Key Stage 3 National Strategy

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Key Stage 3 National Strategy

• Briefing for school governors

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Outline of the session

• Why we need a Key Stage 3 National Strategy 15
  mins
• What the National Strategy means for schools 15
  mins
• Teaching and learning 30 mins
• Management issues 20 mins
• The role of the governing body 30 mins

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Why we need a Key Stage 3 National
StrategySpecific issues

• Building on existing good practice at KS 1, 2 and
  3
• Standards and progress
• Continuity in teaching and learning
• Transition
• Disaffection and attendance

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LEA KS2 results level 4
ENGLISH
MATHS
90
90
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
2001
1998
2001
1998
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National Curriculum results 2001
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Attainment at 14 as key determinant in GCSE
performance
Source Pupil Progress in Schools in England
2000, April 2001
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Goals of the KS3 StrategyTo ensure that by the
age of 14 the vast majority of pupils have

• reached L5 in core subjects, including ICT
• benefited from a broad curriculum
• learned how to reason, think logically and
  creatively and use ICT productively
• developed the habits and skills of independent
  learners

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Four key principles

• EXPECTATIONS
• establishing challenging targets with high
  expectations for all pupils
• PROGRESSION
• strengthening the transition from KS2 and
  ensuring good progression in teaching and
  learning across KS3
• ENGAGEMENT
• promoting approaches to teaching and learning to
  engage and motivate pupils and demand their
  active participation
• TRANSFORMATION
• strengthening teaching and learning through a
  programme of professional development and
  practical support

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The Key Stage 3 National Strategy timeline

• 2000 2001
• Pilot of English and mathematics strands in 17
  LEAs
• 2001 2002
• National roll out from April 2001 for English
  and mathematics strands
• Pilot of science, ICT and TLF strands in 17 LEAs
• National training for science, ICT and TLF
• 2002 2003
• National roll out from April 2002 for science,
  and for ICT and TLF from September 2002

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English and mathematics

• Frameworks for teaching
• Subject audit
• Summer schools
• Catch-up materials and TA support for Y7 pupils
  at L3
• Literacy and numeracy across the curriculum
• supported by
• LEA consultants
• Leading English departments and leading
  mathematics teachers

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Science and Information Communications
Technology (ICT) pilots

• based on the QCA schemes of work
• subject audit
• training in subject knowledge and related
  pedagogy, including interactive on-line materials
  for ICT
• assessment materials in science
• teaching units in ICT
• supported by
• consultants for science
• leading ICT teachers based in schools

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Teaching and Learning in the Foundation subjects
(TLF) pilot

• planning and sequencing effective teaching and
  learning
• teaching thinking through subjects
• literacy and numeracy across the curriculum
• aspects of assessment for learning
• through
• audit to identify action
• LEA consultants
• key teachers in schools

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What is involved in the first year?

• by June 2001
• set targets for 14-year-olds in NC tests for 2002
• in summer 2001
• audit English and mathematics to plan action
• July and August 2001
• summer schools
• from September 2001
• provide catch-up classes in Year 7 for level 3
  pupils

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What is involved in the first year?

• from September 2001
• use the English and mathematics Frameworks to
  review scheme of work and plan teaching
• during 2001-02
• use the extra INSET day and one other for
  literacy across curriculum (October 2001) and
  numeracy across the curriculum (spring 2002)
• throughout year
• take part in the training programmes and follow
  them through at school level

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The Key Stage 3 pilot successes

• Training has been well received, teachers say
  that they are more confident and motivated
• Frameworks have been found useful, even in draft
• Observing primary lessons has had positive effect
• Structured lessons are improving pace and holding
  pupils interest starters are going particularly
  well
• Pupils are very positive
• Schools value the support of their consultants

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The Key Stage 3 pilot issues

• The plenary at the end of lessons not well
  focused
• Some lessons are too short to be productive
• Audit often not done sufficiently thoroughly
  weak evaluation led to priorities not being
  identified clearly
• Staffing difficulties a constraint in some
  schools

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Ten key messages for school management drawn from
the pilot

• Lead from the top headteachers need to
  demonstrate SMT commitment to the Strategy
• Incorporate the Strategy into school improvement
• Inform and involve parents and governors
• Prioritise on the basis of effective audit
• Fund, find and deploy staff and teaching
  assistants to implement the Strategy effectively
• Give teachers time to plan and review, and
  provide flexible training opportunities for them
• Secure time for catch-up classes
• Clarify responsibilities for cross-curricular
  issues
• Communicate effectively over transition from KS2
• Involve staff across the whole curriculum

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The Key Stage 3 National Strategy is not

• complete change
• tinkering at the margins
• boring, reductive basic skills
• just like primary
• just about targets
• just about level 3s
• just about year 7
• just about to go out of fashion
• an end in itself it is a means of raising
  standards and promoting inclusion

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The Key Stage 3 National Strategy is

• having challenging targets which reflect high
  expectations
• basing long, medium and short term planning on
  objectives
• exploiting the power of direct teaching
• promoting interactive learning
• moving from audit to action
• providing catch-up intervention and support for
  the more able
• supporting inclusion
• making literacy and numeracy cross-curricular
• offering support through LEA consultants, Leading
  English Departments and Leading Mathematics
  Teachers

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The role school governors can play

• Target setting
• Strategic planning
• Support
• Monitoring
• Evaluation

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Targets for 14-year olds

• NATIONAL
• By 2007, 85 of 14-year-olds to achieve level 5
  in English, mathematics and ICT, and 80 in
  science
• As a milestone towards the target, 75 of
  14-year-olds to achieve level 5 in English,
  mathematics and ICT, and 70 in science by 2004

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Targets for 14-year olds

• LEA
• For 2004, to set a minimum performance target for
  the bottom 20 of pupils to narrow the attainment
  gap
• By 2004, at least 65 of 14 year olds to achieve
  level 5 in English and mathematics, and at least
  60 in science in every LEA
• Every LEA to negotiate its KS3 targets with the
  DfES so that the national targets are met

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Targets for 14-year olds

• SCHOOL
• Every school to set challenging but realistic
  targets for KS3
• LEAs to ensure that aggregated school targets
  meet the agreed LEA target

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CONCLUSION

• We believe that, if all secondary schools
  manage the Strategy skilfully, there is every
  reason to expect rapid and substantial progress.
• By 2004, 14 year olds who have benefited from
  both the primary and the Key Stage 3 Strategies
  should be well positioned to achieve much higher
  standards than ever before.
• A joint statement from Headteachers from KS3
  pilot schools
• Further resources at
• http//www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3

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