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1 Unit 6: Curricular target setting © Crown copyright 2004

Curricular target setting

Objectives

• To define what is meant by curricular target setting

• To explain and exemplify the principles of curricular target setting

• To outline the process of setting curricular targets

Resources

Slides 6.1–6.10

Handouts 6.1, 6.4–6.6

Handouts 6.2 and 6.3 copied onto card and cut up – one set per pair/per group

Appendix 6.1

Flipchart and pens (or blank slides)

Session outline

6.1 Introduction 5 minutes

6.2 Improvement planning with curricular targets 10 minutes

6.3 Sources of evidence: information gathering 15 minutes

6.4 Layers of targets 15 minutes

6.5 Progression in a curricular target 10 minutes

6.6 Reaching targets 10 minutes

6.7 Ready for more? 10 minutes

Total 75 minutes

Unit

6

2 Whole-school development in assessment for learning | Presenter’s Notes © Crown copyright 2004

6.1 Introduction 5 minutes

Use slide 6.1 to outline the objectives for this session.

Emphasise that the intended outcome of this unit is that target settingdirectly supports plans to improve pupils’ standards of attainment. It will beachieved through a planned focus on identified areas of the curriculum whichrequire attention.

Use slide 6.2 to remind participants about the purposes of target setting.

Go on to say that this unit focuses on one aspect of target setting: the setting oftargets that relate to planned teaching to improve pupil learning. This is calledcurricular target setting.

Use slide 6.3 to provide a definition of a curricular target.

It is worth emphasising the following.

• ‘Data’ may refer to outcomes expressed in terms of level, e.g. 75% ofpupils are to achieve level 5 or above in English as measured by the end ofKey Stage 3 tests.

Slide 6.1

Slide 6.2

Slide 6.3


• ‘Data’ may also refer to more qualitative outcomes, e.g. 90% of pupils areable to select and justify the appropriate software for presenting informationby the end of Key Stage 3.

• Any numeric targets need to be translated into meaningful curriculartargets to ensure that teaching is changed and focused to lead to a changein pupil outcomes.

• This will mean that curricular targets need to further translate intolearning objectives that focus on and, through teaching, address theidentified aspect.

Pause, and take any feedback on these points as they are the basis of thistraining unit.

6.2 Improvement planning with 10 minutescurricular targets

Use the diagram on slide 6.4 (and handout 6.1) to outline a process ofimprovement of which curricular targets are an element.

Briefly make the following points.

• Acknowledge that the focus of this unit is curricular target setting and thatthe process outlined in the diagram gives a broader picture of elements thatbring about improvement. Establishing curricular targets is an importantelement of the process as it provides the focus for teaching.

• The process begins with information gathering – the evidence base fromwhich areas for improvement are derived. Say that these sources areconsidered in more detail later in the session.

• Say that many teachers will be familiar with the auditing process using theKey Stage 3 Strategy audit. The audit focuses on gathering informationbased on evidence to determine a range of possible action points, leadingto a focused standards-related action plan.

• The information analysis should lead to areas for development(weaknesses) being identified. These areas will provide the basis forestablishing the curricular targets.

• Locate the route from identification, through planned actions andsuccess criteria, to establishing the curricular targets and go on to saythat actions and success criteria should focus on:

Slide 6.4Handout 6.1


– specific cohorts, classes or groups of pupils who need more effectiveprovision, intervention, support or monitoring in order to make betterprogress;

– specific curricular targets which need more emphasis through effectiveteaching and learning. The curricular targets will need to be matched toyear groups and classes (‘layered’) to ensure progression towardsachieving the planned improvement.

Point out the importance of the relationship between the actions, the successcriteria and monitoring.

• The actions detail the activities that will take place to work towardsachieving the curricular target.

• The success criteria outline the range of outcomes that demonstrate thetarget has been achieved.

• The monitoring of the planned actions and their progress helps to maintainthe focus on the target. This is every teacher’s responsibility, although thereis likely to be a lead person.

6.3 Sources of evidence: 15 minutesinformation gathering

Say that the initial part of the improvement process detailed earlier in thesession was to consider the range of sources of evidence that might be used toestablish an appropriate curricular target.

Distribute sets of cards prepared from handout 6.2 and explain that theysuggest a number of possible sources of evidence.

Accept feedback on alternatives during the activity.

Ask participants in pairs to group the cards into one of the following threecategories:

1. currently used to inform curricular targets;

2. could be used, but not currently;

3. not appropriate to inform curricular targets.

You may need to remind participants of the definition of a curricular target givenpreviously in the session (see slide 6.3). Allow 5 minutes and then take

Sources of evidence

Handout 6.2

Work samples Test and exam results

Pupil questionnaires Ofsted report

Moderation of work Departmental review

Lesson observation School improvement plan

Teacher assessment data Marking of work

Analysis of test question responseSubject reports

(exam boards, Ofsted)

Handout 6.2


feedback for no more than 10 minutes on what sources of evidence mostusefully inform curricular target setting and why.

Note that responses may vary between subjects depending on the relevance ofthat source to that subject. Look to draw on known existing good practice inthe school.

Emphasise during the feedback that any targets related to better pupilattainment need to be rooted in teaching strategies that focus specifically onimproving pupils’ learning.

Say that setting curricular targets will be meaningless if there are no clear andagreed plans to support their achievement. A curricular target requires adepartmental commitment and a plan of action to address it.

6.4 Layers of targets 15 minutes

Divide participants into groups of four, ensuring a mix of subject areas in eachgroup.

Use slide 6.5 to show two different targets and give participants 5 minutes todiscuss answers to the questions for each of the targets.

Take feedback from participants, using slide 6.6 to direct the discussion.

Explain that the first column details the two extremes of the target settingprocess.

• The first statement gives the numerical target before it has beenexpressed in terms of a curricular target.

• The second statement gives a learning target for a pupil or group of pupils.

Acknowledge that several layers (or steps) are missing between the numericaltarget and the learning target described.

Slide 6.5

Slide 6.6


Say that the session will move on to consider how a particular departmentcompleted these steps and the way each teacher contributes to this process.

Provide participants with cards prepared from handout 6.3 and giveparticipants 5 minutes to match the descriptions to the type of target.(appendix 6.1 gives the case study for the science department.)

Clarify that the process of identifying layers of targets is more important at thisstage than scrutinising the science example.

Say that subject-specific language will be important when developing curriculartargets within their departments (referred to in the ‘Ready for more?’ sectionand subject development material).

Take brief feedback and draw out that the layers of targets need to focus on:

• them being planned into the scheme of work for the whole key stage;

• implications for each year group: Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9;

• teaching groups in each of the year groups;

• implications for groups of pupils and individual pupils in classes.

Summarise this by showing slide 6.7 to demonstrate the linkage between thelayers of targets.

To be cut up and distributed – one set per group.

Handout 6.3

Numerical target

Performance of pupils in Sc1 needsto improve from 65% to 75% atlevel 5 through the improvementof investigative skills by July 06

Curricular target/key stage

The enquiry skills of all pupilsare improved.

Curricular target Year 7

Pupils can use the sciencedepartment’s planning

posters to plan their owninvestigations

Curricular target(medium-term unit of work

to one term)

In an investigation pupils are ableto identify the key variables that

they can and cannot control

Group/pupil target

I will focus on planning myown investigation, saying

what I think will happen, what willchange and what I will measure

Slide 6.7

Handout 6.3


Refer to handout 6.4 to detail the linkage between layered targets and then usehandout 6.5 to show examples of subject-specific layered curricular targets.

Give participants 10 minutes to consider the subject-specific examples andthen take feedback on any comments, refinements or alternatives.

6.5 Progression in a curricular target 10 minutes

Say that:

• the example of targets in science considered earlier in the session showedcurricular targets for Year 7 only;

• the aim is to improve standards within the key stage and therefore each yeargroup must have a clear target that contributes to the overall improvement;

• end of key stage results and achievement of targets are the responsibility ofall teachers in the key stage.

Using slide 6.8 explain that:

• the science department undertook an analysis of the 2003 Key Stage 3science tests and identified that pupils had underperformed in questionsrelating to scientific enquiry;

• in particular, the analysis identified that a particularly weak area waspupils’ ability to construct and interpret tables, graphs and charts, anddata handling;

• it demonstrates how a curricular target with numerical outcomes hasbeen staged (or layered) over the key stage by giving each year group aspecific target;

• the teacher will need to make sure that each year group target isappropriately differentiated for their class and groups within the class.

Principles for layering curricular targets

Group or pupil target

• Generally applicable to all pupils in a class but may be modified for specific groups

• Can be discussed explicitly with pupils, particularly during the plenary where pupils are encouraged to reflecton what they have learned and what they need to do next

Term 1 target for Class 8AB

• Drawn from the termly objectives of the subject framework or the learning objectives in a scheme of workincorporated into teachers’ planning

• May be given a particular emphasis in teachers’ medium-term plans (i.e. more time to cover the objective,specific opportunities to apply this)

Year group target

• How a specific year group contributes to the overall key stage target. There may be a target for each yeargroup to ensure progression across the key stage. This reinforces that all teachers across the key stagecontribute towards the achievement of the target

• This can be monitored over the course of the year, e.g. ‘How many pupils in the cohort can do this at thestart of the year/at the midpoint/at the end of the year?

Key Stage 3 curricular target

• Usually arrived at by audit, data analysis, scrutiny of pupils’ scripts or work samples – an overall area ofweakness which needs to be targeted

• Can be openly identified and discussed with pupils as an aspect of work, which everyone will be particularlyfocusing on this year

Handout 6.4Handout 6.4 Handout 6.5 Handout 6.5

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Give participants 5 minutes to reflect in their groups on the importance oflayering targets in their own subject.

6.6 Reaching targets 10 minutes

Refer back to the science example on handout 6.3 and point out that, inaddition to an analysis of various sources of evidence, the department hasagreed on what action they would take.

These actions will involve consideration of these areas shown on slide 6.9.

Make the following points.

• Having established a curricular target through analysis from a range ofsources of evidence and staged its progress across the key stage, it willdirectly impact the curriculum planning.

• Teaching objectives in medium-term plans or schemes of work will needto directly address the curricular targets.

• This will be further refined in learning objectives within lessons to ensurethe target is being addressed.

• It may be revisited several times in a unit, in a year and across the key stageto ensure that there is progression and achievement of the target.

• In lessons, this will mean that specific teaching strategies will need to beplanned to ensure that the skill, knowledge or concept is taught.

• It will need to be appropriately differentiated according to the needs ofindividuals and groups of pupils.

Slide 6.8

Slide 6.9


6.7 Ready for more? 10 minutes

Remind participants using handout 6.6 of the main messages on curriculartarget setting.

Summarise the training session by showing slide 6.2 again.

Explain that the ‘Ready for more?’ section provides a number of possibleactivities that encourage teachers to trial the principles outlined in the trainingunit in their teaching.

To encourage a consistent approach in subject areas, direct participants to theSubject Development Tasks. Say that these build on the generic principles inthis training unit and are aimed at embedding this practice in a subject-specificcontext. Some of the development tasks will be long-term and need to beincorporated in the department’s improvement plan.

Emphasise that these are best coordinated by the subject leader to ensure thatthere is an agreed focus in the department for the area of development.

The subject development tasks are aimed at addressing, improving andembedding AfL within subject practice.

Main messages on curricular target setting

• A curricular target expresses in words, supported by data, a specific aspectof the curriculum as a focus for improvement. It is identified from a rangeof sources of evidence as an area of weakness in pupils’ learning. It may befocused by numeric outcomes.

• Curricular targets can be:– for a whole class, a group of pupils, an individual pupil– long-term (e.g. term or year), medium-term (e.g. few weeks), short-term

(e.g. few lessons).

• Curricular targets should directly support the achievement of numericaltargets related to raising standards in the subject.

• Analysis of information gathered from a wide range of sources includingassessments (tests, examinations, teacher assessment) ensuresappropriate curricular targets are identified.

• A curricular target that requires whole-department action over the mediumto long term needs to be included as an action point in the departmentalimprovement plan.

• Short-term curricular targets, which may only apply to one class or a groupof pupils within a class, need to be recorded by the teacher in their planning.

• Curricular targets, when focused down to the short term, need to beshared with pupils.

Handout 6.6

Slide 6.2

Handout 6.6


The tasks are designed according to the following process:

The presenter should refer to pages 13 and 14 of the Guidance for SeniorLeaders for details relating to how developments in subjects may beapproached.

Explain to participants that this unit will be followed up in departments. Showthem slide 6.10 which will give them an idea of the focused tasks they maycarry out.

Slide 6.10

Identify

Plan

Do

Review

Refine and improve practice


Curricular target setting to pupil targets

Red Bank High School, science department

The trend in recent science teacher assessments over the last three years demonstrates an increase in thepercentage of pupils gaining level 5+ in relation to their attainment in subject knowledge. However, teacherassessments of Scientific Enquiry (Sc1) show little progress over this time.

The department have agreed to set a curricular target to address this concern.

‘Performance of pupils in Sc1 needs to improve from 65% to 70% at level 5+ through the improvement ofinvestigative skills.’

In Year 7, the team decided that they needed to establish the use of the science investigation posters as a targetfor pupils during the course of the next 12 months.

‘Pupils can use the science department’s planning posters to plan their own investigations.’

For the first term the focus in investigative work is for pupils to meet the following target:

‘In an investigation pupils are able to identify the key variables that they can and cannot control.’

The target for all pupils was identified and communicated in the following form:

‘I will focus on planning my own investigation, saying what I think will happen, what will change and what I willmeasure.’

For some pupils, who have experienced planning sheets in primary schools or progress quickly in acquiringinvestigative skills, it was identified as important to remove the scaffolding sheets so that these pupilsprogressed to plan investigations themselves. For a group of those pupils showing more establishedinvestigative skills a more challenging target was established.

‘Pupils move away from the support of the planning poster to independently plan an investigation.’

Appendix 6.1


Unit 6 – Curricular target setting

PowerPoint slides


PowerPoint slides



Slide 6.1

Objectives

• To define what is meant by curricular target setting

• To explain and exemplify the principles of

curricular target setting

• To outline the process of setting curricular targets


Slide 6.2

The purposes of target setting

• To use sources of information, including

attainment data, to focus plans on raising

standards of pupil attainment

• To ensure pupils’ prior attainment and

achievement is built upon throughout the

key stage

• To identify and focus teaching on areas

of underperformance

• To actively support improved learning outcomes

for underachieving groups of pupils


Slide 6.3

A curricular target expresses in words, supported

by data, a specific aspect of the curriculum as a

focus for improvement. It may be focused by

numeric outcomes.

It is identified from a range of sources of evidence

as an area of weakness in pupils’ learning.

Curricular targets can be:

• for a whole class, a group of pupils, an

individual pupil

• long-term (e.g. term or year), medium-term

(e.g. few weeks), short-term (e.g. few lessons)


Slide 6.4

The route to improvement

Lesson observationdata

Measurableimprovements in

standards ofattainment

Planningdocumentation

Pupil questionnaireand interviews

Curriculum

• Revision ofschemes/units

• Curricular targets• Assessment for

learning• Resource

development• Pupil support• Other

Staff development

• Inset/training• Consultancy• Department

meetings• Team teaching• Peer coaching• Other

Formative andsummative

assessment data

Work samples

Teachers’professionaljudgements

Informationgathering

Informationanalysis

Identification ofstrengths andweaknesses

• Quality of teaching• Quality of learning• The ‘subject’

curriculum• Resources• Groups of pupils

Actions andsuccess criteria

Ongoing informationgathering through

monitoring andevaluation


Slide 6.5

Target What sort of Who is it for? How often is Who is target is this? it reviewed? responsible

for the review?

In science, the performance of pupils in Sc1 will improve from 65% to 75% at level 5+ at the end of KS3 by July 06

I will focus on planning my own investigation, saying what I think will happen, what will change and what I will measure.


Slide 6.6

Target What sort of Who is it for? How often is Who is target is this? it reviewed? responsible

for the review?

In science, the Numerical Current Yearly Subject leaderperformance of Year 7 pupilspupils in Sc1 will Whole key and their KS3 scienceimprove from 65% stage teachers teachersto 75% at level 5+ at the end of KS3 Long-termby July 06

I will focus on Curricular Group of Half-termly The pupilplanning my own pupilsinvestigation, saying Learning target Individual The teacherwhat I think will pupilshappen, what will change and what I will measure Short-term


Slide 6.7

Layers of curricular targets

Group/pupil

Class

Year group

Key stage


Slide 6.8

Progression in a curricular target

Key Stage 3 numerical target

In science, the performance of pupils in scientific enquiry will improve from 65% to 75% at level 5+ by theend of the key stage in July 2006.


All pupils to further develop their skills in presenting and interpreting data arising from scientific enquirywork, to enable departmental level 5+ targets to be achieved in July 2006.

In Year 7 In Year 8 In Year 9

Pupils present and interpret Pupils collect, store and Pupils become more results in a variety of present first-hand independent in the choicesimple formats, experimental information of appropriate methods(e.g. tables, simple and that gathered from for communicating graphs including secondary sources using and interpreting qualitative line graphs). ICT. Pupils use several and quantitative data.

different presentationalforms, including graphs.


Slide 6.9

• Curriculum planning

• Lesson planning

• Teaching strategies

• Focusing on the needs of groups of pupils


Slide 6.10

Ready for more?

• Identify a curricular target from the outcomes of anend of unit or end of year assessment.

• For core subjects you may wish to refer to therelevant QCA Implications for teaching document tostimulate discussion and inform relevant curriculartargets for your subject.

• Use handouts 6.4 and 6.5 to assist in layering thetarget for each year group.

• In pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupil work from aparticular topic in a year group.

• Identify areas of weakness in pupils’ understandingand compare these outcomes with the intendedlearning outcomes.

• Agree a relevant curricular target that matches withthis evidence and plan the teaching necessary toaddress it.


The route to improvement

Handout 6.1

Lesson observationdata

Measurableimprovements in

standards ofattainment

Planningdocumentation

Pupil questionnaireand interviews

Curriculum

• Revision ofschemes/units

• Curricular targets• Assessment for

learning• Resource

development• Pupil support• Other

Staff development

• INSET/training• Consultancy• Department

meetings• Team teaching• Peer coaching• Other

Formative andsummative

assessment data

Work samples

Teachers’professionaljudgements

Informationgathering

Informationanalysis

Identification ofstrengths andweaknesses

• Quality of teaching• Quality of learning• The ‘subject’

curriculum• Resources• Groups of pupils

Actions andsuccess criteria

Ongoing informationgathering through

monitoring andevaluation


Sources of evidence

Handout 6.2

Work samples Test and exam results

Pupil questionnaires Ofsted report

Moderation of work Departmental review

Lesson observation School improvement plan

Teacher assessment data Marking of work

Analysis of test question responseSubject reports

(exam boards, Ofsted)


To be cut up and distributed – one set per group.

Handout 6.3

Numerical target

Performance of pupils in Sc1 needsto improve from 65% to 75% atlevel 5 through the improvementof investigative skills by July 06

Curricular target/key stage

The enquiry skills of all pupilsare improved.

Curricular target Year 7

Pupils can use the sciencedepartment’s planning

posters to plan their owninvestigations

Curricular target(medium-term unit of work

to one term)

In an investigation pupils are ableto identify the key variables that

they can and cannot control

Group/pupil target

I will focus on planning myown investigation, saying

what I think will happen, what willchange and what I will measure


Principles for layering curricular targets







Year group target






Handout 6.4


Handout 6.5

Exa

mple

s of la

yeri

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curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

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tag

e ta

rget

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roup

targ

et

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ss ta

rget

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roup

/pup

il ta

rget

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ence

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upils

nee

d to

mak

e pr

ogre

ss in

thei

r In

an

inve

stig

atio

n pu

pils

are

abl

e to

iden

tify

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ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

e de

part

men

t’s

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

inve

stig

ativ

e sk

ills.

the

key

varia

bles

that

they

can

and

pl

anni

ng p

oste

rs to

pla

n th

eir

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

ill m

easu

re

cann

ot c

ontr

ol.

own

inve

stig

atio

ns. (

Year

8)

and

wha

t I th

ink

will

happ

en.

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ote

pupi

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ndep

ende

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as

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poke

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pupi

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an s

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hort

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upils

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alo

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om a

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and,

and

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ons

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’m g

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ear 7

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pup

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raph

s W

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pup

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pic

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re a

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ent

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appr

opria

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by c

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rison

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hrou

gh

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xem

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catio

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hem

atic

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upils

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se p

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unita

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olve

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corr

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as

100%

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upils

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to

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dist

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tern

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rs in

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grou

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ICT

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isua

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, i.e

. the

ir In

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Main messages on curricular target setting

• A curricular target expresses in words, supported by data, a specific aspectof the curriculum as a focus for improvement. It is identified from a rangeof sources of evidence as an area of weakness in pupils’ learning. It may befocused by numeric outcomes.

• Curricular targets can be:– for a whole class, a group of pupils, an individual pupil– long-term (e.g. term or year), medium-term (e.g. few weeks), short-term

(e.g. few lessons).

• Curricular targets should directly support the achievement of numericaltargets related to raising standards in the subject.

• Analysis of information gathered from a wide range of sources includingassessments (tests, examinations, teacher assessment) ensuresappropriate curricular targets are identified.

• A curricular target that requires whole-department action over the mediumto long term needs to be included as an action point in the departmentalimprovement plan.

• Short-term curricular targets, which may only apply to one class or a groupof pupils within a class, need to be recorded by the teacher in their planning.

• Curricular targets, when focused down to the short term, need to beshared with pupils.

Handout 6.6

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in A&D © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin art and design

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to art and design. As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the followingsubject development material is intended to help you consider the keymessages of the training unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.

The following is a brief summary of the training unit.

Objectives

• To define what is meant by curricular target setting.

• To explain and exemplify the principles of curricular target setting.

• To outline the process of setting curricular targets.

Key messages

• A curricular target expresses in words, supported by data, a specific aspectof the curriculum as a focus for improvement. It may be focused by numericoutcomes. It is identified from a range of sources of evidence as an area ofweakness in pupils’ learning.Curricular targets can be:– for a whole class, a group of pupils, an individual pupil– long-term (e.g. term or year), medium-term (e.g. few weeks), short-term

(e.g. few lessons).

• The target should detail specific cohorts, classes or groups of pupils whoneed more effective provision, intervention, support or monitoring in order tomake better progress.

• It will need to be matched to year groups and classes to ensure progressiontowards achieving the planned improvement. This is known as a layeredcurricular target.

• Teaching objectives in medium-term plans or schemes of work will need todirectly address the curricular targets. This will be further refined in learningobjectives within lessons to ensure the target is being addressed. A targetmay be revisited several times in a unit, in a year and across the key stage toensure there is progression towards the target.

• Curricular targets are established through an analysis of availableinformation about what has and has not been learned. An appropriate targetensures that pupils’ prior attainment and achievements are built onthroughout the key stage. It will often focus teaching on areas ofunderperformance, supporting improved learning outcomes forunderachieving groups of pupils.

Unit

6


• Curricular targets are established through a process of:– information gathering– information analysis– identification of issues– planned actions and related success criteria.

The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach art and design.

Reviewing existing practice in curricular targetsetting

The table on page 3 provides a tool for the department to self-review currentpractice and to help identify an appropriate starting point.

As a department, agree and highlight the statements below that best reflect thepractice of the whole department. At the bottom of each column is a referenceto the tasks that will support your current practice and provide the appropriatematerial to develop from this point.

Having completed this review you should read ‘Making effective use of thesubject development material’ on page 4.


Focusing

The subject leader hasidentified that:• although teachers are

provided with priorattainment data andtargets for individualpupils expressed asexpected levels, this israrely used to informcurricular targets

• target setting is leftmainly to individualteachers with their ownclasses

• there is little or no linkmade between thenumeric data and theteaching and learningobjectives needed toachieve them.

The subject leader hasidentified that:• pupils typically know

their numeric targetsexpressed in terms oflevels

• pupils make little linkbetween these targetsand the feedbackabout their work.

Start with Task 6A

Developing

Assessment data(information) in the subjectis used to help identify theprogress of individualsand groups of pupils.

Teachers within adepartment have begun toidentify and use curriculartargets to focus theirteaching on areas ofunderperformance andraise standards. However,this is not yet coordinatedacross the department.

Some identification ofgaps in pupils’ learning isused to inform short-termplanning.

Some pupils are aware ofthe most immediate targetto address in their subjectwork.

Start with Task 6A

Establishing

Assessment data(information) is gatheredand analysed on a regularbasis. It is used to trackprogress and identify nextsteps for individuals andgroups of pupils.

At departmental level,some planning is informedthrough a review andidentification ofweaknesses in pupils’learning.

Teaching objectives arederived from this and gapsin pupils’ learning areaddressed through this.

Target setting is moreestablished in some yeargroups or key stages thanothers.

In many instances, pupilsare aware of their targetsin the subject that will helpthem to improve theirachievement in thesubject.

Pupils are aware of thelinkage between theobjectives for the lessonand the opportunity forthem to address theirtargets.

Start with Task 6B

Enhancing

There is a rigorous target-setting process in place as part of school anddepartmentalimprovement planning.

Curricular targets areestablished through aprocess of informationgathering, analysis, andidentification of issues.This leads to plannedactions and relatedsuccess criteria.

Pupil level data andcomplementary qualitativeinformation is used on aregular basis in all yeargroups to identifyindividuals and groups ofpupils with specificlearning gaps. These areexpressed as subject-specific curricular targetsand are addressed inplanning through focusedlearning objectives.

Pupils take an active partin the target-setting andtarget-getting process.

They understand theirtargets in terms of whatthey are doing, how wellthey have done and howthey can improve theirwork.

Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils


Making effective use of the subject developmentmaterial

The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in art and design and provide guidance on howto embed this into regular practice in art and design lessons.

The results of the self-review will have suggested the appropriate task(s) that willsupport your department’s development needs.

To make best use of the supporting material the following sequence will behelpful.

1 Read the task and the supporting exemplification.

This describes how a department has approached the task and workedthrough each of its stages. It is given as an example of how the task might beaddressed. It is not intended that you follow this approach, which is given as aguide to the process that will support improvements in your subject.

2 Identify what the department did and the impact it had on pupils.

Discuss as a team the example provided and establish the key areas thathelped to develop this practice and the impact it had on pupils. It will be helpfulto identify the changes in teachers’ practice and how these impacted on pupils’learning.

3 Agree and plan the actions that will develop your practice.

As a department, agree how you intend to approach this task. Clarify what you are focusing on and why. The example given will act as a guide, but bespecific about which classes, which lessons and which aspects of thecurriculum will be your points of focus.

4 Identify when and how you will evaluate its impact on pupils.

The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in art and design. You will need to be clear on what has helpedpupils to learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how yourpractice has adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has workedwell and which areas require further attention.

5 Having evaluated these strategies, consider what steps arerequired to embed this practice.

You will need to undertake an honest evaluation of what you have tried and theimpact it has had on your teaching and on pupils’ learning. One outcome mightbe that you need to spend longer on improving this area or you may be in aposition to consider the next task.

Other departments in the school will have been focusing on this area and youshould find out about the progress they have made.

You may find that some teachers in the department will require further time todevelop and consolidate new practice, while others will be ready to progressfurther through the tasks in this area (while continuing to support theircolleagues). Practice across a department will need to be consolidated beforefocusing on a new area of Assessment for learning.


The subject development tasks

The following pages provide exemplification of each task.

Task 6A

Identify a curricular target from the outcomes of an end of unit or end of yearassessment.

For core subjects you may wish to refer to the relevant QCA Implications forteaching and learning document to stimulate discussion and inform relevantcurricular targets for your subject.

Use handouts 6.4 and 6.5 (see appendices 6A.1 and 6A.2) in the genericunit to assist in layering the target for each year group.

Consider how these targets might need to be modified for the most andleast able in the year group, while remaining challenging for all groups ofpupils.

Task 6B

In pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupils’ work from a particular topic in a yeargroup.

Identify areas of weakness in pupils’ understanding and compare theseoutcomes with the intended learning outcomes.

Agree a relevant curricular target that matches this evidence and plan theteaching necessary to address it.

Evaluate the impact of this focus on pupils’ learning.


Task 6A

Identify a curricular target from the outcomes of an end of unit or end of year assessment.

For core subjects you may wish to refer to the relevant QCAImplications for teaching and learning document to stimulatediscussion and inform relevant curricular targets for your subject.


Consider how these targets might need to be modified for the most andleast able in the year group, while remaining challenging for all groupsof pupils.

Context

The art and design department adapted QCA unit 7A, Self-image, to help pupilsexplore their personal identity as a starting point and develop their use oftraditional and digital media and materials. Its use also provided them with acontext in which they could investigate the development of curricular targets forspecific groups of pupils.

Process

Assessment task

The process began with the collection of information that would inform thecurricular target. Individual teachers agreed to assess their pupils’ ability tocombine and manipulate a range of materials and techniques in thedevelopment of visual imagery, with a focus on the evidence to be found insketchbooks, supporting studies and final outcomes. They identified thenumber of pupils meeting the learning outcomes for the project and theproportion of the group meeting national expectations.

Identifying weaknesses

This phase of the process led to the identification of weaknesses within thepupils’ work. Very quickly the department realised that it was essential that thelearning objectives communicated to pupils were revisited and discussed. Inparticular, they needed to clarify the projected learning outcomes and byreference to pupils’ work assess how far these had been met over the course ofthe unit.

A number of weaknesses became apparent, as the examples below show.

• Some pupils used a limited range of materials in sketchbook andexploratory work and avoided collage and mixed media techniques.

• Some pupils failed to utilise fully the image manipulation facilities providedby computer software.


• Some pupils limited themselves to the use of familiar techniques andmaterials in the completion of final outcomes.

• Some pupils missed the opportunity to use drawing techniques expressivelyto suggest different kinds of moods and feelings.


The department identified the curricular target that they felt addressed the areasof weakness revealed during the assessment process. It is linked to the KeyStage 3 numerical target and is now included in their departmentaldevelopment plan.


This identified that, in art and design, the development of pupils’ ability todevelop and manipulate media, materials and techniques will ensure that thenumber of pupils achieving level 5 and above will improve from 60% to 70% byJuly 2006.

Curricular target

This identified that pupils will develop their ability to combine and manipulate arange of media, materials and techniques in the development of visual imagery,through the use of sketchbooks, ICT, exploratory work and supporting studiesin the development of final outcomes. This is described for all three years in KeyStage 3 (see below).

Evaluation

The teachers shared and evaluated their developmental work at a departmentalmeeting. One issue that arose was the need to amend the ‘individual pupil’targets according to prior attainment to ensure that able pupils were sufficientlyextended in their learning and that lower attaining pupils were not so challengedas to become disillusioned and disengaged. For Year 7 pupils they enteredindividuals’ Key Stage 2 attainment data for art and design, mathematics andscience into their mark books and used this information to ensure that theywere using pupil and group targets appropriately. For Year 8 and Year 9 pupilsthey were able to use data from assessment opportunities they had identified asa department.

Year 7

Pupils select from a range of materialsand techniques to develop their work.They make use of methods thatinclude collage, ICT, mixed media andexpressive drawing techniques.

Year 8

Pupils identify relevant techniques toemploy in the development of theirwork. They combine a range ofmaterials in sketchbook andexploratory work that enables them toreorganise and combine images in thecompletion of a final outcome.

Year 9

Pupils become more independentwhen selecting and combining arange of media, materials andtechniques. They are able to usesketchbook and preparatory work toadapt and refine the development of afinal outcome.

Progression across the key stages


Task 6B

In pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupils’ work from a particular topic in ayear group.


Agree a relevant curricular target that matches this evidence and planthe teaching necessary to address it.


Context

The art and design department further developed the process described in Task 6A. This caused them to follow a more sophisticated programme toidentify the curricular target in terms of pupils’ work in sketchbooks,investigation sheets and realisation.

Process

From their analysis of the process in Task 6A, the department identified specificchanges to their scheme of work and unit plans. It was based on a scrutiny ofpupils’ work. This is shown in Tables A and B following.


Table A: Work scrutiny

The process: workscrutiny

The department began theprocess by identifying aparticular area of focus. In this example, the focuswas the application of thedevelopment, research,investigation andrealisation process by Year 7 pupils. Eachmember of the subjectteam was asked to providethree sets of work fromhigh-, middle- and low-ability pupils, together withsome initial observations,thoughts and conclusionsabout strengths andweaknesses.

Intended outcomesThe department was keento develop Year 7 pupils’use of sketchbooks andinvestigation sheets in therealisation of two- andthree-dimensional work. Inparticular, Year 7 projectwork focused on the use ofsketchbooks as a researchtool for the evolution ofpersonal ideas, whileinvestigation sheetsenabled pupils to explore a range of materials,processes and techniquesbefore embarking on thefinal realisation.

Sketchbooks

Less-able pupilsUse their sketchbooks on aregular basis, but much ofthe work is derivative, withhigh levels of copying fromsecondary sources takingplace. We must rememberthat secondary sourceshave an increasing role inthe production of art – infact, have done so sincethe pop artist. The purposeand intention become thereal point to challenge. Is this really lower-levelmaterial? Are we notsuggesting that they areunable to use and control abroader range of media?

More-able pupilsShow greater skill inrecording observations,ideas and experiences andare also prepared to use awider range of media andtechniques, e.g. collageand paint. However, thework lacks real explorationof ideas or development toany realisation.

Most-able pupils Show high levels ofdexterity when recordingobservations, ideas andexperiences, with a goodunderstanding of tone andform. A wide range ofmedia and techniques areemployed, with strongevidence of developmentalwork over a number ofpages.

Investigation sheets

Less-able pupilsProduce lively and often-colourful investigationsheets, but media, skillsand techniques are limited,with little developmentalwork. Reference to thework of artists anddesigners is minimal.Research tends to beundeveloped collections of images with fewconsidered observations or application.

More-able pupilsDemonstrate greater skill in the use of a wider rangeof media, skills andtechniques, e.g. collage,paint, tonal work,maquettes. Ideas are linkedwith evidence of someannotation to explain theprocess, with visual andwritten references to abroader and more relevantrange artists anddesigners.

Most-able pupilsAre able to employ a widerange of media, skills,techniques and visualimagery. Ideas are linkedand annotation gives aninsight into the way thework of artists anddesigners has beenutilised.

Realisation

Less-able pupilsProduce a finished piecethat is often the product ofa single early idea, and thequality of the realisationshows little improvementon the preparation workthat preceded it orresponse to the ideas of others.

More-able pupilsThere is evidence of animprovement in the ‘finish’of the final piece and anongoing development ofideas during the productionof the artwork. There is atendency for pupils tobecome too attached to the process with asubsequent repetition of ideas.

Most-able pupilsMaintain the developmentof ideas, content andtechnique, seeing the finalpiece as an extension ofthe work that preceded it.There is a markedimprovement in the qualityand execution of the work.The pupils evaluate …[Level 6/7 statement]

Evidence seen: strengths and weaknesses


Table B: The process to identify the specific curricular target

This analysis was then linked to the most recent Ofsted report as below.

Summary of perceivedweaknesses

Sketchbooks• Too little work derived

from an awareness of the visual world.

• Too much work seen as ‘one-offs’, with little sequentialdevelopment.

• Too narrow a range ofmedia, skills andtechniques employed.

Investigation sheets• Too little use of

annotation to encouragereflection and the failureto develop specialistvocabulary.

• Limited relevantconsideration of referenceto the work of artists anddesigners in the evolutionof personal responses.

• Repetition of ideas and anemphasis on mechanicalprocess rather than thedevelopment of personalideas.

Realisation• Failure to develop

starting points.• Too little development of

earlier ideas and atendency to select theeasiest options with lowlevels of challenge.

• Too narrow a focus onthe range of materials,techniques and skillsemployed.

Sketchbooks: curriculartargets

To encourage less-ablepupils to:• employ a wider range of

media and techniques• broaden the range of

approaches torecording

• link work across anumber of pages(development of ideas).

To encourage more-ablepupils to:• become less focused on

single pieces of workand link ideas together

• explore themes andcontexts through arange of approaches.

To encourage most-ablepupils to:• reflect on the

development of ideasthrough the use ofannotation

• employ specialistvocabulary

• emphasise thesequential developmentof ideas.

Investigation sheets:curricular targets

To encourage less-ablepupils to:• produce a finished piece

that incorporates anumber of earlier ideas

• focus on producinggood quality finishedpieces of work.

To encourage more-ablepupils to• employ a wider range

of media, skills andtechniques

• link ideas with evidenceusing annotation toexplain the process andthe visual and writtenreferences to artists anddesigners.

To encourage most-ablepupils to:• employ a challenging

range of media, skills,techniques and visualimagery

• make use of annotationto support reflection andprovide an insight intothe way the work ofartists and designershas been utilised.

Realisation: curriculartargets

To encourage less-ablepupils to:• produce a finished piece

that develops andextends earlier thinking

• improve the quality oftheir finished work.

To encourage more-ablepupils to:• review and reflect on the

development of ideas• introduce new imagery

and techniques, asappropriate, during thecreative process.

To encourage most-ablepupils to:• set high benchmarks for

the quality of finishedwork and to be open tothe creative fusion ofmedia and techniques

• extend their use of thework of artists anddesigners in theorigination of their ownresponse to startingpoints and design briefs.

Weaknesses identified byOfsted

In a recent Ofsted report thedepartment was set the followingtargets:• to extend the use of subject-

specific vocabulary,particularly in the review andassessment of pupils’ work

• to raise the quality of finishedoutcomes, with a focus on theachievement of less-ablepupils.

Curricular targets

Year 7 numerical target

In art and design, the development of pupils’ ability to develop and manipulatemedia, materials and techniques during the evolution and realisation of artworkwill ensure that the number of pupils achieving level 5 and above at the end of Year 7 will improve from 50% to 60% by July 2005.

Year 7 curricular target

Year 7 pupils will develop their ability to combine and manipulate a range of media,materials and techniques in the evolution of a personal response to starting pointsand design briefs, through the use of sketchbooks, exploratory work andsupporting studies in the realisation of a final outcome.


This process then led to the department finalising the overall curricular target fortheir Year 7 pupils.

Evaluation

The department realised that the evidence of the impact of this approach wouldneed to be assessed over a longer time frame. They decided to track theprogress of the pupils from the original work sample by scrutinising their workevery six months to assess the impact of the initiative on standards.


Handout 6.4 – Principles for layering curriculartargets







Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in D&T © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin design and technology

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to design andtechnology. As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, thefollowing subject development material is intended to help you consider the keymessages of the training unit and identify any areas requiring development inyour department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach design and technology.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in D&T and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in D&T lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in design and technology. You will need to be clear on what hashelped pupils to learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be howyour practice has adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what hasworked well and which areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

At a department meeting, six design and technology (D&T) teachers plannedtheir Year 8 projects across resistant materials, systems and control, textilesand food. They discussed how they could assess Year 8 progress in the keyarea of exploring ideas when pupils are designing.

When pupils are exploring ideas in Year 7 they would be expected to be able tolook for needs, wants and opportunities, and to respond to them.

In Year 8 they will have progressed to being more questioning and challengingby asking unusual questions and responding to ideas, tasks or problems in anunusual way, challenging conventional responses and developing moreindependent thinking.

By Year 9 they will be able to envisage and speculate what might be.

While progression is not simply linear the teachers wanted to find out through a specific task whether pupils are now able to be more questioning andchallenging and develop more independent thinking.

One of the teachers, Peter, had attended the DATA conference and seen a ‘Big and small questions’ activity which could be developed to become anassessment task (see appendix 6A 3). Peter described the activity to the restof the D&T staff, and they decided they could use it in the food, textiles andresistant materials projects they would be running at the end of the year. Theydecided to use the task early in the projects and to tell all the pupils that it wouldbe an assessment task.

Process

All the teachers chose a lesson where the pupils were focusing on gatheringinformation to help them with their design brief. They taught them the big andsmall questions technique, then set a task where the pupils had to apply itindependently. They modified the task for the most able and the least able byencouraging the most able to carry out more than one of the tasks andsupporting the least able with prompt questions.


They collected evidence by asking the pupils to complete the ‘Big and smallquestions’ grid in class to show their thinking about what might be concealed ina box and to practise the technique. They observed the pupils during theirdiscussions then asked them to apply the technique further and independentlyfor homework, e.g.

They identified the number of pupils meeting the learning outcomes and makingprogress in their ability to explore ideas when designing.

The teachers felt the task had worked well because it had been applied acrossall the focus areas, and had been part of an ongoing design and makeassignment rather than a separate test.

The teachers used the experience to make a list of all the key areas that theywould expect pupils to make progress in, and identified tasks that could begiven to the pupils as class work and homework at various points as part of anongoing design and make assignment to develop and test this.

Identifying weaknesses

This phase of the process led to the identification of weaknesses within thepupils’ work. The department realised that it was essential that the learningobjectives communicated to pupils were revisited and discussed. In particularthey needed to clarify the projected learning outcomes and by reference topupils’ work on this task assess how far these could be met over the course ofthe unit.

A number of weaknesses of the task as a tool became apparent, e.g.:• it relied partly on group work, and teachers had to use techniques to identify

individual contributions to the task clearly• the evidence was largely observed rather than written, but that the grid

provided some important evidence• not all the pupils enjoyed that strategy and it may not be a fair reflection of

their skill; other evidence would need to be taken into account as well.

The outcome of the activity showed that some pupils:• use only a limited range of questions to explore ideas, and need lots of help

and support to develop their questioning skills• fail to use fully big questions (analysis, application, synthesis and evaluation),

which limits their ability to explore ideas fully• limit themselves to the use of familiar questions in their explorations and

resist working independently.


The department identified the curricular target which they felt addressed theareas of weakness revealed during the assessment process. It is linked to theKey Stage 3 numerical target and is now included in their departmentdevelopment plan.

✔ 1 Ask them to create one big and one small question about a product, picture, designing magazine article, video ortextbook.

✔ 2 Ask pupils to create big and small interview questions for interviewing a famous engineer/designer/chef.✔ 3 Ask them to create big and small questions for their current design brief or project.


Key Stage 3 Numerical target

This identified that, in D&T, the development of pupils’ ability to use higher levelquestioning to explore and clarify their ideas and to test and evaluate theirproducts will ensure that the number of pupils achieving level 5 and above willimprove from 60% to 70% by July 2006.

Curricular target

This identified that pupils will develop their ability to explore the needs, wantsand opportunities within a task. By researching and questioning, they shouldgather information, which helps them to clarify the task and identify exactly whatthey are required to do. Pupils should see how they could intervene creatively toimprove quality of life, participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologiesand help to shape communities. This is described for all three years in KeyStage 3 (see below).

Progression across the key stages

Year 7Designing for yourself (Scheme ofWork).Looking for needs, wants andopportunities.

Year 8 Designing for clients (Scheme ofWork).Questioning and challenging.Asking unusual questions,responding to ideas, tasks orproblems in an unusual way,challenging conventional responses,independent thinking.

Year 9Designing for markets (Scheme ofWork). Envisaging what might be.


Task 6B





Process

Having developed their ideas on curricular target setting in Task 6A, thedepartment then looked at examples of pupils’ work on www.ncaction.org.ukat different levels and compared them to some work from their own class. Thisgave them a feel for how the various elements of pupils’ work in D&T cancontribute to a judgement of curricular levels of attainment.

They then went on to look more closely at their pupils’ D&T folders containingtheir designing journals, planning sheets and photographs of finished work.They compared the levels that had been awarded to the website examples withtheir own pupils’ work and their understanding about the National CurriculumD&T levels.

Tables A and B on the following pages summarise the process the departmentwent through.


Table A: Work scrutiny

The process: workscrutiny

The department began theprocess by identifying aparticular area of focus. Inthis example, the focuswas using designingjournals to explore,generate and developideas. Used planningsheets and pictures of finalproducts designed andmade by Year 7 pupils.

Each member of thesubject team was asked toprovide three D&T folders,which contained theirdesigning journal, planningsheets and pictures oftheir products from high-,middle- and low-abilitypupils, together with someinitial observations,thoughts and conclusionsabout strengths andweaknesses.

Intended outcomesThe department was keento develop Year 7 pupils’use of their design foldersand planning sheets in themanufacture of theirdesigns.

In particular, Year 7 projectwork focused on the useof designing journals as aresearch tool for theevolution of design ideas,while planning sheetsenabled pupils to explorethe principles of effectivetime and resourceplanning andmanagement in theirmaking.

Designing journalsLower-ability pupilsUse their designingjournals on a regular basis,but much of the work isderivative, with high levelsof copying or cutting outfrom secondary sources(catalogues) taking place.There is also a tendencyfor them to draw simple,familiar, completeproducts in preference totrying out more structuredapproaches, which mightprovide them with morecreative and innovativeideas.

Middle-ability pupilsShow greater skill in takingideas from other designsand are also prepared touse a wider range oftechniques, e.g. 4x4,SCAMPER (appendix6B.1), walk on the wildside (appendix 6B.2).However, too much of thework is ‘one-offs’ with littleevidence of development.

Higher-ability pupils Show high levels ofinnovation and creativitywhen developing theirideas, with a goodunderstanding of form andfunction of their finalproduct. A wide range ofdesigning strategies areemployed with strongevidence of developmentwork over a number ofpages.

Planning sheetsLower-ability pupilsProduce brief, incompleteand often colourfulplanning sheets, butdetails are limited with littleunderstanding ofsequencing or timemanagement. Referenceto the safety issues isminimal.

Middle-ability pupilsDemonstrate greater skillin predicting andmanaging the time neededto complete a task. Plansindicate the main stages ofmaking and the order inwhich they must becarried out. These pupilsconsider safety issues,look ahead for possibleproblems and planalternative ways ofprogressing.

Higher-ability pupilsAre able to produce plansthat predict the timeneeded to carry out themain stages of making,review progress againstthose plans, then prioritiseand reconcile decisionsabout materials, time andproduction.

Finished productsLower-ability pupilsProduce a finished piecethat is often the product ofa single early idea; thequality design andmanufacture shows littleimprovement on thepreparation work thatpreceded it.

Middle-ability pupilsThere is evidence of animprovement in the ‘finish’of the final product and anongoing development ofideas during theproduction of the finishedartwork. But there’s also atendency for pupils tobecome too wedded tothe process with arepetition of ideas andlimited creativity orinnovation.

Higher-ability pupilsMaintain the developmentof design ideas andcreativity throughout themaking of their product,seeing the final product asan extension of the workthat preceded it. There is amarked improvement inthe quality and executionof the work, and a highlevel of skill and finishingtechniques.

Evidence seen: strengths and weaknesses


Table B: The process to identify the specific curricular target

This analysis was then linked to the most recent Ofsted report as follows. This process then led to the department finalising the overall curricular target fortheir Year 7 pupils.

Summary of perceivedweaknesses

Designing journals

• Too much copying,cutting out of picturesand little annotateddrawings.

• Too much work seen as ‘one-offs’, with little sequentialdevelopment.

• Too narrow a range ofstimulus and resourcesemployed.

Planning sheets• Too little use of planning

frameworks, flowchartsand use of specialistvocabulary.

• Limited reference tosafety and hazardanalysis.

• Limited prediction andreflection in order tomake the most effectiveuse of time.

Final product• A fall-off in the quality of

finished products.• Too little development

of earlier ideas and atendency to select theeasiest options with lowlevels of challenge.

• Too narrow a focus onthe range of materials,techniques and skillsemployed.

Designing journals:curricular targets

To encourage lower-abilitypupils to:• employ a wider range of

stimulus and resources• work directly from real-

life problems• link work across a

number of pages.

To encourage middle-ability pupils to:• become less focused

on single unoriginalideas and to link ideastogether

• explore themes andcontexts through arange of creativeapproaches.

To encourage higher-ability pupils to:• reflect on the

development of ideasthrough the use ofannotation

• employ specialistvocabulary

• emphasise thesequentialdevelopment ofcreative ideas.

Planning sheets:curricular targets

To encourage lower-abilitypupils to:• produce effective plans

that will help them topredict and managetime to complete tasks

• look ahead for possibleproblems and planalternative ways ofprogressing.

To encourage middle-ability pupils to:• employ a wider range of

planning techniques topredict time needed fora series of sub-taskswithin the overall task

• review progress againstplans, then prioritiseand reconcile decisionsabout materials, timeand production.

To encourage higher-ability pupils to:• be consistent in their

planning• work more

independently on tasksfacilitated by theteacher and/or others

• make use of annotationto show how plans arereviewed at importantstages.

Final product: curriculartargets

To encourage lower-abilitypupils to:• produce a finished

piece that developsand extends earlierthinking

• improve the quality oftheir finished work.

To encourage middle-ability pupils to:• review and reflect on

the development ofideas

• introduce new tools,approaches, skills andtechniques, asappropriate, during themaking process.

To encourage higher-ability pupils to:• set high benchmarks

for the quality offinished work, and to beopen to the creativefusion of thinking andmaking techniques

• extend their use of thework of designers intheir starting points anddesign briefs.

Weaknesses identifiedby Ofsted

In a recent Ofsted reportthe department were setthe following targets:• to extend the use of

subject specificvocabulary, particularlyin the review andassessment of pupils’work

• to raise the quality offinished outcomes,with a focus on theachievement of lower-ability pupils.

Curricular targets

Year 7 Numerical target

In D&T, the development of pupils’ ability to draw on and use various sources ofinformation and work from detailed plans to make high quality products will ensure thatthe number of pupils achieving level 5 and above at the end of Year 7 will improve from50% to 60% by July 2005.

Year 7 Curricular target

Year 7 pupils will develop their ability to draw on and use various sources of informationto develop creative design ideas, and combine these with effective and detailed plans fordeveloping and making their final product. Their improved use of designing journals,planning tools and modelling and prototypes in the production of a final outcome willsupport this development.


Subject-specific references Kimbell, R. Assessing technology, Open University Press (1997)

NAAIDT website resources and publications: Think on; and Quality throughprogression in D&T (www.naaidt.ork.uk)

National Curriculum in action (www.ncaction.org.uk) – commentaries onstandards relating to example pieces of pupils’ work, Assessment in D&T

QCA example schemes of work (QCA, www.qca.org.uk) – expectations sectionon front page of schemes can be used as support to differentiate comments

QCA, Creativity: Find it, promote, www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity

Good assessment in design and technology (HMI 1472), www.ofsted.gov.uk

DATA Assessment handbook, DATA news and Modus (membershippublications), www.data.org.uk









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.


Appendix 6A.3

Aspect

Year

Objectives

Activity

Time required

Description

Exploring ideas

8

● Discuss, debate, question and challenge information and the nature of the task itself

Big and small questions

15 minutes

This is a strategy that pupils can use when gathering information about a topic. Bigquestions require much thought, discussion, and explanation. They take time to thinkthrough and answer in depth. Small questions require simple, one-word answers such as‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’, or a nod or shake of the head. They take up no space or time. Littleinformation is obtained from the answer to a small question.The strategy can:● encourage pupils to think more thoroughly about a task or idea;● help pupils to gather more complete and meaningful information about a task or idea;● stimulate thinking about a task or idea for which multiple or complex responses are

beneficial.Use this activity to teach pupils the difference between big and small questions.● Conceal an object in a box. Pass the box around and ask pupils to use their senses to

gather information about the contents of the box. Ask pupils to guess what is in the boxand record their ideas on a chart.

● Draw a grid on the board or on chart paper (see next page). Tell the pupils that they aregoing to ask questions about the contents of the box and then rate the questions aseither big or small questions.

● Explain that big questions take up more space; they require big answers that give moreinformation than small questions. Small questions can be answered in one word, suchas ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

● Ask pupils to share their ideas with a partner and then choose one big question theywant to ask about the contents of the box. They must be prepared to explain why theythink it is a big question. Record the pupils’ questions on the grid. From the questionsand their respective answers, pupils gather facts about the contents of the box until theyknow what is in the box. Open the box and reveal its contents.

● Ask pupils to decide if questions are big or small and to explain why they think so.Remind pupils that big questions require more thinking than small questions. Record themarks on the grid as they decide.

● Ask pupils to gather information all the time. When gathering information, pupilsgenerally formulate questions about the topic they are studying. If pupils are able toformulate big questions as well as small questions, the information they collect will bemore in-depth, thorough and substantive.

● To provide practice for pupils in generating big and small questions, ask them to createone big and one small question about a product, picture, designing magazine article,video, or textbook. Another way to provide practice is to ask pupils to create big andsmall questions for interviewing a famous engineer, designer or chef.


Appendix 6A.3 cont.

Big

and s

mall q

uest

ion g

rid

Exp

lori

ng id

eas

Quest

ion

Big

Sm

all


Appendix 6B.1

Aspect

Year

Objectives

Activity

Time required

Description

Developing and modelling ideas

9

● Try alternative, sometimes unconventional, approaches for overcoming difficulties,modifying proposals and communicating these to others

Scamper

30 minutes

To use the scamper technique, begin with a particular idea in mind, then ask pupils to thinkof ways to change or develop it. The acronym stands for:S Substitute: What could be used instead?C Combine: What can be added?A Adapt: How can it be adjusted to suit a condition or purpose?M Modify: How can the colour, shape or form be changed?

Magnify: How can it be made larger, stronger or thicker?Minimise: How can it be made smaller, lighter or shorter?

P Put to other use: What else can it be used for other than the original intended purpose?E Eliminate: What can be removed or taken away from it?R Reverse: How can it be turned round or placed opposite its original position?

Rearrange: How can the pattern, order, or layout be changed?When introducing this technique to pupils, it is usually helpful to begin using only one or twoof the letters at a time. It is not necessary to use the letters or words in the order in whichthey are listed. P (put to other uses) and M (modify, magnify or minimise) are oftensuccessful starting points.Ideas can be recorded in a grid or table, for example:S SubstituteC CombineA AdaptM Modify

MagnifyMinimise

P Put to other usesE EliminateR Reverse

Rearrange

What are the benefits of the technique?

● It encourages pupils to expand ideas or develop them into complete new possibilities.● It fosters creativity when pupils have trouble coming up with ideas, or when all the ideas

seem to be very similar.● It helps pupils expand their observational skills and sharpen their five senses


Appendix 6B.2

Aspect

Year

Objectives

Activity

Time required

Description

Generating ideas

9

● Produce creative solutions which address the design criteria in expected and/orunexpected ways

● Be prepared to take risks when generating ideas through a range of creative and criticalthinking techniques

Walk on the wild side

10 minutes

This is a creative thinking strategy for developing innovative, creative and off-the-wall ideas.It is based on the thinking strategies used in higher education and by design companies tohelp designers look at and think about design problems in different ways. It is an enjoyableand creative way of liberating ideas. It will inject a fresh and stimulating aspect intoencouraging pupils to be more open-minded to new opportunities for developing products.Step 1 Think of a subject. Choose one which contains lots of action, such as a city centre.Step 2 Find a sheet of paper. Put a vertical line down the middle. Label one side A and the

other side B.Step 3 In column A write down things that concern the subject, such as people, cars,

pavements, windows.Step 4 In column B write down words that describe the subject, such as noisy, quiet,

smelly, dangerous.Step 5 Use a pen of a different colour to connect words in both columns. The

connections do not have to be immediately obvious. Apparently silly connectionsoften lead to the best ideas.

Adapted from Think on, NAAIDT


Walk on the wild side Generating ideas

Subject: Radio

A BThings that concern Things that describe

the subject the subject

Tuning dial Colourful

Volume control Transparent

Speakers Noisy

Aerial Quiet

On/off Easy to hold

Components High tech

Batteries Cool

Mains connection Angular

Handle Hard edges

Stand Rounded/soft

Adapted from Think on, NAAIDT

Appendix 6B.2 cont.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in English © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin English

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to English. As part ofthe whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach English.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in English and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in English lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in English. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils tolearn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

School K analysed its Year 9 test results (Shakespeare and writing paper) usingQCA diagnostic software. This showed that pupils generally scored lower forwriting than reading, particularly for sentence structure and punctuation (AF5).A further scrutiny of papers at borderlines 4/5 and 5/6 showed that pupils wereoften insecure about when to deploy different sentence structures for specificeffects. Furthermore, many pupils’ composition and effect marks (AF2) weredepressed by failure to use or maintain the appropriate level of formality,particularly at level 4. At higher levels, pupils did not vary the level of formality indifferent parts of the text for effect.

Improving writing matrix was used to identify the most pertinent objectives inrelation to these weaknesses.

The QCA standards report – implications for teaching section 3 was alsostudied in relation to selecting the objectives to be focused on.

Process

As a result of this analysis, the department decided to set curricular targets. Oneof these concerned formal writing and is shown on the next page. Departmentmembers then identified the three key framework objectives critical to helpingthem meet their curricular targets and to focusing their planning for improvement.


Department members then examined their schemes of work to ensure thatthese objectives and other related objectives featured strongly in them andwere made a priority in planning throughout the key stage.

Evaluation

The department agreed to establish common teacher assessments twice ayear in each year group, which would focus on formal writing in order to checkprogress towards targets and the effectiveness of the new scheme of work.

Further guidance on setting curricular targets in English can be found in thereferences at the end of this unit.

Key Stage 3 numerical targetPerformance of pupils at L5+ in formal writing needs to improve from

60% to 67% at the end of Year 9 through the improved ability to use formal English in a range of spoken and written contexts.

Key Stage 3 curricular targetThe formal writing skills of all pupils are improved.

In Year 7Pupils will vary the

formality of language inspeech and writing to

suit differentcircumstances.

Key objective S15

In Year 8Pupils use third personand/or passive voice to

convey objectivity.

Key objective S10

In Year 9Pupils sustain the use offormal English in writingusing different sentencestructures, including the

effective use ofsubordination and modal

verbs.

Key objective S9


Task 6B

In pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupil work from a particular topic in ayear group.




Context

Teachers in School E decided to carry out a work scrutiny to help them agree a relevant curricular target. At a department meeting they looked at arepresentative sample of pupils’ work from a Year 9 task. The main focus wasthe 4/5 and 5/6 borderline pupils.

In the task, pupils were set a piece of independent writing: a formal essay thatrequired the use of sustained standard English. The task was in the form of aKey Stage 3 test question, i.e.: In these extracts from Act 1 Scene 3 and Act 3Scene 1, how does Macbeth use language to conceal his true feelings?

Process

The subject leader based the work scrutiny on the publication Organising awork sample. The subject leader had found this document particularly usefuland copied the following section from it so everyone in the department wasclear on the process they would use.

Six golden rules for effective work sampling

• Begin with a clear and explicit focus, hypothesis or lead question.

• Establish who is to be responsible for the organisation, management,coordination and evaluative summarising of the activity.

• Prepare a guiding aide-memoire that provides a framework for enquiry.

• Select a sample of pupils’ work, based on existing knowledge, that willprovide the best evidence within the constraints of time available.

• Discuss and agree the main features that emerge from the work seen.

• Draw up a practicable action plan that can be implemented by subjectdepartments, and track its impact by re-sampling pupils over time.

The staff decided to analyse the pupils’ work in terms of their success inproducing a piece of formal writing rather than as a response to reading. Theyfirst reviewed the learning outcomes for the lessons. These were as follows.

Intended learning outcomes for all pupils

• Can write in an appropriate tone, demonstrating a clear understanding ofthe purpose and audience.


• Can select suitably formal vocabulary appropriate to the purpose andaudience.

• Can write with consistent subject–verb agreement.

• Can form tenses correctly and consistently.

• Can write consistently in the third person.

Intended learning outcomes for some higher-attaining pupils

• Can use complex sentences to present information economically in formalcontexts.

• Can use the passive voice where appropriate.

Scrutiny of the pupils’ completed work revealed that almost all pupils wereaware of the audience and purpose of the task and were using appropriatestandard vocabulary with very little use of colloquial English. However, pupilsworking towards level 5 frequently overused contractions (don’t, you’re etc.).Although pupils working at level 4 were generally not using complex sentencesto clarify meaning, pupils working at level 5 were using complex sentences butwith a limited range of connectives. Pupils working at levels 5 and 6 often foundusing qualifying connectives difficult.

Most pupils had selected the correct tense for this discursive essay, but pupilsworking at level 5 and above varied their use of tenses correctly, e.g. past andconditional. Only a few used the passive voice at all.

As a result of this work scrutiny, the department agreed the following curriculartarget:Pupils sustain the use of formal English in writing using differentsentence structures, including the effective use of subordination andmodal verbs.

To address this target, the department focused on Framework objective S3(degrees of formality), S9 (sustained Standard English), Wr3 (formal essay),Wr16 (balanced analysis) and S&L 2 (Standard English).

Evaluation

The department agreed to set focused assignments in the next term, whichwould be marked against the new target. The work scrutiny group of pupilswould be tracked for discernible improvements. Performance of pupils in thetarget group would be closely monitored.

The department also decided to review Year 8 and 7 schemes of work to ensurethat the issues raised in the scrutiny were being addressed through relatedobjectives (as highlighted in the Improving writing matrix) earlier in the key stage.

The department also used the Improving reading matrix and the Improvingspeaking and listening matrix (which appear in the English 2004–05 coretraining Increasing pupils’ rates of progress) in its planning, to ensure all aspectsof English would help progress towards the target.


Task 6B(2) worked example for EAL pupils

In pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupil work from a particular topic in ayear group.




Context

In school I, where over 68% of pupils were EAL learners, staff conducted a workscrutiny of the longer writing task after the Key Stage 3 results (provided by theschool assessment manager), which showed a higher-than-expected numberof boys attaining a borderline level 4/5. Some 82% of the pupils who did notmove from level 4 at Key Stage 2 to level 5 at Key Stage 3 were EAL boys.Further analysis by the Key Stage 3 English coordinator identified thatperformance was lower in the longer writing task than the other threecomponents. In addition, the use of the QCA Diagnostic software revealedissues in all three strands – an analysis later confirmed by English teachers whoconducted a close scrutiny of the scripts, which highlighted particular issues inWriting Assessment Focuses 5 and 6.

Process

Staff looked at the longer writing task in the test for a sample of EAL pupils. This required pupils to write an ‘upbeat’ report for the front page of a localnewspaper about a teenager from Mannbridge School who rescues someonefrom danger.

Extract A shows the first part of one response.

Extract A

Local Mannbridge pupil, David Jones, 15, fought his waythrough ferocious flames yesterday to save a class of toddlersand their teacher, Mrs McCann.

The blazing fire started because a group of boys in a senioryear had been fooling about. While bunking off a lesson, theboys went behind the nursery building to have a cigarette.One of the boys dared another boy to tip some petrol on thebuilding. As soon as they had done it they threw theircigarettes on the floor. Another boy lit a match and threw itas they ran away. The fire spread – the flames were growingbigger and bigger, over the building.

The staff agreed there was some use of subordination and some variety of sentence forms to clarify the account of what happened. Sentencedemarcation was generally correct and a range of other punctuation had been used.


Extracts B, C and D are examples of the observed outcomes of the borderline4/5 scripts.

Extract B

Yesterday morning at about half past ten teachers say thatthey have encountered real natural talent from a teenagerin Mannbridge School.

It was yesterday morning when the young girl from Year 8went to the toilets. AA ssttrraannggeerr had walked into the schoolaanndd he was wandering around the corridor. TThhee ssttrraannggeerrspotted this girl walking aanndd started to ask her questions.TThhee ggiirrll ignored him aanndd went on. TThhee ssttrraannggeerr wasfurious aanndd started to follow her.

Extract C

Tuesday evening at 8.15 an incident took place inMannbridge School! A 13-year-old girl hhaadd bbeeeenn hhiitt by acar, the driver hhaadd ssttrruucckk without even tempting to stop.

One of the pupils hhaadd ssaaww what happened and straightaway hhee ccoommee oouutt to help. The incident took place outsidethe school. The who hhaadd ccoommee oouutt done a first aid check on her.

Extract D

Yesterday a young boy at the age of 11 saved a young girlffrroomm DEATH. She coming ffrroomm the park with her family. Shewas getting chased ffrroomm her big sister.

At the time a boy (13) was doing his shopping ffrroomm his sickmother. He had his bags full ffrroomm shopping. After the parkhe went oonn a short cut to his home.

Staff agreed that in these three extracts, which were typical of the scriptsscrutinised, there was:• an over-reliance on coordination rather than subordination to combine ideas• insecurity in managing shifts in tense, especially the use of the past tense

forms• a limited range of word choice and modification as seen in the over-use of

the preposition ‘from’• a limited understanding of pronoun referencing.

The department then constructed the following curricular target to develop thewriting of EAL pupils at level 4:

‘To improve the variety, accuracy and impact of sentence structures of EALpupils at level 4 so that in their writing at the end of Key Stage 3, both inexternally assessed outcomes and through teacher assessment, the number of co-ordinated clauses is reduced, shifts in tense are managed so that it isclear to the reader when the action is occurring, and prepositions are used toclarify the grammar and meaning.’


This target was constructed in relation to the numerical target of 100% of EALpupils at level 4 in Year 7 reaching level 5+ in Year 9.

To support this target teachers identified the teaching objectives for the KeyStage in the following way.

Department members agreed that they would teach some of the Year 7 andYear 8 objectives alongside those from Year 9 because historically some of theborderline level 4/5 EAL pupils had been admitted to the school after the start ofYear 7.

As a follow-up, department members decided to use the Grammar for writing:supporting EAL pupils (5) to enhance their own specialist knowledge. They alsodrew on ideas from the Improving boys’ writing leaflet (6) and the Improvingwriting: punctuation leaflet.

Evaluation

The staff decided that they would check on their progress towards this targetevery half term during their regular department meetings.

Further guidance on targets related to reading and speaking and listening isgiven in the improvement matrices, which appear in the English 2004–05 coretraining Increasing pupils’ rates of progress.

Subject-specific references

QCA diagnostic software (QCA, www.qca.org.uk)

Standards report 2003 (QCA, www.qca.org.uk)

English department training 2003, Improving writing (including writing matrix),(DfES 0505/2003)

English department training 2003, Improving writing – Improving boys’ writing(DfES 0415/2003)

Y9 objectives

Wr3 formal essay

S1 complexsentences

W6 terminology foranalysis

Y8 objectives

S4 tense shifts

S1 complexsentencesS3 variety ofsentence structures

W8 use linguistictermsS5 conditional andmodal verbs

Y7 objectives

S4 tensemanagement

S1 subordinateclauseS3 boundarypunctuation

W17 word clausesS2 noun phrases

Grammaticalfeatures

Text cohesionTense

SentenceconstructionSubordination andcomplex sentences

Word choice andmodificationModification


English department training 2003, Improving writing – Improving writing:Punctuation (DfES 0407/2003, DfES 0416/2003)

Organising a work sample (DfES 0390/2003), page 6

Grammar for writing: supporting pupils learning EAL (DfES 0581/2002)

English Head of Department training 2003, Leading improvement in the 2nd year (DfES 0305/2002)

Making assessment work (diagnostic marking frames) (DfES/QCA, DfES 0196/2002)

English department training 2003, Improving writing – Management(DfES 0402/2003)

Unlocking potential: raising ethnic minority achievement at Key Stage 3(DfES 0579/2002)

English core training 2004–05, Increasing pupils’ rates of progress(DfES 0463/2004/G)








Year group target







Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in geography © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin geography

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to geography. As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach geography.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in geography and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in geography lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in geography. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils tolearn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

In preparation for a whole-school training event on curricular target setting, thegeography and science departments were asked to develop brief case studiesto present to the rest of the staff. The science department had already carriedout substantial development work on curricular target setting, but this area ofAssessment for learning was new to the geography department, which, as a‘lead department’ for the local education authority, had been focusing onestablishing the use of learning objectives and outcomes to promote peer andself assessment.

Process

The geography department, supported by the head of science, began by tryingto locate suitable sources of evidence to use for identifying curricular targets ingeography. They decided to focus on the Ofsted findings from their schoolinspection in the previous year and backed this up with a scrutiny of pupils’end-of-unit assessments. These were analysed during a departmental meetingto identify specific weaknesses that seemed to be common areas ofunderachievement for Key Stage 3 pupils.

They looked closely at the end of Year 9 test and analysed the results to identifywhich types of questions were answered well and which were answered poorly.Appendix 6A.3 shows an extract from this test and is the question to which thetwo pupil work samples in appendices 6A.4 and 6A.5 relate.

By analysing the pupil responses, department members were able to identifyareas for development and began to consider the implications for this in termsof teacher planning and classroom practice. Their analytical comments appearin speech bubbles in appendices 6A.4 and 6A.5. They also consideredcarefully the National Curriculum level descriptions for geography to identify theexpected progression across the key stage.

This table that follows shows the aspects of the National Curriculum leveldescriptions (levels 3 to 8) for geography, which the task shown in appendix6A.3 was designed to assess.


Having produced this table, the geography department was then able toidentify two curricular targets for Key Stage 3. To improve pupils’ ability to:• recognise and explain links and relations between patterns identified from

a number of statistical and graphical forms• be critical of and select appropriately graphical forms for presenting data

(fitness for purpose) and to use them accurately.

From these curricular targets, they were able to construct layered curriculartargets for Years 7, 8 and 9 at pupil, whole-class and year-group levels (seeappendix 6A.6).

The senior leader who line-managed the head of geography noted that thecurricular targets outlined in appendix 6A.6 were further supported by Ofsted’snational findings about secondary geography. Ofsted recognises numeracy asa key feature of many geography lessons but considers it to lack sufficientexplicit teaching. Ofsted praises geography departments that plan for theteaching and reinforcement of these key skills, particularly in the context of workon graphs and the representation of statistics.

Over the next month, the department revised their medium-term plans toensure that the curricular targets they had identified would be taughtprogressively across Key Stage 3. Over the course of the next six months thegeography teachers incorporated approaches to explicitly teach thesecurricular targets into their lessons.

Evaluation

The teachers shared and evaluated their development work at a departmentmeeting. One issue that arose was the need to amend the ‘individual pupil’targets according to prior attainment to ensure that able pupils were sufficientlyextended in their learning and that lower attaining pupils were not so challengedas to become disillusioned and disengaged. For Year 7 pupils, they enteredindividuals’ Key Stage 2 attainment data for geography, mathematics andscience into their mark books and used this information to ensure that theywere using pupil and group targets appropriately. For Year 8 and Year 9 pupils,they were able to use data for assessment opportunities they had identified as adepartment.

Feature ofdescriptor

Human andphysicalfeatures,patternsandprocesses

Skills

Level 3

Describeandcomparefeatures.

Use skills

Level 4

Describepatterns andprocesses.

Use a range ofgeographicalskills.

Level 5

Explainpatterns andprocesses.

Select froma range ofskills.

Level 6

Describe,explain andrecogniseinteractionsbetweenprocesses.

Select froma range of skills and useeffectively.

Level 7

Describehowinteractionscreatepatterns.

Select froma wide range of skills and useaccurately.

Level 8

Explain why interactionscreate patterns.

Effectively andaccurately select anduse a wide range ofskills.


Task 6BIn pairs, carry out a scrutiny of pupils’ work from a particular topic in ayear group.




Context

The department wanted to develop meaningful curricular targets that wouldimpact on planned teaching, classroom practice and pupil outcomes. The headof department was keen to ensure that the curricular targets identified reflectedgenuine pupils’ ‘needs’ rather than just departmental ‘wants’.

Process

The first stage the department went through was to collect evidence to informthe target-setting process. They analysed a range of sources including Ofsted’sfindings for the school and the department, and the national feedback providedin the ‘Ofsted report for secondary geography 2002’. This prompted a closerscrutiny of pupils’ work, particularly extended writing. The department sampleda Year 8 end-of-unit assessment. (A methodology of how to sample pupils’work is provided in Module 3, Sampling pupils’ work and views, in the briefingpack for school strategy managers, DfES 0389/2002.) The task and oneexample from the pupil work sample used to determine curricular targets isshown in appendix 6B.1. The text that appears in speech bubbles iscomments made by the teachers when they analysed this piece of work.

The scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed a number of ‘gaps’ between the intendedlearning outcomes and what the pupils actually achieved based on observedoutcomes. These are summarised as follows.

Observed learning outcomes

All pupils were able to extract basicrelevant information from the text sources.These were generally copied or rephrased.

Most pupils were able to describe theirown views and select information thatenabled them to describe those of others.

A few pupils gave basic reasons as towhy some people have differingviewpoints, but these explanations wereunderdeveloped and tended to offersimple statements in support of opinions.

Although a minority of pupils did identifylinks between pieces of information,these were poorly supported byevidence.

Intended learning outcomes

All are able to describe their own viewsand those of others as to whether theexpansion of the football ground is agood or bad idea.

Most are able to explain why peoplehave different views about the location ofthe new football ground.

Some will be able to compare andcontrast different views and be able toexplain how people’s values and attitudesaffect people and places in thecommunity.


The department discovered that most pupils only engaged with the first of theprogressively more challenging learning outcomes. This prevented many pupilsfrom attaining National Curriculum levels 5 and 6 for the assessment task.

Following their analysis of the work sample, the department felt they shouldfocus curricular targets on written extended explanations, specifically on whypeople have different views and how different peoples’ values and attitudes can affect people and places.

They took National Curriculum level 5 as a benchmark for this curricular targetand used the relevant element of the National Curriculum level descriptions toidentify the explicit indicators of progression for explaining differing viewpoints.This is shown in the extract from the level descriptions for geography below.

The department then used this information to develop a layered curricular targetthat they would focus on in their long-, medium- and short-term planning andthat would, they hoped, impact on pupil standards at Key Stage 3.

To address the curricular target in their medium-term planning, the departmentfocused specifically on developing literacy strategies aimed at scaffolding non-fictional writing together with using peer and self opportunities. The curriculartarget was made explicit to pupils through lesson learning objectives andoutcomes, formative written feedback on extended writing tasks and oralfeedback.

Layered curricular target

You can write about your own and others’ different points ofview and explain why people have them.

You will be able to explain why you and other people havedifferent points of view about a geographical issue.

In extended writing, pupils should be able to use appropriatetopic sentences and connectives to support theirexplanations of people’s views, values and attitudes about ageographical issue.

Pupils need to improve their written explanations of theirown and others’ views, values and attitudes in relation tonamed geographical features, patterns and processes.

Groups

Individual pupil orgroup

Whole class

Year group

Key stage

Element ofgeography

Views, values andattitudes

Level 5

Suggest explanations for theways in which humanactivities cause changes tothe environment and thedifferent views people holdabout them.

Level 6

Explain how different valuesand attitudes, including theirown, result in differentapproaches that havedifferent effects on peopleand places.

Level 7

Understand that manyfactors, including people’svalues and attitudes,influence decisions madeabout places andenvironments. Use thisunderstanding to explain theresulting changes.


Evaluation

Following these developments the department evaluated their impact onteaching in the subject and on how pupils had responded, particularly in relationto standards. The following questions helped them to structure this.

• How has teaching been adapted to the key messages of curricular targetsetting?

• What impact has focusing on a curricular target had on planning lessons?

• What specific curricular targets were set and how were they addressed?

• How has focusing on specific curricular targets impacted on pupils’learning?

• How has this focus impacted on pupils’ standards in geography?

They tracked the progress of the pupils from the original work sample byscrutinising their work every six months to assess the impact of the initiative onstandards.

Subject-specific reference

Ofsted report for secondary geography (Ofsted, www.ofsted.gov.uk/)









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.


The assessment task selected

Year 9 end-of-unit test extract

Weather and climate in the UK

Q4 This table of information shows the rainfall in mm per year and altitude in metres above sea level for tenplaces around the UK. You do not need to know where these ten places are.

a Select and draw a suitable graph to show whether or not there is a link between rainfall and altitude.(6 marks)

b Identify and fully describe any patterns that you can see in the graph as well as any anomalies.(6 marks)

c Use key pieces of information from the graph to show the extent to which there is a link between rainfalland altitude. Give a full and detailed explanation for the links that you identify, remembering to thinkabout the processes and patterns of rainfall. (8 marks)

Altitude in metres above sea level

700

620

970

110

270

490

760

380

1050

50

Rainfall in mm per year

1200

1500

2400

600

750

1000

1200

700

2000

650

Location number

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Appendix 6A.3


Pupil 1 response to question 4

Appendix 6A.4

The pupil hasselected a graphthat is appropriate tothe data and hasconsidered the needto show the relationbetween the twovariables. This isdrawn fairlyaccurately, althoughthere are technicalerrors such as nounit measurementson either of thevertical or horizontalscales.

Here the pupil gives a descriptive account of therelationship between rainfall and altitude. Some of thisresponse would have been more appropriate in theprevious answer. In addition, she misses the opportunityto fully explain the reason for the link between the twopieces of data. She merely identifies that relief rainfall isthe process linking altitude and rainfall but takes this nofurther. This is a common mistake for Key Stage 3 pupils.

The pupilidentifies apattern andclearlyunderstandsboth the trend ofthe graph and theidea ofanomalies.However, shefails to use thedata as evidenceto support herresponse.


Pupil 2 response to question 4

Appendix 6A.5

Although the graphthat the pupil hasselected isreasonablytechnically ‘correct’and accurate, it isinappropriate to thetask in that it fails toidentify thepatterns andrelationshipsbetween the twovariables. This is anexample of a pupilwho has selecteda graph that isinappropriate to thedata.

The second part of the answer is disadvantaged by the inappropriatechoice of graph. This results in the pupil having difficulty in effectivelydescribing patterns in the data and establishing the relationshipbetween the two variables.


Layering a curricular target in geography

Appendix 6A.6

Key

sta

ge

curr

icul

arta

rget

Year

gro

upta

rget

Who

le-c

lass

targ

et

Ind

ivid

ual

pup

il o

rg

roup

Year

7

Pup

ils c

an re

cogn

ise

that

dat

a di

spla

yed

ingr

aphi

cal f

orm

may

sho

w re

latio

nshi

ps b

etw

een

varia

bles

and

it is

pat

tern

that

sug

gest

s th

est

reng

th o

f tho

se lin

ks.

Pup

ils c

an u

se m

ore

than

one

type

of g

raph

todi

spla

y th

e sa

me

data

and

will

reco

gnis

e th

eva

lue

of o

ne ty

pe o

ver t

he o

ther

.

Pup

ils c

an d

escr

ibe

tren

ds w

ithin

dat

a an

dgr

aphs

and

will

be a

ble

to m

ake

sugg

estio

ns a

sto

why

thos

e tr

ends

exi

st.

Pup

ils a

re a

ble

to d

raw

gra

phs

from

raw

dat

aw

ith in

crea

sing

leve

ls o

f acc

urac

y an

d be

gin

tore

cogn

ise

that

som

e gr

aphs

are

mor

eap

prop

riate

than

oth

ers.

Pup

ils c

an id

entif

y an

d de

scrib

e pa

tter

ns s

how

nin

gra

phs

and

data

.

Pup

ils c

an fo

llow

inst

ruct

ions

to a

ccur

atel

ydr

aw a

gra

ph fr

om a

tabl

e of

dat

a.

Year

8

In d

ata

inte

rpre

tatio

n pu

pils

can

exp

lain

iden

tifie

d re

latio

ns b

etw

een

sets

of v

aria

bles

(e.g

. tem

pera

ture

and

latit

ude)

.

Whe

n de

velo

ping

geo

grap

hica

l dat

are

pres

enta

tion,

pup

ils c

an s

elec

t app

ropr

iate

tech

niqu

es (e

.g. p

ie c

hart

s or

bar

gra

phs)

.

Pup

ils c

an g

ive

reas

ons

for p

atte

rns

and

rela

tions

hips

iden

tifie

d fro

m n

umer

ical

dat

a in

tabl

es.

Pup

ils a

re a

ble

to c

hoos

e fro

m a

rang

e of

trie

dan

d te

sted

dat

a re

pres

enta

tion

tech

niqu

es to

tran

sfor

m d

ata

into

gra

phic

al fo

rms

with

som

eac

cura

cy.

Pup

ils c

an id

entif

y, d

escr

ibe

and

expl

ain

with

reas

ons

links

, pat

tern

s an

d re

latio

ns fr

om b

arch

arts

.

Pup

ils c

an c

hoos

e an

app

ropr

iate

type

of g

raph

to p

rese

nt d

ata

and

draw

it a

ccur

atel

y fro

m a

tabl

e.

Year

9

In d

ata

repr

esen

tatio

n, p

upils

can

inte

rpre

t aw

ide

rang

e of

gra

phic

al a

nd s

tatis

tical

form

san

d ex

plai

n th

e re

latio

ns b

etw

een

them

.

They

can

als

o be

sel

ectiv

e ov

er w

hich

repr

esen

tatio

nal f

orm

s ar

e m

ost s

uita

ble

tohi

ghlig

ht p

atte

rns

and

rela

tions

and

use

them

with

acc

urac

y.

Pup

ils a

re a

ble

to re

cogn

ise

inte

r-re

latio

nshi

psan

d lin

ks b

etw

een

two

or m

ore

sets

of d

ata

(e.g

.ta

bles

, map

s an

d gr

aphs

).

Pup

ils a

re a

ble

to c

hoos

e ap

prop

riate

way

s to

repr

esen

t dat

a th

at m

ake

it ea

sier

to id

entif

ypa

tter

ns a

nd b

e ac

cura

te.

Pup

ils c

an c

ompa

re tw

o se

ts o

f gra

phic

al d

ata,

desc

ribe

and

expl

ain

the

links

and

pat

tern

s in

each

and

the

rela

tions

bet

wee

n th

em.

Pup

ils c

an a

lso

sele

ct a

wid

e ra

nge

of s

tatis

tical

repr

esen

tatio

n te

chni

ques

and

use

them

appr

opria

tely

and

acc

urat

ely.

To im

prov

e pu

pils

’ abi

lity

to:

•re

cog

nis

ean

d ex

pla

inlin

ks a

nd re

latio

ns b

etw

een

patt

erns

iden

tifie

d fro

m a

num

ber o

f sta

tistic

al a

nd g

raph

ical

form

s•

be c

riti

calo

f and

sel

ect a

pp

rop

riat

ely

grap

hica

l for

ms

for p

rese

ntin

g da

ta (f

itnes

s fo

r pur

pose

) and

to u

se th

em a

ccu

rate

ly.


End-of-unit assessment task

Use the sources you have collected to write a report that discusses whether Aston Villa should expand itsfootball ground. Consider which people will benefit and who will lose out. Try to describe and explain whypeople have different views on this matter and what effects this will have on them.

Sample of pupil work used to determine the curricular target

Appendix 6B.1

The teacher does give someindication of how the workcould be improved but missesthe opportunity to highlightstrengths in the work such asthe important use of theconnective ‘because’, whichhelps to move the descriptionsinto explanations. This wouldhelp to move the pupil towardsthe ‘Most are …’ learningoutcome identified for thelesson.

The pupil presents opposingviewpoints, but the text islargely descriptive and doesnot satisfactorily explain whypeople have differing views.The department identified thatpupils often recognisedopposing viewpoints andwere able to selectappropriate information fromthe textbooks, but they rarelylinked ideas together toexplain why people havediffering viewpoints. Theyconcluded with a focus oftheir curricular target on thedifference betweendescription and explanation,as this had the potential toimpact on the attainment ofpupils currently achievinglevels 4 and 5.

You’ve copiedtoo directly fromthe text here tryto write in yourown words.

You make somegood points buttry to expandthem more

You’ve just described howthe club want to expandwithout saying how thecommunity will benefit? How will cooperation beimproved? How will localbusinesses benefit?

Try to link your news and explain how the expansion will impacton the community positively or negatively

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in history © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin history

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to history. As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach history.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in history and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in history lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in history. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils tolearn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

The history department was concerned that pupils were not making as muchprogress in history as they should. They were particularly concerned aboutpupils’ progress in Year 8 and had already used a diagnostic assessment taskmid-way through a unit of work investigating the causes and consequences ofrapid urbanisation in 19th-century Britain.

Process

The department shared the results of the assessment task at a departmentalmeeting. The task required pupils to study an engraving by Gustave Doré (seeappendix 6A.3) and respond to it using a ‘Layers of meaning’ frame to helppupils develop skills in historical enquiry.

Working outwards from the centre of the frame, pupils had to respond to aseries of questions designed to lead them into an increasingly sophisticatedanalysis of the source. They began with identifying what they could say forcertain from the source, then moved to what they could infer from the sourceand then to what the source could not tell them. Finally, they posed somequestions that they would like to ask about the source.

Appendix 6A.4 shows a typical response to the task. As a group, thedepartment discussed the work and agreed that overall pupils’ response to thetask revealed two key weaknesses.

1 Some pupils took the source at face value: they were able to describe butnot make inferences from the sources.

2 Many pupils did not take a critical approach to the sources: they struggledto see the limitations of the sources for their enquiry into living conditions insome of Britain’s growing towns.

Both of the above limitations restrict attainment to National Curriculum level 4.

The evidence from the assessment task demonstrated that pupils in Year 8were struggling to make inferences from their sources of evidence and evaluatetheir usefulness for a particular purpose.


As a result, the department identified and set a curricular target:• To develop pupils’ ability to use historical evidence critically to reach and

support conclusions.

This was then layered to give a sense of what pupils would do to attain levels 4,5 and 6. So, all pupils would be expected to extract and combine informationfrom different sources (level 4), most pupils would be expected to makeinferences from their sources of evidence and begin to use sources ofevidence more critically, evaluating their usefulness for a particular purpose(level 5). The highest-attaining pupils would be working at around level 6, andthey would be expected to use sources of evidence critically to reach andsupport conclusions: evaluating their reliability.

The department then worked at producing a chart to show the expectedprogression for this concept throughout Key Stage 3, which showed theexpected performance of the average pupil in Year 8 (see appendix 6A.5).There was also an expectation that, while most pupils in Year 8 classes wouldbe working at about level 5, some would be working above this and somewould be working below. This had an impact on the department’s planning, asthey had to ensure that they were providing opportunities for pupils to reach thehigher levels.

The department then looked at what this would mean for their Year 8 group andtranslated the layered target so that it related to the historical inquiry they wereundertaking on housing conditions in cities during the 19th century (seeappendix 6A.6).

The department examined their scheme of work to ensure that their objectivesfeatured strongly and were made a priority in planning throughout the keystage.

They then modified the year group targets for the most and least able pupils inthe year. For example, the progress of higher-attaining pupils in Year 8 wasaccelerated to include the Year 9 target, while the Year 7 target was used,initially, with lower attainers in Year 8.

Evaluation

The staff decided they would check on their progress towards these targets atthe end of term department meeting.


Task 6B





Context

A history department looked at a representative sample of pupils’ work acrossall Year 9 classes at Key Stage 3. The work scrutiny focused on a Year 9 task inwhich pupils were asked to study two conflicting interpretations of an historicalevent. They were asked to compare and contrast the views expressed in twosources and explain the differences they identified.

The purpose of the work scrutiny was to help the department explore thefollowing issues:• Do pupils understand the concept of historical interpretation?• What difficulties do they face when asked to explain and analyse a particular

historical interpretation?

This particular focus was prompted by the Ofsted subject report for history(November 2002), which reported insufficient emphasis on the process ofhistorical enquiry, with the weakest area remaining the ‘understanding ofinterpretations of history’.

Process

Teachers used recommended practice for work scrutiny, following theguidelines set out in Organising a work sample, page 6.





• Select a sample of pupils’ work, based on existing knowledge, which willprovide the best evidence, within the constraints of time available.


• Draw up a practicable action plan that can be implemented by subjectdepartments and track its impact by re-sampling pupils over time.


Work sampling can be conducted in a variety of ways depending on yourpurpose. In this example, the number of pupils sampled was relatively large, thework scrutiny had a narrow focus and a single piece of work was targeted. Analternative option would be to sample the work of a small group of pupilsrepresenting the full ability range, but to broaden the focus and sample a widerrange of work from across a term or half a term (see below).

The work scrutiny was focused on a recent inquiry carried out by Year 9 pupilsabout the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the USA. They were providedwith two sources, one of which supported the bombing and one of whichopposed it (see below).

Evaluation

As a result of this process, the department agreed the following curricular targetfor Year 9.

• Pupils develop their ability to analyse and explain how and why historicalevents, people, situations and changes have been interpreted in differentways (levels 5 to 7).

The target was layered in the same way as that described in Task 6A, and keystage, year group, class and individual pupil targets were identified.

Size of pupil sample

Focus of workscrutiny

Scope of workscrutiny

This example

Large: A representative sample taken fromeach Year 9 group

Narrow: Exploring a specific aspect ofhistorical enquiry

Narrow: A single piece of work targeted

A contrasting example

Small: A group of six pupils of differentlevels of ability

Broad: A more generic focus that supportsthe subject but is not specific to thesubject, e.g. extended writing

Broad: A term’s work

The intended learning outcomes for all pupils

Pupils do not just recognise and identify that the bombingof Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been interpreted indifferent ways but offer reasons why.

Some pupils will begin to relate an interpretation to thetime and context in which it was produced and thepurpose of the author. They are able to understand thatan official statement from the US government is likely topresent a particular view of the event that may be seendifferently by another person. A few pupils would be ableto use their knowledge and understanding to identify,evaluate and use the sources of information critically.They would be able to consider whether the evidence theyhave suggests that the bombing could be justified or notand support their arguments with reasons based on theavailable evidence.

Observed outcomes as revealed by the work scrutiny

A few pupils …• wrote simple summaries of the two sources• focused more on writing about similarities• struggled to fully explain the differences that were not

made explicit.

Many pupils …• used stock phrases such as ‘The writer is biased’ rarely

asking themselves questions such as ‘In what way …?’and ‘Why …?’

Most pupils …• showed a lack of contextual knowledge• showed limited awareness of the significance of the

provenance of a source: the author’s purpose ormotives were rarely addressed.

The above limitations restricted attainment to NationalCurriculum levels 4 to 5.


The department found that initially they needed to adjust the target to takeaccount of pupils’ prior learning and understanding of historical interpretation.This was because until the problem had been identified, the department hadnot been planning for the development of an understanding of historicalinterpretation or of progression in pupils’ learning in this area.

The identification of a curricular target had the following impact on thedepartment’s planning and teaching:• The curricular target was layered, as shown in the example for Task 6A (see

appendix 6A.1), building in the expected progression, across the keystage, in pupils’ understanding and including a specific target for each classin accessible language.

• These targets were discussed with the pupils, as were both the intendedoutcomes and the actual outcomes revealed by the work scrutiny.

• Specific teaching strategies were identified that would help scaffold pupils’future attempts to explain and analyse a particular historical interpretation.These strategies were integrated into a series of lessons jointly planned bythe department.

• The work scrutiny sample from each Year 9 class were tracked fordiscernible improvements.


Organising a work sample (DfES 0390/2003), page 6

The ‘National Curriculum in Action’ website (ncaction.org.uk), providesexamples of pupils’ work in all subject areas, exemplifying different levels ofattainment. A detailed rationale is given for the level awarded. A search forhistory at Key Stage 3 includes the following entries, which exemplify differentlevels of attainment in the area of historical interpretation.

Entry Year Evidence for

Dunkirk (id. 181) 9 Level 7

Images of the Victorians (id. 174) 8 Level 5

Thomas Becket: Saint or troublemaker? (id. 1,279) 7 Level 4









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.


‘Rail over London’ by Gustav Doré.

Doré (1832–1883) was a French engraver, illustrator, painter and sculptor. He visited London and producedmany pictures of the scenes he saw.

Illustration obtainable from the Mary Evans Picture Library www.maryevans.com

Appendix 6A.3


Layers of meaning frame

Appendix 6A.4

Are theremany otherillustrationsthat showsimilarconditions?

The pushand pullfactors thatspurredmigrationto thecities.

Thebenefits ofmoving tolive in thecity, e.g.betterwages.

That livingconditionsin thecountrysidewere oftenlittle better.

What doesthe sourceNOT tellyou?

Who profitedfrom buildinghouses likethese – thevestedinterestsinvolved.

Overcrowd-ing wouldencouragethe spreadof disease.

unregulatedandunplanned.

Populationof somecities musthave beenrising rapidly.

Affordablehousing wasin shortsupply formanypeople.

Somepeoplesufferedfrom grimy,unhygieniclivingconditionsand airpollution.

The steam engine hadbeen developed by thetime of this illustration.

The railwaycould be afactorbehindmigrationto thecities.

Migrationwouldincreasedemand forgoods andservices,whichwouldcreatemore jobsand lead to

Details ofepidemicsand whetherthese had animpact onmovementsfor reform.

Somepeoplelived inback-to-backterracedhousing.

Somehouseswere builtclose tothe railwayandrailwaybridges.

Steam trains pumpedout a lot of smoke.

Poor quality housingwould lead to bad health.

Some housingdevelopment was

Somehouseshad manyoccupants.

It doesn’tshow thatattempts hadbeen madeto improvelivingconditions,e.g. the workof EdwinChadwick.

That some poor people enjoyed betterliving conditions, e.g. the houses built bythe Peabody Trust in 1869 or Sir TitusSalt in 1853.

Other reasons for poor health,e.g. lack of sewage system,polluted water, and water in shortsupply that lead to poor hygiene.

What otherevidence isthere thatsupports thissource?

Why did Doré produce thisillustration? Did he do it for apolitical purpose, e.g. to ask whythe government was not stepping into regulate building and its quality?

Was the illustration meant forpublic display? Was it intended tobe published and seen by a wideand possibly influential audience?

It doesn’t explain the roleof the railways in thegrowth of cities.

What werelivingconditionslike incities inthe 19thcentury?

What does the source tell youfor CERTAIN?

What can you INFER from the source?

Some houses were builtvery close together.

Other causes of air pollution, e.g.the chimneys of forges, factories,workshops and domestic fires.

Has Doré therefore exaggeratedthe cramped, overcrowded livingconditions?

How widespread was this typeof housing in the cities? Was ittypical of all major cities?

When was it produced? Was it atthe time of a major push for public health reform, e.g. in 1875?

Did Doré choose this scene to draw inorder to persuade people aboutconditions because it was particularlystriking – a particularly ‘bad’ example?

even more migration andovercrowded livingconditions.


Progression in using historical evidence across Key Stage 3

The department then looked at what this would mean for their Year 8 group and translated the layered target so that it related to the historical inquiry they were undertaking on housing conditions in cities during the 19th century.

Appendix 6A.5

Key Stage 3 numerical targetPupils’ ability to use historical evidence critically to reach and support conclusions will improve, so that 65%can do this by July 2005 and 75% can do this by July 2006.

Key Stage 3 curricular targetAll pupils to further develop their skills in combining information from historical sources, using the sources toinfer meaning and critically evaluate the value of the sources in their inquiry. Some pupils will also be able toassess the reliability of the sources used.

In Year 7

Pupils are able to extract andcombine information fromdifferent sources.

In Year 8

Pupils are able to make inferencesfrom their sources of evidence.

Pupils begin to use sources ofevidence more critically:evaluating their usefulness for aparticular purpose.

In Year 9

Pupils are able to use sources ofevidence critically to reach andsupport conclusions: evaluatingtheir reliability.


Translating the ‘Layers of meaning’ frame

Appendix 6A.6

Pupil

I can use the ‘Layers of meaning’ frame to do the following.

1 I can use this alongside other sources to help me reach conclusions about living conditions in cities inthe 19th century.

2 I can work out what my sources of evidence are suggesting about what living conditions were like in citiesin the 19th century rather than what they can tell me for certain.

3 I can think about ways in which my sources of evidence are not useful for my enquiry.

Class 8M

Pupils can use the ‘Layers of meaning’ frame to infer meaning from their sources of evidence and begin toevaluate their usefulness for a particular purpose.

Pupils are able to combine whatthey already know about life incities in the 19th century withthe Doré engraving to produce aresponse to the question aboutliving conditions. (Level 4)

Pupils can use the Doréengraving and other sources ofevidence about cities in the 19thcentury to make inferencesabout living conditions. They areable to decide what informationis useful and what is less usefulin carrying out the enquiry.(Level 5)

Pupils can use the Doréengraving and other sources ofevidence critically to reach andsupport conclusions aboutliving conditions in cities in the19th century. They are able toinclude reference to thepossible purpose of theengraving and the motives ofthe artist in evaluating thereliability of the engraving as ahistorical source. (Level 6)

Key Stage 3 Curricular target

To develop pupils’ ability to use historical evidence critically to reach and support conclusions.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in ICT © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin ICT

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to ICT. As part of thewhole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach ICT.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in ICT and provide guidance on how to embedthis into regular practice in ICT lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in ICT. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils to learnmore effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

In School W, pupils had been working on sample teaching unit 7.2, Using dataand information sources. In this sample teaching unit, pupils had learned toidentify the purposes of information, how they could be misled by inaccurate orincomplete information and how to judge the reliability of a website.

Process

Towards the end of the unit, the subject leader decided to use sample teachingunit 7.2 as a focus for refining the process of setting curricular targets with thedepartment as a whole. The teachers who had delivered the unit would do soagain the following term with another group of Year 7 pupils, and they feltcomfortable with the ICT content.

At a department meeting, the subject leader revisited handout 6.4 (see appendix6A.1) and discussed the guidance on layering targets. They then looked at theFramework for teaching ICT objectives covered by unit 7.2. They decided to focuson one objective in particular, as this had been an area of weakness in the previousgroups:

Finding things out …

Assess the value of information from various sources to a particular task.

The department agreed that this would be a useful termly target for the yeargroup and would inform their medium-term planning. In turn, this wouldcontribute to their short-term planning. They then looked again at the lessonplans for 7.2 and identified ways in which individual pupils could be supportedto make progress with this aspect of their work.

The department agreed that they wanted to devise an assessment task to helpthem judge how well pupils had mastered this concept. They chose to use pupilresource 8 from lesson 3 of sample teaching unit 7.2. In this part of the lesson,pupils were provided with URLs and a set of criteria by which to judge theeffectiveness of the websites, as follows.

• Is the information up to date?

• Is the information reliable? (‘official’ or ‘unofficial’)


• Is the vocabulary used easy to understand?

• Is it easy to move around the website?

• Do menus and lists help you find your way?

• Is the information relevant to a tourist? (e.g. opening hours, price of tickets,facilities for the disabled)

• Do the photographs help you to decide whether you would like to go there?

They agreed that the key to this assessment task, and the point they wouldfocus on, was the pupils’ ability to make and explain judgements based on thevalue of the information to a tourist.

They agreed that the termly target would be met when pupils were able to makeand explain judgements about specific features of the websites that make themeffective or less effective for the purpose. As they worked through this, theteachers realised that this task would also reveal weaknesses in pupils’understanding. These would be useful to inform individual pupil or grouptargets.

From their previous teaching of this unit, teachers knew that there were somespecific concepts that a few pupils did not understand well – one of these being‘reliability’. They decided that for the next group of pupils, they would need toset some pupils individual targets that linked back to the Framework objectivesfor Year 7:

They decided to construct an exemplar pupil target that would supportindividual pupils in achieving this objective, using handout 6.5 (appendix 6A.2)for guidance.

I can identify what an information source is for and use criteria to decide if itis reliable.

Finding things out

Using data and information sources

– Identify the purpose of an information source … and whether it is likely tobe biased.


Task 6B





Context

In discussion with their ICT consultant, the department in School D decided thatthey needed to gather more detailed information on modelling in Year 8,because they felt that they were not addressing pupils’ needs for this aspect ofthe ICT curriculum. Their consultant knew that work sampling might help themto gain an insight into the range of achievements by pupils in Year 8 and that itmight help them to identify aspects of progress in modelling.

Process

The ICT consultant visited the school during a department meeting and thesubject leader organised a work sampling exercise on the modelling that hadbeen done in Year 8 as part of sample teaching unit 8.5, An ICT system:Integrating applications to find solutions.

During the sampling, the department identified the strengths and weaknessesin what pupils knew, understood and could do. They also used the worksampling to identify and analyse differences between groups of pupils, inparticular boys and girls. Before they started the exercise they suspected thatgirls were more successful in their planning of work and understanding ofaudience. As they worked through, they found that this was indeed the case.

When scrutinising the work from sample teaching unit 8.5, the department feltthat some pupils had not achieved the expected outcomes for the modellingpart of this unit. The teachers decided they wanted to see more of the actualwork produced during the unit. They looked at printouts of spreadsheets, whichhad been annotated by pupils. These provided more insight into the learningprocess and helped them to identify the level the pupils were working at, andidentify the next steps the pupils needed to take.

The consultant then led a discussion, and the department agreed a set ofcommon targets that could be used for the unit, drawing on the keycharacteristics of the levels. They scrutinised one piece of work in detail(appendix 6B.1) and, using the targets, decided that this provided evidencethat the pupil had demonstrated that she was clearly working at level 3, withsome aspects of level 4. They decided that this pupil had shown in this piece ofwork that she had developed a model by adding extra data and more flowers,and had made appropriate choices in selecting information and the use offormulae. She had then developed the model by including the total profit, and


used straightforward lines of enquiry to find the profit made. She had begun toquestion plausibility by querying the cost of Lobelia and was beginning toexplore patterns and relationships by undertaking the question posed by theteacher.

The teacher said that one of the expected outcomes for this piece of work wasthat pupils would be able to:

Review and modify ICT models to improve their accuracy and extend theirscope.

This pupil had not been able fully to demonstrate achievement of this outcome,and needed to be able to explore further patterns and relations to answer thequestion and further understand the model.

The consultant continued to lead the discussion and the department agreedthat for this pupil, the next step would be to develop her own ideas about thescope of the questions, which could be explored using a spreadsheet. Theydecided that this might be done by pairing her with another pupil who hadalready demonstrated good understanding of the patterns and relationshipsthat could be interrogated using a spreadsheet. If the teacher had taken thisroute he could have set the pupils the task of explaining to each other what theirspreadsheets had told them and then set a further task for the pupil working atlevels 3 to 4. They agreed the target for this pupil could have been:

I can decide which questions I need to ask and use my financial model to findout variables that will affect the amount of profit we make.

The department agreed that towards the end of the unit, this pupil would needto be provided with feedback and an opportunity to discuss her target with herteacher. Time would need to be built in towards the end of the unit to allow herto demonstrate that she was able to pose her own questions.

Evaluation

The department decided that working through the work sampling exercise andthinking about the possible individual targets that could have been agreed withpupils had been a valuable experience. They agreed they would all try and setsome individual targets with the units they were about to teach.

Note that there is published Strategy material on Work sampling that should bereferred to here as supporting material. However, it is not subject specific, but maybe of some use in constructing the process and subject exemplification.www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/midbins/keystage3/030612worksampling_leaflet.pdf


Sample teaching unit 7.2, Using data and information sources(DfES 0007/2003)

Sample teaching unit 8.5, An ICT system: Integrating applications to findsolutions (DfES 0229/ www.ncaction.org.uk: a selection of pupil work withcommentaries and levels).









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.


Pupil annotation: model

My first model

This is the first spreadsheet (model1A.xls) I made with help from my teacher. I used the headings from thewhiteboard for my model and copied the formula in for the first column. I then added the other flowers and theformula for them. I used test data to see if the formulas are correct and asked the teacher to check them for me.

I added a selling price. I chose £3.00 because it is more than the cost. I then worked out how much money Iwould get by multiplying the selling price for 1 by the number of trays sold last year. The last row shows the profitwe would make by taking away the costs from the income.

These are the formulae I used.

I then looked up the real number of trays ordered last year on the database and put these into my model(Model2A.xls). I added another formula to work out how much money we would make altogether.

We will make a profit of £447.50.

Finding the cost of one tray

The next part of the task was to find out how much a tray of plants would cost and then put this into the model.The teacher gave me a spreadsheet which I could fill in with some data to work out the costs of a tray (TrayA.xls).To do this I had to find out how much 1 gram of seeds would be. This was difficult to do because we had to look

Appendix 0 cont.Appendix 6B.1

A B C D E F G H1 Lobelia Zinnia Pansy Phlox Geranium Petunia Alyssum2 Trays ordered last year 100 100 100 100 100 100 1003 Cost for 1 tray £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.504 Total cost £250.00 £250.00 £250.00 £250.00 £250.00 £250.00 £250.005 Selling price for 1 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.006 Income £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.00 £300.007 Profit £50.00 £50.00 £50.00 £50.00 £50.00 £50.00 £50.00

A B C D E F G H1 Lobelia Zinnia Pansy Phlox Geranium Petunia Alyssum2 Trays ordered last year 100 100 100 100 100 100 1003 Cost for 1 tray 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.54 Total cost =B2*B3 =C2*C3 =D2*D3 =E2*E3 =F2*F3 =G2*G3 =H2*H35 Selling price for 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 36 Income =B2*B5 =C2*C5 =D2*D5 =E2*E5 =F2*F5 =G2*G5 =H2*H57 Profit =B6–B4 =C6–C4 =D6–D4 =E6–E4 =F6–F4 =G6–G4 =H6–H4

A B C D E F G H1 Lobelia Zinnia Pansy Phlox Geranium Petunia Alyssum2 Trays ordered last year 130 130 116 129 126 136 1283 Cost for 1 tray £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.50 £2.504 Total cost £325.00 £325.00 £290.00 £322.50 £315.00 £340.00 £320.005 Selling price for 1 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.006 Income £390.00 £390.00 £348.00 £387.00 £378.00 £408.00 £384.007 Profit £65.00 £65.00 £58.00 £64.50 £63.00 £68.00 £64.0089 Total £447.50


up some information on the Internet. The teacher showed us where the website was and we looked at thedifferent pages to see what was there.

I made a list of the flowers that people bought last year and then looked them up on the web pages. It didn’t tellme the cost of buying the flowers but it had a price code. I wrote down the price code and then had to look upthe price code on another page. There were different prices so I chose the ones in other months because we arenot in January, February or March. I wrote down the prices and then put them into the spreadsheet.

At first I thought I had got it wrong because the first cost came out at 0.00 but my teacher explained that thiswas because there were so many seeds in a gram that it worked out at less than a penny (Model3A.xls).

My finished model

When I got the prices for everything I could put the real data into my model instead of the test numbers for thecost of 1 tray. I changed the cost of the Lobelia to 1p (Model4A.xls).

I kept the selling price at £3.00 for a tray. This gives a profit of £1913.97 if we sell as many plants this year as lastyear.

I then changed the numbers to see what would happen if we sold twice as many plants as last year. If we do thisit will give us a profit of £3827.94.

I think we should carry on with the project because we will make a huge profit for the Phoenix Centre.

Code CostLobelia G 14.57Zinnia T 26.50Pansy F 13.60Phlox Q 23.50Geranium J 17.50Petunia F 13.60Alyssum Q 23.50

Appendix 6B.1 cont.

A B C D E

1 Cost of 1 gram Seeds per gram Cost of 1 seed Cost for a tray of 10

2 Lobelia £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

3 Zinnia £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

4 Pansy £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

5 Phlox £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

6 Geranium £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

7 Petunia £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

8 Alyssum £14.57 30000 £0.00 £0.00

A B C D E F G H1 Lobelia Zinnia Pansy Phlox Geranium Petunia Alyssum2 Trays ordered last year 130 130 116 129 126 136 1283 Cost for 1 tray £0.01 £2.65 £1.13 £0.47 £0.80 £0.91 £0.074 Total cost £1.30 £344.50 £131.08 £60.63 £100.80 £123.76 £8.965 Selling price for 1 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.00 £3.006 Income £390.00 £390.00 £348.00 £387.00 £378.00 £408.00 £384.007 Profit £388.70 £45.50 £216.92 £326.37 £277.20 £284.24 £375.0489 Total £1,913.97

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in maths © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin mathematics

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to mathematics. As partof the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach mathematics.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in mathematics and provide guidance on howto embed this into regular practice in mathematics lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in mathematics. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupilsto learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practicehas adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

Following the whole-school Assessment for learning training, the mathematicsdepartment decided to analyse the mock test scripts of the Year 9 pupils whoachieved level 4 with the aim of identifying curricular targets to help themachieve level 5. The department had used the 2003 test papers for the mock inJanuary 2004.

Process

To help focus the analysis of the 32 pupil scripts, the department used the QCAImplications for teaching and learning from the 2003 tests. Sections of the QCAdocument were allocated to pairs of teachers. The pairs considered each bulletpoint in turn, looking for evidence in the pupils’ scripts to judge whether it wasan area in need of improvement.

The department agreed on two curricular targets.

• All pupils to develop further their understanding of percentages of quantitiesand express one quantity as a percentage of another.

• All pupils to develop further their ability to apply proportional reasoning whensolving problems involving multiplicative relationships.

From these targets, they constructed layered curricular targets for Years 7, 8and 9 (see appendix 6A.3).

The department prioritised a review of the Year 9 number unit to be taught in thefirst half of the spring term to ensure they were teaching explicitly to thecurricular targets identified. They scrutinised their resources and recognisedthat, although there was plenty of opportunity for pupils to practise specificroutines, there was little to help them understand how percentages are used ina range of contexts. They looked for supplementary materials to help addressthis and used the Year 9 proportional reasoning mini-pack as a basis for thiswork. They also identified a series of oral and mental starters focused onpercentages and proportional thinking, and integrated these into other unitsduring the term.


Later in the term, they planned to review the Year 7 and Year 8 medium-termplans to ensure curricular targets for these year groups will be met. They alsoplanned to use the Year 7 fractions and ratio mini-pack and the Year 8multiplicative relationships mini-pack to support this development.

Evaluation

At the department meeting following the teaching of the Year 9 number unit,teachers discussed how the targets might be modified for the most-able andleast-able pupils. It was agreed that all pupils needed to be taught explicitproblem-solving strategies, but that the target for Year 8 was applicable for theleast able in Year 9.


Task 6B





Context

Following an Ofsted inspection that identified weaknesses in pupils’ skills ininterpreting data, the head of mathematics decided that the departmentneeded to look more closely at the learning outcomes from the planned work.The department decided to focus on Year 9 groups based on the handling dataunit they had taught in the autumn term.

Process

Work was collected for three pupils in each Year 9 set and the department useda scheduled meeting to work in pairs to scrutinise the work. Teachers focusedon the following learning objectives.

• Interpret graphs and diagrams and draw inferences to support or castdoubt on initial conjectures.

• Compare two or more distributions and make inferences, using the shape ofthe distributions, the range of data and appropriate statistics.

• Communicate interpretations and results of a statistical enquiry usingselected tables, graphs and diagrams in support.

Teachers used the Framework supplement of examples (pages 268–275) as aguide to the expected outcomes from the learning objectives.

The scrutiny of work revealed a number of gaps between the intended learningoutcomes and the observed learning outcomes.

• Pupils could answer given questions using data represented in charts butwere not being given opportunities to support or cast doubt on givenconjectures.

• Pupils could calculate statistics from data but had limited skills in using thestatistics to compare two distributions.

• Pupils could draw conclusions when comparing and contrasting two sets ofdata represented in charts but had difficulty explaining and justifying theirconclusions.


As a result of the scrutiny of work, the department agreed the followingcurricular target.

• All pupils to communicate interpretations and results of a statistical enquiryusing selected tables, graphs and diagrams in support.

To address this target, the department reviewed the handling data unitscheduled for early in the summer term. One teacher had recently attended thecourse Securing progression in handling data. She introduced the ‘Revisingexplanations (Year 9): Prompts’ tasks to the department as a strategy to focusthe teaching of interpreting charts and writing explanations (see appendix6B.1). They decided to devote three lessons to this work in the second half ofthe spring term. Pupils targeted for booster lessons were taught lesson 14:‘Handling data’ prior to the three additional lessons.

Evaluation

The department did a further scrutiny of the same pupils’ work based on thesame objectives following this additional teaching. They found that most pupilswere able to explain and justify their conclusions using appropriate diagramsand graphs to support their findings. They discussed further modifications forthe handling data unit scheduled for early in the summer term and alsoallocated time to review the schemes of work for these aspects of handling datain Years 7 and 8.


Referenced strategy materials

Framework for teaching mathematics: Years 7, 8 and 9 (DfEE 0020/2001)

Interacting with mathematics in Key Stage 3: Year 9 proportional reasoningmini-pack (DfES 0588/2002)

Interacting with mathematics in Key Stage 3: Year 7 fractions and ratio mini-pack (DfES 0093/2003)

Interacting with mathematics in Key Stage 3: Year 8 multiplicative relationshipsmini-pack (DfES 0220/2002)

Interacting with mathematics in Key Stage 3: Securing progression in handlingdata (DfES 0658/2003)

Year 9 booster kit: mathematics (DfES 0015/2002)

Other strategy materials of interest

Using teacher assessment to track pupils’ progress in mathematics. Thesematerials have been produced by the mathematics strand to support targetedassessment of intervention groups in Year 7. They include a set of key indicatorsto help track pupils’ progress towards level 4, with associated probingquestions that can be used in normal lessons and plenaries. The materials alsoinclude suggestions on identifying curricular targets.


Bridging plans from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4: mathematics, Project 1, ‘Pupilself-assessment’ offers another approach towards curricular targets thatinvolves pupils in the analysis. This approach can be used across Key Stage 3using, for example, QCA optional tests for the analysis.

All the above materials can be found at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3by selecting ‘mathematics’ and then ‘mathematics publications’.

QCA materials

Implications for teaching and learning from the 2003 tests (QCA, www.qca.org.uk)









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

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r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

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Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

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grap

hy

Mus

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ICT

Key

sta

ge

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eed

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ake

prog

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inth

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nves

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ive

skills

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mot

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epen

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app

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oble

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corr

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cont

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the

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gro

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n in

vest

igat

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toid

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Year

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Layering a curricular target in mathematics

Appendix 6A.3


All pupils to develop further their understanding of percentages of quantities and express one quantity as a percentage ofanother.

In Year 7

Pupils understand percentage as the‘number of parts per 100’; recognisethe equivalence of percentages,fractions and decimals; calculatesimple percentages and usepercentages to compare simpleproportions.

In Year 8

Pupils interpret percentage as theoperator ‘so many hundredths of’ andexpress one given number as apercentage of another; use theequivalence of fractions, decimals andpercentages to compare proportions;calculate percentages and find theoutcome of a given percentageincrease or decrease.

In Year 9

Pupils recognise when fractions orpercentages are needed to compareproportions and solve problemsinvolving percentage changes.


All pupils to develop further their ability to apply proportional reasoning when solving problems involving multiplicativerelationships.

In Year 7

Pupils understand the relationshipbetween ratio and proportion; usedirect proportion in simple contexts;use ratio notation, reduce a ratio to itssimplest form and divide a quantity intotwo parts in a given ratio; solve simpleproblems about ratio and proportionusing informal strategies.

In Year 8

Pupils consolidate understanding ofthe relationship between ratio andproportion; reduce a ratio to itssimplest form, including a ratioexpressed in different units, recognisinglinks with fraction notation; divide aquantity into two or more parts in agiven ratio; use the unitary method tosolve simple word problems involvingratio and direct proportion.

In Year 9

Pupils use proportional reasoning tosolve a problem choosing the correctnumbers to take as 100%, or as awhole: compare two ratios; interpretand use ratio in a range of contexts,including solving word problems.


Appendix 6B.1

Revising explanations (Year 9): prompts

These following tasks use resources available from the Year 9 folder on the Securing progression in handling data CD-ROM. Select from these according to the needs of your class.

• Handling data question bank provides a set of ten questions ranging from level 4 to level 7 drawn from previous Key Stage 3 tests.

• Responses gives examples of pupils’ responses to the ‘explaining’ part of each question.

Task 1 (whole class): Developing explanations

The teacher leads the class through the process of composing an explanation to a selected question.

Preliminary stepIn some questions the ‘explain’ part is presented towards the end. Where this is the case it would be useful to workthrough the preceding parts, dealing with any misunderstandings, before starting this activity on composingexplanations. This might be done in an earlier lesson.

Explaining stageFocus on the ‘explain’ part of the selected question. Emphasise that pupils should not think of this as a test question.They are to imagine that they are putting the chart and the requested explanation into a magazine article. The explanationshould be about three or four sentences long.

The following steps may be ordered differently to suit a particular class.

1 Model how to compose a written explanation, explaining your thinking aloud and pointing out key features such ascorrect use of technical vocabulary or appropriate use of words such as whereas, though, while, unless, however,equally and also.1

2 Ask pupils to work in pairs to compose one written explanation (perhaps on a whiteboard).

3 Select a response to the chosen question (either from your class or from the CD-ROM). Show it to the class andtogether with the pupils, analyse, annotate and perhaps revise the response. (Examples of annotated scripts areavailable on the CD-ROM to illustrate what this step might look like.)

4 Ask pairs to review their own explanation in light of the whole-class discussion.

1 For more guidance on the use of connectives for contrast or comparison, see Literacy across the curriculum module 2,Literacy in mathematics (available on the Key Stage 3 website from January 2004).


Appendix 6B.1 cont.

Task 2 (groups): Discussing and revising

Pupils evaluate each others’ explanations.

• Select an appropriate question. Ask pairs of pupils to write their joint explanation on whiteboards, then join withanother pair to discuss and evaluate the two responses. Guidance on The role of the review partner (CD-ROM) willhelp here.

• Tell the four to agree a final form of the explanation in the light of their discussion.

• Select one or two examples, discuss the explanations with the class and ask pupils to explain how their discussionsimproved their writing.

Task 3 (whole class): Assessing explanations

Pupils assess other people’s answers in test conditions.

• Select a question and six brief explanations written under test conditions (available on the CD-ROM). Display ordistribute these to the class. Explain that three answers would gain full marks and three would not. One of each isalready identified.

• Together with the pupils, ‘mark’ the remaining answers, showing why some are deficient and how they should be improved. Correct and incorrect responses are identified for teacher use on the Test answer summary sheet(CD-ROM).

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in MFL © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin modern foreign languages

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to modern foreignlanguages. As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, thefollowing subject development material is intended to help you consider the keymessages of the training unit and identify any areas requiring development inyour department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach modern foreign languages.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in MFL and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in MFL lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in modern foreign languages. You will need to be clear on what hashelped pupils to learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be howyour practice has adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what hasworked well and which areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

The MFL department was following Unit 15, Une visite, from the MFL scheme ofwork for Key Stage 3 (QCA/DfES) to help their Year 9 pupils use a range oftenses and more complex sentences to talk and write about holidays. Its usealso provided them with a context in which they could investigate thedevelopment of curricular targets for specific groups of pupils.

Process

Assessment task

The process began with the collection of information that would inform thecurricular target. The end-of-unit test, held just before Easter, included aspeaking task consisting of a short role-play on booking a hotel room, which ledon to a general conversation. Pupils had revised the topic, paying attention to alltenses, using speaking frames. The intended outcome was that they would beable to speak with good pronunciation, using extended sentences and a varietyof tenses. They were also expected to cope with some unpredictability and ask,as well as answer, questions. In fact, the cohorts’ results in speaking weremuch lower than in the other three skills (see grid below).

The sampling of the taped oral tests revealed that pupils were unable to respondbeyond one-word answers or ask questions in the general conversation andshowed little evidence of independence. Their answers were also, in the main,restricted to the present tense and simple sentences. The head of departmentreminded colleagues that this correlated with the 2001/2 Ofsted MFL subjectreport, which found that ‘in both Key Stages 3 and 4 there are significantweaknesses in pupils’ willingness and ability to speak and write the foreignlanguage accurately at length from memory, or to use it spontaneously’.

Level 5+ Level 6+

Listening 54% 20%

Speaking 43% 6%

Reading 58% 24%

Writing 49% 17%


The department realised that although they had taught revision classes, theyhad not made explicit to students the qualities they would be expected todemonstrate in the conversation. They also became aware that they hadeffectively been ‘capping’ students’ ability to attain above level 5 and thatstudents had been allowed to become too reliant on the speaking frames. Theyagreed that any action they might plan must start with teaching and learning inYear 7 and build on this through the key stage rather than being a ‘quick fix’ inthe run-up to end-of-key-stage examinations.

The department then identified the curricular target that they felt addressed the areas of weakness revealed during the assessment process. This waslinked to their Key Stage 3 numerical target and included in their departmentdevelopment plan. They then identified targets for Years 7, 8 and 9 and workedcarefully to identify the necessary progression across the key stage, bearing inmind the year-on-year progression on which the MFL Framework is based.They also gave careful thought to the National Curriculum level descriptions forMFL in this regard.

Key Stage 3 Numerical target

In MFL, the performance of pupils will improve from 51% to 62% at level 5 and from 20% to 27% at level 6 by July 2006.


Pupils will develop their ability to use and understand a range of tenses and to speak more complex sentences by anincreased focus on key speaking and listening and sentence-level MFL Framework objectives in Years 7, 8 and 9 and withsupport from models offered by authentic texts and text manipulation ICT packages.

In Year 7Pupils:• will learn how to pick out words and

phrases on different topics said bythe teacher or from a tape (7L2)

• will be able to use the foreignlanguage to ask for help orequipment in class (7L5)

• will be able to make a longersentence by joining two shorterones (7S6).

In Year 8Pupils:• will be able to understand some

short radio and televisionprogrammes in the foreign language (8L2)

• will be able to use the foreignlanguage for most of the things they need in class (8L5)

• will be able to change parts of asentence to make it more interesting or personal (8S6).

In Year 9Pupils:• will begin to learn how to speak with

more expression (9L2)• will be able to tell the class, in the

foreign language, about a film or TVprogramme they have seen (9L5)

• will be able to use different ways ofchanging sentences to make themmore interesting (9S6).


In modifying the targets for the most-able and least-able pupils, the departmentconsidered the quantitative aspect of the outcomes expected of pupils (e.g.length of response), the complexity of the response required and its range (e.g.the use of the language ‘most of the time’ as opposed to the more restrictedcontext ‘for pair work’). They also considered the degree of independence thatwould be expected from these groups of pupils.

Evaluation

The department met to evaluate their work in this area. They consideredcarefully the National Curriculum level descriptions for MFL alongside the MFLFramework objectives for Years 7, 8 and 9 to identify the expected progressionacross the key stage.

The department first decided that from the current Year 7 cohort onwards thespeaking task would consist of a short (60-second) presentation followed bydiscussion to promote progressively the greater independence they sought.Additionally, to promote the progression of the most-able pupils beyond theYear 9 Framework objectives, they began to plan into their Year 9 scheme ofwork more opportunities for pupils to adapt language for their own purposesand experience a wider range of authentic texts.

Modification for most-able and least-able pupils

In Year 7

Most able: Choose the right wordfrom what they hear to fill a gap on aworksheet, without a picture or otherprompt to help (7L2).Least able: Choose from a list theright word from what they hear to fill agap on a worksheet (7L2).Most able: Try out simple languagethey have learned in the classroomwithout being asked by the teacher(7L5). Least able: Try out simple languagethey have learned in the classroomwith guidance and visual or otherprompts from the teacher (7L5).Most able: Can use various words tojoin short sentences into moreinteresting ones, without help (7S6).Least able: Can choose a good wayof joining short sentences from a list(7S6).

In Year 8

Most able: Use words as well aspictures to work out what they hear(8L2).Least able: Draw mainly on visual clueswith support from the teacher (8L2).Most able: Use the foreign languagemost of the time to get information orhelp (8L5).Least able: Can use, with help, a fewphrases for pair work (e.g. je ne suispas d’accord: I don’t agree) (8L5).Most able: Can change sentences totalk about different people, withouthelp (8S6).Least able: Can use a computerprogramme, with help, to choose waysof adding to a description (8S6).

In Year 9

Most able: Can use the language withexpression (9L2).Least able: Can identify with support,an appropriate way of changing astress pattern (9L2).Most able: Can make a shortpresentation on a televisionprogramme seen recently (9L5).Least able: Can make one or twopoints, with help, about such aprogramme (9L5).Most able: Can use, without help,many different ways of makinginteresting sentences (9S6).Least able: Can use, with help, anumber of simple ways to make moreinteresting sentences (9S6).


Task 6B





Context

The MFL department developed further the process described in Task 6A. This caused them to follow a more sophisticated programme to identify thecurricular target in terms of pupils’ work in pair and group oral work. From thisanalysis, the department identified specific changes that were needed andincorporated these into their scheme of work and unit plans.

Process

The process they undertook is shown in Tables A and B.

Table A

The department began the process by identifying aparticular area of focus on speaking that emerged from theevidence obtained from the end-of-unit test in Year 9 (seeTask 6A). They were anxious that the scrutiny should bemanageable. Each member of the department was askedto produce three tape-recordings (of pupils of high, middleand low ability) that pupils had made for homework. Theforeign language assistant was involved in the sampling inorder to gather evidence of more spontaneous talk.

The department also made some initial observations,thoughts and conclusions about strengths andweaknesses.

Intended outcomesThe department was keen to develop Year 7 pupils’ abilityin four areas that correlated with MFL Frameworkobjectives 7, 8, 9L2, 7L5 and 7S6 (see Task 6A):• Use of tenses other than the present?• Asking as well as answering questions?• Dealing confidently with the unexpected?• Use of connectives to make extended sentences?

The next unit they were about to work on was basedon Unit 5, Une journée, from the MFL scheme of workfor Key Stage 3 (QCA/DfES), which gaveopportunities, in the context of school routine, toexchange simple opinions such as likes and dislikesand give reasons. There was scope to focus on theuse of pourquoi, parce que and combien de …

Less-able pupils

Can contribute one-word answers, if language is familiar,but their pronunciation is often difficult to recognise andthey need considerable visual support and repetition.

More-able pupils

Can respond more quickly to what they see and hear, usingshort phrases based mainly on memorised language. Theirpronunciation may still be only approximate, and there maybe mistakes when they are required to make substitutionsor grammatical adjustments, but their meaning is clear.

Most-able pupils

Make more extended responses using a wide range oflanguage. Their pronunciation and intonation are veryaccurate and they require very little visual support orrepetition. They are able to make grammatical adjustmentsto stimuli much more readily and accurately in order tocreate more individual language.


Table B: the process to identify the specific curricular target

This analysis was linked to the most recent Ofsted report in which thedepartment was set the targets:• to improve pupils’ spontaneous use of the target language with particular

reference to most-able pupils• to increase the standard of pupils’ listening skills.

This process then led to the department finalising the overall numerical andcurricular targets for their Year 7 pupils.

Numerical target

In MFL, the development of pupils’ ability to use and understand a range oftenses and more complex sentences will ensure that 60% of Year 7 pupils willattain level 3 in Speaking and 25% should attain level 4 by July 2005.

Curricular target

Year 7 pupils will develop their ability to understand and use a range of tenses and tospeak (and write) more complex sentences by an increased focus on key speakingand listening and sentence-level MFL Framework objectives, with support frommodels offered by authentic texts and text manipulation ICT packages.

Evaluation

Following these developments, the department evaluated their impact onteaching in the subject and on how pupils had responded, particularly in relationto standards. The following questions helped them to structure this.


• What impact has focusing on a curricular target had on planning lessons?


• How has focusing on specific curricular targets impacted on pupils’ learning?

• How has this focus impacted on pupils’ standards in MFL?

Summary of perceived weaknesses • Responses limited to one-word answers or short

phrases based on familiar language.• Pronunciation that is difficult to recognise or only

approximate.• Lack of confidence in manipulating grammatical

structures to create more original language.

Curricular targetsTo encourage less-able pupils to:• participate more actively in activities that reinforce

sound-spelling links and improve pronunciation• use the starter activities to build up a model of the

structure(s) that will be practised in the lesson and goodresponses to them.

To encourage more-able pupils to:• begin to make small, one-word adaptations to

memorised language• use secure environments such as group and pair-work

activities or homework in order to rehearse longer andmore individual responses.

To encourage most-able pupils to:• reflect on the structure of the language and apply their

increasing knowledge of grammatical structure in theirresponses

• employ a challenging range of vocabulary andstructures to communicate in a wider and less familiarrange of contexts.



www.ncaction.org.uk/subjects/MLF

Sample MFL audit and action plan(www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/publications/?template=down&pub_id=2197&top_id=2197&strand=tlf)

www.cilt.org.uk

Barnes, A. and Hunt, M. Effective assessment in MFL (CILT, London 2003)

Ofsted

Ofsted Secondary Subject Report (Modern Foreign Languages) (Ofsted,2000/01, www.ofsted.gov.uk)

Good teaching, effective departments (Ofsted, HMI 337/2002,www.ofsted.gov.uk)

Good assessment practice in modern foreign languages (MFL) (Ofsted, HMI 1478/2003, www.ofsted.gov.uk)

The Framework for teaching modern foreign languages: Years 7, 8 and 9(DfES 0084/2003-12-07 or downloadable fromwww.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/publications/?template=down&pub_id=2463&strand=tlf”)

Foundation Subjects MFL: Core training materials (DfES 0151/2003-12-07)

Modern Foreign Languages: optional training video (DfES 0156/2003)

Foundation subjects MFL: optional training materials (downloadable from:www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/publications/professionaldevelopment)

Organising a work sample (DfES 0390/2003)


Appendix 6A.1








Year group target







Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in music © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin music

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to music. As part of thewhole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach music.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in music and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in music lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in music. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils to learnmore effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

In one school, all subject departments had been asked to set numerical targetsfor improved attainment at Key Stage 3. Using the available data, the musicdepartment had set a challenging numerical target for Listening and appraising.


In the light of pupils’ current attainment, this was ambitious. In order to make itachievable, the department recognised the need to identify areas fordevelopment and to establish curricular targets.

Process

In the process of reviewing its Key Stage 3 curriculum and standards, thedepartment used evidence from its latest Ofsted report, work scrutiny and end-of-unit teacher assessments. From this combined evidence, they found that ineach year group most pupils achieved their lowest level in Listening andappraising. The department identified specifically that pupils found it difficult torecall the terminology of musical elements and could not apply it accurately. Inorder to improve this aspect of pupil achievement, the following curricular targetwas set.


All pupils will develop their knowledge and understanding of musicalvocabulary and their ability to apply it with growing confidence to music theyhear, compose and perform.

In music, the percentage of pupils achieving level 5 and above in Listeningand appraising will improve from 64% to 70% by the end of the key stage inJuly 2006.


From this key stage curricular target, the department was able to constructlayered curricular targets for each year group as shown below. To do this theyused the National Curriculum level descriptors to identify the expectedprogression across the key stage.

Over the next month, the department revised their medium-term plans toensure that the curricular target they had identified would be evident in teachingacross the key stage.

Layering a curricular target in music

Key Stage 3curricular target

Year group target

Whole-classtarget

Individual target

Able pupils

Year 7

Pupils can identifyclear changes intempo anddynamics usingItalian terms, suchas allegro, andante,crescendo,diminuendo, forteand piano, and usethis knowledge inmaking theirresponses tomusic.

Pupils candescribe music,showingunderstanding ofdynamics, pace,duration andtimbre.

I can describemusic in terms ofdynamics, pace,duration andtimbre.

Pupils developtheir use of musicalvocabulary relatedto the full range ofmusical elementsand how these arecombined toproduce differenteffects.

Year 8

Pupils areincreasinglyconfident in usingmusical vocabularyto explain how themusical elementsof pitch, duration,dynamics, tempo,timbre, texture andsilence can beorganised withinmusical structuresand usedexpressively tocreate differentmoods and effects.

Pupils candescribe, compareand evaluate usingthe elements.

I can recognise andunderstand howeach of theelements is used.

Pupils are able to do the abovewith increasedconfidence andwith a growing levelof independence.

Year 9

Pupils areincreasinglyconfident andindependent inusing musicalvocabulary toanalyse, compareand evaluate howmusic reflects thecontexts in which it is created,performed andheard.

Pupils discriminateand recognise the maincharacteristicsfrom a wide varietyof music.

I can evaluatemusic from a rangeof genres, periodsand places in theworld.

Pupils are able toarticulate criticaljudgements, using musicalvocabulary, abouthow differentcontexts arereflected in theirown and others’compositions.

(continued)

To improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding of musicalvocabulary and their ability to apply it with growing confidence tomusic they hear, compose and perform.


Evaluation

In their review of the process, the department agreed that while it had seemeddaunting and had proved time-consuming, it had taken them back to theNational Curriculum level descriptors and focused the department onprogression. Department members felt that the layering of targets would enableteachers and pupils to track their progress towards achieving the target. Thedepartment agreed a timescale for the regular reviewing of the progress of eachteaching group and year group towards the target.

Whole-classtarget for ablepupils

Individual target

Year 7

Pupils can makebroad distinctionsbetween theelements and usesimple terms todescribe how theyare used.

I can describe howthe elements areused.

Year 8

Pupils describe,compare andevaluate, using theelements.

I can evaluatemusic to compareand improve, usingall the musicalelements.

Year 9

Pupils discriminateand recognise themain characteristicfrom the widestrange of music.

I can evaluatemusic from allmusical periodsusing all genres,including worldmusic.


Task 6B





Context

In a school with a full-time head of department and a part-time main-scaleteacher, the Year 9 pupils worked on a blues unit. Part of the unit assessmentrequired pupils to work in groups of three to five to compose and perform astandard blues song. The teachers wanted to discover the areas in which pupilswere not achieving the intended learning outcomes so that they could identifywhat curricular targets should be set.

Process

Having agreed that a work scrutiny would provide the evidence they needed,they decided to use video recording of pupils’ performances. This allowed the two teachers to watch some of the video together and discuss theperformances at a department meeting. They realised that without a videorecording such an opportunity, to compare criteria for assessment and analysethe factors underpinning performance, very rarely arises.

Pupils had been provided with written instructions giving specific requirementsfor the piece. It had to include:• 12-bar backing track• lyrics that ‘scanned’ with the backing• an original melody that included syncopation and used the blues scale.

Pupils were told that more credit could be gained if the piece included:• a walking bass line• instrumental improvisation using call and response.

The performance needed to be secure and fluent, with a certain ‘sparkle’.

The scrutiny of work (watching the video) revealed that pupils were mostsuccessful when they had ‘internalised’ the structure of the blues and could feelhow the melody and harmonies should fit together. Pupils who had not beenable to do this struggled to fit the lyrics into a fluent phrase and were oftenunable accurately to synchronise their melody with the 12-bar accompaniment.When they made a mistake, they were unable to hear it and therefore becamefurther and further out of time.

Using this evidence, the teachers were able to agree a curricular target:

90% of pupils are able to perform the 12-bar chord sequence from memory and accompany an instrumental improvisation before beginningthe group work.


Achieving this target would mean that the chord sequence would be fairlyautomatic, thus developing an internal register so that pupils could hear andfeel if they were making mistakes.

It was agreed that the teaching needed to focus more closely on the skill ofperforming by ear and memory. More time would be given to building-up skilllevels in these areas earlier in the term, using a variety of listening tasks andshort-term performance tasks, allowing less time to complete the extendedcomposition and performance assessment task but providing a strongerfoundation. This was addressed by providing opportunities for pupils to listenregularly to songs in blues style. Pupils were asked to identify specific featuresof the blues – e.g. bending notes, blues notes and syncopation – and theypractised identifying chord changes aurally.

Evaluation

To evaluate the impact of this focus on pupils’ progress, a further similarassessment and scrutiny was carried out after six months. There was evidencethat pupils had become more confident in both their aural awareness and theirperforming and composing skills. The confidence was reflected in the fact thatnearly all pupils were prepared to improvise vocally in front of the class and allcould do so on the keyboard. Only very few needed assistance to keep in timewith a backing track. Importantly, pupils’ motivation had significantly increasedand teachers felt inspired by their ability to shift the performance of a sizeablenumber of pupils and inject new enthusiasm into the whole year group.

This had been achieved through taking time to analyse systematically pupilresponse to classroom tasks, to identify barriers to attainment at the higherlevels, then to shape and implement plans to overcome these barriers. Theteachers were able to plan their lessons with much greater precision. Althoughthey had to give up some of the activities done in previous years in order toachieve this curricular target, this was shown and acknowledged to be a veryvaluable ‘trade off’.

The most successful pupils were those who were prepared to listen to others’opinions and combine and refine ideas. This was a significant learning point forthe teachers concerned, who had not previously fully recognised the extent towhich high attainment might be linked to collaborative working. Significantly,there was no discernible gender bias in terms of pupil attainment, as boysresponded just as positively as girls.

11 Assessment for Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in music © Crown copyright 2004








Year group target


• This can be monitored over the course of the year, e.g. ‘How many pupils in the cohort can do this at thestart of the year/at the midpoint/at the end of the year?’




Appendix 6A.1

12 Assessment for Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in music © Crown copyright 2004

Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in PE © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin physical education

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to physical education.As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the followingsubject development material is intended to help you consider the keymessages of the training unit and identify any areas requiring development inyour department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach physical education.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the development or extension of curricular targets in physical education and provide guidance on how to embed this into regular practice in physical education lessons.




This describes how a department has approached the task and worked througheach of its stages. It is given as an example of how the task might be addressed.It is not intended that you follow this approach, which is given as a guide to theprocess that will support improvements in your subject.






The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in physical education. You will need to be clear on what has helpedpupils to learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how yourpractice has adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has workedwell and which areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

The case study that follows outlines the process a PE department went throughto develop meaningful curricular targets that would impact on plannedteaching, classroom practice and pupil outcomes. The head of department waskeen to ensure that the curricular targets identified reflected genuine pupil‘needs’ and not just departmental ‘wants’.

Process

They initially met as a department to consider areas of their Key Stage 3programme of study where a significant number of pupils achieved belowexpectations. Having looked at their department mark records for the previousYear 9 cohort, they agreed that the aspects in which pupils often achieved lesswell was ‘Knowledge and understanding of fitness and health’. Lessonobservations, carried out across the department, revealed significantweaknesses in pupil performance in that fewer than half the Year 9 pupilsreached the ‘most pupils will’ standard described in the ‘expectations’statement for their athletics unit (based on Unit 23, Athletic activities:intermediate from the Physical Education scheme of work for Key Stages 3 and4 (QCA/DfES). In a detailed discussion about the observed lessons thedepartment noted that pupils showed weaknesses in:• tailoring their warm ups to the particular events they were engaged in, and• adapting their training to compensate for their own individual weaknesses.

The teachers agreed that a good starting point from which to plan theircurricular targets would be the ‘expectations’ statement for their Year 9athletics unit, which stated the following.

After carrying out the activities and core tasks in this unit most pupilswill: explain the different demands of various events; demonstrate goodtechnique in chosen events; plan appropriate warm ups and stretches for theevents; design and implement basic training programmes for specific events;adapt their approaches to events as they identify priorities for improvement; usetheir initiative to take corrective action.


Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: perform thebasic requirements of the various events and be aware of the demands of thevarious activities; attempt to master the technical aspects of events; plan atraining programme with assistance and understand the benefits of an effectivewarm up and cool down; attempt to improve their abilities by observing andcopying other pupils’ performances.

Some pupils will have progressed further and will: perform fluently andwith confidence in a wide range of events showing a sound understanding ofthe relationship between fitness, technique and strategy; work independentlyon their training programme and monitor improvements in performance; adaptand modify their technique as a result of analysis of both their own and others’performances.

Using handouts 6.4 and 6.5 from Unit 6 in the Assessment for learning folderthe department was able to use the expectation statement to construct a tableshowing progression in a curricular target for Years 7, 8 and 9 as shown inappendix 6A.3.

Over the next two months the department revised their medium-term plans toensure that the curricular targets they had identified would be taughtprogressively across Key Stage 3. Discussions also took place on refininglearning objectives within lessons to ensure the target was being addressed.Over the course of the next six months they began implementing specificteaching strategies into their lessons to ensure that the skills and knowledgerelated to this curricular target were being taught.

Evaluation

The teachers shared and evaluated their development work at departmentmeetings. Several issues were raised. When medium-term plans were beingamended the issue of how and when to monitor the curricular target wasraised. It was agreed that there was a need for measurable improvements instandards of achievement to be collated, especially as the curricular target wasin response to numerical data from departmental mark records. It was decidedthat department mark records and pupils’ target books would be used tomonitor pupils’ progress in their knowledge and understanding of fitness andhealth. Data would be collected at the end of the athletic activity unit of work inYears 7, 8 and 9. It was also agreed that staff would discuss progression andachievement in the identified curricular target at one department meeting perterm until July 2006.

Another issue that arose was the need to amend the ‘individual pupil’ targetsaccording to prior attainment to ensure that able pupils were sufficientlyextended in their learning and that lower attaining pupils were not so challengedas to become disillusioned and disengaged.


The department agreed to use the three categories of descriptors from the‘expectations’ statements in their units of study to define exactly what theyshould be expecting from the pupils in relation to their knowledge andunderstanding of warm ups and training programmes. Descriptors would bedrawn up and provided for each year group. These descriptors would berecorded in the pupils’ target books. Below is an example of some of the warm-up descriptors for an able Year 9 pupil who will fall into the category of ‘will haveprogressed further and will …’.

I am able to:• compare my own warm-up routines to those of others, including highly

skilled individuals• plan and explain how I can modify my warm-up routines for different events• lead others in warm-up routines• use the Internet to research activity specific ‘warm ups’ used by high class

athletes.


Task 6B





Context

The case study below outlines the process a PE department went through todevelop meaningful curricular targets that would impact on planned teaching,actual practice and pupil outcomes in Year 9. The agreed focus was ondevelopments which would support pupils in creating gymnastic sequences inresponse to Core task 1 in Unit 17 Gymnastic activities – the intermediate fromthe Physical Education scheme of work for Key Stages 3 and 4 (QCA/DfES) asfollows:Pupils design, prepare and perform a group sequence using the floor andapparatus. The sequence must last between 1 and 1.5 minutes, and involvefour or five performers. It should incorporate a range of pair and group contactsupport, shapes and balances. Pupils should prepare it for a display, taking intoaccount the position of the audience.

The expected outcomes were for most pupils to be able to:select from and perform a range of skills, actions and agilities in a specificgymnastic style; show good body tension, extension and control; link actionssmoothly and cohesively; perform sequences that flow; select and usecompositional ideas that meet given criteria; prepare themselves and otherseffectively for participation in the activities; select and implement safe warm-upand cool-down programmes; have a clear idea about how to develop, progressand improve their own and others’ work; take the initiative to put ideas intopractice.

Process

In preparation for their scrutiny of pupil work the department video recordedthree Year 9 gymnastics lessons.

The PE department studied the video. The observed outcomes revealed that asignificant number of pupils were not meeting the expectation in that most:• selected and concentrated on a small range of easy actions and agilities

which they could perform safely, e.g. sequences consisted mainly of simplebalances which used larger parts of the body and were repeated, andlinking was achieved mainly through the use of forward rolls

• had limited control, e.g. balances were not held for three or more seconds, therewas lack of tension in body shape, sequences were disjointed and did not flow

• had a limited range of compositional ideas, e.g. sequences used onlymirroring of other members of the group with no use of canon or working atdifferent speeds, levels or directions.


These observations directly informed a team discussion about the extent ofweaknesses in this area and the formulation of a table showing progression in acurricular target as shown in appendix 6B.1.

The PE team then used their targets to plan for progression in their long- andmedium-term plans. Having done this they decided to work in pairs so that theycould collaboratively plan teaching strategies, which would bring about theidentified outcomes, in their lessons. They used a range of strategies describedin Assessment for learning Unit 4, Module 4.1 and Unit 5, on oral feedback andpeer and self assessment. The pairings were organised so that the teacherscould teach and review the lessons jointly and sustain each other through anyuncertainties in implementing new practice.

Evaluation

The pairs reviewed lessons, shared good practice and discussed issues atregular meetings. Both pairs agreed that the use of a digital video camera washaving a marked impact on pupils’ performance and understanding. In mostlessons the camera was used to exemplify good practice and areas forimprovement, e.g. a sequence where the shape of balances was clearlyidentifiable, and sequences where the shapes had poor body form.

It was also used to provide pupils with instant feedback on their level ofperformance. It was interesting to note that what the pupils felt (physicalfeedback) and thought they did, was often at odds with their actualperformance. It was seen as a powerful tool which would help with tension,control, content and flow of sequences, as well as a tool for identifyingcompositional ideas.

The department decided that pupils’ sequences at the end of each unit of workacross the key stage would be collated as a means of monitoring progressionand achievement of the target.

After two months they held a department meeting to scrutinise pupil progress inrelation to the ‘most pupils will …’ descriptor. The PE teachers agreed that,although improvements had been initially slow while they trialled and refinedtheir new practice, there had eventually been some significant improvements inpupil outcomes. At this time, it was decided to select about ten lowerperforming pupils in each year group and for the teachers to discuss andimplement a number of strategies to see if they could raise the performance ofparticular named pupils above the threshold, so that they eventually met the‘most pupils will …’ descriptor.


PEA UK, 2000, Physical Education Assessment, Recording and Reporting atKey Stages 1 to 4 Guidance for Teachers

QCA, 2000, Physical Education: A Scheme of Work for Key Stages 3 and 4









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.


Key Stage 3 Numerical TargetIn physical education, the performance of pupils will improve from 48% to 60% level 5+ in relation to the pupils’ ‘knowledgeand understanding of fitness and health’ by the end of the key stage in July 2006.

Key Stage 3 Curricular TargetAll pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of fitness and health, particularly the implementation of appropriatewarm ups and training programmes, to enable departmental level 5+ targets to be achieved in July 2006.

This is to be achieved through a focused effort by teachers to provide regular, planned opportunities for:

Appendix 6A.3

In Year 7

Warm up• Pupils understand the three

elements of a warm up.• Pupils understand the reasons for

warming up.• Pupils are able to choose some

activities for 1 or 2 sections of awarm up.

• Pupils are able to perform a warmup safely with guidance.

• Pupils understand that differentactivity areas use different exercisesin a warm up.

Training programme• Pupils would recognise a basic

training programme template.• Pupils would recognise some of the

basic principles of training.• Pupils begin to recognise that

different areas of fitness are requiredfor different activities.

• Pupils are aware of exercises andactions that improve fitness for 1 or2 activities.

• Pupils able to identify the types ofexercise and activity that help theirfitness for 1 or 2 activities.

• Pupils able to describe how toimprove their own fitness in 1 or 2activities.

In Year 8

Warm up• Pupils able to select warm-up

exercises that are safe and effectivefor a variety of activity areas.

• Pupils are able to warm up safelyfollowing others, and leading 1 or 2elements of a warm up.

Training programme• Pupils able to plan and implement a

basic training programme withassistance.

• Pupils with guidance will be able toidentify key areas of fitness whichrelate to specific fitness needs of 2or 3 activity areas.

• Pupils able to select some of theirown exercises to devise a simplefitness programme.

• Pupils able to identify basicprinciples of training.

• Pupils with guidance able toimplement basic principles oftraining into a fitness programme.

In Year 9

Warm up• Pupils able to plan and perform their

own safe warm-up routines fordifferent activity areas.

• Pupils able to lead good warm-uproutines.

• Pupils able to compare warm-uproutines.

Training programme• Pupils able to devise and implement

a training programme for 1 or 2activities with some assistance.

• Pupils able to identify key areas offitness required for 3 or 4 activityareas.

• Pupils able to devise trainingprogrammes that show severalprinciples of training.

• Pupils able to devise programmeswhich they monitor and adapt overtime.

• Pupils able to evaluate differenttraining programmes that maintainfitness and health.


Key Stage 3 Numerical Target80% of pupils are able to perform gymnastics sequences to level 5+ by the end of the key stage in July 2006.

Key Stage 3 Curricular TargetPupils will develop their performance in gymnastics so that 80% of the pupils will:• select and perform a range of skills, actions and agilities in a specific gymnastic style• perform sequences with good body tension, extension and control• perform sequences that flow; link actions smoothly and cohesively• select and use a range of compositional idea in their sequencesenabling the departmental level 5+ targets to be achieved in July 2006.

Appendix 6B.1

In Year 7

• Pupils to develop individual andthen paired sequences (withoutcontact).

• Sequences to contain between 8 and 12 skills/actions.

• Pupils to understand what ‘goodtension, extension and control’mean.

• Pupils understand how to linkmovements together.

• Pupils to have understanding of theuse of shape, levels andrelationships in composition.

In Year 8

• Pupils to compose pair and thengroup (4 or 5) sequences including a range of contact and supportshapes and balances.

• Sequences containing between 10 and 14 skills/actions.

• Pupils performing with increasingtension, extension and control.

• Pupils able to link actions smoothlyby altering the speed and endingsand beginnings of movements.

• Pupils compose sequences usingshape, level, timing and actions incomposition.

In Year 9

• Pupils to compose individual, pairand group sequences forperformance to an audience.

• Sequences to contain between 12and 16 skills/actions using differentspeeds, levels and directions.

• Pupils perform using tension andextension to improve control.

• Pupils perform sequences that flow.• Pupils perform sequences that

show a range of compositionalideas (4 to 6) including pathways,relationships and timing.

1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in RE © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin religious education

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to religious education.As part of the whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the followingsubject development material is intended to help you consider the keymessages of the training unit and identify any areas requiring development inyour department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach religious education.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the development orextension of curricular targets in religious education and provide guidance onhow to embed this into regular practice in religious education lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in religious education. You will need to be clear on what has helpedpupils to learn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how yourpractice has adapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has workedwell and which areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

The department had undertaken an end of unit assessment on the impact ofSikh beliefs on the everyday lives of members of the Sikh religion. Pupils wereasked to relate the teachings of Guru Nanak and the Guru Granth Sahib aboutequality to the practices seen in the Gurdwara. They were given relevantextracts from the Guru Granth Sahib and examples from the life of Guru Nanakand asked to show how these are demonstrated in practice in the life of the Sikhcommunity.

From a scrutiny of pupils’ oral and written responses to this assessment task, itwas evident that most pupils were able to describe Sikh practices relating toequality such as equal sharing of tasks between men and women, theemphasis on hospitality and providing food for strangers without payment.However, teachers identified that a significant proportion of pupils were lessable to link the teachings of Guru Nanak and the teachings of the sacred text topractice in the Gurdwara.

Having identified this area for development, the department also recognisedthat the pupil’s inability to make the link between belief and practice, which is akey feature of the study of religion, was not specific to the teaching of Sikhismbut was a broader issue across the Key Stage 3 RE curriculum.

Evidence from a sample of pupils’ work carried out earlier in the year as part ofthe department’s annual review process, reinforced the department’s view thatthis was an appropriate area to be targeting in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Process

Having undertaken this analysis the department established the followingcurricular target.

All pupils to improve their skills in identifying and explaining the connectionsbetween beliefs and practices in the religion(s) they are studying.

In addition to the qualitative evidence that the department intended to gather tomeasure the impact on pupils’ learning outcomes, they established anassociated numerical target linked to attainment.


In RE, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the impact of belief on practicesand lifestyles in religion (AT1) will improve from 65% to 75% of pupils attaininglevel 5 and above by the end of Key Stage 3 in July 2006.

As the department recognised this as an issue for their Key Stage 3 curriculum,having established an overall target for the key stage they considered itsimplications for each year group within the key stage. They broke down theoverall curricular target for the key stage and established the appropriate layersfor each year group that would help to stage this.

They did this by referring to their locally agreed syllabus. The departmentfocused on the descriptions of levels 4 to 7 for AT1 to help formulate the targetfor each year group.

In Year 7, teachers provideplanned opportunities for pupilsto make and explore the linksbetween belief and practice andto explain orally and in writing in avariety of ways.

In Year 8, teachers focus onconsolidating pupils’understanding of thebelief–practice connection andproviding opportunities for pupilsto apply their knowledge andunderstanding in new contexts.

In Year 9, pupils are confidentand able to apply their previousknowledge and understanding totheir study of religion, making theconnection between beliefs andpractices, explaining causal linksand giving a range of examplesfrom the faiths they have studiedusing relevant terminology.

Year group target(taken from Year 9)

Pupils are confident and able toapply their previous knowledgeand understanding to their studyof religion, making theconnection between beliefs andpractices, explaining causal linksand giving a range of examplesfrom the faiths they have studiedusing relevant terminology.

Class target (for a specific Year 9 class)

Pupils know the key beliefs inSikhism and are able to makeconnections between beliefs andactions for individuals andcommunities and explain impact.

Group/pupil target in Year 9 class

Pupils know the most importantbeliefs in Sikhism and can explainhow they make a difference tothe way Sikhs live their lives.


All pupils to improve their skills in identifying and explaining the connections between beliefs and practicesin the religion(s) they are studying.

Examples of layering a curricular target


Evaluation

The department recognised that while the process for identifying targets foryear groups was valid and would enable them to target specific curriculumweaknesses, it was important to provide opportunities within the tasks forpupils to achieve at the higher levels. For example, pupils working at level 7could be given opportunities to relate beliefs and practices to their historical and cultural contexts, and to explore different forms of religious expression.Low-attaining pupils will be able to identify some ways of belonging to religions.

The teachers were keen not to lower the aspirations in the curricular targets setfor year groups and classes, but recognised the need to ensure that the tasksset allowed for the full range of outcomes.


Task 6B





Context

As part of their annual review of their scheme of work and their evaluation oftheir effectiveness, the RE department planned to use a work sampling activity.This was part of wider, school-based self-evaluation activities that departmentswere encouraged to undertake. This activity would inform their departmentalaction plan for Key Stage 3.

Process

Teachers looked at a representative sample of pupils’ work from all classes inYear 9. The scrutiny focused in particular on those pupils who weredemonstrating the ability to work at level 5, but mostly at level 4, and thosepupils who demonstrated the ability to work at level 6, but achieved mainly atlevel 5. These levels were those defined by QCA in the non-statutory nationalexpectations in RE.

The task given to the Year 9 pupils was to identify a number of Sikh artefactsfrom pictures and to explain what each of them stands for. They were thenasked to write an article for a teenage magazine about how wearing a religioussymbol could help a young Sikh in their faith and in what ways it could bedifficult for them. Pupils were asked to include their personal perspective onshowing openly their allegiance or support for something. This woulddemonstrate attainment at level 5 in AT2.





• Select a sample of pupils’ work, based on existing knowledge, which willprovide the best evidence within the constraints of time available.




The pupils’ work was analysed in terms of their ability to go beyond simplydescribing the artefacts and saying how they showed belonging in Sikhism(AT1, level 4) to making the link between faith and practice and explaining thesignificance to Sikhs of artefacts in their faith (AT1, level 5).

The intended outcomes for all pupils were to:• identify a number of Sikh artefacts and symbols• explain the meanings of artefacts and symbols in Sikhism• explain how helpful religious symbols can be to a believer• evaluate the significance to Sikhs of artefacts in their faith.

For the most able pupils an additional intended learning outcome was:• to extend the article to make links between the experience of Sikhs and the

experience of young people in other faiths in wearing outward signs of theirreligion (AT1, level 6).

Evaluation

Scrutiny of the pupils’ completed work revealed that almost all pupils were ableto identify the Sikh artefacts and symbols correctly and could explain theirmeanings (level 4). However, the magazine articles showed that, although theywere able to suggest possible advantages and disadvantages of showingoutward signs of belonging to Sikhism, most pupils were unable to evaluate thesignificance to a believer and the impact that it was likely to have on their life(level 5).

Pupils’ ability to move beyond knowledge and understanding to be able toanalyse and evaluate the impact of beliefs on practice was limited. Those pupilswho attempted to draw on examples from other faiths they had studied choseexamples from Christianity, such as the wearing of a cross. They showed limitedability to make deeper connections between faith and practice betweenreligions; this would be evidence of working at level 6.

Most pupils were able to give examples from their own experience of showingbelonging – e.g. to sports teams or uniformed groups – but were not able toexplain the significance in any depth.

As a result of this the department agreed the following curricular targets:

Pupils should be able to apply their knowledge and understanding of features ofreligious life in order to come to a deeper understanding of the differences thatthese make to the lives of individuals and communities.

Pupils should be able to draw on their understanding of religious beliefs andpractices to inform their responses to questions of identity and experience.

To address these targets, the department agreed to focus their teaching on AT1‘Practices and lifestyles’, level 5, and AT2 ‘Identity and experience’, level 5.

The department agreed to focus teaching on these targets, particularly throughthe use of questions that required pupils to apply their knowledge andunderstanding. The department would also provide regular, plannedopportunities for pupils to engage in and develop the skills of empathy,


evaluation, analysis, synthesis and reflection. It was agreed that Bloom’staxonomy would be used as a basis for this, and that a department INSETsession on planning questions and setting tasks in RE in relation to thetaxonomy was required. To address this need the head of department led anINSET session using the Foundation subjects’ training module Questioning.

Having focused on this area in their Year 9 teaching for two terms, thedepartment considered the implications of this for the teaching in Years 7 and 8to ensure there was planned progression within and across the key stage.









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

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Sub

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MFL

Eng

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Mat

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Mus

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ICT

Key

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1 Assessment for learning Unit 6: Developing curricular target setting in science © Crown copyright 2004

Developing curricular target settingin science

Following the training in the generic unit Curricular target setting, it is importantto consider how the key messages of the training apply to science. As part ofthe whole-school focus on Assessment for learning, the following subjectdevelopment material is intended to help you consider the key messages of thetraining unit and identify any areas requiring development in your department.


Objectives




Key messages


(e.g. few lessons).





Unit

6



The following material builds on the tasks outlined in the ‘Ready for more?’section of the Curricular target setting training unit and it is intended for all thosewho teach science.






Focusing








Start with Task 6A

Developing





Start with Task 6A

Establishing







Start with Task 6B

Enhancing






Start with Task 6B

Teac

hers

Pup

ils



The tasks you have been referred to are intended to support the developmentor extension of curricular targets in science and provide guidance on how toembed this into regular practice in science lessons.










The purpose of focusing on this is to improve pupils’ achievement andattainment in science. You will need to be clear on what has helped pupils tolearn more effectively in your subject. Part of this will be how your practice hasadapted to allow this. You should jointly identify what has worked well andwhich areas require further attention.








Task 6A





Task 6B






Task 6A





Context

The standards report in science for 2003 highlights that teachers can helppupils to improve their performance by making sure all pupils haveopportunities to discuss scientific descriptions and explanations orally, and topractise expressing these precisely in writing.

After attending the core training Effective teaching and learning the sciencedepartment reviewed their pupils’ level of discussion and their ability to expresstheir scientific ideas. They agreed that their pupils were not confident indiscussing their work in science and they were often poor at expressing theirscientific ideas when writing for a range of audiences. Much of pupils’ practicalwork used the headings ‘method’, ‘results’ and ‘conclusions’, and providedlittle scope for them to organise their thinking and develop their creative writingtechniques.

Process

As a result, the department decided on the need to set curricular targets. Oneof these is illustrated below. Then they identified the three main objectives mostlikely to help them meet their curricular targets to focus their planning forimprovement through Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 3 numerical targetPerformance of pupils at level 5+ needs to improve from 60% to 67% at the end of Year 9 through the improved ability to be more precise

in a range of spoken and written contexts.

Key Stage 3 curricular targetPupils have opportunities to discuss scientific descriptions and explanations

orally, and to practise expressing these precisely in writing for different audiences and purposes.

In Year 7Pupils will regularly begiven opportunities towork in pairs and smallgroups to discuss their

scientific ideas andrecord them in a variety

of ways.

In Year 8While continuing to

develop discussion skillspupils will be shown howto use precise scientificlanguage and recordwhat they have learnt

independently in a varietyof forms.

In Year 9Pupils will develop theskills of constructively

criticising oral and writtenresponses in terms of theprecision of the answersand the accuracy withwhich it conveys thescientific meaning.


Evaluation

The department then examined schemes of work to ensure that theseobjectives featured strongly in their schemes of work, and they were made a priority in planning throughout Key Stage 3.

• For further guidance on curricular targets they referred to Science coretraining materials – Introducing curricular targets and reviewing actionpoints.

• For guidance about writing for a range of audiences and purposes theyreferred to Science core training materials – Effective teaching and learningin science, Section 3.


Task 6B





Context

The teachers had recently been provided with additional pupil level data fromthe senior management. The data showed how individual pupils progressedthroughout Key Stage 3. In science, progress from level 5 to level 6 was goodbut too many pupils failed to progress from level 4 to level 5.

Process

The whole school focused on a representative sample of pupils’ work from allclasses with all ability groups represented. The science department made theirmain focus the level 4/5 borderline pupils.

Their work scrutiny focused on a particular Year 9 task. Pupils had been set ascientific investigation, with a focus on the interpretation of the results and theappropriateness of their evaluation of the results. The investigation wasintended to determine the factors affecting the yield of juice produced fromapple pulp when mixed with pectinase.

The department used recommended practice for a work scrutiny as suggestedin Organising a work sample (page 6).





• Select a sample of pupils’ work, based on existing knowledge, which willprovide the best evidence, within the constraints of time available.



Initially, the pupils’ work was analysed in terms of their success in:• obtaining and presenting a set of results• evaluating the accuracy of the results, and• drawing conclusions based on the evidence.


The expected learning outcomes for most pupils were as follows:• Can make observations and measurements with an appropriate degree

of precision.• Can record their observations and use appropriate conventions to

communicate qualitative and quantitative data.• Can offer ideas to improve the accuracy of the results.• Can draw conclusions that are consistent with the evidence.

(This shows aspects of the yearly teaching objectives for Year 8 and is broadlyrelated to level 5/6.)

For some pupils who have progressed further the expected learning outcomeswere as follows:• Can repeat observations and measurements to improve the reliability and

validity of the investigation.• Can discuss how the evidence supports or does not support their

conclusions.

(This shows aspects of the yearly teaching objectives for Year 9 and is broadlyrelated to level 6/7.)

Scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed that almost all pupils were skilled at recordingtheir results but were less successful at identifying ‘rogue’ readings thatrequired repeating to improve the reliability and validity of the investigation. Forexample, pupils working at level 4 were able to use simple patterns in results todraw conclusions. Pupils working at level 5, however, could offer some ideasabout how to improve the accuracy of their results and draw conclusions thatwere consistent with the evidence.

Very few pupils offered any constructive criticism of the way they hadapproached the investigation, i.e. suggesting how they might refine theinvestigation if it was to be repeated by other pupils. As a result, the departmentagreed the following modified version of the curricular target for Year 9.

All pupils in Year 9 need to:• identify patterns in their results• explain the patterns and anomalies in results• suggest suitable modifications to the investigational approach to yield a

stronger evidence base.

Then the teachers collected some good examples of scientific enquiries forwhich pupils had met the modified Year 9 curriculum target. This was sharedwith other pupils as a model of good practice for writing precise conclusionsand evaluations. A review of progress at the end of the term, however, showedthat pupils’ writing was still narrow in form and lacked variety.

At the start of the following term, the department invited the LEA’s scienceconsultant to support the department’s work to improve pupils’ creative writingin Year 8. This included newsboards, poems, log books, weekly crime reportsand so on. These were based on conclusions and evaluations of practicalenquiries completed by the Year 8 pupils.


Evaluation

The department agreed to focus their attention on developing pupils’conclusions and evaluation during the next term. The work scrutiny grouptracked the work for discernible improvements. Performance of pupils in thetarget group (level 4/5 border line pupils) was also closely monitored.

As a further stage in the action, the department decided to review Year 7 andYear 8 schemes of work to ensure that the yearly teaching objectives forscientific enquiry and simple approaches to creative writing were beingcovered. As a result of completing Tasks 6A and 6B you should evaluate theirimpact on teaching in the subject and how pupils have responded, particularlyin relation to standards. The following questions may help to structure this.


• What impact has focusing on a curricular target had on planning sciencelessons?


• How has focusing on specific curricular targets impacted on pupils’learning?

• How has this focus impacted on pupils’ progress in science?


Framework for teaching science: Years 7, 8 and 9 (DfES 0136/2002)

Introducing curriculum targets and reviewing action points (DfES 0298/2002)

Effective teaching and learning in science (DfES 239/2003)

Organising a work sample (DfES 0390/2003)

Making assessment work (diagnostic marking frames), (DfES/QCA, DfES 0196/2002)

Standards report 2003 (QCA, www.qca.org.uk)









Year group target






Appendix 6A.1


Appendix 6A.2

Handout 6.5

– E

xam

ple

s of la

yeri

ng a

curr

icula

r ta

rget

Sub

ject

Sci

ence

MFL

Eng

lish

Mat

hem

atic

s

Geo

grap

hy

Mus

ic

ICT

Key

sta

ge

targ

et

Pup

ils n

eed

to m

ake

prog

ress

inth

eir i

nves

tigat

ive

skills

.

Pro

mot

e pu

pils

’ ind

epen

denc

e as

lang

uage

lear

ners

.

Ens

ure

that

pup

ils c

an u

sepa

ragr

aphs

app

ropr

iate

ly.

Pup

ils s

houl

d be

abl

e to

use

prop

ortio

nal r

easo

ning

to s

olve

apr

oble

m, c

hoos

ing

the

corr

ect

num

bers

to ta

ke a

s 10

0%, o

r as

aw

hole

.

Pup

ils n

eed

to im

prov

e th

e ex

tent

tow

hich

they

can

des

crib

e an

d ex

plai

nth

e ph

ysic

al a

nd h

uman

feat

ures

cont

ribut

ing

to th

e di

stin

ctiv

ech

arac

ter o

f pla

ces.

Pra

ctis

e, re

hear

se a

nd g

ive

perfo

rman

ces

dem

onst

ratin

gaw

aren

ess

of d

iffer

ent p

arts

, the

cont

ribut

ion

of th

e di

ffere

nt g

roup

mem

bers

and

the

audi

ence

and

venu

e.

Impr

ove

pupi

ls’ v

isua

l lite

racy

, i.e

.th

eir a

bilit

y to

sel

ect,

acqu

ire,

extr

act,

depl

oy in

form

atio

n fro

m a

varie

ty o

f vis

ual r

esou

rces

.

Year

gro

up ta

rget

In a

n in

vest

igat

ion

pupi

ls a

re a

ble

toid

entif

y th

e ke

y va

riabl

es th

at th

eyca

n an

d ca

nnot

con

trol

.

In s

poke

n w

ork

pupi

ls c

an s

usta

insh

ort u

nscr

ipte

d di

scus

sion

s an

dex

chan

ges

build

ing

on s

crip

ted

(Yea

r 8) s

uppo

rted

wor

k st

arte

d in

Year

7.

Whe

n w

ritin

g, p

upils

will

use

topi

cse

nten

ces

to b

egin

thei

rpa

ragr

aphs

. (Ye

ar 8

)

Pup

ils w

ill be

abl

e to

use

the

unita

rym

etho

d to

sol

ve s

impl

e w

ord

prob

lem

s in

volv

ing

ratio

and

dire

ctpr

opor

tion.

In w

ritte

n w

ork,

pup

ils s

houl

d be

able

to e

xpla

in h

ow (Y

ear 7

) phy

sica

lpr

oces

ses

chan

ge a

land

scap

e.

Per

form

sig

nific

ant p

arts

from

mem

ory

and

from

not

atio

ns w

ithaw

aren

ess

of th

eir o

wn

cont

ribut

ion

such

as

lead

ing

othe

rs, t

akin

g a

solo

part

and

/or p

rovi

ding

rhyt

hmic

supp

ort.

In c

omm

unic

atin

g in

form

atio

n, m

ake

appr

opria

te u

se o

f diff

eren

tca

tego

ries

of s

till im

ager

y, in

part

icul

ar, c

lip a

rt a

nd p

hoto

grap

hic

qual

ity im

ages

.

Cla

ss ta

rget

Pup

ils c

an u

se th

e sc

ienc

ede

part

men

t’s p

lann

ing

post

ers

topl

an th

eir o

wn

inve

stig

atio

ns.

(Yea

r 8)

Pup

ils c

an re

ad a

loud

from

a s

impl

ew

ritte

n te

xt o

f fam

iliar l

angu

age,

usin

g co

rrec

t pro

nunc

iatio

n an

dex

pres

sion

.

Pup

ils c

an e

xplo

re a

nd c

ompa

redi

ffere

nt m

etho

ds o

f gro

upin

gse

nten

ces

into

par

agra

phs

ofco

ntin

uous

text

that

are

cle

arly

focu

sed

and

wel

l-dev

elop

ed, e

.g. b

ych

rono

logy

, com

paris

on o

r thr

ough

addi

ng e

xem

plifi

catio

n.

Pup

ils w

ill co

nsol

idat

eun

ders

tand

ing

of th

e re

latio

nshi

pbe

twee

n ra

tio a

nd p

ropo

rtio

n.

Pup

ils c

an e

xpla

in th

e de

velo

pmen

tof

a la

ndsc

ape

as a

ser

ies

ofse

quen

tial e

vent

s an

d pr

oces

ses.

With

in a

sm

all g

roup

, pup

ils c

anpe

rform

a s

tand

ard

12-b

ar b

lues

from

mem

ory

usin

g in

tern

alis

edrh

ythm

in ti

me

with

oth

ers

in th

egr

oup.

Pup

ils c

an m

ake

a pr

esen

tatio

n fit

for a

udie

nce

and

purp

ose,

sequ

ence

d ap

prop

riate

ly, a

ndde

ploy

ing

appr

opria

te c

lip a

rt a

ndph

otog

raph

ic im

ages

from

a lim

ited

colle

ctio

n.

Gro

up/p

upil

targ

et

I can

pla

n m

y ow

n in

vest

igat

ion

and

say

wha

t I w

ill ch

ange

, wha

t I w

illm

easu

re a

nd w

hat I

thin

k w

illha

ppen

.

I can

und

erst

and,

and

spe

ak s

ome

sim

ple

sent

ence

s de

scrib

ing

wha

t Iha

ve d

one

and

wha

t I’m

goi

ng to

do.

I can

writ

e a

para

grap

h us

ing

a to

pic

sent

ence

and

gro

up a

ll the

follo

win

gpo

ints

, so

they

are

cle

ar a

nd s

uppo

rtth

e to

pic

sent

ence

.

I can

iden

tify

whe

n pr

opor

tiona

lre

ason

ing

is n

eede

d to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

.

I can

exp

lain

how

land

scap

es a

rech

ange

d by

put

ting

even

ts in

ord

er.

I can

per

form

a s

tand

ard

12-b

arbl

ues

from

mem

ory

and

keep

in ti

me

with

the

othe

r peo

ple

in m

y gr

oup.

I can

mak

e a

pres

enta

tion

desc

ribin

g w

hat m

akes

a w

ebsi

tego

od, c

hoos

ing

clip

art

and

det

aile

dim

ages

to m

ake

a po

int.

Documents

Amazon Web Serviceswsassets.s3.amazonaws.com/ws/nso/pdf/cfa4d374b73239e7548... · 2011-06-06 · 7 Unit 6: Curricular target setting © Crown copyright 2004 Refer to handout 6.4 to