Teachers should be accountable for data

Ofsted’s forensic approach to figures and the DfE’s new framework for assessment means that schools must now, more than ever, keep on top of pupil progress, says Sonia Blandford...

The focus of attention on rigorous recording, analysis and effective use of primary school data to inform pupil and school progress has never been greater, and is a topic that needs to be foremost in the minds of all teachers and school leaders. Ofsted is taking an increasingly forensic approach to its examination of progress figures – in particular the relative progress of individual groups of children such as those who have special educational needs or are eligible for free school meals. And the Department for Education has put forward proposals for a new framework for assessment. The headlines have been about the removal of prescriptive ‘levels’ and the banding of pupils’ SATs grades, but the proposals also include statutory summative teacher assessment and end of key stage testing; ongoing formative assessment; equal weighting to attainment and progress; and the publication of a wider range of school performance data.

In addition, the baseline for national progress measures, which is currently at the end of Key Stage 1, may be moved to the reception year, and floor levels are likely to be raised.

The argument is that as a consequence of teachers being given greater ownership and accountability of the curriculum – including the removal of prescriptive levels/level indicators – children’s progress and attainment is likely to increase. Evidence from top performing educational systems around the world (OECD 2011) seems to support this.

While many will have concerns with some of the dogma being expressed, the underlying idea – that children should have a greater opportunity for success with high expectations for children’s learning and development, and that all children should have the knowledge and skills to equip them for learning and life – is something to which most in the teaching profession would subscribe.

In the best schools this will already form part of their standard practice and is echoed at settings working with Achievement for All 3As. A fundamental element of the schools’ programme is the recognition that teachers need to ‘own’ and be accountable for the data, learning and progress of each of their pupils. The most recent analysis of schools’ data demonstrates that after one full year’s engagement with the programme, target pupils are making an average of 4.4 Average Point Score (APS) in reading, 4.1 APS in writing and 3.8 APS in maths compared to national expectations of 3 APS across three terms for primary schools.

This requires strong wholeschool assessment and moderation systems, good monitoring and evaluation approaches to processes and practices, and consistent policies for marking and feedback. Teachers need to deliver appropriate personalisation and differentiation, have high aspirations, give each child a sense of ownership of learning, and keep accurate records. Teachers, pupils and their parents will need a clear view of where the child is in their learning, where they are aiming to get to, and how they are going to get there. But while the data can help schools to identify pupils who are struggling, the challenge then is to deliver progress. And to do this, children need to be able to access the curriculum.

Grove Wood Primary in Rayleigh, Essex is in its first year of working with Achievement for All. It’s a large school with 600 pupils and has a rising population of children identified with SEND, including 25 with statements of educational need. The school identified a group of pupils who were ‘stuck’, who had made little or no progress in the past year. Through teachers working closely with the parents, it became clear that some of the parents were also ‘stuck’ and required support, and it exposed issues not immediately visible at school. Children often behaved well in the classroom but poorly at home, making homework and reading at home unpleasant experiences. Parents often had long working hours, resulting in the children spending time with a variety of care providers. Through identifying this group, working closely with the families and within the school, ensuring accessibility, support and personalisation for the pupils, the children across the board had made 3.5 points of progress in just two terms.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the new framework proposals, schools need to look at the ways in which they effectively use data and measure progress. It is only through this that we will be able to ensure that every child in the country is truly getting the opportunity to succeed that they deserve.