Keynote Excerpts

Keynotes Edition 50 February 2020

KS 2 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling test: - six years on T he GPS test was introduced in 2013 in an attempt to improve grammar and its usage. Advocates of the test (there are some) believe it important that pupils can identify the key features of a sentence and select appropriate punctuation to convey the required meaning - but no one would argue with this. Teachers have always given children discreet exercises as a means of practising specific grammatical points - learning when to use ‘to, too and two’ for example, or where to place the apostrophes in possessive adjectives and abbreviations. subject.

“Grammar rules, OK?” Ian Cushing, TES 6th December

MFL GCSE grades A fter years of lobbying, Ofqual has acknowledged that it is more difficult to achieve good grades in GCSE French and German than in other subjects. As a consequence, the exam boards are being instructed to ‘review’ the grade boundaries and make them more in line with Spanish, which is perceived as easier. The changes will take effect from this summer.

Where opinions differ, is the requirement for pupils to understand, and use, the vocabulary and terminology associated with written English. Is it really necessary for a ten year to be familiar with “modal verbs”, or to know that an additional explanatory phrase in a sentence, demarcated by commas, is a parenthesis?

Teachers dislike the dogmatic nature of the test because it requires them to focus on test strategies and the terminology. It is evident that teachers don’t teach like this out of choice, but because they are compelled to.

Has introducing the GPS paper improved overall standards of English writing at KS2 and beyond? The government believes it has, but the results are far from convincing.

Meanwhile many pupils, lower attainers in particular, glaze over and become yet more disenchanted with English as a 36

Quite apart from the statistical evidence, the numbers of students taking French and German have continued to decline – both have dropped by over 30% since 2014. This is due, at least in part, to the perception of them being more difficult than other subjects. It is hoped that this realignment will encourage more students to study a language.

There are arguments for the same exercise to be carried out on A-level French and German courses, since students are apt to avoid A-level MFLs because of a perceived unpredictability in the results, particularly where top grades are concerned. “Ofqual to make it easier to get top grades in GCSE French and German” Schoolsweek Nov 5th, 2019 Pippa Allen-Kinross

A report by the Higher Education Policy Institute has noted the decline in the numbers studying a modern foreign language since they were made optional at Key Stage 4, in 2004. The report strongly recommends that the study of an MFL should be made compulsory again, up to the age of 16. The report acknowledges that the GCSE might not be appropriate for all students, so recommends less academic alternatives be provided, such as vocational language courses. The report also recognises that one limiting factor is the shortage of language teachers, so recommends that all MFL subject specialists should be on the shortage occupation list. Currently, only Mandarin teachers are included.

“Learning foreign languages should be compulsory, says report.” Richard Adams The Guardian, 9th Jan 2020

Importance of oracy Nicky Pear, writing in the TES, makes a case for a greater focus on oracy in schools Ms Pear points out that there is plenty of research to suggest a direct link between oral skills and academic outcomes - the Educational Endowment Foundation states that “oral language interventions consistently show positive impact on learning”. Yet the government’s standardised tests at primary school level only focus on reading comprehension, writing and mathematics. As a consequence, the development of oral skills in the classroom tends to be marginalised. Nicky Pear also notes that employers now prioritise communication skills when

interviewing candidates. Ms Pear’s school, Cubitt Town Junior School, has been (and still is) successful in terms of SATS results, but the children were passive in class, being reticent to answer questions or engage in discussions. So the school set out to modify its teaching to encourage constructive dialogue – not just within the classroom, but in the wider school environment. All lessons now included an oracy outcome and sometimes only an oracy outcome. Ms Pear points out that teachers required considerable support (dedicated staff meetings, INSET, assistance with planning etc) to bring about this significant change. One year on and the children are now talking with more purpose and awareness of their audience, not only within the classroom, but in assemblies and in debates. Their confidence in speaking is growing. At the start of the year 25% of pupils said they lacked confidence in sharing their ideas. This dropped to 5% by the end of the year. Ofsted commented on the children’s impressive spoken language skills. Nicky Pear believes it is too early to say definitively whether the change has led to a significant improvement in educational outcomes, but there are positive signs. “Why children should be seen to be heard" Nicky Pear, TES 3rd January 2020 Books or digital texts. Which are better for learning? A ccording to Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, there are advantages to both. Spatial layout is integral to the memory process, so for long passages or whole texts, the physical nature of a book seems to aid recall. Having read a topic or chapter in a book, pupils will have some idea of whereabouts they can find a particular passage or piece of information. The digital alternative involves scrolling through quantities of text. The words have no physical location so it is not possible to use spatial factors to aid recall. So, for the purposes of memorising, a physical book has the advantage. However, digital text has numerous benefits. It can be made more “attractive” to engage the reader. Hyperlinks can be inserted to provide breadth and depth to a subject, possibly introducing clips of video footage to illustrate a point. Text size and colours can be altered to suit individuals, something that is particularly useful for SEND pupils. Dr Horvath believes teachers should mix and match; decide on the learning objectives, then choose the medium best suited to the activity. “Are print books better for learning than digital texts?” Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, TES 6th September, 2019 Teacher incentives L ast October, the DfE announced that newly qualified teachers in Physics, Chemistry and MFL would be offered a financial incentive to remain in the profession. From 2020/21, they will receive a bonus of £1500 each year, for four years. Those willing to work in areas where there are significant teacher shortages, will receive rather more. These cash incentives are in addition to the £26,000 bursaries some subject teachers receive during their training. The DfE revealed that approximately 20% of newly qualified teachers eligible for bursaries are not working in a state school beyond their first year which, in the DfE’s eyes, is a very poor return on its investment. “Teachers are offered extra £6000 to stay” The Times, 5th October, 2019

Teachers' pension contributions T his year, the government increased employer’s contributions from 16.48% of a teacher’s salary to 23.6% (plus a 0.08% “administration fee”). This represents an increase in excess of 40%. The DfE pledged to fund the increase for state schools for this current year – at a cost of £880 million - but independent schools are on their own. As a consequence of the steep increase, approximately 100 independent schools plan to withdraw from the scheme, on the grounds that they can no longer afford it. Some teachers are threatening strike action and the NEU is offering its support. Quite how this will be resolved, remains to be seen.

Teachers' salaries T he latest OECD education report highlights the variation in salaries between teachers and headteachers across developed nations. It is notable that, in England, the maximum salary for a headteacher is 180% higher than that of a teacher at the top of the upper pay range. This is a significantly bigger differential than any other country in the OECD survey where, on average, heads are paid 52% more than their teachers. The report also noted that, of all the countries surveyed, headteachers in England have the highest maximum salary. Moreover, the starting salary for primary teachers in England is currently 14% below the OECD average and for secondary teachers, 20% below the OECD average.

“The week in stats”. TES 13th September, 2019