Friday 27th January 2012
Secondary schools beat the national trend with Achievement for All
New Key Stage 4 Performance Tables released this week by the Department for Education have highlighted the need for secondary schools to focus on the progress made by struggling pupils in the lowest 20 per cent of achievement and to close the significant achievement gap between these pupils, many of who are identified with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their peers.
This move has been welcomed by Achievement for All 3As – an education charity that is working in partnership with schools to deliver the Achievement for All (AfA) programme, which has proven to be successful in closing the achievement gap in English and maths across secondary education in England for pupils identified with SEND.
The data released this week together with recently published evidence shows Achievement for All’s unprecedented impact on pupils with SEND. The figures demonstrate that pupils in schools which have adopted AfA have progressed faster than the national average and three quarters of Achievement for All schools saw an improvement in their KS4 results compared to two thirds of all schools. In addition AfA schools reporting excellent relationships with parents increased from 12 per cent to 48 per cent, and the programme delivered value for money with AfA schools saving through reduced absenteeism, and fewer behaviour problems together with lower numbers of exclusions.
Professor Sonia Blandford, National Director of Achievement for All 3As said:
“Too often in the past low expectations have been placed on students with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Schools have been able to deliver below average results for these children and the statistics have not given the necessary clarity. The new Performance Tables will provide a focus for secondary schools which will need to ensure that students across the range of abilities in any school each achieve their full potential. The evidence to date from Achievement for All demonstrates what can be achieved through taking a whole school focused approach. There is a critical link between providing senior level leadership alongside excellent teaching practice, challenging the expectations for children identified with special educational needs.”
The Achievement for All programme grew out of a recommendation in the 2009 Lamb Inquiry into Special Education Needs and Parental Confidence carried out by Brian Lamb OBE, to focus more on outcomes rather than process. The results to date have been profound for pupils identified with SEND with many exceeding progress in English and maths compared to both pupils identified with SEND nationally, and against pupils without SEND nationally.
The Government has invested £14 million to make the programme available across the country. It is being delivered Achievement for All 3As, led by Professor Blandford, chaired by Brian Lamb OBE and supported by PwC.
Brian Lamb states that the impact of Achievement of All is truly unique. ‘For the first time we now have a proven intervention that can improve outcomes and change the lives of children and families.’
Notes to editors:
1. The Achievement for All pilot ran for two years from September 2009 in 450 schools (including primary and secondary mainstream schools, special schools and a number of pupil referral units). The programme was developed following Brian Lamb’s 2009 Inquiry into parental confidence in the special educational needs and disability system. A key recommendation was that support for children with special educational needs and disability should focus on improving outcomes, not on process. The key aim of the pilot was to improve outcomes in English and maths through effective leadership, close tracking of progress leading to interventions where needed, working with families to engage them in their child’s learning and, removing barriers to learning such as bullying or poor attendance, behaviour or emotional problems.
2. The independent evaluation of the Achievement for All pilot was carried out by the University of Manchester. The report is available here The full report can be seen at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/PopularRsgPublications/Page1/DFE-RR176
3. In England, over 20% of children (1.9 million pupils) are identified as having SEND, ranging from severe disability to dyslexia or behavioural and communication problems. Many pupils with SEND attain poor educational outcomes, are less likely to attend university and are more likely to be permanently excluded as reported in the Coalition Government’s recent Green Paper on SEND.
4. In June the Department for Education awarded a three year contract to make Achievement for All available nationally. Achievement for All is a tailored school improvement framework, delivered in partnership with leaders, teachers, parents, pupils and support professionals, that aims to raise the aspirations, access and achievement of pupils identified with SEND. The national programme will be delivered by a newly formed charity, Achievement for All 3As, chaired by Brian Lamb, working with PwC. The partnership won because of their high aspirations for Achievement for All and their innovative approach to run this as a social enterprise by school leaders for school leaders. All schools who want it can now get Achievement for All support to strengthen their provision for students with SEND. Schools can buy into the training, which includes support from a trained leader adapted to meet each school’s context and priorities. Information on how to be involved is available at: www.afa3as.org.uk
5. Achievement for All (3As) is led by the National Director for the pilot programme, Professor Sonia Blandford and is chaired by Brian Lamb OBE, author of the Lamb Inquiry report.
January 30, 2012
