NPQH Cycle 3: Leading Teaching
Formative Assessment Task Options
Option one: Ensuring curriculum plans include retrieval and spaced practice
Programme framework statements covered
Teaching
Learn thatā¦
2.7. An important factor in learning is memory, which can be thought of as comprising two elements: working memory and long-term memory.
2.8. Working memory is where information that is being actively processed is held, but its capacity is limited and can be overloaded.
2.9. Long-term memory can be considered as a store of knowledge that changes as pupils learn by integrating new ideas with existing knowledge.
2.10. Where prior knowledge is weak, pupils are more likely to develop misconceptions, particularly if new ideas are introduced too quickly.
2.11. Regular purposeful practice of what has previously been taught can help consolidate material and help pupils remember what they have learned.
2.12. Requiring pupils to retrieve information from memory, and spacing practice so that pupils revisit ideas after a gap, are also likely to strengthen recall.
Learn how toā¦
Establish and sustain effective planning and preparation across the school, including by:
2.c. Ensuring curriculum plans include retrieval and spaced practice to build automatic recall of important knowledge and interleaving of concrete and abstract examples.
Introduction
This FAT will provide you with an opportunity to review your readiness to meet the expectations of the Headteachersā Standards 2020, which state that headteachers:
āŖ āestablish and sustain high-quality, expert teaching across all subjects and phases, built on an evidence-informed understanding of effective teaching and how pupils learn
āŖ ensure teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise and approaches which respect the distinct nature of subject disciplines or specialist domainsā
Resources
Before commencing the activities for this task, you should access some of the research cited below. It is important that you do not omit this step. As the leader of teaching and learning in your school, it is essential that you are able to underpin the validity of your approach to teaching by reference to relevant authoritative research.
āŖ Main, P. (n.d.). Retrieval practice: A teacherās guide. Retrieval practice: A teacher's guide (structural-learning.com)
Essential reading
āŖ Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know. American Educator, 12ā20. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Rosenshine.pdf
Essential reading
āŖ Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2021). Cognitive Science Approaches in the Classroom: A Review of the Evidence. p20-25. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/educationevidence/evidence-reviews/cognitive-science-approaches-in-the-classroom
Essential reading
āŖ Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014). What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research. Durham University: UK. http://bit.ly/2OvmvKO
Skim read
āŖ Firth, J., Smith, M., Harvard, B., & Boxer, A. (2017). Assessment as learning: The role of retrieval in the classroom. Impact, Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching. https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/assessment-as-learning-the-role-of-retrievalpractice-in-the-classroom/.
Short article which provides a succinct overview
Task: Ensuring curriculum plans include retrieval and spaced practice to build automatic recall of important knowledge and interleaving of concrete and abstract examples
For this task, you should choose 2/3 subject areas to focus upon. The choice of subject areas is for you to determine, but you may wish to choose subject areas:
āŖ outside of your own specialism(s), or
āŖ that need help in this regard, or
āŖ a pair of subjects that have contrasting capabilities, i.e., one subject with strengths in this area and one with space for development
You should work through the following stages, bearing in mind throughout that you do not wish to make any excessive demands upon colleaguesā time.
1. Joint review of curriculum plans. Ask each of the subject leaders involved to provide you with their curriculum plans for a unit of work. Make brief notes on the plans provided to you, using the checklist below. Use a separate checklist for each subject area.
2. Meet with the curriculum leaders. If possible, arrange to meet with the curriculum leaders together (if this is not possible, meet with them separately) to discuss your observations on their provision for retrieval and spaced practice. By meeting with them together, you will provide them with a powerful opportunity for sharing and developing their practice, as well as enhancing your collective understanding.
When you have completed the meetings, reflect on the outcomes of your document reviews and discussions. Use these reflections to design a PowerPoint presentation to be presented to the governorsā curriculum committee of a school which you have recently been appointed to lead. The title of your presentation is:
āHow I would ensure that in our school:
āŖ curriculum plans include retrieval, interleaving and spaced practice, and
āŖ appropriate staff development is provided at all levels, i.e., for leaders as well as classroom teachers.ā
Your presentation should focus on the structures, systems, processes and practices you would establish to ensure that your policies were delivered. In compiling your presentation, you may wish to consider the following:
āŖ Statement of intent and rationale: How will staff know the importance of retrieval and spaced practice? How will you convince them of its efficacy?
āŖ Monitoring implementation: How? Who? When?
āŖ āŖ Evaluation: How? What? Challenges?
Staff development: What might be the best way of doing this, e.g., external expert input, joint practice development?
The presentation should be a maximum of 12 slides, and you should use the Notes function to expand upon the slides as required.
In preparing your presentation you should also consider (a) the language (style/tone) you will use, (b) the external evidence base you will draw upon to underpin your policies or strategies.
When you have completed your presentation, upload it in Canvas to your leadership performance coach within the timeframe identified.
Checklist: Planning for retrieval, spaced practice and interleaving
Subject area:
Retrieval
Is there an overall statement about the importance of retrieval activities? If so, is it linked to relevant/appropriate research?
Where/when/how do plans refer to retrieval activities?
Spaced practice
What guidance is provided to staff with regard to spaced practice?
What examples are provided to help staff understand what is expected?
Observations
Observations
Where/when/how do plans refer to the use of spaced practice?
Interleaving
What overall guidance is provided to staff with regard to interleaving strategies?
What examples are provided to help staff understand what is expected?
Observations
Where/when/how do plans refer to interleaving?
Option two: The role of feedback in formative assessment
Programme framework statements covered
Curriculum and assessment
Learn thatā¦
3.16. To be of value, teachers use information from assessments to inform the decisions they make; in turn, pupils must be able to act on feedback for it to have an effect.
3.17. High-quality feedback can be written or verbal; it is likely to be accurate and clear, encourage further effort, and provide specific guidance on how to improve.
3.18. Over time, feedback should support pupils to monitor and regulate their own learning.
3.19. Working with colleagues to identify efficient approaches to assessment is important; assessment can become onerous and have a disproportionate impact on workload.
Learn how toā¦
Ensure assessment is high quality and as reliable as possible without creating unnecessary workload, including by:
3.j. Ensuring the school feedback policy, assessment practices and data collection methods help teachers to draw conclusions about what pupils have learned by looking at patterns of performance over a number of assessments.
3.l. Ensuring that guidance and training on approaches that make assessment more effective and efficient is provided.
Introduction
Before commencing the activities below, you should access the following EEF materials:
āŖ Education Endowment Foundation (2021). A marked improvement? A review of the evidence on written marking.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/writtenmarking
āŖ Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Embedding formative assessment: Evaluation report. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/embeddingformative-assessment
āŖ Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Toolkit: Feedback https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learningtoolkit/feedback/.
These articles will act as refreshers on what we are learning about effective assessment practices. Do not omit this step ā as the leader of teaching in a school, you must be able to support your approach to assessment with reference to authoritative research.
Task: The role of feedback in formative assessment
Step one: For this task, you should arrange to meet with two colleagues from other schools who are at a similar level of seniority and are in a position to evaluate their schoolās strategy(ies) with regard to formative assessment; ideally these will be fellow programme members, but this is not essential. The meeting(s) may be face to face or virtual.
Step two: The purpose of the meeting(s) will be to share effective practice, key documents and areas for development. To provide a structure for your discussions, download the proforma āThe role of feedback in formative assessment: Review and analysisā (see below), and use this to record the outcomes of your discussions/analyses.
When you have completed your conversations/document exchanges, prepare a PowerPoint presentation titled āThe role of feedback in formative assessment at School Xā that you might present to the whole staff in your first term as headteacher at a new school.
The presentation should be a maximum of 12 slides, and you should use the Notes function to expand upon the slides as required.
You may find it helpful to address the following:
āŖ a high-level statement of your proposed policy
āŖ the rationale that underpins your policy, e.g., by reference to relevant research
āŖ examples of the policy in practice
āŖ plans for implementing the policy, and how any challenges might be addressed
āŖ processes for evaluating the impact of the policy
In preparing your presentation, you should also consider the language (style/tone) you will use.
When you have completed your presentation, upload it in Canvas to your leadership performance coach within the timeframe identified.
The role of feedback in formative assessment: Review and analysis
Policy statements:
Is there a clear statement of the schoolās overall approach to formative assessment?
Does it cover all key areas?
Is it accessible to staff?
My school:
Learning from other schools:
Marking:
How well does the schoolās policy align with research in this area?
Consider each of the areas below. (To check your understanding of each item, refer to A Marked Improvement.) For each item, comment upon strengths and areas for development.
āŖ grading work
āŖ correcting work
āŖ thoroughness, i.e., expectations with regard to volume of comments/corrections
āŖ opportunities for pupil responses
āŖ dialogic marking
āŖ use of targets
āŖ frequency and speed
My school:
Learning from other schools:
Feedback:
Is it effective? Does it meet EEF guidance that it should be:
āŖ specific?
āŖ accurate?
āŖ clear?
Are there opportunities for peer feedback?
Does feed forward focus on complex and challenging goals for children?
Is the guidance offered to staff comprehensive and helpful?
My school:
Learning from other schools:
Monitoring:
What processes does the school use to monitor adherence to whole-school policies? Are these processes effective?
How does the school monitor the impact of its marking policy on pupil outcomes, i.e., how does it check that not only are policies being applied, but that they are having a positive impact?
My school:
Learning from other schools:
Staff development:
How effectively are new staff inducted into your schoolās systems and processes?
When was the last time there was whole-school INSET on formative assessment? How effective was this INSET? How do you know?
My school:
Learning from other schools:
Option three: Pupil groupings
Programme framework statements covered
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
Learn thatā¦
5.1. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) and Equality Act (2010) state that all children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that is appropriate to their needs, promotes high standards and the fulfilment of potential.
5.6. Seeking to understand pupilsā differences, including their different levels of prior knowledge and potential barriers to learning, is an essential part of teaching.
5.7. Adaptive teaching is less likely to be valuable if it causes the teacher to artificially create distinct tasks for different groups of pupils or to set lower expectations for particular pupils.
5.8. Flexibly grouping pupils within a class to provide more tailored support can be effective, but care should be taken to monitor its impact on engagement and motivation, particularly for low attaining pupils.
5.9. There is a common misconception that pupils have distinct and identifiable learning styles. This is not supported by evidence and attempting to tailor lessons to learning styles is unlikely to be beneficial.
Learn how toā¦
When needed, ensure pupils are grouped effectively (across subjects and within individual classrooms), including by:
5.i. Offering guidance on how to maintain high expectations for all groups, and ensuring all pupils have access to a rich curriculum.
5.j. Setting clear expectations for senior and subject leaders across the school that any groups based on attainment should be subject specific, and that pupils must not have the perception that these groups are fixed.
Introduction
Before commencing the activities for this task, you should access the following materials:
a) The Code of Practice. It is essential that, as headteacher, you have a full understanding of the requirements of the Code of Practice and its implications for how a school you lead is organised.
Department for Education (2015). Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years: Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities (6.4, DFE00205-2013).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil e/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf
b) The EEFās 2021 toolkit, āWithin class attainment groupingā. This brief report highlights some key issues leaders should consider before establishing within class attainment groupings.
Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Toolkit: Within class attainment grouping.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/withinclass-attainment-grouping/.
Task: Pupil groupings ā a presentation to parents
Step one: Read and make notes on the material referenced above.
Step two: Complete the āWithin class attainment grouping questions and promptsā proforma (available below). You should respond to the questions as if you were a recently appointed headteacher
Step three: When you have completed your responses, discuss them with a SENDCo and make notes on any insights/observations they offer.
Prepare a PowerPoint presentation you might give to the parents of new pupils, in your first term as headteacher, which explains the rationale for the approach/policy the school intends to take with regard to pupil grouping. In preparing your PowerPoint, think carefully about the needs of your audience. The presentation should be a maximum of 12 slides.
Use the Notes section beneath each slide to make comments, e.g., rationale for the slide, key messages, key concerns parents may have. This is to help your performance coach to fully understand your thinking.
When you have completed your presentation, upload it in Canvas to your leadership performance coach within the timeframe identified.
Within class attainment grouping: Questions and prompts*
Questions Notes
How will you decide which subjects or activities are grouped by current level of attainment, and which are not?
How will you ensure that all pupils receive high-quality teaching when different groups are doing different tasks or require different teaching strategies?
How will you minimise the risk of allocating pupils to the wrong group? Have you assessed whether your grouping criteria could disadvantage certain pupils? For younger children, have you taken their relative age within the year group into account?
How flexible are your grouping arrangements? Pupils progress at different rates, so regular monitoring and assessment is important to minimise
misallocation and ensure challenge for all pupils.
How will you monitor the impact of grouping on pupilsā engagement and attitudes to learning, particularly for lower attaining pupils?
* Reproduced from EEF (2021), āWithin class attainment groupingā.
Additional information and resources for international schools
In the international context the Department for Education in England's SEND Code of Practice (2015) and Equality Act (2010) may not be applicable. The task does present an opportunity to review and evaluate the policies and procedures in place at your school relating to SEND provision and how pupils are supported.
The task has a focus on pupil groupings, though you may wish to evaluate the school's wider approach to supporting SEND students and how you would communicate this to all stakeholders.
Resources
https://iscresearch.com/reports/inclusion-international-schools/ https://iscresearch.com/supporting-sen-in-all-environments/
https://blog.outstandingschools.com/outstanding-sen-provision-in-international-schools-sam-garner
https://consiliumeducation.com/itm/2021/04/29/equitable-education/