Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps

Discussion: Narrowing Gaps

• What are your challenges?

• One question that you would like to be explored during this workshop.

Parliament Hill: Context

• 11- 18• Girls’ comprehensive with an intake of 1261• Pupils Eligible for Pupil Premium 60%• 32% Eligible for free school meals. 45% in some year groups• 82% of students live in the 30% most deprived areas

nationally.• 30% White British heritage• 46% EAL students - 59 languages spoken• 30% refugee asylum seekers• 34% of students are Muslim• 50 plus feeder primaries

Parli Girls & Parli ParentsParli Girls:• Strong ‘belongingness’, delight in

diversity, celebrate difference, champion tolerance

• Kirkland Rowell Pupil Survey – outstanding scores for community spirit and racial harmony

• SSAT Diamond Award for Cultural Diversity

Parli Parents:• Multiple, disparate and fragmented

parental communities• Different personal experiences of

education.• Varied levels of confidence and resources

for supporting their daughters

The challenges for girls…• ‘Working class girls often channeled into low

status and ‘feminine’ qualifications leading to limited occupational opportunities.’ Dr Alice Sullivan

• Relationships between girls and mothers becomes one of mutual support rather than of parent supporting their child

• Girls become carers, taking on responsibilities for siblings and sometimes vulnerable parents

http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/2042

The data

5 A*-C including ENGLISH & MATHS

The data

3 A*/A

Six Key StrandsRaising achievement and attainment

Raising Aspirations – through quality careers education and work related activity

Strengthening Parental Involvement

Providing additional support and intervention for the most vulnerable students

Building Social and Cultural Capital

Improving attendance

Raising achievement and attainment and improving attendance

• Make it a moral imperative• Rigorous tracking of progress – keep it high on every teacher’s

radar.• Know your students: PEPP Profiles• Learning Coaching • One to One tuition• Maximise Learning Coaches• Bristol Pupil Incentive project• Dfe Narrowing the Gap project• Achievement for All

Raising achievement and attainment and improving attendance

Learning & Teaching: the Sutton Trust Toolkit

• Class Size• Literacy• Collaborative Learning• Assessment and Feedback• Meta Learning/ Meta cognition – the PARLI

learner• Growth mind set approaches to build

resilience• Professional Development – outstanding

teachers narrow gaps• Homework – an equality issue

An Outstanding Parli Learner

Raising achievement and attainment and improving attendanceImproving Attendance

• Employment of EWO supported by an attendance team

• Early Intervention• Information sharing and multi professional

problem solving• Building relationships with parents• Sanctions and Rewards • Going the extra mile………

Parli Parenting: A model to strive for!

Strengthening Parental Engagement

• Transition arrangements – know your parents – engage and intervene

• Be transparent and honest. Share your successes• Personalise communication• What does ‘engagement’ mean?• Home School Liaison workers – find the right person integrate

them• Parent Forum – how can we make it inclusive?• Parent Support Evenings• One to one support – building relationships and partnerships

Raising Aspirations

• Independent careers advisor• Work experience coordinator• Links with HE, employers and

businesses• Undergraduate

mentors• Morrisby profiling

Building Social & Cultural Capital

• ‘Blossom’ – extra- curricular entitlement• Subsidised visits• Duke of Edinburgh • School Council & Student Ambassadors• Building Relationships – modelling • Breakfast club

Providing additional support and intervention

• Behaviour Team• Kids Company• Counsellors• CAMHs• Tracking through Social Inclusion

meetings• Education plans• Investment in reengagement

programmes

Case Studies

Student XContext• Living with father• Drug addiction – both parents• Father had serious mental health difficulties• Identified in Year 7 as bright • Attendance okay• Difficult relationships with other girls• Hooked into education• Support from primary school• Extended family support/ lived with Grandmother• Younger siblings• Hostel in Year 11• Low resilience/ challenging/ low self esteem/ aggressive

What did we do?• Identified in year 7 – at risk of under achievement and

exclusion• Met with PACE group – older students advising • Relationship with ATL – always attended CIN reviews.• Positive school experiences – Poetry project• Ensure that she went on trips/ extra curricular opportunities• Positive relationship with home – dad• Home school liaison worker• Year 9 – Construction work experience • Year 10 – BAM – gave her a mentor. Paid work experience• Sharing information with staff• Year 11 – Learning Coaching – above and beyond• Met with Headteacher• Intensive intervention from behaviour team• Multi agency united front

Impact

• Became a positive role model for younger students

• 8 GCSEs mostly B grades• Started at LA SWAP sixth form……• …..Ended up at Kingsway College studying

Construction• Agencies worked highly effectively to support her

Student Z

Context• Only girl – youngest of 5• Mother – Irish traveller; Father – Turkish• Strong family attachments but not much extended support• Family had negative perceptions of school; low self esteem• Lives in close proximity to school• Low attendance; poor punctuality• Didn’t see herself as a learner• Influenced negatively by peer group• Challenging behaviour in school

What did we do?• Designated key worker – set up a personalised plan• Created a healthy relationship with family – informal and

formal meetings• Shared positive as well as negative feedback• Outreach calls in the morning• One to one meetings in year 10• In class support• Lunch & break provision – an open door policy• Reinforced the school behaviour system• Supported her in developing behaviour management

strategies• Rewards for out of hours learning

Impact • Happier in school• Self regulating• 6% rise in attendance• Punctuality has improved significantly• Mother no longer colludes. Family supportive and attend Parent

Evenings• She now aspires to achieve good GCSEs – Predicted B grades in Art

& Drama• Improved predictions – a borderline student but not a failing

student• Attends out of hours revision sessions • Achieved a ‘B’ in Business Studies • Applied for a college place – determined to continue her education

Over to you………..

• What will students and/or colleagues see me doing……..

….around school?….to develop colleagues?….in my classroom? What will I be celebrating in 3 months time?

• Questions?