The Specialism & Communications

Raising English achievement through PE

Matt Barratt Jane Elam

The School Situated in Calderdale – a selective LA

Specialist Sports College since 2001

KS3 PE – 2 hours per week

KS4 PE – 4 hours per week

PE now a “Core Subject”

An improving picture….2005 Whole School 46% A*-C

PE 44% A*-C (None core subject)) English 47% A*-C

2009 Whole School- 73% A*-C PE 92% A*-C (50% A*-A) English 70% A*-C

2006 – 9 15th Most improved school nationally

Starting point• Ofsted 2007 said: ‘PE outstanding’…

• …but no impact across whole school!

The challenge• Raise achievement in English through

the Sports Specialism

How?• Target overachieving PE students who

are underachieving in English

• Ensure School maximises potential in “at risk” students

• Based on FFT predicted grades and internal tracking data

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• Consultation with Faculty leader, identify target groups, cross reference of data

• Closed project with clear boundaries for measuring impact.

• Relevant to pupils’ interests and expands on their knowledge base.

The process

The barriers• Very receptive staff but there were issues about:

• Bloody PE again…..

• What do they know about English?

• What do I know about sport?

• 3 week programme

• Ran in both core PE and English lessons

• Additional time gained when staff free

• Tea & biscuits!

The format

Then...

THE PROJECT

AQA English Language

• 20% of final GCSE

• 3 tasks:

• Extended individual contribution

• Drama-based activity

• Discussion activity

Part 1

Extended individual contribution

• Research and presentation on their greatest Briton

• Initial presentation by me (the one in the white t shirt!!!)

• Pupils, using mark scheme, grade presentation, and justify marks, why did it score highly?

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Part 2Drama-based contribution

(role play)

• Honest discussion from former pupil Michael Collins about being dropped from team despite being Player of Year previously.

• Feelings, emotions, manner of manager, evidence to support decision

• Pupils dropped the PE teachers…. And enjoyed it far too much!

Being the manager

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Michael Collins scoring for Huddersfield Town against Chelsea in the FA Cup

Part 3

The debate…..• Pupils given the opportunity to spend £1000

of departmental money

• Range of scenarios given from new kit for the staff, new equipment for teams, equipment for lunchtime use , to trophies for Sports Presentation Evening

• Pupils required to debate the issues, present and justify their top 3 suggestions

• Expanded-

• As a school core subject we should remove core PE for more theory qualifications

The impact20 pupils

FFT D Predicted A*-C – 36%FFT D Actual A*- C – 92%

Speaking & Listening

Coursework Grades

100% A*-A

A* – 50%

A – 50%

Overall GCSE English Grades

A – 16%

B – 25%

C – 51%

D – 8%

GCSE English A*-C2007- 53% 2008-66% 2009-70%

Next steps... Exact same programme launched to all Y9

Issues: Changes too big: one size does not fit all

Lost the focused impact

Issues: Needed to be small focus groups

Where did we go next? Y7 & 8 Sport Education & English

Making the link

Brief: To develop the learning processes in the new English curriculum

• REAL audiences, REAL purposes

Reality: 6 week joint unit of work

What's played on the field is reported in the classroom.

Pupils work in same teams in both lessons

Developing: Report writingPoetrySport based research projects

2009-10Where we are now?Y7 PE: Sport Education Football

English: Report writing and History of Sport ProjectICT: Team programme design

Organisational Points: All deliver at same timeSame “team” in all lessons

2009-10Where we are now?Y8 PE: Sport Education Football

English: Poetry – Poet in residence / targeted interventionICT: Web page design programme design

Organisational Points: All deliver at same timeSame “team” in all lessons

2009-10Where we are now?

Y9/10/11English Language Project: Targeted groups (sport specific)

Organisational Points: Use of PE staff / lessons / former pupilsAssess through Sports Leadership

Soft data

Asking the pupils Actually addressing PLT’s “It’s how I like my lessons”

The hard stuff

Use the KS3 s.o.w with target groups and check assessment data against achievement in whole year assessment activities

KS4 targeted intervention

Demonstrable impact against targeted groups, G and T PE/ English C-D borderline etc

Evidencing Impact

2009-10 English - Where else are we going?

Sports Journalism Awards

Level 1- Key Stage 3 Level 2 – Key Stage 4 Level 3 – Key Stage 5

“Y14 Students” entering Sports Journalism to Edit Paper

Year 9: Discursive /Argumentative Writing – target groupsSeries of presentations and optional briefs including:- Drugs in Sport- Football Hooliganism - Gamesmanship- Racism

Year 10: Spoken language unit (new AQA GCSE)Currently being written for controlled assessment to incorporate the language of sports commentators for the ‘occupational language’ option