How to tackle disadvantage
to improve educational
outcomes
David Carter
Cabot Learning Federation
Aims for Session
• 3 GOALS of this Presentation
– To describe how educational leaders need to be the
champions of the vulnerable
– What being vulnerable means?
– How do we lead and influence this agenda?
Starting Points
• There are two key questions we need to be able to
answer:
– Can we as educators compensate for a
dis-advantaged start in life?
– Can we assume that if we get the support right for
one cohort we have solved the problem for ever?
CLF and the 4-19 Journey
•
How is our Context Changing?
– 900 staff
– 5638 students
• 1265 in Primary Academies
(22%)
• 3870 in 11-16 (69%)
• 503 in post 16 (9%)
– 10 Open Academies
– New Primary Academy-September
2013
– 16-19 Academy Application for Sept
2014 start
•
Teaching School
•
•
•
ITT-Primary and Secondary (27
School Direct for 2013)
40 SLE providing School to school
support
NPQH/NPQSL and NPQML
What was our vision in
2007-8?
• We wanted to change the educational landscape of East Bristol for
ever!
• We wanted to give the John Cabot City Technology College (CTC)
experience to more students
– ….but not by admitting more students to the CTC
• We wanted to build a learning community of children, parents and
carers and professionals
• We wanted to take responsibility for a child’s education in BS15 and
BS16 from the age of 4 to 19
Has it worked?
•Bristol Brunel Academy
–
17% to 53% 5 ACEM
•Bristol Metropolitan Academy
–
NTI to Good (June 2011)
•King’s Oak Academy
–
32% to 52% -2011 to 2012
•Bath Community Academy
–
Exited Special Measures in Feb 2013!!
•Hans Price Academy
–
23% to 45%-2011 to 2012
•
John Cabot Academy
–
–
–
–
Outstanding in 2007 and 2009
5 A-C with English and Maths not less
than 73% in the past 3 years
Summer of 2012, 93 CLF students
have gone to University-22 from BBA
and BMA
17/22 the first in their family to do so
Improving Capacity, Changing Cultures,
Building Resilience
Improving the
Quality of teaching
& learning
5 Core
Strands
Improving the quality
& Impact of
Leadership &
Governance
Improving the
quality of Transition
in a 4 to 19
Federation
Improving the Quality
and range of Student
Support – “team
around the child”
Improving the
Quality and Impact
of Finance and HR
Management
What Beliefs underpin
our Strategy?
• Children get one chance only
– Year 7 is too late to start
the intervention
• Year 11 students today will be
parents of secondary students
in 2030-2040 and we need to
transform the home to school
relationship
• University Education and higher
level employment IS attainable
for our students
– Communities sometimes
believe education has
nothing to offer the most disadvantaged
• 3rd and 4th generation
unemployment
– How do we break the cycle?
How do we do things
differently?
Federated Partnership
• Single Employer
– Staff Secondment and Exchanges
• Collective Responsibility from the CLF Leadership Team for Every
Vulnerable child
• Focus on teaching
• Leadership, Succession Planning and Talent Management
• Leading Education for a Community
“Collaboration for Outstanding
Achievement”- CLF Mission
You have to have a bold vision and not be
disturbed by the challenge…..
“Collaboration for
Outstanding Achievement”
• Our Promise is to deliver an outstanding education to
every child who attends one of our Academies.
– To achieve this, every student will be taught by a well
trained and well supported teacher, in an Academy
that is led at every level by an inspirational leader….
“Collaboration for
Outstanding Achievement”
• Our Belief is that through collaboration we can
accelerate our vision of every CLF Academy being
judged to be at least “good” and on the path to
“outstanding” by 2015-16.
– Students come first, and we judge ourselves on how successful
we are in supporting our most vulnerable children as well as
those who are gifted and talented.
“Collaboration for
Outstanding Achievement”
• Our Goal is to share the effective practice that is
developed by staff in one Academy so that students in
another can benefit from federation wide strategies.
– We embrace the uniqueness of our schools and the communities
they serve.
Where do we Start?
“There are no quick fixes to closing
the gap but outstanding teaching is
part of the long term solution”
Developing Teaching &
Learning in the CLF
• Main Focus
– To identify and share the best practice in teaching and learning
across the ten schools
– To design and support school “swaps” & exchanges
– To move teachers from Satisfactory to Good
– To move teachers from Good to Outstanding
• CLF target is 85% of observations show good or better
– To enable, where appropriate, teachers and support staff to visit
and work alongside colleagues from the other Academies
What do the best teachers do
every day to close the gap?
• Differentiate the learning
experience
– Every child is potentially
vulnerable
• Plan for the students who have
fallen behind
• Mark the work of vulnerable
students better and more
frequently
• Focus on progress first
• Believe they are teachers of
literacy as well as their subject
• Take responsibility for
managing behaviour as 90% of
low level disruption is caused
because students cannot
access the learning
Leadership and
Succession Planning
• Leadership Development
Programmes
– Emerging Leaders
– Middle Leaders
– Emerging Senior Leaders
• Annual Federation Conferences
in July & November
• Make connections for staff visits
to schools across the UK and
Overseas
– Boston USA and Finland
– CLF Study Tours when at least
1 Academy has INSET Day
• Coaching and Mentoring
– NQT and PCGE across CLF
– Appointment Directory
– Alumni
• Student Parliament Leadership
Development Programme
• Senior Leaders on
secondment
What do the best leaders do
every day to close the gap?
• Champion the Vulnerable child
and talk about them positively
• Work hard with parents and
the “hard to reach”
• Lead and Manage the data
audit to ensure progression
and prevent further falling back
• Work with internal and external
expert groups
• Share and learn from best
practice
• Work with partners from other
schools to develop next practice
• Create opportunities for
vulnerable students to spend
more time not less time in school
Are Staff Equipped to support the most
vulnerable students?
Has some empathy but in general
finds them a distraction:
- Training and support to use their
strong teaching skills to create more
impact
Has a flair and talent for getting the
best from vulnerable learners
- Use these teachers to be closing the
gap champions and support others
Has little or no success with
vulnerable learners
- Support with the expectation of
improvement but strong challenge
needed to ensure students get best
deal
Has limited success with vulnerable
learners but wants to improve
- Training, mentoring and support from
a champion with clear strategies for
planning
Impact Measures
How do we know our strategy is
working?
Formal Measures of Success
• Performance Measures
– KS2 and GCSE Performance
– Levels of Progress
– Attendance
– Rewards and Sanctions
– Student Voice
Other Measures of Success
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transition from Primary to Secondary School
Staying on rates to post 16
Employment
Number of students from vulnerable groups gaining access to higher
education
Frequency of interaction with parents
Involvement in extra curricular events
Involvement in school trips and visits
Bristol CC “80 before 18” and the CLF Learning Promise
Contacts and Follow Ups
• If you would like to come and see the CLF in action
please e mail my PA Sam Brooks at
sam_brooks@clf.cabot.ac.uk
• www.cabotlearningfederation.net
• @carter6D on twitter