The New Year has started with the mobilisation of Partner schools, engaging in sessions led by Pioneer schools. These sessions have again been well attended and greeted with positivity, allowing schools to both start and continue on their own journey. In these sessions, schools have received: • key messages; • an outline of where you can find support; • activities to support you in your own school; • support for inquiry; and • direction with completing the ‘readiness tool’. All of these materials are also available on the Cronfa Knowledge Bank. We have ensured that our teams who are available to support you are also fully involved in #creatingtheclimateforchange. This includes your challenge adviser and the core strategic team. Richard Carbis, our lead for Welsh, has been busy with his blogs, highlighting the importance of Welsh language and culture. This plays a central role in the reform process; and one that we cannot afford to ignore, as there is much work to do! The Successful Futures review and the Welsh Government 2050 action plan provide the direction of travel for schools. The new Professional Standards for Teachers and Leaders set the out the challenge for the profession and the two #siarteriaith characters ‘Sbarc a Seren have been proactive within the region! Bethan Davies, our Welsh Language Charter Officer, provides us with more information in this edition. Improving my use of Welsh is a personal target; I had a great teacher and now I am receiving encouragement and support from the central team, teachers and the Headteachers I am working with to improve my confidence. Diolch yn fawr iawn! The one year sabbatical scheme is there to support practitioners. Is this something you would consider? The School Improvement Groups are thriving as they continue to work on their chosen focus as well as utilising the network to engage in the creating the climate for change work with the Pioneer school. Many are now moving their focus to the new curriculum, working collaboratively to address improvement areas they feel most appropriate to their settings. Our Hub schools continue to support through offering professional learning opportunities, free of charge, across the region. Outcomes from some of these sessions and the work of SIGs are included in this edition. This is an exciting time for education in Wales. As a region, we are well placed to embrace ‘Curriculum for Wales’ and we will continue to work with schools as we take each step on the staircase as it appears. We welcome your feedback to support us in identifying the region’s needs; your school’s needs and your needs. Completion of the ‘readiness tool’ will help us identify these, as well as recognising practice worthy of sharing across the region. There is a growing movement on Twitter to mobilise the profession in Wales to share their practice. Why not join and engage in these discussions and follow us @CSC_LT. www.cscjes.org.uk 2 These newsletters are now being organised using the 7 effective PILLARS that you will have noticed in the readiness tool. • Pedagogy • Innovating Learning Experiences • Leading Collaborative Professional Learning • Language and Culture • Assessment • Relationships and Wellbeing • Standards This will hopefully support you in your preparations, as they will give a really good flavour of what schools across the region are doing. Our next steps will be to remain focused on professional learning, leadership and pedagogy; it is these areas where we suggest your energies need to lie as we #createtheclimateforchange. As a profession, we have the power to change lives; with this, we have a responsibility to ensure that young people across the region have access to the best possible education. Together we will achieve this. The journey of a thousand miles has begun; but remember... ‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step’. Please get in touch with our Curriculum for Wales team at Central South Consortium for help and support. Debbie Lewis Andrea May Richard George Senior Lead for Strategic Adviser for Strategic Adviser for Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning Curriculum Support [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.cscjes.org.uk 3 PILLARS: Securing Improved Outcomes for All Pedagogy Jan Berry, Deputy Headteacher at Cantonian High School, Cardiff Cantonian High School was put into the category of ‘in need of significant improvement’ in February 2015 and was removed from the formal category in June 2017. Much work has been undertaken in conjunction with the LA and other partners to support and secure improved outcomes for all. These include a formal partnership with neighbouring school The Bishop of Llandaff and work undertaken with an education consultant to improve standards. Headteacher, Diane Gill, was appointed in 2016 and has successfully led the school to improved standards, year on year across all key stages. In all measures, the school now sits in at least the top 50% of similar schools. In order to achieve this success, there has been significant investment in professional development opportunities for all staff. INSET and follow up training has focused on Allison and Tharby’s core principles of challenge, explanation, modelling, practice, feedback and questioning. We are striving to establish an ethos of excellence and growth. Developing a consistent approach to behaviour management and learning and teaching through improved rules and routines was our priority – we developed our ‘Non-Negotiables’. Significant work has been undertaken on ‘planning’ to raise the bar and ensure appropriate scaffolding, thus implementing stretch and challenge for all learners – not just the more able. A key development has been to make the learning journey far more explicit. Lessons are now developed around one challenging learning objective, with the use of success criteria and mini reviews to check progress and support pupils in their understanding and knowledge of how to move forward. WELL Walls (What Excellence Looks Like) provide opportunities for both teachers and pupils to model excellent work. We endorse a growth mindset culture to support a positive learning environment. We praise effort rather than attainment (but try not to over praise). We are creating an environment in which mistakes are welcomed e.g. ‘My Favourite Mistake’. Pupils are encouraged to try hard and accept challenges, and be willing to take risks. We have focused on improving teacher and pupil feedback using positive specific and helpful advice to enable pupils to be clear about the learning gap and how to close that gap. We have planned ‘DIRT’ time (Directed Improvement Reflection Time) to allow pupils to act on feedback. We are actively developing a culture of questioning that encourages pupils to think deeply – planning for the ‘Big Questions’; we are currently trialling a range of strategies to support improved questioning. We are constantly sharing good pedagogical practice through: • Weekly Learning and Teaching Briefings • Senior and Middle Leader Learning Walks • Breakfast Teach Meets • Teacher Learning Groups – led by Lead Practitioners • Termly focused Whole School Learning and Teaching Reviews and Book Scrutinies • Teacher Coaching Programmes For more information on how the school has improved outcomes for pupils, please contact [email protected]. www.cscjes.org.uk 4 Enriching Pupil Experiences Roger Hardy, Headteacher at St Illtyd Primary, Llantwit Major Volunteers, local college students, all pupils mixed from Y3-6, ‘off timetable’ topics, Four Purpose coverage – these are all covered on a Wednesday afternoon at St Illtyd Primary in Llantwit Major.