Making Good Progress
Parents and carers
Why this pilot?
Even though many more pupils are achieving well in mathematics and English during their late primary and early secondary school years, our national and local data shows that there is a large number of pupils who are not progressing as fast as we would like.
In this pilot, we want to find out whether we can help all pupils to make good progress in Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 by:
- improving the way pupils’ progress is assessed in day to day lessons
- involving pupils more in understanding what they need to do to improve
- adjusting the way we test pupils’ progress
- involving parents and carers more in their children’s learning
Who is involved in the pilot?
Your child’s school is one of about 500 schools involved in the pilot nationally.
What does the pilot involve?
Tracking and assessment of pupil progress
In the pilot, we are asking teachers to assess and track your child’s progress particularly carefully. Pilot schools will track each pupil’s progress termly in reading, writing and mathematics and report this information to you as regularly as possible. This information should help you to know how well your child is progressing and how you can support your child in making good progress in future.
Single level tests
Single-level tests are designed to confirm the progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. The teachers in your child’s school will have the opportunity to enter pupils for these tests twice a year, in December and June. Rather than waiting until the end of the key stage to assess pupil progress, teachers in pilot schools will be able to enter their pupils for a test at the next National Curriculum level when they are ready.
These tests will be:
- short – lasting approximately one hour
- suitable for pupils of all ages in both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
- marked by external markers
- nationally recognised and rewarded by certificates
Individual tuition
We know some pupils need special support which is not easy to provide within normal class or group teaching. We believe that a more individual approach will help this group of pupils to make the progress needed to catch up.
Therefore, we want to make individual tuition available to pupils who:
- have started the key stage behind national expectations
- are falling behind during the later years of a key stage
- are looked after children
We do not think that one-to-one tuition would be suitable for all pupils who are falling behind in English and mathematics; the additional support for groups of pupils that is already provided in most schools may well be more appropriate for their learning needs.
Also, we do not believe that one-to-one tuition should replace other specialist support that your child’s school provides, for example extra support for pupils with special needs or support in learning English.
Local authorities (LAs) will have the opportunity to offer individual tuition to up to 10% of all the Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 pupils who meet the selection criteria within their pilot schools.
Schools will then decide which pupils would benefit from one-to-one tuition and when they might have it.
Tuition sessions will be designed to meet the individual needs of the pupil, as identified by the pupil’s class or subject teacher.
LAs and schools will consider the following options when planning tuition:
- the tutors – must have qualified teacher status and be Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checked. A tutor could also be the pupil’s class teacher, another teacher from the same school or from a neighbouring school; teachers will not be pressurised to become tutors.
- the location of the sessions – tuition could be delivered in a range of ‘off site’ locations, for example, shopping centres, youth centres, libraries, as well as ‘on site’ in school.
- the timing – the sessions may be run at any time as long as they are delivered outside of normal school hours.
- the frequency of the sessions – each eligible pupil will be entitled to ten one-hour sessions of tuition in mathematics and/or English. Where possible, the frequency and timing of these are flexible according to the pupil’s individual needs, for example, sessions could be run in an intense period, during a school holiday, twice weekly etc.
If your child is selected for individual tuition, you will be invited to discuss the organisation and timing of the sessions as you will be responsible for getting your child to and from the tuition sessions. You will also be asked to help your child with any homework tasks that are set by your child’s tutor and, if possible, to attend one of the sessions to see what your child is being taught and how one-to-one tuition works.
Progression targets
All schools in the pilot will be looking carefully at the progress of all their pupils in English and mathematics within Key Stage 2 and/or Key Stage 3.
Schools will set progression targets based on the number of children who should make two levels of progress in these subjects.
Our ambition is to ensure that as many pupils as possible make two levels of progress in English and mathematics during a key stage.
Progression premium
We are also planning to reward schools for helping more pupils who came into the key stage below the standards expected for their age to make two levels of progress.
We will offer schools extra funding for each additional pupil who, having begun Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 below national expectations, goes on to make two levels of progress during the key stage.
Support and funding for schools
During the pilot, your child’s school will be supported by their local authority and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) through a range of resources. The school will also receive some additional funding to pay for pupils’ tuition and to help your school in implementing the various aspects of the pilot in the school.
So what can you expect to happen in your child’s school? What will be different?
To sum up; as your child’s school is taking part in the Making Good Progress Pilot, you will notice the following changes:
- you and your child will have a clearer understanding of the progress s/he is making and what can be done to improve their progress
- your child may, if they are ready, be entered for a single-level test in either mathematics, reading and/or writing
- your child may be selected for individual tuition if they fit the selection criteria
And what can you do to help?
Finally, to ensure that your child makes as much progress as possible, we ask that you help us with the following:
- take every opportunity to find out how well your child is doing and how you can help them to do even better
- support your child and the school in decisions about whether your child should be entered for single-level tests
- support your child in taking the full benefit from individual tuition, if it is offered, by ensuring that they attend regularly and complete any additional tasks that may be set
If you would like any further information about the Making Good Progress Pilot, we suggest that you do the following:
- speak to your child’s class/subject teacher
- speak to the member of staff leading the pilot developments in your child’s school
- contact the local authority, especially the local authority pilot leader
- visit the Making Good Progress Pilot website www.teachernet.gov.uk/mgppilot or e-mail MakingGoodProgress.Consultation@dfee.gov.uk
