Parents Forum 4 th December 2018 Focus: Curriculum Staff: Mr Briggs - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Parents’ Forum 4th December 2018

Focus: Curriculum Staff: Mr Briggs

The Educational Context – what are the big issues facing Baysgarth at the moment?

Challenges Facing Baysgarth

Reduction in support from external agencies such as social services as these are cut back

Oversubscribed - how do we fit everyone in who wants to come? Dealing with very tight budgets

Rivalry over exam results and league tables leads to competition rather than collaboration between schools The pressure on us and our partner primaries to be part

• f a multi-academy trust

(MAT)

Moving from a Good school to an Outstanding school

Changes to the curriculum make it even more difficult for our students to be successful

Increasing mental health issues facing students and staff

A good curriculum will help us solve:

Reduction in support from external agencies such as social services as these are cut back

Oversubscribed - how do we fit everyone in who wants to come? Dealing with very tight budgets

Rivalry over exam results and league tables leads to competition rather than collaboration between schools The pressure on us and our partner primaries to be part

• f a multi-academy trust

(MAT)

Moving from a Good school to an Outstanding school

Changes to the curriculum make it even more difficult for our students to be successful

Increasing mental health issues facing students and staff

For this reason we spend a great deal of time each year planning our future curriculum. Tonight’s Parents’ Forum is an opportunity for you to support the school by helping us listen to and understand your perspective

• n what’s important for your children when it comes to

their education and curriculum. So how has our curriculum developed over the last few years? The first point to note is that we have designed a curriculum to maximise our position in the Progress 8 league tables so that we can quickly improve the reputation of the school.

Choosing Between Schools

At the moment, parents have three pieces of evidence to choose from when deciding on a secondary school for their child:

• The school’s position in the national league tables
• The school’s Ofsted report
• The school’s reputation locally

How would you rank these in order of importance? 30 seconds. Think about it, talk to the person next to you and then we’ll have a show of hands and record the results

At the moment Baysgarth is the top school locally in all three of these areas:

• We have the highest three-year average for progress of all the local

schools and are in the top 5% of schools nationally for the value we add to our students

• Our Ofsted report said we are well on the way to being Outstanding

and confirmed us as one of the top 10% of schools in the country

• We have an excellent reputation in the community and with our partner

primaries which has led to us being oversubscribed in Year 7 for the last two years, a trend set to continue for the foreseeable future However, our position in the league tables is under threat and we have to decide how we respond to this challenge. So what are the league tables and why is our position under threat?

League Tables

There are two big issues with league tables that are having a massive impact on the education system.

• 1. They measure the progress that students make in only eight

subjects, and in these subjects only a small number of courses count in the league tables. English and Maths count twice so that scores are worked out from a total of 10:

• Basket 1 – English GCSE and Maths GCSE. The score students achieve in these

subjects is doubled – 40%

• Basket 2 – Science (students achieve 2 grades); History or Geography; MFL – 30%
• Basket 3 – All other subjects – a student’s top three highest scoring other subjects

count here – 30%

Basket One English & Maths Count double so 40% of total score

Basket 2 - EBacc Science (2 or 3 qualifications) History Geography French German Top 3 subjects count 10% each Basket 3 - Open All other option subjects plus any from Baskets 1 and 2 that don’t count in those baskets Top 3 subjects count 10% each

Progress 8 - this is the way every school is judged by the league tables. Every student is judged by the progress made in their baskets from Y6 to Y11, compared to their peers in the same school year across the whole country

How have schools responded?

• As English and Maths count for 40% between them, schools have increased the

amount of time students are taught these subjects from three hours per week to four or even five hours each per week

• To fill Basket 2, every student has to study History or Geography and are strongly

encouraged to study a MFL (the EBacc)

• Many schools have switched to completing GCSEs over three years rather than two,

meaning students pick their options in Year 8 and narrow their curriculum down earlier in their school career

• As a result, many schools have reduced the amount of time available to other subjects,

at both KS3 and KS4. This narrowing of the curriculum means less time for students to learn Sport, Technology subjects such as Food and Engineering, Art, Music and

• Drama. There are often very few choices available to students when they complete

their options – in some schools students only have one or two free choices (at Baysgarth we offer one more option choice than the vast majority of other schools).

• Due to very tight budgets, option subjects where less than a dozen or so students want

to study the subject are more often than not cut from the curriculum

What’s the impact on students?

• Often students with a particular skill or talent in a subject such as Music, Drama,

Computer Science etc find that there are not enough students who pick this subject for it to run at KS4. This causes frustration when students can’t study subjects they are skilled in and passionate about.

• Students are pushed down a very academic route with English, Maths, Science,

History/Geography and MFL taking up at least 75% of their lesson time. This leaves precious little time for other subjects.

• When combined with the fact that the exams are far more rigorous now and

coursework has been abolished in most subjects, this creates a huge amount of stress for students. We are seeing a big increase in mental health issues amongst students year on year and part of this is due to the extra pressure of following a very academic, narrow curriculum

• For students who struggle with literacy and numeracy skills and have had many years
• f struggling in classrooms, this curriculum reinforces their feelings of low self-esteem.

League Tables

There are two big issues with league tables that are having a massive impact on the education system. 2. The league tables are calculated by measuring the progress that every student makes from Year 6 to Year 11 in the subjects that count in these buckets.

• Basket 1 – English GCSE and Maths GCSE. The score students achieve in these

subjects is doubled – 40%

• Basket 2 – Science (students achieve 2 grades); History or Geography; MFL – 30%
• Basket 3 – All other subjects – a student’s top three highest scoring other subjects

count here – 30%

How have schools responded?

• Through their tracking data, schools can see which students are not

making good progress. They only count towards the school’s league table position if they are on the school’s census in January of Year 11. Therefore, some schools make sure that those students making the least progress are not on the school roll by January of Year 11. This is known as off-rolling and has been in the news a lot – some academy chains

• ff-roll 7% of students nationally, meaning thousands of vulnerable

students end up being permanently excluded or sent to alternative provision.

• Some schools make it very difficult for students who are likely to make

very little progress to come to their school. These are usually students with complex needs who are on the special needs register.

What’s the impact on students?

• Some students with complex and special needs can’t attend their local school.

Some of the most vulnerable students are having to travel the furthest for an education

• A significant number of students are not completing Year 11 in mainstream
• schools. They are leaving school with few qualifications which limits their

chances of being successful for the rest of their lives. This in turn impacts negatively on society in regards to antisocial behaviour, unemployment etc.

To make matters worse . . .

• New GCSE syllabi have been rolled out in every subject
• There is no longer the option to do coursework in mosts GCSE subjects
• The exams require students to learn topics that were previously on ‘A’ Level

exams

• The exams require students to retain huge amounts of knowledge and repeat it

under timed conditions with no books to help them

• Many students will sit up to 30 exams - there are nine in Triple Science alone!
• As a result the pressure and stress on students is increasing all the time, adding

to the mental health problems that are already on the increase in society

• Students who struggle with retaining knowledge and sitting exams find it

increasingly difficult to find parts of school life where they can be successful

What’s the impact on schools?

• We are starting to see the development of a two-tier system whereby some schools

are making dubious moral and ethical decisions to select their students, either by making it very difficult for certain groups of those students to go to that school in the first place, or by excluding large numbers of the most challenging or vulnerable students who are at that school

• This means nearby schools who take a more moral and ethical approach and focus on

inclusion rather than exclusion are having to take an increased share of challenging and vulnerable students who are less likely to make good progress.

• As Baysgarth is an ethical school that believes in inclusion and won’t deny students

entry or off-roll students, there is a risk that we will slip down the league tables in comparison to other schools that follow this unethical approach

• So, thanks to this extraordinary focus on competition between schools and the

need to be top of the league tables, the system is broken. What can we do about it?

Baysgarth’s Standpoint

• We are almost unique in having outstanding outcomes and progress for our

students whilst at the same time having a strongly inclusive approach. We do not off-roll students and we do not make it difficult for students to join us. We are the school of this community and we believe that every family in this community deserves the best education for their children. We are very proud to know that we deliver a better educational experience than any other local school and that this track record has been achieved through close cooperation and collaboration with our staff, parents, carers and students rather than playing the system.

• However, we have chosen to follow the narrow curriculum ‘basket’ model so that

we can prove to the community that our progress is outstanding in the league

• tables. This is frustrating as we know that there are courses out there more

suited to some of our students, that count as full GCSEs, that we simply don’t deliver as they don’t count in the league tables/baskets.

Curriculum Consultation

• So this session tonight is to focus on you, as parents and carers, and ask you

what you want us to achieve as a school

• What do you want the school to do for your children?
• What are your priorities for the school that represents this community?
• What do you value from your local school?
• What’s more important to you, reputation or position in the league tables?
• Would you accept a lower position in the league tables if you were convinced

the school was providing a fantastic education to all of our students? Now close your eyes . . .

What’s important to you?

You have a pack of cards Some are pre-populated with statements about the curriculum Some are blank for your own thoughts Rank these in order of importance. It may be helpful to create a diamond shape rather than a list Add them to the big bits of paper so we get a flavour of what is important across the room You have 10 minutes for this task

A curriculum that ensures the school is top of the league tables A curriculum that streams and pushes the most able students

A curriculum where the strong support the weak A curriculum that promotes British Values

A curriculum that allows every student to succeed and make good progress A curriculum that prioritises English and Maths

A curriculum where every student studies History or Geography up to age 16

A curriculum that prioritises sport and physical fitness

A curriculum where every student learns at least

• ne foreign language

A curriculum that teaches students about different religions and cultures to address prejudice, ignorance and fear and promote tolerance and understanding

A curriculum that gives students the IT skills they need to be successful

A curriculum that promotes the arts

A curriculum that prepares students for the jobs available in the local area A curriculum that give students with special needs the opportunity to be successful

A curriculum that gives challenging students

• pportunities to stay in school

rather than have to go to alternative provision in Scunthorpe

A curriculum where students only study exam subjects approved by the government to count in league tables A curriculum where students can study for any approved qualification if it is right for them

A curriculum that promotes strong mental health and well-being A curriculum that gives students as many option choices as possible

A curriculum full

• f the joy of

learning

Test your priorities with some scenarios

On your tables are three different scenarios on yellow, green and blue paper. In groups of 2-4, look at one of the scenarios so that on your tables you have three groups, one looking at each of the scenarios. Read, discuss and debate, agree. You have three minutes for each one. Then pass them on to the next group in a clockwise direction. After 10 minutes you should have completed all three different scenarios. Then spend 5 minutes as a table seeing if you have agreement between you on what you would do in each case before we feedback to the room.

Scenario Discussion 1

At Baysgarth GCSE courses are delivered over three years from Year 9 to Year 11. Some courses, such as Business and Sport, can complete their courses within two years. This means some students can have three or six hours ‘free’ in Year 11. If this was your child, would you want them: A. To spend more time in their other subjects, making sure they achieve the best grades possible in English and Maths B. To take on another GCSE subject that counts in the league tables, so that they try to complete this course in one year C. To use this time to develop their personal skills and experience that will help them in the future. This could include a variety of options such as:

• A block of work experience
• Pursuing a hobby or interest
• Community or charity work
• Work supporting our local primary schools
• In school supporting other Baysgarth students in younger years with literacy and numeracy
• Working towards an alternative qualification such as Duke of Edinburgh, ASDAN, HPQ
• Any other option negotiated with the school

Scenario Discussion 2

From Year 9 to 11 at Baysgarth, students are studying for GCSEs. Their 25 periods are split as follows: English: 4 Option A: 3 (History or Geography) Maths: 4 Option B: 3 Science: 4 Option C: 3 PE: 1 Option D: 3 This model is designed to give students the maximum amount of choice in their options. One of the criticisms of this model is that our students only receive one hour of PE per week and don’t have many opportunities to study PSHE/Citizenship/Mindfulness that can support them to be resilient and ready for the modern world. This model would look like: English: 4 Option A: 3 (History or Geography) Maths: 4 Option B: 3 Science: 4 Option C: 3 PE: 2 PSHE/Careers/Citizenship/Mindfulness: 2 Students would receive one less qualification and one less option choice in this model but have more time to look after their minds and bodies. Would you rather: A. Stick to the current model to maximise the number of option choices and qualifications B. Reduce choice and qualification in favour of looking after minds and bodies

Scenario Discussion 3

The new English GCSE course requires students to memorise 15 poems and study three challenging plays and novels. The students face nearly five hours of exams with no coursework to support them if they do not perform well in the exam. The most able students can cope with this but many of our less able students struggle to pass this new course.

• Mr. Ladbury, the Head of English, suggests that for those students who struggle with this course

they should study for an iGCSE in English. This is a full GCSE and gives students full access to college and university. It is recognised worldwide and is studied by most of the public schools such as Harrow and Eton. However, it is not a subject that counts in the ‘baskets’ or the league

• tables. It is a full qualification but it involves coursework and speaking and listening skills so the

exams count for a percentage of the overall grade rather than the whole thing. Do you: A. Insist that all students complete the new GCSE, knowing that most of our least able students will struggle to achieve a pass grade B. Ensure every student completes the qualification best suited to their needs and skills, including iGCSE if appropriate. Back this approach in the community even though it will mean that Baysgarth receives a lower score in the league tables

What’s Next?

We will continue to consult with parents, staff, students and Governors over the next few

• weeks. Anything you want to ask to follow up tonight’s discussions, leave your

comments here on the post-its or email us on parentsforum@baysgarthschool.co.uk. We’ll send out a summary of all your questions and our responses to everyone here tonight, provided we have your email. The Senior Leadership Team and Governors will make decisions about how we go forward with our curriculum. We will communicate these in the Spring Term at the start of our Year 8 Options process. Thank you for coming tonight and showing your support for Baysgarth as we continue to strive to be an outstanding school!