Case study: Attainment

Assignment	Consultancy to support the authority with attainment.
Client Issue	Attainment at KS2 was in line and often above national expectations Attainment at KS3 had declined Added value from KS2 to 3 was disappointing but standards improved at KS4 The local authority had concerns about the arrangements for transition and the quality of the learning experience in KS3
Project details	A review of teaching and learning was carried out in each of the eight secondary schools A scrutiny of LA and school data was undertaken at the outset and used to formulate the key questions The focus of the review was on year 7 in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science Two consultants spent the equivalent of three days in each school conducting the review The review involved lesson observations, interviews with key staff, a year seven focus group with questionnaire, work scrutiny Judgements were based on analysis of evidence gathered and designed to complement schools’ own evaluation Following verbal feedback to the leadership team in each school a short written report was complied to reflect the findings of the review in that school An overall report was written report was presented to the local authority detailing findings and proposing action.
Outcomes	The individual school reports were designed to feed into the school self evaluation process The report to the authority detailed the overall quality of the teaching observed with a breakdown at subject level and also: Identified issues having a negative impact on teaching and learning Evaluated arrangements for transition Included case studies of good practice Made clear recommendations to secure future improvements
Lessons learned	The key lessons from the client point of view have been to confirm the hypothesis of underachievement at KS3 but also to appreciate the objective views of the consultants, made from an external vantage point. Recommendations to secure improvement included action to be taken at school and strategic level The consultants felt the preparation of suitable paperwork to capture evidence was important to ensure consistency. Verbal progress reports to the client helped to clarify emerging issues. It is crucial to allow sufficient time for school site visits and follow up to ensure the high quality of the final written report.