Management Information Sheet
Improvement Professional Visit to Schools and School Target Setting
MI sheet 170/11 outlined the purpose of the visit to all schools from an Improvement Professional. The letter emailed to schools week beginning 19th September 2011 indicated the assignment of the Improvement Professional to every maintained school. This MI sheet confirms the agenda for the visit to schools from the local authority Improvement Professional and provides guidance for schools in setting targets for outcomes in summer 2013.
The agenda has been negotiated and agreed with the Norfolk Schools' Forum which includes representatives from Norfolk Governors' Network. The visit will take place during the autumn term 2011 and be completed in a single visit to the school taking up to 5 hours. Schools that have been identified for additional intervention, and who have an allocation of Intervention Adviser time may have two half day visits from their Improvement Professional, one in the autumn term 2011 and one in the spring term 2012. The visit will result in a visit note which will be completed by the Improvement Professional and a copy returned to the headteacher and Chair of Governors.
Agenda for the Improvement Professional Visit
The aim of the visit is review the school self-evaluation summary judgements against the 4 main headings in the draft revised Ofsted framework and the school's Overall Effectiveness. A discussion about the evidence in relation to each aspect will lead to an agreed judgement in relation to:
1. Achievement
2. Quality of Teaching
3. Leadership and Management
4. Behaviour and Safety
5. Overall Effectiveness
The Improvement Professional will record any disagreement with the school's evidence base and summary judgement, and also where there is a lack of sufficient evidence available to corroborate the school's judgement.
The Improvement Professional will further explore the statutory compliance in relation to safeguarding, equalities and diversity.
During the visit the Improvement Professional could be involved in supporting governors with the performance management of the headteacher. If the governors have made arrangements for an external consultant to carry out this activity this will be recorded by the Improvement Professional and the time allowed for this activity can be used on other activities to support the school's evaluation.
For the visit to be of maximum use to both the school and the local authority, it will be important that headteachers are well prepared and able to exemplify evidence to support their judgements. You are not required to provide a summary self-evaluation for this visit but if you have one it may be useful to send it to the Improvement Professional before the visit.
The judgement for achievement will require a discussion about the outcomes for pupils and groups for 2011 and will make use of a range of published and school data. Your Improvement Professional will have access to your Key Data, Key Data + and RAISEonline report. You will want to provide your analysis of outcomes and trends over time in order to facilitate this discussion.
Target Setting
In November 2010 the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidance for the setting of statutory targets for 2012 Target Setting Guidance 2012. They signalled the removal of the requirement for local authorities to set and submit to the DfE targets for schools and groups of pupils. Subsequently, they produced further communication in February 2011 indicating that schools will have greater freedom in setting performance targets - Ending Statutory School Targets and that this will be confirmed in legislation in the Bill currently going through parliament.
The local authority recognises that schools will continue to set targets for outcomes for pupils in all year groups as this is recognised good practice and helps to signal ambition for children and young people. We wish to continue to collect the proposed targets from all maintained schools for children who will be in Year 6 and the young people in Year 11 in the summer of 2013. The purpose of this is to continue to publish these targets as part of Key Data. It will also enable the local authority, working in a range of partnerships with schools, to maintain a school improvement strategy in inverse proportion to need and target resources effectively.
The focus of these targets will continue to be those that were previously statutory.
Summary of targets to be collected by the local authority - by 16th December 2011
Key Stage 2: the % to achieve level 4+ in both English and mathematics
Key Stage 2: the % making 2 levels of progress from end of Key Stage 1 in English
Key Stage 2: the % making 2 levels of progress from end of Key Stage 1 in mathematics
Key Stage 4: the % achieving 5 A*-C at GCSE and equivalent including GCSE in English and mathematics
Key Stage 4: the % making expected progress from the level achieved in English at the end of Key Stage 2
Key Stage 4: the % making expected progress from the level achieved in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2
To support schools with effective target setting the local authority recommends the use of Fischer Family Trust (FFT) data. This enables schools to:Use pupil and school estimates (available for KS1 to KS5) to inform expectations for all pupils across a wide range of subjects
Motivate pupils and recognise potential by using FFT's range of estimate models
Use FFT Live's comprehensive set of self-evaluation reports to compare attainment, value added or contextual value added performance to similar students in similar schools across the country and
Identify strengths and areas for further development across a range of subjects and pupil groups to support planning, intervention strategies and the assessment of impact through evidence based self-evaluation.
(For further enquiry about your access to FFT Live contact chris.jackson@norfolk.gov.uk or dom.mingaye@norfolk.gov.uk. For training and school-based support contact john.crowley@norfolk.gov.uk)
During the visit from your Improvement Professional you will discuss the process that you use to arrive at effective and appropriately challenging targets for pupil outcomes. They will want to explore with you your draft targets for 2013 for end of Key Stage 2 and end of Key Stage 4 pupils. Following agreement with governors, you are asked to submit your targets to the local authority, via the password protected My School website.
The agenda has been negotiated and agreed with the Norfolk Schools' Forum which includes representatives from Norfolk Governors' Network. The visit will take place during the autumn term 2011 and be completed in a single visit to the school taking up to 5 hours. Schools that have been identified for additional intervention, and who have an allocation of Intervention Adviser time may have two half day visits from their Improvement Professional, one in the autumn term 2011 and one in the spring term 2012. The visit will result in a visit note which will be completed by the Improvement Professional and a copy returned to the headteacher and Chair of Governors.
Agenda for the Improvement Professional Visit
The aim of the visit is review the school self-evaluation summary judgements against the 4 main headings in the draft revised Ofsted framework and the school's Overall Effectiveness. A discussion about the evidence in relation to each aspect will lead to an agreed judgement in relation to:
1. Achievement
2. Quality of Teaching
3. Leadership and Management
4. Behaviour and Safety
5. Overall Effectiveness
The Improvement Professional will record any disagreement with the school's evidence base and summary judgement, and also where there is a lack of sufficient evidence available to corroborate the school's judgement.
The Improvement Professional will further explore the statutory compliance in relation to safeguarding, equalities and diversity.
During the visit the Improvement Professional could be involved in supporting governors with the performance management of the headteacher. If the governors have made arrangements for an external consultant to carry out this activity this will be recorded by the Improvement Professional and the time allowed for this activity can be used on other activities to support the school's evaluation.
For the visit to be of maximum use to both the school and the local authority, it will be important that headteachers are well prepared and able to exemplify evidence to support their judgements. You are not required to provide a summary self-evaluation for this visit but if you have one it may be useful to send it to the Improvement Professional before the visit.
The judgement for achievement will require a discussion about the outcomes for pupils and groups for 2011 and will make use of a range of published and school data. Your Improvement Professional will have access to your Key Data, Key Data + and RAISEonline report. You will want to provide your analysis of outcomes and trends over time in order to facilitate this discussion.
Target Setting
In November 2010 the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidance for the setting of statutory targets for 2012 Target Setting Guidance 2012. They signalled the removal of the requirement for local authorities to set and submit to the DfE targets for schools and groups of pupils. Subsequently, they produced further communication in February 2011 indicating that schools will have greater freedom in setting performance targets - Ending Statutory School Targets and that this will be confirmed in legislation in the Bill currently going through parliament.
The local authority recognises that schools will continue to set targets for outcomes for pupils in all year groups as this is recognised good practice and helps to signal ambition for children and young people. We wish to continue to collect the proposed targets from all maintained schools for children who will be in Year 6 and the young people in Year 11 in the summer of 2013. The purpose of this is to continue to publish these targets as part of Key Data. It will also enable the local authority, working in a range of partnerships with schools, to maintain a school improvement strategy in inverse proportion to need and target resources effectively.
The focus of these targets will continue to be those that were previously statutory.
Summary of targets to be collected by the local authority - by 16th December 2011
Key Stage 2: the % to achieve level 4+ in both English and mathematics
Key Stage 2: the % making 2 levels of progress from end of Key Stage 1 in English
Key Stage 2: the % making 2 levels of progress from end of Key Stage 1 in mathematics
Key Stage 4: the % achieving 5 A*-C at GCSE and equivalent including GCSE in English and mathematics
Key Stage 4: the % making expected progress from the level achieved in English at the end of Key Stage 2
Key Stage 4: the % making expected progress from the level achieved in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2
To support schools with effective target setting the local authority recommends the use of Fischer Family Trust (FFT) data. This enables schools to:
(For further enquiry about your access to FFT Live contact chris.jackson@norfolk.gov.uk or dom.mingaye@norfolk.gov.uk. For training and school-based support contact john.crowley@norfolk.gov.uk)
During the visit from your Improvement Professional you will discuss the process that you use to arrive at effective and appropriately challenging targets for pupil outcomes. They will want to explore with you your draft targets for 2013 for end of Key Stage 2 and end of Key Stage 4 pupils. Following agreement with governors, you are asked to submit your targets to the local authority, via the password protected My School website.