Highlights of evaluation

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Highlights of evaluation
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Summary

• In the first year attainment at the bench mark
  level 5 rose by 4 across the borough as a whole
  with a rise in the average pupil progress during
  Key Stage 3 from 0.7 (2005) to 0.9 (2006)
  National Curriculum levels.
• These headline figures conceal transformational
  changes in some departments with attainment at
  L5 rising by as much as 15 in one case.

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Conversions

• Conversion rates L5gtL6 better in science than in
  either Eng or maths compared with national
• Conversion rates L4gtL6 in science almost matches
  national average
• Conversion rates L3gtL6 in science almost matches
  national averages

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But

• 302 students who entered at L4 made less than 1
  level progress over 3 years
• 29 students who entered at L5 left at L5.
• 64.1 conversion is lower than science nationally
  (69.5)

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Key features

• Commitment to the implementation of the agreed
  strategies consistently across departments.
• Engagement of senior leaders from schools,
  empowering them to take an active line management
  role in driving improvements in science.
• Buy-in on the part of the science subject leader,
  science staff and their line manager in school as
  well as a commitment to rigorous follow up

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Teachers views

• Activities that were straightforward to manage in
  school were adopted in full
• Relatively low level of engagement with
  parents/carers
• Materials sometimes (often?) too late to use
• Improve organisation centrally
• Help for literacy

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Teachers views what to improve in school

• better publicity,
• engagement of parents,
• improved co-ordination,
• leadership,
• commitment,
• time to plan as well as

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Students view about what had helped them in the
tests

• Very clear about what had helped them to do as
  well as they could in the tests
• Working on the revision books and questions at
  home was the most helpful,
• Followed by science lessons and extra science
  lessons.

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What helped them to learn best in science

• experiments and practicals (73)
• interactive activities
• educational games on the board that give me
  better
• understanding
• asking our own questions
• reading science books and independent learning,
  reading
• advice about how to write explanations and
  brain gym
• working together and explaining
• finding a lot of information
• extra lessons
• opened my understanding
• helped in a big way
• help me to understand the things that I dont.
  

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What doesnt help

• Writing / copying (37)
• Reading, listening and answering questions from
  boring books (22)

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Were they influenced by the motive of helping
others?

• Three quarters wore armbands and of these about
  two thirds could give positive statements about
  why they did so
• All the time it show that I support the
  campagian (campaign)
• it should (showed) that I carried (cared)about
  poverty and I wanted to make a change
• I dont think poverty is right and I wanted
  people to know.

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Did they understand the link between their
efforts and contributions to Make Poverty History?

• Few found it possible t o explain the links
  between their efforts and Making Poverty History.
  Nevertheless
• The arm band was reassuring on why I should do
  really well in my exams, I was helping others
• When we are able to reach our targets the
  council will give money to poor countries to help
  the children

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Plans for 2007

• The key elements remain but.
• Earlier launch
• Materials earlier within big picture
• Developments
• Focus on literacy for learning in science
• Improve pupils readiness for Year 9 science
  tests
• Support for parent/carers of year 9 pupils,
  including support in community languages
• Make the support materials more accessible to
  schools through a web portal
• Exploiting the high profile of the project to
• Motivate and engage young people, parents and
  carers, sponsors