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The 2016 KS2 reading paper presented a greater degree of challenge to young readers, and although the 2017 and 18 tests were generally regarded as being more accessible, they still proved challenging for a significant number of our Year 6 pupils. We recognise from our work in schools that many pupils found the texts used for the test hard to access, challenging to comprehend, and demanding in terms of the reading stamina required to get through them in the time available. With this in mind, schools will need to consider how to equip their pupils for this increased challenge so that they are able to tackle the 2020 test with confidence.

This project has been designed to address this issue, offering strategies that will have a swift and powerful impact on pupils’ reading achievement in a short space of time. Following successful implementation of the project, pupils in Year 6 will be on an improved trajectory towards EXS at the end of KS2; have a more positive relationship with books; be more enthusiastic, confident readers with an increased understanding and engagement with texts.

The project will focus predominantly on the need to improve pupils’ reading fluency of complex texts. The past few years have seen increased reference to the need to develop fluency in reading. The DFE exemplification materials and KS2 test papers highlighted heightened expectations around swift comprehensive reading. A lack of fluency impacts upon understanding, motivation, confidence and rates of progress. Research has shown that specific instruction around fluency enables pupils to free up cognitive space which can be directed more effectively towards other activities “… such as comprehension, analysis, elaboration and deep understanding.” [Hattie 2014]

For more information please follow the link below:
KS2 Reading Fluency Project

The Examinations Organiser module can assist exams officers/assistants manage all aspects of managing external examinations. This half-day course focuses on maximising use of the Exams Organiser and covers functionality which could aid the administration of exams.

This full-day course is relevant for SENCOs and senior leaders with responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It looks, in detail, at the evidence required to support self-evaluation using the essentials of day-to-day good practice. During the day, we will explore the new Framework for Inspection and consider the implications on practice. Common themes and areas for development from recent Ofsted inspections will be shared and considered in the context of delegates own schools.

This ever popular Christmas event will provide the most up-to-date curriculum news and advice as well as offering suggestions and strategies to lead and manage the issues and challenges that face English subject leaders.

We will have our usual mix of ‘spotlight sessions’ based on cutting edge practice, a keynote speaker and the usual Christmas giveaways and cheer.

The 2014 National Curriculum catapulted spelling at KS2 into the limelight, and the KS2 assessment framework documents have further intensified the focus on spelling over the last four years. With this in mind, schools have been grappling with – and will need to consider further – how to equip their pupils for this increased challenge, so that they are able to meet the expected standard at the end of KS2 with confidence.

This project has been designed to offer strategies that will have a swift and powerful impact on pupils’ spelling achievement. Following successful implementation of the project, the pupils will be on an improved trajectory towards EXS at the end of KS2; have a more positive relationship with spelling; be more enthusiastic, confident spellers with an increased understanding and knowledge of the spelling system.

The project will focus predominantly on the need to improve pupils’ current individual spelling errors and misconceptions. Accurate spelling is a key component of writing fluently; enabling pupils’ cognitive resources to be freed from focusing on spelling means it can then be redirected towards writing composition. Following this event a half-day consultancy visit will be arranged with an allocated adviser week commencing 7th October 2019.

For more information please follow the link below:
Spelling SOS KS2 Project

For all schools outside of Hertfordshire please contact us for a price and availability before booking.

This course will allow delegates to carry out the processes contained in the school census documentation we send to schools, on their own school data, enabling delegates to complete the process with guidance from a data management consultant. Delegates will be in a quiet, uninterrupted environment.

Delegates should have a basic familiarity of SIMS and have their own login to the system. Shortly before the course, delegates' schools will be provided with instructions for setting up the remote connection. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that these instructions are followed and it should be noted that failure to do so may result in the delegates being unable to work on the school’s own data during this session.

This course will allow delegates to carry out the processes contained in the school census documentation we send to schools, on their own school data, enabling delegates to complete the process with guidance from a data management consultant. Delegates will be in a quiet, uninterrupted environment.

Delegates should have a basic familiarity of SIMS and have their own login to the system. Shortly before the course, delegates' schools will be provided with instructions for setting up the remote connection. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that these instructions are followed and it should be noted that failure to do so may result in the delegates being unable to work on the school’s own data during this session.

This hugely successful project is aimed at supporting schools in analysing historic ELG reading data and using this to fine-tune the teaching of early reading and phonics in order to close gaps for as many pupils as possible, as early on as possible, success in reading in the early years of school is linked to later reading fluency and comprehension. We know that children may experience barriers to reading for a range of reasons. Unpicking these, and matching provision to individual need, is integral to closing these gaps. Previous project schools have seen an improvement of their ELG reading by on average 4.6 percentage points. The largest increase seen was +13.3 percentage points, in a school with a high proportion of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils.

The project package includes high-quality training resources, observational assessment tools and the professional development outlined below. Schools benefit from the project in a range of ways, e.g. improving their ELG reading attainment in comparison to National, LA or their own previous data.

During the project participants will be using tracking tools to support pace and progress and to explore matching provision to need. With their linked adviser, they will plan, carry out and review key actions for individual pupils and groups of pupils. The project will then support the delegates to embed strategies through robust action planning, ensuring future success and building sustainable improvements in provision.

For more information please follow the link below:
Early Reading Project

Following the launch day event a half-day consultancy visit will be arranged with an allocated adviser by the end of January 2020. For all schools outside of Hertfordshire please contact us for a price and availability before booking.

The Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project is designed to swiftly improve reading fluency and comprehension of those students who have entered KS3 working below the expected standard in reading. The project strategies have been trialled extensively with Year 5 and 6 pupils, and have been proven to have a powerful effect on reading ability for most pupils, in turn supporting them to develop more positive views about reading. This project has received national interest and the strategies have been shared with Local Authorities and Teaching School Alliances across the country.
Over the 8-week period, target students receive 2 x 20 minutes teacher-led sessions each week. These should be delivered by a teacher. Using the key strategies of modelled expert reading and echo reading, alongside challenging text selection, pupils have been shown to make dramatic progress across an 8-week intervention period. Year 6 pupils made on average 31.5 months progress during the intervention period.
The KS3 project has been successfully trialled in a number of secondary schools and has been adapted to suit a secondary audience.
The project incorporates a range of high-quality CPD elements, including, a whole-day launch, a twilight session, a 2-hour in-school visit and a final half-day review. In addition, schools will be supplied with assessment materials, which will aid in judging the impact of the project. The HfL advisory team will mark and analyse the assessment materials, providing the pre-intervention data outcomes at the school visit and the post-intervention data outcomes at the half day review.
The project cost covers the inclusion of one teacher (who will deliver the sessions) and a project lead (this may be the head of english). Additional teachers can be included in the project for a small charge.

This is day one of five modules for new users; existing users may wish to attend any sessions as required.

This is a series of half-day courses designed to support ‘new’ school timetablers, although each session is standalone and is suitable for existing timetablers, who may wish to refresh their knowledge of Nova-T6.

In this session delegates will learn how to input all the base data required to construct a timetable in Nova-T6 and how it interacts in the software.