Quality of teaching for disadvantaged students
Quality of teaching for disadvantaged students
Analysis of successful schools' PPM strategies and spending
What does your school focus on to improve the quality of teaching for your disadvantaged students?
This week’s highlight from the We Are In Beta community, explores what schools with a track record of securing positive outcomes for PPM students do.
Researcher and Science Teacher, Anita Iyobhebhe, takes a deep dive into the ‘high quality teaching’ sections of 33 high performing schools’ Pupil Premium Spending Plans.
Here’s to an excellent second half of term.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we invest in teaching).
This week inside We Are In Beta
👨🏫 Pupil Premium: high quality teaching strategies and spending.
💼 Jobs with We Are In Beta community members.
💰 Pupil Premium: high quality teaching strategies and spending
What CPD are schools delivering to ensure high quality teaching of PPM students?
To establish this, Anita logged every time a school reported they are working on specific aspect of teaching to improve outcome in a specific area eg “teaching reading” and/or every time they specifically mentioned a form of CPD eg “mentoring”
In total there were 61 unique CPD angles schools reported.
Here are the 10 most commonly cited areas of CPD she found in reverse order.
10. Assessment (4 schools, 12%)
9. Direct instruction (5 schools, 15%)
8. Oracy (5 schools, 15%)
7. Reading (5 schools, 15%)
6. Subject specific CPD (5 schools, 15%)
5. Metacognition (6 schools, 18%)
4. T&L techniques (6 schools, 18%)
3. Quality first teaching principles (7 schools, 21%)
2. Curriculum planning and development (7 schools, 21%)
1.Literacy (10 schools, 30%)
If you’re interested to see what the remaining 50+ areas schools are working on check out the full database here
If you want to find schools like yours working on similar CPD priorities check out the full article here
It wasn’t just the aspects of teaching Anita looked at.
She also asked…
What technologies are schools investing in to improve pupil premium outcomes?
To understand how schools are using technology to improve pupil premium outcomes, Anita logged every time a school mentioned the use of a specific piece of technology.
Here are 5 most popular from 10 the different types of technology she noticed schools reporting using (and how many schools use them):
Student learning platforms (22 schools)
Cloud based reading programmes (20 schools)
Digital resources for teachers eg curricula and lessons plans (18 schools)
Baseline testing (13 schools)
Management Information Systems (MIS) (9 schools)
If you’re interested to see the full list of technologies schools are using check out the full database here
If you want to find schools like yours to see exactly which platforms they are using, read part 2 of the article here.
Access data about the schools whose Pupil Premium (High Quality Teaching) spending plans we analysed
In this database you can see what schools like your in term of region, intake and size report including
challenges
strategies
external providers the work with
roles they hire for using PPM funding
aspects of CPD they invest in
💼 Jobs with We Are In Beta community members.
If you want to get your vacancies seen by the 14.5k school leaders and teachers who get this email, let us know here and we’ll send more info.
System Leadership
Head of People and Culture - Maiden Erlegh Trust (Berkshire) here
Trust Education Welfare Officer (Attendance) - Maiden Erlegh Trust (Berkshire) here
Finance Manager - TKAT (Hybrid working, Multiple Locations) here
Head of Projects - Westcountry Schools Trust (Devon) here
Senior Leadership
Teacher of Teachers (Extended Leadership Team) - Alvaston Moor Academy (Archway Learning Trust) (Derby).
Senior Behaviour Lead - Blaise High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bristol).
Second in Post 16 - John Taylor Free School - John Taylor MAT (Burton on Trent) here
Middle Leadership
📸 Head of Art and Photography - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
🌱 Subject Leader Biology - Thomas Clarkson Academy - Brook Weston Trust- (Cambridgeshire) here
📖 Assistant Curriculum Leader of English (Maternity Cover) - MEA Central - Prospere Learning Trust (Manchester) here
📖 Associate Director of English - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) here
🌎 Head of Geography - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) here
🌎 Head of Geography - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
🏰 Head of History - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
👨🍳 Head of Hospitality and Catering - Gloucester Academy - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Gloucester) here
📊 Subject leader Maths - The Astley Cooper School (Hertfordshire) here
🧭 Head of Philosophy Religion and Ethics - Carshalton High School for Girls (Sutton) here
🕌 Head of Religious Education - Orchard Park High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Croydon) here
🛡️Attendance Officer & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead - Brakenhale School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bracknell) here
👨🏫 Head of Year (teaching) - MEA Central - Prospere Learning Trust (Manchester) here
Teaching
💸 Business - Huxlow Academy (Northamptonshire) here
📖 English - Five Acres High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bristol) here
📖 English - Orchard Park High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Croydon) - click here.
📖 English (with pastoral for Assistant Head of Year) - Carshalton High School for Girls (Sutton) here
🛠️ Design and Technology - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) here
🌎 Geography (with potential TLR as an Assistant Head of Year) - Carshalton High School for Girls (Sutton) here
📊 Maths - Bridgemary School, Gosport (Hampshire) here
🏅PE (Girls) - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
🕌 RE - Five Acres High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bristol) here
🧬 Science - Brakenhale School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bracknell) here
🧬 Science - John Taylor Free School - John Taylor MAT (Burton on Trent) here
Support roles
Trust HR Lead - Areté Learning Trust (Middlesbrough) here
People Business Partner -Brooke Weston Trust (Northamptonshire) here
Level 3 Teaching Assistant - Orchard Park High School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Croydon) here
Speech and Language Therapist - Brakenhale School - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Bracknell) here
Teaching Assistant - The Astley Cooper School (Hertfordshire) here
Office Manager - Aspirations Academy Trust (Heathrow) here
On a personal note.
Reading the observations form this analysis gave me mixed emotions.
Sadness to be reminded that literacy is such a big challenge for so many students.
Optimism that schools are investing so much in their teachers to help them all become teachers of reading.
I regret that never got any phonics/reading training as a teacher.
Undoubtedly my teaching suffered as a result.
My lack of knowledge is something I’m acutely aware of as my 3y/o daughter becomes more interested in words.
So following Nat Nabarro’s recommendation, I bought a copy of “Teach Your Child to Read on 100 Easy Lessons” - it’s blowing my mind. I’d recommend buying a copy if learning how to teach reading is on your to do list.
Thanks, Nat.
PS. what aspect of teaching is your school focusing on to make the biggest gains?
As always, it would be great to hear from, Just reply this email. More than happy to connect you to others working similar areas if that’s helpful :)
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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