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Removing barriers to progress in ICT – improving pedagogy

A resource designed to provide subject leaders of ICT in secondary schools with a series of short modules which can be used to improve the quality of teaching and learning within their department. Each module is designed to last for no more than 40 minutes and uses one intensive activity to focus on an area for improvement.

Strengthening lesson plans

A module designed to help teachers to use learning objectives, outcomes and success criteria to develop effective learning sequences to scaffold pupils' understanding of 'fit for purpose' and 'audience'.
Planning for independence

A module designed to help teachers to use the notion of 'level of demand' to reflect on current practice in developing independent pupils.
Strengthening oral feedback

A module designed to help teachers to explore a variety of approaches to support effective oral feedback.
Strengthening written feedback

A module designed to help teachers explore a variety of approaches to support effective written feedback.

Classroom Quality Standards (CQS): An introduction

An introduction to a tool to support teachers and other classroom practitioners to reflect on their own practice and to plan further development and action research. This page also describes the Institutional Quality Standards (IQS) and the Local Authority Quality Standards (LAQS), which together with the CQS make up a suite of National Quality Standards for Gifted and Talented (G+T) Education.

Purpose of the CQS

A background to why the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) have been developed and what they aim to achieve.
Leading teachers and Quality Standards

How the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) can support the role of leading teachers in Gifted and Talented education.
Generic CQS three-layer model

A description of layer 1, layer 2, and layer 3 of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) and how teachers can use them to gain a quick overview of their current practice in providing challenge for all pupils, evaluate the quality of current provision and level of challenge for gifted and talented pupils, and identify ways of improving classroom provision.
Relationship between CQS and IQS

With the increasing depth in the layers of the Classroom Quality Stanadards (CQS), the focus shifts from whole-school provision – which is covered by the Institutional Quality Standards (IQS) – to classroom level and evaluating and improving the quality of day-to-day learning and teaching for gifted and talented pupils. This then becomes part of the ongoing cycle of improvement at classroom and whole-school level.
Structure of the CQS: Layer 1

Layer 1 of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) identifies seven key features designed to specify the optimum conditions necessary to promote effective teaching and learning with gifted and talented pupils. Each feature is broken down into two to four 'prompts' – key sub-areas for consideration.
Task: Assessing provision in your classroom

Completing the assessment columns on the right of Classroom Quality Standards in Gifted and Talented Education Layer 1 (Ref: 00556-2008DWO-EN-01) allows teachers to make a subjective assessment of the extent to which they are providing a good level of challenge to all of their pupils, including the gifted and talented.
Structure of the CQS: Layer 2

Layer 2 of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) amplifies each prompt (which are key sub-areas for consideration, that assist the process of self-evaluation), giving more detail. Initially a prompt is explored from a generic, non-subject perspective and is considered in terms of three levels (or stages) of practice – Entry, Developing and Exemplary.
Evidence and next steps

Layer 2 of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) offers scope for teachers to record their own descriptors in which they identify aspects of effective teaching and learning that add to the statements within the Entry, Developing and Exemplary levels. It provides teachers with an opportunity to refine thier initial self-evaluation, so beginning to identify areas for improvement.
Structure of the CQS: Layer 3

For English, mathematics, science, ICT and PE, Layer 3 of the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) provides sections on exemplification, advice, resources and video for each feature and prompt.

Handout 1b: Responses

Responses to the 'Contexts' activity, which is designed to use learning objectives, outcomes and success criteria to develop effective learning sequences to scaffold pupils' understanding of 'fit for purpose' and 'audience'.

Handout 3: Misconceptions

Consists of screenshots showing typical pupil misconceptions.

Handout 4: Pupil work

Example work consisting of a summary of collected data and a graph of the results.

Handout 2b: Responses

Contains possible responses to the 'Varying demand' handout, in whcih participants assess the level of demand for a series of activities.

Handout 2a: Varying demand

Consists of a number of activities pupils may use to develop aspects of their ICT capability, which participants can consider in terms of whether the level of demand is high, medium or low for the categories: complexity, familiarity and technical demand.

Handout 1a: Contexts

Consists of a number of activities pupils may use to develop aspects of their ICT capability. Accompanies an activity designed to use learning objectives, outcomes and success criteria to develop effective learning sequences to scaffold pupils' understanding of 'fit for purpose' and 'audience'.

Activity 3.2: Try and apply

Activity 3.2 will guide you through the process of creating a range of models and applying a wide range of techniques.

Activity 2.1: What are models?

Activity 2.1 will enable you identify the key characteristics of a computer-based model

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