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Raising Aspiration and Achievement: A whole-school G&T approach to tackling disadvantage

Raising Aspiration and Achievement: A whole-school G&T approach to tackling disadvantage

£199.00
Phase: 
KS3, KS4
ISBN: 
978-1-907927-04-1
Published: 
Jun 2012

Overview

“Why do rich, thick kids do better than poor, clever children?

If you take exception to either the language or the sentiment, do not blame me. I am quoting the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, who also said that other countries are moving ahead faster than we are and it is getting worse.”

John Humphrys, BBC

In order to close the gap between the educational ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ there is a need to have greater expectations and offer appropriate levels of challenge to all pupils, not just those who are identified as gifted and talented.  Some schools, particularly those working in disadvantaged communities, see G&T provision as a luxury, as not relevant to them or at least not as a key priority.  However, evidence shows that schools which focus on provision to challenge and stretch pupils succeed in improving outcomes for all pupils and the school as a whole.

Raising Aspiration and Achievement is a brand new training resource that explains how you can use G&T practice and provision as a lever for whole school improvement to the benefit of all students.  Drawing on the practices and strategies that made the greatest impact in the 64 National Challenge G&T Project schools, it demonstrates how to develop skills and expertise from interventions with a target group and then extend that to the whole school community.

Benefits

Achieve whole school improvement using proven G&T strategies that improve outcomes for all.

This handbook with six training sessions shows how schools who want to target their disadvantaged pupils and close attainment gaps can use a G&T approach to add challenge, raise standards, raise the quality of teaching and improve outcomes for all learners. 

It does this by providing tools and guidance to enable you to:

  • Evaluate current practice and identify improvement priorities and next steps against the quality standards for G&T.
  • Follow a practical ‘solutions’ approach using 30 minute activities, a planning framework and a checklist of possible actions, all with real examples.
  • Establish momentum for change by aligning g&t with whole-school improvement priorities and embedding it into a strategic school improvement plan.
  • Produce demonstrable accelerated progress with target groups using an evidence-based approach.
  • Transfer good practice from additional provision into the mainstream classroom by developing a wide selection of transferable tools and resources and using illustrations of strategies from project schools.
  • Build capacity by engaging those staff with the capacity, skills and mind set to develop improved practice and disseminate it more widely.
  • Create a fair and inclusive school for all pupils by narrowing gaps and tackling the inequity in the school system.
  • Raise aspirations and expectations beyond school with opportunities to engage and work with parents and partner schools.

Schools that successfully engaged the principles and practice described in this resource have changed the culture in their school to one of high ambition and aspiration for all.

Summary of contents

Raising Aspiration and Achievement is ideal for senior leaders struggling to achieve school improvement and G&T leaders working with disadvantaged groups of pupils.

It contains six sections, each with adaptable training powerpoints, and uses illustrations and strategies from schools in the National Challenge G&T Project (2009-11) and the Realising Equality and Achievements for Learners (REAL) Project (2006-8) to show how to take G&T from additional provision for a marginal group to good provision for the mainstream classroom.

Each of the six sections includes:

  • An introduction, principles, explanations and arguments for why this is an important focus area
  • Some of the challenges as well as the benefits of taking this focus
  • Examples from school contributors
  • A framework to evaluate your current position
  • Practical tools that will support work in that area
  • Suggestions for CPD with colleagues in school
  • Links to G&T quality standards*
  • A framework for planning next steps with a checklist of possible actions
  • PowerPoint slides and accompanying training notes for each section that can be adapted for use with individuals or groups
  • Further reading or references 

*The content draws on and develops national G&T strategy developed until Mar 31st 2011

This publication includes contributions from the following eight schools who wrote about their practice because they have already made the journey:

  • The Bishop Bell and Causeway Partnership, East Sussex
  • Kenton School, Newcastle
  • Kingsbury School and Sports College, Birmingham 
  • Kirkby Sports College, Knowsley
  • Phoenix School, Telford & Wrekin
  • The Robert Napier School, Medway       
  • Sittingbourne Community College, Kent
  • St James School, Devon

Chapter Breakdown

Section 1:  Leadership to establish the momentum for change  

  • What do we mean by G&T education?     
  • Where are you now?        
  • Reassess what G&T means in your school     
  • Develop a high-aspiration, high-challenge ethos in your school  
  • G&T as a whole-school issue       
  • Develop the momentum for change      
  • From vision to action – aligning G&T with whole-school improvement priorities
  • From vision and plan to managing change and implementation  
  • Plan for change: embed G&T into a strategic school improvement plan and
  • school self-evaluation        
  • Roles and responsibilities – action and accountability   
  • A word about curriculum pathways      

Section 2: Identify target pupils      

  • Unlock potential – why is identification an important issue?  
  • Where are you now?        
  • Who are we missing? Inclusive identification of G&T?   
  • Identify a target group        
  • Challenge perceptions of pupils, staff and parents    
  • Target success: increase expectations and aspirations through ambitious targets
  • Personalist support: targeted intervention     
  • Empower pupils        
  • Mentoring         

Section 3: Improve learning for all – developing teacher skills  

  • Where are you now?        
  • How to use this section       
  • Why is CPD an important issue for G&T and disadvantaged pupils? 
  • Collaborative CPD in action:      

              A) develop an evidence base – mini action-research projects

              B) Six-weekly cycles of change and improvement  

              C) The role of coaching to develop practice    

              D) Learning walks       

              E) Dissemination strategies the rondeval     

  • What do we mean by ‘stretch and challenge’?     
  • A whole-school model of good learning     
  • What pedagogies will most effectively support the achievement of your pupils?

              A) The questioning classroom      

              B) Developing academic language     

              C) Independent learning      

              D) Differentiation for challenge    

  • Differentiation in practice       

Section 4: Improve learning for all – developing pupil skills  

  • Where are you now?        
  • Why is this important for potential G&T and disadvantaged pupils? 
  • From passive to active learner      
  • Improve pupils’ academic language      
  • Academic language development in practice     
  • Further classroom strategies, resources and learning opportunities  
  • The reflective, self-assessing learner      
  • Independent study and extended projects     
  • Take if further – supporting challenge for all     
  • Raising aspirations through the extended and enriched curriculum  

Section 5: Engage parents       

  • Why is this important?       
  • A word about roles: what is good parenting for academic attainment and how can the school support the parents of your target pupils?  
  • So what are the barriers?       
  • Get the process right: Develop an effective strategy for communicating with parents of target pupils:

              Step 1: Develop an effective initial communication strategy

              Step 2: Plan an engaging launch programme    

              Step 3: Offer parents some strategies and resources to use at home with their   son/daughter

              Step 4: Who will keep in touch?      

              Step 5: Review current progress information and reporting for fitness for purpose

              Step 6: Offer parents a timeline for future meetings throughout the programme

  • Take it further – reach out to the wider parent body in your community  

Section 6: Build capacity for change      

  • Why is this an important issue for potential G&T and disadvantage pupils? 
  • Partnership within schools       
  • Make it work – the challenge of effective partnership beyond school 
  • Build motivation for effective partnerships     
  • Develop a common language and shared understanding   
  • Share CPD across two partner schools     
  • Learn from others – line management processes across two schools  
  • Build capacity for shared enrichment opportunities

About the expert

Stefani Shedden is an experienced teacher, leader and consultant with a particular interest in G&T and realising the potential of disadvantaged learners.

Details

  • A4 Ringbinder, Ring bound, 200 pages, XXX
  • CD-ROM containing PowerPoint presentations and accompanying resources

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