2. Mundanely Clever
Making technology work for us;
Not being dictated to by technology

3. Shireland Context
• Inner city academy in West Midlands
• 1,100 students; 11-18.
• Built over 100 years ago and serves an area of substantial
deprivation.
• 38.2% of students have eligibility for free school meals (63%
Pupil Premium).
• 22% have Special Educational Needs.
• 15% live safeguarding issues.
• 64.7% have English as a second language.
• Judged as Outstanding in 2006 / 2010 / 2013.

5. “All groups of students make rapid
progress, irrespective of their background or ability
level.”
“Teaching is outstanding. Lessons are planned extremely
well to make sure they are demanding, exciting and get the
most out of all groups of students. This is underpinned by
innovative use of information and computer technology
(ICT).”

6. Our Starting Point
Our average point score on entry for our year groups are some of
the lowest in this country.
In Context
We have yet to break an APS of 25 which is an average National
Curriculum Level 3.5 on entry across the whole year group. It has
been as low as 20.4.
We Have to be Radical
There have been many times when our FFT would put us below
the floor target.

7. Best Ever Results; August 2013
GCSEs
5 A*-Cs
5 A*CEM
A-Levels
AS (A-E)
A2 (A-E)
A2 (A-C)
2013
87%
59%
2013
75%
96%
57%
2012
83%
47%
2012
51%
90%
38%
2011
80%
35%
3 Levels of Progress
English
79%
Mathematics
82%
4 Levels of Progress
English
26%
Mathematics
39%
Fixed Term Exclusions - 0
2013 – Top 1% Progress
Attendance – 95%
2012 – Top 5% Progress

8. Our Key Maxims
-Outstanding Teaching
“Every teacher should be an outstanding
teacher.”
-Radical Curriculum Change
“If we don’t do something truly radical we will
never break the cycle.”
-Behaviour and Welfare
“Behaviour and welfare are the bedrock of
school improvement.”
-Expectations and Progress
“The most intervention with students
furthest away.”

9. In Summary
Structures
T&L

10. A % Here, A % There
1% from headgear design
1% from saddle design
3% from core bike frame design
2% from suit design
And so on ....
"The aggregation of
marginal gains."

11. Learning Gateway
2.5 million hits last year,

12. Planning Bank
The Planning Bank – 17,000 lesson uploaded and shared
by staff.
40% of our staff are classed as consistently Outstanding in
lesson observations with another 25% close to this.

13. Tutor Time
Tutor Sites have improved punctuality by 40% in two years.
The informal chat in the morning has been replaced with “social
learning” of key themes – Science, Citizenship, PSHE and Religious
Education.

14. Subject and Services Sites
HMI described these as the best sharing, monitoring and
shaping structure that they had ever seen.

15. Celebrating Faiths
In 2010 and 2013, each year over 300 Muslim students “attended”
school during Eid - saving 0.7% attendance. It also supports
community cohesion and is integrated into tutor time.

16. Class Sites; Flipped Learning
Every Outstanding lesson in our March inspection used technology well.
Increases the effectiveness of lesson delivery and also changes
the role that students play – no more passive recipients – we
send; they do; we adapt!

17. Accelerate & Deepen Learning
Teacher
Intervention /
Planning /
Adaptation
Share
Knowledge /
Test Initial
Understanding
Higher Order
Questioning /
Thinking Skills
/ Targeted
interventions
Traditional
Homework
post lesson
(Synthesis)

18. Flipped Learning; Bloom’s Taxonomy
Knowledge; Video to watch / Chapter to read / website to
study / Photosynth to explore by students prior to lesson via
Class Site
Understanding; Concepts / Knowledge / Skill.
A task, quiz, discussion or survey etc based on knowledge is
set via Class Site and completed
Interactions / Responses made by students inform teacher
of learning / misconceptions via class site and therefore
modifies lesson – enabling targeted focus
Application / Analysis / Synthesis / Evaluation; Class
Session builds upon or is constructed from
responses, feedback and interactions from the Flipped
work set on the Class Site moving towards higher tariff
work
Linking it to something that is already familiar to staff has meant that it
provides a context and a form of discipline to help them understand it’s
role and benefit.

19. Flipped (Pre) Learning
Targeted
cohorts
Well
crafted
tasks
Class
Sites
It’s about quality and timing of interventions and targeted application.

20. Resourcing Flipped Learning

21. Online Monitoring
Planning
Bank
Subject
Site
Class Sites
The Learning Gateway gives us a
transparency of the quality of experiences at
a much clearer and deeper level.
Quantitative & Qualitative

22. Literacy For Life (L4L)
Literacy for Life is an
integrated, thematic, compe
tency based curriculum
created for our Key Stage 3
students.
It is delivered through the
principles of project based
learning.

23. FULLY INTEGRATED
CURRICULUM
English
Science
Year 7
History
19 hours a week
Mathematics
Geography
L4L
“My daughter has 17
“My daughter is
teachersfantastic
making and she
does not know if she
progress in lessons.”
is coming or going.”
“The base has made
PE
Year 8
my son feel really
safe and happy”
DT
13 hours a week
The one teacher
model means staff
can really know their
15 students.
RE
PD
Art
Science
Dance
PE
Music
DT
Drama
Art
Languages
ICT
Music
14 6 Teachers
– 17 Teachers
Year 9
9 hours a week
This allows for a
fantastic degree of
differentiation.

24. What Are We Trying To Accomplish
-Granular Achievement
Students able to see that they can constantly
progress and gain confidence.
-Continuum of Learning
Where students are and what they need to do next.
-Skills Over Content
To allow students to progress fast at KS4.
-Constant Feedback
Discussions with teachers about progress.
-Child Led Learning Opportunities
Through banks of directed resources.

25. Student Overview

26. Literacy Overview

27. Competency Overview

28. Staff Interface

29. Practical
Staff can grade a class in under a minute.
Students can upload work through it directly leading to a grade.
Doubles as an AFL tool.
Instant feedback to students.
Clear instructions on how to progress.
Fulfils all the key objectives listed earlier.

30. Microsoft Pivot
Visual reminder of students’ status.
Slices data to provide instant analysis. Assesses achievement and
progress.
Provides a full analysis on every student. Can identify pastoral effect on
student attainment.
More user friendly than Excel to empower middle leaders.
Provides analysis on interventions.
Identifies all key cohorts.

31. Drive Workshops
Self selective workshops every
two weeks where students “catch
up” on competencies that they
need to master.
Apps for Good
Ninja School

32. Achievement Weeks/ Focus Days
We collapse our timetable
once a week for a day and
every half term for a week.
They deliver and reinforce key
outputs and also have an
emphasis on key literacies
including digital literacy.
Global Publishing Day
across all year groups

33. iFamilies
“Excellent progress is being
achieved by all iFamilies
students”.
L4l Teacher - Michael Banks
“iFamilies has inspired me to
learn and achieve more”.
Student - Mohamed
“The iFamilies programme has
allowed me to be more involved
with my daughters education ”.
Parent
“This is a prime example of
how technology can make what
we do in school more
accessible and engaging for
our families”
Sir Mark Grundy

34. Citizenship Award
This award is an informal initiative designed to recognise
outstanding contributions to school, family life and the local
community by our students.
• This award has been specially set up for
our students who attend the Academy
and our local schools.
• The informal structure helps to support
the formal work that goes on in the
classroom.

35. What Do You Have To Do?
We have set up workshops, activities or events for children to
attend, in each of the following areas.
The 4 key areas
Widening Cultural
Horizons
12
Social and
Economic
Regeneration
Promoting
Wellbeing
3
Family
Learning
12
8
Number of
workshops
Awards are gained through completing activities or
attending workshops delivered through the
YESsmethwick plan.

36. Makewaves

37. Beyond Outstanding;
Helping Others
“Outstanding schools, which will
take a leading responsibility for
providing and quality assuring
initial teacher training (ITT) in
their area.” DfE 2012.

38. Midlands e-Learning Hub
Microsoft Partner
Centre of Excellence
School
Apps for Good
Ninja School
International Gifted
& Talented Centre
RMBooks Reference
Site
Make Waves Digital
Badges Reference Site
GCSEPOD
Expert School
Lead
School
UK Advanced School

39. THANK YOU