One pagers

Ark Education Model

The Ark Ed Model describes Ark’s approach to ensuring that all children within our schools benefit from the same high-quality education - shaped by teachers and leaders across our network. It has progression at its heart so wherever you are in your school improvement journey, you can situate yourself, jump in and plan your next steps. In each area, the foundational expectations make clear the non-negotiables and underpin the rest of our work.

Click here to access the Ed Model

Know/Show ​

Co-planning: ​ Unit Planning model​

Cycle of co-planning​

Individual Lesson Preparation model​

Securing Unit Subject Knowledge model

Co-planning: Assessment-Led Adaptation model​

Co-planning: ​Lesson Review Model

Annual Planning model

Coaching for Lesson Preparation model

Termly Adaptation model

Planning Discussion model

Co-planning: ​Planning for Productive Struggle model

Ark's Approach to PLANNING

Skilful planning requires knowing every child, knowing subject content and knowing how to facilitate learning in the classroom. We want to bring these things together and empower leaders at all levels to support their teachers to deliver the best lessons.​​ ​ The Ark toolkit models for Planning support all Ark Schools to build strong mental models and effective habits of planning for every teacher. ​ ​ The models and associated guidance are intended to provide a benchmark of excellence in planning and a clear path to achieve this for every setting, empowering teachers and leaders to deliver an inclusive and inspiring learning experience for all our children.

• Do you have a clear approach to planning practice across your school which everybody understands and adheres to? ​
• Is your approach consistently implemented across all teams? How does the school's monitoring and review process support you to find out and to act on areas for development?​
• Are children with SEND being actively considered in your work on planning? Are they central to the conversation in co-planning sessions?
• Are additional adults included in the planning process?​
• Are co-planning sessions purposeful, productive and focused tightly on planning priorities?​
• Do your teachers have secure subject knowledge and understand the foundations of good planning practice?​
• Does data (assessment, books, pupil voice, etc) meaningfully feed into planning processes within the school? Are teams using this intentionally in their planning?​
• Do teachers and leaders know what to look for in books to help shape planning processes?​

Essential:​ Willingham, D. T. (2008). What will improve a student’s memory? American Educator, 32(4), 17-25.​Counsell , C. (2018). Senior Curriculum Leadership 1: The indirect manifestation of knowledge: (A) curriculum as narrative​ Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S. & Major, L.E. (2014) What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research. The Sutton Trust.​ The Ark Planning Toolkit.​​​

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Foundational expectations​

Models of excellence​

Co-planning time​

Individual planning time​

Approach to individual teacher planning​

Annual PlanningCycle

Coming soon

Developing practice and expertise​

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Models of excellence Case studies of where schools, either within or outside of the network, have achieved excellence within this area of provision

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark's Approach to READING

Reading is a source of knowledge and agency. All children should have equitable access to the benefits and pleasure of being able to read well, and the opportunities that it provides in their lives. Children who attend Ark schools should expect to be able to read at or above their chronological age – it is their entitlement and our responsibility. We aim to rapidly close the provision gap to enable all pupils to read at or above their chronological age. While we've made good progress in this, there are still too many children who are not able to access the curriculum and are in danger of falling further behind. We will address this by building teacher and leader expertise in reading across our schools, deploying interventions which rapidly improve reading, ensuring that across the curriculum and beyond pupils get ample reading practice to build fluency. Carefully selected and skilfully enacted strategies will support all pupils to access well-chosen and engaging texts and thus establish a culture which places reading at the heart of the provision.

• Do all teachers, support staff and leaders understand the vision for reading at your school?
• Is reading prioritised in your AIP?
• Is reading embedded into your wider review cycle?
• Are you confident that your reading age data is accurate, and your diagnostic assessments ensure interventions match specific need?
• Do you have capacity in place for all pupils that are behind in their reading to get the right intervention and remain on it until they have caught up? What plans are in place to build/sustain capacity to ensure consistency of high quality intervention provision for all pupils in need?
• Do you know which interventions are having an impact? Do you take action to ensure any weaknesses are identified and addressed swiftly?
• Do teachers and other staff confidently model reading aloud across and outside of the curriculum?
• Does the curriculum, as appropriate to subject, include well written and engaging texts which support the learning intention?
• Do you ensure all pupils gain the reading practice (eyes on text) they need to build fluency?
• Are teachers considering accessibility of text and how strategies might support this when planning their lessons?
• Are all strategies underpinned by high quality and specific staff training?
• Have you considered appropriate book match for pupils (reading age and interest) in all strands of your provision?
• Are library visits high leverage?
• Do you know how your pupils feel about reading, how often they read and what they think about the text choices within the curriculum?
• Are parents actively engaged in supporting their children to read?
• Do you have a clear plan to develop the culture and profile of reading over time?

DFE: The Reading Framework – Teaching the foundations of Literacy​The National Reading Panel Report: Practical Advice for Teachers​EEF: Improving Literacy in KS1​EEF: Improving Literacy in KS2​EEF: Improving Literacy in KS3​Ark Early Reading Guide for Secondaries​

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Foundational expectations​

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Love of Reading

Wider approaches

Signature Strategies

Reading practice 'eyes on text'

Well-chosen texts across the curriculum

EmbedComing soonded culture of reading case study​

Well-chosen texts across the curriculum

Reading Practice

Annual NGRT Test for all pupils​

Accurate diagnosis of need ​

Well-targeted intervention for all below CRA

Phonics Programme​

Interventions led by trained adults​

Coming soon:

SEND

Signature Strategies: Reading

Curriculum & Assessment​

Ark Early Reading Guide for Primaries

Across the curriculum

Culture of Reading

Curriculum & Assessment

SEND

Reading for Pleasure

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

Teaching quality matters: it improves pupil outcomes and can narrow the disadvantage gap (Sutton Trust, 2011; EEF, 2021). Effective professional development is a crucial tool to develop quality teaching and enhance pupil outcomes. We will support all Ark schools to construct strategic teacher-focused professional development plans to improve teaching quality at all levels. The Ark Great Teacher Rubric is a key lever to enable schools to accurately evaluate teaching quality and to decide what professional development to provide, for whom, and in what form. The tools, training and associated guidance will support schools to deliver bespoke professional development to teachers at all stages of their career.

• Is there a clear shared understanding of how pupils learn?
• Is there a clear vision for what it looks/feels/sounds like in a classroom where pupils are learning?
• Does your CPD cycle align with your vision and AIP?
• Does your Teacher Development plan support all teachers to make progress?
• Are you drawing on the Network offer to meet the needs of your team?
• Do you use data to identify T&L priorities – including GTR, pupil/staff voice, assessment and pupil work?
• Are your teaching and learning leads excellent classroom teachers? Do they explicitly model the key teaching strategies in their own teaching so that novices can identify them? Are they excellent instructional coaches and mentors?
• Are you building a team of excellent coaches and mentors?
• Does your CPD planning account for the different needs of your teachers? Have you considered the curriculum entitlement that trainees and ECTs are already receiving?
• Are teachers being supported to develop their subject knowledge and understanding of subject content progression? Do they choose pedagogies judiciously to deliver that content?
• Are CPD sessions evidence informed, do they follow a theory See it Name it Do it structure (with time to plan how they will implement in their own lessons)?
• Do you review teacher’s mastery of the strategies and provide opportunities to revisit over time?
• Does your school timetable/structure/set-up provide regular and frequent real-time coaching, and time for instructional coaching?
• Are learning walks developmental for teachers?
• Do leaders and observers feed back on subject content as well as pedagogy?
• Do your teachers value the professional development they are part of?

Teach Like a Champion 3.0, Doug Lemov, 2021 The Teacher Gap, Rebecca Allen and Sam Sims, London, Routledge, 2018 Get better faster: A 90 day plan for coaching new teachers, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, 2026Effective Professional Development, Education Endowment Foundation, 2021

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Foundational expectations​

Phase 2

Signature Strategies​

Intervention case study​

Signature Strategies: ​Climate for Learning

Signature Strategies: Rigour

Coming soon

Real Time Coaching​

Coaching & Mentoring

Other Training

Great Teaching Series

Coaching experienced teachers

Planning​

AC+ Training

Curriculum & Assessment​

Mentors

Planning​

SEND

Instructional Coaching​

GTR evaluation for all teachers​

Statutory & Ark expectations for trainees & ECTs​

Teacher Development Plan

Mentors

Network PD Offer

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Other coaching pilots Open to Learning Conversations Cognitive coaching

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

When students are physically and mentally healthy, are equipped with knowledge to help them make informed choices, and are provided with opportunities that not only build character, but give them moments of joy, belonging and purpose, they are more likely to go on and flourish. Through our Personal Development framework, we support all schools within the network to develop and deliver an ambitious and equitable Personal Development Curriculum. We particularly recognise the life-enhancing benefits of participation in music and sport, and have developed Ark Music and Ark Sport to ensure our young people have opportunities to come together and engage in these areas of life that otherwise may not be accessible to them. Through our network wide commitment to Personal Development, we aim to help all students across the network lead happy and fulfilling lives.

• Is there a clear vision for Personal Development that everybody understands?​
• Is the PSHE curriculum sequenced appropriately and mapped to secure all statutory elements? ​
• Do you have a cycle for reviewing content to ensure it meets the ever-evolving societal landscape and responds to your context and community? ​
• Is your PSHE provision inclusive for all students, enabling them to access and remember key learning?​
• Do you provide an equitable and inclusive extra-curricular offer? Do you track it?​
• Is difference celebrated at an individual and whole school level?​
• Do you have an approach to developing character and values?​
• Does your careers framework set out an approach to CEIAG, which builds year on year?​
• Are staff trained to effectively deliver and be confident to lead aspects of personal development? Is this systematic and high quality?​
• Do you monitor and evaluate the impact of your Personal Development provision? Do you triangulate this with pastoral and academic data?
• Do you take full advantage of the Ark Music and Sport programmes to enhance your Personal Development provision?
• Do you take a fully inclusive approach and teach about LGBTQ+ identities and relationships in an age-appropriate way?

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

CEIAG​

Step by Step Guides​

Other tools​

Citizenship​

SMSC

RSHE

British Values​

Equalities​

Extra-curricular​​

Mental Health and Wellbeing​​

Trips and Residentials​

Student Leadership​

Development of Character​

Primary Passport​

Unifrog

Foundational expectations​

All statutory elements met​

Ark Universal Enirchment and Extra-curricular Entitlement

Access to therapeutic mental health provision​

Primary: ​Connections Passport

Secondary:​ Gatsby Benchmarks

Secondary:​ Gatsby Benchmarks

Ark Tindal's Personal Development Curriculum

Music & Sport

• Implementation Guide

• Ark Curriculum Intent

• RSHE Statutory Guidance

• Education Inspection Framework: Overview of Research (Personal Development Section)

• Mental Health Handbook for Schools, Clare Erasmus

• PSHE Association Network Membership

• The Power of Music to Change Lives: A national plan for music education, DfE Policy Paper, July 2022

• Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges

Ark Blackland's Personal Development Curriculum

Ark Victoria's Personal Development curriculum

Ark Pioneer's Character Curriculum

Ark Pioneer's Y7 PSHE and Character map

• The National Plan for Music Education

• The EEF on Arts Participation

• The EEF on Sports Participation

• EPI on access to Extra Curricular Provision

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to DIGITAL LEARNING

​We are committed to providing all children in the Ark network with the same access to the best digital opportunities available and enabling them to navigate their own learning journey. The targeted use of digital in schools increases rates of academic progress, while holding the potential to save teachers' time.​We aim to implement and embed impactful digital opportunities across our schools, where we know they raise attainment and support teacher workload and effectiveness. ​ We will do this by ensuring all pupils from KS2 have a device to create more time for learning outside of the classroom; by researching, piloting, selecting and implementing the most promising digital tools within our curricula; providing training and support so that our teachers can confidently know which apps and tools to use where and when; and signposting opportunities to expand horizons through development of our student platform, SPArk.

• Is there a clear vision for digital learning both in and outside the classroom that is understood by all teachers, pupils and parents?​
• Are you confident that there is equitable access to a device to support home learning for all pupils?​
• Do you provide support to families that have a device, but no Internet access?​
• Do you have specific priorities regarding the development of digital learning at your school?
• Do you have processes in place to respond effectively to digital safeguarding concerns? Are these set out clearly in policies?​
• Have you established a culture which fosters and evaluates digital ways of working and learning? ​
• Do staff receive training to enable them to confidently use digital learning apps with pupils?​
• Do staff know how to use the data from digital learning apps to diagnose and support closing gaps in learning?​

• Does the Digital Learning Lead work with other key leaders to ensure digital opportunities are maximised?
• Do you address pupils’ digital literacy development?
• Is the school’s infrastructure and IT support effective?

• Has your school decided whether/how to engage with AI?
• Has consideration been given to the implications for staff training, safeguarding and data protection?

Education Reimagined: The Future of Learning, UNESCO​

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Foundational expectations​

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Identify and close gaps in learning

Systems and processes

Home learning using MS Teams + MCAS​

Using data to drive usage

Regular Real Time Feedback​​

Inclusion tools​

Digital opportunities​

Flipped learning​

Parental engagement in digital learning​

Online revision​

Every child has a device​

Regular digital home learning​

Core Ark learning apps in use​

Engage with app and device usage

Digital literacy curriculum for all​

Coming soon

Using Digital Technology to improve learning - Guidance Report, EEF​

UKCCIS Digital Resilience Framework

Using Digital Technology to improve learning - Evidence Review, EEF​

Network approved eco-system of apps​

AI

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT

​The quality of our subject curricula and assessment is a determining factor in how effectively we succeed in our mission. What and how our pupils learn is at the heart of what we do and is the foundation for all other school improvement work. No matter the investment in developing teacher practice, a weak curriculum and assessment model will place a limit of student outcomes.​ We believe in providing all pupils with an ambitious, knowledge-based curriculum. In each subject, knowledge is precisely defined and carefully sequenced to support pupils’ understanding and memory. We capture this in our 4 Ark principles of curriculum design.​ We know that assessment for learning that links directly to the subject curriculum is the most effective for identifying gaps in student learning and that common network assessments allow us to highlight strengths and weaknesses in our schools.

• Do teachers have strong subject knowledge and understand the progression of knowledge within their subject?
• Are teachers and leaders aware of the content coverage required of the subjects they are teaching and leading, including specific exam specification content?
• Are teachers able to articulate what they are teaching in each lesson and why this content, and why now?
• Do subject line managers understand subject knowledge progression within the subjects they line manage? Do they discuss subject quality and review this as part of their ongoing monitoring and review?
• Is subject training built into your teacher development planning, including engagement in relevant AC+ training?
• Do you have a clear approach to diagnostic assessment across your school which everybody understands and adheres to? Is this adapted to ensure it is well matched to each subject area?
• Is time set aside for leaders and teachers to engage with the outcomes of diagnostic assessments including consideration of why key content was not learned through high-quality initial teaching?
• Is there enough flex time in the curriculum to allow for re-teach as a result of assessment outcomes, if appropriate
• Is the curriculum regularly reviewed and developed based on assessment outcomes, voice and looking at pupil work?

Ark Curriculum Handbook (coming soon)​Willingham D.T. ‘Why Don’t Students Like School’ Scnd ed. (2021)​ Hirsch E.D. ‘Why Knowledge Matters’ (2016)​ Young M. et al. ‘Knowledge and the Future School’ (2014)

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Foundational expectations​

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Formative Assessment​

Pre-unit assessment​

Curriculum​

Subject Quality

Quizzing for Memory​

Teacher Development

In lesson assessment ​

Checkpoint assessment

Termly diagnostic assessment

Complete Curriuclum Programmes (AC+/Mastery)

Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks​

Knowledge organisers​

GFS knowledge check model

Ark Minimum Curriculum Expectations

Well-planned curriculum in each subject

Ark agreed assessments​

Formative assessment cycle​

Coming soon

Planning​

Digital​

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to SEND

Through knowing every child our aim is to ensure that all children within our schools achieve their very best, including gaining the skills, knowledge and qualifications that will prepare and equip them for a successful transition to the next stage of their lives; in education, employment and independent living. Underpinning this is our commitment to removing barriers through early and accurate identification, informed decision making, and the implementation of timely and appropriate provision that meets the needs of all students so all ca n flourish. Fundamental to this is ensuring planning adaptations, quality first teaching and inclusive classrooms support learners with SEND to thrive.

• Are all staff aware of their SEND statutory obligations?​
• Do you have a robust system for checking the timeliness of completion and quality of the paperwork: EHCP consultations and annual review paperwork checked and signed off by an assigned senior leader other than the SENCo?
• Does the SENCo hold NASENCO? If not, are they scheduled to complete their training within the statutory window?
• Do teachers understand their role in the SEND identification process?
• Is the graduated approach (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) embedded in key areas?
• Do staff receive regular training to support QFT?
• Are SEND students observed in lessons, their views sought, their books reviewed regularly and their progress and attainment data reviewed to assess how well they are challenged and supported to access the curriculum?
• Are teachers supported to implement Pupil Passports/ ILP? Do they make effective and consistent use of this information?
• Do you discuss the SEND profile and trends in achievement, behaviour, attendance and PD routinely as an SLT (this could be using the SEND snapshot)?
• Does the SEND SEF action plan inform and link to the AIP?​
• Do all senior leaders routinely priorise SEND engagement and performance, and review data on this within their areas of responsibility?
• Are there regular opportunities provided for the SENCo to work strategically with leaders from across the school?
• Do progress reviews after assessment points review the progress of students with SEND?
• Do you have a triangulated response when students with SEND have behaviour or attendance concerns?
• For students who have become an attendance and/or behaviour cause for concern, are potential unmet needs routinely explored?
• Does the SENCo know the local offer, attend Local Authority forums and utilise the expertise and specialist services from within the local authority?

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

SEND

Whole School

GFS knowledge check model

Measure the impact of Interventions

Foundational expectations​

Reading

SEND termly 'snapshot' reports

Additional Adults (SEND)

Behaviour and Attendance

Planning

Curriculum & Assessment

Behaviour

QFT

All statutory elements met

Annual SEND Self-Evaluation

Documented SEND Identification Process

Pupil Passports and ILPs

Accurate identification of need

SEND Code of Practice

NASEN Teacher Handbook

SEND Self-Evaluation Guidance

SEND Link Governor Role and Responsibilities

NASEN Graduated Approach Mini Guide

SEND Rhythm of the Year

Interventions led by a trained adult

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Measure the Impact of Interventions

• Impact of all SEND interventions measured
• We suggest using termly intervention impact reports produced using Provision Map

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to Sixth Form

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Sixth Form Specific

Whole School

GFS knowledge check model

Foundational expectations​

Culture

Behaviour

Student Leadership

Personal Development

Transition

• Is there a clear vision for sixth form understood by all students,staff and parents?
• Do post 16 curriculum pathways meet the needs of pupils and the wider community?
• Are pathways and course entry criteria appropriate and are they applied consistently?
• Does income from sixth form enrolment against direct costs (excluding overheads)?
• Is there a coherent and appropriate distribution of KS5 leadership to support an integrated 11-18 model, underpinned by tri weekly tracking and action planning?
• Is meeting and training time built in for KS5 tutors (UCAS, Unifrog, PSHE) and teachers?
• Are all school policies adaptated for KS5 and support progression from KS3 to KS5?
• Do you work effectively with good quality post 16 institutions and Ark Top Third HE as part of the CEIAG programme to support students to progress to excellent destinations?
• Does the curriculum support progression, and enable students to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to thrive at university and in professional employment?
• Are all KS5 teachers subject specialists with strong knowledge of the content, assessment and pedagogy of their subject?
• Is there pedagogical consistency and coherence from KS3 to KS5?
• Is there an aspirational destinations culture in the sixth form focused on progression to Top Third universities or equivalent apprenticeships?
• Do students show commitment to their studies in both lessons and private study?
• Do students formally and regularly provide feedback on academic and wider experiences?
• Do all students have the opportunity to volunteer & act as role models for younger pupils?
• Has the personal development programme been planned to ensure progression from KS4 and the long term retention of key knowledge, understanding and skills?
• Is the PD programme being implemented consistently and with sufficient rigour??
• Do students receive regular 1:1 support and guidance to support their academic progression and to guide their choices of good universities and aspirational employers?
• Does CEIAG build on KS4 and support achievement of all relevant Gatsby Benchmarks?

Tri-Weekly Tracking

• Ark Sixth Form and Destinations Strategy 2023-2027
• Ark Professional Pathways Handbook 2023/24
• 16-19 study Programmes guidance
• 16-19 education: funding guidance
• Support for HPAs in KS5

Minimum Curriculum Expectations

Ark facilitates transformational change in the lives of the young people we serve by ensuring they can move on to excellent post 18 destinations. Our work in sixth form is a social and moral necessity considering the continued under-representation of students from less advantaged backgrounds in higher ranked universities and professional careers. Redressing this imbalance is at the centre of our vision for high quality post 16 education. We want our students to become informed, ambitious, confident and compassionate young adults who can thrive in modern society. In so doing we will open a full range of future opportunities and possibilities for them. To this end we need a highly ambitious destinations culture in our sixth forms that encourages students to aim as high as possible and make brave, ambitious choices.

Tri-Weekly Tracking

Curriculum & Assessment

Independent Learning

Personal Development

Destinations Support

HE Access

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to SAFEGUARDING

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

GFS knowledge check model

Foundational expectations​

Behaviour and Attendance

Health & Safety

Annual Safeguarding Audit​

Annual Statutory and Ark training & policies

Safer recruitment practices incl. SCR

Visitor management​

Staff code of conduct in place

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at Ark. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and all staff play an important part in the wider safeguarding system for children. All staff have a responsibility to be aware of all areas of safeguarding in order to provide a safe environment in which children can learn, feel safe and happy. ​ ​ Safeguarding children and young people includes the focus on protecting children from harm by adults, but goes beyond this to cover other functions such as: promoting good attendance at school, ensuring positive and safe behaviour and eliminating bullying and other forms of harassment, providing support for children and young people with emotional and social difficulties, minimising exclusions from school, improving security on school sites, health and safety for in-school and out-of-school activities.​

• Is there an evident culture of safeguarding within your school?​

• Is your school set up to prevent safeguarding issues from arising through all aspects of universal provision?​

• Do all students have a trusted adult?​
• Do all staff have an awareness of the contextual safeguarding elements that impact the school community?
• Do you have a weekly safeguarding caseload meeting which includes key pastoral staff?

• Is your RSHE curriculum all pupils to understand risks to them and learn about keeping safe and online risks?  RSHE – agility policy to respond to safeguarding themes and concerns as they arise?​

• Do all staff and volunteers give priority to keeping children safe, with the mindset: 'It could happen here.' ?​

• Do staff understand the relationship between the staff code of conduct and safeguarding? Is there a culture of raising concerns? Are staff reflective of their own behaviours – are they able to recognise when they make mistakes?​

• Is the DSL a member of the SLT?​

• Do you have an annual safeguarding training calendar which includes: statutory and Ark mandated training, induction for new staff, role specific training eg. site team, and appropriate training for those with safeguarding responsibilities?​

• Do all staff know how to raise a safeguarding concern?​

• Are safeguarding themes and updates routinely discussed with staff?​ Does this include regular review of HSB, Bullying and discrimination against PC?

• Do all staff know where to access policies related to safeguarding?​

• Do all leaders have a working understanding of the policies related to safeguarding?​

• Are policies and procedures always followed and effective in practice?​

• Are operations staff clear about how their role helps to safeguard students? Is training tailored for these roles eg,

• Keeping Children Safe in Education DfE (Sept 2024)​

• Working Together to Safeguard Children DfE (Feb 2024)​
• Protective security & preparedness for education settings Dfe (April 2024)

• Information Sharing Advice for practitioners DfE (May 2024)​
• Mobile Phones in schools: Guidance for schools on prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day (Feb 2024)

Ark Policies;

• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (Sept 2024)

• Online Safety Policy (2023-24)​??

• Allegations Against Staff (2024)

Preventativesafeguarding

Personal Development

Estates

HR

Strategic Leadership

Working with external agencies

Working with parents

Reviewing caseloads, Reporting and responding

Knowing every child

Staff and student behaviour

HR

• Triangulating information:

(Sg/Att/Beh)

• Community engagement

Coming soon:

• Off Rolling
• Trauma informed practice
• Risk Assessments

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark's Approach to Early Years

We know that a high-quality early years education can make all the difference for a child. At Ark, our aim is to close attainment gaps based on disadvantage early, and thoroughly, so that every child who attends an Ark Nursery or Reception is ready to thrive in their next stage of education, and beyond. We do this by having a highly considered and structured curriculum, to ensure that children have the opportunity to learn key planned knowledge that will set them up for success in the future.When considering our early years pedagogy, we always deeply consider the age and development of our children, and ensure that each element of our day for a child, from their timetable, to their learning environment, to the way adults interact with them, is centred around each child’s unique experience – to ensure that they feel loved in safe in school, which allows them to be ready to fully participate in each learning opportunity.

• Can your teams talk about the wellbeing and involvement of the children in their groups/classes/phases?
• Can all senior leaders explain the vision for your Early Years Provision?
• Can subject leaders talk about their subject, including the EYFS? Can they identify the ELG’s that make up their subject? Are they able to regularly see their subject in action in the EY? Is EY provision included in subject learning walks/book looks?
• Can your team talk about what it means to be a child in your early years?
• Are timetables reflective of the age/development of the children in each year group, considering children’s executive functions and listening and attention? Are these reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the children in the class/cohort?
• Is your behaviour policy suitable for children in the EYFS, taking into account suitable self-regulation expectations including but not limited to; emotional literacy, listening and attention, impulse control.
• Are there broken down mid term plans that outline the books, songs, vocabulary key learning experiences and enhancements based on the objectives for each half term? Is there evidence that these have been amended based on cohort data, to ensure that these are relevant to the specific children in each class?

Interacting or interfering? Julie Fisher The whole brain child – Daniel J Seigal The importance of being little – Erica Christiakas Working with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage: Principles into practice- Julian Grenie .​​

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Models of excellence​

Foundational expectations​

Interaction

Intentionally Planned Play

Accurate Assessment

Wellbeing & Involvement

Case studies on their way due to be complete in May 24

Developing practice and expertise​

EYFS Audit Tools

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework

EEF – Early Years Evidence Store

Knowledge Sessions

Ark Start Curriculum

High Scope - A Constructivist Approach

Curriculum & Assessment

Reading

Behaviour

Planning

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Models of excellence Case studies of where schools, either within or outside of the network, have achieved excellence within this area of provision

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to Attendance

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Attendance Strands

GFS knowledge check model

Expect

Foundational expectations​

• Do staff, students and families understand expectations around school attendance? Do they have clear roles and responsibilities?
• Is attendance given the same whole school focus as safeguarding in the school?
• Do you train students and staff regularly on attendance routines?

• Is there a praise and reward culture specifically for attendance? Does it include bespoke praise for students who improve attendance from a low starting point?

• Do you know the numbers of, and regularly review the progress of students that are on managed movea, at alternative provisions or on part-time timetables?

• Are registers accurately taken and effectively maintained?
• Do you complete termly attendance analysis to identify key trends beyond high-level demographics to support strategic work?
• Do you have a specific attendance improvement strategy for students with SEND; PA and SA students?
• Does SLT have an attendance priority caseload of students they support?
• Is data used meaningfully to identify trends and inform future actions and strategic work?
• Do you monitor and review the use of B and D coding to ensure it is accurate and appropriate?
• Do you monitor and review student removal from roll on termly basis?
• Do you have a clear process for managing mid-year admissions and mid-year leavers to mitigate the risk of children being absent from education?
• Do students experiencing EBSA receive targeted support and a personalised re-integration plan?
• Do you use home visits and pick ups as part of your wider attendance strategy?
• Does the Senior Leader for Attendance join pastoral triangulation meetings?
• Do you regularly communicate with parents on attendance on an individual and school-wide level?
• Do you engage with the Local Authority's attendance support team?

• Do those working on attendance receive regular and high quality training aligned to their role?

AP, MM and part-time timetable

PA and SA students (including EBSA)

Removal from Roll

Centre for Social Justice

From 19th August 2024:Working Together to Improve Attendance, DfE

National Attendance rates -most recent data

Attendance, like safeguarding, is everyone's responsibility. Since Covid, there has been a national decline in school attendance, and Ark is committed to bucking the national trend and returning attendance levels to that of 2019. We are aware of the 90% attendance threshold for achieving academic outcomes, and we aim to work in a strategic way to drive improvement. Alongside following the steps as identified in WTTISA, every school is committed to creating schools that are fully inclusive for all students, providing moments of joy, purpose and belonging that drives all students' intrinsic motivation to attend school.

Schoo l Admissions Code, 2021

Primary Attendance Leadership Questions

Secondary Attendance Leadership Questions

Daily, Weekly and half termly attendance analysis with clear follow up actions

Facilitate Support

Formalise support

Enforce

Monitor

Listen and Understand

Monitoring of students at AP, MM or on Part-time timetables

Named Senior leader for attendance

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

Statutory requirements are met

Attendance Policy

Attendance Rhythm of the Year 2324.

Statutory Attendance Updates for September 2024

Attendance and Absence codes one pager

Toolkit for schools for communicating with parents

Children’s Commissioners office

OFSTED

Education Endowment Foundation /Youth Endowment Foundation

Example Attendance Posteer

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to Leadership

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

1. Is there a clear vision for the school that can be articulated by leaders across the school - and can be seen in practice?2. Are the school values visible around school, do all staff, students and parents know what they mean in practice? Do leaders create a culture where all adults recognise the responsibility to speak out when actions are inconsistent with these values?3. Are school policies, expectations and routines codified so that staff and students understand what they mean in practice? Are these artefacts live and returned to frequently?4. Do all staff feel accountable for maintaining standards and upholding the culture of the school?5. Does the school organisation support the delivery of the vision? Has workload been considered?6. Does the leadership team as a whole have technical expertise across all aspects of the Ark Model?7. Are school improvement objectives ambitious and focussed on the highest leverage developments?8. Are leaders able to prioritise the most important actions, using their time judiciously?9. Do leaders at the school use the systems well and see things though to completion?10. Is staff communication well thought through? Do staff have the information they need to fulfil their duties? Is decision making rationale communicated where useful to do so?11. Are staff, students' and parents' views sought regularly and reviewed as part of the evaluation cycle? Does this feed meaningfully into forward planning?12. Does the data you review regularly give you the information you need to evaluate your provision and take action? Are all leaders confident with the data from their area of responsibility?13. Do leaders act on information swiftly to avoid significant issues arising?14. Is line management valued? Do the agendas align with the priorities of the school, improve practice and increase outcomes for pupils?15. Does professional development lead to better outcomes for pupils?16. Is there an inclusive culture, where all pupils can succeed and where the achievement and engagement of the most vulnerable pupils across all aspects of school life is tracked and supported?17. Is the school safe? Do all staff know how to keep children safe?18. Are the LGB and link governors used to support and challenge the school effectively?19. Is there a clear journey through the school for all pupils with key transition points carefully planned to support pupils, especially vulnerable pupils?20. Are leaders open to new ways of doing things? Do they learn from and share with the Network?

Foundational expectations​

School Culture and ethos

Developing People

Pupil Transitions

Behaviour and Attendance

Operations Model

Ed Model

Vision and Values led culture

Structure, roles and responsibilities

Recruiting, Retaining and Developing People

Evaluation and improvement cycle

Effective Governance

Voice/ listening to stakeholders

Efficient and safe operations

HR/ipeline

Monitoring and Evaluation

Governance

Recruitment

LINK to the HR page

D&I/Wellbig

Parents & the Community

School Organisation

Leadership Rubric

VoiSch ool Improvement

School Improvement

Research is unwavering about the importance of leaders in driving improved pupil outcomes.Ark leaders drive ambitious outcomes: setting the direction and leading positive change with pupils at the centre of all decision making. They nurture their people through excellent line management, providing opportunities to work with others within school and across the Network, and through focussed professional development. Ark leaders lead with respect, act with integrity and build buy in by modelling the values. Through the Ark Learning Institute, our leaders have access to high quality leadership development.Our leaders are always learning and are committed to working as One Ark.

Line Management

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to Securing Outcomes

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

Planning

GFS knowledge check model

Foundational expectations​

Attendance

Curriculum & Assessment

SEND

Data driven curriculum planning

Exam Organisation

Targetted Support and Intervention

Parents

Pastoral Support

Study Skills

Intervention

Winning Culture

Subject Specific Guidance

Co-planning

Curriculum & Assessment

Winning Culture

Strategic plan to Raise Achievement

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Ark Planning Toolkit

Ark's Approach to Behaviour

The what and the why​

Key leadership questions​

Key Reading

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise​

Models of excellence​

GFS knowledge check moScdel

SEND assessments & screeners

Foundational expectations​

Behaviour and Attendance

SEND

Climate for learning

All of our schools have the highest expectations of behaviour, and are committed to promoting and reflecting an inclusive culture so that every child is supported to thrive. We understand the importance of intentionally creating a positive culture, and our work is driven by the pillar ‘knowing every child’. A key part of this is recognising and celebrating success. All of our schools are bound by the commitment to provide calm, safe and purposeful learning environments that helps students make good progress and become active participants in their learning journey. Where a student’s behaviour does not meet expectations, we seek to unpick the reasons and remove barriers by working in a strategic way involving all key stakeholders. The voice of the child is central to this work.

• Is there a clear vision and high expectations for student behaviour which is understood by all stakeholders?
• Do staff, students and families understand expectations around school attendance? Do they have clear roles and responsibilities?
• Do you train students and staff regularly on cultural routines?
• Are routines and systems clear and consistently applied across the academy?
• Do students and staff feel safe?
• Is there a praise and reward culture?
• Are classrooms free from low-level disruption?
• Do sanctions have an impact? Do interventions have an impact?
• Do you know the numbers of, and regularly review the progress of students that are on managed moves, at alternative provisions or on part-time timetables?
• Do students have the opportunity to reflect on and improve their behaviour?
• Is Bromcom used consistently to log behaviour and rewards?
• Is data used meaningfully to identify trends and inform future actions and strategic work?

• Do you analyse data to ensure those from marginalised communities are not disproportionately represented?
• Do you have a clear definition of bullying that is known by all?
• Do you log, review and analyse instances of Bullying (the types), Harmful Sexual Behaviour and Discrimination against Protected Characteristics?
• Do you monitor and evaluate the impact of: the Behaviour Policy, suspensions and exclusions, and student removal from roll on a termly basis?
• Do you have a regular pastoral triangulation/caseload meeting?

• Do pastoral leaders receive regular and high quality training aligned to their role?

Behaviour Curriculum

Working in partnership

Off-site provision, Managed Moves, part-time timetables

Praise and Reward culture

Parents

Behaviour interventions

Pastoral training

Personal Development

• Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Guidance, DfE, Sept 2023

• When the adults change, everything changes, Paul Dix

• Ark Guidance on Permanent Exclusions

• Improving Behaviour in schools, EEF, 2021

Consistent, timely and data-driven follow up

Pupil Voice and leadership

All statutory elements met

Graduated approach to behaviour interventions

Culture of Praise and Reward

Clear routines and procedures for the school day

The what and the why

• Purpose and Introduction
• Link to our pillars

Key Leadership questions Questions to support evaluation of provision, consider diagnostic information and select the best next step

Key Reading Research and/or evidence base

Developing practice and expertise Strategies and resources to support schools to take the best next steps once the foundations are in place.

Foundational expectations The statutory, Ofsted and Ark expectations that must be met in order to form a solid foundation for a good educational standard – if these are missing, the school will not have the foundations to be good

Sixth Formin draft

Our Pillars and Values

Ark's Approach to:

Leadership

Ways of Working

Ark Leadership Rubric

Meet our Leaders

What we believe about leadership

At Ark, we know that leaders are the key to delivering great outcomes for pupils and achieving our mission to transform children’s lives through education.Whilst all our schools have their own character, our pillars underpin our work in all Ark schools and we are united in our values.Our leaders are commited to ensuring all Ark students experience the highest quality education and so we work together as One Ark - sharing practice and supporting eachother.Ark leaders drive ambitious outcomes: setting the direction and leading positive change with pupils at the centre of all decision making. They nurture their people through excellent line management, providing opportunities to work with others within school and across the Network, and through focussed professional development. Ark leaders lead with respect, act with integrity and build buy in by modelling the values.Through the Ark Learning Institute, our leaders have access to high quality leadership development. Our leaders are always learning and are committed to working as One Ark.

• All pupils have a device to support their learning.
• All new pupils, year 3 and up, are provided with an Ark device from the approved list.
• Over time, all pupils from year 3 and up, in the school should have an Ark provided device
• Systems must be in place to manage stock so that pupils do not go without.
• Schools must maintain enough in-school capacity (to supplement pupil devices) to use in school as needed

Every child has a device

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• All schools use named learning apps where defined.
• Relevant staff and pupils are trained so they are confident to use the tools.
• Currently core Ark Learning apps are available in maths (KS2, 3, 4) and Seneca (all YGs)
• Over time, more core apps will be added.

• Digital Learning Leads regularly monitor and analyse whole school patterns of device and learning app usage
• Leaders at all levels integrate app data usage into their team systems and processes

Regular digital home learning

Engage with app and device usage

Device Management

Digital Tools

• Any homework or home learning should be issued to pupils digitally, with visibility for parents.
• Set tasks are likely to be a combination of digital and non-digital learning resources and tools.
• Parent email and phone contacts are routinely checked and updated.

Home Learning

Core Ark learning apps in use

Digital Dashboards

Digital literacy curriculum for all

• In addition to the national curriculum for computing (KS1 - 4), leaders ensure that all areas of UKCCIS guidance are incorporated into the IT, computing or personal development curriculum

Digital Resilience & Online Safety Guidance

Education for a Connected World

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

Our values drive everything we do. How we work together...Blurb

How we work together

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Find the PPt slide here

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Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

Well-chosen texts across the curriculum

We are working to provide some guidance on this.

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

• The following polices are in place and reviewed annually: Behaviour & Rewards policy, Anti-bullying Policy, Attendance Policy, Uniform policy
• Adherence to Suspensions and Exclusions Guidance
• All policies are accessible to all stakeholders

All statutory elements met

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Systems and processes in place for: Start of day, movement around the day, arrival at lessons, conduct in lessons, break/ lunch; end of the school day
• Written down, shared with staff and students, returned to and reviewed regularly
• All staff and students trained on this, and bespoke training/ follow up in place where expectations aren’t being met
• Roles and responsibilities clearly defined

• Systematic approach to rewards, with thoughtful rewards and a clearly mapped out timeline
• Consistently and fairly applied (all students have equitable access to rewards; staff/dept differences are minimal)
• Mechanism in place to review implementation of policy by staff
• A way of recognising students consistently meeting expectations
• Promoted amongst student body
• Parent communication

Graduated response to behaviour intervention

Consistent, timely and data-driven follow up

• Published graduated approach to behaviour support written down and shared with staff
• SEND needs explored as first step towards targeted support
• Parents and students are involved in decision making and review

• All staff log behaviour incidents on a central log (Bromcom for secondary)
• Daily, weekly and termly pastoral data reports are in place
• Clear roles and responsibilities around follow-up actions
• Regular protected meeting time for pastoral leaders to review data, individual caseloads and other pastoral themes (behaviour leads, SENco, safeguarding, senior leaders)
• Data is reviewed in pastoral line management
• Parents are communicated with on a regular basis about their child’s engagement with school

Clear Routines and Procedures for the school day

Praise and Rewards

Measure the Impact of Interventions

• Clear entry and exit criteria for interventions
• Impact of all SEND interventions measured
• We suggest using termly intervention impact reports produced using Provision Map.

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

• Videos
• Ark Scope and Sequence of Action Steps

Instructional coaching is one of the most powerful ways to improve the quality of teaching. Instructional coaches must be highly skilled as they provide bespoke development for teachers. Great coaches are able to describe teaching by breaking it down into discrete actions and they are able to explicitly model it in a way that is replicable for their coachee. At Ark, we use the 'See it Name it Do it' model of coaching based on the work of Paul Bamrick-Santoyo. Using this method, coaches select an action step that will close a gap in a coachee's performance and provide a model and opportunities for coachees to practise before 'going live' in front of their children. We provide several supports for Ark schools to develop their team of instructional coaches.

Instructional Coaching

Click here for more information and access to resources, including:

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

There are Complete Curriculum and Assessment Programmes available in the following subjects: Maths, English, Science, Geography & History and Music An overview of contents and some further information about curriculum and assessment programes can be found here: The resources for Maths, English, Science Geography and History can be found on (use your school login to access)

Complete Curriculum and Assessment Programmes

Curriculum and Assessment Toolkts.pptx (sharepoint.com)

MyMastery

The Great Teaching Series

At Ark, we are fortunate to have teachers who open their classrooms for us to learn from. Our Great Teaching Series steps inside these classrooms and provides models of excellence aligned with the Great Teacher Rubric.Each course consists of a video from an Ark teacher's everyday practice. Throughout the video, we provide a detailed description of the teacher actions that align with the Proficient and Exemplary stages of the GTR. Where appropriate, we describe the 'disciplinary literacy' of the subject being taught.The Great Teacher Series can be used to exemplify excellent practice for any teacher. You may wish to use these in a more targeted way with teachers who are focussed on moving from Proficient to Exemplary.

Tony, Y11Maths

Greg, Y9 Music

Hannah, Y6 Maths

Molly, ReceptionEnglish

Individual planning time - Implementation guidance

Co-planning time - Implementation guidance

• Clear processes are in place for annual and medium-term planning to ensure content, sequencing and activities support learning
• Process is informed by feedback from teachers and assessment data

Annual Planning Cycle

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Co-planning is timetabled and protected for all who teach (including leaders) within a team 
• This is in addition to individual teacher planning time
• Sessions take place on a regular basis, without interruptions for other school priorities
• Co-planning guidance supports focused team/collaborative planning

• Teachers are provided with dedicated time to support effective individual planning

• Clear expectations for individual teacher planning and preparation are in place, supported by a set of shared expectations about what lessons should look like

Co-planning time

Individual planning time

Approach to individual teacher planning

Annual Planning Cycle - Implementation guidance

Approach to individual teacher planning - Implementation guidance

School Improvement

School improvement playbook coming 2025

• Whole school raising achievement plan in place for exam year groups which includes the key features set out in the Raising Achievement Plan guidance relevant to the phase
• Meeting cycle and data/ tracking structures that support triangulated approach and information sharing in place
• Achievement review meetings with Regional Directors

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Diagnostic assessment in place, aligned to the curriculum weighting and subject curriculum focus in mind
• Department level plans in place which include:

clear overview of what remains to be taught, to whom and by when For each class: Tailored, flexible MTPs based on priority list of specific topics and skills to (re)teach (lined to the SOW); explicit LOs focussed on learning gains, until the very last lesson analysis and response to assessment feedback, including Network Assessment feedback Critical pupils identified and regular, rigorous and relevant data on academic progress with central departmental tracking

• Clear SEND identification process in place which details the roles and responsibilities of all staff

• The process is shared with and well understood by all staff

Targetted support and intervention

Winning Culture

Exam Organisation

• Pupil passports and Individual Learning Plans are reviewed termly in collaboration with the child and their family
• Training in place to support teachers to deliver the strategies on Pupil Passports and ILPs
• All staff are aware of amendments, have access to the document and are supported to deliver them through training and co-planning

• Clear entry and exit criteria for interventions
• Impact of all SEND interventions measured
• We suggest using termly intervention impact reports produced using Provision Map. (see guidance in Developing Practice and Expertise)

Guidance for writing raising achievement plan

Example RAPs

Example Department Action Plan

Strategic plan to raise achievement

Data driven curriculum planning

Some guidance and examples of knowledge organisers coming soon.

Knowledge Organisers

Statutory compliance with all Attendance procedures and practices in line with Working Together to Improve School Attendance, and Admissions Code 2024:

• Attendance Policy is reviewed annually and published on the school website.
• Registers are accurately and reliably taken.
• Removal from roll processes are carefully undertaken, ensuring 'reasonable enquiries' are made for every case and all necessary evidence collated. EHE are actively discouraged.

All statutory elements met

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Clear roles and responsibiilities for aattendance should be defined for all school staff.
• This should be communicated, shared and reviewed at the beginning of the school year as part of start of year training.
• Line Management processes support in keeping

• A member of the Senior Leadership Team should have attendance listed as one of their key straetgic priorities.
• They should be responsible for writing an annual attendance improvement strategy and writing termly attendance and leavers analysis.

Named Senior Leader for Attendance

Monitoring of students at AP, MM or on Part-time timetables

Daily, Weekly and half termly attendance analysis with clear follow up actions

• Clear log of all students that are in receipt of Alternative Provision, or are on Managed Moves or Part-time tables.
• Start, review and finish dates are clear.
• Targets are known for all key stakeholders.
• Letters of assurance are in place for any AP.
• RDs and central P+I team to be made aware if non-registered AP provision is being used.

WTTISA, 2024

Statutory Attendance Updates

Admissions Code 2021

Part time timetable guidance

Example Leavers' analysis

Example Termly attendance analysis

Example Roles and Responsibilities

Secondary Attendance Leadership Questions

• Senior Leader for attendance as well as key staekhodelrs are sent a daily attendance update by mid-morning so that key trends/pupils can be picked up or prioritised.
• Weekly attendance data shared with SLT and pastoral team so that actions can be set for the following the week.
• Half termly attendance analysis should identify key group themes and trends

Alternative Provision and Managed Move Review Proforma

Student leaver proforma

Attendance Deep Dive Template 2022/2023

What does ‘Great’ look like?

Formalise support

• Where there is clearly an indication that early intervention is not working (not appropriate, not being engaged with, not improving attendance) there is a clear process to escalate the intervention support.

• Parental meeting takes place with a senior member of staff to relay expectations and also listen to understand the barriers that are resulting in no improvement.

• Referrals to external agencies is initiated if it hasn’t already in place EWO, FEH, LA attendance support group)

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. At what point do we trigger senior leader (VP/Principal) intervention?
2. Do we need to act as advocates for the family (e.g. housing/benefits etc)
3. What referrals now need to be made? Who is the key staff contact for ths family – how do we use their voice to influence this decision?
4. Have we communicated clearly about the impact of not improving attendance? Is there evidence of this?

Evidence

• Family Early Help Referrals for every student who is below 90% attendance.
• Parental contracts
• All intervention logged centrally so pastoral provision is not lost. In best practice the time spent on intervention will also be logged.

• TAC/TAF strategy meeting minutes and actions
• School Court Warning letter sent

Blurb about formal and informal opportunities to listen.Key principals.

Voice

Ark Surveys

Ark Surveys

Case Studies

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There are Curriculum and Assessment frameworks available in the following subjects:Spanish, French, History

Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks

What does ‘Great’ look like?

Facilitate support

• High expectations are maintained for all students, we do not lower the bar but put in targeted and specialist support to help all students and families meet our expectations.

• Where students have additional needs or complexities, we work in conjunction with the family and any other services to remove those barriers.

• Parental contracts are produced during parental meetings – all key stakeholders attend this meeting so there is a triangulation of information, support required and next steps.

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. How are we utilising support from the Local Authority?
2. Who is our key contact?
3. Where the work of the LA has been ineffective have we explored private support (e.g. independent EWO services)?
4. How are we logging communication with the LA so it’s not held by one person?
5. Have referrals been made to FEH for students who are PA? If not, why not?
6. What are we not considering?
7. Have TAC meetings taken place? If not, why not?
8. Have we considered part timereintegration timetables?
9. Where are the curriculum gaps?
10. What internal intervention can we provide?
11. What external agencies/groups have we not considered?

Evidence

• Pupil Premium spending plan is utilised to provide additional attendance support

• Termly LA attendance caseload review meetings action plans
• Attendance support plans/reports

• Parental Contracts
• Pupil voice
• SEND Assessments
• TAC strategy meeting minutes and actions

Ark Leadership Rubric

The Ark Leadership Rubric is to help all teaching staff in, or aspiring to be in, positions of school leadership at Ark. It describes the behaviours that are expected of leaders at Ark and helps you to see how you can develop and become a better leader.

We want to help you to understand how your leadership behaviours affect the culture and climate that you work in. How you behave will affect the outcomes and experiences of students, colleagues, parents and communities.

The Leadership Rubric

Training

360 Resource

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Reading Practice

Ark Early Reading Guide Secondaries

Ark Early Reading Guide Primaries

We will be developing some guidance and models to support schools to ensure pupils are getting enough reading practice. In the meantime, there is some information in the Early Reading Guides.

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

APA PD Active Citizen Curriculum

APA PD Happy and Healthy Curriculum

KSA Sixth Form Key Sytems

ASTA Tri weekly level descriptions

ACT Tri weekly level Assessment

• Meets the KS5 expectations set out in Ark’s Minimum Curriculum Expectations document, including:
• Full time planned hours of 640+ per student (including timetabled supervised study and non-qualification hours)
• Alignment to Core A Level offer and/or Core Professional Pathways offer
• English and Maths GCSE resit (to secure 4 or better) 5 lesson/week minimum

Minimum CurriculumExpectations met

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Tri weekly assessment mapped into the curriculum for all subjects (A Level and BTEC)
• Consistent approach to reteach and feedback
• Concurrent tracking of pastoral data: behaviour, attendance, attitudes to learning
• Co-ordinated leadership response (SLT, sixth form team, departments)

• Silent study spaces provided; timetabled lessons for all students (clear criteria in place – e.g. progress and attendance – for earned autonomy over study periods)
• Staff trained to support consistency of expectations
• Homework and directed independent learning entitlement of 5 hours+ per subject embedded in curriculum plans
• Clear policy for organisation of student work – folders, books, digital

• Sixth form PD delivered through tutor time, assemblies and enrichment time to include:
• Destinations support (see below)
• Academic skills, academic enrichment & academic confidence
• Community and values (e.g. volunteering, student leadership, British Values, SMSC)
• Health and well-being (including age-appropriate PSHE/ RSE)

• UCAS and work readiness curriculum (eg Professional Pathways)
• Unifrog minimum entitlement mapped and delivered
• Destinations activities recorded on Unifrog for all students
• One-to-one guidance meeting for every student in Y12 and Y13
• Network offer for super selective pathways delivered
• Planned campus visit for every Y12 student

Tri-weekly Tracking

Independent Study

Personal Development

Destinations Support

Ark Secondary Curriculum Expectations

Ark Elvin earned autonomy in KS5

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

Attendance Rhythm of the Year 2324

What does ‘Great’ look like?

Expect

• The importance of maintaining excellent attendance is evident in school’s vision, values and day-to-day running.

• The interplay between attendance and wider school improvement (attainment; behaviour; SEND; safeguarding) strategies is evident and known by all; identified in AIP and SEF - this feeds into daily/weekly/termly analysis and intervention

• School incentivises good attendance
• Attendance strategy is held at VP level – clear Monitoring Evaluation and Review process is in pla ce

• Whole staff training on attendance is purposeful and mapped into the schools’ training schedule.

• Where poor attendance exists, a triangulation team of key stakeholders work to further identify risks and intervention.

• PA students are identified as a safeguarding concern.

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. Does our Attendance Policy meet the basic requirements of the WTIA guidance?
2. Do our vision and values create space for high attendance to be an expectation? How is this highlighted to students and the wider community?
3. What are our communication channels to parents around attendance? Where could we do better?
4. How is the importance of attendance visible around the Academy?
5. What is our Monitoring, Evaluation and Review (MER) process for Attendance?

Evidence

• Attendance Policy outlines clear expectations, procedures and responsibilities. This is shared with leaders, staff, students and families.

• Roles and Responsibilities chart is known by all with clear lines of accountability evident (including daily, weekly and termly tasks)

• Training schedule is mapped into the annual staff training calendar

• Line Management meetings between P/VP/AP/HoY all have attendance as a weekly agenda point with key actions and review dates.

• MER Attendance cycle that is clear and visible to all, mapped into meeting cycle

• Attendance awards and rewards (100%, but also ‘most improved’) Posters/displays/assemblies/badges/certificates

Statutory compliance with all SEND procedures and practices in line with the SEND Code of Practice:

• Nominated and appropriately trained SENCo
• EHCP Consultations timelines are met
• EHC needs assessments timelines are met
• Annual review procedures and timelines are adhered to and met
• EHCP provision matches the plan
• Accurate and up to date SEND register

All statutory elements met

Annual SEND Self Evaluation

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Annual SEND Self-Evaluation is conducted involving all stakeholders from across the school community
• Action plan written to inform strategic development of SEND provision across the school
• SEND link governor presents the outcomes and actions at the next appropriate LGB meeting
• SEND Self-Evaluation is reviewed after 6 months

• Clear SEND identification process in place which details the roles and responsibilities of all staff

• The process is shared with and well understood by all staff

Documented SEND Identification Process

Pupil Passports and ILPS

Accurate Identification of Need

• Pupil passports and Individual Learning Plans are reviewed termly in collaboration with the child and their family
• Training in place to support teachers to deliver the strategies on Pupil Passports and ILPs
• All staff are aware of amendments, have access to the document and are supported to deliver them through training and co-planning

• Clear entry and exit criteria for interventions
• Impact of all SEND interventions measured
• We suggest using termly intervention impact reports produced using Provision Map. (see guidance in Developing Practice and Expertise)

SEND Code of Practice

Teachers R&Rs

Training Slides

Consultation Checklist

Annual review timeline

SEND SEF Guidance

SEND Identication

Example PP

PP and ILPGuidance

Example ILP

SEND Register Example

Suggested SEN assessments and screeners

Interventions led by a trained adult

• All adults leading interventions have been trained in the intervention they are delivering
• They have a clear understanding of progress
• They receive feedback and support for their teaching in line with the school's wider approach

AC+ Training

AC+ offers a number of training options that go alongside its programmes.

Click here for more information and to book training

School sixth form provides a unique opportunity for students to develop self-confidence, leadership and communication skills, whilst bridging the gap between staff and younger pupils. For example:

• Sixth form students play a leading role in the School Council which this is fully integrated from Y7 to Y13.
• There is a Sixth Form Student Council or equivalent to provide feedback to leaders on sixth form specific issues.
• Students lead societies (academic, wider interest) in the sixth form with support from staff to ensure sustainability.
• All students are trained and supported to volunteer in school for at least one hour per week during Y12. They support younger pupils academically or through extra-curricular activities.
• All sixth form students support whole school events at least three times during Y12.

Student leadership

Ark school sixth forms should epitomise ambitious 11-18 school culture focused on academic success and aspirational post 18 destinations. For example:

• Sixth form students demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning and high levels of engagement in their lessons. They make productive use of private study time in school, displaying a high level of commitment to their academic studies. Lighter supervision of study periods (and in some cases self-regulated private study) has no discernible impact on effort or productivity.
• Student voice is used to shape and improve all aspects of sixth form provision. As a result students feel shared ownership of the sixth form and exhibit pride in their school.
• Working relationships between staff and students are strong and mutually respectful. All staff support and encourage students to aim high and make ambitious choices.
• Attendance is a high priority for sixth form leaders; staff follow whole school systems to ensure attendance concerns are addressed effectively and attendance levels remain very high.
• There are few incidents of poor behaviour in sixth form. When they do occur leaders respond swiftly and robustly in line with whole school policies.

An ambitious sixth form culture

• Statutory compliance compliance in all aspects of Personal Development, including R(S)HE, Citizenship (KS3 + 4), CEIAG Provision, SMSC, British Values and Equality.
• Statutory compliance is evidenced through curriculum maps, assembly programmes, Compass+ and SEF

All statutory elements met

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Meets at least minimum expectations laid out in the Ark Universal Enrichment and Extra Curricular Entitlement

• In-school therapeutic mental health services available for pupils
• Model partnership with Place2Be is available to all schools who wish to work with them in an embedded way
• Senior Mental Health Lead is in place to co-ordinate school support and access to wider services

• Deliver the 42 essential experiences named in the Connections passport
• Primary Passport Lead is in place to co-ordinate school approach

Ark Universal Enrichment and Extra-curricular Entitlement

Access to therapeutic mental health provision

Ark Universal Enrichment and Extra-curricular Entitlement Secondary

Secondary: Gatsby Benchmarks

Statutory Framework Checklist

Primary Passport Materials

Ark Universal Enrichment and Extra-Curricular Entitlement Primary

Primary: Connections Passport Essential Experiences

• Compass+ used to evaluate and report to the destinations team termly
• Gatsby Benchmarks are met or a robust plan in place to address gaps
• Unifrog is used to support delivery of the benchmarks across all year groups

Gatsby Benchmarks

What does ‘Great’ look like?

Listen and Understand

• Pastoral teams work with students and families in a trauma informed and child centred way, meeting the families where they are at and operate from a ‘listening to understand’ perspective.

• Colleagues are professionally curious and aim to build trust with all families, and dig deeper to execute this work successfully with vulnerable families.

• There is due consideration about which staff member is best placed to be the key worker for vulnerable families. Where possible school communication is channelled through one staff person for consistency
• A tiered response using the school’s roles and responsibilities chart helps a diagnostic and ‘support first’ response when driving to improve attendance.
• The important link between attendance, attainment and wellbeing is constantly highlighted.

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. What are our non-negotiables for parental engagement? How do we make this clear when students start with us?
2. Are we truly meeting families where they’re at? What are the barriers to working with them successfully? How many of our families have partnership agreements or parental contracts?
3. How are we working with any families who want to EHE? What integration work needs to happen?

Evidence

• Parental contracts in place with review dates booked in
• Staff training is built into the whole school training map on working with families and how to build respectful relationships

Interventions

• All interventions should be evidence based.
• Schools should have a suite of interventions that cover the four broad areas of need.
• All interventions should be monitored and the impact measured.
• The fidelity of delivery should be monitored and reviewed

• Assess, Plan, Do , Review intervention cycle - comming soon

• Intervention grid - coming soon

Supporting transition from KS4 into and beyond KS5

Academic support

• Taster days and targeted guidance meetings in Year 11 to support pathway and subject choices.
• Summer bridging work to consolidate GCSE knowledge and intrduce Level 3 course content.
• Consistent application of appropriate pathway and subject entry criteria.
• Curriculum planning (especially Sci and Ma) focuses on early identification of gaps in required knowledge.
• Focus through subjects and sixth form team on building oracy and academic confidence.
• Evolution in KS5 teaching from Aut Y12 to end of Y13 supports transition to university.
• Consistent approach to independent learning through KS5 supports students to develop effective study habits.
• Higher prior attaining students receive additional academic support inside and outside of lessons to achieve A*/A grades.

Destinations support

• Careful sequencing of input on destinations throughout Y12 to support applications in Y13.
• Focus on aspirational destinations (Ark Top Third and higher/degree apprenticeships) established in KS4 and explicit from Day 1 of Y12 induction.
• Unifrg activity locker reintroduced early in Y12 to support continuitty from KS4 to KS5.
• Engagement with KS4 Oxbridge support, and early identification of student applying to highly selective HE in Aut1 Y12. Full engagement with the network offer for Oxbridge/highly selective HE.

Personal development

• Spiral PSHE curriculum is planned 11-18 to ensure age appropriateness of key content in KS5 (RSE, drugs and alcohol, health and well-being) and effective preparation for adult life.
• A coherent whole school approach to student leadership provides a universal offer for all Y12 students (e.g. through volunteering in school) and targeted progression opportunities for student leaders in Y11 and Y12 (e.g. School Council roles and responsibilities, prefecting, leadership of enrichment).

• Names the sequence of Professional Development for the current year
• Identifies different groups of teachers (new staff, experienced, ATTs etc) and the PD programme and approach
• Covers all the statutory training and Ark required training

Teacher Development Plan

Key Features

Tools and Resources

Meets all statutory and Ark expectations outlined in the Key Requirements for trainees and ECTs, including:

• All trainees and ECTs have a coach
• Coaches are trained in use See it Name it Do it as instructional coaching model
• All instructional coaches are Proficient or above on the GTR

• All evaluators must be trained and demonstrate accuracy in using the GTR
• GTR observations should be completed in line with the Network deadlines and expectations
• Evaluation data should be shared annually via the GTR database
• All new staff trained in the GTR

Statutory & Ark expectations for trainees & ECTs met

GTR evaluation for all teachers

Ark ATT Partnership Agreement

Teacher Development Planning Guifance

GTR Guidance and Resources

ECT Policy

Instructional Coaching

The Great Teacher Rubric

Ark Leadership Rubric

An introduction to the leadership rubric can be found on the learning platform.

SEND termly snapshot report

• The snapshot report provides a detailed overview of the schools current SEND patterns and trends, provision, strengths, and areas for development.
• The report should be reviewed by leaders to address short term challenges and inform long term strategy.
• SENCos should have the opportunity to present and discuss the report at an SLT meeting, once a term.

Link to SEND snapshot example Link to SEND snapshot template

School CPD should:

• Include time for teachers to discuss, reflect, plan and practise
• Be explicit about what teachers should implement in their classrooms
• Be evidence-informed and context-specific (e.g. include videos of teaching in the school).
• Be iterative and revisit key ideas over time.

Principles of TD

We believe:

• There are common features of all effective classrooms (ref. signature strategies)
• Quality First Teaching is a pre-requisite for pupils with SEND
• Instructional coaching is a core component CPD for teachers new to the profession and to the network.
• Effective professional development builds knowledge, motivates staff, develops teaching techniques and embeds practice (EEF recommendation 2, EEF 2021).
• Effective implementation of both CPD and teaching strategies must take the context and needs of the school, pupils and teachers into account (EEF rec 3, EEF 2021).
• The measure of teacher impact is the influence that teachers have on what their pupils think, do and achieve (Ambition Institute, 2018).

Some guidance and examples of knowledge organisers coming soon.

Knowledge Organisers

We are currently working on some guidance for leaders on securing subject quality.

Subject Quality

• Ark pillars and values inform school vision and values and Leaders see themselves as One Ark leaders
• Vision and values clearly articulated, shared, visible around school and revisited regularly with staff, students and parents
• Expectations of staff and students codified, and refined regularly
• Leadership behaviours/ expectations codified in line with the vision and values, and revisited regularly
• Vision is defined and codified for all areas of school provision: T&L, Curriculum & Assessment, Personal Development etc
• Inclusivity is built into all aspects of school life, barriers are identified and removed

Vision and Values led culture

Key Features

• Clear structure, roles and responsibilities across all leadership positions
• All statutory expectations (eg for SEND, RSHE, H&S etc) mapped across leaders and directly checked by the principal
• Wider meeting structure planned (and adhered to) to support delivery of responsibilities, collaboration and information sharing
• Ark meeting structure and cycles incorporated into school cycle
• All leaders understand their wider roles, for example in upholding the culture of the school, maintaining high expectations of behaviour and conduct and safeguarding students, and of learning
• Calendar for the year mapped out, with staff workload in mind
• Minimal changes to the calendar and when changes occur, thought is given to communication and knock-on impact

• Recruitment is well planned, rigorous and inclusive
• At least bi-weekly line management built into the calendar and protected, with guidance on key topics, structure and feedback channels
• Training and development is planned out across the year for all staff, including operational staff and is well matched to their role and the school’s priorities
• Ark’s PD offer is consulted when planning staff development

• Annual AIP in place, shared with senior leaders and returned to at least 3 times annually - Ark-wide strategic priorities mapped into the plan
• SEF summary is evidence based and accurately describes the overall effectiveness of the school
• Key priorities shared with wider staff team and revisited throughout the year
• Senior leaders have a cycle of monitoring, evaluation and improvement planning, including regularly reviewing how well school policies are working in practice
• Annual Ark surveys are conducted and outcomes feed into planning

Structure, roles and responsibilities

Recruiting, Retaining and Developing People

Evaluation and improvement cycle

Effective Governance

• Principals report to governors
• Role of the governors/ scheme of delegation?
• How to use governors – dashboard etc
• The website is compliant

Efficient and safe operations

• Timetable approach is overseen by the principal to ensure it supports effective delivery of the curriculum and efficient use of resources
• Key operational activities are overseen by the Principal
• The school is run with fiscal responsibility and meets minimum budgetary targets

Our Pillars and Values

Our 6 Pillars

Our Values

Ark Curriculum Design and Diversity Principles

• Meet the expectations set out in the Minimum Curriculum Expectations Document
• Curriculum published on the website in accordance with the DFE expectations

Ark Minimum Curriculum Expectations

Key Features

Tools and Resources

Each curriculum should meet the Ark Principles of Curriculum Design and include at least:

• Clear intent and aims for pupils
• Progression maps and medium-term planning
• Explicit core/important knowledge, concepts and skills
• Planned time for conducting and responding to assessment
• Adaptations (e.g. scaffolds) to support pupils with SEND
• Key words/vocabulary and well-chosen age-appropriate texts

• All agreed Ark Common Assessments are completed as per the assessment calendar
• Assessments are completed, and data submitted, within the relevant assessment window

There is a formative assessment cycle for all subjects and all year groups that includes:

• Annual summative assessments
• Termly diagnostic assessments
• Regular in lesson assessment, for example ‘do now’ activities and exit tickets
• A clearly set out approach to responding to assessments

Minimum Curriculum Expectations for Secondary

Well-planned curriculum in each subject

Ark agreed assessments

Formative assessment cycle

Minimum Curriculum Expectations for Primary

Minimum Curriculum Expectations for KS5

Secondary Assessment Dates

Secondary Assessment Strategy

Website Guidance for Curriculum

Primary Assessment Dates

Primary AssessmentStrategy

2023/24 Common Assessments

• Well-being refers to feeling at ease, being spontaneous and free of emotional tensions and is crucial to good ‘mental health’. Well-being is linked to self-confidence, a good degree of self-esteem and resilience. ​

• Involvement refers to being intensely engaged in activities and is considered to be a necessary condition for deep level learning and development.​

Wellbeing and involvement

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Teaching should not be taken to imply a ‘top down’ or formal way of working. It is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn.

• Planned and considered vocabulary
• Plan, do, review structure for periods of play
• I, we, you modelling of play

• Evidence gathering by key workers towards formative assessments
• Accurate assessment of children’s development through moderation session using exemplification guidance

Interaction

Intentionally planned play

Accurate Assessment

Interactions Self Evaluation

Plan, Do, Review

EY Medium Leuven Scalres

Teaching and Learning, Provision and Exemplification based on Developmental Age

High Quality Interactions

Knowledge sessions

• Careful planning of continuous and enhanced provision, based on each child’s development and next steps (content tbc)
• Thoughtful adult led knowledge sessions

Tri-Weekly Tracking

Ark sixth forms use a tri-weekly tracking approach to ensure early identfication of students at risk of under-achieving. There are key underlying principles that align our schools' approaches:

• The key purpose is to coordinate capture of formative assessment data across departments - this should not add to teachers' workloads.
• The data captured should be used to inform a) line management discussions of individual students and curriculum actions to address concerns b) sixth form team interventions.
• Teacher judgements about student progress (not grades) should be based on regular low stakes assessments. These comprise exam style questions and might include diagnostic MCQs when appropriate, particularly in Y12. [Judgements might also be informed by in-lesson formative assessment and written homework.]
• In BTEC subjects, judgements about cumulative progress should in addition be informed by data from subject trackers (all coursework and exam units) and performance in pre-assignment tasks.
• Academic progress data should be supplemented by key pastoral datapoints (attendance, punctuality, attitudinal, IL completion) to provide a holistic view.
• Tri-weekly tracking is most effective responded to promptly by the sixth form team, curriculum teams and also students (through reflection and target-setting with tutors). Robust and streamlined systems therefore need to be in place.
• See also: school resources linked under 'Foundational Expectations'.

What does ‘Great’ look like?

Monitor

• Attendance Roles and responsibilities are well established and rigorous, through staff and pupil voice it is clear that everyone knows the role they play and the actions they take on a daily, weekly and termly basis.

• The Attendance Officer holds staff to account for their roles and responsibilities. There is a clear and effective process for attendance registers to be accurate and appropriate follow up when marks are incorrect/absent.

• Principal has oversight of any exceptional leave requests.
• Punctuality is proactively managed throughout the day and clear sanctions are applied consistently.

• Parents are proactive in informing the school when their child is absent. There is a clear way for parents to inform the school about attendance issues.

• School informs parents about the child’s attendance every half term in a meaningful and easy to understand way (e.g. amount of time missed and impact on the pupil’s learning)

• Prevention and early intervention is the main body of work as opposed to being reactive.

• School uses data to provide early intervention for students who are vulnerable/at risk of coming PA.

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. Is our current roles and responsibilities chart fit for purpose? What’s working/what needs to change?
2. Where are the weak spots in our MER process?
3. Does our AO feel valued by SLT, how do we know this? Are they seen as a key support staff member who can own their attendance remit?
4. If our AO isn’t high performing, what support are they receiving to improve? How are SLT picking up the missing gaps?
5. Are our attendance files (Leavers; AP/MM files) accurate and up to date
6. How do we use data to pre-empt absence spikes throughout the year and communicate with parents and pupils at trigger points (e.g. leading up to holidays, days of religious observances)

Evidence

• Attendance Register is up to date, accurate and compliant

• Staff briefings (SLT/whole staff/pastoral) all have attendance as an agenda and the data is explored with key actions to implement and review.

• Attendance letters/ meeting minutes are loaded onto Bromcom for central access

• Weekly text messages are sent to families detailing their child’s attendance at school.

• Visible ‘Attendance’ updates on all communications with parents (website/newsletters/text)

• Attendance Rhythm of the Year identifies where spikes in absence appear so SLT can be proactive

• NGRT tests embedded within calendar and tests conducted with fidelity at the end of the academic year (except newcomers, Y2 and Y7 who are tested on entry).
• All teachers and leaders trained on how to interpret and use NGRT (and other assessment) SAS data and reports.

Annual NGRT Test for all pupils

Key Features

Tools and Resources

• Pupils that are below CRA have further diagnostic testing
• Diagnosis supports accurate choice of intervention - Reading Intervention Flow Chart is available for primary and secondary

• Targeted and well-established programmes used for intervention and delivered with fidelity
• Interventions are timetabled and follow the recommended frequency
• Interventions begin as swiftly as possible no later than October half term
• Regular assessment in place for pupils on intervention
• For each programme, progress of pupils is evaluated regularly and additional support / changes are made where needed
• Leaders ensure that the reading offer responds to the pupils’ reading needs

• Timetabled phonics programme in place for all pupils that need it
• Appropriate book match in place for pupils on phonics programme
• Regular (6 weekly) assessment in place
• All phonics interventions led by a adult trained in phonics
• Primary only: education staff trained in phonics

Primary Reading Assessment and Intervention Flowchart

Accurate diagnosis of need

Well-targeted intervention for all below CRA

Phonics Programme

Secondary Reading Assessment and Intervention Flowchart

Interventions

Reading Assessment Resources

NGRT Training: Pre-testing and Post-testing Essentials

Interventions led by trained adults

• All adults leading interventions have been trained in the intervention they are delivering
• They have a clear understanding of progress
• They receive feedback and support for their teaching in line with the school's wider approach
• Reading leads attend all recommended Network and other reading programme training

Real Time Coaching and Team Teaching

Real Time Coaching Resources

Real Time Coaching Videos

Voice Over Coaching

Culture of Reading

Great looks like this

Teachers read regularly to pupils, and provide excellent models because they have received strong CPD in this area

There is a systematised approach to the books/texts which are selected by teachers to read aloud to pupils across the school – clear rationale which forms part of the wider English/Reading curriculum

The English curriculum clearly outlines how the reading spine is progressive, fulfils the aims of the NC

There is a wide range of non-fiction books, clearly matched to NC subjects/ topics & pupils RA’s which pupils can read as part of their regular reading diet; this forms an essential part of their background knowledge; this is monitored and evaluated

There are regular sessions scheduled in for pupils to visit the library and select books which support their wider learning

There is a system in place to track and monitor pupils reading e.g. through library loans, Lexia etc shared with Reading Lead, Form Tutors - act on concerns

There is a clear approach to supporting parents in helping pupils read at home – particularly for those reading <CA9 for secondary

Pupil voice activities feed into evaluation of reading

The School promotes reading in a variety of ways

Implementation guidance can be found in the Early Reading Principals Guides for Primary and Secondary

Library

Coming summer 2024

Events

Coming summer 2024

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Assessments and screeners should cover the four broad areas of need. This is to ensure the accurte identification of probable barriers to learning and need can be identified as early as possible. Link to suggested SEN assesments and screeners

SEN assessments and screeners

IMPORTANCE OF TRANSITION

Pupil Transitions

Families

Friendships and peer relationships

Curriculum continuity and learning

Knowing Every Child

Understanding oroutines and expectations

New pupils

Key transition points

Annual transition

Leavers

SEND

Leavers

Pupil

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What does ‘Great’ look like?

Enforce

• Where all intervention has failed, we utilise the legal power to issue Fixed Penalty Notices. We make this very clear when in engaging in a support process with families that legal planning could be an outcome if attendance intervention is not engaged with.

• We will continue to work collaboratively with the family and all agencies involved and continue our work with compassion, dignity and respect.

• Evidence for legal planning correlates with the attendance tracker notes

Key questions for Principals/VPs

1. How many families are going through legal planning this term?
2. What evidence is there?
3. What referrals to external agencies need to be made?
4. If the parent contract hasn’t worked – what are the barriers the family are still facing?

Evidence

• Evidence for legal planning
• Communication between the school and LA

AP, MM and part-time timetable

Part time timetable guidance

Alternative Provision and Managed Move Review Proforma