PEP Headlines

2009-2010 ACADEMIC CALENDAR 

Week Commencing 10th May 2010

This week:

1. Ofsted Updates

These are the links for recent Ofsted updates

Week Commencing 26th April 2010

This week

Updates

1.  Every Child a Writer
Due to the success of 'Kent's Every Child A Writer' (ECaW) pilot this year, the opportunity has arisen to extend the programme to a further 27 Primary schools across Kent. The existing 33 schools will be invited to continue in the programme for a further year.

Follow the links here for copies of the flyers that will be circulated to schools imminently.  These will be inviting you to join the programme either as a Supported School or as a Specialist Teacher School.  Places are likely to go quickly so please note  the deadline date of 7th May 2010.

2.   Child Protection And Safeguarding
Please follow these links for two Child Protection Powerpoint Presentations - one for staff - thanks to Angela Chapman, the other for governors - thanks to Tess Jones.  This third document is a template for an Annual Report for Governors which you may wish to use and again thanks to Tess and Sonette at Brockhill.
 
3.  Kent Transition Project -  A Message From Simon Malony:
I am pleased to inform you that the 2010 version of the Kent Transition Project, KS 2 to 3, is now finalised and available to all schools on the Kent Trust Web.
This year's version has the pages grouped according to the Five Bridges for Successful Transition and the narrators for the video have been changed to two Year 7 pupils from the Weald of Kent Grammar School and the Hayesbrook School.
 
There is also a LA wide Transition Project for KS1 to 2 available on the Kent Trust Web Transition pages. This Project has been developed by headteachers and school staff in the Canterbury Coastal Partnership under the leadership of Jean Mosely. While it is particularly relevant to pupils transferring from Infant schools to Junior schools the project also has value for primary schools. The Link is:
http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/ask8/ask8_whole_school_transfer.cfm  
 
I would like to repeat the advice I gave earlier in the year about the projects. The projects are at their most effective when continuity and progression is achieved through secondary schools and their feeder primary schools co-coordinating transition work around the project.  However both transition projects have value as stand alone activities even if feeder schools or receiving schools are not involved.

4. OFSTED Update at 4pm Hythe Bay CEP on Wednesday 5th May
This is an opportunity for all HTs, SLT and interested Governors to meet with the HTs of local schools who have currently undergone Ofsted Inspections to discuss the process and what makes a good SEF.

5.   Phonics Website
A part time CLLD consultant in London who is also a part time Y1 teacher has set up this website which you may find useful for your support staff. 
www.lesleyclarkesyntheticphonics.co.uk.  There are new features to the site including the following:

• Additional links to good quality on line resources many are for the IWB. Suggestions on how these can be fitted into the 4 part lesson are given.
• Sample weekly plans at various phases
• Updated week by week breakdown for teaching Phase 5 showing GPCs and tricky words to teach each week.
• Best Bet posters for Phase 5, showing which graphemes are most likely in initial, medial and final position in words.
• Additional Games eg tricky word bingo, dice games, board game.
• Generic indoor and outdoor wave 2 phonics sessions.
• Information for parents eg fun ways to learn spellings and tricky words
• Practical teaching resources eg magnetic letter boards
• Extensive word list CDs: 1 for FS2 (Phases 2-4) and 1 for Y1 (Phase 5a,b, c)
• Photo CDs for Phase 2 & Phase 3

6.  EAL Conference 9 June 9.15 - 3.30
This is being held at Quarterhouse in Folkestone.  See Flyer here. For more details and to book places contact her Administrator on 01233 652331. 

Week Commencing 18th April 2010

This week:

UPDATES

1. Foundation Stage Profile Moderation Practice
This is for all FS teachers and HTs at Bodsham School on Wednesday 21st April from 4pm. Please let Helen Baxter know if you are attending by telephoning 01303 812073.  REMEMBER!  Bring  KUW and PSED evidence to share.
 
2. Primary Modern Language courses
There are two  new PML courses now available for the Ashford and Shepway Learning Network Primary Languages:

2.1  "Let's make teaching fun and interactive" being held at Norton Knatchbull
        School from 2:00-4:00 on Tuesday 8th June; and
2.2  "Primary Languages: Top Tips for developing Intercultural Understanding and
        Literacy Skills" also being held at The Norton Knatchbull School from 2:00-
        4:00, on Tuesday 15th June

If you wish to book on to the courses you can do so via the following link:
Kent http://cpdonline.kenttrustweb.org.uk/courses/bookings/default.asp

Varying search criteria can be used to bring up the courses but should you have any queries or problems please contact matthew.freeman@kent.gov.uk.  If I find anything else of interest concerning the above I will email it shortly.

3.  A Casualty of Elections...Headteacher Breakfast Briefing on 18.06.10
As you probably know by now, a number of clauses within the Children, Schools and Families Bill were dropped during the wash-up stage of its passage through Parliament. One of the victims was the New Primary Curriculum with  the Government  deciding not to move forward on introducing it at this stage. After talking to Peggy Harris, Allan has therefore decided to cancel his input "0n the New Primary Curriculum" at the next HTBB.   Please can you therefore let Matthew Freeman or I know asap what and/or whom you would like instead for the 8.30 - 9.30am slot. 

For your information, the second session has been taken by Liz Warren regarding Lead APP Schools. 

Week Commencing 12th April 2010

This week:

1. QCDA Link for Local Authorities
http://testsandexams.qcda.gov.uk/19091.aspx

2. Ofsted Updates on Judgements About Attainment and Achievement
There have been a number of requests for clarification about some aspects of these judgements. This is covered below and it is likely that this material will be incorporated within the inspection guidance and evaluation schedule when they are updated for the summer term.

3. Attainment
The Evaluation Schedule for Schools and Attainment Supplementary guidance for Section 5 Inspectors provides guidance for inspectors’ udgements about pupils’ attainment.  Some schools and inspectors have asked about the degree to which professional judgement plays a part. The Evaluation Schedule takes clear that, for all judgements, the grade descriptors and the associated outline guidance should be interpreted in the context of the particular school being inspected. The upplementary guidance explains that professional judgement plays a crucial part when inspectors are interpreting data and when they are confirming initial hypotheses by looking at the school’s own data, talking to teachers and pupils and looking at the pupils’ work. This guidance also suggests how the profile of indicators in RAISEonline ives an initial indication of the general standard of attainment.

However, statements in the supplementary guidance such as ‘over half (the attainment indicators) need to be sig+ before Grade 2" can be considered have sometimes been nterpreted as setting rigid constraints which determine final inspection judgements.  Such statements are not intended to be prescriptive, rather, they provide general uidance to indicate the types of scenarios which might support pre-inspection ypotheses about attainment.

Inspectors must also take account of the size of the school and the nature of statistical ignificance.   For example, the value of a particular attainment indicator in RAISEonline may be significantly positive (or negative) in a large school, while the same value may not be significantly different from average in a school with smaller year groups. In this sense it is less likely for small schools to have significantly positive or negative attainment indicators.   As with all judgements, inspectors must exercise professional judgement weighing the full range of evidence that they have gathered, taking into account the context of the school.

4.Achievement - The Evaluation Schedule for School
This Schedule explains how the key Inspection Judgement about achievement takes account of the pupils’ attainment and the quality of learning and progress for all pupils and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The likely configuration of attainment, learning, progress and achievement grades is set out on pages 15 and 16 of the Evaluation Schedule. Again, some schools and inspectors have asked for clarification about what is meant by ‘exceptional’ in the grade descriptors for satisfactory and good achievement.

The evaluation schedule indicates that in ‘exceptional cases’ achievement may be satisfactory when attainment is low and learning and progress are satisfactory. This would only be the case when there is convincing evidence that learning and progress are improving securely and quickly. If inspectors decide that this is the case they must explain their judgements clearly and provide a convincing account of how the school is improving pupils’ learning and progress.

In order to support a judgement that low attainment is compatible with good achievement there must be compelling evidence that the quality of pupils’ learning and progress is outstanding.

For example a pupil's attainment on entry to the school may be exceptionally low, so that even when their attainment is below average when they leave there is convincing evidence that they have significantly ‘closed the gap’ because learning and progress have been outstanding. 

While attainment is low there is a strong upward trend, underpinned by convincing evidence, including particularly that gathered through lesson observations, that this will be sustained.  Inspectors may well decide that there is convincing evidence that pupils’ achievement is good, even though their attainment is low.  However, if this is the case inspectors must explain clearly why outstanding learning and progress have not enabled pupils to attain broadly average standards.

5.  OFSTED Update
Please see Schools and Inspection document attached here - there are some interesting bits about small schools and attainment judgements and community cohesion.   Updates on Early Years, Social Care  and Learning and Skills will follow shortly on www.ofsted.gov.uk/news. If you want to have an email alert to news from Ofsted then subscribe on https://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxalert_users/subscribe.

Week Commencing 5th April 2010

This week:

1. Urgent
Can all Shepway Rural Primary send their conference grids to Matt Freeman

2  OFSTED Safeguarding
Please be aware that inspectors should not be asking schools for CRB information for drivers of taxis/school transport. This is covered under inspections of Local Authorities and has been the focus of recent complaints to Ofsted.
 
3. New Curriculum
All primary schools should now have at least one hard copy of the new curriculum in school.  More can be ordered and/or downloaded from the QCDA website.  An action plan has been submitted as part of an LA response to CPD for schools and CFE staff which will appear as a statement on the e-bulletin.

The following is a really useful link for classroom teachers: http://microsites2.segfl.org.uk/view_project.php?id=128.
It is hosted by South East Grid for Learning and has things like a net for making gas mask boxes, stories and poems by real evacuees etc. 
On http://www.harcourt-consultancy.co.uk/cms/Videos/tabid/122/language/en-GB/Default.aspx there is a video of the Evacuee experience as well as one of the Victorian Experiences which will run at the end of June.  If you are interested email Liz@kesr.org.uk  for more information.

1. Shepway Rural PL
For those primary schools who have been unable to scan the form Jill sent I am enclosing a link for your use. Please return the form to Jill via e-mail.

2. Sing Up
Free vocal training is available from 1.30  to  4.00 pm on 29th April at Lympne School.  I am attaching the form.

3. Maths Support
With the present uncertainties of curriculum support for the future, it is really worth making sure that your co-ordinators make the most of the huge amount of materials available on the on the Kent Trust site.  These include links to all DCSF strategy materials.   There is no guarantee that the web pages will continue to be maintained in the future so the consultants are recommending that you go "search and save" whilst you can.

4. New Publications
If you have not seen the DCSF  “Moving on in mathematics”  (ref 01082- 20098KT-EN)  or  “Narrowing the gap”  new literacy publications  ( 00083-2010BXT-EN) I think they are both well worth looking at.

5.  KS1 – KS2 Transition Project
This has been devised by Canterbury teachers to reduce the dip in progress in Y3. The links are here for both the notes and the Project.

6.  Message from Becky Dawe Regarding Primary Languages
With the new curriculum and the statutory requirement for all schools to teach Primary Languages from Year 3, please be aware that the lead language teachers in Shepway 1 and Shepway Rural are available to offer support in a variety of areas such as policy writing, lesson modelling and Kent Accreditation.

Lead Teachers for Shepway Rural are Roz Botfield (Saltwood), Fiona Godden (Elham) and Jill Page (Lympne).  Lead teachers for Shepway 1 are Glenn Sharpe (Sandgate) and Becky Dawe (Hawkinge).  There is money available in the hubs for Glenn and Becky to be commissioned to support your schools including their supply cover.

7.  Early Years - Ofsted's EYFS Guidance and News
Here is the latest issue for your perusal.

8.  Activity Day For Key Stage 1 and 2 Nature Detectives....
This is for the attention of all Science Coordinators and Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Teachers. The RSPB Nature Reserve, Dungeness, Kent is holding an Activity Day on Friday 11th June 2010 from 9.30 - 2.30.

The Activity Day is, I believe, a wonderful opportunity for six gifted and talented young scientists to visit the Nature Reserve at Dungeness and work alongside Andrew Berry the ASK Primary Science Advisor as well as RSPB Education Staff.  Planned group activities in the morning will include observing birds from inside a hide; dipping for freshwater creatures; searching for mini beasts and food chain games.  Following lunch pupils will have the opportunity to take part in one of the creative art workshops. Led by RSPB Staff activities these will include making 3-D Mini-beasts, Pebble Sculptures, Sketching Wildlife and Using a Graphics Pad.

If you would like your school to take part open the attachment which is here.  There is a booking form which will need to be returned by Friday 30th April. Schools will, upon receipt of the booking form, receive an e-mail confirming that they have a place.
 
For more information about the day and any of the associated activities please contact either:

Phil Bracegirdle   – ASK ICT HOS Consultant
E-mail: Philip.bracegirdle@kent.gov.uk                                
                                                                   Or
Andrew Berry    – ASK Primary Science Advisor
E-mail : andrew.berry@kent.gov.uk  

Archived items

• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009