SELF EVALUATION DOCUMENT: PETERBOROUGH’S EAL STRATEGY

Ofsted fieldwork on the impact of migration in schools in Bradford, Kent and Peterborough local authorities: November/December 2014

1) The Four objectives  To improve progress and attainment of all EAL pupils and enable every school to meet their needs  To develop key schools and settings as centres of excellence (hubs) to support and develop system-wide EAL capacity across the City  To develop a city-wide workforce with EAL knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to both classroom practice and leadership through a major professional development programme  To engage with families and communities, in order to improve progress and attainment of EAL pupils 2) Focus The new strategy focuses on:  better preparing schools and settings for the growth in numbers of pupils with EAL;  addressing the specific needs of newly arrived pupils with a particular focus on those from East European Roma backgrounds;  closing the attainment gap for the large cohort of advanced EAL learners by enhancing their academic language skills;  engaging bilingual families and communities in raising attainment;  creating a city-wide network of highly skilled professionals with accredited EAL expertise; 

identifying and supporting the development of schools and settings as potential centres of excellence and facilitating school to school support. 1

Ofsted fieldwork on the impact of migration in schools in Bradford, Kent and Peterborough local authorities: Nov/Dec 2014 Key to RAGs: Dark Green = Outstanding; Light Green = Good; Amber = Requires Improvement; Red = Inadequate;

Number 1. Preparing schools and settings for the expected growth in numbers of pupils with EAL

Key Questions.

Evidence (reference to document pack)

RAG

To prepare schools and settings and settings for this growth we will:

Handbook produced March 2014 (hard copies and electronic), elements shared previously with hub  share up-to-date information about the latest demographic trends; heads, ref group and primary heads meeting. Now  provide all schools and settings with a Peterborough EAL used in schools’ own CPD. See handbook. (3.1 and Essentials Handbook; 3.4)  support schools and settings in understanding how to collect accurately and interpret effectively EAL data. Data courses and consultancy provided. See course brochure. (3.55) Data shared in newsletters and with heads in more detail. (3.50-3.53) See presentation from hub heads March 2014. (3.24) Courses include a slot containing strategic overview of the city wide data.

2. Addressing the needs of newly arrived pupils

There has been a cultural shift since early 2013 from a widespread demand for a reception centre to an  identify the keys schools and settings able to develop into centres understanding of how to meet the need of new arrivals in mainstream classrooms. (3.12-3.13) of excellence for newly arrived pupils;  support the development and operation of effective induction School Ofsted and HMI reports (Highlees, West systems in schools and settings;  provide professional development in individual schools and Town, The Beeches, Newborough and Ken settings and through central courses focussing on meeting the needs of Stimpson) highlight the positive impact of this work newly arrived pupils in mainstream classrooms, including those who on schools systems and classroom practice. (3.36To support pupils new to English we will:

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Number

Key Questions.

Evidence (reference to document pack)

RAG

arrive in Key stages 2.3 and 4 (aged 7-16 years) with little or no literacy 3.39) in any language; Work with pilot and hub schools has changed induction practice (e.g., West Town and Ken Stimpson). New arrivals courses and Fast Track Literacy Course (for new arrivals with no or little literacy in any language) have run. See brochure and course evaluations. (3.55 and 3.58) 95% good or better evaluations of delegate courses. 570 attendances at city wide delegate courses in 1314 (including on line and M level course) 550 attendances at school based courses in 13-14. 3. Closing the attainment gap for the large cohort of advanced EAL learners by enhancing their academic language skills

Work with pilot and hub schools has changed To enhance the academic language skills of pupils at the later stages of practice (e.g., Gladstone Y4 potential high attainers English language acquisition we will: partnership teaching and Thorpe EAL pupils and inference training). (3.40-.3.42)  provide all schools and settings with a Peterborough EAL Essentials Handbook; Primary and secondary advanced learner courses  provide professional development in individual schools and settings have run. See brochure and course evaluations and through central courses focussing on the teaching of the formal, (3.55 and 3.58). See course attendance numbers academic language required for success in exams and tests; above.  provide professional development focussing on the teaching of the language required for innovation and creativity; Some issues around secondary engagement with  run Summer and Easter schools for Year 5 and Year 10 pupils on city wide courses. Four secondary schools have had academic language development; school based advanced EAL training one has had Leadership and EAL training.  explore provision for advanced EAL learners in post-16 institutions. Two day Summer schools for Year 5 and 9 on academic writing well received, although Year 5 much better attended. 3

Number

Key Questions.

Evidence (reference to document pack)

RAG

Clear impact can be seen in improvement in the unvalidated Key Stage 2 EAL outcomes in 2014 (10 percentage points up on the equivalent 2013 figure). See 3.43)

4. Engaging In order to involve families and communities we will work with partners, families and including City College, to establish: communities  in raising arrangements (including co-ordination between hub schools) to attainment  •

Roma training now forms part of the professional development offer. Schools are also engaged with a British Council funded research project on Roma ascription. A Roma family liaison post has been funded and recruitment is under way (3.31). Other posts are currently the subject of advanced discussion with the Communities Directorate. We have supported Latvian & Lithuanian schools in finding premises. Gladstone Primary School is hosting a meeting for all supplementary and mother tongue schools. A successful, cluster based pilot brought together heads, BME staff and parents to develop and share ideas for parental engagement.

ensure there are well trained staff from newly arrived communities (especially newly arrived Roma communities) to act as a bridge between schools, parents and communities and encourages and assists parents into employment (community champions);  • provide training and support for mother tongue and supplementary schools;  • provide professional development in individual schools and settings and through central courses in parental and community engagement;  • develop the forums in which we engage with community organisations in order to place improving progress and raising the Peterborough Regional College has now joined the EAL Strategy reference group and we plan to offer attainment of EAL pupils high on the agenda; schools suitable college students as volunteers and • offer opportunities to provide joint training with ESOL providers. role models.

Parental and community engagement is a key element in support to individual schools and in the self-evaluation process. (3.14)

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Number

Key Questions.

5. Creating a  City-wide network of  highly skilled professionals with accredited  EAL expertise

In order to develop a network of highly skilled professionals with accredited EAL expertise we will: • provide specialist degree and masters level programmes in the leadership of EAL customised to Peterborough, creating a cohort of specialist leaders of education with distinctive EAL expertise; • provide lower level wholly on-line accredited programmes in EAL customised to Peterborough for teachers and support staff; • set up and facilitate on-line and face-to-face EAL networks for senior and middle leaders.

6. Identifying and supporting the development of centres of excellence

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In order to identify and support the development of centres of excellence we will: • complete a school-by-school diagnostic of EAL needs, growth patterns, progress and attainment in order to identify schools and settings as potential centres of excellence; • support identified schools and settings in developing their excellence and their ability to support other schools and settings; • support the development of the leadership of EAL within schools; encourage and facilitate school-to-school support

Evidence (reference to document pack)

RAG

Cohort 1 of a masters level course (accredited by Greenwich University) is underway, with a second planned for April 2014. See 3.56. The fifth cohort of a 36 hour on line course starts in January 2015. Primary and secondary networks EAL networks meet at least termly.

Initially 10 hub schools (6 primary and 4 secondary) were identified as potential centres of excellence. An 11th school (Newborough) was subsequently added to provide coverage of more isolated EAL learners in schools with small numbers of EAL pupils. A hub heads group has met on a termly basis and its October 2014 input led to a decision to reshape this element of the strategy to better match the evolving school improvement landscape. We are replacing the hub heads group with a steering comprised of a representatives from each of the ten newly established school collaboratives. We are also facilitating EAL self-evaluation support through the school triads, which sit within each collaborative. See 3.22-3.24.

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