Raising Attainment

Tuesday March 9th 2010, Guoman Charing Cross, London, 09:20 - 15:30

Raising Attainment: Overcoming Underachievement in Schools

“All pupils deserve the chance to go to a good school where they can fulfil their potential and I believe our radical school improvement policies will help us achieve this.”

Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for School and Learners, Department of Children, Schools and Families, 23rd September 2009

Overview

How do we break the cycle of disengagement, low attainment and underachievement by some students – both boys and girls – in our schools? And ultimately, how do we break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage, a heritage of low aspiration and a disinterest in learning that prevents pupils from fulfilling their potential across a range of areas?

Faced with new times, the uncertainties of the digital age, an internationalised marketplace and the general shift from heavy engineering and manufacturing to service-sector skill sets, low attainment by school students could have highly corrosive consequences for them, their families, communities and society. The failure by some students to play an active part in society, or to find gainful employment could see them fall into the margins of society.

However, while low attainment in our schools is nothing new, recent reports about the low attainment by working-class boys from some white communities and some boys of African-Caribbean heritage have refocused opinions.

The Government is committed to tackling underachievement in our schools. Since 1998, local authorities have had to set performance targets for key-stage three examination results for different ethnic minority communities.

In 2004, in expectation that by 2010 20% of all school students will be from an ethnic minority, the government introduced targets for the exam results for students from all ethnic minority communities to narrow the attainment gaps between each population group.

In 2008, the five-year London Challenge programme that was launched in 2003 to transform schools to tackle underachievement in some of London’s schools, was extended to Greater Manchester and the Black Country (in the West Midlands) and became known as the National Challenge.

With great change taking place throughout the education sector, this forum will provide delegates with the opportunity to raise questions not only about how to raise levels of attainment but also about the wider modernisation programme underway in the personalised education sector.

Agenda

09:20	Registration and Coffee
09:55	Chair’s Welcome Address Roy Blatchford, former HM Inspector of Schools, Director, National Education Trust (NET) (CONFIRMED)
10:00	Raising Attainment in London’s Schools London’s schools: background and challenges Development, achievement, attainment: engaging with young students step-by-step Key success factors for raising standards of attainment and improving schools George Gyte, HMI, Senior London Challenge Adviser (CONFIRMED)
10:20	New Pathways to Success: Raising Aspirations in Hackney Reshaping learning in Hackney: our strategy Vision - What did we set out to do? Strategy - How have are we doing it? What is different about the Learning Trust? Ambition - What have we achieved? Future plans Steve Belk, Deputy Chief Executive, The Learning Trust (CONFIRMED)
10:40	Improving Outcomes for Students in Blackpool National challenge: raising attainment levels in Blackpool's schools Blackpool's Vision for Schools Going the extra mile: key milestones along the timeline: from 2010 to 2013 Working collaboratively with schools and colleges to raise standards Working collaboratively with the Children's Trust - multi agency teams in schools removing barriers to learning Improvement in aspiration, self esteem and confidence Team leadership Sue Harrison, Assistant Director, Learning and Achievement, Children’s Services Directorate, Blackpool City Council (CONFIRMED)
11:00	Questions and Answers Session
11:25	Coffee Break and Networking
11:55	Still Climbing Towards Excellence Raising attainment levels of young students: adapting the programme to: suit local circumstances to meet local needs Key success factors Sir John Rowling, Education Consultant (CONFIRMED)
12:15	Aiming High: From Further Education to Higher Education Studies Raising ambition, aspiration and achievement levels: our story Learner support - recognising the different and divergent needs of each student Broadening our offer by widening the curriculum and opportunities to join different courses at different times of the year Partnerships and collaboration with local schools and universities Sue Wallis, Director of Curriculum, City of Sunderland College (CONFIRMED)
12:35	Questions and Answers Session
12:55	Lunch and Networking
14:00	The Science of Generating Genius Science for all: what is Generating Genius? Raising the confidence levels of students so that they continue in education Challenging the "institutional peer group culture" Linkage between behaviour and academic achievement Dr Tony Sewell, CE, Generating Genius (CONFIRMED)
14:20	In Pursuit of the 14-19 Entitlement: Narrowing Attainment Gaps for Young People Aged 14-19 Delivering a 14-19 entitlement for all young people to the right learning opportunities, and the right support The Different learning routes; apprenticeships; diplomas; foundation learning tier; general qualifications Ensuring the right support is in place, including IAG Raising the participation age Ensuring the right local partnerships are in place Raising awareness of differences in attainment between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged groups Providing details of our current activity and plans to address the issues Identifying and sharing approaches which achieve success with disadvantaged young Delivering opportunity and excellence Gareth Griffiths, Director, 14-19 Provision and Attainment, Learning and Skills Council (CONFIRMED)
14:40	Lessons from the Front 2009: what hundreds of Teach First teachers suggested could be done to address educational disadvantage Teacher development should be more personalised, more explorative and more collaborative A heavily target-driven education system and in particular the 5 A-C economy has led to perverse incentives and unequal outcomes: we need a different sort of school accountability Teachers need to be more involved in policy-making at the national level, and more decision-making at the local level, for example on school intake and classroom composition Elizabeth Thonemann, Teacher ,Education Consultant and Researcher* (CONFIRMED)
15:00	Questions and Answers
15:25	Chair's Summary and Conclusions
15:30	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will be drawn from local authorities, central government departments and agencies, schools, academia, head teachers and college principals, school governors, mentors, safer school partnerships, directors of education, directors of children’s services, directors of youth and community services, learning and skills councils, LEA officers, truancy officers, probation and police officers, education welfare managers, extended school managers, full service school co-ordinators, bursars, community relations directors, magistrates, lawyers, advocacy teams, parent teacher associations, school nursing officers, heads of pupil referral units, voluntary organisations, elected members for education, school improvement advisors, Connexions and education consultants.