moving english forward action to raise standards in english phil jarrett hmi, national adviser for...
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Moving English Forward
Action to raise standards in English
Phil Jarrett HMI, National Adviser for English
LAAE
London, July 2012
• Changes to whole-school inspection practice, especially in reading and literacy
• How Ofsted reports can support English teachers in primary and secondary schools
• What Ofsted considers to be good teaching and learning in English
• How standards might be improved in English
Aims of session
• English 2000-05: a review of inspection
evidence, 2005 (HMI 2351)• Good school libraries: making a
difference to learning, 2006 (2024)• Poetry in schools, 2007 (070034)• English at the crossroads, 2009,
080247• Excellence in English: what we learnt
from 12 outstanding schools, 2011 (100229)
• Moving English Forward: action to raise standards of English in schools, 2012 (110118)
Ofsted reports on English
• Subject descriptors for English, Ofsted, September 2010, (revised January 2012) 20100015
• The good practice site: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/publications/good-practice
• Professional development materials based on ‘Moving English Forward’ (forthcoming)
• Survey of good practice in secondary literacy (proposed for the autumn term)
• ‘Our Expert Knowledge’ web pages
Additional support for teachers of English
Features of outstanding schools:• There is excellent practice which ensures that
all pupils have high levels of literacy appropriate to their age
• Pupils read widely and often across all subjects
• Pupils develop and apply a wide range of skills to great effect, in reading, writing and communication.
• The teaching of reading, writing and communication is highly effective and cohesively planned and implemented across the curriculum.
• There are excellent policies which ensure that pupils have high levels of literacy, or pupils are making excellent progress in literacy.
The emphasis on reading and literacy from September 2012
• All inspectors to comment on approaches to literacy in lessons across different subjects
• Focused discussion with students on reading and literacy, perhaps particular groups
• The school’s reading culture e.g. library, links with parents, reading clubs and events
• Tracking a student or group of students through a number of lessons
• Observing intervention or other literacy-focused sessions e.g. tutorial reading
• Whole-school strategies and policies
Inspecting literacy: possible inspection approaches
• Standards continue to rise at the end of Key Stage 4
• Around 70% of schools are judged to be good or outstanding in English subject inspections
• One in five secondary schools was judged to be outstanding in English
• Students mostly enjoy English• Teachers work harder than ever with
intervention classes, Easter classes and catch-up classes
• Very few schools in the sample have been judged to be inadequate in English
What do we know about English in secondary schools?
• Slowdown in improvement at the end of Key Stage 2
• New, higher floor standards• Evidence from international
comparisons e.g. PISA• Public/media concern about
literacy standards• So, increasing pressure on
schools to raise standards…especially in English.
But…are standards high enough?
Starter • Introduce, discuss objective (5 Mins); groups to
complete card-sort activity (10 mins)Development• Groups to use Question of Sport grid and identify
stylistic devices on whiteboard (10 mins)• Mini-plenary, look at criteria for Level 5,6,7 (5 mins)• Look at examples (L5/6) of persuasive essay on
capital punishment, choose most effective and link to criteria (5 mins)
• Students to produce at least one paragraph for their writing; a talk for/against capital punishment (10 mins)
Plenary (15 mins)• Musical chairs, peer mark two other students’ work,
return to own work, check comments • Washing line: pupils get into position in relation to
strength of views for/against capital punishment• What have you learnt today? Q/A• Final activity: identify technique on board
Year 9, top setUnderstand how to use stylistic devices (AF2)
• Pace: the faster the lesson, the better the learning
• Volume of activities: the more, the better• Limited time for students to work
independently • Over-detailed and burdensome lesson plans• Constant review of learning • Over-emphasis (at too early a stage) on a
limited range of skills needed for tests and examinations
• An inflexible approach to planning lessons
1. ‘Inspectors must not expect teaching staff to teach in any specific way or follow a prescribed methodology’
2. ‘Inspectors will not expect teachers to prepare lesson plans for the inspection’
The ‘myths’ of teaching: what constrains learning in English lessons?
• Plans that are clear and realistic about students’ learning within the individual lesson
• Teaching that is flexible and responsive to the needs of the pupils in the class
• Time for pupils to think, plan, write, demonstrate their understanding, and learn independently (at times)
• Prompt, active beginnings to lessons
• Effective action on differentiation, including challenge for more able pupils
What makes a lesson outstanding in English?
• Distinctive and innovative elements designed to meets the needs of your pupils
• An appropriate balance of time spent teaching reading, speaking and listening
• Rich and varied programme that includes key areas such as poetry, drama, media and wider reading
• A clear sense of progression in English across the key stage
• A productive curriculum that links with the world outside school
• Opportunities to use modern technology and to analyse and produce moving image texts
What makes an outstanding curriculum in English?
• The teaching of writing, including spelling and handwriting
• Subject knowledge of coordinators in primary schools
• Reading widely and for pleasure• Excessive influence of external
exams and tests on the curriculum
• Transition from KS2-3
Moving English Forward; action to raise standards in English
• Issues of teaching; planning and flexibility of approach
• Low levels of communication skills on entry to primary schools
• Lack of rationale or purpose for KS3
• English and the ‘real world’
• Literacy across the curriculum
Moving English Forward; action to raise improve standards in English
