Sharing Good Practice
KNOW THY IMPACT : DATA POWERFUL SCHOOLS AND PUPIL ASSESSMENT CAPABILITY
BY SAMUEL HOLLIDAY
“ The truth does not reveal itself to idle spectators .” ( Crawford , 2009 )
When considering if a school is Data Powerful , we should reflect on this thought and ask ourselves “ Are we Reactive or Proactive with Data ?”. A quick summary of debate would lead me to suggest that there are vast similarities but some very powerful differences between the two .
Being Data Powerful is not the ability to produce reports , statistics or comparisons . It is not identifying trends or tracking progress . It is not calculating gender attainment or summarising subject performance . Being Data Powerful is much deeper . It is a practise that leads to teachers knowing every pupil ’ s starting point in a series of progressive learning objectives ; learning objectives which have been carefully considered to ensure a constant level of challenge for pupils of all abilities from the very start of every lesson . To view it from a more strategic level , the truly Data Powerful schools will have complete collective efficacy and belief from all stakeholders in this approach and a unified commitment to using data to adjust teaching , curriculum and community mindsets .
I include pupils in the word ‘ stakeholders ’ deliberately to show how a school can develop Pupil Assessment Capability . A common misconception is that the term means training pupils to pass an exam or to reach a high attainment level . This is when it is important to remind ourselves about the true nature of our profession ; learning IS NOT achievement . An Assessment Capable pupil will know exactly where they are in their learning , where they are going and how they are going to get there . They will be resilient and resourceful . They will be self-aware and transparent and they will be open to scrutiny because they not only recognise the learning process as more important than attainment , they will believe it . They will be able to reflect on their strengths and areas for development honestly and without being afraid of failure .
Once this culture is created , pupils will thrive . From Visible Learning , we know that two of the leading practises for impact on pupil learning are a pupil ’ s high self-expectations and their relationship with their teachers . It is a culture that has to be grown wholeheartedly throughout the whole school community to be fully effective .
Fundamentally , there is no failure in learning . If you still find yourself thinking that there is , perhaps you ’ ve not fully grasped the concept of Pupil Assessment Capability . Pupils should not be subjects in their own learning ; they should be owners of it . They should understand their learning performance and use the information to ask their own questions and make their own decisions . With this culture embedded , and complete collective efficacy , pupils will be ready for a future that is yet to exist .
Sam is an Assistant Head teacher at Kings ’ School Nad Al Sheba where he is responsible for whole school Data , Assessment and Curriculum . He has a Masters Degree in Primary Education and is completing his National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership . Follow him on @ mrhollidayteach .
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