Archived decisions

Contact: John Clarke, Assistant County Education Officer, Standards and Improvement Branch, County Office. Tel 01962 846459 or Edna Petrie, National Primary Strategy Manager. Tel 023 92441466

1 Summary

1.1 The School Improvement Service undertook a number of visits to schools in the spring of 2003, in order to find out more about how pupils' progress is assessed and tracked, and how that information is used. The purpose was to identify effective practice and to publish a report for the consideration of all primary schools.

1.2 The draft report is attached.

2 Main points

2.1 Tracking pupils' progress accurately and regularly is fundamental. Using the data gained is equally important. Adjusting what is taught, and how it is taught, to what children have already learnt - and not learnt - is one of the keys to ensuring that pupils make the progress that they should.

2.2 When headteachers ensure that their teachers regularly discuss pupils' work, and talk about how their progress might be improved, schools are a long way down the road towards establishing a professional learning community, ensuring that the staff are focused on the things that count most and are learning from each other.

2.3 Practice has developed considerably in recent years, but it is still patchy across the schools. However, there is some very good work and it is this which has been identified in the attached report so that other schools may learn from it.

Recommendation

1. The Panel is asked to note the report and approve its distribution to all schools and its inclusion on the website.

Section 100D Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None