1. A minimum 3 levels progress
FOR ALL PUPILS
We’ll get you there

2. What’s the issue?
 Not all pupils are making at least 3 levels progress.
 And most progress happens in Years 2 & 6.
 Some pupils go back over, stand still or make much
slower progress in the in-between end of key stage years!
What should I do?
 Start by setting the Long Term Targets for all pupils by using
our formula click on this link (SETTING TARGETS)
 The formula assumes at least 4 sub levels progress in KS1 and 7
sub levels in KS2. At KS2, that translates to 1 sub level in Yr 3
and 2 sub levels in each of the Years 4, 5 & 6.

3. How do pupils know what progress they
are making against their targets?
 Read this slide then click through to the PUPIL TRACKING SHEET.
These are available L1-L6
 The tracking sheet shows what level and sub level A Nony-Mouse
was assessed at the end of the previous year (level 3A), and where the
teacher for the new academic year has to get her to by the end of the
year ie (4A) –as a minimum expectation
 The target setting formula expects 2 sub levels per year, so A Nony-
Mouse must have fallen short of her target in Year 5 so the Year 6
teacher has to get 3 sub levels from her to get her back on track
 Underneath, is the APP criteria at the level that the pupil is working at
& will be formally assessed against once every half term so that the
pupil’s progress towards the target is measured regularly
 How much progress is being made - and how quickly - can be seen
simply & clearly by both pupil and teacher.

4. How does the tracking sheet work?
 Use a Half Termly Assessment to assess pupils’
ability against each of the APP criteria at which they
are working
 Use a narrative for the first assessment. You can
assess against more criteria using a narrative than is
the case with other genre
 If a pupil shows full understanding of the APP
criteria, you put a cross in the corresponding cell on
the tracking sheet; a line if partially right and a dot if
there is no evidence of understanding.
 Vary the genre over the year so you assess across a
range of writing
 To view a text type (Newspaper Reports) Click here
exemplars you can use with the pupils
 These are available for ALL text types and for both
Key Stages

5. How do I award a level from the assessment?
 Count the number of crosses awarded on the half
termly assessment. Then put that number in the
single row table at the bottom of the tracking sheet
and that shows where they are to a sub level
 The teacher & pupil can now see how many more
crosses is needed on the next helf termly assessment
(in six weeks time) to move up to the next sub level
 The teacher goes to the lines on the tracking sheet to
identify 4 or 5 targets that the pupil will keep for the
next half term - knowing that if these can be
converted into crosses by the time of the next half
term test, the pupil will have moved up a sub level.
 Use this Pupil Target Sheet (click here to see) to cut
and paste the pupils’ targets onto. They become their
English targets for the next half term

6. How are Writing targets achieved?
 Pupils take out their Target Sheet every time they do
Writing so the teacher doesn’t have to commit
everyone’s individual targets to memory
 The teacher teaches the scheme as normal but finds
the time when teaching to discuss targets with pupils
 So does the Teaching Assistant
 But the main way to help pupils achieve their targets
is in the weekly Big Write Lesson.
 Here they will do an extended piece of writing where
they get a chance to show what progress they are
making against their specific writing targets

7. Is the Weekly Big Write Assessment a Test?
No - these are assessments NOT tests
 The idea is that pupils learn through their
assessments
 Pupils get help from the teacher & TA while they
are doing Big Write extended writing
assessments, which last about 45 minutes
 Further help to achieve their targets is through
the use of pupil Prompt Sheets
 Give pupils the prompt sheet that’s relevant to
their personal targets (click here to view an
example of a prompt sheet). These are available
for all areas of writing development and at al
levels at KS1 & 2
 Pupils use the prompt sheets to learn for
themselves
 The prompt sheets are great for homework
 Parents love using them to help their children

8. How do I identify gaps in pupils’ learning?
 Dot line & crosses from half termly tests are copied
and pasted onto this Writing class record. (click here
to view Writing Class Record)
 These are for the teacher to maintain an overview of
class performance
 They identify gaps in T&L, which informs planning.
 Teachers use these assessments to change what was
planned to teach. Now teaching to the gaps in
learning identified by the assessments.
 The scheme isn’t abandoned, just modified to
address gaps in pupils’ learning.
 We teach the pupils not the scheme!
 They also give an indication of ability groups to
inform class organisation and differentiation and
show the children requiring intervention and
extension work.

9. What do I do about the gaps in pupils’ learning?
 To view the whole class record sheet Click here .
 You can see the areas highlighted in yellow are
whole class weaknesses
 Paragraphing (APP criteria 10 for example, shows
only two pupils getting that right - why not teach
paragraphing in your starters over the next two
weeks?
 There’s a whole area, AF5 – vary sentences for
clarity, purpose and effect (APP criteria 13-15), in
yellow. Another class weakness & should be
addressed in your teaching
 Areas highlighted in blue show a smaller number
of pupils not getting it eg APP criteria 4
 These can be dealt with through a more personalised
intervention by the teacher
 Or why not ask the TA to tackle some of these
 Your aim is to ensure over a half term, that you turn
as many lines and dots into crosses as possible
 So the whole class record sheet replaces your mark
book. And it restarts after every half term test.

10. What about Reading & Speaking & Listening?
 The system for setting targets and tracking pupil progress in Reading is
exactly the same as in Writing
- To view pupil tracking sheet for Reading click here
- To view whole class tracking sheet for Reading click here
 The system for setting targets and tracking pupil progress in Speaking
& Listening is also the same
- To view pupil tracking sheet for Speaking & Listening click here
-To view whole class tracking sheet for Speaking & Listening click here

11. Impact in schools using this approach
Y6 results were our best ever this year with APS scores well above last
year and the national average. The best thing was all the children
could tell you what they had to do to improve. (Sarah Knowles, HT)
Our SATs results are great news for us; up by 25 – 35%. Thanks for
everything, as you can see it’s had a massive impact! (C. Coleman,HT)
Having been around 50% L4+ for the last 6 years in writing - this year
it is 75% and has beaten targets by 20%. We are all stunned and
mightily relieved. Thank you so much for Assertive Mentoring it has
made a real difference to our children and staff. (Angela Maxted, HT)
Y6 had just 12 weeks of using the AM programme. KS2 results showed
a 25% increase at L4+ in English. (James Kendall, HT)

12. SATs 2011
Subject Year L4+ L5 Year L4+ L5
Writing 2009 28% 0% 2011 79% 21%
We are now out of Special Measures and out of danger. We owe a lot to AM. Many thanks.
(Mount Pleasant Primary: Darlington)
Subject Year L4+ L5 Year L4+ L5
English 2009 54% 2011 89% 26%
Things just get better and better here! (Cheriton Primary: Kent)
Subject Year L4+ L5 Year L4+ L5
English 2010 74% 26% 2011 91% 41%
We are convinced AM has been the single most effective method we have implemented for
raising standards. Thank you so much for unlocking the secret for us. (Field End Junior: Ruislip)

13. SATs 2011
Subject Year L4+ L5 Year L4+ L5
Writing 2010 62% 7% 2011 92% 52%
We have achieved this in just 9 months of AM! (Stocksfield Primary: Newcastle)
Subject Year L4+ L5 Year L4+ L5
English 2006 0% 0% 2011 83% 38%
AM has definitely brought everything together for us. Thank you. (Adswood Primary: Stockport)
To find out how I order these English products
for use in my own school Click here