Management Information Sheet

To All Secondary Phase Headteachers and Chairs of Governors

End September 2009	Management Information sheet is published outlining the target setting process including timescales
End September 2009	FFTLive is updated with latest estimates and some new functionality to support the target setting process
19th/20th October 2009	Schools have been invited, via their Data Managers, to attend a half-day hands-on training session to support the target setting process, using, in particular, FFTLive data
October / November 2009	Schools use their data and have discussions with staff to compile proposed targets
By 20th November 2009	Schools enter targets online (via 'My School' website) and 'Save Changes & Submit'
November to 4th Dec 2009	Governors agree targets
By 4th December 2009	Headteacher, Chair of Governors, and SIP, verify targets. The Headteacher confirms the targets online by entering his/her name and date confirmed. The Headteacher also takes responsibility for entering the name of the Chair of Governors and date the targets were agreed, as well as the name of the SIP and the date the SIP agreed the targets.

Target Setting - Autumn Term 2009

As you know all Secondary Phase schools are required to set statutory targets this term for the current Year 10 pupils for their attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2011. Schools with Sixth Forms, and Sixth Form Centres, are asked to set targets for Post-16 attainment in 2011, as a matter of good practice.

Regulations require schools to set their statutory targets by the end of December 2009 and the Local Authority is required to submit these targets to the DCSF. We will be working with you to set provisional targets by Friday 20^th November 2009. This will allow for a further discussion between the SIP and the school before they are formally agreed by the Governing Body and submitted to the Local Authority by 4^th December 2009.

We recommend that, as part of your pupil tracking and monitoring process, you also set targets for KS3, but these are not statutory and will not be submitted to the DCSF.

Your 2011 target setting discussion with your SIP will cover:
(Please note p.11/12 Guidance on Target Setting Part 1 at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ts/)

	Your plans to track and monitor pupils' progress, aiming to increase the proportion making expected progress in English and in mathematics
	Targets for pupils with free school meals, and individual groups (children in care, boys, girls, gifted and talented, black and minority ethnic pupils)
	Targets for pupils with SEN who are unlikely to reach threshold levels
	Targets to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence

Absence Targets

Half of Norfolk's high schools had more than 6.1% of their pupils who were persistently absent last year. The DCSF requirements to reduce persistent absence are becoming more rigorous each year. Every school is being encouraged to have in place a whole-school approach to ensure good attendance and to pay particular attention to persistently absent pupils.

Absence targets are required to be lower than, or equal to:

• The median level of absence for schools with similar free school meals (see Annex B, p20 of the Guidance on Target Setting Part 1 at http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ts/ )
• The school's actual absence figure for 2007/08
• The school's target for 2009/10

These three figures will be provided on the target setting website. Entering a higher figure for 2010/11 will trigger the need for an explanation which will be submitted to the DCSF.

Children in Care

Schools are asked to ensure PEPs for children in care are updated to take account of previous year's results and that targets remain sufficiently ambitious. Targets for 2011 should be discussed and agreed with the SIP and these will be collected by the Area Learning Support Teachers on or after 4th December

Guidance and support in setting targets

Please follow the guidance provided by DCSF at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ts/

To assist you further with the target setting process:

	RAISEonline provides a target setting report for KS4
	FFTLive provides Fischer Family Trust estimates for current Year 10 based on Key Stage 2 (Year10 estimates using KS3 2009 are also available, but these are based on Teacher Assessments). In addition, to support your pupil tracking process, FFTLive now includes KS3 estimates for 'Other Foundation Subjects' (OFS) as well as the core subjects.
	The FFTLive pupil estimates are in the form of an estimate range. You are recommended to consider the estimates based on the top 25% of pupils in similar schools by selecting Estimate Basis: SE, and Rank: 25 (Type D) as a starting point, and formulate individual pupil targets as follows: Estimate + Teacher Knowledge = Prediction Prediction + Challenge = TARGET
	Provisional targets will be discussed with the school's SIP

If you have any questions relating to RAISEonline or Fischer Family Trust data, please contact Chris Jackson in the Information and Research Centre Tel: 01603-224223.

What targets are required?

Key Stage 4 Targets

	% 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent including English and mathematics
	% 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent
	The average total point score (APS) using Section 96 scoring system (uncapped)
	% making expected progress in English
	% making expected progress in maths

KS4 targets should include all pupils who will finish their Key Stage 4 programme of study in summer 2011, not just those who will have reached the age of 15 by 31^st August.

Absence Targets

% Overall absence

% Persistent absence (percentage of pupils who have accumulated the threshold number of half-day sessions of absence)

Post-16 Targets (Sixth Forms)

Average Total Point Score per Student (Section 96 points)

	Average Point Score per Entry (Section 96 points)
	% A*-C grades (based on entries)

How and when should targets be submitted?

Targets should be submitted on line in the password protected 'My School' area of 'Norfolk Schools' website www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk.

	Provisional targets should be submitted by Friday 20th November 2009, these will be discussed with the SIP and, if possible, a governing body representative, in order to agree final targets.
	Final agreed targets should be submitted by Friday 4th December 2009, in order to allow the Local Authority to collate all targets by the 31st December DCSF deadline
	The Headteacher should take responsibility for confirming the Chair of Governors and the SIP have agreed the targets, by entering online, in the schools' target setting website, the name and date agreed in each case.

Use the evidenced gained from this process to contribute to your School Self-Evaluation, eg. Sub-Section A2: Outcomes: How well are pupils doing, taking account of any variation; and The effectiveness of leadership and management, in embedding ambition and driving improvement.

If you require any further guidance or clarification on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact your SIP or Yvonne Barclay, Tel: 01603-433276.