Developing a whole school approach to Assessment for Learning which has impact

The Provider:
Nunnery Wood High School, Worcestershire

• Nunnery Wood High School is a larger than average 11-16 comprehensive school with approximately 1350 students.
• The school also has lower than average percentages of EAL students and students from minority ethnic groups. However, these are higher than average for Worcestershire.
• The percentage of students known to be eligible for Free School Meals is currently 6.4% (2007-2008), which is below the national average. However, Fischer Family Trust analysis of ACORN data suggests that a Free School Meal percentage of approximately 15% would more accurately reflect our student population.
• Numbers of students exhibiting Special Educational Needs is in line with the National Average, but numbers of statemented children are below the National Average (1.9% compared to 2.4%).
• The School draws students from varied backgrounds - both from affluent families and from areas of significant social deprivation. LEA and Fischer Family Trust analysis of ACORN postcode data confirms a mixed student body in terms of social and economic background. 29% of students come from the highest ACORN category ("Wealthy Achievers") but 23% come from the lowest ACORN category ("Hard Pressed".) This data places Nunnery Wood on the 49th percentile of schools nationally (where 1 is the most advantaged) and 23rd of the 29 High Schools in Worcestershire

Summary:

• Leading and developing a whole school approach to Assessment for Learning which impacts on all that the school does.
• The development of Assessment for Learning has fundamentally changed, not only the culture of learning and teaching within the school, but has also developed the leadership aspect of Curriculum Leaders. The school culture has firmly changed to one whereby pupils are placed at the centre of the learning and teaching process. To achieve these shifts a carefully orchestrated change management programme had to be implemented across school in conjunction with developing mechanisms that placed the student voice at the centre of teacher reflection and departmental self evaluation.
• Assessment for Learning has resulted in a fundamental shift in school culture and also teaching approach and practice.
• The progression in achievement and levels of attainment achieved through and at the end of Key Stage 4 and 3 ican be seen and it becomes apparent that Assessment for Learning has had a major impact.

The Aim:
Due to the development work that the school has carried out on Assessment for Learning it was invited to be part of an national DFES run project. This project consisted of eight other schools across the country exploring change management issues and writing about their experiences in developing Assessment for Learning. Achieving a Leading Aspect Award for Assessment for Learning will be another aspect of external recognition for the hard work and dedication that staff at Nunnery Wood High School have put into developing this crucial aspect of school life.
What do you see in the school?

• Whole school planning for implementation
• Planning by curriculum leaders
• Videoing of lessons
• Training and advice to staff about giving feedback to colleagues and pupils
• Local authority secondary consultant working with the school to ensure embedded practice
• AFL strategy cross referenced to subject leaders guidance and the staff handbook
• Subjects planning and delivery of independent learning and individual learning objectives
• Advice and guidance given to students
• Staff pack information on models of learning
• Examples of what AFL looks like in classrooms - staff pack
• Good practice guidelines used from Ofsted report to shape planning
• Informative marking and individual student assessments, oral and written
• Student self assessment sheets providing information to inform subject planning e.g; art departments analysis of student feedback led to improvements in communications with students about learning objectives.
• Pupils RAG rate their progress for pieces of work and comment on actions to improve
• Use of lead learners to observe teaching and inform teaching practice.
• Lead learners are embarking upon active research around effective learning with teachers.
• Head teacher and deputy headteacher have a clear strategy for implementing AFL and have successfully shared with all stakeholders
• Senior leadership team monitoring
• Lead learner and student observations and commentary
• Use of the feedback form with teachers to inform learning and teaching
• Publication of a parent newsletter highlighting pedagogy and practice
• Publication of staff advice booklets
• Individual guidance to students, oral and written, linked to target setting meetings.
• Records of lesson observations by lead learners
• AFL parents news letter
• Teaching and learning staff handbook and teacher packs - guidance
• Students books Years 7.8.9,11 core subject students books across the full ability range
• Lead learners observe teachers teaching and feed back to teachers about what would make an effective teaching strategy
• Department/subject evaluations of observations are used to inform planning for improved learning opportunities
• Senior leadership team monitor classroom practice and analyse data around student progress, attendance and exclusions
• Learning is made clearer for students and they are supported as individuals
• Teacher comments and student access to staff enable students to learn at their own pace.
• Lessons are more focussed and interesting with staff encouraging students to succeed
• Staff survey suggest that morale has improved by 13%
• AFL is a set agenda item for department and subject meetings
• Case study written for the QCA eight schools AFL project
• Parents views support AFL practice and appreciate improvements to teaching and learning
• Surveys are conducted with parents and students
• A student survey, in 2007, of the quality of teaching valued teaching highly - 82%
• Local authority consultant shares ideas and developments with other schools and the secondary strategy team
• A regular newsletter to parents
• Curriculum meeting minutes highlight successful practice
• Staff CPD has developed teaching and learning booklets that underpin AFL pedagogy and practice
• Departments/subjects are encouraged to complete cross subject feedback
• Case study published for QCA eight schools AFL project
• AFL is a set agenda item for department and subject meetings

What difference does it make?

• Learning is made clearer for students and they are supported as individuals
• Teacher comments and student access to staff enable students to learn at their own pace.
• Lessons are more focussed and interesting with staff encouraging students to succeed
• Staff survey suggest that morale has improved by 13%
• Criteria for student improvement shared with parents aids students independent learning
• Healthy schools award has helped them focus upon developing the student voice
• The development of lead learners has enabled staff to benefit from the student's perspective of what makes an effective lesson. The lead learners are confident, reflective and very enthusiastic about their role and are embarking upon active research with teachers about what makes foe effective learning.
• Students felt they valued the individual advice and feedback from staff. They were able to describe AFL strategies that helped them make progress. They also valued peer assessment.

From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?

• AFL parents news letter
• Attendance data
• Core subject meeting notes and agendas
• Department/subject minutes
• Department/subject self evaluations
• Documentation giving feedback guidance
• Governor interview
• Interview with parent governor who is on the curriculum sub committee
• LA secondary consultant notes
• Lead learner feedback notes & interviews
• Minutes of AFL meetings - whole school and within subject minutes
• Newsletter
• Notes of lesson observations from lead learners
• Parent news letter
• Parent surveys
• RAISE On Line data improved CVA for KS2 to KS4 and KS3 to KS4 from 2005 to 2007 - significant improvements for core subjects
• Records of lesson observations by lead learners
• Reduced referrals and exclusions over the last three years
• School policy and strategy
• Schools project QCA publication
• Secondary consultant notes
• Self evaluation policy
• Staff handbook
• Staff information pack
• Staff survey
• Student self evaluation RAG grades and comments
• Student surveys
• Student tracking advice
• Students books Years 7.8.9,11 core subject students books across the full ability range
• Subject/department improvement plans
• Teacher Education days - agendas from 2005
• Teaching and learning staff handbook and teacher packs - guidance
• Whole school policy
• Year 7.8.9 & 11 core subject students books across the full ability range

The Verifiers Comment
The school has developed over several years a strategy for Assessment for Learning that is central to the way that teaching and learning takes place in all subjects and aspects of school life. In particular they have developed the role of lead learners to encompass the observation of teachers teaching, peer assessment and advice to the general student body through assemblies. This has placed the student voice at the centre of teacher reflection and departmental self evaluation.

This has resulted in a fundamental shift in the culture of the school and its approach to the practice of teaching. This has had a major impact upon levels of attainment and students attitudes to school and their approach to learning.