Pupil premium strategy statement
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium) funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.
School overview
| Detail | Data |
| School name | Turton School |
| Number of pupils in school | 1333 |
| Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils | 19.8% |
| Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended) | September 2021 -2024 |
| Date this statement was published | October 2023 |
| Date on which it will be reviewed | October 2024 |
| Statement authorised by | Sam Gorse Head Teacher |
| Pupil premium lead | Cathy Bach Deputy Head Teacher |
| Governor / Trustee lead | Marie Foley |
Funding overview
| Detail | Amount |
| Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £314878.7 (£303732.50 plus £9127.50 for post LAC and £2018.75 for service children) |
| Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year | £85077.00 |
| Pupil premium (and recovery premium*) funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)
*Recovery premium received in academic year 2021 to 2022 can be carried forward to academic year 2022 to 2023. Recovery premium received in academic year 2022 to 2023 cannot be carried forward to 2023 to 2024. |
£ 0 |
| Total budget for this academic year
If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year |
£399955.75 |
Part A: Pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of intent
| As leaders, we believe in the power of education to transform lives, to improve social justice and social mobility, and that through education we work together for a better society for all.
We know that there are students who find school difficult; students who struggle to engage and learn, and the reasons for this are multi-faceted. We recognise that our effect, as teachers, is far greater for those students who are disenfranchised from learning, than it is for those who are privileged. Our work in classrooms to include and engage students who are disenfranchised, is less about identified groups and intervention and more about ensuring that our planning, pedagogy, delivery and routines are continually adjusted and reformed to include those students who are on the periphery of learning in our classrooms. Through the values of justice and humanity, we work to ensure all children’s right to a good quality education. For those students who find school difficult, or fall behind on learning, a combination of our highly regarded pastoral care and support; our mental health provision and high quality, adaptive teaching, are the ways in which we improve engagement, inclusion and outcomes, and so the future life chances for our students. Fundamental to the educational offer at Turton is our curriculum, which is academic in nature and hosts a broad range of subjects. We know that there is a direct link between curriculum quality and equality/social justice. Our curriculum provides a balance of subjects within the broader domains of science, humanities and arts. It is carefully designed to capture the essence of all disciplines, with a coherence that begins with students learning important knowledge (the best that has been thought and said in each discipline). The curriculum has relevance in our locality and in current times: this relevance is made explicit through the dialectical aspects of learning. It is also through dialectical teaching in subject areas that students engage in current affairs and personal development (CAPD). These aspects of curriculum rely on the knowledge of the past to help students make sense of the world today, this enables them to develop good character through a deeper awareness of themselves and others, and leads to personal empowerment and the capacity to go on to lead a good life. Good teaching requires a deep understanding and high level of skill in all aspects of pedagogy. We have a collegiate and collaborative approach to professional development that operates through our Triad structure. The purpose of this is to enable all teachers to review, reflect and constantly develop their pedagogical practice, with the over-arching ambition that if everyone improves their practice and performance year on year, this will lead to effective school improvement and better outcomes for all. Turton has a set of routines and classroom practices known as the Hive Switch, adhered to by all, that supports curriculum delivery and pedagogy. It requires us to apply our collective energy to a set of key practices, in all classrooms. Through this unison of drilling routines, the Hive Switch benefits each of us as individuals, but also has a community effect, where collective interests predominate. In this way, students learn personal accountability and social responsibility. Our collective endeavour, around the Hive Switch, improves engagement, well-being, safety and performance. To support our students who are ‘disadvantaged’ we focus on the following: · Disenfranchised Strategy: through the clear identification of students who are disenfranchised in the classroom and through whole class involvement in learning. · Learning Strategy: through improving the dialectical aspects of teaching in our classrooms · Standards Strategy: through the implementation of the Hive Switch · Curriculum: a broad and balanced curriculum offer for all, including CAPD (Current Affairs and Personal Development) within all subjects. · Attendance The best way to affect change for the most disenfranchised students is through expert teaching (Coe et al.) therefore developing our staff to improve their subject knowledge, curriculum and assessment is vital. For our students, providing structure both inside and outside lessons as well as improving attendance is the best way to develop all students: personally and academically. Over the final year of this three year plan our work will include: • Working together with the KS3 strategy, with a focus on improving functional reading ages. • Embedding our transition and pathways at KS4 and KS5 to ensure that students have a clear sense of where education can take them. • Embedding robust, structured and timely communication across teaching, pastoral and SEND teams to share a complete picture and understanding of our students and their families, to support attendance and develop routines. · Continue developing teachers through the Triad process, exploring aspects of pedagogy that have a particular impact on disenfranchised students, including dialectical aspects of learning, upholding high standards and accurate identification of disenfranchised students. · Developing new teachers: working with the ECF team to ensure ECTs have a deep and purposeful understanding of what excellent teaching is, and to develop their classroom practice over a four year programme. This strategy is a cohesive part of our school priorities: The Hive Switch (behaviour); The Curriculum; and The Triads (expert teachers). The strategy is rooted in a desire to improve the engagement and achievement of students who are disenfranchised. We aim to: • Ensure that the attainment of ‘disadvantaged’, continues on its post-Covid upward trend, closing the gap between ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers. • Increase the number of ‘disadvantaged’ students studying Level 3 courses at Turton 6th Form, other post-16 establishments or apprenticeships • Improve the attendance of ‘disadvantaged’ students in line with pre-Covid figures (whole school July 2019 - 95.4%) • Support the mental health of students, post covid, as this impacts on attendance. • Increase the ability of staff to identify who is on the outside of the class learning. • Develop the staffs ability to hold the whole class in learning
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Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
| Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
| 1 | The attainment gap continues to be an area for improvement. Whilst subject performance for ‘disadvantaged’ students improved steadily from 2017 – 2019, the pandemic has provided a challenge to this improving trajectory. Scrutiny of assessment data, student voice and effort grades for current Year 11 indicates that ‘disadvantaged’ students still face barriers to achievement.
UPDATE October 2023 The gap between ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘non-disadvantaged’ students for headline figures such as 5 strong passes EM, 5 standard passes EM is similar to national figures. Achievement at grades 9-7 in English, Maths and Science has improved for disadvantaged pupil from previous years. However, starting points also show a difference of KS2 average 105.5 for the whole cohort, 106.5 for non PPG students and 102 for disadvantaged students. The pandemic has impacted on these students and we will continue working to narrow the attainment gap. |
| 2 | The average reading age gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged Key Stage 3 students on entry to Turton ranges from 1.8 years (current Year 8) and 2.6 years (current Year 10). The gap decreases as students’ progress through their time at Turton.
It is abundantly clear that lower levels in reading have a significant negative impact on students’ progress in all subject areas. Our experience indicates that increasing students’ range of vocabulary; fluency; phonic knowledge and frequency of reading improves achievement across the curriculum. |
| 3 | Envisaging a successful future is crucial to engagement in learning for all students. Our challenge is to engage disenfranchised students in planning their futures through our CEAIG. The newly appointed careers teacher will work with the KS4, KS5 and disenfranchised teams. |
| 4 | Work ethic (both in-class and out of class) and pastoral data indicates that there are cohorts of students whose behaviour and lack of scholarly routines are creating a barrier to their success. Learning walks and monitoring of standards highlights the students that are lacking organisational routines (particularly at Key Stage 3); effective work habits both in school, and at home.
There are 14 students in year 8 with inconsistent work-ethic for homework (8 for the first time) There are 24 students in year 8 with inconsistent work-ethic for in-class efforts (13 for the first time) There are 25 students in year 9 with inconsistent work-ethic for homework (24 for the first/second time) There are 36 students in year 9 with inconsistent work-ethic for in-class efforts (21 for the first/second time)
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| 5 | The attendance of ‘disadvantaged’ cohort is lower than their ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers. Our pre-Covid data shows the average attendance gap was 3.5%. Absence and punctuality, in particular persistent non-attendance, is impacting students’ progress. In 2021/22 overall school attendance was above national figures, while ‘pupil premium’ students’ attendance was 0.7% below national figures.
UPDATE October 2023 – In 2022/23 attendance for disadvantaged students has improved to -0.2% below the national average. The focus on attendance remains for all students, particularly the disadvantaged and this improved attendance last year. |
| 6 | Following the pandemic, pastoral contact data indicated school closure has had a negative impact on the wellbeing and academic confidence of students. This has resulted in increased instances of social and emotional concerns, such as anxiety and depression, as well as a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. There have been more referrals for one-to-one; group provision and family interventions.
UPDATE October 2023 The disenfranchised team have focused on connecting with families and students, providing resources such as uniform, equipment, revision guides and mentoring students to help reduce the impact of the pandemic. |
Intended outcomes
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
| Intended outcome | Success criteria |
| Close achievement gap in English and Maths as well as increased success rate in EBacc subjects. | We aspire to:
· Increase the number of students entered for the English Baccalaureate year on year. · Increase average Attainment 8 score. · Narrow the average Progress 8 score gap between ‘disadvantaged’ students and their ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers |
| Improved reading, oracy and broader literacy across students at Key Stage 3 and 4 and 5. | Reading tests will demonstrate improvements in KS3 students’ reading ages from the start of the year, as well as a reduction in the gap in average reading ages between ‘disadvantaged’ students and their ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers.
Observations of oracy weeks and in-class opportunities for spoken word will show an equitable engagement from disadvantaged students.
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| Increased numbers of students studying Level 3 courses at Turton 6th Form, increased numbers of students who are entering into Level 2/3 courses or apprenticeships and maintain our low levels of NEETs. | We aim to ensure that our destinations data maintains the upwards trajectory that it has been on in previous years, despite the pandemic. In 2020, 97% of students remained in education, training or employment.
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| Improved engagement of students with classwork and homework. Improved scholarly habits in students. | Increased percentage of staff confidently enacting the Hive Switch in lessons and on corridors.
Through learning walk observations, we will identify an increase in student compliance with the Hive Switch, including completion of homework.
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| To improve attendance post-Covid for students and close the differential between ‘disadvantaged’ and their ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers. | We aim to redress the lower level of attendance experienced during the pandemic (90.1%), returning it to the pre-pandemic level of 95% and above. We aim to reduce the gap between ‘disadvantaged’ students and their ‘non-disadvantaged’ peers to below 3.5%.
UPDATE – September 2023: the attendance gap in 2022/23 was 6.6%, and while this is in line with national figures we aim to reduce this in 2023/24.
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| To improve the wellbeing and resilience of all students. | • Positive outcomes from wellbeing and mental health support services in school.
· Implementation and delivery of a whole-school Current Affairs and Personal Development (CAPD)programme. · Staff will have increased knowledge and expertise in discussing well-being with students. |
Activity in this academic year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £ 205,889
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| A whole school strategy for disenfranchised students improve outcomes for students.
Whole staff CPD delivered on identifying students at risk of disenfranchisement, and on delivering whole-class teaching.
Recruitment of a new primary specialist to deliver our new ‘Hub’ class for 16 low ability students in year 7 to support transition to secondary school, and decrease pressure in all other year 7 classes.
|
Analysis shows that in classes with teachers who have a relentless focus on all students, using their agency to involve all in learning, with the same high expectations for all, disenfranchised students gain higher outcomes.
Mastery learning | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
Pupil_Premium_menu_evidence_brief.pdf.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)
The EEF produced reports that widely support a tutoring small-group approach: Reading_Programmes_for_Secondary_Students_Evidence_Review.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)
They also support teaching reading comprehension strategies: Reading comprehension strategies | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
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1, 4 |
| Additional staffing appointments made to reduce class sizes in Maths, English, Science, Languages | Use of PP monies to overstaff in key areas has allowed us to reduce class sizes, and introduce reading lessons led by specialist English teachers. While class size is not always shown to impact on outcomes, we have found that having smaller class sizes allows teachers to build a more focused whole-class relationship and insist on higher expectations for all.
Additional classes in year 11, to provide additional English and Maths. |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Support and resources to enhance the CPD of staff delivering reading/ literacy/ numeracy provision
Recruitment of a new primary specialist to deliver training on phonics and numeracy to Turton staff. Purchase of specialist equipment to support this training and delivery |
EEF evidence on impact of phonics: Phonics | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
EEF evidence on using manipulatives and representatives: EEF-Improving-Mathematics-in-Key-Stages-2-and-3-2022-Update.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)
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1,2 |
| Purchase resources and CPD provision to support the development of maths teaching | The guidance produced by the NCETM drawing on evidence-based approaches: https://www.ncetm.org.uk/news/new-dfe-guidance-on-teaching-key-stage-3-maths/ “High-quality teaching of mathematics in the classroom is, of course, what really makes a difference to students’ learning.”
Update 2023: Maths department have rolled out White Rose maths, purchasing materials to support this for KS3. |
1, 3 |
| Support for further
professional development/ coaching time for teachers particularly ECTs (including the appointment of a designated ECF lead). |
The EEF evidence supports our decision to an ECF lead that works alongside a member of leadership to support the professional development of our ECTs not just for two years but four.
We have designed our own ECF programme which has been ratified by the Appropriate Body – East Manchester Teaching Hub
EEF-Effective-Professional-Development-Guidance-Report.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)
Early Career Framework - East Manchester Teaching School Hub (eastmanchesterteachinghub.com) |
1,2 |
| Introduction of
‘coaches’ to improve teaching across subjects. |
The EEF evidence supports our decision to have four dedicated coaches to lead the professional development of our ECTs not just for two years but four. We are able to develop the coaches and ensure a consistent approach to teacher development whilst not increasing work load of our colleagues in departments
EEF-Effective-Professional-Development-Guidance-Report.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)
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1 |
| Purchase of full membership of the ‘WALKTHRUs’ programme
material and CPD support to develop the curriculum delivery, and teaching across all subjects. Training from Tom Bennett, to support the standards and behaviour across school. |
Through our Triad development process, teachers collaborate and train in aspects of curriculum, pedagogy and planning that have the largest impact on students who are disadvantaged.
Staff inset time and briefing time given to raising staff knowledge and awareness of students and how to use their agency to adapt their teaching accordingly. Drawing on the recommendations of Coe et al. https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/great-teaching/ The WALKTHRUs use the key aspects of the report to deliver teaching and learning strategies using a coaching method. |
1,2,3 |
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £ 65,989
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| The introduction of specialist reading groups, peer reading programmes and targeted phonics support (SEND/very low ability students) across Key Stage 3 to improve the reading age and comprehension levels of ‘disadvantaged’ (and ‘non-disadvantaged) students.
The introduction of the y7 Hub to support transition to secondary school. |
Using small group tuition:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/literacy-ks3-ks4
In school analysis shows that reading ages have increased for students in the reading groups. The hub follows a part primary model, with students taught as a smaller group by 2 teaches across a range of subjects. |
1,2 |
| The appointment of designated teachers to support students in Breakfast Club to manage homework and develop good academic routines. | Based on our experience over the last four years, the
introduction of a ‘working breakfast’ has been successful in developing good academic habits in our students. Although the EEF’s research is focussed at KS 2 students, we have experienced similar successes at KS 3 and 4: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/magic-breakfast We have appointed 4 teaching staff as part of a disenfranchised team, to run breakfast club and to provide 1 to 1 support to identified students. Staff are an advocate for the students they work with, perhaps providing additional support that others may get from their home environment. |
1,4,5 |
| Support and revision materials to ensure that ‘disadvantaged’ students have full access to all aspects the curriculum, providing scaffolding where required | Based on the evidence over the past four years, we have found that often, ‘disadvantaged’ students do not have access to the necessary materials and equipment to support their learning.
We continue to purchase revision materials for students and have provided a bank of resources for Breakfast Club. Purchase of materials for the Hub y7 group. |
1,3,6 |
| Procurement of extended Connexions time solely to support the CIAEG for ‘disadvantaged’ students | Using the guidance from the DfE: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools to provide more bespoke career advice for ‘disadvantaged’ students
We have purchased extra time each week with a Connexions worker. |
3,6 |
| The use of lead teachers to implement targeted CIAEG and academic pathways support for ‘disadvantaged’ students to ensure better engagement with the school’s curriculum. | Developing our whole-school approach to CIAEG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-for-jobs-lifelong-learning-for-opportunity-and-growth
We have appointed a career lead Sept 2023. |
3,4,5,6 |
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £ 79,306
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| We use Breakfast Club to encourage attendance, punctuality, good academic and organisational routines. | We provide staffing, food, drinks and a warm dry space for students. Based on our experience over the last four years, the introduction of a ‘working breakfast’ has been successful in encouraging our students to have a prompt and well-prepared start to their day. Although the EEF’s research is focussed at KS 2 students, we have experienced similar successes at KS 3 and 4: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/magic-breakfast | 1,4,5,6 |
| Service level agreement (SLA) with the School’s Music Service to ensure that all ‘disadvantaged’ students receive music tuition. As part of the SLA, we now have a vocal group led by a vocal coach. | The Paul Hamlyn Foundation identified key challenges and how to address those challenges in music education: https://www.phf.org.uk/reader/inspiring-music/key-issues-challenges/#5-insufficient-local-and-national-support-structures Whilst this article in The Independent highlighted how ‘disadvantaged’ students are being priced out of music tuition: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/music-lessons-school-instrument-tuition-musicians-union-poor-children-a8619201.html The students benefit from a sense of community and belonging – the group spans year 7-13. Evidence shows that being part of a group has a positive impact on mental health and well-being. | 5,6 |
| A whole school focus on disenfranchised students, including behaviour and attendance. | Disenfranchised students are disengaged from learning for a wide range of reasons. Our CPD has focused staff on pedagogy to improve behaviour and attendance of our students. Using the guidance from the EEF’s ‘Putting Evidence to Work’ document: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation | 1,3,4,5,6 |
| Appointed behaviour lead and Lead Practitioner for standards, ensure that our Hive Switch is applied justly to all, without exception. Ensuring that we hold all students to the same high expectations. Appointed an additional behaviour mentor | Monitoring and embedding the routines of the Hive Switch had an increasingly significant impact on engagement, particularly for those students who are disadvantaged. The Hive Switch, applied fully to all, provides a sense of togetherness and necessary discipline. | 1, 4 |
| Targeted attendance and, if needed in the future, remote learning support from the attendance/ Bolton Virtual School. | Based on the recommendations of the DFE’s ‘Improving School Attendance’ document: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance/framework-for-securing-full-attendance-actions-for-schools-and-local-authorities and the findings suggested in BERA’s literature review: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/closing-the-covid-19-gap-where-should-interventions-begin | 1, 5 11 |
| Small group and one-to-one sessions for students with trained mental health practitioner to develop self-regulation/ stress management strategies | The recommendations from the EIF stress the importance of the delivery of expert-led sessions (particularly using CBT): https://www.eif.org.uk/report/adolescent-mental-health-a-systematic-review-on-the-effectiveness-of-school-based-intervention | 5,6 |
| Support for ‘disadvantaged’ students to access all aspects of the school curriculum and extra-curricular activities directly related to students’ personal development. | Based on our previous experience, we have found that many ‘disadvantaged’ students lack the means to participate in extra-curricular activities that will enrich their education. Therefore, it is necessary to have a contingency fund to support students should they wish to attend wrap-around activities that would enhance their academic experience.
Current family financial situations are leading to an increased need in this area. |
1, 2, 5, 6 |
| Financial support for ‘disadvantaged’ students whose family circumstances are providing barriers to learning. | We have found increasingly, that families are requiring extra financial support to ensure that their children have sufficient resources to engage with and participate fully in school life. | 1,3,5,6 |
Excess carried forward from tuition funding costs £52846
Total budgeted cost: £404030
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year
Pupil premium strategy outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
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Attendance We use effective communication between teaching, pastoral and SEND staff to support attendance (and progress and attainment). The local authority are supporting us tackle persistent absence with meetings between parents, pastoral staff and the attendance enforcement officer to create a contract around attendance. We have extended the hours of the in-school attendance officer, to address the increased demand post pandemic. We have also increased the hours of the pastoral secretary. Attendance is increasing, with attendance above national levels in 2022/23. Persistent absence is reducing, and was below national levels in 2022/23.
Breakfast club provides a settled start to the day, with staff supporting students with organisation and homework. We have appointed designated teachers to run breakfast club and altered our focus to be three pronged: calm and organised start to the day; homework support; revision. This supports attendance and attainment.
We have a fulltime mental health practitioner and a team of mentors, who work with individuals to support attendance and engagement in learning.
Routines through the hive switch Turton has a set of routines and classroom practices known as the Hive Switch, adhered to by all, that supports curriculum delivery and pedagogy. Staff training has focussed on us applying our collective energy to this set of key practices, in all classrooms. Through this unison of drilling routines, the Hive Switch benefits each of us as individuals, but also has a community effect, where collective interests predominate. In this way, students learn personal accountability and social responsibility. Our collective endeavour, around the Hive Switch, improves engagement, well-being, safety and performance.
The consistent routines created by the Hive Switch increase work ethic in and out of school, leading to superb behaviour for learning. We have appointed two lead practitioners; a behaviour lead (November 2021) and a lead for standards (July 2022). The behaviour lead has been pivotal in re-establishing routines around behaviour and learning in our first full year post pandemic. This joining of pastoral and teaching approaches to developing good behaviour for learning and clear learning habits will impact on outcomes for our students.
Learning walks are showing an increased compliance with the Hive Switch.
Progress and attainment Reading is key and we have focussed on reading at key stage 3, with reading groups led by our new primary teacher, English teachers and a level 4 teaching assistant, as well as peer reading programmes. In addition, a well-considered programme runs during our self-designed Oracy weeks. This has led to a closing of the gap in reading ages of students in the groups.
We have appointed a teacher to lead on CIEAG at KS3 and 4 and she has made a good start this term. This will complement the work done by the sixth form team. They are focusing on careers education and transition points, to increase the number of students who remain in education and training, at the highest level available to each student. In addition, we have purchased an extra half day of Connexions support to provide impartial advice to more of our students. We are maintaining high numbers of students remaining on in 6th form. We provide financial support to students in receipt of pupil premium money, for extracurricular trips, uniform and equipment. This supports access to school and to learning, helping to close attainment gaps.
Progress and attainment are also impacted by excellent teaching.
Excellent teaching
Good teaching requires a deep understanding and high level of skill in all aspects of pedagogy. We have a collegiate and collaborative approach to professional development that operates through our Triad structure. The purpose of this is to enable all teachers to review, reflect and constantly develop their pedagogical practice, with the over-arching ambition that if everyone improves their practice and performance year on year, this will lead to effective school improvement and better outcomes for all. We have purchased full membership of the ‘WALKTHRUs’ programme material and CPD support to develop curriculum delivery and teaching across all subjects.
New staff to the profession are further developed through our bespoke 4 year ECF programme, run by an ECF coordinator and supported by four ECF coaches. Our ECTs have a bespoke programme which runs for the first 4 years of their career, helping them develop pedagogy so they can deliver high quality, adaptive teaching. This is shown, through learning walks and observations, to impact their pedagogical development throughout the first four years of their career.
Our new programme is both developing and retaining excellent teachers. In 2020, five of our ECTs in their first/second year left us, three of whom had permanent contracts, and two leaving the profession. Yet in 2022, only two ECTs moved on to other schools. This year we have developed 15 ECTs (year 1-2) and 11 ECTs (year 3-4), and only six of them had positions of responsibility before the programme started, but now eleven have been promoted to have a responsibility in school; several as second in department.
We have also funded additional staff in English, Maths, Science and Languages, to create smaller group sizes and introduce specialist reading by English teachers. This allows teachers to adapt teaching to meet the learning needs of their students in a more bespoke manner.
We have implemented and are delivering a whole school CAPD programme, to engage students beyond the examined curriculum. This has led to a greater awareness of relationships and mental health, leading to students having increased awareness and seeking support earlier.
We have a service level agreement with Bolton Music Service, providing peripatetic music lessons to students in receipt of pupil premium monies. Learning to play an instrument is associated with greater engagement in learning. We have a vocal teacher run an extra-curricular group once per week. Singing together creates a connexion.
We identified a group of severely disenfranchised students in one year group. An alternative pathway, that maintains students right to important knowledge, alongside adapting their timetable and teaching to better engage them in learning was implemented in May 2022, with the establishment of a new band (Q) and the associated staffing costs. This reduced duty calls and improved behaviour for learning in the other year 9 classes. The students in Q band have had less detentions issued, less fixed term exclusions and less duty calls. During the second half of the summer term we reintegrated the group into mainstream classes. Exclusions are still lower for this group that they were prior to the formation of the group. |