TLF
The Key Stage 3 Centre
Manor Hall
Sandy Lane
Leamington Spa
CV32 6RD
Telephone: 01926 476720
CONTENTS LIST:
Please click on any of the following topics for information:
Foundation Subjects
Implementing the Foundation Subject Strand
The Training Modules
Auditing a Foundation Subject
Action Planning
Senior Managers' Checklist for Implementing the Foundation
Subjects
Additional Support Schools
Spring Term Courses
Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Subjects and RE
Welcome to the Key Stage 3 National
Strategy, Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Subjects (TLF) strand in
Warwickshire.
Your work as a TLF lead teacher or Senior Manager will be a key element of
the Strategy. You will be at the sharp end of the implementation chain. The
Strategy aims to make a difference to pupils experience in learning from the
ages of 11 to 14 and you will play an important role as a leading advocate.
It is vital that you provide senior managers, heads of department, teachers,
teaching assistants, technicians and governors with the information they need
to put the strategy into practice.
You will need the confidence and support of your line management structure
to implement what will be new and exciting approaches to teaching and learning.
This is an exciting opportunity to improve teaching and learning in Key Stage
3 and raise standards in foundation subjects and religious education.
The TLF Team comprises:
| John Haggett | Key Stage 3 TLF Strand Manager |
| Chris Morris | TLF Adviser |
| Dr Liz Newcombe | TLF Adviser |
| Clare Lee | TLF Adviser |
Foundation Subjects
The Key Stage 3 National Strategy
aims to raises standards by strengthening teaching and learning across the
curriculum for all 11-14 year olds. The purpose of the strand is to raise
standards by supporting and delivering high quality teaching and learning.
It aims to help teachers to become more effective so that pupils improve in
what and how they learn. To be successful implementation will need good leadership
and management, sustained commitment and strong support.
The principles for teaching and learning in the foundation subjects strand
are consistent with those informing the rest of the Strategy.
| The principle | The action |
| Focus the teaching | Plan to objectives and ensure pupils know what they are |
| Provide challenge | Set expectations and teach to them so that pupils surpass previous levels of achievement |
| Make concepts and conventions explicit | Use questioning, explaining, modelling |
| Structure the learning | Use starters and plenaries and a clear lesson structure |
| Make learning active | Provide task in which pupils make meaning, construct knowledge and develop understanding and skills through problem-solving, investigation and enquiry |
| Make learning engaging and motivating | Use stimulating activities and materials |
| Developed well-paced lessons with high levels of interaction | Use collaborative tasks and talk for learning |
| Support pupils' application and independent learning | Use prompts, frames, other forms of support and targeted intervention |
| Build reflection | Teach pupils to think about what and how they learn and involve them in setting targets for future lessons |
A key feature of the foundation subjects strand is the explicit attention it gives to the teaching of thinking skills and assessment for learning, which helps pupils to reach higher levels of attainment and become independent learners.
Implementing the Foundation Subjects Strand
The foundation subjects strand is
for all schools. In 2002-03 all schools receive funding through the Standards
Fund to enable staff to attend the LEA half-day briefing/core training on
the strand.
The foundation subjects strand is being implemented on a rolling programme
and LEAs will receive funding to provide additional support for some schools
in 2002-03. This funding is for additional training days and a development
grant for each foundation subject department. LEAs also receive funding for
foundation subjects advisers based on the number of secondary schools in the
LEA. Each adviser is expected to work with a number of foundation subject
departments in the additional support schools. Warwickshire will have three
TLF advisers.
The foundation subjects training materials are available to all schools and
can be used regardless of whether the school is receiving additional support
in 2002-03.
The development of foundation subjects should be consonant with whole school
and departmental improvement plans. The checklist for implementing foundation
subjects outlines the sequence of actions necessary to implement foundation
subjects together with the main questions schools need to consider.
The foundation subjects funding allocations are summarised below.
| Additional Support Schools | All Schools |
| Half day briefing on the Training pack in October for a senior manager and a teacher who will provide in-school training. | Half day briefing on the Training pack in October for a senior manager and a teacher who will provide in-school training. |
| Standards Fund allocation - 1 day supply cover (£145) for all schools with Key Stage 3 pupils. | Standards Fund allocation - 1 day supply cover (£145) for all schools with Key Stage 3 pupils. |
| Adviser support and in-school training for foundation subjects departments. | |
| Each adviser is funded to work with a number of foundation subjects departments. | |
| Optional Courses in the Autumn and Spring. All schools are encouraged to attend the training although supply funding is only paid to additional support schools for TLF. The courses are free. | |
| Standards Fund allocation - 8 days supply cover (£1,160) plus £450 grant per foundation subjects department. |
The Foundation Subjects Training Modules
This folder will contain 14 modules.
The modules are about teaching and learning and are organised under four themes.
These are -
· planning and assessment;
· teaching repertoire;
· structuring learning;
· knowing and learning;
Planning and assessment
1. Assessment for learning in everyday lessons
2. The formative use of summative assessment
3. From planning to teaching and learning
Teaching repertoire
4. Questioning
5. Explaining
6. Modelling
Structuring learning
7. Starters
8. Plenaries
9. Challenge
10. Engagement
Knowing and learning
11. Principles for teaching thinking
12. Thinking together
13. Reflection
14. Big concepts and skills
Each training module lasts 75 minutes and can be used as part of an INSET
day or in a twilight INSET session.
The training modules are designed to ensure that participants are:
· active;
· interactive;
· given space to consolidate thinking;
· encouraged to putting the training into practice.
Selecting Foundation Subjects Training Modules
The modules are designed to allow departments to tailor their training to
address their priorities and their identified action points. The modules may
be used flexibly and it is up to the school and department to select the modules
it most needs and decide when and how to use them. They are appropriate for
whole staff use or for smaller groups. The Key Stage 3 management group should
provide strategic guidance for their use. The table below shows examples of
how the various training modules may be linked to the principles underpinning
the Strategy.
| The principle | Examples of training module |
| Focus the teaching | 1 Assessment for learning |
| 2 The formative use of summative assessment | |
| 3 From planning to teaching and learning | |
| 11 Principles of teaching thinking | |
| 12 Thinking together | |
| 13 Reflection | |
| 14 Big concepts and skills | |
| Provide challenge | 1 Assessment for learning |
| 2 The formative use of summative assessment | |
| 9 Challenge | |
| Make concepts and conventions explicit | 4 Questionning |
| 5 Explaining | |
| 6 Modelling | |
| Structure the learning | 7 Starters |
| 8 Plenaries | |
| 9 Challenge | |
| 10 Engagement | |
| Make learning active | 4 Questioning |
| 9 Challenge | |
| 10 Engagement | |
| 11 Principles of teaching thinking | |
| 12 Thinking together | |
| 13 Reflection | |
| 14 Big concepts and skills | |
| Make learning engaging and motivating | 9 Challenge |
| 10 Engagement | |
| Developed well-paced lessons with high levels of interaction | 9 Challenge |
| 12 Thinking together | |
| Support pupils - application and independent learning | 11 Principles of teaching thinking |
| 12 Thinking together | |
| 13 Reflection | |
| 14 Big concepts and skills | |
| Build reflection | 8 Plenaries |
| 13 Reflection |
Auditing a Foundation Subject
Auditing is a key part of a school's
self review process and informs school improvement planning through the identification
of strengths and areas for development. The purpose of the subject audit is
to help a department or faculty to decide on priorities for strengthening
its work and to identify action points to improve standards in the subject.
Using their audit, departments will then select which training modules they
should use to address these action points.
An audit is a useful way to review your department. The audit should seek
to identify the sources of information and data that relate to standards of
pupils' attainment and which provide evidence of the quality of teaching and
learning in the department. Consideration should be given to the value of
the various sources of information and data. Ticking boxes doesn't tell you
anything. It is important to carry out some research including lesson observations
and work sampling. However be careful that this doesn't become a bureaucratic
nightmare.
The 'Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3' document requires the completion of
the following sections:
· standards in Key Stage 3;
· attainment and progress in KS3 of different groups of pupils;
· attainment in different aspects of the subject;
· pupils' attitudes and behaviour;
· planning;
· short-term planning;
· teaching;
· assessment;
· management of the subject and general issues;
· action plan.
To be successful, the auditing process should involve the lead foundation
subject teacher, the head of department and the strategy manager. All members
of the department should be included in discussions and contribute to gathering
evidence.
The document 'Auditing a subject in Key Stage 3' (Ref: DfES 0756/2001) is
provided by the DfES and can be downloaded in 'Word' or 'PDF' format from
-www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/publications/?template=down&pub_id=1419&strand=tlf
Further guidance on completing a subject audit can be found on the Key Stage
3 Strategy website at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/?strand=TLF
The website has an interactive version of 'Auditing a subject in Key Stage
3'.
Action Planning
The departmental audit identifies
action points to improve standards in the subject and the quality of teaching
and learning and contributes to the school improvement plans. The action planning
process helps teachers focus on the detail of what needs to be done and the
resource implications. Action planning is an on-going process and plans should
be kept under constant review.
Points to consider
Purpose
· Before you start, ask yourself these questions:
- Who is it for?
- What is it for?
Your action plan is for you and your department, not for the adviser.
· Your action plan will focus your department's identified priorities for
improvement and the action points you will follow in order to bring about
this change
· Your action plan will inform others such as SMT, governors, TLF adviser
what you intend to do and the budget implications
How should you identify the 'right' priorities for your department?
· Consider carefully what is likely to make the most difference to teaching
and learning?
· Do the priorities clearly relate to the outcomes of the department audit
and to school improvement plan?
· Avoid overload - focus on priorities, don't try to do too many initiatives
and miss the most important one
· Identify a few things that you are sure will make a difference and put your
effort into this to make a permanent change
· Make the priorities clear and specific
What makes an effective Action Plan?
The action plan is a detailed description of what is going to take place in
order to address the identified priorities.
· If you are finding it difficult to write your action plan, it may be that
your priorities are not clear. Address these first.
· An action plan is a working document - a plan of action! As you carry out
and evaluate individual actions you can update the plan. Build in time to
review your action plan.
· Action planning is a collaborative process - involve all the department.
· Actions should not be general statements. For example replace "review scheme
of work" with "analyse activities in Year 8 scheme of work against Bloom's
taxonomy to assess level of challenge"
· Are the action points achievable within the timescale?
· Are the action points expressed in terms of standards of pupils' performance
and the quality of teaching and learning?
· Is it clear how actions will be achieved (e.g. who is responsible for what,
by when and what resources are required)?
· Are the deadlines clearly stated?
· Is the nature of the 'professional development' activities needed to address
the priorities clearly stated? Is it clear who will provide this training?
· They need to be shared widely and progress against them discussed regularly
with those mentioned in the plan. They should be adjusted as necessary each
time progress is reviewed.
Resources
· Is each action costed? Are sources of funding identified? Is teacher time
included?
· When allocating time to resources it is good practice to estimate the time
required for a particular task in hours or days - it is bad practice to simply
state 'time' or 'on-going'. If it is difficult to estimate the time required,
it probably means that the task is too big and needs to be broken down into
smaller tasks.
Success criteria
· This will depend on the nature of your priorities - ask the question: 'How
will I know what I've been doing is working?'
· Success criteria need to be SMART but are not necessarily quantitative
· Are there clear criteria for measuring success and are they measurable where
possible?
· Are they expressed in terms of pupils' standards and the quality of teaching
and learning? For example when judging the success of a change in teaching:
Replace general target 'pupils are involved in self-assessment' with a more
specific target 'pupil-speak level descriptors are displayed in classrooms.'
· And when writing criteria for a change in learning:
Replace 'group work has improved' with 'Pupils questionnaires will show that
pupils are able to express their own contribution to the effectiveness of
the group.'
Monitoring
How will the work be monitored?
· Is data and information being collected systematically to inform evaluation?
· Evidence could be in the form of internal and external test results, pupil/teacher
questionnaires and interviews, a sample of pupils' written work, teachers
lesson plans, lesson observations, scheme of work, reward and sanction records
etc
· Soft data (e.g. opinions, lesson videos) is as valid as more quantitative
data but is harder to evaluate. It can, however, often can tell you more about
teaching and learning and help you to identify next steps.
· Are monitoring personnel named e.g. senior managers/ governors/ advisers?
· Make sure the collection of evidence is manageable and won't take longer
to do than the action it is monitoring!
Evaluation
· Who will evaluate the impact of the plan - are there named senior managers/
governors/ advisers?
· Are evaluation methods specified?
· How and when will evaluations be reported, and to whom?
The Key Stage 3 Strategy website
The Foundation subjects area of the Key Stage 3 Strategy website can be found
at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/?strand=TLF. It will provide
a range of information including:
· news and updates
· guidance documents
· training materials
· subject specific case studies exemplifying good practice
· relevant publications
· calendar of key activities and priorities
· frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Senior Managers checklist for implementing the foundation subjects
| Actions | Questions to consider |
| Links to whole school developments | · What are the main teaching and learning priorities in our school improvement plan? |
| · Where are we in meeting our priorities? | |
| · How can work in the foundation subjects help us take the next steps to further improve teaching and learning? | |
| · How will the ongoing training & improvement strategies be systematised so they become an integral part of school life, linked to the school's CPD programme? | |
| Provide leadership and support for foundation subjects | As with the other strands of the KS 3 Strategy, senior managers have a key role in providing leadership and support |
| · What will need to be planned now and in the longer term in order to embed good practice in teaching and learning and make it part of the everyday life of the school? | |
| · How will we encourage and support teachers to take new ideas and practice, learnt about through training, into lessons? | |
| · How will we enable teachers to work collaboratively to develop their expertise and practice? How will coaching be used to provide feedback and accelerate teacher development? | |
| · Are there school organisation / timetable implications which arise from the above and can be planned in advance for the next academic year? | |
| · How will high quality training and support in-house & externally be secured? | |
| Select foundation subject department(s) & teachers | · Which departments and teachers will be involved? |
| · Are there current strengths which can be built on? | |
| · Is there a commitment to improvement & a capacity for doing so? | |
| Undertake a subject audit to identify action points | 'Auditing a Subject at Key Stage 3' is intended to help a department to decide on priorities for strengthening its work and to identify action points. |
| · How will you support teachers in carrying out the audit? | |
| · Can you help in providing pupils' assessment and progress data or feedback from lesson observations. | |
| Action planning | · Are the action points clear and the tasks appropriate? |
| · Is the action plan manageable? | |
| · How will the adviser's time be most effectively used? ('additional support' schools only) | |
| · Does the plan contain success criteria for monitoring and evaluation? | |
| Provide training using appropriate training modules | · Which training modules will best meet the needs identified? |
| · Who will provide the foundation subjects training? | |
| · When and how will the training be organised? | |
| Monitor implementation of the action plan and evaluate its impact | · Is the action plan being implemented on time? |
| · Is data and information being collected systematically to inform evaluation? | |
| Extend foundation subjects good practice | · How will the best practice be spread within and across departments? |
Additional Support for Schools 2002/3
The following schools have been allocated additional support for the TLF strand in 2002/3. Next to the name of each school is the school TLF adviser. They will contact the school strategy manager early in the autumn term to arrange their initial visit to schools. The purpose of this visit will be to meet colleagues and discuss what aspects of teaching and learning the school and department wish to focus on. The named adviser will arrange this support, although they may not provide it all themselves. We aim to use the expertise of the TLF team in the most appropriate way and this may sometimes mean support for TLF is provided by more than one adviser in any one school.
| School | Nominated Departments | TLF adviser |
| Henley High | MFL | Chris Morris |
| Ash Green | DT/MFL | Chris Morris |
| Bishop Wulstan | RE/Geography | Chris Morris |
| Etone | Geography | Chris Morris |
| Higham Lane | History | Chris Morris |
| Southam College | History/Geography | Chris Morris |
| Trinity | Geography/RE | Chris Morris |
| Kineton | History/Music | Chris Morris |
| Hartshill | History/PE | Clare Lee |
| St Benedicts | History | Clare Lee |
| Shipston | DT/History | Clare Lee |
| Manor Park | History/Geography | Dr Liz Newcombe |
| Nicholas Chamberlaine | Geography/Art | Dr Liz Newcombe |
| Coleshill | DT/Geography | Dr Liz Newcombe |
Spring Term Courses
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | TARGET AUDIENCE | DATE | VENUE | TIME |
| TLF-5005/01 Additional Training | Structuring Learning | 2 teachers per school | 06.01.03 | Manor Hall | 9.15am - 4.30pm |
| TLF-5006/01 Additional Training | Planning & Assessment | 2 teachers per school | 11.04.03 | Manor Hall | 9.15am - 4.30pm |
PLEASE NOTE:
· Training planned for 11th April is a repeat of training on 23rd November
and 9th December.
· It is likely we will repeat training TLF on Knowing & Learning and Teaching
Repertoire in the summer term 2003.
· Additional training is open to all schools.
Please book places by telephoning: Debra Padginton on 01926 476720
or by emailing: debrapadginton@warwickshire.gov.uk