Target Setting, Tracking and Intervention This document focusses on target setting of attainment grades for public exam years: 4 th Year, 5 th Year and Sixth Form. There is a separate document dealing with tutor target setting for all year groups. Aims of Target Setting It is our aim to help our pupils to aspire to the highest grades of which they are capable. Target-setting will be used to motivate pupils towards a realistic and aspirational goal and tracking of performance will provide frequent updates to check progress and intervene where necessary. Target setting must be aspirational and set realistic and achievable challenges for pupils of all abilities. What is a target? An optimistically realistic estimation of what an individual could achieve in a public examination based on previous evidence, a growth mindset and aspiration; It will be estimated using baseline assessments, previous exam results and the professional judgement of teachers along with the aspirations of the School and pupil; A target is not a prediction, promise or guarantee of a particular final public exam grade; it is a realistic and aspirational goal at which a pupil, supported by the subject teacher, should be aiming; As a pupil gets closer to public exams, it is expected that progress grades, mock exam grades and class attainment all approach the target grade. The most important things for teacher to consider in setting targets are that every pupil is: an individual; an exception to a rule; someone to be valued. Data used to help with initial target setting: GCSE: 4 th & 5 th Year: Middle Years Information System (MiDYIS) taken by pupils in the Autumn of the 3 rd Year Sixth Form: A Level Performance System (ALPS) based on the average GCSE score of the student; and the A Level Information System (ALIS) taken by Lower Sixth in the Autumn Term. For the GCSE targets, Independent School MidYIS Chances Graphs will be used as part of the process. We use the Independent Schools Chances Graphs as these are more aspirational; nationally pupils from independent schools perform better on average, and this shifts the peak of the graphs towards the higher grades. For A Level, the ALPS target will set grade at a level which would put students at the75 th percentile nationally, placing them in the top 25%. We also encourage them to aim higher than this; and this proved possible in 2014 when the value added for our A Level results placed the Truro School in the 90 th percentile, the top 10% nationally. Procedures for 4 th Year Target Setting 3 rd Year: MidYIS Scores and Chances Graphs National MidYIS scores are entered on SIMS. The Independent Schools Chances Graphs are saved as pdf documents and uploaded as linked documents on SIMS for each pupil, ready for use in the 4 th Year. All possible GCSE subjects are represented. GCSE Evening for Parents: Autumn Term 4 th Year, within the first four weeks. Parents are informed about MidYIS and the target setting process. 1
GCSE Target Setting Assembly for 4 th Year: before Autumn half term. Pupils are informed about the target setting process. 4 th Year Target Setting: end of Autumn Term, after the reports grades have been completed. One week before Target Setting Week, form tutors will give paper copies of individual pupil Chances Graph summary sheets to each pupil in a tutor period. The pupil then takes the Chances Graph summary sheet to each subject lesson. Targets will be set by subject teachers in consultation with pupils in lessons. Target setting unfolds in the following sequence: Tutor Period Pupils are given a sheet with all the Chances Graphs for subjects they could be doing. They stick this in their planners. In tutor period, pupils set themselves an aspirational target that is also realistic and achievable; for each subject Chances Graph, circle this grade in pencil. Target Setting Week: with subject teachers in lessons The following will take place in the lesson, while the class is doing some work; each target should not take more than a few minutes. Consideration will be made of the attainment in work so far in the Autumn term alongside the Chances Graph and any other relevant information. Pupils and each subject teacher agree a grade that is realistic (based on the teacher s professional judgement and knowledge of the pupil) and also aspirational (based on the independent school Chances Graph and the pupil s ambition). Entering the target grade on the school database The subject teacher enters the agreed Target Grade on the database before the end of term. The target grade will then appear on reports from the Spring Term. The Target Grade will be reviewed by the subject teacher with Heads of Department and pupils after the Summer Internal Exams and after end of year reports have been written. The new Target Grade will be entered on the database by the subject teacher in September of the 5 th Year. The 5 th Year end of Autumn Term mock exam grade will also appear in all Spring Reports for the 5 th Year pupils. Attainment can then be tracked against the reference point of the Target Grade and mock grade. Tracking Following a reporting session, data will be available in appropriate forms for Heads of Department, Heads of Year and tutors to illustrate pupil progress. Tracking will be used to highlight those who show continued good progress and/or high achievement. This may send a message to teachers about the need for more challenging extension opportunities. Where there is an area of concern, however, an intervention action plan will be put into place to support pupil progress (see later). This will be set and monitored by teachers, Heads of Department, tutors and the appropriate Head of Year, with parents being kept informed. 4 th 5 th Year Parent Reports The Target Grade only appears on pupil reports from the Spring term of the 4 th Year onwards. It will be used until the end of the Summer Term and then be reviewed ready for the start of the 5 th Year. 2
From January: 4 th Year Spring Report: Subject Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun A B B B 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 Target Grade: A 4 th Year Summer Report: Subject Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun Oct Dec Feb Apr Jun A B B B A 1 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 Target Grade: A 4 th Year Summer Exam Grade: A* The Target Grade will be reviewed by the subject teacher with Heads of Department and pupils after the Summer Internal Exams and after reports have been written. The new Target Grade will be entered on the database by the subject teacher in September of the 5 th Year. The 5 th Year end of Autumn Term mock exam grade will also appear in all Spring Reports. Attainment can then be tracked against the reference point of the Target Grade and mock grade. 5 th Year Spring Report: Subject Oct Dec Feb Apr Oct Dec Feb Apr Oct Dec Feb Apr Oct Dec Feb Apr A A A 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Target Grade A* 5 th Year Nov. Mock Exam Grade: A* Target Setting: Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth Determining Subject Target Grades Lower Sixth Subject Target Grades will be based initially on a student s average GCSE score, using an ALPS calculation to produce target grades for A2. The target grades will be set to a level that would place the student at the 75 th percentile nationally it is an aspirational target. It must be recognised that these are A2 targets; nationally, students do less well at AS, improving their grade by the time they reach A2. However, the A2 aspirational target is still a useful benchmark from the middle of the Lower Sixth onwards. This initial ALPS Target Grade can be adjusted by a Head of Department in consultation with the teacher. The adjustment will be based on knowledge of the student, an understanding of the difficulty level of the subject, reference to their performance in the GCSE in that subject (where relevant) and the HoD s aspiration for the Department. One of the subject teachers will enter the Subject Target Grade on SIMS in consultation with the partner teacher and HoD before half term and before the first progress report. 3
When A* is an ALPS Target Grade, this would not be used as a Subject Target Grade during the Lower Sixth as A* cannot be achieved at AS; an A grade would be the maximum possible. A Target of A* would be deferred until the Upper Sixth. ALIS results come later on in the Autumn term and will be used to help provide further detail on target grades: corroboration of the ALPS for those students that have GCSE grades; and a helpful indicator for those overseas students with no GCSE grades. Updated Lower Sixth Target Targets will be reviewed towards the end of the Autumn term, after writing end of term reports. The performance throughout the term and ALIS results will be used to help make a judgement about the target. Lower sixth targets may be moved higher than the ALPS target; they will not be moved lower than ALPS as we want all students to aspire to reach at least the 75 th percentile. Targets for each subject will remain the same or be moved up in January and before the first Progress Report of the Spring Term. Tracking against the Department Target Grade Lower Sixth In all Progress Reports and Full Reports, the Subject Target Grade will be displayed. Attainment Grades for each reporting cycle will be tracked. Where possible, the attainment grade will be partly based on some departmental standardised work and does not have to be solely test-oriented. When tracking progress in attainment against the target grade, aim to be realistic; it is unlikely that a grade awarded for work submitted in the early part of the year will be an accurate assessment of the final AS or A2 grade. However, towards the middle of the Spring term, the level of work being set and the attainment is expected to be a more realistic reflection of a student s performance. Lower Sixth Attainment for each reporting cycle Attitude in Lessons Independent Study Organisation Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar C B B B 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 Target Grade: A Spring Mock Grade: B Towards the middle of the Spring Term, attainment one grade below the target would not flag up concern in the Lower Sixth. However, at this stage, any attainment deemed to be two grades or more below the target will require a discussion with the student. The follow-up may involve intervention, which may include compulsory attendance at Wednesday clinics, repeated work, re-tests, extra prep, lunchtime prep clinics, mentoring sessions, and deadlines for raising the standard of attainment. Upper Sixth The Upper Sixth Subject Target Grade will be the UCAS Prediction. When setting this, Departments will consider a range of information: the initial ALPS Target (as determined by the average GCSE score), the GCSE grade in that subject (where relevant), the January updated target, test and mock scores, the AS unit results and the professional judgement of the student s teachers. The AS module results will be an indicator of achievement at A Level and we would be looking for at least an average of 90% across all modules to indicate the possibility of achieving A*. However, it is recognised that students may underperform at AS Level. 4
Deadline for UCAS Prediction Autumn Upper Sixth The deadline for HoDs to submit the UCAS Prediction on SIMS will be the second week of the Autumn term. Upper Sixth Spring Term Attainment for each reporting cycle Attitude in Lessons Independent Study Organisation Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar Oct Dec Feb Mar B C B A 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 UCAS Target Grade: A Spring Mock Grade: B Intervention Intervention involves action plans that are to be used to improve pupil performance ready for the next report. Tracking and Intervention is a continuous item in Department Meetings and Pastoral Meetings, so that pupils that are under-performing are revisited and ideas shared with all key people, starting with the academic subjects and communicating to pastoral teams and the Senior Leadership Team. Relevant tracking sheets will go out to staff after each reporting cycle. In a Department Meeting, subject teachers and Heads of Department decide the intervention actions for those students that are falling significantly below their targets. Intervention Actions Intervention actions include: First aid intervention - teachers invest time for that student for a while (e.g visiting them first after a task has been set, marking their book first, targeting them first with questions); Coursework workshops out of normal class time; invited to improve coursework; or compulsory attendance; Booster sessions/clinics; in extreme cases these could be compulsory with a register of attendance; Learning Support referral with some justifying details e.g. rarely finishes test in time ; Provision for differentiation SEN/D e.g. structured writing plans; Personalised homework (to practise a certain skill); Department Detention (to complete work in school time) Deputy Headmaster Detention (Friday after school), or Headmaster Detention (Saturday morning) to complete work after previous warnings Parents invited to school for a meeting; Head of Department/subject report; Head of Year report; Deputy Headmaster report: a weekly interview with the Deputy to check on progress. Flexible curriculum and exam subject changes; in extreme circumstances this could lead to dropping a subject. Nick Fisher, Deputy Headmaster August 2013 Updated August 2014 5