Key Findings from the Independent Stocktake of the Foundation Phase and

Evidence from Research

20th January 2015

Children in Wales Conference

Cardiff

Prof. Iram Siraj OBE

UCL, Institute of Education

1

Consultation:

Task and Finish group: 4 meetings (representatives eg from ESTYN, CSSIW, Primary schools and settings, WPPA, DfES, Consortia, advisors, Flying Start etc)

Visits to good and excellent schools and settings: across North and South Wales including Welsh Medium schools and settings (N=11) .

Observations of practice and environments, extensive interviews with leadership, key staff, samples of planning and other paper evidence:

1. Non-maintained settings serving 3-4 year olds,

2. Maintained schools serving 3-4 year olds (including those which are part of a primary school)

3. Maintained schools serving 5 -7 year olds

Six Focus groups: Total number of people: N=67 (eg Heads, advisors, training institutions, setting and school staff)

Questionnaires: responses received from above groups and staff in schools and settings visited: N=75

2

Pre-school Group - English

Figure 1: Group Trajectories for the Standardised Residuals of the Cognitive Assessment from Baseline until Year 6

Pre-school Group - Maths

Figure 2 Group Trajectories for the Standardised Residuals of the Cognitive Assessment from Baseline until Year 6

Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years

Iram Siraj, UCL, Institute of Education

Sustained shared thinking:

An episode in which two or more individuals “work together” in an intellectual way to solve a problem, clarify a concept, evaluate activities, extend a narrative etc. Both parties must contribute to the thinking and it must develop and extend.

Open-ended questions feature; and

Playful learning, building on the child’s interests.The above are difficult to assess as outcomes but are essential to achieving good outcomes! Necessary but not sufficient, we still require good content.

(Siraj-Blatchford et al., REPEY, DfES 2002)

Effective Pedagogy, international literature review:

Involvement

adult and child

Co-construction

of knowledge

Instruction

modes of teaching

demonstration

explanation

questioning

modelling

From: Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2009) ‘Early Childhood Education’ in;

Maynard, T. & Thomas, N. (Eds.) An Introduction to Early Childhood Studies,

(2nd Edition) London: Sage Publications (in press)

Table 1: OECD Curriculum Outlines

Teacher’s

initiating activities

Teacher’s

extending

activities

Differentiation

and Formative

Assessment

Relationships

and conflict

between children

Sustained

Shared

Thinking

EEL[1] “Introducing new

activities”

“Enriching

interventions”

“Observe

children”

“Work out

sustaining

relations”

“Engagement”

High

Scope “Sharing Control” “Participation as

partners”

“Plan -

Do -

Review”

“Adopt a problem

solving

approach”

“Authentic

dialogue”

Reggio

Emilia

“Development of

short and long-

term projects”

“Sustaining the

cognitive and

social dynamics”

“Teachers first

listen don’t talk”

“Warm reciprocal

relationships”

“Reciprocity of

interactions”

EPPE/

REPEY

Correlations

found with

effective practice

Correlations

found with

effective practice

Correlations

found with

effective practice

Correlations

found with

effective practice

Correlations

found with

effective

practice

Early years Home Learning Environment (HLE)

being read to

painting and drawing

going to the library

playing with letters/numbers

learning activities with the alphabet

learning activities with numbers/shapes

learning activities with songs/poems/nursery rhymes

Relationships: Caregiver Interaction Scale

(Arnett)

• Positive relationships is a subscale made up of 10 items

indicating warmth and enthusiasm interaction with children by

the caregiver.

• Punitiveness is a subscale made up of 8 items indicating

harsh or over-controlling behaviour in interaction with children

by the caregiver.

• Permissiveness is a subscale made up of 4 items indicating

avoidance of discipline and control of children by the caregiver.

• Detachment is a subscale made up of 4 items indicating lack

of involvement in interaction with children by the caregiver.

Pre-

reading

Early

number

concepts

Independence

&

Concentration

Co-operation

& Conformity

Peer

Sociability

Positive

relationships + + + + +

Punitiveness

- - -

Permissive

- - - -

Detachment

- - - -

Impact of quality as measured by the Caregivers Interaction Scale on cognitive and social behaviour outcomes

How well is the FP being implemented across Wales?

◦ Variable - majority of schools and settings require transition support.

◦ Variability of inspections - need to compare quality across the whole of the FP in order to plan for improvement and ensure equity of entitlement for all children

◦ Lack of clear and agreed view and training of how to implement the FP or FP ‘model’.

◦ Misconceptions, watering down of pedagogy, concern over standards, reversion to old more formal approaches (pendulum effect)

◦ Communication issue – is the government still committed to the FP? Does the FP have a strong enough strategic voice?

Recommendations: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.

11

How are language development, literacy and numeracy skills being embedded across all Areas of Learning?

◦ Variable – many overly formal approaches to literacy and numeracy. Adoption of very structured schemes of work for language, literacy and numeracy. Mechanistic approach.

◦ Ineffective deployment of staff.

◦ LNF impact is too early to evaluate.

◦ Disagreement re the literacy and numeracy tests.

◦ Teacher assessments at the end of FP

◦ LNF/guidelines for 3 and 4 year olds.

Recommendations: 8, 9, 10, 11

12

How well does the FP monitor/address

transition and progression from Flying

Start to FP and then to KS 2?

◦ Variable – good transition processes to none.

◦ Some LAs have developed systems for tracking

and transitions, however only some of these

continue with the children into schools as many

schools use alternative methods.

◦ Some schools may not use the information from

Flying Start and settings at all.

Recommendations: 13, 14 13

Is there variability in quality focussing on leadership, workforce and experience of the child?

◦ Leaders (settings, schools, classrooms, FP key stage) need to be interested in and knowledgeable about the FP and also show good leadership skills.

◦ TAs not always well supported or involved in the FP, used to support classroom management and run remedial interventions. Little change in teaching approach to before the increase in ratios. Concerns over literacy and numeracy skills of TAs.

◦ Some children becoming over reliant on adults due to ratios and pedagogy in the classroom.

Recommendations: 15,16,17,1814

How well are the FP principles and requirements embedded in ITT and on-going CPD?

◦ Variable NQT skills – ITT reported variable processes and recognised the need to ensure consistent good training and placements.

◦ CPD continuing to be developed, initial country wide modules were too limited and needed to include much more on research and how theory supports ‘what works’. Additional aspects e.g. HLE, disadvantage, transitions.

◦ Quality of teaching seen as important across FP, needed in all provision (including nursery classes). Masters level qualifications for FP teachers could support understanding, leadership and quality

◦ 10% teacher input into funded non-maintained setting was variable across country in terms of quality and accessibility

Recommendations: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.15

Final thoughts on the implementation of the FP in Wales

UNESCO (2004) considered quality improvements of

this type across the world and concluded that they:

require a strong lead from government

need a robust long term vision

need sufficiently motivated and well supported staff

can never be viewed in isolation to other policies and

trends

Finally, they note that the impact of an education policy

may not be apparent until several years after its

implementation. 16

Emerging themes on perceptions from bottom up analysis of qualitative data Protective characteristics:

child: perceived ability, motivation, and interests and hobbies

family: effective practical and emotional support and encouragement with school and learning

school: teachers’ sensitive responsiveness, authoritative approach, interactive teaching style, supportive school policies

peer and friendship: practical peer support, emotional support, and motivating support

environment external to home and school: emotional and practical support with school and learning from significant others

Risk factors associated with:

vulnerable children: perceived natural ability, poor work processes, lack of motivation, and externalized problem behaviour

home environment: insufficient or inappropriate support with school and learning, and low levels of emotional support and encouragement

school environment: ineffective teachers and teaching, ineffective school policies

peer environment: interferences with learning processes in class, stimulating externalized problem behaviour

Implications

Implications of ‘active cultivation’ for parenting programmes/initiatives are substantial as our study shows that in these cases the home as an institution is a very powerful ‘proximal’ context. This helps children to establish masterful learning dispositions towards school and learning and stimulates the development of self-efficacy.

Parents who show ‘active cultivation’ provide strong, child-centred emotional support that is sensitive to the children’s developing needs. They do so, even in the face of difficulties, by being encouraging, persistent and consistent.

As children who succeed start school with a better grasp of school relevant skills and knowledge there are implications for the early assessment of children entering school or pre-school in order that appropriate curriculum and pedagogy is personalised and adopted.

Implications

The importance of teachers in supporting and encouraging ‘vulnerable’ children and avoiding negative expectations and stereotypes has implications for recruiting the best teachers into schools in disadvantaged communities.

The importance of relationships with peers and friends has implications for teachers in promoting the ‘communities of learning’ in classrooms in which students can take some responsibility for their own and others learning and work towards shared goals.

The importance of additional support classes has implications for early diagnostic assessment and individualised support and interventions in Key Stage 1.

The importance of social and cultural capital has implications for schools and communities in fostering ‘learning to learn’ dispositions by providing support with educational experiences especially for ‘vulnerable’ children.