Priority One - Raising the attainment of pupils in the Early Years (Foundation Stage), Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Key strands and context:
Improving standards in literacy and numeracy continues to be the major priority for the LEA. The LEA will receive funding for an Intense
Support Programme (ISP) and Leadership Programme during 2004/5. Both of these initiatives are aimed at improving leadership and standards.
Ofsted inspections of schools and of the LEA, and the monitoring of schools carried out by the LEA confirm that there are a number of key issues.
These are:
 At Key Stage 1 - girls’ performance in reading at level 3
 At Key Stage 2 - achieving the LEA’s targets
- improving weak performance at level 5 in English, particularly girls
- achieving floor targets of 65% pupils achieving level 4
- improving rates of progress in year 4 (LEA priority for 2004/5)
- exploiting data further to ensure the needs of all groups of pupils are adequately addressed
 The use of ICT to support learning, particularly at Key Stage 2.
 Literacy (national priorities) – improving the teaching of phonics, developing speaking and listening across the curriculum
 Numeracy (national priorities) - reinvigorating mental and oral starters, building on creativity
 Promoting and developing the role of parents as co-educators
 Improving information and support for governors - LEA’s monitoring, challenge and intervention strategies, including target setting and the
analysis and interpretation of data
Promote and develop the enrichment of the curriculum and creativity – ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ recognizes the importance of a broad
and rich curriculum in enabling all pupils to achieve the highest standards. It is a priority to support schools in developing their own distinctive
character, shaping the curriculum and being creative and innovative in approaches to learning and teaching and leadership and management.
Early Years' provision continues to be a strength and a priority of the LEA. The government’s Child Care Strategy and the introduction of the
Foundation Stage underline the importance for high quality education and care. OfSTED inspections indicate the need to develop more schools
that provide a very high quality as well as raising the quality of some of those considered to be satisfactory to good. No schools have been graded
unsatisfactory since May 2001.
Information and Communication Technology – the use of ICT to support learning across the curriculum is considered to be a major facilitator
for improvement in all areas. The LEA will receive funding for ‘Hands on support’ to provide intensive school-based activities aimed at raising
standards, particularly in Key Stage 2. Two consultants will be in post from September 2004. Ofsted inspections show a high proportion of schools
achieve very well but too many schools ‘require much improvement’.
Improving some aspects of standards in science was identified in the local audit. Key Stage 2 test results in 2003 show science, particularly at
level 5, to be a weakness.
Personal, Social, Health Education (Personal, Social and Health Education) and Citizenship will continue to be the means by which schools
will achieve the National Healthy Schools accreditation (National Standard 2.4) following the introduction of the QCA curriculum framework for
Personal, Social and Health Education.
Contribution to targets:
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The DfES and the LEA consider raising standards in literacy and numeracy the highest priority. This priority will contribute significantly and
directly to the achievement of the LEA's Key Stage 2 targets.
Early years, ICT and science developments will impact on Key Stage 2 targets, some in the longer term, some less directly.
The DfES and the LEA support the implementation of principles outlined in ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’. This will involve supporting the
development and enrichment of the curriculum and the importance of creativity and innovation in teaching and the running of schools to
raise standards further and achieve targets.
There is a DfES requirement that all schools will be involved in the National Healthy Schools scheme and will work towards accreditation.
Outcomes:
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KS1 SATs - percentage of pupils at level 2+, 2b+ and level 3 equals at least the national average in literacy and numeracy skills.
KS2 SATs - percentage of pupils at level 4+ equals the LEA target for 2005 (English 80%, Mathematics 81%).
KS2 SATs - percentage of pupils at level 5+ equals the LEA target for 2005 (English 32% and Mathematics 32%)
KS2 SATs - percentage of pupils at level 5+ equals the national average in science 2007.
KS2 SATs - reduce number of schools achieving below floor target in literacy and numeracy (65%) by half, by 2008
KS2 targets for 2005 and up to 2007, as agreed with the DfES.
Increase the number of schools achieving Basic Skills Quality Mark from 11 in 2003/4 to 25 by July 2005.
To increase the percentage of schools judged by OfSTED to have good Foundation Stage curriculum provision from 40% to 60% by 2007.
To reduce the number of schools judged by OfSTED as having information and communication technology as a key issue to no more than
25% by 2005 and reducing to no more than 10% by 2007
To improve the ‘Summary of subject level learning inspection judgement’ for IT to be at least in line with national averages by 2006
20 schools to achieve the NAACEmark in ICT by July 2005
To ensure that all schools become involved in the National Healthy Schools scheme 2005.
Outline of activities to support the priority:
• Implementation and monitoring of the National Primary Strategy (all elements)
• The provision of training and support for the Foundation Stage, science and ICT.
• Supporting schools in achieving ‘National Healthy Schools’ accreditation.