#DoSomethingBig and other cool stuff

Did you know we are over 10% of the way through 2024 already ??

That said, we are another week closer to half-term, and I hope you're all smashing it, but also looking forward to a quieter time this month.

Anyway, let's see what's happened in the world of Ed & Tech this past 7 days.

Let's get into it!

DfE News

National apprenticeships week

Secondary accountability measures (including Progress 8 and Attainment 8) - Updated 1st February 2024

This document explains how secondary accountability measures are calculated. It also gives more information about announced policies that apply to accountability measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

This information is for:

• senior leaders working in secondary schools and trusts, including maintained schools, academies, alternative provision, free schools and special schools
• independent schools or colleges with 14 to 16 provision seeking information on secondary accountability measures
• governors and trustees
• local authorities

It applies to:

• local-authority-maintained schools
• academies
• free schools
• further education colleges with 14 to 16 provision

Find school and college performance data.

KS4 qualifications, discount codes and point scores for the school performance measures.

A short video explaining Progress 8 is also available:

#DoSomethingBig

Six ways the DfE are supporting children and young people with their mental health

Schools and colleges play an important role in promoting and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students through creating safe, calm and supportive learning environments.

Student voice is key to schools and colleges having an effective approach to wellbeing and is part of the DfE mental health guidance for schools and colleges.

Involving students in decisions that impact them can benefit their mental health and wellbeing by helping them to feel part of the school, college and wider community.

Here are 6 ways the DfE supporting the mental health of children and young people:

1. Grants for Senior Mental Health Leads
2. Promoting wellbeing
3. Mental Health Support Teams
4. Teaching about mental health in schools
5. Support for colleges
6. Help with attendance

If you were unaware of the above, or would like more detail, then you can find it here.

Ofsted News

Thematic review of Alternative Provision (AP)

Webinar: Multi-agency response to children and families who need help.

Ofsted have released a recorded webinar on the findings of their joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) in relation to the multi-agency response to children and families who need help.

General Education News

United Learning is hiring a Director of Assessment. If you work in or around education, you'll understand how great United Learning are, and if assessment is your thing, then there won't be many opportunities like this.

There's one week left to apply.

See more here.

ChatGPT trial in schools

On the 1st of February 2024, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) announced a new trial that will explore whether supporting teachers to use ChatGPT – a generative AI tool – for lesson planning can reduce their overall working hours.

Secondary schools can now sign up to take part in the trial, which is one of the first ever research projects to look at whether ChatGPT can reduce teacher workload, which research shows has a?negative impact on staff retention rates in schools. The trial will find out whether an accessible online guide, designed by Bain &?Company’s Social Impact practice and The Hg Foundation, can help teachers make best use of ChatGPT for efficient lesson planning. The toolkit provides technical support to use generative AI?to:

• generate activity ideas;
• tailor existing lesson materials to specific groups of children;
• produce clear explanations, step-by-step examples or model examples; and
• create assessment materials, such as practice questions and mock?exams.

Read more here.

EdTech News

MyNewTerm integration with DfE Teaching Vacancies Service

This isn't exactly a new story, but MyNewTerm has been on an impressive journey over the last 12 months. It's a company that I hear and see a lot about, and I have a lot of respect for the growth they have made over recent years.

The post below served as a reminder of how impressive their journey has been and is well worth a shout-out.

Well done Wayne Cartmel and the team!

The Learning Challenge Curriculum by Focus Education

Today Tom Parkinson and I had the pleasure of seeing the Learning Challenge Curriculum in a school, and it really is a curriculum that brings Learning to Life.

The Learning Challenge Curriculum has been designed to help schools create their own bespoke curriculum but take advantage of the numerous resources that have been produced to support them.

The curriculum is built on sequencing knowledge and skills (to include substantive and disciplinary knowledge) and building on prior learning so that each subject creates a narrative. Each school needs to be clear about what they want their pupils to be able to do, know and remember by the time they leave. Much of this information will be drawn from the National Curriculum (whilst acknowledging the freedoms afforded academies) but will also need to consider the school’s context, including issues arising from pupils’ cultural capital and the locality of the school.

Focus Education has used an enquiry-approach methodology, where possible so that questions are predominant in most of the units produced.

Find out more here. Alternatively, you can book time with one of their team here.