Aim: To raise standards across the Academy and reduce variation between departments.

Background: After the 2013 Ofsted judgement of ‘Requires Improvement’, the need to upskill middle and senior leaders, and subsequently teachers, in the use of data to drive improvement in teaching and learning was recognised.

Method:

Year 1:

A new policy on reporting, tracking and assessment was produced, growing and sharpening the information which students received to enable them to make improvements. SISRA was introduced to allow all leaders to immediately engage with data. Staff were trained in the use of data and academic systems – allowing the data to be turned around into meaningful summary sheets quickly, thus teachers knew their students better.

Year 2 :

An investment into ALPS at KS5 allowed further interrogation of data in the Sixth Form. Further development of the class profile and use of data within planning and marking to accelerate progress was undertaken.The school invested in Classcharts giving staff quick access to their seating plans and the data in a visual medium.

Year 3:

The use and depth of data currently within KS4 was extended to both KS3 and KS5. A new assessment without levels system of reporting was launched and time was devoted to ensuring that heads of department had the curriculum set up to reflect key performance indicators in each subject area.

CAT and PASS data was successfully used for the second year running, giving insight into student prior performance with new KS2 and their attitudes to school, allowing focused mentoring to take place.

Evidence: Exam results, staff feedback, Ofsted reports.

Impact: The 2016 OFSTED judgement rated the school as ‘Good’ in all categories and commented that school leaders had worked hard to develop thorough systems for checking how well pupils are doing. More importantly the journey has improved the outcomes and therefore life chances for our young people.

Staff feedback was very positive about SISRA, commenting how helpful the data was in assessing student progress. All leaders are now more adept in challenging each other in the use of data, and teachers are more considered when they make any reporting judgement, knowing the level of scrutiny it will be under.

Reflections: This project has really helped increase the profile and awareness of data and its importance in the successful journey of any school. This has tied in well with changes to reporting in a world without levels in KS3 and our drive to enable all teachers to be confident interrogators of data. There is now an embedded culture of a continual data cycle, which starts and ends with the student.

Contact: Pete Ward, PWard@srpa.co.uk