Large Scale Reform in England –
Personalisation and the role of Formative
Assessment
“Improving Learning through Formative Assessment”
OECD International Conference
Paris, 4th February 2005
Professor David Hopkins
Chief Advisor on School Standards, DfES
Brief history of standards in primary
schools
11 plus dominated
"Formal"
Standards and
accountability
NLNS
Professional control
"Informal"
2003
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
4
575
550
525
500
475
450
425
400
375
350
325
300
Belize
Morocco
Kuwait
Iran, Islamic Rep of
Argentina
Colombia
Macedonia, Rep of
Turkey
Moldova, Rep of
Cyprus
Norway
International Avg.
Slovenia
Israel
Romania
Iceland
Slovak Republic
Greece
France
Hong Kong SAR
Russian Federation
Singapore
Scotland
New Zealand
Czech Republic
Germany
Italy
United States
Hungary
Lithuania
Canada (Ontario,Quebec)
Latvia
Bulgaria
England
Netherlands
Sweden
Distribution of Reading Achievement in
9-10 year olds in 2001
Source: PIRLS 2001 International Report: IEA’s Study of Reading Literacy Achievement in Primary Schools
England showed largest increase of
any country in TIMSS 03 maths
PRIMARY: TIMSS Maths trend
650
Singapore
Hong Kong
Japan
TEST SCORE
600
550
500
531 England
484
450
400
350
300
TIMSS 1995
TIMSS 2003
0
Morocco
Tunisia
Philippines
Iran
Armenia
Norway
Cyprus
Slovenia
Moldova
Scotland
Lithuania
Italy
Belgium (Flemish)
New Zealand
Australia
Netherlands
Russia
Hungary
Latvia
United States
England
Hong Kong
Japan
Chinese Taipei
Singapore
Timss Science (primary)
600
500
400
300
200
100
Policies to Drive School Improvement
Intervention
in inverse
proportion
to success
Accountability
Ambitious
Standards
High
Challenge
High
Support
Access to best
practice and quality
professional
development
Devolved
responsibility
Good data and
clear targets
Percentage of Pupils Achieving Level 4
or Above in Key Stage 2 Tests 1998-2004
English
80
Maths
Percentage
75
70
65
60
55
50
1998
1999
2000
2001
Test changes in 2003
•
Major changes to writing test/markscheme
•
Significant changes to maths papers
2002
2003
2004
Mean performance in reading literacy
Towards a High Excellence, High Equity
Education System
560
540
High excellence
Low equity
U.K.
520
High excellence
High equity
Finland
Canada
Japan
U.S.
Korea
Belgium
500
• Germany
480
Switzerland
Spain
Poland
460
Low excellence
Low equity
440
Low excellence
High equity
420
60
80
100
120
140
• 200 – Variance (variance OECD as a whole = 100)
Source: OECD (2001) Knowledge and Skills for Life
Achieving the High Excellence, High
Equity System
National Prescription
High
Excellence,
High
Equity
Schools Leading Reform
a
b
Personalised Learning
c
Personalised Learning - Definition
• An approach to teaching and learning that focuses
on each students’ potential and learning skills
• Designing teaching, curriculum and school
organisation to address the needs of all pupils
• A learning offer to all children that extends beyond
the school context into the local community and
beyond
• A system that is based on co-production and
mutual ownership
Adding Value to the Learning Journey
I know what my
learning objectives are
and feel in control of
my learning
I get to learn lots of
interesting and
different subjects
I can get a level 4 in
English and Maths before
I go to secondary school
I know what good work
looks like and can help
myself to learn
I know if I need extra
help or to be challenged
to do better I will get the
right support
My parents are
involved with the
school and I feel I
belong here
I can work well with and
learn from many others
as well as my teacher
I enjoy using ICT and
know how it can help
my learning
I know how I am being
assessed and what I need
to do to improve my work
I can get the job that I
want
All these …. whatever my background, whatever my abilities,
wherever I start from
The Five Components of Personalised
Learning
Assessment
for Learning
Inner Core
Effective Teaching and Learning
Curriculum Entitlement and Choice
Personalising
the School
Experience
Organising the School for Personalised Learning
Beyond the Classroom
“We need to engage parents and pupils in a partnership with professional teachers
and support staff to deliver tailor made services – to embrace individual choice within
as well as between schools and to make it meaningful through public sector reform
that gives citizens voice and professional flexibility” (David Miliband, 18 May 2004)
CURRICULUM
POWERFUL
LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
TEACHING
ASSESSMENT
FOR
LEARNING
Assessment for Learning - at the heart of
personalised learning
• A systematic way of building a picture of each child
which sparks a dialogue about their learning needs with others
Continuous formative assessment
• Uses data and dialogue to diagnose the student’s learning
needs
• Helps teachers adapt teaching and learning to individual pupil
needs
• Provides structured and useful feedback, tailored to support and
promote individuals’ learning
• Develops the skill of peer- and self-assessment so that pupils
can take charge of their own learning
Assessment for Learning - a recurrent
weakness
• Assessment and its application to teaching and learning remain
comparatively weak areas.
• Weaknesses linked to limited subject knowledge
• Such knowledge includes a clear view of progress
• Good practice often does not spread
• Coursework and tasks often leave too little scope for independence
and choice and so are insufficiently informative as to pupils’ progress
• In the best practice target setting influences planning and alters what
teachers, pupils and parents do
‘Standards and Quality 2002/2003 – The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools’ and
Primary and secondary subject reviews for 2002/03
The Data Strand
• Using data intelligently to inform teaching and move individuals
forward
• Establishing what data is most helpful to schools, how the data is
made available and what tools and guidance are needed, use of
the data for teaching and learning.
• The Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT) software helps schools
review their performance and analyse pupils’ past and current
attainment so that they can tailor lessons and progression to
each pupil’s needs.
• The Performance Data Framework will bring consistency across
LEAs by setting out principles to govern data provided to
schools.
The Teaching and Learning Strand
The practical application of AfL in the classroom includes:
• formative assessment of written work, setting personal
targets for redrafting
• peer and self assessment
• collaborative target setting
• self evaluation of own work
• classroom questioning techniques.
It makes pupils partners in their learning, to help them judge
their own work, reflect on how they and others learn and set
future learning goals.
AfL and the National Strategies
April to Aug
04
• PNS Management guide (self-evaluation tool linked to Ofsted
04-05
• PNS: Excellence and enjoyment: Planning and assessment for
S4)
• KS3 generic folder and core training
• One of four optional whole school priorities for KS3 with 4 days’
consultancy and £1,000 additional funding (80% schools chosen
AfL)
learning
• Integral to the extended Primary Leadership Programme
• Part of the PNS Intensifying Support Programme
• KS3 subject development materials
• Pedagogy and practice: teaching and learning in secondary
schools: self study unit
• Higher level teaching assistants guide
• New generic modules: Securing progression and Questioning
and dialogue
The School as a Personalised Learning
Organisation
PMDU claim that a school effective at Personalised
Learning focuses on:
• Focus on leadership and management of teaching and
•
•
•
•
•
learning
CPD including peer observation and coaching
Making full use of the Primary / KS3 Strategies
Focusing improvement activity on evidence of performance
Making use of workforce reforms and new technologies
Networks and collaboration to support school improvement
New Relationship with Schools
Single Conversation
• new School Standards Grant, combining most grants, from April 2006
• bottom-up targets
• multi-year, academic year budgets from April 2006
• enables improvement planning and budgetary planning for the medium term
Inputs
•school’s SEF
• school’s development
plan
•Exceptions report on
student attainment and
equity gaps
•value for money
comparisons
•Data on pupil attendance
•Other data
Focus
how well is the school
performing?
what are the key
factors?
Outputs
•report to heads, GB,LEA
• self assessment
• priority and targets
•action and support
what are the key
priorities?
•agreed package of
support inc engagement
with other schools
how is school going to
get there?
• recommendation on
specialist schools
resignation
head’s performance
management
•advice to GB on HT
appraisal
Personalised Learning, Building a New
Relationship with Schools
“ Giving every single child the chance to be
the best they can be, whatever their talent or
background, is not the betrayal of
excellence; it is the fulfilment of it.”
David Miliband,
Personalised Learning, Building a New Relationship with Schools
North of England Conference, January 2004