dfe homework recommendations

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https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2018/10/28/education-secretary-i-trust-head-teachers-to-decide-their-homework-policies/

Education Secretary: I trust head teachers to decide their homework policies

Education Secretary Damian Hinds has today written an op-ed for the Sunday Times setting out his position on homework, which has been followed up with a news story . He says that ultimately up to heads and school leaders to decide whether to set homework and what the consequences should be if children do not complete their homework set.

The Education Secretary said:

One of the tougher things I’ve taken on recently was solving a ‘part-whole model’, involving nine ducks and a jagged shoreline. This was, I should clarify, a piece of homework for one of my children, not something called for in my day job. Homework is a staple of school life, and of home life. Parents know this. After all, almost every one of us will have done homework ourselves as a child and most of us will be drafted in to help with it at some point as a parent, carer or grandparent. There has been some high-profile interest of late on social media suggesting that homework is bad for children, at least in the first half of schooling. There have even been subsequent questions about its legal status. Just to be clear: schools are not obliged to set homework, and some don’t. But when schools do set homework, children do need to do it. We trust individual school head teachers to decide what their policy on homework will be, and what happens if pupils don’t do what’s set. Policy and approach won’t be the same in all cases. Autonomy for schools, and the diversity that comes with it, is at the heart of this government’s approach to education. Of course, schools should, and do, communicate with parents. Parents need to know where they stand. Teachers obviously need to be realistic about expectations, and they know this. Obviously, no one wants children spending an inordinate amount of time every night doing homework. Clearly, there are other important things to do, too – like playing outside, family time, eating together. Good homework policies avoid excessive time requirements – focusing on quality rather than quantity and making sure that there is a clear purpose to any homework set. In 2011 we helped set up the Education Endowment Foundation as an independent expert body to study and advise on “what works” in education. It has established that, although there are more significant educational improvements derived from homework at secondary school, there can still be a modest but positive impact at primary level. Homework isn’t just some joyless pursuit of knowledge. It’s an integral part of learning. Beyond the chance to practice and reinforce what you’ve learned in class, it’s also an opportunity to develop independent study and application – and character traits like perseverance. Children need to know that what they do has consequences. At secondary school, if a pupil doesn’t complete their homework, they risk falling behind. They may also hold up others – clearly it is harder for the teacher to keep the whole class moving forward if some are doing the homework and others aren’t. At primary school, too, we all want our children to develop their knowledge – but we also want them to develop values. Homework set at primary school is likely to be of relatively shorter duration. But if a child is asked to do it and they don’t, for that to have no consequence would not be a positive lesson. Ultimately, of course, the responsibility for a child’s educational development is a shared one. Parental involvement makes a big difference, from the very earliest stage. In the early years parents can support their child’s development through story telling, singing or reading together. Later on, homework can give an ‘in’ for continued involvement in learning. Homework should not in general require adult help, and with today’s busy lives it certainly can be hard to find the time. But I know as a parent that we are called on as reinforcements if an assignment is especially challenging. Other times, it falls to parents just to give a nudge. I want all children to enjoy their progress through school and they will have a much better chance of doing this if they are not having to play catch-up during the day. Parents need to trust teachers, with all their experience of teaching and learning – and know that their child’s homework is not just proportionate, but will be of lasting benefit. From motivation and self-discipline to the wonder of independent learning, homework can teach children about far more than the part-whole model, some ducks and a jagged shoreline.

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Advice For Schools

The reading framework 2023 summary, discover the key points from the department for education (dfe) reading framework 2023 to ensure your primary or secondary school is prepared for the upcoming academic year..

In July 2023, the DfE Reading Framework was expanded from its original 115 pages to 176 pages.

In this blog, we identify some of the key changes and additions made and explore the implications of these, in both primary and secondary school settings.

A Closer Look at the 2023 Reading Framework Key Points

Older pupils and phonics.

Throughout both the original and the updated Reading Framework, there is an emphasis on the urgency to ensure that all children gain the ability to decode with fluency before they leave KS1.

However, in the 2023 update, sections have been included to support schools with pupils who still struggle with decoding in KS2 & KS3. The emphasis is upon ensuring that phonics is continued for those pupils who have a reading age of less than 8, whatever their age.

As leaders in education, we must consider:

• Are all staff trained in phonics?
• Have struggling readers in KS2 & KS3 been assessed in phonics?
• Has a daily timetable been developed to accommodate the necessary support?
• Has reading been prioritised for these children?
• Are staff systematically working through the programme, using the resources provided, ensuring consistency in approach and fidelity to the scheme?
• Are pupils working at a phonics level which is a direct response to appropriate, relevant and regular assessment?

Of course, not all struggling readers will have decoding as their issue. Many pupils, especially those who are EAL, may be able to decode sufficiently well but are still unable to comprehend what they have read. This theme is addressed in the 2023 Reading Framework update, with an emphasis on fluency as bridging the gap between decoding and comprehension:

“Adults need to give these pupils a considerable and continuing investment of time…They would benefit from extra time in a small group every day to develop their fluency.” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 70

So how do we achieve this? There are several approaches to developing and teaching fluency, but the most consistently proven approach is re-reading.

“ This is also true for older pupils who need support…Re-reading a text, therefore, gradually increases the number of words in it that they can read ‘at a glance’. ” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 61

With this in mind, leaders need to consider:

• Do staff understand that fluency is more than just ‘reading at speed’?
• Is reading with fluency, expression and intonation modelled to the pupils?
• Are pupils asked to re-read texts/extracts during lessons? Is this monitored to ensure understanding and fluency?
• Are staff trained in ways in which to support pupils who need to focus on their fluency?
• Are interventions put in place to directly address fluency needs?
• Are these timetabled as daily support?

Quality Texts and Book Clubs

Throughout the DfE Reading Framework, it is noted that the texts chosen at every stage when learning to read are critical. Whilst still in the early stages of reading and decoding is the priority, pupils must be reading books that are decodable for them, exposing them to the GPCs already taught.

Once pupils have successfully completed the phonics programme, then the choice of books to read that pupils are given is equally critical. These need to be:

• Engaging and age-appropriate
• Relevant to their interests and learning
• Across a range of genres

Colour banding and levelling of books are not advised:

“T eachers should also be wary of restricting pupils to reading books from within one coloured level or band and labelling pupils as being on a specific colour.” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 97

Book clubs are mentioned throughout the 2023 Reading Framework as a method of introducing books to pupils, increasing reading enjoyment and developing a culture of talk about books and reading:

“ Book club is a space on the timetable – not time squashed in as an afterthought – for teachers to promote books and for pupils to make recommendations to each other. In primary schools… at least once a week for 20 minutes. Secondary schools…book club (or library time) should happen at least fortnightly.” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 93

Leaders need to consider:

• Is there a clear scheme of decodable books, progressing learning systematically?
• Are post-phonics books suggested by adults, and are they linked to the interests of the child and/or their current learning?
• Are book supplies refreshed and updated regularly?
• Is ‘Book Club’ timetabled?
• Are children encouraged to talk about their books and reading?
• Do staff mode l an enjoyment of reading?
• Are pupils exposed to a range of genres (including historical literature, poetry and non-fiction)?
• Do pupils have access to ‘page turners’ or ‘Hi-Lo’ books (high interest at a low challenge) to increase enjoyment and develop the habit of reading?

Disadvantaged Pupils (Including SEND)

Many of the pupils (but not all) which the 2023 Reading Framework focuses upon will be disadvantaged pupils (including SEND). It is therefore critical that we identify the specific needs of these pupils and compensate appropriately.

Reading should be prioritised above all else for those pupils who fall behind their peers and gaining an accurate understanding of the reasons for this must be a priority.

These possible reasons can include:

• Attendance – Has additional reading support and time been factored in for these pupils?
• Home support – Are the pupils listened to when reading at home? If not, additional reading practice time needs to be identified.
• EAL – Has the pupil’s level of English been assessed? Is additional support provided regarding the acquisition and understanding of vocabulary?
• SEND needs – Have these been thoroughly assessed so that the specific need is identified, and suitable interventions are put in place? Are they being taught to read using phonics?

With regards to SEND pupils, the Reading Framework is very clear that phonics is a critical way in which we enable those pupils to read.

“Schools are expected to enable access to appropriate phonics instruction for pupils who have complex needs.” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 77

The emphasis is very much on a change in pedagogical approaches for these pupils rather than allowing the body of knowledge to change. In other words, if pupils are still unable to decode fluently in KS2 or KS3, then we must still teach them phonics, but we need to find alternative ways of teaching to enable this.

The Reading Framework quotes Stahl and McKenna, who say that:

“…generally, labels serve to excuse our failures to teach [reading] by blaming the students for their failure. Rather, we should accept that some children are harder to teach, and we need to work harder to reach those children.” The Reading Framework, July 2023, P. 125

Final Thoughts on the Reading Framework

Hopefully, this blog has given you a snapshot of the 2023 Reading Framework. Ultimately, you must:

• Have a high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programme in place.
• Ensure all staff who deliver phonics (or may deliver this) are trained in it.
• Make sure the teaching of phonics is of a high-quality.
• Match pupils’ decodable books to the GPCs taught.
• Encourage everyone to prioritise and promote reading.
• Make sure that any pupils who fall behind should be assessed, and appropriate interventions should be timetabled and completed.
• See Book Club time as ‘sacrosanct’.
• Teach the phonics programme to pupils who struggle with decoding, regardless of age.
• Recognise that fluency is key to comprehension and ensure staff are trained in how to teach this.
• Understand that reading aloud to pupils is critical.
• Regularly review the books to read.
• Ensure pupils are reading across the curriculum.
• Treat the acquisition of vocabulary as a high priority.

We recommend you take some time to familiarise yourself with the complete Reading Framework. You can access it here .

For further guidance, our multi-award-winning organisation is here. At Services For Education, we provide a range of courses and consultation services that can support the development and understanding of your reading provision:

• Online Primary Reading Conference – This event is an amazing opportunity to hear a range of experts in teaching reading present key findings and deliver presentations on how to best improve reading and reading attainment in your school.
• New to Primary Reading, Writing or English Leadership – This vital introductory course supports those reading leaders who are new to the role.
• Early Reading: How to teach language comprehension in EYFS and KS1 – This half-day online course is designed to develop the teaching of language comprehension of early years and KS1 practitioners.

For any further guidance and support, please do not hesitate to get in touch .

About the Author

Emma has over 20 years of experience working in primary education. Throughout this time, she worked as a leader in a wide variety of areas, and as Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, and Acting Head Teacher, she has been at the forefront of school leadership and improvement for a significant number of years.  

Emma now works as the Educational Adviser for English and is also a member of the Safeguarding team, sharing her experience and knowledge to continually promote and improve the quality of safeguarding, the standard of teaching and learning in English, and in school improvement overall. Supporting schools with the accuracy of their KS1 and KS2 writing assessments is an important part of her role as she can use her expertise as a member for the moderation team to inform, train and support teachers and school leaders. 

Emma is also part of the team which delivers the Health For Life programme (improving the healthy opportunities for primary aged children) and the NPQSL, where she proudly supports the development of our aspiring leaders in the city. 

English Support For Schools

Our experienced English adviser, Emma Mudge can provide consultancy support and staff training to schools and settings for all aspects of the English curriculum and leadership in the primary phase. This bespoke support, advice and training can be tailored to meet the needs of your particular setting.

Get in touch with us today  if you’d like to discuss bespoke training for your school.

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues. She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and the NHS focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo’s has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine and an article for SEND magazine.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL qualification, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.

Tricia Bunn - Former Adviser, Services For Education

Over a career spanning 20 years, Tricia has been involved in primary education in a variety of contexts – as a teacher; senior leader; headteacher (within an LEA and within an Academy) and teacher educator. She is an experienced, successful headteacher, having led two schools since 2010.

For three years Tricia was Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at the University of Wolverhampton. In this role she was Module leader for English and Lead Tutor for the PGCE. Tricia is part of our School improvement team and is a tutor on the SFE primary initial teacher training programme.

She is the Lead English Adviser and co-leads on our curriculum development programme. Another key part of her most recent work has been embedding an understanding of cognitive theory into CPD, and ensuring this is the basis of work going forward.

Liz Bates – Independent Consultant

After teaching for 25 years, Liz worked as an advisor with Services For Education for over 10 years leading on Mental Health, Emotional Health and Wellbeing before becoming an independent consultant. As well as working with schools Liz has presented key note talks, workshops and research findings at national conferences.

Liz has written 4 books and teaching resources that are used across the country by schools and other professionals working with children. Liz also works as a schools’ engagement trainer for the Anna Freud Centre, a Wellbeing Award advisor for Optimus Education and is a Protective Behaviours practitioner and trainer.

Charlie Laffan – Independent Integrative Counsellor

Charlie is an Integrative Counsellor who works with adults and children, delivering family support, mentoring and counselling.

She has extensive experience of providing specialist support with families and individuals in schools, and across a wide range of sectors.

Charlie’s counselling has a holistic approach and is tailored to the client’s needs. She brings this philosophy to mentoring and family support, providing therapeutic and practical interventions for young people and families.

Julia Davey – Director, Supervision in Schools

Julia brings over 20 years experience in Education and Social Care. Her roles have included school advisor, national safeguarding programme developer, strategic lead in SEND and Safeguarding and qualified systemic supervisor in multiple contexts. With understanding of the daily challenges of a DSL in a school setting and wider safeguarding considerations, Julia brings knowledgeable and sensitive insights alongside practical tools, to generate solution focused actions for individual cases and the whole school system.

Edwina Langley – Lead Attendance Officer, Birmingham City Council

Edwina Langley is the Lead Attendance Officer for Birmingham City Council. A qualified social worker with a Masters’ degree in Social Science, and experience in family support, Edwina has worked in the city for 26 years, working directly with schools. Currently, Edwina leads the Education Legal Intervention Team providing statutory support and advise to schools relating to school absence, legal processes and related early help.

Sandra Passmore – Former Adviser, Services For Education

Sandra has extensive experience in safeguarding, health and wellbeing and evidence based practice. She has worked nationally with key government departments (Departments of Health and Education) to help shape strategy and policy whilst still retaining the focus on working for the best outcomes for children and young people.

She has a PhD on the psychology of health related choices which has informed the development of award winning, evidence based programmes such as Health for Life in primary schools and Health for Life in nursery schools which have been proven to have a sustainable impact on improving the health and wellbeing of children and families.

Sandra led the development and delivery of the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) training for SFE. She was pivotal in expanding the remit of the safeguarding work to also include issues such as domestic abuse and sexual violence and harassment within the education context.

Sandra’s passion for improving the lives of children has led her to develop work within Public Health and managed RCT (Randomised Control Trials) on the effectiveness of interventions such as the daily mile. Additionally, Sandra has written books for teachers and pupils as well as peer reviewed academic journal papers.

Marsha has over 18 years’ experience of teaching and senior leadership in schools within the West Midlands. She is passionate about the power of education to create knowledge, build confidence, and break down barriers to opportunity. She works with senior leaders, middle leaders, and governors to develop capacity and bring about rapid improvement through supporting them in effective self-evaluation, evaluating the impact of the curriculum and conducting quality assurance across the school.

Her particular areas of focus are Personal Development and Culture and Ethos, including Safeguarding.

Marsha works closely with SEND – the platinum thread, providing advice and guidance on the most effective ways to promote desirable outcomes. She helps to develop an understanding of best practices and processes, as well as appropriate tools and resources.

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Emma Mudge – Adviser, Services For Education

Emma Mudge has over 20 years of experience working in primary education. Throughout this time, she has become a leader in a wide variety of areas throughout the school including Assessment, Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Management and Lead DSL, to name but a few. As Deputy Head Teacher and Acting Head Teacher, she has been at the forefront of school leadership and improvement.

During her role as English leader, she successfully introduced new approaches which significantly raised attainment. This led her to be approached to support other English coordinators across Birmingham, make presentations to school leaders and become a member of a small group of specialist teachers and leaders, tasked with improving the reading attainment in a number of schools across the city.

Emma now works as the Educational Adviser for English at Services for Education, sharing her experience and knowledge of working in primary schools to continually promote and improve the standard of teaching and learning in English, and in school improvement.

Check homework policy for AI risk, DfE advises schools

Schools may wish to review their homework policies in response to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a Department for Education document published today.

It comes after the release of ChatGPT in the autumn of 2022 caused waves in the schools sector, with questions raised over whether pupils could use it to cheat on assignments .

It follows a speech from the education secretary this morning setting out how AI may eventually cut teacher workload .

Below are the key need-to-knows from today’s  document .

1. Schools may wish to review homework policies

Today’s departmental statement says that AI tools “can produce unreliable information”, and therefore any content produced “requires professional judgement to check appropriateness and accuracy”.

But at the same time, it warns schools they “may wish to review homework policies”.

It says they may want “to consider the approach to homework and other forms of unsupervised study as necessary to account for the availability of generative AI”.

2. Cybersecurity should be reviewed

The statement says that the education sector must continue to protect its data, resources, staff and pupils.

It said: “Education institutions should review and strengthen their cybersecurity, particularly as generative AI could increase the sophistication and credibility of attacks”.

• GCSEs:  Hold coursework ‘exams’ to fight ChatGPT
• Assessment:  ‘No reason’ to delay return to pre-Covid grading, says Ofqual boss
• Geoff Barton:  Why the rise of ChatGPT should liberate education - not scare it

It also reaffirms that institutions “must continue to protect their students from harmful content online”, including that which might be produced by generative AI.

3. Knowledge-rich curriculum ‘crucial’

The DfE said that AI tools can make certain written tasks quicker and easier “but cannot replace the judgement and deep subject knowledge of a human expert”.

It explains that to harness the potential of generative AI, “students will need to be knowledgeable and develop their intellectual capability”.

“Strong foundational knowledge ensures students are developing the right component skills to make the best use of generative AI. Therefore, a rigorous knowledge-rich curriculum will continue to be crucial in equipping students for the future”, it adds.

4. Prevent malpractice

Writing on formal assessment, the DfE statement says schools need to continue to take reasonable steps where applicable to prevent malpractice, “including malpractice involving use of generative AI”.

This comes after schools were told that some coursework contributing to assessment should be done “in class under direct supervision” to address concerns over the misuse of AI in  new exam board guidance .

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Oxford Education Blog

The latest news and views on education from oxford university press., the new dfe mathematics guidance for ks1 and ks2.

A recent webinar with Bernie Westacott explored some of the key number and place value ready-to-progress criteria set out in the new DfE non-statutory guidance for Primary Maths and explored a range of resources and apps that can support schools with each part. This blog post summarises some of the key takeaways on the guidance.

New Mathematics Guidance for Key Stages 1 and 2 was issued by the DfE in June 2020. Produced in association with the NCETM, the guidance is non-statutory but is designed to sit alongside the National Curriculum to help primary schools develop their pupils’ mastery of maths.

The guidance identifies the most important conceptual knowledge and understanding that pupils need as they progress from Year 1 to Year 6. These important concepts are referred to as ready-to-progress criteria and provide a coherent, linked framework to support pupils’ mastery of the primary maths curriculum. Pupils who’ve mastered the ready-to-progress criteria for a year group will have the foundations that they need to make good progress in the following year.

The guidance is designed to support short-, medium- and long-term planning and is accompanied by a range of resources on the NCETM website and on YouTube that will help teachers to interpret and use the information. See below for full links to all of this support.

Teachers can use the guidance to inform decisions on how much teaching time to set aside for the different parts of the curriculum and inform planning on how teaching time can be weighted towards the ready-to-progress criteria.

The criteria are organised into six strands, each of which has its own code for ease of identification.

Here we’re looking in more detail at the number and place value strand – whose code is NPV .

The first part of the number and place value strand, NPV-1 , is ‘all about 10’. In NPV-2 , the focus is on how numbers are made up of other numbers, and for NPV-3 the focus is on knowing where numbers are in relation to other numbers and linking numerals to magnitude. NPV-4 covers dividing core place value units into equal parts, to support graphing and other contexts where scale is involved.

Core representations

The guidance outlines a core set of representations that have been selected to expose important mathematical structures and ideas, and make them accessible to pupils. Consistent use of the same representations across all year groups will help pupils to connect prior learning to new learning.

For example, the use of tens frames and counters is extended from Years 1 and 2, where each counter represents 1 and a filled frame represents 10, to other years where each counter represents 100 and a filled frame represents 1,000.

These representations are really important as they allow pupils to start to understand that, for example, when you start to fill a ten frame along the top line – that’s 5. Then they can start to learn numbers as ‘5 and’ – so if you add 2 counters it’s ‘5 and 2’ which is 7. This also helps them to learn about numbers in relation to 10 – so 7 would be 3 less than 10. They’re learning to compose and decompose numbers around anchor points of 5 and 10.

This can also be applied on a number line – using something like a rekenrek or a visual on the whiteboard that allows children to start subitising the numbers, rather than counting them individually.

The accompanying NCETM resources outline activities such as using straws to count and bundle together in groups of 10 – this allows pupils to begin to unitise. Stimulus questions are included to support each task.

The guidance covers both number as enumeration ie counting how many things there are and number as measure ie where is it on a number line? what is the magnitude of it?

It also looks at grouping and scaling as methods of multiplication. It’s important that you really understand scaling, as the 2014 National Curriculum didn’t cover this in detail. The difference is in the grouping or exchange model , you are multiplying 10s – and in the scaling model you’re multiplying by 10. This is described particularly well in the Maths Hub PD materials for Year 4, 2.13 .

Language structures

The guidance includes ‘Language focus’ features – emphasising the importance of the development and use of precise and accurate mathematical language. The language focus boxes provide suggested sentence structures for pupils to use to capture, connect and apply important mathematical ideas. Once pupils have learnt to use a core sentence structure, they should be able to adapt and reason with it to apply their understanding in new contexts.

Because number names in English do not always reflect the structure of the numbers, pupils are encouraged to practise using dual counting, first counting with number names (eleven, twelve, thirteen …) and then repeating the count with words based on the number structures (one-ten, one-ten-one, one-ten-two …).

Making connections

The guidance also includes ‘Making connections’ features that discuss important connections between ready-to-progress criteria within a year group. For example, here in the Year 1 guidance links are made between counting fluently and sequencing in multiples of 2, 5 and 10.

Example assessment questions are provided for each ready-to-progress criterion. These questions demonstrate the depth and breadth of understanding that pupils need to be ready to progress to the next year group.

Applying the guidance in your school

There’s lots of support on the NCETM website on how you can apply the guidance in your school. They suggest that you begin by watching the introductory video for an overview, followed by the video for your particular year group that summarises all the ready-to-progress criteria relevant to that year. Then go to the chapter in the guidance document for your year group, to dig into it in more detail. Your local Maths Hub will be a good source of support and expertise, offering the opportunity to share learning and work collaboratively with other schools.

The key advice is to take your time – there is certainly much richness in the guidance, but it will take time to unpack and apply to your practice.

Maths resources from Oxford

All of our maths resources have been designed and written meet the aims of the National Curriculum. This includes coverage of all the aspects of the curriculum addressed in the Non-Statutory Guidance, including the Ready to Progress criteria.

The below matching charts show how each resource matches the criteria.

MathsBeat Digitally-led maths mastery Download the charts > Find out more >

Numicon Maths in your hands Download the charts > Find out more >

MyMaths Fun and flexible online homework, lessons and maths games Download the charts > Find out more >

Supporting materials

DfE guidance document

Overview and year specific videos

NCTEM website

PowerPoints and other training materials

• https://www.ncetm.org.uk/classroom-resources/training-materials-for-dfe-mathematics-guidance/
• https://www.ncetm.org.uk/classroom-resources/exemplification-of-ready-to-progress-criteria/

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• Aug 5, 2023
• 25 min read

Unpacking the DfE Reading Framework for School Librarians

Updated: Sep 15, 2023

Every once in a while something really important appears for school librarians which creates the link they need in the educational process. This happened recently when Cathi Woods a School Librarian at Farnborough Hill School, posted the Government's updated Reading Framework on the SLN (School Library Network) which you can read for yourself here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-reading-framework-teaching-the-foundations-of-literacy .

This document is certainly something that school librarians should be reading and thinking about. Highlighting how they can support, or already support reading within their schools. Not only are there 25 mentions of libraries but there are also several places where school librarians can certainly connect their expertise.

I was delighted when Cathi agreed to write this blog post with me as her expertise as a school librarian currently based in a school will enable us to write this post with some current examples of how school librarians are already making a difference in reading within schools.

After writing this blog Cathi and I decided to run a webinar. More information can be found here https://www.elizabethahutchinson.com/product-page/unpacking-the-dfe-reading-framework-webinar

Cathi - Finally, this is our Reading Framework 2.0 for School Librarians…

When I first noticed that the Reading Framework had been issued my first thought was that this didn’t concern me… it was an English thing. That lasted about a millisecond and reading it tentatively I was getting more disappointed with the lack of agency for School Librarians. I did that old trick, Ctrl F, I looked for ‘Librarian’ (6 mentions), ‘School Librarian’ (2 – Pg 96 and page 103), ‘School Library’ (6) etc. I was quite shocked that in a document of 176 pages, there were so few mentions.

Pg 96 – “In terms of influencing pupils’ reading, teachers are the best promoters. Pupils are willing to trust the judgement of a teacher who says, ‘I think you’ll really enjoy this one,’ not least because they feel that the teacher knows them well enough to care about their likes and dislikes. In secondary schools, a school librarian may be best placed to play the role of influencer. But to play this role effectively, teachers and librarians need to know the books that their pupils will enjoy and not just those that they would like them to read.” In terms of influencing pupils… great I thought this is where school librarians get hyped up. Nope. We get the word ‘may’ after our profession. Hmm.

It is disappointing that teachers are the ones expected to be the influencer in Primary schools. There are such humans as Primary School Librarians, we are not limited to senior schools. When do teachers have the time to read all the books on top of everything else that they do? It is a teacher’s job to teach them to read. It is a librarian's job to give them the freedom of books. It did feel like a wet paper towel moment.

My second thought was #IsItOK that prison libraries are statutory in law but that school libraries are not. Ok, I have been watching The Last Leg recently, but I did hear Adam Hill’s voice in my head saying ‘No, it is not OK!’, and maybe a comment or two from Josh Widdicombe about ‘education over reformation’ and Alex Brooker nailing it with ‘locking the door after the horse had bolted!’

After being contacted by Elizabeth I realised that we had something important to share about this framework so here goes.

If you just want a quick overview check out our 8 suggestions for school librarians infographic.

Introduction to the DfE Reading Framework

We want to make this a positive blog but we also want to highlight the reasons why writing this is so important. Let’s start with who this document has been released for…

This guidance is for:

school leaders

reading and literacy leads

governing bodies

initial teacher training partnerships

specialist provision

Where are the school librarians here? Possibly Reading and Literacy Leads? Who knows…

The mention of school librarians is scarce, to say the least. One of these is within the references and the other relates to children's librarians (p33)… do they mean school librarians or public children’s librarians? We are not sure.

It goes on to say “Secondary schools have additional timetabling challenges, but book club (or library time) should happen at least fortnightly with an adult (or adults), either a librarian or another adult with a particular interest in reading” (p96). Who calls library lessons, ‘book club’ or library time in secondary schools? There is a significant difference between the two in our book (sorry, not sorry for the pun!).

The last mention of the librarian comes on page 103 “This relies on scheduling library time for every class, led by an appropriately trained adult. This [making sure every Pupil has a book with them] may be the school librarian, form tutor or other adults with a particular interest in reading” . OK, at least the school librarian is mentioned here alongside “a particular interest in reading” . We did say we would keep this positive so here we go…

Highlighting a school librarian's value

How do you tackle a large document like this and make it useable for school librarians to highlight their value? To start with we feel it is important to mention that the role of the school librarian is not in teaching children to read, but they certainly have a role to play in ensuring there is engagement in reading throughout the school. This can be in reading for pleasure but also in reading for learning.

The important bits for school librarians

The DfE Reading Framework is a large document so we thought it might be helpful if we went through it starting with every mention of the word 'library' and giving some suggestions as to how the school librarian can support this area so look out for practical points . As we have already said there are 25 mentions of the word ‘library’ so we have decided to narrow it down to the top 8. If you want to see all 25 go onto the document and use control F ‘Library’ and you can read them all.

Number 1 - Research and connections to other services

We do like the link to all the research. Especially from the National Literacy Trust and Teresa Cremin, both big supporters of school libraries.

Page 10 - "Public libraries can offer support, both in terms of book provision and specialist knowledge, through Libraries Connected and the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians . For more information about how School Library Services can help schools, and to be connected to an SLS which could support you, visit www.sls-uk.org/"

The mention of public libraries, ASCEL and SLS-UK as services that support reading is important as these organisations also link up with school librarians who are often working on their own. We do need to point out that there are two really important organisations that have been missed in this framework which are the SLA (School Library Association) and CILIP SLG (School Library Group) . Both of these organisations offer support and training for school librarians across the country and we feel really should have been mentioned in this document.

The School Library Association states that “ The SLA works towards all schools in the UK having their own (or shared) staffed library to help all children and young people fulfil their potential. School staff and children should have access to a wide and varied range of resources and have the support of an expert guide in reading, research, media and information literacy. We provide training and access to resources to support the running of school libraries and the continuing development of all staff, as well as advocating for and allowing other educational staff to maximise their understanding and use of school libraries.” Useful resources are available from SLA either through their CPD Library (sla.org.uk) or their shop Our Products (sla.org.uk)

CILIP SLG state “ SLG campaigns in support of school libraries, school librarians and Schools Library Services (SLSs). SLG offers help, support and advice to members and we support professional registration so that school librarians can achieve Certification and Chartership.SLG holds a conference every two years which provides a forum for discussion and debate on current issues in school librarianship.SLG holds regular webinars and training courses on a wide range of topics concerned with school librarianship. SLG publishes the journal School Libraries in View (SLiV), circulates a monthly e-newsletter to members, and produces regular Key Issues pamphlets to support all those working in schools. SLG publishes books such as CILIP Guidelines for Secondary School Libraries and Creating a School Library with Impact ”

Practical Point

Make sure you are up to date with the latest research around reading for pleasure and reading for learning. Go from the list in this document and also check out what the SLA and CILIP SLG are pointing to. You could always take a look at Elizabeth’s research page on her website as a starting point.

Many school librarians already work closely with their public library or SLS so if you are you should definitely highlight that you are doing this and link to this document.

Joining the SLN ( School Librarian Network ) or contacting your local SLA Branch or joining CILIP SLG as these are a huge benefit to your CPD as librarians. It is often a lonely role within the school and a grey area when it comes to definition… not quite Teaching Staff and yet more than Support Staff as we are more of a pupil-facing role.

Subscribing to, and reading, journals such as the SLA’s TSL (The School Librarian), CILIP’s Information Professional, or the Youth Library Review, all count as CPD. A vast array of school library-related topics or guides emerge in these publications and can help motivate new initiatives.

Read Elizabeth ’s blogs or listen to the Engaging and Empowering School Libraries podcast.

We’d also like to give a shout-out to Edinburgh City Council’s publication called Teen Titles Teen Titles – The City of Edinburgh Council . First News and The Week Junior also have a book review section supplied by its readers.

Number 2 - Starting Young

Page 12 - "All talk is useful, especially when directed to the child specifically. For instance, children expand their language and vocabulary when they listen to or join in with a story or rhymes in a well-scripted children’s television programme or at a library ‘Rhyme time’, but an adult talking about it with them adds benefits. However, talking about books brings particular advantages."

Nurturing language skills and encouraging bonding with the written word from an early age is crucial. School librarians start working with the youngest of pupils so if there is a link to the public library they will already know about the children who have attended ‘Baby Bounce’ and ‘Rhyme time’ and can continue this. For any child that has not had this experience, the school librarian is able to bring these sessions into the school. Allowing children to talk about books is part of the librarian's role. Engaging and enhancing the child’s ability to understand the story long before they can read it themselves.

As Micheal Rosen says “Reading for Pleasure works because books work. Books work because they invite interpretation = the play of speculation, reflection, prediction, affirmation, surprise, deduction, analysis, wonder, empathy, fear, hope, horror, sensuality, conceptual thinking, memory...and more.” Michael Rosen Blog

It is never too young for children to start engaging with reading. Children who arrive at school and have accessed their public library are further ahead than those who don’t. National Literacy Trust .

In our local areas did you know Hampshire Registration Service also gives Library Cards to every child when they are registered and in Guernsey, the health visitors link with the public library. Starting the journey with books is never too early so check out what is available in your area.

School Librarians often run story sessions with younger children when they come into the school library for book exchange. This is an important opportunity to talk about the story through discussions and group work. It can be a very short session or longer depending on the time.

Encouraging your pupils in collaboration with the public library to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge is not only an important way to keep your children reading throughout the summer but also a great link between primary and secondary.

Is your school near any of your feeder schools? Why not try a collaboration with your local primary schools?

Ask your Year 7’s at the end of their first year to visit their primary school to give book talks to the Year 6’s that will be transitioning to Senior school.

Ask your Year 8 to work on a list of books that they wish they had read before coming to senior school.

Back to the summer reading challenge; does your local library have a summer reading challenge that your Year 9/10 can volunteer at? Does your school offer DofE as part of the co-curricular activities, if so, maybe volunteering in the school library or the public library could be considered.

As a parent looking at schools for your children for the first time, always ask about the school library provision. Ask if they have a dedicated trained professional aka a School Librarian. Ask how many books the library has and what percentage is replaced each year. Check the school’s website; does the library get a mention or its own library pages on the website? Is there a reading scheme? What does that look like in terms of percentage per week of school time?

Take a look at this leaflet produced by CILIP SLG for more ideas and questions.

Number 3 - Book Corners

Page 39 - "Ideally, every book corner should be a mini library, a place for children to browse the best books, revisit the ones that the teacher has read to them, and borrow books to read or retell at home. Every child should be able to spend time in their book corner. Children will want to share books with others, especially if they are ‘books in common’ that they know their friends have heard before. They will also be interested to look at books which feature well-known fictional characters or are new and tempting."

We think classroom libraries are important but can often be forgotten spaces unless the teachers themselves are proactive in ensuring the books are well looked after and renewed regularly. Time and budget often prevent this from happening. Why should the teacher have to buy books for their classroom? The link to the school library and librarian is important here.

Practical point

For Early Years Settings, Book Corners use props or puppets to tell stories, or even have a puppet theatre or flannel board for the little ones to tell their own stories. It is never too early to introduce poetry or even Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream captures everyone’s fantastical imagination. Michael Rosen once wrote that “Trial and error without fear of failure - it's a crucial part of reading and education as a whole” (Michael Rosen Blog 2018). Remembering that the goal is to ignite curiosity and appreciation for storytelling, language and creativity from a young age.

Book corners are practical but cosy. Bean bags… a contentious item of Library furniture. Some love them, mainly the pupils. Some loathe them, mainly the Librarians/Teachers and cleaners who have to clean up the rogue beans when some eager child has taken a running jump onto the bean bag and it has burst (we have all bean there - pun intended!).

However, children need some sort of furniture on which to be comfortable enough to read. Someone once said that it does not matter if a child is not sitting properly on a chair if they are reading, the point is that they are reading, and we should take the small victories.

Number 4 - The School Library

Page 92 - "The school’s central library Any bookshop or public library with a large children’s section will organise its stock into broad age-range categories, for example:

• picture books for toddlers and young children

• stories for younger readers and older readers

• poetry for younger and older readers

• non-fiction for younger and older readers.

A school’s library is, in effect, its main bookshop. Categories for organising a school library’s stock might include:

• core literature by year group (multiple copies for lessons)

• non-fiction by subject and year group where books support the curriculum

• picture books for younger readers

• picture books and graphic novels for older readers

• poetry books; younger readers; older readers

• very short page-turners (can be read by young readers or older readers who need extra practice)

• short page-turners (can be read by young readers or older readers who need extra practice)

• sets of long page-turners (can be read by young, advanced readers or older readers)

• short ‘hi-lo’ non-fiction (can be read by young readers or older readers who need extra practice)

• longer hi-lo fiction (can be read by young, advanced readers or older readers)

Fiction and poetry might be ordered alphabetically in broad age-ranges (By surname of the author or poet) . Teachers might (but School Librarians definitely can) define the ages of ‘younger’ and ‘older’ readers."

It is really difficult not to get frustrated by this section. Everything that is mentioned above is something that school librarians already do. Librarians organise the stock in the school library so it is easily found. The school librarian knows and understands the needs of the pupils in their school and in working alongside their teaching staff know if there are any special needs for specific pupils and are able to cater for all.

We can’t believe that on top of everything else, a teacher is required to do within their school day and beyond, they are expected to take on the responsibility for reading or skimming and scanning fiction and non-fiction books in order to “define the ages of ‘younger’ and ‘older’ readers! A qualified School Librarian is the expert in the room when it comes to age definition and book recommendations. It is the Librarian’s job to know these things by definition.

School Libraries/book shops? Whilst we like the idea of having our own personal Waterstones within the school, we cannot see this as a practical idea. Space and stock are two reasons for this. In a bookshop, there is a limited amount of space given over to each genre. In a bookshop, there are usually only a few titles but many copies stacked on tables. A school library may not have the budget or space for several copies of the same book. “Book shops will organise their stock into broad age-range categories ” This is what school libraries already do…

One of the main roles of a school librarian is to manage the stock. This includes budgeting, ordering, and processing new stock. Taking into account the diverse needs of their own school and pupils.

School Librarians need to be aware of current trends such as book banning, AI literacy, Inquiry learning and even creating policies. It is important to bear in mind when creating a collection for your school library it is far more than just looking like a ‘book shop’.

Number 5 - Strategies for reading via the school library and librarian

Page 94 - "Core strategies to encourage sustained, voluntary reading include:

• adults reading aloud regularly, including in class or form time

• informal book talk, including recommendations from peers and adults

• encouraging library use, including the local public library

• Provide time to read

• sociable reading environments, reading together and sharing books"

Page 94 is the closest this document gets to highlighting the important role of the school librarian. We love to hear that schools are being encouraged to use their social reading environments aka their school library, create informal book talks aka book clubs run by school librarians and that schools are being “told to provide time to read” This should be across the whole curriculum.

One of the 5 core instructional activities of the school librarian is Literacy and reading promotion. The IFLA School Library Guidelines states “A school library supports student literacy and promotes reading. Research shows that there is a direct link between reading level and learning results, and that access to reading materials is a key factor in developing enthusiastic and skilled readers (Krashen, 2004). School librarians should be pragmatic and flexible in their approach when providing reading material to users, supporting the individual preferences of readers, and acknowledging their individual rights to choose what they want to read. Students who are given the opportunity to select their own reading show improved test scores over time”. (p39). Below are some ideas about how school librarians support strategies for reading.

DEAR Drop Everything and Read at least twice per half term. Think of it like a fire alarm test… only more fun! For those pupils who maybe struggled to read maybe a twist on this is read aloud for 15 mins rather than silently.

Every term should have a reading week whereby there is no homework or prep given, just time to read. (Cathi’s book lending has always gone up in advance of this, however, the overdue’s are always higher three weeks later!)

Reading/book clubs are always a good idea, these do however attract those who are already reading. An alternative to this is to have a Reading Aloud Club at lunchtime or a Breakfast reading club. If you are not okay with reading aloud then you cannot go wrong with an audio book. See more later about reading aloud.

Make a reading book in their bag as part of the equipment rules.

Encouraging everyone (teachers, SLT and support staff as well as pupils) in the school to become members of the local public library.

Providing a place to read. Make it comfortable, though you may not be able to provide space for a whole class at least have cushions and a carpet to read on. Make the space sacrosanct as reading for pleasure.

Have a staff book club, make it part of the school well-being package. Once a month or half term reading the same book. Ensure that the book has an audio version available for teachers to read/listen to on their car journeys to school. Make time for a catch-up after school before the end of the term.

Controversial idea time… have a parent book club. Based on the similar idea above.

Invite each form to give book recommendations either electronically and display them on your Library website pages or physically by putting them on display boards.

You can also encourage book reviews using your online database. One of the squares on Cathi's Bingo Card (see below) is to write a book review or three. If online is not possible then purchase the plastic shelf edge review holders like the ones in Waterstones (see bookshop ideas are integrated into school libraries when appropriate) and encouraging handwritten reviews.

Having a desktop book for book reviews and another book for a wishlist

Number 6 - Library Lessons / across the curriculum

Page 95 - "Book club is a time to recommend books to pupils for class reading and reading at home. In a primary school, this might be organised at the end of storytime, replace story time, during English lessons or be an additional opportunity to share favourite books. In a secondary school, a book club might be called library time and happen in a library session. Making tempting books available is important for all pupils, but especially for those who have limited or no access to books at home…." Said Every Librarian Ever!

Page 96 - "Secondary schools have additional timetabling challenges, but book club (or library time) should happen at least fortnightly with an adult (or adults), either a Qualified Full-time School librarian or another adult with a particular interest in reading. Leaders should not expect this to take place in the time allocated in the curriculum to English. The adult (Let’s call this adult, the School Librarian!) will be best placed to encourage pupils to choose books they are interested in and make sure that they always have something engaging to read in tutorial time. In this way, pupils can be actively encouraged to put in the reading miles and develop more positive attitudes to, and pleasure in, reading"

School Librarians should at a minimum be accessing KS3 at least once a week, if not once a fortnight. We realise that this may not actually be practical in many schools with a lone librarian and more than 100 pupils per year group as there is only a finite number of hours in the school day and timetabling is a very complex job. We do not believe that it should always come out of English Lesson time. Reading is cross-curricula so engaging with all subjects is important .

Practical Points

For Year 7 there is the obvious Library Induction stage. Why not get them earlier though? Know who your Year 6 transition cohort is going to be and purchase them the same book each for them to read over the summer and when they get to school, they will all have one thing in common and can talk to each other about. On the plus side, every child will own at least one book. Base three or four lessons around the book. Summer Reading Challenge at the local public Libraries run by the Reading Agency is a great place to start.

If a child has not read the book over the summer this may be for a variety of reasons, and school librarians may pick up early signs of reading difficulties. Be prepared to have your SENCO on hand to capture these children and work with them separately.

For Years 8/9 maybe use a variety of different lessons and teach accordingly. Say Music and teaching them how to use a music library works? History and going on a History Quest. Geography and having a scavenger hunt around the Library. Art and discovering how AI Art is being developed and the pros and cons of this. The options are endless. Children thrive on getting out of the classroom and the Library is a special place to visit. Teachers need to bear in mind that Library Staff understand their stock and (if given the chance) will have exactly what is needed to help teach any topic. Remember a Librarian may not have all the answers but we do know where to find them!

For those schools that do not have AR as their reading scheme an easy-to-use idea is to have a Book Bingo card for every KS3 pupil.

Instead of writing titles on the card though use a variety of genres or reading challenges as you may not have the stock to cope with everyone vying for the same titles. Cathi created one several years ago and it has proven to be a game changer to many pupils who have read outside their comfort zones. Cathi does this for both Years 7&8 and this year Year 8 asked if she could create one for Year 9.

Page 103 - "Given that form tutors in secondary schools are unlikely to have a variety of books in their own classrooms, schools should ensure that pupils have a book with them throughout the day, chosen in library time (or book club). This relies on scheduling library time for every class, led by an appropriately trained adult. This may be the school librarian, form tutor or other adult with a particular interest in reading".

This paragraph on Page 103 is the best support that the Government has given for having a qualified Librarian and a fully stocked Library in every school. It is important to understand that library time can cover many things from reading for pleasure to linking with curriculum projects. Library time should not sit outside the curriculum but at the heart of it.

The Great School Libraries Campaign highlighted in March 2023 that “This is supported by the fact that only 3% of primary school respondents report that they deliver regular timetabled research lessons.”

Reading in Assembly. The same book but whomever is taking assembly should read for 5 minutes from the book.

Reading in Form time. Break up a book into five-minute chunks to read and send the page numbers and dates electronically to all the form tutors along with one copy per tutor. A different book for each year group or even a different book for each tutor group. Depends on how much work this takes but it does get easier over time.

Create a QR Code trail around your school and grounds. Encourage departments to create a lesson using the QR codes. Each QR code could be a piece of information that when joined up completes the lesson. Or a scavenger hunt on each QR code. When they are not in use by a department then the QR code reverts back to a story or poetry trail, different poems/ stories for different times of the year.

Number 7 - The School Library

Page 126 - "make sure pupils have access to engaging texts by developing links with organisations such as school and public library services, reading charities and others"

In order to make sure your pupils have access to engaging texts every school needs a school library and a qualified librarian. Links to other organisations can then be organised via the school library.

Have a tea party for the Heads of Department. Nothing is more motivating than cake. However, choose your moment. Beginnings and endings of years are the busiest and you will not get far. Choose a sedate but poignant moment, just before or just after world book day, when reading importance is at its height. Ask them to eat cake and think about what their department does that includes the Library. Don’t name and shame departments though, come to them with solutions and not highlight the problems. If the teachers are not forthcoming with what they do in the curriculum, ask the pupils. They will know and tell you all about it, in detail sometimes. From this, you can do a bit of research and look at your stock to see if there is anything that you have that supports their teaching.

Displays are often a way to highlight links between books and services or charities. Pinterest is full of ideas and many Librarians post pics of their displays on Facebook or Instagram. Why reinvent the wheel?

Why not invite a speaker once a term/half term to talk about anything and everything? They do not have to cost the earth to do this. Explain to charities that you would like them to come along and highlight what they do. Explain to local companies that you would love for them to explain how to get into certain careers. Explain to local Further Education facilities in your area that you would like someone to come along and talk about Sixth Form or University life. Use your old cohort, teaching staff (and their extended family) or parents of pupils to come and have a chat with them about something important in their life. Ask the Local Police, Fire or Hospital to send along a speaker about their careers. Do you have a local sportsperson done good? Animals always go down well, but remember a risk assessment is always needed.

Think outside the box when it comes to co-curricular. Books about magic tricks can lead to a magic club, be prepared for juggling balls or disappearing tricks being demonstrated over and over again. Or a Rubiks Cube club held in the Library, inviting children with autism to take part too. Invite the UK Rubiks Cube Association to come to your school and run a demonstration. Be aware that this visit will never be long enough for your budding Rubiks Cube enthusiasts.

Lego Clubs are always popular and there are lots of books that have Lego characters and places to build. Ask your PTA if they can donate money towards a few building sets.

Canva Club, getting the artistic and the not-so-artistic but enthusiastic together and creating posters, could even lead to a pupil-led school magazine.

One year, after receiving a huge donation of wool and not knowing what to do with it, one of the pupils showed Cathi how to make pom poms using cardboard and wool. The idea was born to make the largest pom pom that we could… Everyone took turns at break and lunch to wind wool around two huge pieces of card shaped like a doughnut. This went on for a whole term and the result was amazing and hung up in the library. Lots of smaller pom poms joined it and this helped create an atmosphere of togetherness and collaboration.

Every year from October Half term the books that are removed from the shelves after the big summer weed (yes school librarians do have to manage their stock in order to keep it up to date which does mean removing and sometimes recycling old stock. This happens because school libraries are not archives and only have finite space) have their covers torn from them and then folded into hedgehogs and Christmas trees. Our school holds an annual Christmas Fayre and the Pupil Librarians sell them to make money for Book Aid each year. You will find that it is a lot of KS3 that want to fold books but KS4 have been known to pop in and join in out of nostalgia.

There is many a time that I have had to defend tearing up recycling old books and will often find that the books are being read as they are folded. There was once an old Asterix book that had seen better days that was turned into a Christmas Tree. It was sold to a young lad who then unfurled all the pages in front of us to read the book…

Number 8 - Headteacher and the school librarian

Under the Headteachers section (Page 126) they state that "Headteachers are ultimately responsible for building the reading culture in their school and ensuring that the teaching of reading is as effective as possible. In secondary schools, reading may be led by another senior leader, preferably a deputy headteacher, but oversight and overall responsibility remain with the headteacher."

The role of headteachers in building a reading culture and ensuring effective reading instruction in schools is paramount. Having a culture of visionary Leadership and high expectations of reading motivation (not necessarily high expectations of good results though those will come with time and infusion of expertise) influences and sets the tone for the whole school. When headteachers prioritise the reading culture, it sends a clear message that reading is valued and essential. This then leads to a whole school approach with a coordinated effort and integration within the curriculum, events, and extracurricular activities.

Headteachers need to be looking at the long game when it comes to budgets and allocating resources. A great school supports reading initiatives, ensuring adequate training for teachers supplied by the School Librarian (as we are the book/resources experts) and access to quality reading materials in the form of a dedicated area for reading, aka the School Library.

Headteachers need to be the biggest supporters of school libraries and ensure that they are line managed by a member of SLT responsible for teaching and learning. This will ensure that the whole school knows how important the school library is and will ensure the library is part of the learning process.

Ultimately it is the Headteachers that are accountable for the overall performance of the school. We all know that reading proficiency significantly impacts pupils' academic achievements, therefore, building a reading culture requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and community members. Headteachers can facilitate effective communication and partnerships to strengthen the reading culture.

By having the responsibility laying with the Headteacher ensures that reading culture aligns with the school’s broader goals and visions, preventing silos such as “Oh, don’t worry, English has got that covered!”. Reading strategies across the whole curriculum starts with a whole school policy which includes the Library and Librarian.

Practical points

Having SLT onside is half the battle. Being able to explain what you do as a school librarian is a major part of the role. Do not expect that everyone knows what your role is. We have already mentioned keeping on top of the research but advocacy is a bit part of it too. Consider giving a presentation to SLT. Yes, it is daunting but battles can be lost if you don’t show up. Having the courage to stand in front of SLT and explain the importance of a school librarian in the grand scheme of reading and literacy is huge and should not be underestimated.

Take a listen to Elizabeth’s podcast about SLT engagement for more inspiration. The benefits of a cohesive senior leadership/librarian partnership

Read and be aware of the Great School Libraries report (p11-12, 2023) which stated that “Nearly a quarter of secondary schools reported not having a designated member of library staff due to budget constraints (23%), but the majority of indicated it was because they think appropriate levels of staffing are achieved without having a designated staff member in place (57%). This is concerning as the reading and learning support which can be delivered by a trained member of library staff is clearly being underestimated” (greatschoollibraries.org.uk)

In Rt Hon Nick Gibb’s Foreword, he states that “reading can be the great equaliser, allowing all children access to the best of what has been thought and said. Key stage 2 is the time they can start to see themselves as readers and discover the pleasure they can get from books that they chose to read. Our schools should be places where they have the opportunity to do so and where spending time reading whole texts is prioritised over predicting and inferring from extracts. Key stage 3 is when pupils can read widely in all subjects, but especially in English from our rich literary heritage and elsewhere, without the expectation that they analyse these texts in the depth that is needed, rightly, at GCSE level” . School librarians provide this opportunity for learning across the curriculum through their expertise in enabling all pupils access to resources and expertise to access it.

In this era of rapid technological advancement, librarians are no longer gatekeepers of information but provide the gateway to reading and learning. Our continuing presence serves as a testament to the enduring significance of libraries in enriching the educational landscape and nurturing generations of informed, compassionate, and imaginative individuals who will shape future generations. It is a missed opportunity for this government to not recognise the value that school librarians bring to the learning process through this reading framework but we do have it within our power to help our schools recognise the difference we can make.

It is our hope that the practical points made in this Reading Framework 2.0 will inspire you to talk to your school leaders and take solutions not problems to their table.

If you got this far well done! Cathi and I ran a webinar about the framework. You can find out more here. https://www.elizabethahutchinson.com/product-page/unpacking-the-dfe-reading-framework-webinar

Further Information

Cathi Woods MSc. Currently a School Librarian at Farnborough Hill School in Hampshire. Having been a School Library Manager at four previous schools for several years, at the age of 42 (the meaning of life for anyone who has read Hitchhikers!), I decided to take a sabbatical and attend a Master's in Library Science at City, University of London full time for a year. Best decision I ever made! I wrote my dissertation on 'What makes a great school librarian' and interviewed the three previous years' winners of the School Librarian of the Year Award. After succeeding at University I went on to become the proud School Librarian of Farnborough Hill where I have been for the last 4 years. I have found that school librarians learn new things every day and I am one of those lucky few that gets excited on a Sunday night as to what I will do in the week ahead. I am also one of the Committee Members of the Surrey Branch of the SLA. I was a previous recipient of an award for nominating a winning Pupil Library Assistant at the PLA Awards in 2018. Currently working on Chartership. Catch up with me on LinkedIn or Twitter (X)

Find out more about Elizabeth's training and membership here:- https://www.elizabethahutchinson.com/aboutmembership

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Homework guidelines scrapped to give headteachers greater freedom

Ministers have scrapped guidelines setting out how much homework children should be set, in a move intended to give headteachers greater freedom.

Under the last government, guidance was issued to all schools recommending they have a policy on homework. At the time, homework was common in secondary schools but practices varied at primary level.

The guidelines suggested children aged five to seven should be set an hour a week, rising to half-an-hour a night for seven- to 11-year-olds. Secondary schools were encouraged to set as much as two and-a- half hours a night for children aged 14-16.

There is controversy about the value of homework, with critics saying it is either ineffective or potentially harmful if the extra work is so dull that children switch off.

A greater emphasis on homework can also unfairly benefit pupils from more affluent homes, as they are more likely to have a quiet place to study.

Ann Donaghy, assistant principal of Smith's Wood sports college, in Solihull, West Midlands, said: "If homework is set well then it can be useful – if it consolidates learning.

"But often it's not. Often, it's an extension to finish off work and it doesn't aid the child.

"There's pressure from external sources to set homework. There's a comment in the new Ofsted [inspection] framework where they mention homework, and a lot of teachers see that as if they must be setting homework all the time, even if it's not necessary."

A review of academic research has found the impact of homework on primary age children is "inconclusive", while there is a "relatively modest" effect on older pupils. Time spent on homework had a small impact on pupils' results at secondary school, the 2001 review by the National Foundation for Educational Research found.

It quoted one study that found A-level students who spent seven hours or more on homework per week achieved results that were only a third of a grade higher than students of the same sex and ability who did homework for less than two hours a week.

Education secretary Michael Gove has encouraged schools to extend the length of the day, raising the prospect of more schools supporting pupils as they study in the evening rather than setting them work to take home.

Donaghy welcomed the decision to scrap the homework guidance. She said: "Allowing headteachers to have more autonomy is a good idea as they understand the context of their school."

While homework is controversial, experts agree on the value of parents taking an interest in their children's intellectual life.

Results from the OECD Pisa study, which compares school systems around the world, finds a strong association between children's reading performance at 15, and home activities such as discussing politics, talking about books or films and eating meals together as a family.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers' annual conference voted in favour of abolishing homework for primary school pupils in 2009, saying it was "a waste of children's time".

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp, who has campaigned against homework for primary schoolchildren, has described it as a "constant battle that gets in the way of all the real ways kids learn. Going to the park. Reading together. Even just talking, interacting with the rest of the family."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Homework is part and parcel of a good education – along with high quality teaching and strong discipline. We trust headteachers to set the homework policy for their school. They know their pupils best and should be free to make these decisions without having to adhere to unnecessary bureaucratic guidance."

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DFE Workload Reduction Recommendations: Impact on SBLs

Navigating the implications of the DFE’s recommendations on teacher workload reductions can be complex, especially concerning the redistribution of tasks among school support staff. Rebecca Cunliffe explains…

Like most SBLs, when I read any education documents, I think about what this will mean for my role in school and more importantly my staff.  So, in January 2024 when the DFE sent out their initial recommendations regarding the teacher workload reductions, I had a pen and paper at the ready.

It’s all well and good making recommendations to remove tasks from teachers, but who is going to carry out these tasks?  This is in no way teacher bashing, that is not my intention at all. Teachers work incredibly hard, and I understand why these recommendations have to be discussed however, in hard financial times, when support staff numbers are dwindling and recruitment of support staff is the hardest I can remember in my 20 years in the profession, who does that leave to carry out the tasks removed from teachers?

Let us look in brief at the recommendations around some of the administrative tasks that may affect SBLs:

• Production of photographic evidence or practical lessons e.g. for assessment purposes or to ‘evidence’ learning. This will require some planning and discussion if support staff are to do this. Will TAs/LSAs be given time to do this or is this an office function?  Do you have a reprographics person / department and if so, will this impact on their current workload?
• Bulk photocopying. As previously mentioned, you may already have systems in place for this.  However, if your teachers are currently doing their own copying, what impact will this have if they can no longer do this?  
• Creation of any files / copies of paperwork perceived to be in anticipation of an inspection. Isn’t everything we do perceived to be getting ready for the next inspection? Maybe I’m being flippant here. Someone would need to use their professional judgement to decide what was going into the files, so maybe this is just photocopying once a school leader has reviewed them – see points above.
• Administration relating to school visits, trips and residentials (including booking venues, collecting forms and recording lunch arrangements) and of work experience (but not selecting placements and supporting pupils by advice or visits). In some settings where a teacher is the trip leader, they may normally carry out some tasks in arranging the visit.  If they are no longer able to do this, who would take this role on?
• Organisation, decoration and assembly of the physical classroom space e.g. moving classrooms, moving classroom furniture, putting up and taking down classroom displays. Having been a TA for a few months, I was terrible at displays. It just wasn’t in my skill set at all. What would you do in these circumstances?  Are school leaders willing to release the creative TA/LSA to support in classrooms with a TA like me?  Do you have the budget for some permanent artwork?  Do you have ‘working walls’ where the students work is added daily?  How will this work in your setting?  This will need discussion and planning if teachers cannot be involved in the classroom organisation and decoration.
• Administration of medical consent forms and administering of medicine on a routine day to day basis. Have a look at your medical policy, consider the students needs in your setting. What is currently happening and are teachers involved?  Will this be a huge task or will you not really be affected?  If it’s a huge task in your setting, will you need to recruit someone to carry out this role?

These are just a few taken from the list of 23 recommended tasks that teachers should not be carrying out.

What could we be doing now in preparation for the final report?

Wellbeing has been a standing item on Governor agendas for the last few years as they are responsible for ensuring the wellbeing of all staff in school.  So, when considering reducing the tasks teachers are required to carry out, they should also be considering what will that mean for the non-teaching staff who will be required to take on these additional tasks.

It is our responsibility as school leaders to ensure that the reduction of tasks for teachers does not increase the workload for support staff and add pressure on them. We must be vigilant in our protection of support staff and ensure that tasks are fairly distributed.

And probably the most important point of all: are the tasks even needed to provide high quality education to the children in our settings?  If they do not add value, challenge the need for them.

Good luck, I know you are all doing your best and juggling a lot already, but you need to prepared for the potential changes ahead.  

The whole document can be found at Workload reduction taskforce – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)   and the recommendations will be formally presented to the Government, Ofsted and School and Trust Leaders by the end of March 2024.

  The DFE have provided a toolkit to help you. School workload reduction toolkit – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)   this was last updated in July 2022 and provides the information for school leaders to consider regarding the tasks and also regarding workforce wellbeing.

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The Department for Education review

A review of the Department for Education and how it should prioritise resources.

Ref: DFE-10001-2012

PDF , 183 KB , 15 pages

The Department for Education (DfE) review was launched in June 2012. The aim of this review was to develop recommendations to ensure that DfE is able to deliver education and children’s services and is an attractive place for employees.

The review sought to answer some fundamental questions about the size, shape and role of central government in the education and children’s sectors. It looked at what the department should and shouldn’t do and how it should prioritise resources. It also investigated how to continuously improve the way it does things, and in particular, ensure that the department can continue to be as efficient and effective as possible when priorities change.

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