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Literacy and NumeracyOFMDFM/DE Delivering Social Change
English and Mathematics Signature ProgrammePost Primary
Signature students succeed beyond expectations
Hannah Thompson joined Bangor Academy as their Signature/NISPLAN teacher, going back to the school where she had been a pupil. Due to her work with the Signature intervention groups of 55 pupils, 71% attained a grade ‘C’ or above. In addition to their academic success, many of these boys and girls showed an increase in their self-confidence, independence and engagement in other classes.
Hannah says that the success is due to using all data effectively, being flexible in her teaching strategies and working closely with the English department and with the pupils’ parents. Her philosophy is that “each pupil contributes to a picture of the school’s success
and represents a life of opportunity and potential, so they are worth spending time
on to get it right… and seeing their smiles when they got their results was really rewarding.”
Hannah has shared her strategies and resources at many professional development events, including going back to Stranmillis College at the RTU summer school, “It has been such a pleasure to work and teach alongside
those who taught me, and to go back to familiar places armed with new skills and experiences.”
(Hannah’s resources along with others developed during the programme are available on the website nisplan.welbni.org.uk.)
65.0% of the targeted students achieved a grade C or above in English
59.6% of the targeted students achieved a grade C or above in mathematics
48% of the targeted students showed an improvement in their attendance
9.2% increase in GCSE 5 A* to C including English and mathematics over the two-year period
(see page 6 for further analysis)
SUCCESSIN
FIGURES
PAGE 02
Welcome to Legacy, a newsletter written to promote the legacy of the OFMDFM/DE NISPLAN/Signature Programme. Using the criteria from the Implementation plan, 142 post primary schools received the resource of a support teacher for English and/or mathematics for up to five days a week for two years. (The plan can be found on nisplan.welbni.org.uk).
Through this newsletter we hope to bring to you a flavour of the clear success of the programme, and the reasons for that success. By focussing on the elements which schools used to help their children succeed, our quality indicators, we will identify teachers, schools and strategies which were successful and hopefully provide a legacy of effective intervention for other schools to use and be inspired by.
As the team leading the programme we believe that focussing on the individual child, making effective use of all available and relevant data, using appropriate strategies delivered by skilled professionals, supported by school leadership and parents, brings the greatest degree of success.
Michael Burns, Programme leader, NISPLAN/Signature, EANI
Introduction
Cover page story........................................................................P1
Introduction………………….........................................………P2
Foreword…….......…...................................................…..P3
What difference did NISPLAN make?...............…….........……..P4
Quality Indicators for NISPLAN success..................................P5
Signature Success in Figures……..........................................…P6
Teachers................................................................................P7 - 9
Leadership..........................................................................P10 -11
Pupils..................................................................................P12 -13
Parents…………………….....………..................………………P14
Signature Success in Lagan College.......................................P15
Collaboration………………………........……..................……..P16
What makes a good Signature teacher?…….......................….P17
Monitoring and Evaluating.......................................................P18
Intervention model...................................................................P19
Significant moments for the Signature Teachers….................P20
Success in figures - the broader impact.....................................P21
Examples of resources on the website...............................P22-23
EA Contribution……..........................................................…..P24
School self-evaluation.............................................................P25
Reflection………....………..............................................…..P26
Legacy of the DSC Signature Programme………….............…..P27
Contents
PAGE 03
Delivering Social Change is an Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMdFM) framework that seeks to co-ordinate key actions across Government Departments to take forward work on priority social policy areas.
It aims to deliver a sustained reduction in poverty and associated issues across all ages and is also seeking to secure an improvement in children and young people’s health, well-being and life opportunities thereby breaking the long term cycle of multi-generational problems.
In October 2012 OFMdFM announced the Delivering Social Change Signature Programme on improving English and mathematics.
Following this announcement, the Department of Education wholeheartedly embraced the development of the Signature Programme which has been delivered by the then Western Education and Library Board (WELB) on behalf of all the managing authorities.
The success of this programme rests with all the teachers and school leaders who embraced it with enthusiasm and professionalism and were ably supported by the joint ELB programme team. The successful delivery of this programme is an example of what can be achieved when key stakeholders work well together in support of a common goal.
During the two years of this programme over 18,000 individual pupils were supported in English and mathematics and many of these pupils have gone on to post-primary school, sixth form or further education with stronger English and mathematics skills than they would otherwise have had.
This Legacy Programme hopes to continue the success of the DSC Signature Programme and, by using the skills, knowledge and practice developed during the programme, reach more pupils; especially for those pupils with the greatest barriers to learning.
Standards and Improvement Team, Department of Education.
Foreword
PAGE 04
The legacy of the NISPLAN/Signature Programme, seen in the difference it has made in the lives of those who were involved with it, is such that it has far-reaching implications. An old African proverb tells us “it takes a whole village to raise a child;” young people extending their learning and acquiring what are key qualifications, in conjunction with wider community support, will have a lasting impact on society in general. In the Signature Programme we believe that, when we all work together towards a common goal, we really can change lives.
What difference did NISPLAN make?
Increased attainment in English and/or Maths.
Pupils report greater understanding of the topics covered in literacy/numeracy.
Greater awareness of barriers to improvement.
Developed skills of target-setting and self-evaluation.
More confident in their ability to undertake literacy and/or numeracy tasks.More engagement through small group activities.Better attendance.More enthusiastic about their learning.Higher expectations.Feeling valued and treated with respect.
Better behaviour in some disengaged pupils.
Greater perseverance.
More positive disposition so more positive behaviour.
Better able to cope back in mainstream class.
Lea
rner
s
What type of change is it?Who hasexperiencedthe change?
Able to use data to identify targeted pupils more effectively.
Greater understanding of the barriers to achievement.
Greater understanding of the strategies to overcome barriers.
Developed key resources with access for others on the website.
Legacy of intervention skills for use beyond project.
Centrally Recruited teachers were positive about the intervention project and the skills developed.
Seconded teachers reported an increase in professional development and positive feelings about the project’s legacy.
Backfill teachers felt positive to have employment and increase their specific skills.
Integrated the intervention work into the SDP/ departmental plan.
More use made of positive connections with parents.
New connections established with other schools.
Focussed collaboration with other teachers in the school.
Sig
nat
ure
Tea
cher
s
• Development and display of effective leadership skills at many levels.• Model of effective collaboration inside schools, between schools and across board areas.• Most effective strategies agreed for intervention and for supporting students at risk of
underachievement.• Greater engagement with parents.• The legacy of Signature was passed on through professional development and the newsletter to
non-Signature schools.Sch
oo
l an
d
bey
on
d
Delivering Social Change by: • Increasing the attainment in the key areas of literacy and numeracy for many Year 6&7 pupils
and GCSE pupils • Increasing the potential success for children eligible for Free School Meals• 6% rise in GCSE 5A*- C including English and Maths• 4.8% rise in GCSE 5A*- C including English and Maths (FSME)• Providing employment for two years for 310 Signature teachers• Providing opportunities for employment after the programme - (post-programme questionnaire
indicates that 57% of the respondents acquired a teaching position).So
ciet
y
Attitudes/Feelings BehaviourKnowledge/Skills
PAGE 05
Each of these quality indicators reflects an area of the programme which had the potential to be the reason for success or failure. Just as the ETI indicators are a measure for all schools to use, these specific aspects are for the consideration of schools to work out why progress was not as extensive as had been anticipated. They could be used for your school to track through this newsletter and then evaluate areas of provision as you plan any future intervention (these are colour coded).
The programme was subject to evaluation by the ETI in November 2014 and then again after the end of the programme to assess its legacy.
7 Quality Indicators
The attainment of good or better standards in English and mathematics at all key stages is vital if pupils are to access fully and confidently all areas of learning within the NI curriculum and to progress successfully to higher/further education, training or employment.
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was commissioned in 2013 by the Department of Education (DE) to undertake a two-year evaluation of the implementation of the Delivering Social Change: Improving English and Mathematics Signature Programme in schools. During this time, ETI visited 80 schools and observed over 200 lessons, with further practice being evaluated as part of other inspection work. Inspectors spoke with: the pupils accessing the targeted support; some parents; newly or recently qualified Signature-funded teachers; teachers providing the targeted support; principals; some governors; and, the advisory and support staff of the Strategic Oversight Group and the employing authorities.
The key finding was that the overall effectiveness of the programme was good or better in 88% of the schools visited; and very good or outstanding in 61% of these schools.
The ETI hopes that this resource supports and inspires teachers in their relentless drive to provide all pupils with high quality provision and, in particular, with the tailored support required for those pupils at risk of underachieving. Nicola Byrne, Reporting Inspector
The survey comments are based on the first visits in 83 schools and will be referenced throughout the newsletter.
ETI survey
PUPILS
TEACHERSPARENTS
LEADERSHIP
PLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATION
PAGE 06
Programme SuccessThe schools’ final NISPLAN evaluation reports show that they could demonstrate
success across the two years of the programme. The reasons for this would be greater understanding of the needs of the programme, the cumulative effect of the second ayear of support, late arrival of the centrally-recruited teacher or more careful targeting of the students.
Signature Success in Figures
Total number of FTE teachers employed across 142 Post Primary Schools
Seconded for backfill 167.5
Centrally Recruited 52.5
TeachersThese are the total numbers of teachers employed as a result of the Delivering Social Change - NISPLAN programme across 142 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.
StudentsThe number of post-primary school students supported by the programme over the two years, 2013-2015. So, over thirteen thousand young people have a greater opportunity to access post-16 courses and follow their chosen career path than
would have previously.
57.2%of pupils
supported by DSCacross both years
achieved a grade C orabove in GCSE
mathematics
Professional Development Courses
5
4
3
2
1
0
4.23 4.40 4.67 4.59
Principals Seconded PP CR PP All PP
Principals
Seconded PP
CR PP
All PP
EnglishMaths
FSME58.2% 63.0%
Non-FSME
54.5% 58.5%
Male58.6% 65.5%
Female
60.6% 54.5%61.6%57.2%
All Pupils
% DSC pupils in 2013/14 and 2014/15 achieving grade C or above, English and Maths
Results exclude pupils with missing or incomplete data
AchievementThe performance gap between Non-FSME and FSME pupils was greatest in Maths with a 6.1% point difference. The difference in English was only 1.1% point in favour of non-FSME pupils.
A higher proportion of girls than boys achieved grade C or above in English, 68.3% and 62.0% respectively. Whilst a higher proportion of boys than girls achieved grade C or above in Maths, 64.5% and 55.5% respectively.
AttendanceAverage attendance for Signature students rose by 51.3% over the two years. Reasons: the students felt like they were being cared for more; they were being more closely monitored and felt pressured to attend school and do better; they enjoyed the extra support; the success they were experiencing through the extra
support led to higher self-esteem and belief in their ability to do well.
Professional DevelopmentThe professional development courses run by EA were well-received scores were based on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
51.3%
61.6%of pupils
supported by DSC across both years
achieved a grade C orabove in GCSE
English
13,333
PAGE 07
TEACHERSA key indicator of success for the Signature programme was the ability
of the teacher, whether centrally-recruited or in the seconded position, to
identify the best pupils for intervention, to use the most effective teaching
strategies, to assess and monitor incrementally, and to collaborate well with
their colleagues and with parents.
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTS
Kathryn Warren, the Signature English teacher in St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School and Malone College, Belfast
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.When I first discovered I would be working in an all-boys grammar school with the Signature Programme, one of my immediate thoughts was ‘engage boys through competition.’ Whilst competition is often a great and effective strategy used to engage boys, it was clear after a few weeks in St Mary’s CBGS that this wasn’t what the boys I would be working with needed. For them it felt like they were in a competition they were losing each day in a classroom full of others who had no problems with English. Therefore, the key to my work as a Signature Teacher was building strategies that ensured the increased confidence of the boys was paramount. They had become their own fiercest opponent.
Could I help them overcome their self-doubt that existed around the subject of English? How could we work together to move from a fixed mindset of “I can’t” to a growth mindset of “I can try”?
At its core, much of my work was based around positive relationships between pupil-teacher, pupil-pupil, teacher-teacher founded on mutual respect. Students needed to know that their best attempt was valid, that they have a safe space to voice their ideas and there are no stupid questions. They also greatly benefitted from their own class teacher being aware of the progress they were making, and encouragement coming from many places across the department.
In effect the Head of English and I ‘dismantled’ the English GCSE, breaking it down into small, manageable chunks, as opposed to seeing it as one large giant that was proving difficult to defeat. The boys were encouraged to focus in on one skill at a time, and they took incremental steps towards success. In doing so, this built their confidence over time; once they had mastered one skill they were keen to tackle another!
These are boys who now believe that perseverance pays off, failure is an opportunity to learn and a positive attitude can change everything.
PAGE 08
Katie Martin, the Signature English teacher in New-Bridge Integrated College, BanbridgeDuring the course of the Programme, the Signature Mathematics teacher and I strived to seamlessly integrate our strategies and resources into departmental practice in order to create a long-lasting impact for the school. In order to facilitate this, we led a full Staff Inset session in November 2014 based on effective methods for raising attainment. This session provided staff with information about behaviour strategies such as class and pupil reports; effective communication with parents; active learning strategies and; monitoring and evaluation of progress and strategies.
My Signature practice will continue to shape my English teaching. I will use the data analysis skills I developed to identify underachievement to target pupils at an early stage and tailor my schemes of work using specially adapted resources. Keeping a tight focus on assessment objectives and mark schemes through the use of graded learning intentions, ensures that the pupils know exactly what they must be able to do to achieve their target grade.
I joined the school with the percentage of students achieving grades A*- C in mathematics having gradually declined to 40%.
The first year of the Signature Programme was a learning curve. We identified the underachievers based on previous tracking and the class teacher’s professional judgement and selected 18 students in year 12 and 7 in year 11 to receive support. They were withdrawn from non-GCSE lessons and received one hour numeracy support from myself in small
groups. I was excellently supported by all staff and senior management who were entirely flexible with regards to timetabling to ensure I could
implement the support effectively. I began by identifying the specific needs of the students and then developed tailored resources for the support sessions.
The main aim for each student was to achieve a grade C in GCSE mathematics but I also wanted to build their confidence and enjoyment for the subject. I tracked their progress in each area and regularly reported back to the class teacher and senior management. The overall percentage of students achieving grades A*- C in mathematics increased to 63.6%; not only had our results improved but there was a renewed enthusiasm and confidence exuding from the staff and students. I had to build on this momentum.
I used what I had learnt from delivering the first year and the teacher and pupil evaluations to improve the delivery of the programme in the second year. I now had a better understanding of underachievement and was much more rigorous in the selection of students. This time I believe I got it right with 14 out of the 15 students achieving a grade C and our overall percentage increasing again to 65.1%, an increase of 25.1%.
Overall, it is evident that the Signature Programme was invaluable to our school; from the outside this can be seen in the results and the ETI report, and from the inside we can see the difference it has made to our department, our students and our teaching.
Jackie Conn, the Signature Mathematics teacher in Shimna Integrated College, Newcastle
PAGE 09
Best practice in teaching•theteacherhasgoodknowledgeofeachindividualpupilandplannedappropriatelyforprogress
in learning •anappropriatevarietyofteachingstrategiesareusedtotailorthespecificinterventiontomeet
the pupils’ needs•proficientinassessingincrementallearningandabletoprovideexcellentpastoralsupport
•thecapacitytoengagewellwithparentsandotherstaff. ETI survey
Céline Moore, the Signature Mathematics teacher in Laurelhill Community College, Lisburn
The over-arching ethos of the Signature programme within Laurelhill Community College, Lisburn, was to improve pupils’ confidence in their mathematical knowledge and understanding and promote a strong ‘you can do this’ attitude. The context for the work concentrated on developing lessons with tailored pace and challenge, directly linked to the needs of each pupil and relevant to their everyday mathematics.
The net result has been that pupils’ confidence in their mathematical understanding is significantly higher. Even those pupils who were previously reticent about approaching mathematical concepts are now displaying a more positive attitude towards their work and a progression in their mathematical skills across a range of subject areas. One example of this was recently highlighted by a pupil who moved from having a projected E grade in Year 11 to achieving the maximum C grade possible in Year 12, subsequently receiving an ‘Academic Achievement’ award for her efforts.
Parents and guardians have also been highly complimentary of and very grateful for the Signature programme support within the life and work of the school.
It is clearly evident that the high levels of pupils’ success can be directly linked to the implementation of the Signature programme within the college. It has been a privilege to have been a part of this process and to witness first-hand the growth in these pupils’ holistic attainments far beyond what was previously conceivable and to know that they now have an opportunity to become more actively independent and productive citizens.
“One pupil commented on the huge success the programme has been in helping
him gain confidence and understanding in mathematics. A number of pupils have
commented how they feel the small group provides them with an opportunity to ask
questions in mathematics that they would not ask in class.”
(Brian Simpson, a centrally recruited teacher)
“I’ve gained great experience in communicating information to other colleagues and
have built up positive working relationships across the whole school staff as a result of
my role as a Signature Teacher. ” (Hannah Thompson, a centrally recruited teacher)
PAGE 10
LEADERSHIP - Delivering Social Change
Fiona Cregan, Head of English in St Joseph’s College, Belfast
Change often starts with just one person. As Head of Department, I believed in the objectives of the Signature Programme, the potential for real social change and the importance of GCSE English and mathematics as essential qualifications for our students. This was, in part, a product of experiencing the success of intervention strategies and the impact on results in GCSE English Language from 33.8% (2012) to 60.2% (2013) A*- C.
I felt it was important in my role as the Head of Department to: • involvethewholedepartmentintheselectionofstudentsasearlyaspossible;• knowthestudents,theschoolcontextandtheneedsofthechildren–thiswasacorestrengthand• pitchtheSignatureProgrammeasareward,aprivilege,asignthatwebelieveinthesestudents.
Under the guidance of the HOD, the Signature Teacher needed to: • monitorstudents’progressinrelationtothedevelopmentofspecificskills;• planlessonstofocusonthedevelopmentofspecificskills;• usedatatohighlightstrengthsandweaknessesand• provideformativefeedbackinlinewiththemarkscheme.
And crucially, parental support needed to be encouraged. In St Joseph’s College we did this through a letter for parents, involvement through after school sessions on “How to support your child” and regular feedback during the programme. (see Parents’ letter on Page 14)
Signature was a big success for us as a school for both English and mathematics as Fiona McNeill, theSignatureteacher,wasqualifiedtoteachboth.Itwasallabouttheplanning–takingastepbackto address the key issues, building on the foundation of intervention in the school and planning strategically to make the best use of the resource. We believe success was because of the positive attitude we showed in leading the programme, the incremental target-setting leaving nothing to chance and involving the pupils and their parents the whole way.
When leaders in school took Signature on board and the programme was
part of the planning, direction and priorities of the school, then it was
more likely to succeed. Principal and Vice-principals set the tone at staff
meetings and planning meetings, and Heads of English and mathematics
followed up on the careful selection of pupils, monitoring and evaluating
the progress effectively and engaging parents.
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTSPARENTS PLANNING
PAGE 11
James Warnock, Principal of Dean Maguirc College, Carrickmore
St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook - leadership at all levels
In our school “we commit ourselves to the growth and development of people” so the Delivering Social Change programme fitted in perfectly
with our ethos. In making it work we thought it was important to initially identify the barriers to success, from the perspective of the pupils and from the perspective of their parents. Mathematics was our focus area and we used various strategies to make it work: reducing the size of the GCSE classes; team-teaching; specific tutorials for those identified
as underachieving; setting targets with both pupils and parents. The programme was shared with the rest of the staff so that there was a wrap-
around approach.
The legacy for us will be more focussed planning for intervention, specific work on exam questions and keeping the smaller classes at GCSE. To this end we have employed an additional member of staff.
The impact of Signature has been unbelievable. The positive outcomes for us were in numbers: an increase from 40.4% A*- C in 2013 to 63.2% in 2014, but alongside the academic achievement was a much more holistic sense of achievement in the pupils and a marked increase in self-esteem.
The cycle of success for any intervention in our school is from Quality teaching to Students’ ownership of their achievements, to Quality teaching and around in perpetual motion. We have found that effective intervention, targeted at the right students, at the right time can make a real difference to progress, and help to narrow attainment gaps thereby improving the progress of disadvantaged and vulnerable students.
Frame the challenge
It is all too easy to identify a need and then start an implementation of an intervention strategy without really considering the full scope and impact. You need to focus on the scope, the scale and the success criteria. It is important in all work with students to connect with them and to know about their prior attainment and experience, what motivates and discourages them, and their preferred learning style.
Why did the Signature programme matter to us?
Giving pupils the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy attainment means we address one of the terrible statistics in our society - OECD has identified that in Northern Ireland we have among the highest levels of illiteracy in Europe - one fifth of school-leavers are so illiterate and innumerate that they struggle to cope with the challenges of everyday life.
By giving pupils the self-belief that they can change their standards, then it is possible to see a difference. A lot of little changes add up to a major change over time.
PAGE 12
PUPILS TEACHERSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTS
PUPILSA key indicator of success in Signature was carefully selecting pupils
who would have the potential to achieve a grade C and then involving the
pupils in their learning, by setting targets for improvement.
Here’s how some pupils felt about being part of the Signature group in their school..
‘I was overwhelmed... I needed that help because I needed to get my C.
If I could rate it out of 10 I would probably give it 12. She (the Signature
teacher) helped me a lot with my grammar because English is not my
first language, my grammar is not that good.’ Adji – St Joseph’s College
‘In the smaller group I know that I’m at the same level as everybody
else and we can all ask questions and not be embarrassed about it. I
know the teacher knows my strengths and weaknesses and we can
talk about them together.’ Chloe – Bangor Academy
‘I felt happy because I was getting extra support for my Maths because
I had been struggling with it. Miss McNeill (Signature Teacher) is an
amazing teacher, she cares about you if she sees you struggling she’ll
focus on you and she won’t move on.’ Richard – St Joseph’s College
ETI survey
In the support lessons observed in the post-primary schools, the pupils engage actively with interest and enjoyment, remain well-focused throughout the lesson and give extended responses. In sharing their own work, they learn well from each other and have a better understanding of how to improve further their work. In the literacy support classes, the pupils respond well to the range of texts and have good opportunities to apply a range of writing techniques in extended writing tasks. In numeracy support sessions, the pupils explain clearly the strategies they employ and collaborate well in problem solving situations. In the most effective practice, the pupils make good use of Information and Communication Technology, including social media platforms, to discuss and share their learning.
PAGE 13
I have taught for 29 years and I would say that the Signature Programme for Literacy and Numeracy has been one of the most positive initiatives that I have experienced in education in Northern Ireland. Why? Because it has had direct, tangible benefit for the pupils involved.
Each and every one of the pupils has grown in stature over the course of the two years! Their self-confidence and self-esteem has developed almost beyond recognition. The Student Evaluations which I carried out highlighted this fact very clearly.
The joy you feel as a teacher, when students stop you on the corridor asking if they could have some extra help at break or lunch time is indescribable; this was a regular occurrence once the students realised that achievement was within their grasp. One of my students was a school-refuser for three years. He was chosen for the Signature Programme in
both Literacy and Numeracy and as a result his attendance increased dramatically; his personal satisfaction when he realised what he could actually achieve was palpable. This transferred into most of his other subjects too. And his mum was delighted with the transformation!
I attribute the success of the programme to a number of factors: small group or individual teaching; a slower, steady pace and individualised learning being the main elements. The most successful tool I used in Mathematics was the RAG Chart (Red, Amber, Green) which allowed the students to track their own progress and identify the key areas for improvement.
In turn, this informed my planning, allowing me to create lessons and produce material/resources individualised to every student.
A teacher’s view of her pupils - Mary McDaid, St. Joseph’s College, Enniskillen
Year 12 Mathemat ics RAG Chart
For each topic below , indicate your own level of confidence:
RED - Cannot do / Do not understand AMBER - Can sometimes do / Some questions are difficult
GREEN - Find it easy Date:
TOPIC RED AMBER GREEN
Algebra – simplify, expand, solve
Pie Charts
Triangle Construction
Bisect a line
Line Graph
Probabilit y
Percentages
Signature proved a very beneficial element within
our departmental strategy, first and foremost for
the pupils, but also for the department and the
school community as a whole. It enhanced our
ability to really cater for the individual needs of
pupils. Furthermore, the department functioned in
an even more dynamic, proactive and purposeful
way. The project would also work really well
for pupils at Key Stages 2 and 3 as this would
provide earlier intervention, thus paving the way
for success at Key Stage 4. The results of the
pupils involved speak for themselves!
Mrs Murray – Head of English, Lisnagarvey High School
Signature Programme Evaluation
· I improved so much in Mathematics
· I feel like I can do more by myself now· I now know my weakness in Mathematics
· I liked it because it was small group· It gives more help· You are more focused because it is a small group.
· I feel more confident about the subject
PAGE 14
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTS
PARENTSPARENTS were involved from the beginning and kept informed of progress,
in the most effective schools in the programme. The intervention built upon
the good relationships already established in many schools and engaged
parents through workshops, progress meetings and questionnaires.
ETI survey
In almost all schools, parents were made aware of their child’s engagement in the programme. In a significant minority of schools, parents were given opportunities to participate in workshops to develop the parents’ capacity to support and consolidate their child’s learning at home. This feature of the implementation of the programme should be disseminated to all schools.
“Pupil A was a newcomer pupil. She was
a very quiet, withdrawn yet hardworking
pupil. At the beginning of year 12 she
was identified for support in the signature
programme. She was very reluctant and
unsure that she would be more ‘exposed’
as the class would be smaller. Her parents
were contacted and the programme was
explained. The girl’s father was extremely
supportive and encouraged his daughter
to participate. Over the next few months
I saw this shy, timid girl begin to slowly
change…her confidence grew, she started
talking about her learning in class and her
results soared. At the end of the year she
came to me and said, ‘Miss, thank you so
much for allowing me to part of this group,
it has really helped me so much’.”
A significant moment for Lauren Harvey, a Signature teacher.
Dear Parent/Guardian
I would like to take this opportunity to explain the objectives of the Delivering Social Change Signature Project.
This is a positive initiative, designed to support students in their efforts to achieve at least a Grade C in both English Language and GCSE mathematics. As a parent or guardian of a year 11 or 12 student I am sure that you are aware of
important that you are fully informed of the support that (name of the school) provides for your son or daughter.
The teachers in the English department are aware of each student’s strengths and weaknesses. After thorough consultation, your son or daughter has been invited to form part of the group of students who will be withdrawn from the wider class setting to work with (name of teacher) to
Language course.
Within the smaller group context, your son or daughter will avail of targeted support from (name of teacher). She will ensure that students...
SAMPLE
PAGE 15
One school which had a successful experience of the Signature Programme was Lagan College in Belfast. We have captured some of the elements of their success for other schools to learn from. The school’s data shows that the percentage A*- C has increased by 11% from 46% in 2013 to 57% in 2015.
TEACHERSSharon McKee and Janice Russell, the two Signature teachers, made the programme work in Lagan College by using a combination of:
- early and clear identification of the pupils for the programme;
- smaller class sizes;
- connectivity between two internally seconded staff;
- excellent back-fill teachers and
- a range of fluid interventions.
WHAT THE PUPILS SAIDThe pupils said that it worked because of the ‘excellent teachers who cared about them as individuals’; ‘focussed assessment with feedback that did not make us feel embarrassed or stupid’; ‘high aspirations’; ‘sharing with classmates who were in a similar situation’ and ‘excellent resources and strategies for GCSE’. The programme coordinator said that the pupils gained a strong sense of personal value and identity, and have progressed tremendously in confidence and ability.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENTThe Signature teachers went to great lengths to inform and include
parents - they made regular contact by phone and information meetings as a group and individually. Many parents expressed their sincere thanks showing they valued the additional support that the programme provided.
LEADERSHIP OF THE PROGRAMMECollege principal, Mrs Amanda McNamee, said that the programme
worked for them because it came at the right time, allowing the teachers to make it work by virtue of their skills and strong collegiality.
The lessons learned now inform whole-school discussions about addressing the needs of pupils who are at risk of underachievement at GCSE.
“I was humbled and moved by the personal comments made by the children about their Signature
experience.”
Lagan College will be identified in the ETI Case Studies of Good Practice for Signature Intervention.
(see page 22 for slides from their presentation)
I was able to find ways round things that
had been impossible for me before.
In my class, the ethos was “can do.”
Signature Success in Lagan College
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTSPARENTS
There were friends of mine who were the same
ability as me and they failed. I know if they had been on this programme they would have passed too and
been back in 6th form.
PAGE 16
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTSPARENTS
COLLABORATIONCollaboration between schoolsBallycastle High School and Cross and Passion College are both non-selective schools in Ballycastle and the pupils cover the full range in relation to academic ability. The location and degree of geographic isolation of the schools has enabled a successful partnership to be established. The ethos has grown organically within a context of mutual dependency and respect for each others’ differences. This vision of collaboration, efficient use of resources and increased choice, has proven to be highly beneficial to the pupils, parents, schools and the local community, and the non-threatening sense of shared purpose and simple ‘good neighbourliness’ has impacted significantly on cross community relations.
A number of significant advantages emerged during the course of the Signature programme:
•sharedexpertiseandresourcesintheEnglishandmathematicsdepartments;•deliveryofaccurateandefficientinformationwhichsignificantlybenefittedthepupilsinanumberof
ways including confidence building, pupils’ engagement and good attendance;•thefurtherdevelopmentofopenlinesofcommunicationbetweentherelevantdepartmentswithin
each school;•aroad-mapforhowfuturehumanandphysicalresourcescouldbepooledand•abetterunderstandingofbothsocialandculturaldifferences,whichwasexperiencedbyteachersandpupils.
(Taken from the schools’ online evaluation of the programme.)
Collaboration within a school“We collaborated with our colleagues from multiple areas to create a wraparound approach to support. We worked closely with members of our English and Mathematics Department to provide a legacy from this programme in terms of both resources and teaching methodologies and strategies, including revising the content and strategies used in our two “Carpe Diem” revision days. “Carpe Diem” utilises the carousel teaching strategy to deliver targeted revision on each section of the exam with pupils rotating between staff members for different sessions.”
Katie Martin and Christine Cuffey from New-Bridge Integrated College, Banbridge
Collaboration through team-teaching “In St Eugene’s College I team - taught Year 11 and 12 students until they began their exam revision at which time I withdrew students in small groups. Team-teaching meant that all students got the help they needed during class. It also helped my professional development as I was working with an experienced teacher who was a CCEA examiner. Group work allowed pupils to express
themselves more openly. It also helped to reinforce understanding and address misconceptions.”
Kelley Harris, St Eugene’s College, Roslea
PAGE 17
During the NISPLAN/Signature Programme teachers have had the opportunity to develop a particular set of skills and personal capabilities which have enabled them to carry out the specific needs of the Intervention programme effectively. These have been mapped across the most relevant GTCNI competences for teachers in Induction and EPD, in both primary and post-primary phases. During the training, the centrally-recruited teachers were encouraged to use them as part of the process of identifying key areas for development as a knowledgeable, skilful and reflective practitioner, and as a tool for self-evaluation.
[extract from Signature Induction Competence document]
Collaboration with colleagues and between schools became an important aspect of the programme in determining its success. Each individual teacher had to develop the ability to liaise and share resources and data within the school context. They had to learn, as every teacher does, how to communicate effectively with colleagues and parents to achieve the maximum effect in their pupils. Some were asked to take Inset or Parents’ evenings, some worked across 2 schools in the course of a week, and some regularly took part in team-teaching to share the best English or mathematics practice.
The nature of the intervention work involved in Signature gave our teachers a specific set of skills for monitoring and tracking small groups at close quarters, questioning for maximum effect and recording and reporting progress at class, school and national level. The programme was accountable to OFMDFM/DE for the use of funds so the external monitoring of the new teachers was intense.
As the ELB Signature team, we are very proud of the achievements and professional development of our Signature teachers and wish them every success in their future teaching careers.
What makes a good Signature teacher?
PAGE 18
TRACKING AND TARGET-SETTINGWith a precise knowledge of the pupils’ needs, the effective Signature teachers and Heads of department tracked achievement by monitoring specific progress in exam questions across a term. By narrowing down the work into sizeable chunks, teachers found they were able to overcome barriers to learning experienced by the pupils. When interviewed, pupils said they responded well to this method.
MONITORING & EVALUATINGOne key indicator of success in our Signature schools, was the extent of
monitoring and evaluating which was done to ensure that the pupils were
on target, that the strategies were working and that specific successes
and weaknesses were evaluated to increase the effectiveness of the
programme.
New-Bridge Integrated College adapted existing formats to merge the academic needs of the Signature group with other pastoral needs, like behaviour and attendance. Paula Hasson, the Vice-Principal leading the programme, and teaching some of the Mathematics classes, adapted the IEP format to identify needs and keep a record of individual pupil progress. This was used alongside regular meetings of the teachers involved and the parents of the pupils so that
there was a wraparound support package. Add to that an emphasis on the career prospects of those pupils with GCSE at grade C in English and mathematics, and the
programme sat in the middle of work ongoing in years 11 and 12.
ENGLISH EXAMPLE
Good practice from New-Bridge Integrated College
MATHS EXAMPLE
‘Tracking is really good because if I underachieved it would make
me feel I would need to push myself harder to get the C and if I
overachieved I felt a wee bit more comfortable and confident. That’s
what helped me in my English and Mathematics… I feel more confident
about my Grade C now.’ Kenny – New-Bridge Integrated College
PAGE 19
Intervention
Measure Twice: Cut Once - Effective intervention
At its heart, the Signature Programme was an Intervention project: underachieving pupils were identifed using various data; their needs were analysed and addressed; teaching strategies were tried and reviewed and progress recorded.
This is the model used in training for the centrally-recruited and seconded teachers.
WHO?
WHAT?
REALLY?
NOWWHAT?
Targetgroup(s)
Needs
Diggingdeeper
• Review• More help?
HOW?• Questioning
• Sampling• Impact
setting targets for those aspects of literacy or
numeracy which needed the most attention
looking in more detail at the data, identifying specific aspects which had been most important, or had weakest outcomes; taking account of the age and gender of
the pupils; attitudinal questionnaires.
addressing the identified needs using effective teaching strategies; using ICT; assessing and tracking to identify impact
A legacy of the programme would be to use this model to address any underachievement in school.
after a period of intervention, deciding if the needs have been met, whether to return pupils to main class, move on to a new area or go back
over key learning which was not secure.
those pupils who were capable of attaining a Grade C or better in either English or mathematics, with extra support. The data used was both quantitative
(previous standardised scores/ levels, CATS,YELLIS) and qualitative (teacher judgement, behaviour and
attitude analysis)
PAGE 20
“One pupil who was targeted for intervention support in Year 11 and predicted C/D grade in GCSE English had been seriously
injured in a car accident and had missed many months of school. There was concern she would achieve grade E because of her circumstances. However, she showed true determination and fortitude to obtain her grade C in GCSE English. She worked tirelessly to ensure achievement,
responded well to my guidance and to my delight as her Signature Support teacher she narrowly achieved Grade B in
GCSE English, outweighing her own expectations. She was a true inspiration to teach!” (Lyn Crudden)
“I found all the training days and support given by all members of the Signature team to be very helpful and critical in my early development as a teacher. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to be part of the Signature Programme and am very thankful to the Programme Leaders for making for the training so valuable for my professional development.” (Lynsey Brown)
“As Signature teacher, I was able to put a big focus on improving the self-esteem/confidence levels of pupils in my classroom. Pupils, who previously commented on lacking confidence in their ability to achieve success within GCSE English, have since developed confidence - not only in their ability to achieve success in English…but their ability to achieve success.” (Fiona Smyth)
“The potential for each child is unique. It is vital their needs are met on an individual basis. Flexibility is crucial to the success of this programme. Through discussing pupils individually on a daily basis and getting to know them through observations, baseline activities etc. I was able to set targets with pupils and evaluate them accordingly. If there was a significant difference in their work, there was opportunity for them to move out of withdrawal classes and allow another pupil to come and receive extra support.” (Nicole Hatchell)
“When my Year 11 pupils asked would they be coming to my class next year (2015/16) and I told them that I wouldn’t be there anymore due to cuts, they replied’ That’s stupid because we need you; we need the help in English’. This was the moment I realised that my hard work was paying off and that they appreciated the
help.” (Teresa Quaid)
Significant Moments for the Signature Teachers
PAGE 21
Success in Figures – the broader impact
The success of the Signature Programme has subsequently translated through to an improvement in the 5A* - C (or equivalent) including English and mathematics at GCSE.
Source: Summary of Annual Examination Results 2014/15Please note all Non DSC Schools are grammar schools.
The proportion of pupils achieving 5+
GCSEs A*-C (or equivalent), inc. English and Maths increased by
9.2% points over the two-year period.
As pupils can be enrolled in both the English and Maths programmes they will appear in both columns of the above graph.
Improved performance of FSME pupils exceeds that of non-FSME pupils, with respective percentage point differences being 11.6% points and 10.9% points between 2012/13 and 2014/15.
Girls showed an 8.3% point increase whilst boys recorded a slightly higher increase of 10.2% points.
Building on the other work happening in schools the Signature Programme brought even more success. Well done to all those pupils and their teachers - making a difference.
PAGE 22
Useful Documents Schools Legacy Sessions Post Primary Post Primary Signature Programme Legacy Powerpoint
Examples of resources on the website nisplan.welbni.org.uk
Useful Documents Schools Legacy Sessions Post Primary Post Primary English & Mathematics Lagan College Signature Programme
Useful Documents School Post Primary English
Addressing Underachievement Kathryn Warren Strategies to improve writing
Access isavailable toeveryone.No log-in required
Example of effective
collaboration within
departments
Example of presentation
given to schools on legacy
training days
English example of a ‘slow writing’
strategy
PAGE 23
Resources
Useful Documents Schools Post Primary General Effective Leadership Head of English St Joseph’s Belfast
Useful Documents Schools Post Primary General Effective Leadership Head of Mathematics St Mary’s Belfast
Useful Documents Schools Post Primary English MMT- Analysing images
Example of effective leadership
of an English department
Example of effective
leadership of a Mathematics
department
Example of a multi-modal
reading resource (H Thompson)
PAGE 24
TEACHERSPUPILSLEADERSHIPPLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATIONPARENTSPARENTS
EA CONTRIBUTIONThe NISPLAN/ Signature programme was supported by EA officers from each of the regions (or Boards as we were then). Our main role was to recruit recently graduated teachers and equip them for intervention. This involved five days of training for the first year and then four days’ training in Year 2 with an additional monitoring visit. The unexpectedly lower numbers of recent graduates meant that the recruitment programme had to be run five times over the two years. This led to delays in the allocation of centrally-recruited teachers and a lot of officer time was taken up with training.
However, the training schedule was detailed and tailored to meet the needs of the programme and the needs of the teachers. We used the teachers’ evaluation at the end of Year 1 to inform our training in year 2 and to involve the most appropriate professional colleagues to deliver this.
Areas of training included:
• EnglishandmathematicsstrategiesforhelpingpupilsworktoGrade“C” standard
• EarlyProfessionalDevelopmentlinkedtoGTCNIcompetences• Useofdatatoidentifyunderachievementandtrackprogress• Specificstrategiestoovercomebarrierstolearning• Self-evaluationasreflectivepractitioners• HowtousetheSignatureexperienceintheapplicationprocess
THANK YOUWe would like to thank Julie Boston and those who helped us from the literacy and numeracy teams of the regions, from the examining authorities, from educational consultancies, from St Mary’s, from ETI and from schools. The influence of these practitioners can be seen in the resources collated, some of which are in this newsletter, and also in the strategies developed for the most effective intervention.
Our role also involved giving support for schools which had a Signature resource in the areas of planning, action-planning, accessing and using nisplan.welbni.org.uk, developing resources, contributing to clusters and making it work as well as it could. The model of inter-board working was successful for us and should also be considered part of the legacy of the programme.
Michael Burns, Vanessa Goucher, Trish McGrugan with Marion Bailie and Jennifer Magowan.
The members of staff of the Education Authority, in particular, the Western region, have played a crucial role in the successful implementation of this programme. A significant strength of this work was the development and dissemination of relevant and appropriately challenging quality indicators to aid schools in the self-evaluation of the programme. The close monitoring of the project in schools by all of the CASS officers and the timely intervention, particularly with regard to personnel issues regarding deployment and the sharing of the teacher resource by two or more schools, were identified as particular strengths in most of the inspection visits. In most cases, the schools spoke highly of the advice and support provided by the CASS officers, particularly how the good practice identified by the CASS officers was shared across schools. ETI survey
PAGE 25
PUPILS
TEACHERSPARENTS
LEADERSHIP
PLANNINGMONITORING
&EVALUATING
COLLABORATION
School self-evaluation
Parents:Close liaison through: •Parent/teachermeetings
•Homelinks
•Letters
•Parents’booklet
•Homelearning–producingresourcesforparents
•Parentawareness-raisinginschool
•Involvementinthediscussionofpupilprogress
•Developingempathy–appreciationofpupils’needs / lives
•Reportwriting
Monitoring & Evaluation:• Usingdatatoselectpupilsforintervention
• Lessonsevaluation-weeklyandtermly
• Knowledgeofdifferentassessments–PTM,PTE,CATs, MIDYIS, YELLIS
• AfL:peerandself-assessmentandformativefeedback
• Self-evaluation
•Useofplenaries
•Personaltargets
• Reportingtotheprincipal
•Assessmenttasks
• SMARTtargets
• Trackingstudentsusingtheschoolsystem
• UseofSEN&IEPstoinformevaluations
• UseofSignatureactionplansandM&EbyDE
Collaboration & Communication:• Workingwithcolleagues,
team teaching
• Planningwithclassteachers
• StandardisingGCSEwork
• Disseminatingatstaffmeetings&sharinggoodpractice
• Parentcommunication–pupils’learning&
progress
• Connectingwithoutsideagencies–Senco,psychologists
• Signaturetraining&clusters
• ConnectingwithInduction-BT / EPD1 / EPD 2 days
• Collaborationwiththewiderschoolcommunity&ALCs
• Communicatewithpupilseffectively
Pupils:• Buildingrelationshipswiththepupils
• Measuringprogress•Buildingpupilconfidence/trust
• Closer,focussedtargetsetting•Developingpupils’awarenessofprogressionneeded
• Identificationofpupilsusingdata–PTE,PTM,MIDYIS,CAT,YELLISetc.
• Awarenessofsocial/emotionalneeds
• Developingownershipoflearning–independence
• Connectingwithpupilinterests•Promotingpositivebehaviour
• Passingonhighexpectations•Reinforcingsuccess
• Developingcriticalthinkersandlifelonglearners•Developinghigherself-esteem
• Takingaccountofpupilvoice•SupportingGCSEstudyskills
Leadership:• Modellingtasks/methods(skills)rolemodels
• Leadingstaffmeetings•Sharedresources
• Takingonandusingadvice
• Presentationtogovernorsandleadership
• Transparentrelationships–seniormanagement / teacher tutor
• Classroomleadership•Lessonobservations
• Sharingofsuccess
Teachers:• Tailoringtopupils’needs
• Flexibility
• Communication–parents,pupils, staff, clusters
• Greaterunderstandingofstandards required
• Relationship–children,staff
• Sharinggoodpractice
• Sharingknowledgeandmanagement
• Developingthewholechild–socialskills
• Teamteaching
• Professionaldevelopment;awareness of CCEA GCSE materials
Planning:• Applyingcurriculumknowledge
• Takingaccountof:Differentiation;Targetsetting;Collaborativeplanning&crosscurricular links
• ActionplanninglinkedtoSDP•Connectingwithschooltargets&PfGtargets
• Addressingunderachievement
• Choosingappropriateactivelearningstrategies
• Usingdata–PTE/PTM/MIDYIS•Usingteacherfeedback
• UseofCCEAGCSEmaterials
PAGE 26
“Verbal feedback hig
hlighting
grow
th in confid
ence and
self-
esteem
from
pupils
and
parents m
eans
more than any
statistical e
vidence.” Wendy E
ngland
“During the ETI evaluation,
a group of students met with the
inspec
tor and he reporte
d that
he had
been am
azed by
their determination and
ambition, w
hich came from
the Signature
Program
me boosting their confidence.
They told him
they were aiming for
B
grades
now and that
a C was not enough.
They also told the visiting inspec
tor that
I
had taught them ‘how to
ask the right
questions’.” Dervla M
cArdle
“Pupils completed a
Traffic Lig
hts
self-evaluation
form in February 201
5.
They compared their skill-set to
that
of Septe
mber 201
4. M
ost said they
had move
d from a ‘red’ to
a ‘green’ in
the majority of skill are
as in GCS
E
English. This was consolidate
d by
improv
ed confide
nce and
a decrease in
‘exam fear’.” Naomi H
enderson
“One pupil I w
orked with had faile
d his
Maths in 4
th year and
was
repeating
in
5th year. H
e was a very keen and
hardwo
rking
pupil but also had very little
confide
nce in his own
ability, and so I w
as
very hope
ful he wo
uld pass this time
around
. He came
out of the exam and
thoug
ht he had done terribly but
ended up
getting
one of the hig
hest results in his
year. It
felt
it w
as brilliant to hear
this
and it
was
also very rew
arding
.”
Frank
McC
aughey
“As S
ignature teac
her, I w
as
able to
put a
big focus on
improving the
self-est
eem/ confidence levels of
pupils in
my classroom.
Pupils, w
ho previously
comm
ented on
lacking confidence in their
ability to achieve success within GCS
E
English, have
since developed confidence
not on
ly in their ability to
achieve success
in English…
but their ability to achieve
success..” Fiona Smyth
“Verbal feedback hig
hlighting
growth in conf
idence and
self-esteem from
pupils and
parents
means more
than any
statistic
al evide
nce.”
Wendy E
ngland
“During
the E
TI evaluation,
a group
of students m
et w
ith the
inspector and he repor
ted that he had
been amaze
d by their
determination and
ambition, wh
ich came
from
the Signature
Programm
e boosting their
confid
ence
.
They told
him they we
re aiming
for B
grades now
and that a C w
as not enoug
h.
They also told
the visiting inspector that I
had taught them
‘how
to ask the right
questions’.” De
rvla McA
rdle
“Pupils complet
ed a T
raffic
Lights
self-
evaluation form
in Fe
bruar
y 20
15.
They compar
ed their
skill-
set to that
of S
eptember 2
014. M
ost said
they
had moved from a ‘red’ t
o a ‘gr
een’ in
the major
ity of skill areas in
GCSE
English. T
his w
as conso
lidated by
improved confid
ence and a decrease
in
‘exam fear’.” N
aomi H
enderson
“One pupil I w
orked w
ith had faile
d his
Math
s in 4th year
and w
as repeating in
5th year. H
e was a very
keen and
hardworking pupil but
also had very
little
confidence in his own ability, and so I w
as
very
hopeful he would pass this time
around
. He came out
of the exam and
thoug
ht he had done terribly but ended up
getting one of the hig
hest
results
in his
year. It felt it w
as brilliant to hear
this
and it w
as also very
rewarding.”
Frank
McC
aughey
“As Signature teacher,
I was
able to put a big focus
on im
proving
the
self-
esteem
/ confide
nce lev
els of pupils
in
my classroom. P
upils, w
ho previously
comm
ented on lack
ing confid
ence
in their
ability to achiev
e suc
cess
within
GCSE
English, have sinc
e de
veloped
confid
ence
not only
in their
ability to achie
ve succe
ss
in En
glish…but
their
ability to achiev
e
succe
ss..” Fiona Sm
yth
Reflections
“Verbal f
eedback
highligh
ting
grow
th in
confid
ence
and
self-
esteem
from
pupils and
parents m
eans m
ore
than any
statistical
evidence
.” Wendy E
ngland
“During
the
ETI evaluation,
a group of stude
nts me
t with
the
inspector and he
reported
that he
had
been ama
zed
by the
ir de
term
inatio
n and
ambit
ion, whic
h came
from
the
Signature
Programm
e boostin
g their confidence
. The
y told him the
y were
aiming
for B
grades now
and that a C w
as not e
nough.
The
y also told the
visitin
g inspector that I
had
taught the
m ‘ho
w to ask
the
right
questions’.”
De
rvla
McA
rdle
“Pupils
completed
a Traffic L
ights
self-
evaluation form
in Fe
bruary 2
015.
The
y compared
the
ir skill-
set to that
of S
eptemb
er 2
014. M
ost said the
y had
moved
from
a ‘r
ed’ t
o a ‘green’ in
the
major
ity of skill
areas in
GCSE
English. T
his w
as c
onsolidated
by
improved
confid
ence
and a d
ecrease
in ‘exam
fear’.” N
aomi H
ende
rson
“One pupil I w
orke
d with
had failed
his
Maths in
4th year and
was
repeating
in
5th year. He
was
a very k
een and
hardworking pupil b
ut also had very little
confidence
in his
own ability,
and
so I
was
very hopeful
he w
ould pass
this
time
around. He
came
out of the e
xam and
though
t he had d
one
terribly but ende
d up
getting
one of the
highest results in
his
year. It
felt
it was
brilliant to hear this
and
it was
also very rew
arding.”
Frank
McC
aughey
“As Signature
teache
r, I was
able to put
a big focus on improving
the
self-
esteem
/ confidence
levels
of pupils
in my
classroom. P
upils, w
ho previo
usly
comm
ented
on la
cking
confid
ence
in the
ir abilit
y to ach
ieve succe
ss w
ithin
GCSE
English, have
since
developed
confid
ence
not only
in their abilit
y to ach
ieve succe
ss
in English…
but their abilit
y to ach
ieve
succ
ess..”
Fiona Sm
yth
“Verbal f
eedback
highligh
ting
grow
th in
confid
ence
and
self-
esteem
from
pupils and
parents me
ans mo
re than any
statistical
evidence
.”
Wendy E
ngland
“During
the E
TI e
valuatio
n,
a group of stude
nts me
t with
the
inspector and he
reported
that he had
been amaze
d by their
determ
inatio
n and
ambit
ion, whic
h came
from
the
Signature
Programm
e boostin
g their confidence
.
They told
him they were
aiming
for B
grades now
and that a C w
as not enough
.
They also told
the visitin
g inspector that I
had
taught them
‘how to ask
the right
questions’.” De
rvla
McA
rdle
“Pupils
complet
ed a T
raffic L
ights
self-
evaluation form
in Fe
bruar
y 20
15.
They c
ompar
ed the
ir skill-
set to that
of S
eptemb
er 2
014. M
ost said the
y
had
moved
from
a ‘r
ed’ t
o a ‘green’ in
the
major
ity of skill
areas in
GCSE
English
. Th
is was c
onsolidated
by
improved
confid
ence
and a d
ecrease
in
‘exam fear’.” N
aomi H
ende
rson
“One pupil I w
orke
d with
had failed
his
Maths in
4th year and
was repeatin
g in
5th year. He
was a very ke
en and
hardworking pupil b
ut also had very little
confidence
in his
own abilit
y, and
so I w
as
very hopeful
he w
ould pass this
time
around. He
came
out of the
exam
and
though
t he
had d
one
terribly but ende
d up
getting
one of the
highe
st results in
his
year. It
felt
it was brilliant to he
ar this
and
it was also very rewarding.”
Frank
McC
augh
ey
“As Signature
teacher,
I was
able
to put a big focus
on im
proving
the
self-
esteem
/ confidence
levels
of pupils
in
my c
lassroom. P
upils, w
ho previo
usly
comm
ented
on la
cking
confid
ence
in their
ability to ach
ieve succe
ss with
in GCSE
English
, have sinc
e de
veloped
confid
ence
not only
in their ability to ach
ieve succe
ss
in En
glish
…but their ability to ach
ieve
succe
ss..”
Fiona Sm
yth
“Verbal f
eedback
highligh
ting
grow
th in
confid
ence
and
self-
esteem
from
pupils and
parents m
eans m
ore than any
statistical evidence
.”
Wendy E
ngland
“During the E
TI evaluation,
a group of students m
et w
ith the
inspector and he repor
ted that he had
been amazed by their determination and
ambition, w
hich came
from
the Signature
Program
me boosting
their confide
nce.
They told him they we
re aiming
for B
grades now
and that a C
was not
enou
gh.
They also told the visit
ing inspe
ctor that I
had taught them
‘how
to ask the righ
t
questions’.” D
ervla M
cArdle
“Pupils complet
ed a T
raffic
Ligh
ts
self-
evaluation form
in Februar
y 20
15.
They compar
ed their skill-set to that
of S
eptember 2
014. M
ost said they
had moved from a ‘red’ t
o a ‘gr
een’ in
the majority of skill are
as in GCS
E
English. T
his w
as conso
lidated by
impro
ved confide
nce and
a decrease
in
‘exam fear’.” Naom
i Henderso
n
“One pupil I w
orke
d with
had failed
his
Maths in
4th year and
was
repeating
in
5th year. He
was
a very k
een and
hardworking pupil b
ut also had very little
confidence
in his
own ability,
and
so I
was
very hopeful he w
ould
pass this
time
around. He
came out of the exam
and
though
t he had d
one terribly but ende
d up
getting
one of the hig
hest results in
his
year. It
felt
it was
brilliant to hear this
and
it was
also very rew
arding.”
Frank
McC
aughey
“As Signature
teacher, I w
as
able to put a big
focus on
impro
ving the
self-
esteem
/ confide
nce lev
els of pupils
in
my classro
om. P
upils,
who pre
viously
comm
ented on
lackin
g confide
nce in their
ability to achiev
e suc
cess
within GCS
E
English, h
ave since developed confide
nce
not only in their ability to achiev
e suc
cess
in English…but
their ability to achiev
e
success..” Fio
na Sm
yth
So what will the legacy of the NISPLAN programme be?Just as a drop in a pool has ever-increasing ripples, so will the effect of the programme increase with time. The two years of work in schools will obviously show the main success of the programme, however:
•asrenewedsecondedteachersgobacktotheirclasses;
•asskilledcentrally-recruitedteachersgotonewschools;
•asYear7pupilsmoveconfidentlyontopost-primary;
•asYear13pupilsaccessmorechoicesat16;
•asthedetailedresourcesaredownloadedanddeveloped;and
•asprincipalstargetmoregroupsforinterventionusingtheSignaturemodel,
then a lasting legacy of the programme will be experienced.
After the Year 1 we disseminated the good practice of the Signature/NISPLAN at the RTU summer school. In August 2014 we contributed to the Nied camp with further developments and strategies.
Part of the legacy of the programme has been to run a series of sessions for teachers in each of the EA regions, to showcase the best of Signature work from the point of view of the EA support team, ETI, and the teachers who had been carrying out the interventions.
The website (nisplan.welbni.org.uk) has all of those free resources to ensure as wide an audience as possible.
Legacy of the DSC Signature Programme
PAGE 27
“If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.”
Seamus Heaney (O’Driscoll, Stepping Stones, 2009)
Booklet produced by iDesign, Omagh
Written by the Literacy and Numeracy Signature EANI team, 2016
