Evaluation of the Two Year Key Stage 3 Project - Communities and ...

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Francemary SchoolThe case study visit took place in Autumn 2004. At that time the first cohort of Project pupils were inYear 8.The school is a very large 11-18 mixed comprehensive school in a large English city. The proportion ofpupils eligible for free school meals is slightly higher than the national average and the school has arelatively high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups. Attainment at the school is similar tothe national average at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 and also in relation to the DfES value addedindicator.The school’s interest in offering a shortened Key Stage 3 pre-dated the Project and a small group ofpupils were already following an accelerated course in English. This reflected the school’s interests inpersonalised learning, improving the transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and preventing a dip inprogress during Year 8. In addition, the school already offered a two year Key Stage 3 programme inICT which was then followed by all pupils pursuing the GNVQ in ICT during Year 9 and Year 10.On joining the Project it was decided that all pupils should follow a two year programme in English,mathematics and ICT. A key issue in planning this version of a two year Key Stage was to make thearrangements manageable - with all pupils following these subjects during both Key Stage 3 and KeyStage 4 the challenges for timetabling would be reduced.At the time of the visit it was planned that at the end of Year 8 all pupils would start their GCSEEnglish course (including those not entered for their Key Stage 3 SAT until Year 9). Some higherattaining pupils would be entered for English Language and English Literature in Year 10 and then havethe opportunity to gain qualifications in drama, media studies or dance in year 11. The very highestattaining pupils would be able to sit GCSEs in Year 9. It was suggested the saved time may also be usedto undertake modules of AS level English during Year 11 thus providing more free time in Year 12.However, staff were also aware that many pupils joined the school sixth form in Year 12 andconsequently early starts to A level courses could be problematic.In addition, vocational pathways were to be available from Year 10 as, it was suggested, some pupilswere already becoming disaffected at this stage. The school therefore aimed that such pupils should beable to achieve an English qualification as soon as possible - either during Year 9 or Year 10.In the case of mathematics, taught within sets, it was planned for all pupils to begin work on modularGCSEs in the final half term of Year 8. For the bottom four sets (of 12) the focus was described asbeing on progress compared with expected levels rather than on condensing the whole curriculum intotwo years. The least able pupils would then follow a GCSE course in two years followed by amathematics course which it was felt would be more useful to them in later life.In general, pupils would be entered for examinations when ready during Year 10 and 11. It wasanticipated that pupils in the top sets would complete GCSE mathematics in year 10 and then statisticsin Year 11. Middle sets would however be able to devote three years to their GCSE courses.The ICT department was already teaching Key Stage 3 within two years with all pupils following aGNVQ course in Years 9 and 10. Pupils did not study ICT in Year 11 and the saved time was used forother subjects. It was planned for the GNVQ course to be replaced with a BTEC course.73
Abbotswell SchoolThe case study visit took place in the Summer of 2005. At that time the first cohort of Project pupilswere in Year 7.Abbotswell School was characterised by an interviewee as a non-selective school located in a largelyselective local authority. The prior attainment of the intake of the school is below the national averageand the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals above the national average. Key Stage 4results are below the national average although the DfES value added measure suggests pupils makeabove average progress from Key Stage 2 to 4 although not to Key Stage 3.Abbotswell School joined Phase 2 of the Two Year Key Stage 3 Project. In contrast to many of theother participating schools, at Abbotswell for most pupils the condensed Key Stage 3 curriculum wascovered during Year 8 and Year 9. Year 7 was used as a foundation year with a strong focus on literacyand numeracy. Condensed curricula were followed in English, mathematics, science, technology,history, geography, religious education, drama and modern foreign languages. A conventional threeyear Key Stage 3 was followed, in some subjects, by some higher attaining pupils.It was felt that the conventional National Curriculum was not meeting the needs of pupils atAbbotswell. The Key Stage 4 curriculum had already been adapted with, for example, differentpathways offering vocational and work based options. The new Year 7 programme was described astrying to tie pupils into education rather than turning them off it.For example, not all pupils studied a foreign language in Year 7. The four lower attaining groupsinstead followed an ‘Opening Doors’ programme delivered by the SEN department. Similarly a‘Learning to Learn’ programme delivered by the personal social and health education team focused onlearning styles and skills that would enable pupils to be successful in the classroom such as standing upand talking to the class, listening to others, teamwork and self-assessment.In addition, in other subjects the Key Stage 3 curriculum had been adapted to better engage pupils. Thechanges were supported by the staff interviewed because so many pupils struggled to access thecurriculum. The Year 7 programme included literacy, numeracy and a great deal of cross-curricularwork. To take the case of geography, cross-curricular activity included an art unit on geography inphotographs and drawing geographical images, and a mathematics unit concerning grid references.Similarly Year 7 science lessons for the lowest science set often used literacy-based starters such asanagrams or missing words and might be followed by the use of sorting cards or keyword definitions inorder to develop a vocabulary of science. It was suggested that this was more fun to teach and hadperhaps improved pupils’ behaviour.74
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RESEARCHEvaluation of the Two YearK
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CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 21. EVALU
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nationally expected level for pupil
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For schools operating an accelerate
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2.2 Attainment and attitudesThe tim
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could follow a Year 7 and Year 8 Ke
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Figure 2 - Percentage of Project sc
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The analysis of Key Stage 3 results
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Table 4 - Proportion of pupils achi
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Figure 4 - 2005 Key Stage 3 mathema
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Table 6 - Proportion of pupils achi
Page 25 and 26: SummaryIn the case of English, when
Page 27 and 28: 4.4 Attainment summaryThe analysis
Page 29 and 30: to 8 these were in the opposite dir
Page 31 and 32: Figure 10 - Percentage of Year 7 pu
Page 33 and 34: 6. ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDY DATAAs ha
Page 35 and 36: Table 9 - Operationalisation of the
Page 37 and 38: 6.1 Overall viewsMost, though not a
Page 39 and 40: Points of interest for the higher s
Page 41 and 42: The key advantage is opening up Key
Page 43 and 44: 6.3 ProgressionNevertheless, findin
Page 45 and 46: would no longer exist. Both of the
Page 47 and 48: However, as a colleague noted, even
Page 49 and 50: Most commonly the freedom was used
Page 51 and 52: Phase 2 Project and Phase 2 Compari
Page 53 and 54: A11 - Key Stage 3 attainmentProject
Page 55 and 56: A20 - Reported number of books in t
Page 57 and 58: The variables listed below were inc
Page 59 and 60: Table C1 - Final model for Year 7 M
Page 62 and 63: Table C3 - Final model for Year 7 E
Page 64 and 65: Figure C2 - Year 7 English Optional
Page 66 and 67: Table C8 - Final model for Year 8 m
Page 68 and 69: Figure C4 - Year 8 mathematics high
Page 70 and 71: Table C11 - Final model for Year 8
Page 72: Good teachersMy teachers make sure
Page 75: ANNEX F - CASE STUDY SUMMARIESPhoeb
Page 79 and 80: Elsiemaud SchoolThe case study visi
Page 81 and 82: Henryson SchoolThe case study visit
Page 83 and 84: ANNEX G - OTHER EARLY ENTRANTS TO 2
Page 85 and 86: Table G5 - Key Stage 3 Mathematics
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