The Schools Blog

• in English 74% - up one percentage point (ppt) from 2006 (17ppts higher than in 1997);

• Science 73%, an increase of 1 ppt to 73% - the highest ever level. This represents an increase of 13 ppts since 1997; and

• Mathematics 76%, a drop of 1ppt. This is still 16 ppts higher than in 1997 and follows a 3 ppt increase last year.

Also the Department announced that a new resource pack for schools will help Key Stage 3 pupils make faster progress in English, maths and science. The pack will be available for all secondary schools in England. The pack contains reports of investigations, posters and ‘prompt sheets’ to help pupils and their mentors or personal tutors think about their own progress and what they need to do to do better.

The reports go behind the 2006 Key Stage 3 results in maths, science and English at groups of schools. They are based on interviews with hundreds of pupils and teachers. They feature common characteristics and behaviour of brighter pupils who are making fast progress and less able children who are making slow progress. They gather together - from these pupils and their teachers - practical suggestions for the classroom to help individual children do better.

For example in maths, one report shows that bright, articulate pupils, who at age 11 are already achieving beyond the expected level for their age need to develop a deeper understanding of maths to help them continue making outstanding progress throughout Key Stage 3 and go on to enjoy GCSE and A-level maths.

These pupils were doing well and could use fractions and decimals confidently but didn’t always understand the mathematical concepts behind them. They said that visual images and practical activities such as making models or drawing shapes in geometry helped them to develop a deeper understanding of maths. For example, activities like plotting ‘human graphs’, using pupils to represent the points on a line, helped them to understand the relationships between shapes, numbers and processes.

Another report focuses on teaching techniques for a group of children who started Key Stage 3 at level 3, behind national expectations. In maths, to help children who were worried about getting answers wrong, the report suggests encouraging them to talk in class about their method of working out a problem or to show it in their exercise books. Their teachers said that these pupils also struggled with maths vocabulary and needed support for their literacy skills as well as specific teaching to help them understand maths words.
1) KS3 tables can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/

2) More info in diplomas which come in in September and will affect the way much teaching is conducted can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/

3) More info on the National Year of Reading 2008 can be found at http://www.yearofreading.org.uk

4) For more information on the Resource Pack please contact Lizzy Bell on 0207 925 5261

5) The SFR National Curriculum Assessments at KS3 in England 2006/07 (Revised) can be found at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000776/index.shtml

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Tony Attwood