What Does Ofsted Recommend Schools Should do About English?
You can read the full report here.
Curriculum and Pedagogy (Primary and Secondary)
Spoken Language Development
"Make sure that the national curriculum requirements for spoken language are translated into practice, so that pupils learn how to become competent speakers. This should include opportunities to teach the conventions of spoken language, for example how to present, to debate and to explain their thinking."
Foundational Knowledge and Skills
"Make sure that the curriculum takes full account of the foundational knowledge and skills outlined in the national curriculum that pupils need in reading, writing, and spoken language to carry out more complex tasks; provide sufficient high-quality opportunities to practise these key components in the planned curriculum."
Reading Curriculum
"Plan a reading curriculum that over time builds pupils’ reading fluency, linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world, and that does not limit them to responding to exam-style questions."
Encouraging Reading Habits
"Encourage pupils to read a wide range of books once they are fluent readers, and so build a reading habit."
Addressing Gaps in Phonics Knowledge
"Help those pupils who enter key stages 2 or 3 unable to read fluently to catch up quickly. This includes making sure that teaching addresses specific gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge or provides additional practice for pupils who have accurate knowledge, but still read too slowly to absorb information effectively."
Transcription Skills
"Ensure that pupils who are in the early stages of learning to write, and older pupils who are not fluent in transcription, practise transcription skills in isolation to avoid working memory overload."
Curriculum and Pedagogy (Primary)
Daily Phonics Teaching
"Continue to ensure that pupils in Reception and key stage 1 have daily phonics teaching until they are accurate in word reading (decoding). This includes identifying pupils who are beginning to fall behind and giving them extra practice."
Developing Reading Fluency Post-Decoding
"Make sure that staff know how to continue to develop pupils’ reading fluency once they are able to decode accurately."
Training in Synthetic Phonics for Key Stage 2 Staff
"Make sure that all key stage 2 staff are trained in systematic synthetic phonics and so can reinforce pupils’ word reading and transcription skills in key stage 2 reading and English lessons."
Text Selection Based on Literary Merit
"Choose texts for study in English first and foremost on literary merit."
Curriculum and Pedagogy (Secondary)
Support for Weak Readers
"Make sure that staff who support the weakest readers know how to identify whether they need help with decoding or reading fluency, and act on it."
Progression in Spoken Language and Writing
"Plan for progression in spoken language and writing with the same precision as progression in reading and literature, and teach the vocabulary, grammar and conventions of these."
Assessment
Minimizing Exam Influence
"Ensure that statutory tests and exams do not disproportionately influence decisions about curriculum and pedagogy."
Formative Assessment
"Ensure that formative assessment gives teachers the right level of information and assurance about what pupils have learned and whether they are ready for the next step of learning."
School Systems
Professional Development in English
"Ensure that teachers have high-quality professional development in English literature and language with time to develop subject knowledge beyond exam specifications."
Understanding Teaching and Assessment Needs
"Ensure that teachers understand what pupils need to learn to be successful in English and how to teach and assess this."
Importance of Leadership in English Proficiency
The roles of senior and middle leaders are crucial in ensuring that pupils develop proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking. Key aspects include:
Leadership Impact: Decisions about “timing, the arrangements for catch-up, professional development, and assessment” significantly affect the quality of the English curriculum.
Content Knowledge: Teachers' content knowledge in English is fundamental to pupil progress. Professional development should be tailored to teachers' needs while ensuring they understand the rationale behind their learning.
Support for English Subject Leaders
Subject leaders in English feel supported in their roles, reflecting the importance of reading and English in the curriculum:
Supportive Environment: “In every school visited, English subject leaders feel supported in their roles” due to the emphasis on these subjects within the curriculum.
Curriculum Planning and Training
Curriculum planning varies among schools, particularly regarding the inclusion of Reception and training beyond phonics:
Reception Inclusion: In many schools, Reception is integrated into English planning, helping teachers understand the progression to Key Stage 1. However, some schools fail to incorporate it, leading to weaker curriculum plans.
Phonics Training: While training in phonics is common, “there is little mention of training beyond phonics,” particularly for teachers not directly involved in early stages.
Use of Curriculum Plans and Resources
Schools employ different commercial plans for various purposes, but coherence can be lacking:
Adaptation of Plans: Leaders often adapt plans shared by their trust to suit their school's needs, stating these resources help manage workload.
Lack of Coherence: Many schools have not considered how different plans work together or the research backing them, resulting in a lack of a coherent curriculum.
Catch-Up Teaching Practices
While catch-up teaching is widely available, its implementation can be problematic:
Reliance on Catch-Up: Some schools overly depend on catch-up strategies rather than ensuring pupils learn the content accurately from the outset: “A small number of schools rely too much on catch-up teaching.”
Monitoring Interventions: Schools often lack clarity on which interventions effectively support learning, focusing on the lowest-attaining readers without preventing the need for catch-up.
Training and Monitoring Challenges
Many schools struggle to meet national curriculum requirements and effectively monitor teaching practices:
Lack of Training: There is often inadequate training for teachers on how to sequence the spoken language curriculum, leading to confusion about expectations.
Generic Approaches: Some schools use generic teaching approaches that add to teacher workload without being beneficial to English: “Some schools take unhelpful generic approaches to teaching.”
Differentiating Curriculum and Pedagogy
A common issue among schools is the failure to differentiate between curriculum and pedagogy:
Pedagogical Knowledge: Schools often lack clarity regarding pedagogical content knowledge, leading to ineffective professional development: “In these schools, approaches that are not subject specific are the norm for CPD.”
Equitable Experiences: Teachers' discretion in determining what to develop in their subject knowledge can lead to inequitable experiences for pupils.
Case Study: Effective Professional Development
One school exemplified a structured professional development program focused on English:
Structured Offer: Leaders implemented a well-defined professional development program operating on a 2-week cycle, targeting specific curriculum areas.
Addressing Misconceptions: Leaders diagnosed pupil misconceptions and tailored training to address these gaps effectively. For instance, when pupils struggled with “temporal fronted adverbials,” they provided explicit examples to clarify the concept.
Let’s Turn This Into a Checklist for Your Team
