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Call for radical change in school Change on way in tests and tables
(about 8 hours later)
England's schools minister has called for radical change in classrooms to "personalise" every child's learning. England's school tests and exam league tables are to be changed radically as part of a drive to put more focus on individual pupils' progress.
Jim Knight told a conference in Preston he wanted a system in which no child was stuck in a rut or fell behind. Ministers accept the recommendation of an expert review that children should be tested when they are ready rather than at fixed ages.
He was speaking after the publication of a government-commissioned review of the issue, which has recommended a "learning guide" for every child. The Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, is expected to announce changes to the national tests early next week.
The Gilbert Review also proposed a review of the national curriculum and of exams - a move welcomed by unions. The government wants radical change in classrooms to "personalise" learning.
Mr Knight said: "'Waiting and seeing' while our reforms bed down isn't good enough. Schools Minister Jim Knight told a conference in Preston he wanted a system in which no child was stuck in a rut or fell behind.
"So I want to see radical, meaningful, and sustainable change that benefits all pupils and parents. He was speaking after the publication of a government-commissioned report on the issue, which also recommended a "learning guide" for every child.
"I want to see a system where a child's profile and past doesn't continue to dictate their progress and prospects. The Gilbert Review said there should be an urgent review of the national curriculum and of exams, to report by next September.
"Where standards continue to rise and the gulfs in achievement can be narrowed and overcome." It said the government should use its 2007 comprehensive spending review to introduce a national and school-level "aspirational target" for there to be no "stuck" pupils.
The review was led by Christine Gilbert, former chief executive of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and now head of the education inspectorate Ofsted. The focus should be on raising the rate of progress between the different stages of education.
Progress measure
Mr Johnson himself signalled a change in a speech to new head teachers in November.
He said existing school targets - which relate to the proportion of children reaching certain levels - had produced massive improvements and would stay, but did not tell the whole story.
They failed to take account of children's potential or progress, he said.
Last month the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which has influenced Labour policy in the past, proposed that all pupils should be expected to make at least one level of progress between the end of Key Stages 2 and 3 - roughly ages 11 and 14.
The IPPR's director was part of the personalised learning review team, which was led by Christine Gilbert, head of the education inspectorate Ofsted.
WHAT IS IT? Put simply, personalised learning and teaching means taking a highly structured and responsive approach to each child's and young person's learning, in order that all are able to progress achieve and participate Gilbert ReviewWHAT IS IT? Put simply, personalised learning and teaching means taking a highly structured and responsive approach to each child's and young person's learning, in order that all are able to progress achieve and participate Gilbert Review
Ms Gilbert said personalised teaching and learning is "what every parent wants, what every child deserves and what the country needs" to meet the 21st century's global challenges.Ms Gilbert said personalised teaching and learning is "what every parent wants, what every child deserves and what the country needs" to meet the 21st century's global challenges.
It was "a matter of moral purpose and social justice", the report said, as "pupils from the most disadvantaged groups are the least likely to achieve well".It was "a matter of moral purpose and social justice", the report said, as "pupils from the most disadvantaged groups are the least likely to achieve well".
The report recommends, among other things:
  • all schools should set out how they are making personalised learning a reality
  • a group should be set up to review urgently how the national curriculum and assessment should develop, with more "testing when ready"
  • feedback from pupils should be used to design lessons
  • secondary schools should have "learning guides" to monitor progress and advise pupils and parents
  • parents should get more information, such as lesson plans on the internet
  • teacher training should be revised, outstanding teachers might have sabbaticals to enhance their skills
  • a group should be set up to distinguish effective innovation in teaching from "fads and fashions"
  • government should set targets for there to be no "stuck" pupils, to increase the progress all pupils make
  • those not progressing as expected should be entitled to extra support, such as one-to-one tuition, in or out of school
 Its other recommendations include:
  • all schools should set out how they are making personalised learning a reality
  • feedback from pupils should be used to design lessons
  • parents should get more information, such as lesson plans on the internet
  • teacher training should be revised, outstanding teachers might have sabbaticals to enhance their skills
  • a group should be set up to distinguish effective innovation in teaching from "fads and fashions"
  • pupils not progressing as expected should be entitled to extra support, such as one-to-one tuition, in or out of school
Mr Knight said personalisation had for months been "a distant dream - offering the promise of a warm, fuzzy, comfortable future".Mr Knight said personalisation had for months been "a distant dream - offering the promise of a warm, fuzzy, comfortable future".
Now was the time to put the ideas to the test - which in practice meant a change in the way education was considered and delivered.Now was the time to put the ideas to the test - which in practice meant a change in the way education was considered and delivered.
"It has implications for the curriculum, for assessment, for the ways that we judge success.""It has implications for the curriculum, for assessment, for the ways that we judge success."
Progress reviewProgress review
Derek Wise, head teacher at Cramlington Community High School in Northumberland, was part of the review team.
"The really important thing is that one person in the school knows the student, the work they're doing, their learning, in the round and has the time to spend with them, let's say, half an hour per half term, reviewing their progress and setting targets," he said.
Many struggling pupils and those deemed gifted and talented are already given extra help.
Personalised learning would ensure that the majority that fell in the middle would get teaching suited to them too, he suggested.
The leader of the National Union of Teachers, Steve Sinnott, said: "If at long last the government is going to evaluate the detrimental impact of high stakes testing on pupils and schools, this is a big shift in thinking."The leader of the National Union of Teachers, Steve Sinnott, said: "If at long last the government is going to evaluate the detrimental impact of high stakes testing on pupils and schools, this is a big shift in thinking."
Mary Bousted of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said the review should have gone further.Mary Bousted of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said the review should have gone further.
"It misses a golden opportunity by remaining too firmly entrenched in the same narrowly defined standards and accountability agenda to be really visionary," she said."It misses a golden opportunity by remaining too firmly entrenched in the same narrowly defined standards and accountability agenda to be really visionary," she said.
"We definitely don't see any need to set an extra target for pupil progression.""We definitely don't see any need to set an extra target for pupil progression."
General Secretary of teaching union the NASUWT Chris Keates said good teaching had always been about personalised learning.General Secretary of teaching union the NASUWT Chris Keates said good teaching had always been about personalised learning.
'Buzzwords''Buzzwords'
She said teachers would look to the report for a clear definition of personalised learning but that it was not "sufficiently specific".She said teachers would look to the report for a clear definition of personalised learning but that it was not "sufficiently specific".
"There is a real danger that the report could have unintended consequences that spawn overly bureaucratic processes and workload intensive responses from some schools.""There is a real danger that the report could have unintended consequences that spawn overly bureaucratic processes and workload intensive responses from some schools."
Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb called for more schools to use setting to teach pupils in ability groups.Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb called for more schools to use setting to teach pupils in ability groups.
"Tailoring the curriculum to each child's ability must surely lead to higher levels of attainment across all ability levels," he said."Tailoring the curriculum to each child's ability must surely lead to higher levels of attainment across all ability levels," he said.
The Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, Sarah Teather, said: "More of the same with some new buzzwords thrown in is not going to bring about the change we need."The Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, Sarah Teather, said: "More of the same with some new buzzwords thrown in is not going to bring about the change we need."