hub four strands

narrowing attainment gaps, progression & evaluating progress

Between April 1st 2008 and July 2009 the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) worked in collaboration with the National Strategies to develop progression guidance for pupils with SEN/LDD including those working below level 1of the National Curriculum.

This project focuses solely upon pupil progress in English, Maths and Science but nevertheless recognises that many competencies lie outside the remit of the project, competencies that have a significant impact on the life chances of pupils with SEN/LDD.

Work on these wider outcomes is being taken forward, by the DCSF, through the separate but linked development of school-level indicators on the ECM outcomes and guidance to schools on their duty to promote the well-being of their pupils.

The progression guidance project is designed to support the development of a clear understanding of what constitutes good progress for pupils with SEN/LDD within these subject areas. It will do this by:

  • providing guidance on what is good progress for pupils with SEN/LDD;
  • developing the capacity of RAISEonline; and
  • developing training materials.
narrowing attainment gaps, progression & evaluation progress part2

In 2009/10 this strand integrates and builds upon three initiatives which were launched in 2008/9. It links this work with a major new project- Achievement for All - which is launched in 10 pilot LAs in September 2009.

    The three initiatives developed from 2008/9 are:
  • The dissemination of the Audit Commission/NS Value for Money resource and principles to schools.
  • The dissemination, application and development of the Progression Guidance materials and principles for children and young people with SEN/LDD.
  • The consolidation of the role of the SEN and School Improvement consultant, or equivalent, to support greater alignment of services and to mainstream the above initiatives to support gap narrowing between pupils with SEN/LDD and their peers.
This work will support a productive linkage between the pilot Achievement for All LA in each region and the LAs participating in Strand 2.

Contact Names: Pauline Pitman and Jenny Digges, National Strategies Advisers (SEN)
research@stevecochraneassociates.co.uk

There are two broad parts to Strand 2: the first part involves the dissemination and application of a range of resources focussing on narrowing the gaps and evaluating progress.
The second part relates to disseminating key features of the Achievement for All project

i) Narrowing the gaps and evaluating progress
Introduction
Overall objectives for this strand are:

  • To consolidate and embed the progression materials, alongside other school improvement resources, such as the SEN-AEN VfM Resource Pack, in order to improve the attainment and progress of pupils with SEND.
  • To network and identify best practice in the development of data to track progress, set ambitious targets and evaluate the attainment and progress of pupils working well below national expectations,
  • Develop a robust assessment and moderation framework, linked to the QCA materials and Assessment for Learning, for pupils working at the lower national curriculum and P levels.
  • To draw on the work of the regional strands to raise expectations about increased alignment of SEN/LDD support services with LA School Improvement Services in the context of locality delivery.
  • To continue the dissemination and networking of work arising out of the continuing AfA initiative.

ii) Achievement for All
Introduction: Purpose of Hub involvement in AfA

Purpose of Hub involvement
The key purposes for including Achievement for All within the Regional SEN Hubs programme (strand 2) are:

  • Information – To provide updated local and national information about the AfA project to all LAs
  • Dissemination - To provide an opportunity to disseminate the key local and national findings of AfA to all LAs
  • Practice Transfer - To support strategic leads within LAs to embed elements of good practice arising from AfA at LA and school level. This will include practice relating to:
      • The key principles underpinning AfA
      • The AfA school improvement framework used to apply these principles
      • The key messages arising from the project e.g. mainstreaming SEN
      • Effective strategies developed across each of the 3 AfA strands
      • The links between AfA and the other elements of strand 2 (progression guidance, VfM tool, assessment, development of SEN/LDD support services and their linkages with LA school improvement functions).
  • Sustainability – To promote AfA as an effective school improvement model for supporting all learners in ways which are sustainable beyond the life of the National Strategies and the AfA project itself.