BESA CORNER
In our new regular feature this month featuring members of the UK education suppliers’ trade body BESA, Education Today hears from Chris Scarth of Classroom Monitor on managing assessment effectively, and Nick Moore of purchasing body YPO on effective teacher training.
F
or some, it’s a dirty word and a drain on time and budgets, but
whichever way you look at it, it’s a hot topic and something schools have to address: assessment.
National curriculum levels have been dropped, the EYFS baseline has had a U- turn, parents have boycotted schools over SATs and there is a general feeling of unrest. While schools are unable to directly influence the broader policy
decisions, formative assessment is the one element that remains firmly in their control. During the decade that I have been at Classroom Monitor
working with schools, I have seen one abiding trend: those schools that have an effective assessment protocol in place record and reference summative assessment, but their focus is on day-to-day formative assessment. The common traits of these schools is that they have a strong
leadership team with formative assessment at the core, and have implemented the following protocols: • It is shared with pupils, giving them the knowledge of how they are progressing and necessary next steps.
• It is shared with parents to engage them in their children’s learning.
• It informs planning and diagnostics; if the data you are collecting can’t be used to facilitate teaching, you are missing the point.
• Simple and quick to interpret data analysis should only be done if it has an impact. If data is taking too long to record and you aren’t using it for anything other than to share with stakeholders and for accountability, consider how to streamline the process.
• It’s embedded into classroom teaching little and often, removing unnecessary workload and stress.
• It is aligned to the curriculum. There are lots of frameworks out there, from detailed granular ones to short KPI based ones for key measures. Whichever model you opt for, make sure that your assessment is closely aligned to the national curriculum Programmes of Study (POS).
• It drives collaboration between schools and the sharing of best practice, including moderation. There is an increasing trend for schools to recognise the value of cross-school moderation, especially with the rise of Multi Academy Trusts (MATs). Classroom Monitor is working with schools to ensure they achieve
the optimum results. This involves sharing exemplar materials, such as pupils’ work for moderation and validation, teaching resources to aid planning, and results by curriculum strand. When introduced and managed effectively this informs schools of the necessary CPD and advice that is required from their educational advisory team. We’ve come a long way since 2014, and we’re starting to see
some exciting green shoots of a new formative assessment evolution. To get there, schools need to go beyond simply investing in a
tracking system; success is about bringing assessment to life for teachers, pupils and parents. By using 21st century technology in the form of mobile apps and websites, teachers can capture and record evidence and track learning as it happens with insightful reports and analysis. A learner focussed assessment system puts the pupil first, offering detailed gap analysis, intervention and recommended next steps. All of this comes from ongoing assessment that helps empower pupils, and parents, to drive their learning.
uFor further advice please contact director Chris Scarth and the Classroom Monitor team at
info@classroommonitor.co.uk or via its website
www.classroommonitor.co.uk
8
www.education-today.co.uk
T
eacher shortage has become a regular item on the national news agenda.
According to the National Audit Office, 54 per cent of headteachers in schools with predominantly disadvantaged pupils find recruiting and retaining quality teachers a significant problem. Earlier this year, the National Union of
Teachers (NUT) warned that tackling teacher shortage should be amongst the Government’s top priorities. While a number of policy related suggestions have been made to
meet recruitment targets and boost retention, solutions are often either difficult to implement or highly expensive. With restricted budgets and limited resources, teacher recruitment
and retention are likely to continue to be challenges for the education sector unless other options – such as improving the learning and development of teachers – are considered. Teacher training is critical to ensure that teachers are well-equipped
to fulfil their roles and add value to pupils’ attainment across the curriculum. For schools, one way of enabling teachers to achieve their
maximum potential is by enrolling them in appropriate training programmes. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, for instance, are accredited and delivered by highly experienced trainers who are up to speed with contemporary classroom training requirements. YPO has been offering CPD courses for more than 20 years to help
develop and enhance the teaching abilities of education professionals. The content of CPD courses is key when it comes to how teachers
can use them to further their professional development. Not only is it important that courses cover a wide range of subjects taught by teachers on a daily basis, they must also be adaptable to changes in the national curriculum. The other challenge is the location. While in-house training tends
to be more expensive, courses held a long distance from the school will accrue additional travel costs. Ideally courses should be hosted at venues across the country, and include a diverse range of areas, including Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Head Teachers and Senior Management Teams (SMTs), Design Technology, English, Geography, History, Maths, Music, Physical Education, PSHE Education, Religious Education, and Science. Research from the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)
showed that schools find it difficult to source good CPD from companies that really understand the education sector. Because YPO is so ingrained in education, we offer teachers who complete the course a certificate and a voucher to spend on products from YPO, meaning that schools receive even better value for their money. It is vital that the training provider understands the education
sector; they must have an appreciation of how the Government’s agenda can impact teacher training needs. 98 per cent of participants to our training courses agreed that our courses contain practical information that can be used in the classroom. Effective teacher training can have a colossal impact on the
retention of teachers. Good training and CPD should be set against the backdrop of rapid organisational change and the need for new ways of thinking and behaving that can lead to teacher retention, as well as world class teaching across UK schools.
Nick Moore is CPD and events manager at YPO.
uFor more information on CPD, on-site training or help with school training call 01924 834 849, visit
www.ypo.co.uk/cpd, or email
cpd@ypo.co.uk.
July/August 2016
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