I hope you have seen the lengthening list of schools in the East Riding that have achieved the Basic
Skills Agency Quality Mark. The list includes one Nursery School, and two Special Schools who have received both the Secondary and the Primary Quality Mark.
The Quality Mark provides a framework for continuous improvement of the basic skills of all pupils in a school. By basic skills we mean reading, writing, spelling and maths. The Quality Mark is administered by the Basic Skills Agency, which is an independent organisation, mainly funded by the
Government through grants from the DFES. Their work, across all sectors and age groups, focusses on development and dissemination through surveys, research and advice. Website www.basic-skills.co.uk
One area of work of the Agency is the Quality Mark Frameworks that provide a framework for selfevaluation and continuous of the improvement of basic skills policies and practice. These set minimum standards in leading, managing and teaching of basic skills
Basic Skills = the ability to read, write, and speak in English and use Mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general.
Background
There are 2 Quality Marks available to schools in England. .

A Quality Mark for Primary Schools

A Quality Mark for Secondary Schools
Both Quality Marks have similar Elements, although they are applied in different contexts.
The History of the Quality Marks
Quality Mark was first developed for adult basic skills programmes in 1992. This set out what every adult joining a basic skills programme should expect to receive (i.e. a confidential, personal interview, an assessment of their basic skills needs, regular review of progress etc). From visits to programmes at the time, it was difficult to judge whether they were effective or not, partly because there were no common standards for programmes to judge themselves against.
The Agency developed a Quality Mark for Secondary Schools in 1996 and a Quality Mark for Primary
Schools in 1997 following consultation with a wide range of schools and LEAs.

Primary Quality Mark
The Basic Skills Agency works in partnership with LEAs who assess their schools against the 10
Elements of the Primary Quality Mark. LEAs have to undergo a fairly rigorous induction period before they are able to assess their schools and are monitored regularly by staff.
The Primary Quality Mark is open to nursery, infant, junior, primary, first, middle and special schools throughout England and Wales.
Primary Elements
The 10 Elements of the Primary Quality Mark are listed on the table below.
Element1 A whole school strategy including an action plan, to improve performance in basic skills.
Element2 An assessment of pupil performance in basic skills in the school.
Element3 A target for the improvement of the school´s performance in basic skills.
Element4 Basic skills improvement plans for pupils underattaining in the school.
Element5 Regular review of the progress made by each pupil underattaining in basic skills.
Element6
A commitment to improving the skills of staff in the school to teach and extend basic skills.
Element7 The use of a range of teaching styles to improve basic skills.
Element8 The use of appropriate teaching and learning material to improve basic skills.
Element9 The involvement of parents in developing their children´s basic skills.
Element10
An effective procedure for monitoring the action plan and assessing improvement in performance in basic skills.
A primary school has to demonstrate that it has all the evidence in place for each Element before the
Primary Quality Mark can be awarded.
The Primary Quality Mark is awarded for 3 years (during this time regular monitoring visits takes place from the LEA). After 3 years the Quality Mark is renewed only if the school can demonstrate that it has made progress in basic skills.

Secondary Elements
The 10 Elements of the Secondary Quality Mark are listed on the table below.
Element1 A whole school strategy and an action plan to improve performance in basic skills.
Element2 An assessment of pupil performance in basic skills in the school.
Element3 A target for the improvement of the school´s performance in basic skills.
Element4 Basic skills improvement plans for pupils receiving help with basic skills in the school.
Element5 Regular assessment of the progress made by each pupil receiving help with basic skills.
Element6
Access to nationally recognised accreditation of these skills for each pupil receiving help with basic skills.
Element7 Access to training for staff involved in teaching or supporting basic skills.
Element8 The use of a range of teaching styles and material to improve basic skills.
Element9 The involvement of parents in developing their children´s basic skills.
Element10
An effective procedure for monitoring the action plan and assessing improvement in performance in basic skills.
A secondary school has to demonstrate that it has all the evidence in place for each Element before the
Secondary Quality Mark can be awarded.
The Secondary Quality Mark is awarded for 3 years (during this time regular monitoring visits takes place from the LEA or with staff from the Agency). After 3 years the Quality Mark is renewed only if the school can demonstrate that it has made progress in basic skills.

LEAs
The Primary and Secondary Quality Mark is based on a close partnership between the Agency and
LEAs and schools. At present, the assessment and recommendation for all Primary Quality Mark and some Secondary Quality Mark awards is the responsibility of LEAs. The Agency role is to make sure that the assessments carried out are consistent between and across LEAs throughout England and Wales.
So far the Agency is working with 154 LEAs as part of the Primary Quality Mark partnership. This is all of the LEAs in Wales and about 80% of the LEAs in England. And are working in partnership with 62
LEAs who are assessing both their primary and secondary schools for the Quality Mark awards.
PLEASE NOTE: Only those LEAs that are working in partnership with us for the Primary Quality Mark can apply to assess their secondary schools against the 10 Elements of the Secondary Quality Mark award.
The partnership works really well. The partner LEAs are inducted and then monitored and supported by staff from the Agency. They sometimes accompany assessors on visits to schools and meet with the main LEA contact person at least 3 times a year to review procedures and exchange good practice. For their part, the LEA assesses, monitors and renews schools for the Quality Marks as well as promoting the award to their own schools. The Agency gives fairly modest grants to partner LEAs of between
£3,000 and £5,000. The grants can be used to:

Promote the Quality Mark to schools.

For supply costs

Administer the Quality Mark award within the LEA.

All schools receive an initial visit to ensure that an appropriate agenda has been set and to enable
Head Teachers to benchmark their process and procedures against the Primary Quality Mark criteria.
All schools deemed to be close to achieving the Primary Quality Mark receive a visit prior to assessment to ensure that all the elements will meet the criteria before the final assessment.

The following Schools have achieved the Quality Mark already, have renewed the
Quality Mark or are working towards their first award.
Aldborough Primary School,
Anlaby Acre Heads Primary School,
Anlaby Infants School
Bacon Garth Primary School,
Barmby on the Marsh School
Bay Primary School
Beverley Manor Nursery School,
Beverley Minster Primary School
Beverley Swinemoor Junior School,
Bilton Community Primary School,
Boothferry Primary School,
Brandesburton Primary School
Bubwith Primary School
Burstwick Primary School
Driffield C.E. (VC) Infant School,
Driffield Junior School,
Eastrington Primary School
Elloughton Primary School
Gembling Primary School
Hallgate Infant School
Hessle Penshurst Primary School
Hilderthorpe Infant Nursery School
Hook Primary School,
Hornsea Burton Primary School
Howden Infant School
Howden Junior School
Kings Mill Special School, (Secondary)
Kings Mill Special School, (Primary)
Kingsway Primary School,
Kirkella, St. Andrew’s Primary School,
Leconfield Primary School,
Leven C.E. (VC) Primary School,
Little Weighton Primary School
Market Weighton Infant School
Martongate Primary School,
Melbourne Primary School

Molescroft Primary School
Northfield Infant School
Parkside Primary School,
Pocklington Infant School,
Preston Primary School
Riston Primary School
Riverside School (Primary)
Riverside School (Secondary)
Skirlaugh Primary School
South Cave C.E. (VC) Primary School,
Springhead Primary School
Sproatley Endowed Primary School,
St John of Beverley CE Primary
St Mary & St Joseph R.C. School
St. Mary’s R.C. Primary School,
Swanland Primary School,
Swinemoor Infant School,
Walkington Primary School
Welton Primary School
Westfield Primary School,
Wilberfoss C.E. (VC) Primary School,
Willerby Carr Lane Infant School,
Willerby Carr Lane Junior School.
Woldgate School Pocklington