Slide 1 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Ofsted’s subject professional development

materials: English

A training resource for teachers of English in primary schools

2013

Slide 2 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

This training resource has been produced to help

teachers in primary schools evaluate their current provision for English, using the English report Moving English forward (2012) as a starting point for discussion. It is not mandatory.

We suggest subject leaders wishing to use the resource spend some time reading through the materials prior to using them. Additional guidance on how to manage the sessions is provided through the accompanying notes. The materials cover five themes from the report: teaching and learning; writing; reading for pleasure; communication skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS); and subject leadership and management.

The materials are flexible. Schools can either work through each unit in turn or focus on the topics that are of greatest relevance to them. Each unit is intended to generate discussion and activities that should take around an hour to complete. The materials use questions and extracts from the report to stimulate discussion and aid action-planning.

About this training resource

Some questions on English:How well do you know the performance data?

Quiz

Slide 4 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

1. What proportion of pupils nationally achieved Level 4 or above in English at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2011?

2. What proportion of pupils achieved Level 5 in English at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2011?

3. What is the national gap at Level 4 between reading and writing?

4. How many pupils considered to be eligible for free school meals achieved Level 4 or above in 2011 and how does this compare with pupils who were not eligible ?

5. What was the gender gap at Level 4 in 2011?

6. What has been the improvement in Level 4 or above results nationally since 2005?

Questions

Slide 5 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

1. What proportion of pupils nationally achieved Level 4 or above in English at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2011? 82%

2. What proportion of pupils achieved Level 5 in English at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2011? 29%

3. What is the national gap at Level 4 between reading and writing? 9%

4. How many pupils considered to be eligible for free school meals achieved Level 4 or above in 2011 and how does this compare with pupils who were not eligible? 67% of pupils eligible for free school meals achieved Level 4 or above compared with 84% who were not eligible

5. What was the gender gap at Level 4 in 2011? 9% overall in English but rising to 13% in writing

6. What has been the improvement in Level 4 or above results nationally since 2005? 3% rise over the 6-year period

Answers

Discussion point

You should now discuss how your own school’s performance compares with the national picture. Do any issues arise?

What is the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning in English in your school?

Issue 1

Slide 7 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

What is effective teaching in English?

Attainment in English has improved comparatively little over recent years at the end of Key Stage 2. Further improvements in attainment will rely on schools’ ability to continue to improve teaching. Thirty-four per cent of English lessons observed in this survey were judged to be no better then satisfactory and there were too few outstanding lessons in primary schools.

Discussion points

1. In pairs, agree a one-sentence definition of outstanding teaching in English.

2. Share and discuss the ideas.

3. Does your school currently have written guidance or a policy on teaching that informs teachers?

Slide 8 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Ofsted’s view is that outstanding teaching enables pupils to make ‘rapid and sustained’ progress.

In other words, it is the outcome that matters. There is no one route to excellence. It is a myth that inspectors expect you to teach in one particular way; it is the impact on learning that matters.

What is effective teaching in English?

Discussion points

1.Should all English lessons be taught in the same way? Exchange ideas about the most effective ways of teaching: a love of reading; story writing; differences between dialects; and a Shakespeare play.

2.The headteacher and subject leader should now lead a discussion about the current strengths and weaknesses in teaching English across the school, based on their lesson observations and other evidence.

Slide 9 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Inspectors often speak about ‘missed opportunities’ when they observe lessons. In these lessons, teaching is expected to be good or better but pupils’ learning and progress are often no better than satisfactory. The report argues that this is because too many ‘myths’ have built up about what good teaching is or what teachers think that an Ofsted inspector is looking for.

The ‘myths’ of good teaching in English

Discussion points

1.Read paragraphs 15 to 19 in the report. This includes a description of a Year 9 lesson but this example will help to establish what is meant by the ‘myths’ of teaching.

2.Do you think that any of the criticisms here apply in your school or to your own teaching?

Slide 10 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

One criticism in the report is that learning objectives in English tend to be too broad, perhaps reflecting the longer-term aims of a sequence of lessons rather than pupils’ needs in one lesson.

How effective are your learning objectives?

Discussion points

1.Ask teachers to exchange lesson plans. Evaluate the helpfulness or otherwise of learning objectives. Are they specific? Are they achievable in the lesson? Above all, do they provide direction to the teachers’ activities in the lessons?

2.Review and re-write, where necessary, learning objectives in English for next week’s lessons.

Slide 11 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Read the section, ‘What contributes to effective learning in English lessons’ in the report and note the five elements listed in paragraph 27 as characterising lessons in English where pupils did well.

Review any current school policy or statement about teaching generally or in English.

Ask each member of staff to spend a few minutes jotting down the most important things they have learnt from this unit about teaching.

Exchange ideas and use the discussion to revise (or write) simple guidance about effective teaching and learning in English in your school.

A school policy statement on effectiveteaching and learning in English

Teaching writing, including spelling and handwriting

Issue 2

Slide 13 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Many pupils, especially boys, struggle with writing and lack confidence in their ability as writers. This begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where writing is assessed as the weakest element of English. Attainment in writing lags behind reading at the end of Key Stage 2. One third of boys do not achieve Level 4 or above in writing.

Standards of writing

Discussion points

1.What do your school’s English results tell you about performance in writing compared with reading?

2.Is there any noticeable difference between the performance of boys and girls in writing?

3.How do you track progress in writing through the school? Is it consistent?

Slide 14 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Ask teachers to talk in pairs about their own teaching of writing. Are they confident in modelling different types of writing? Are there any text types that they feel less secure about? Do teachers consider themselves to be good writers?

How confident are you about the teaching of writing?

Discussion points

1.Discuss teachers’ responses to the questions above and identify any trends and potential training needs.

2.Talk about the ways in which teachers ‘model’ writing for pupils. What works best? What practical issues need to be considered?

Slide 15 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Moving English forward contains a section on the teaching of spelling and handwriting (pp 26–27). This suggests that many primary schools have clear policies on handwriting but that this is less likely to be the case with spelling, especially as pupils move through Key Stage 2.

Spelling, handwriting and grammar

Discussion points

1.Ask teachers about spelling and handwriting practice in their own classroom.

2.Are school policies clear and effective?

3.Is there evidence of progress in both areas?

4.Where might teachers want guidance or support?

Slide 16 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Writing for real, writing that matters

One issue raised in the report is the importance of making writing ‘real’ for pupils. Boys especially need to see that writing ‘matters’, that it has an important place in the real world. This means that teachers should try, where possible, to provide tasks that are linked to ‘real-world’ situations, have a clear purpose and a real audience.

Discussion points

1. Ask teachers to exchange pupils’ books and look for writing tasks that give pupils the opportunity to write for a real purpose and audience. What good examples are there and how can this practice be extended?

2. Think about the range of writing currently provided for pupils. Does this help pupils to develop stamina in writing? Is there enough extended writing? Are pupils given enough opportunities to write creatively in English?

3. How often are pupils expected to redraft their writing? What works best?

Slide 17 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Read paragraph 53 of the report.

Talk about the six areas of weakness identified there. Do you recognise any of these criticisms in your school’s approach to writing? If so, what should you do now?

Now read the case study, including the example of a pupil’s writing, showing how Castle View Primary School approaches the teaching of writing: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120158

Compare your school’s approach to writing with that in the case study. Is there anything that you can learn from Castle View? What might you change?

Review this unit on writing in the training resource. Agree what aspects of your school’s approach might benefit from change.

How effective is the teaching of writing in your school?

Promoting wider reading and reading for pleasure

Issue 3

Slide 19 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

International surveys suggest that pupils in England are less keen on reading than pupils in many of our international competitor countries and that they read much less than in other countries. Pupils also tend to read less the older they get.

Reading for pleasure

Discussion points

1.What evidence do you have about the enjoyment of reading in your school? Does it vary between boys and girls? What do pupils read outside school?

2.Does it really matter if pupils enjoy reading and read much outside school? Why (or why not)?

Slide 20 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

It is very clear that reading widely and for enjoyment really does matter. ‘Being more enthusiastic about reading, and a frequent reader, was more of an advantage on its own than having well-educated parents in good jobs… finding ways to engage students in reading may be one of the most effective ways to leverage social change.’ (PISA, 2002)

Why reading for pleasure is important

Discussion points

1.Why should reading have such an important impact on learning and success in life?

2.Does your school have a strategy for encouraging pupils to read widely and for pleasure? List what the school does to develop wider reading and a love of reading.

Slide 21 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

‘Teachers who are themselves enthusiastic and committed readers are more likely to be more effective teachers of reading.’

Teachers as readers

Discussion points

1.Do you agree with this statement? Discuss with colleagues.

2.Which teachers, if any, regularly read children’s books? Who are the ‘experts’ on the staff and how can they support other teachers?

Slide 22 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Developing reading stamina

Moving English forward indicates that, due to an increasing emphasis on shorter, non-literary texts and preparation for national tests, pupils are less likely to develop ‘reading stamina’, that is extended reading of a novel, short stories or a wider range of complex texts.

Discussion points

1. Is this an issue in your school and, if so, what effect does it have on pupils’ attitudes towards reading?

2. How do individual teachers influence pupils’ reading preferences?

3. What can you do, both as a school and as individual teachers, to build up pupils’ reading stamina?

4. Do you ever provide extended encounters with non-fiction texts for pupils? What works well?

Slide 23 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Inspectors commented in subject visits on the often narrow range of texts available for pupils to read. Discuss the range of books and other materials (such as magazines, comics, non-fiction, or electronic texts) available in your school and agree what needs to be improved.

Next, you should review the school’s provision for reading, following your discussions in this unit.

Read some of the good practice examples in Excellence in English (2011). You might want to look especially at how two schools approached the teaching of reading: St Thomas of Canterbury and Clifton Green.

Agree a plan of action for independent reading and reading for pleasure in your school.

The range of texts available

How many of your children have weak language and communication skills on entry to the school?

Issue 4

Slide 25 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

This unit focuses on pupils’ oral communication skills and how the school might be able to improve them. It is broadly agreed that children develop speaking before reading and writing skills. Indeed, it can be argued that the quality of a child’s reading and writing ultimately depends on a child’s range of vocabulary and their ability to express themselves well orally. You will need to consider two questions at this stage.

Communication skills and the Early Years Foundation Stage

Discussion points

1.Is oral communication a strength of pupils in your school or not?

2.Has this changed in recent years and, if so, why?

Slide 26 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

The English report states that: ‘The earlier that children develop confidence in their speech, along with an extensive vocabulary, the more likely it is that they will be able to improve their overall competence in reading and writing.’ Do you agree? How might a wide vocabulary and confidence in speaking help the development of pupils’ literacy skills?

An earlier report from Ofsted on the EYFS commented that ‘speaking and listening were (sometimes) weak because the provider was relying on learning happening accidentally’.

Communication skills; ‘learning happening accidentally’?

Discussion point

1.Do speaking and listening develop ‘accidentally’ at your school or do you have a clear programme for oral communication?

Slide 27 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

The report refers to two case studies in early language development described in more detail in the earlier publication, Excellence in English. Read the two case studies in the ‘Excellence’ report on St Thomas of Canterbury School and Jump Primary School.

Ask teachers to make a note of the things that they find interesting in them.

‘Bathing children in language all the time’

Discussion points

1.Review the two case studies and discuss how you might improve the communication skills of your children in the EYFS. Identify some ideas for an action plan.

2.How effectively are role play areas used both in the EYFS and, if at all, other classes? What are the arguments both for and against other classes having designated role play areas?

Slide 28 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Discuss what you can do to strengthen the oral communication skills of your pupils. How can teachers continue to develop speaking and listening beyond the EYFS? Draw up a possible list of actions to improve practice in this area. Use the prompts below as a starting point for discussion.

Developing speaking and listening skills beyond the EYFS

Discussion points

The explicit, planned teaching of oral communication

Your responsibility to model spoken language for your pupils

Using spoken language as a resource in the classroom

Intervening in pupils’ spoken language.

Effective leadership and management of English

Issue 5

Slide 30 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Subject knowledge in English in primary schools

Discussion points

When, if at all, do staff feel that they lack specialist knowledge in English?

You might discuss issues such as:

grammar and grammatical terminology

contemporary children’s literature

poetry

differences between Standard English and local dialects

how to support more able writers, for example Level 5 or above in Year 6

how ICT can support pupils’ work in English

phonics

spelling

Slide 31 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

English: a subject audit

Discussion points

1. Are you making the most of existing staff knowledge in English?

2. Which teachers have a specialist qualification in English?

3. Which members of staff have a particular area of interest in English, such as children’s fiction, drama, Shakespeare, accents and dialects?

4. How well is this existing expertise being used in school? You may already have a subject leader. Could you make better use of other areas of knowledge?

5. For example, the report refers to a possible role of reading advocate or champion in schools. This might well be an informal or temporary role. Would anyone like to take this role on and, if so, how might it be developed?

Slide 32 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

The report makes the point that management of English is often good but that there are comparative weaknesses in subject leadership. The most common are: lack of a clear defining vision for English; unevenness in the quality of teaching; and weaknesses in subject planning, including a lack of clarity about how to improve teaching.

Improving the leadership and management of English

Discussion points

1.What particular contribution does English make to pupils’ learning?

2.What aspects of English would you wish to prioritise?

3.What are the particular needs of your pupils; what makes them different from other pupils?

4.What do you value most about English?

Slide 33 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

Talk about the different ways in which your school evaluates the quality of English. Normal strategies include: lesson observations; work scrutiny; review of teachers’ plans; and feedback from pupils and parents and carers.

Is this evidence used effectively and how might it be improved?

Improving teaching in English

Discussion points

1.Does the school or subject action plan clearly identify strategies designed to improve teaching in English?

2.How is the subject leader involved in evaluating teaching and learning in English?

3.What more could the school do to improve its understanding of the quality of teaching and learning in English?

Summary and conclusion

Slide 35 of 35 Ofsted’s Subject Professional Development Materials: English (primary schools)

No matter how much of this training pack you have used, you should by now have identified some action points in English

You might also wish to look at the specific criteria we use to judge English on subject inspections. You can find this material on Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/20100015

You will also find examples of good practice on Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/goodpractice

We welcome comments on this training resource. Please write to enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk and ensure that you put ‘English professional development materials’ in the subject box of your email.

Conclusion: next steps to improve English