Date

English - publications

English - training and school-based INSET

Mathematics - publications

Mathematics - training and school-based INSET

January 2001

February

Schemes of Work: first bank of teaching units by QCA and the National Literacy Strategy compatible with the Framework begin to be posted on the DfEE’s Standards website (www.standards.dfee.gov.uk)

March

April

Framework: Framework for teaching English: Years 7, 8 and 9 published (after Easter break)

Auditing English in KS3: published as part of a general audit document (available via local consultants)

Framework: Framework for teaching mathematics: Years 7, 8 and 9 published (after Easter break)

Auditing mathematics in KS3: published as part of a general audit document (available via local consultants)

Springboard 7: catch-up materials for pupils entering KS3 below level 4 published [1]

Leading mathematics teachers: 2 day course (between 2 and 6 April)

May

Summer school: materials published

Speaking and Listening: guidance to support effective teaching of oral objectives published

Writing: spelling bank and sentence level objectives materials published

HoD and 1 other teacher: 2 days training covering at least the compulsory elements of the programme:

- planning progression

- revising the medium term plan

- short term planning

(between 29 May and 15 June)

There are 6 other units for schools to choose from. These optional units will be available between Autumn term 2001 and Spring Term 2002 [2]

Summer school: materials published

June

Literacy Progress Units (for pupils not

yet achieving level 4): publication of 6 units3

Literacy Progress Units (for pupils not yet achieving level 4): 2 days of training for the teacher(s) responsible for the management of these units3 (between 18 June and end of term)

Literacy across the curriculum: half day training for senior manager and literacy co-ordinator with optional units4 (of up to 5.5 days available) (between 18 June and the end of term)

HoD and 2 key teachers: 3 days of introductory training (between 4 June and end of term)

July

School-based INSET: HoD to lead evaluation of planning, development of units of work and discussion of aspects of mathematics teaching (4 days in each school; 8 days in phase 1 schools5) (by end of the Autumn term)

SEN issues: 1 day course for 2 teachers (phase 1 schools5) (between 2 July and the end of term)

August

September

Targets and assessment: guidance and support materials for curricular targets published

Accredited course on grammar: schools invited to take part in first round of training

HoD and 1 other teacher: schools to choose which training of the remaining 6 units of the programme to go on2 (between September 2001 and April 2002)

HoD: 1 day to prepare for numeracy across the curriculum whole school INSET day in Spring term (by end of term)

October

School-based INSET: whole staff professional development day on literacy

across the curriculum (either side of the Autumn half term break)

HoD and 1 other teacher: 1 follow up day of training (phase 1 schools only5) (between 8 and 19 October)

November

2 less experienced mathematics teachers: 2 days of training (phase 1 schools only5) (between 5 and 16 November)

December

January 2002

School-based INSET: whole staff professional development day on numeracy across the curriculum (by the end of the Spring term)

February

2 less experienced mathematics teachers: 2 days of follow up training (phase 1 schools only5) (between 11 and 22 February)

March

HoD and 1 other teacher: 1 follow up day of training (phase 1 schools only5) (between 4 and 15 March)

[1] There are 15 units including: number; measures and properties of shape; data handling; fractions, decimals and percentages; probability; co-ordinates and shape; fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio and proportion; and shape and space.

[2] The 6 units are: shared writing; teaching sentence-level objectives; spelling; improving reading; speaking and listening objectives; and guided groups. These are optional units which will be available through the Autumn term 2001 and Spring term 2002.

3 There are 6 units: writing organisation; information retrieval; spelling; reading between the lines; phonics and sentences.

4 There are 15 units to choose from. The first 3 are designed for senior managers and HoDs (audit and setting curricular targets; monitoring and quality assurance; EAL). The remaining 12 are for whole staff, departmental staff and self-chosen groups depending on the needs of the school: making it work across the curriculum; writing non-fiction; writing style; spelling; active reading strategies; reading for information; the management of group talk; able writers and readers; evaluation in writing and talk; listening; inclusion, differentiation and support; supporting EAL learners.

5 For mathematics, about a third of schools nationally will be designated as phase 1 support schools (they are not necessarily those with lowest attainment). They will receive extra support in the first year, along with funding for a part time teaching assistant. A different third will receive extra support in the second year and so on. There is also an extra support programme for English, the funding of which allows schools to buy into more optional unit training or send more staff to core training.

Key Dates and Activities for the Key Stage 3 Strategy: January 2001 - March 2002