Real Lessons from World Rankings and International Best Practice - Ken Walsh OBE, and Jules Gordon

Ken Walsh – OBE, Associate Consultant, Cambridge Education Jules Gordon – CSciTeach, CPSLE, Curriculum Leader for Science, George Spencer Academy

Real lessons from world rankings and international best practice

Aim of the session:A discussion of how international tests are

affecting our teaching and the crucial decisions about the curriculum and how students learn.

A specific example of how George Spencer Academy is using international best practice visits to develop pedagogy and practice to compete on the international stage.



Outcomes• To know what to look for when interpreting international test results and understand that these are only one aspect of learning from schools in other countries.

• To understand that there are many lessons that we can learn from international links.

•To learn how one school is using international networking to improve teaching and learning.


Structure of the session

a) A presentation about international benchmarking and how countries are responding to world rankings.

b) A case study of how the George Spencer Academy is changing teaching and learning following visit to Shanghai schools.

c) A question and answer discussion about networking and learning from schools and education systems across the world.


Clearly, business as usual is not a survival option. More particularly, schools cannot afford to be complacent as they are responsible for educating the next generation of the world’s citizens. For them to live happily in the 21st century, they must face issues like the fact that by 2050 developing countries could contain 86.5 per cent of the globe’s galloping population explosion; that by then there could be more people living in Asia and Africa than the combined population of the whole world this year. These students will be globally oriented in a way we never conceived of in the 20th century, and what they must learn at school has changed dramatically.

(Professor Hedley Beare preface for Teaching Australia, 2008)

Teaching for Uncertain Futures


Culture Intelligence(CQ)– Skills– Attitudes– Perspectives– Values/identityKnowledge of the Globe– Global economics– Global problems– InterdependenceLanguages and cultures

GlobalCompetences


“The only way we can catch up, and have the world-class schools our children deserve, is by learning the lessons of other countries’

success.” (Foreword to “The Importance of Teaching” DfE, Nov. 2010)

“The highest performing education systems...are those that combine equity with quality.” (OECD)

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FinlandThe context: Stable, good results • A paradoxical mix of progressive policies implemented

through a rather conservative pedagogic setting. • High levels of teachers` academic preparation, social

status, professionalism and motivation for the job.Child poverty in Finland is 4%.Child poverty in the UK is 30%.

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Finland – more time for creativity

“ We want to boost critical thinking, citizenship, and we also have cross-curricular themes of sustainability, humanity, safety, taking responsibility for your community and entrepreneurship...

We’re trying to reduce content and give more time to learning.”

Kristina Volmari, Finnish National Board of Education, (TES 28.6.13)


Pisa Maths Scores


Entrepreneurial Capabilities


Putting the two lists together reveals that countries with higher PISA scores have fewer people who are confident in their entrepreneurial capabilities. Out of the innovation-driven economies, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are among the best PISA performers but their scores on the measure of perceived capabilities or confidence in their ability to start a new business are the lowest.


World Class LearnersEducating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students

by Yong Zhao (2012)Entrepreneurship “A process that results in creativity, innovation

and growth. Entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action and is therefore a key competence for all...”

(World Economic Forum, 2009)


Pisa 2015 - Creativity

The new assessment will be on collaborative problem solving (CPS):

• It identifies two main sub-skills: social skills and cognitive skills.

• Social skills include participation, perspective taking, and social regulation.

• Cognitive skills include task regulation and knowledge building.

• The test will be administered via computer, with the child collaborating not with another actual person, but with a computational agent.


“Values and Variables: Mathematics Education in High-performing Countries” (Kings College

London,2010)

Conclusion:“One of the most striking things this review has

shown is that high attainment may be much more closely linked to cultural values than to specific mathematics teaching practices”

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Shanghai• In 2010, the 2009 PISA results revealed that Shanghai students

scored the highest in the world in every category. The OECD described Shanghai as a pioneer of educational reform, noting that "there has been a sea change in pedagogy". OECD point out that they "abandoned their focus on educating a small elite, and instead worked to construct a more inclusive system. They also significantly increased teacher pay and training, reducing the emphasis on rote learning and focusing classroom activities on problem solving."[1

Shanghai’s senior secondary school enrolment attained 98% and admissions into higher education have achieved 80% of the relevant age group. The OECD ranks Shanghai’s secondary education as world number one.[21]8]

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George Spencer Academy

Effective use of best practice visits involve an understanding of a country’s culture before we change our curriculum and

adapt our teaching and learning.


Shanghai Education Approach

1. High expectations – importance of education2. Hard working & diligent3. Mechanism – competition, exams for all jobs4. “Open Door” policy5. In-service training of teachers6. Education levy – used to boost education in poor

areas7. Managers empowered – help poor schools8. Quota for poor schools


Shanghai System1. 10 year strategy plan leads to - curriculum stability“ and a culture where the

government don’t use data to punish schools”2. Investment in education (but not in heating!)3. Teacher research culture - teachers produce 2 research papers per year.4. Emphasis on Maths & Science – but…innovation and creativity focus after PISA results5. Teachers teach 10 period out of 40 and only have 2 classes but class sizes are 40+6. Best practitioners are recognised publicly and competitions are entered7. Promotion is dependent on quality of teaching / colleagues voting in / student response

/ research papers developed8. Everyone has to teach including Principal9. Principals do not appoint teachers – Education bureau places teachers in schools and

moves them around10. Key priority for all schools was improving quality of teaching and student engagement /

interaction - Emphasis on CPD including many observations (Under-performing teachers “sent to the library”)


PISA testing

• Shanghai started PISA in 2007• Top in world (2009) for reading, maths and science• Identified weaker areas:

– Reading – children need to improve at summarising– Control strategies – how to plan, evaluate and check

learning– Creativity, personal skills– Access & retrieval of information– Non-continuous text especially on-line reading– Application of knowledge to practical situations– Girls do much better than boys!


Typical School Day• Get up at 6.00am• Arrive at school and do study before school• School : 8.00am to 5.00pm 8/9 lessons• Long lunch (people sleep)• Extra curricular activities• Self study (3 hours at night – homework every night)• Saturdays: “family tutor”• Holidays – 3 months a year, but all students continue to work on their studies

Ken Walsh – OBE, Associate Consultant, Cambridge Education Jules Gordon – CSciTeach, CPSLE, Curriculum Leader for Science, George Spencer Academy 24

Ken Walsh – OBE, Associate Consultant, Cambridge Education Jules Gordon – CSciTeach, CPSLE, Curriculum Leader for Science, George Spencer Academy 25


The science labs

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Computing

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China 2013 - Action plan

1. White boards to be installed in 2 Mathematics classrooms

2. Mentoring of staff past NQT year3. Practitioner Enquiry Accreditation4. Larger class sizes and reduce teaching load5. Non-judgemental lesson observations trialed?

Greater openness6. Development of Master teacher in the school as a

route to sharing outstanding practice (lead practitioner)

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China 2013 – Action planAction Justification Who Timescale Proposed ImpactWhite boards to be installed in 2 Mathematics classrooms

AfL – each student writes methodology as well as answer

Maths ,Science April 2013 – July 2014

AfL used more effectively for methodology teaching at A level

Mentoring of staff past NQT year

Mentoring does not stop until Outstanding has been reached

Science Sept 2013- Sept 2014

More teachers making sustained progress with teaching

Practitioner Enquiry as a model for research

Research papers to be published as in China

Science with UoN

Jan 2013 - July 2013

Publication leads to more teachers wanting to do the same

Larger class size and team teaching – Biology trial

More robust assessment and CPD for teachers

(dependent on timetable)

July 2013 – June 2014

Increased teacher assessmentResults improved

Non-judgemental lesson observations conducted

CPD for teachers moving from RI to Good and Good to Outstanding.

Curriculum Leaders and TLR holders

April 2013 – July 2013


Development of “Master teacher”

Pool of teachers to be observed by others

Science April 2013 – July 2013

Pool of teachers to be observed at any point for CPD

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China 2013 – Action planAction Justification Who Timescale Proposed ImpactWhite boards to be installed in 2 Mathematics classrooms

AfL – each student writes methodology as well as answer

Maths ,Science April 2013 – July 2014

AfL used more effectively for methodology teaching at A level

Mentoring of staff past NQT year

Mentoring does not stop until Outstanding has been reached

Science Sept 2013- Sept 2014


Practitioner Enquiry as a model for research

Research papers to be published as in China

Science with UoN

Jan 2013 - July 2013

Publication leads to more teachers wanting to do the same

Larger class size and team teaching – Biology trial

More robust assessment and CPD for teachers

(dependent on timetable)

July 2013 – June 2014

Increased teacher assessmentResults improved

Non-judgemental lesson observations conducted

CPD for teachers moving from RI to Good and Good to Outstanding.

Curriculum Leaders and TLR holders

April 2013 – July 2013


Development of “Master teacher”

Pool of teachers to be observed by others

Science April 2013 – July 2013

Pool of teachers to be observed at any point for CPD

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White boards or WHITEBOARDS• NSCL visit to China Jan 2013• Whiteboards installed in 2 classrooms April

2013• Maths and Science teachers trial use Summer

term 2013• Training delivered based on initial use – June

2013• Timetable Maths, 16+ Physics and Biology in

these rooms July 2013


The Verdict

• Excellent for revision!• Starters / big picture / mini-plenaries and

plenaries• Easy to retain / revisit / demonstrate progress• Costly? £300 per room (mini-whiteboards £50

a set)


Globalisation at George Spencer Academy

• Close to NCSL – Visitors from all around the world• Toilet twinning• Connecting classrooms

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=connecting+classrooms&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=E3f8EgiCA7zlWM&tbnid=Hms0o9y1kMpntM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.nshacademy.org.uk/international-projects/connecting-classrooms/&ei=8ZXWUZ-NMo3mPN_ygbgH&psig=AFQjCNHeRiWFbKgqPJYYwl8JLEyNQkoNJg&ust=1373103967408187






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Real Lessons from World Rankings and International Best Practice - Ken Walsh OBE, and Jules Gordon

Education

Transcript of Real Lessons from World Rankings and International Best Practice - Ken Walsh OBE, and Jules Gordon