National Strategies

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Core subjects

The National Strategies’ core programmes for 2008/09 are aimed at helping English, mathematics, science and ICT departments and senior leaders in schools to respond to the revised National Curriculum programmes of study, the functional skills agenda and developments in assessment at Key Stage 3 and GCSE. LA consultants will continue to support core subject departments as they develop their planning, teaching and assessment strategies. In addition to continuing our support for subject leaders and functional skills pilot centres, we will be publishing a number of new resources over the next 12 months. The areas covered are outlined in the table below.

 

‘One of the best aspects of the National Strategies is the focus given to the craft of teaching and the belief that by sharing good practice in individual schools across the country this really makes improvements to standards of attainment. It is amazing that so many ideas that were borne from the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies, over seven years ago, we now take for granted.’

 

Paul Ainsworth, Deputy Headteacher, Belvoir High School.

Functional Skills training

 

The National Strategies will be providing four half-day CPD sessions specifically for schools in autumn 2008 and spring 2009. This will form the core offer of support to practitioners in English, mathematics and ICT. The content will complement the subject leader development meetings (SLDMs) for 2008/09 which support the new curriculum and the renewed Secondary Frameworks. The pattern is as follows:

 

Autumn 2008

  • Teaching Functional Skills: from building to applying skills
  • Teaching Functional Skills within real, purposeful and relevant contexts.

Spring 2009

  • Teaching Functional Skills: assessing progress
  • Teaching Functional Skills: from entry level to level 1.

Further information, support and guidance will be available from your LA strategy manager and from

 

www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/keystage4/iss/ks4_fssp

 

  English Mathematics Science ICT
Autumn
2008
 ● Support for
planning
including
functional skills
● New materials on
teaching
Shakespeare
● Using ICT to
improve English
teaching
● Examples of
effective
teaching of
speaking and listening 		● Support for
planning
including
functional skills
● Guidance on
supporting
subject
leadership
● Support for the
use of ICT in
mathematics
● Training for
non-specialist
teachers		 ● Support for
planning
● Guidance on
supporting
subject
leadership
● Support for
Science,
Technology,
Engineering and
Mathematics
(STEM)
Programme		 ● Support for
teaching new
aspects of the ICT
curriculum
● Support for
planning
including
functional skills
Spring
2009
 ● Guidance on AfL,
APP and pupil
tracking		 ● Guidance on AfL,
APP and pupil
tracking		 ● Guidance on AfL,
APP and pupil
tracking
● Support
progression to L6
and beyond
● Support for the
development of
triple science		 ● Guidance on AfL,
APP and pupil
tracking
● Web-based
materials for
teachers on
teaching
technical aspects
of internet safety
Summer
2009
 ● KS4 Study Plus
● KS3 intervention
guidance and
resources		 ● KS4 Study Plus
● KS3 intervention
guidance and
resources
● Support for
schools in
encouraging
uptake for
post-16
mathematics		 ● Self-study
materials for
inexperienced
subject leaders
● Support for
teachers on ‘How
science works’		 ● KS3 and KS4
planning and
teaching
particularly Year 8
and Foundation
Stage
● Examples of use
of APP