Inspire me! Cuisenaire Rods: The CPA approach to teaching algebra

Published
23 January 2024

"How to use Cuisenaire Rods to take children from understanding part-whole relationships to exploration of algebra."

 

This is the first blog in our new series, ‘Inspire Me!’

In this series, we will take a manipulative and exemplify different mathematical concepts that you could explore using the concrete resource in your classroom.

The first resource that we will be focusing on is Cuisenaire Rods.

 

Multicoloured cuisenaire rods

 

Not used Cuisenaire Rods before?

Have used them before and want to expand your repertoire?

Keen to challenge your confident learners through exploration of an alternative manipulative?

Invented in 1945 by a Belgian teacher, Georges Cuisenaire, there are 10 rods of different lengths and colours.

The smallest rod (the white rod) is 1cm in length and the longest rod (the orange rod) is 10cm in length. Other coloured rods measure between 2cm and 9cm.

Let them play!

We would suggest that when introducing your children to Cuisenaire Rods for the first time, you let the children ‘play’ and build with them.

Ask them to build a picture with them. Then give them some lines of enquiry.

 

Multicoloured cuisenaire rods

 

If the white rod represents 1, what is the picture worth?

If the white rod is worth 2, what is the picture worth?

What if the white rod was worth 4?

Already we are exploring scaling and multiplicative relationships!

Cuisenaire Rods are a hugely versatile manipulative so let us inspire you!

Why use manipulatives?

Before I delve into how to use Cuisenaire Rods to explore the concept of algebra, let’s revisit the fundamentals for teaching concepts in mathematics.

In their ‘Improving Mathematics’ guidance reports, the EEF recognise that manipulatives and mathematical representations play an important role in developing mathematical understanding from Early Years to KS3 (1,2).

When selecting a manipulative, it’s important to ask yourself:

  • How is this tool supporting conceptual understanding?
  • Is this the most appropriate tool to scaffold learning?
  • How will I enable students to work independently of the manipulatives over time?

Inspire me! Introduction to algebra

Fundamentally, algebra involves manipulating number to identify patterns and is described in the oxford dictionary as: “a type of mathematics in which letters and symbols are used to represent quantities”. 

Children’s experience of algebra begins in the early years where they begin describing and noticing patterns. Pre-requisite understanding builds through part-whole exploration in key stage 1 and beyond.

Step 1: Play with the Cuisenaire!

With no numbers involved (yet), allow children time to revisit and secure their part-whole understanding before gradually making connections with the abstract form of expressions.

Provide children with a set of coloured rods and ask them to find combinations which are the same length as the brown rod.

For example: 

Multicoloured cuisennaire rod

Multicoloured cuisennaire rod

When modelling the discovery of different combinations, share your internal monologue.

For example: “I know that two purple rods is equal to one brown rod. Purple + Purple = Brown.”

Provide children with time to explore other equalities with the rods using the following speaking frames to support them in making connections:

 

"I know that ... is equal to ... I could write this as ____+____=____"

 

"If ... is equal to ... then ... is equal to ... I could write this as ____+____=____"

 

"Possible scaffold: provide partially filled scaffolds where the children only need to find one missing part or the whole."

 

Step 2: make connections

Use the part-whole relationships the children have discovered between the colours to make visual connections with numeric values and represent ‘unknowns’ with letters.

Revisit complements to 10 or 100 with the rods. Give the whole a value.

For example:

Multicoloured Cuisennaire rods

Multicoloured Cuisennaire rods

Model how to represent the ‘unknowns’ as letters rather than use their colour names.

p + p = 10 or 2p = 10

g + y = 100

The children can use the same, familiar speaking frame to support them to make connections.

 

"I know that ... is equal to ... I could write this as ____+_____=____

 

At this stage, children are still exploring and looking at representing the unknown rather than finding it.

Step 3:

Once the children have grown confident and familiar with the Cuisenaire model, we can begin supporting them in making links to a familiar pictorial representation - the bar model.

For example:

Which bar models could be correct? Which could not?

Multicoloured rods

 

Graphic with text

Extend the speaking frame from step 1:

If b = 100 and g = 33 then y = 67

 

Explore this further using expressions with an unknown, for example,  x + 30 = 100

Step 4:

Provide children with an equation with one unknown.

For example:

x + 24 = 100

Children could represent this in a bar model.

Ask the children: If x + 24 = 100, what else do you know?

Explore creating a fact family with Cuisenaire Rods and bar models, labelling each part and the whole.

Application

Challenge children to apply what they know to a problem like the one below from the 2019 KS2 SATs paper 3 (reasoning):

 

Illustration with text

 

Keep an eye out for more blogs from the Inspire Me! series this term. To subscribe to our blogs: Get our blogs straight to your inbox

Join the HFL Education Primary Maths Team for upcoming training and events

To keep up to date: Join our Primary Subject Leaders’ mailing list


References

1 – Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1, https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance…

2 - Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance…

3 - 2019 Key Stage 2 mathematics paper 3: reasoning

Contains material developed by the Standards and Testing Agency for 2019 national curriculum assessments and licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0.

Share this

Addressing digital poverty - a joint initiative between HFL Education and Interm IT

Published
22 January 2024

Many families are living in digital poverty with a lack of access to devices and the internet making online education inaccessible to those who often most need it. Digital poverty has a direct impact on children's education, leading to gaps in learning outcomes and attainment. Students without access to digital resources at home tend to struggle to keep up with their peers who have better access. Although home working during the pandemic shone a spotlight on digital poverty, in truth the issue has been around for a lot longer and the digital divide is still widening.

This is a national issue for the education sector and one we at HFL Education believe needs more focus. We are pleased to announce HFL Education will be working alongside Interm IT to help disadvantaged children in schools get better access to digital learning. 

We are asking any schools, trusts, and businesses to donate to us any digital devices they no longer use, so we can refurbish them and distribute them to where they are most needed. We will wipe and secure the devices so they are ready for use at home by a disadvantaged child. 

Any help you can give to either provide devices or share this initiative with contacts you may have in the schools or corporate world would be appreciated.  
If you can help in any way, please email: devicesforhome@hfleducation.org

HFL Education Interm IT

Developing communication and language: addressing articulation of sounds

Published
22 January 2024

"When you recognise that speech and language support is needed and have tried all of the communication and language strategies in your bag, but they don’t quite pinpoint the area of need. How do we support children’s articulation of sounds?"

 

In many of my recent visits, I have worked with practitioners to discuss the development of communication and language: the need to improve serve and return interactions, the importance of developing opportunities for children to talk and to be heard and the growing need for speech and language therapist support. Leading the Terrific Talkers School Project for two years now, I find that many of my conversations look towards the development of language, however, there are times when these ‘developmental practice procedures’ are not specific enough in accelerating progress for children where speech is impacted. 

For this blog, I will use definitions from the Oxford Dictionary:

Speech: Speech is the expression of ideas and thoughts by means of articulate vocal sounds, or the faculty of thus expressing ideas and thoughts.

Language: the principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture. 

In a recent progress and attainment discussion with a group of teachers, we identified less than expected progress for a child experiencing communication and language as a barrier to learning. Practitioner knowledge, built on observation and interactions, indicated that pronunciation of some speech sounds, specifically ‘s’ was impacting the child in communicating his knowledge. The child’s key person explained that in a familiar context with specific resources the child could be understood and their understanding of serve and return interactions secure, however, when observed later that day, in the outdoor area immersed in the awe and wonder of his imagination the language used by the child was much harder to understand. Referrals to SALT services have been made and the child is one of many on a waiting list to be seen- but what can we do in the meantime? How can we best support the child to make progress? 

Doing something is always better than doing nothing

Considering what we do in the meantime depends on the child’s identified needs.

There are so many complex folds to the development of communication and language, including:   

 

Ven diagram with text

 

Exploring which aspect is presenting a barrier is the key to identifying your next steps.

This can help you identify whether there is a speech concern and best practice would suggest completing this with the child’s parents/carers to get a holistic understanding of the child’s speech development. Completion of this tool can then be used to support the identification of specific barriers.

So, I have this knowledge now what?  

Do you have any communication and language programmes running in your school or setting and if so, are they targeted to meet the identified need, in this case, to support pronunciation of the speech sound s? 

 

Graphic with text

 

If you have experience in speech and language therapy, you might quickly recognise lots of opportunities provided for repetitive practice and games. Here are a few you might like to try in your provision. Identify which sounds the child requires support with and collect a bank of objects and pictures to play these games:

  • Sound spotter game -Using a few objects/images beginning with different initial sounds. Say a range of sounds and ask children to identify and say the word beginning with the identified sound (s is for sock)
  • Hidden sounds- use a feely bag with a few objects beginning with an identified sound. Ask the child to choose an object from the bag for the adult to say, progressing to the child saying the chosen objects

Sock sounds – place a selection of pictures/objects on the floor. Using a rolled-up sock/beanbag ask the child to throw the sock at one of the objects and say the word

Accessible websites for further guidance:

  • The Oxford NHS speech sound development chart provides further guidance to support practitioners working with children. 
  • Speech and language kids to provide advice on the correct teeth and mouth placement to support the production of speech sounds: One example from this website is: “For the S sound, have the child put his tongue in the same place as /t/ (use the placement cues from /t/) but then blow air out.  We call this the snake sound!  The child should blow air over the top of the tongue.  The sides of the tongue should be pushed against the upper back teeth.”            

For more information about the Terrific Talkers project or support for developing a communication friendly environment please get in touch

Share this

How and why to teach regrouping for division – ‘old maths’ vs ‘new maths’

Published
04 January 2022

In the summer term of 2021, the Herts for Learning maths team had the pleasure of working with over 130 schools across Hertfordshire and beyond as part of our Summer Success in Maths Project.

Diagnostic assessments were used to identify gaps in learning, informing how teachers would plan to teach and secure specific prerequisite skills and knowledge to prepare children for their new year group in the autumn term.

Data shared within the project provided a good oversight of strengths and weaknesses across the participating schools. More details about the findings from the project are shared in the blog, ‘Coming back stronger in mathematics’.

An interesting aspect stood out for us when analysing the data from Year 5 and Year 6 children – the children’s use of division strategies. Of course, this blog is not aimed solely at these year groups – strategies for division begin before UKS2.

So… to division.

Division is a concept which often stirs maths anxiety into both adults and children. Yet, as Rachel Rayner points out in her blog, ‘Divide and conquer: Do we share or do we group?’ , division is perhaps given less space in the maths curriculum than addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Let me put you on the spot (sorry!). How would you solve the following division calculations? If appropriate, how might the children in your class tackle them?

  • 84 ÷ 6
  • 1872 ÷ 6

I wonder if you used formal calculation strategies as below, where short division has been used to find the quotient in each calculation.

 

Drawn maths equation

 

Drawn maths equation

 

Or perhaps you used an informal method by using mental methods and perhaps jottings?

In a previous blog, ‘Old maths vs new maths – the balancing act’, we explored how using ‘newer’ methods may make calculations easier and more manageable – and we will explore this idea again here.

Let’s take the first calculation – 84 divided by 6.

Is using short division the most efficient method for this calculation? If a Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6 pupil used this method, it would be worth considering how secure pupils are with connecting their knowledge of multiplication and multiples to division.

You might consider the following:

  • do pupils look closely at the numbers involved before deciding on a calculation strategy?
  • how confident are pupils with regrouping numbers flexibly and can they see the usefulness of this strategy for this calculation?
  • are pupils really secure with the value of the digits in the number or are they following a procedure to solve the calculation?

It could be argued that the most efficient way to tackle this calculation is to look for the multiples of 6 within 84. We might be hoping to hear or see the following from pupils:

  • I know that it is greater than 10 groups of 6 as 10 groups of 6 is 60. 60 and 24 is equal to 84
  • we could regroup 84 into useful multiples of 6
  • 60 is a multiple of 6 and so is 24

 

Maths counting blocks

 

Drawn maths equations

 

Within the Year 5 and Year 6 diagnostics, we wanted to assess whether pupils understood that regrouping numbers to divide is a useful strategy. The results made for interesting reading.

In the early summer term Year 5 paper, pupils were given the following question:

When dividing 98 by 7, which would be the most helpful way to regroup 98 to aid the calculation?

 

Maths equations

 

Can you guess which answer might have been the most popular choice?

Only 30% identified that the most useful regroup to divide 98 by 7 would be 70 and 28 – 70 divided by 7 and 28 divided by 7.

42%, however, chose response A.

20% chose C.

4% chose D.

4% did not respond.

This was out of 1,253 pupils across Hertfordshire schools.

Of course, all the part whole models show regroups of 98, and although answer C is regrouped into multiples of 7, they are arguably less helpful than the regroups of 70 and 28 which are likely to allow known facts to be used.

In the end of term Year 6 paper, pupils tackled a similar question:

Nadia is dividing by 9 using a mental method.

Which of these regroups for 297 would be most useful?

 

Maths equations

 

Only 29% of children (of the 566 in this data set) accurately identified that 270 and 27 were the most useful regroups of 297 in this case.

Again, the most popular response was answer A, with 36% of the children regrouping into hundreds and tens and ones without recognising that neither 200 nor 97 are multiples of 9.

Pupil scores showed more confidence with the following 2 questions:

 

Maths equations
Year 5 early summer term paper

 

72% of 1,253 Year 5s correctly identified 204 as the quotient.

 

Maths equations
Year 6 early summer term paper

 

Out of 1,054 year 6 pupils, 78% correctly identified 903 as the quotient.

It would be interesting to know how many children reverted to a formal written method to solve these questions rather than really looking at the numbers within each dividend.

Much like the calculation I posed towards the start of the blog, 1872 ÷ 6, the numbers within the calculation have been carefully chosen. Within these dividends are common multiples of the divisors. What we are aiming for here is securing understanding of regrouping as well as the use of base facts and place holders if required.

For example, for 816 ÷ 4:  

 

Speech bubble with text

 

Again, a written method is not necessarily needed but may be the default method for many of our children and these can be prone to error if children lack true understanding of ‘the procedure’.

Regrouping for division may not be such a ‘new’ calculation method. Let’s consider the ‘chunking’ method of division – chunking off multiples of 10 and subtracting these from the dividend until a number less than a multiple of 10 was left. Really, this is what we are doing when we are regrouping but this is just much more efficient.

So how could we expose and encourage this strategy with pupils in KS2?

Here is a possible suggestion of small steps. The examples could be adapted for use in lower key stage 2.

  • Begin by asking pupils to regroup a number in multiple ways using base-10 or place value counters. Pupils could be encouraged to represent regroups pictorially through part whole models.

 

Equations with text

 

  • Following this exploration, the calculation 105 ÷ 3 is introduced. The multiple ways of regrouping 105 can then be revisited asking pupils which would be most useful for the calculation and why. Pupils may respond with the following:
    • ’90 and 15 are both multiples of 3.’
    • ‘ I know that 90 is a multiple of 3 because 9 is a multiple of 3. 90 is ten times greater than 9’
    • ’30, 30, 30 and 15 could be useful regroups as they are multiples of 3.’

All contributions are valuable and can then be further discussed.

  • A recording scaffold such as the following example can then be used for pupils to explore calculations and question prompts such as:

 

Maths equations

 

Speech bubble with text

 

  • explore further examples with pupils choosing their most useful regroups
  • useful regroups could be provided with pupils asked to use the given information to solve the calculation such as in this destination question:

 

Equation with text

 

The data collected in the summer doesn’t tell us that pupils cannot regroup numbers but perhaps it suggests that they are less confident with flexible regrouping (this learning starts in KS1) and with the knowledge of why we might want to use regrouping as a strategy for division – to make the calculation easier and more manageable.

Perhaps children can get a little hung up on the apparent sophistication of ‘complex’ methods when, why wouldn’t we want to make things easier for ourselves!

Moreover, by truly understanding and being able to manipulate the numbers in front of us - by creating useful regroups if appropriate for example – is actually perhaps a more sophisticated way of solving calculations.


References:

Questions and models from ESSENTIALmaths.

Share this

HFL Education launches a new and improved Teach in Herts website

Published
16 January 2024

We are thrilled to announce that the brand-new and improved Teach in Herts recruitment website is now live at www.teachinherts.com.

Teach in Herts not just for teachers

The recruitment of teaching and support staff is one of the biggest challenges facing UK schools, settings and trusts today.  The Teach in Herts website has been improved to enable it to meet this challenge and the evolving needs of local schools, trusts and settings. 

The new site highlights four key job types (teaching, support, leadership and early years) to improve the user experience for both candidates and employers, and better suit today’s job market, where over half the vacancies advertised are non-teaching roles.

The application process has been updated to enable schools and settings to manage applications more easily and in one place, as well as access data on the success of any recruitment campaigns. New time saving functionality includes automatically checking for gaps in employment and redacting applications for anonymised shortlisting.

In response to feedback from MAT users, federations and multiple PVI Early Years providers, we have sought to improve the customer experience by providing a single login and dashboard for managing jobs and applicants across schools and settings in a group. In addition, we have expanded our library of online information for employers in a brand-new resources area.

The new site also has much to offer candidates including enhanced search capabilities, a responsive easy to follow design, adapted to suit all platforms, rich careers guidance resources, success stories and secure, user-friendly accounts.

If you would like to know more about how Teach in Herts can help you to attract and appoint the best teaching and support staff on the market, please contact us on teachinherts@hfleducation.org

 

Contact the Recruitment Services team today to find out how we can help you.

Progression in foundation subjects – Part 1: Layers of learning

Published
05 January 2024

"Over a series of blogs we will explore progression in foundation subjects, considering what should be in a well-planned curriculum, to ensure that pupils make progress and get better at a subject."

 

In our work with schools, progression in foundation subjects is a common topic of conversation.

Even when the curriculum for a foundation subject is well-established, with topics and units well mapped, explaining how pupils make progress can seem hard. There could be many reasons for this; it might be we have not fully identified what the most important learning is, why it has been chosen, and how it has been sequenced. It could be that alongside the content knowledge of the subject, we need to further explore the themes and concepts, skills and disciplinary learning that also build – as this is where some of the progress in learning lies.

This is a vast area, and to try to cover it in a single blog might not do it justice.

So, over a series of blogs we will explore progression in foundation subjects, considering what should be in a well-planned curriculum, to ensure that pupils make progress and get better at a subject.

This first blog will set the scene across foundation subjects more generally, before further blogs dive into individual subjects, giving specific examples.

Our overall aim is to support schools when reviewing their curriculum, by considering:

          What does it mean to make progress in foundation subjects?

          How can we ensure children get better at foundation subjects, as they move through the school?

The often-used phrase ‘the curriculum is the progression model’ suggests that if the curriculum is well-planned, then by moving through the curriculum pupils are making progress: They should know more, remember more and be able to do more.

If the curriculum is the progression model, then getting the curriculum ‘right’ – the components and the composites – is essential for pupils to make progress as intended.

I might stick my neck out at this point and say that I don’t think there is one single perfect curriculum for any subject. Schools are not carbon copies of each other, and so neither should their curriculums be. I strongly believe that, without necessarily needing to reinvent the wheel, each school should make context-specific choices to ensure that their pupils experience and move through the curriculum that is right for them

There is another blog that looks at this as a theme: The moral imperative: creating a curriculum that develops identity, broadens horizons and enables success for all

Returning to progression; in the Ofsted publication ‘Inspecting the curriculum’ published in May 2019, Paragraph 5 has the now well-known phrase:

          ‘The end result of a good, well-taught curriculum is that pupils know more and are able to do more.’

Inspecting the curriculum: Revising inspection methodology to support the education inspection framework, Paragraph 5

This is a helpful point: if pupils are making progress in their learning they should know more and be able to do more. In order to explore what pupils should know more about and be able to do more of, let’s turn our focus to what makes up a subject.

The learning within each subject is layered. There is often a content layer, which might also give us our topic or unit titles. There are also layers underpinning this, of concepts, threads or pillars, which go across the topics/units, and through being revisited, the understanding of which grows and deepens. There is also a disciplinary layer to each subject – how the expert in that field works and thinks, what they do and how they behave. Understanding the disciplinary side of each subject is also part of the learning and should also be mapped, so that it can also progress and deepen over time.

We might start by mapping the topics or units to be taught. This top level often gives us the content coverage. In history this might include topics such as ‘The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain’. In art and design, we might focus a unit of work on the artist Joan Miró.

These topics or units are often underpinned by further mapping and progression documents, as we aim to set out how pupils will get better at the subject. We might map the concepts and/or threads and how the learning progresses and deepens. We might also map the disciplinary learning, to ensure that repeated, helpful encounters also enable the disciplinary understanding to deepen over time.

To support this thinking, we have begun developing diagrams with ‘layers’ for each subject. Two of these are explored below for history and art.

Learning in primary history

 

Table of contents

 

Within primary history, topics or units usually focus on time periods (British and the wider world), significant people, themes and events. Some of these are specified by the national curriculum, particularly at KS2. The top level in the diagram above shows this topic/unit layer. In history, the title might also indicate the content to be covered, such as ‘Ancient Greece’.

These topics or units should then be underpinned by a focus on historical concepts such as ‘similarity and difference’. When studying the content of a topic or unit it should be framed within these historical concepts so that pupils can articulate, for example what stayed the same and what changed, or why it was significant. This is the second layer shown in the diagram above.

Over several units of learning in history, pupils should repeatedly meet the concepts of cause and consequence, continuity and change. These repeated encounters will become increasingly complex. Moving from what changed or stayed the same, to exploring the how and why.   

The next level in the diagram is referred to in the national curriculum as ‘abstract terms’. These threads might include ideas such as ‘trade’, ‘empire’ or ‘settlement’. There are many to choose from and schools select them, depending on their curriculum, school context and the needs of their pupils. These threads are another way to allow learning to spiral and deepen over time. Pupils should develop a rich schema built around the school’s selected threads by revisiting them over several topics or units of work, and each time, from a new angle or perspective, to deepen thinking.

This should all also be underpinned by the disciplinary learning; the opportunities to think and behave like a historian. This might include exploring historical questions, using evidence, considering arguments and interpretations. Pupils’ disciplinary learning should also progress and deepen. This might be in the types and range of evidence encountered, or in the understanding the nuance of different accounts of the same event.

So, to make progress in history, pupils need to gain the (content) knowledge set out, build an understanding of the concepts and threads, and develop their understanding of how a historian thinks and works. Considering these layers when mapping, using the diagram above, alongside the national curriculum for history, is probably a good place to start.

Learning in primary art and design

 

Table of contents

 

Within art and design, the national curriculum sets the focus for media and techniques as; drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. In naming drawing, painting and sculpture, they appear indicate the status of these. At KS2 it also refers to improving ‘their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture…’

When mapping learning, specifying which one or more of these media and techniques a topic or unit is developing helps us to ensure that across the whole curriculum the planned content allows learning to build and progress. The exact learning focus can also be pinpointed to ensure that the most important learning and its order are identified.

The next layer in the diagram above is the threads, often called the elements of art, such as colour, shape and line. In the national curriculum at KS1, pattern features within these, but value/tone does not. So, for the purposes of the diagram, both have been included. It is within the aims of the national curriculum that pupils use ‘the language of art, craft and design techniques’ and having the elements of art as threads through the curriculum enables this.

Pupils also need to develop their disciplinary understanding, including knowing ‘about great artists, craft makers and designers’ and having the knowledge and understanding to evaluate and analyse creative works and to use a sketch book to record and review ideas.

To map how learning progresses in art and design, as well as mapping the topics or units, we might also map the media and technique being developed, specifying the important learning to be gained and how this builds, and the elements of art which best fit with this, so that the schema around the elements of art is developed. Finally, we might also map the disciplinary learning and how this progresses.

In summary, to answer our original question; what should be in a well-planned curriculum, to ensure that pupils make progress and get better at the subject?

As well as planning the topics or units (that identify coverage of content), we should, and many school already do, map how the learning within the concepts of that subject progresses and how threads are built up across topics, so that children develop their schemata – making connections. Disciplinary learning should also be mapped, so that children develop their ‘thinking like the expert’ over time.

Looking at this as layers (using the diagrams above) might help us clarify what is being mapped, how and why - for each layer, asking, ‘Have we identified the most important learning and how this will build?’

When mapping, leaders might want to consider;

  • What is the intended residual learning from this topic or unit (what must be remembered)?
  • What is the key learning (as knowledge and skills) that pupils are taking with them on their journey through this subject?
  • Where and how will this learning connect to other learning?
  • What learning is needed at this stage for future learning to be successful?

And, for each of these questions, looking beyond the coverage of content to also map the concepts, threads and disciplinary learning for the subject.

If the mapping described above is in place, and we can answer the questions, then we should be able to say that by moving through the curriculum pupils are making progress. I think this is what we mean when we say that the curriculum is the progression model.

In subsequent blogs we will take a deeper look into individual subjects, unpicking these ideas in further detail.

Share this

The School Census: why it’s important for SENCOs to spring clean their SEN data

Published
19 December 2024

“For SENCOs the spring term census is particularly important. This is when the DfE collects additional data for all on roll pupils with SEN.”

 

*This blog was oringinally published on 03/01/2024

You may have heard of the Department for Education’s (DfE) School Census but may not know much about it - it collects information from primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, maintained nurseries and academies and pupil referral units three times a year. SEN provision is collected for all pupils on roll every census day using the following codes: ‘E’ (Education, Health and Care plan) or ‘K’ (SEN support).

However, for SENCOs the spring term census is particularly important. This is when the DfE collects additional data for all on roll pupils with SEN. This year the census will be completed on Thursday 16th January 2025.   

This blog will give you a few top tips to make sure you are well-prepared, answer some frequently asked questions and explain what happens with the information after it has been submitted to the DfE. 

 

What do SENCOs need to do to prepare for the census?

Before January 16th have a conversation with whoever completes the School Census in your school (usually the office manager or school business manager) to ensure that the information held about the pupils with SEN in your management information system (MIS) is accurate.   

 

Check:

  • Is the list of pupils identified with SEN on your MIS correct? 
  • Do all pupils with SEN have an accurate SEN provision code description?

If you would like some more information about when to identify a child with SEN, then please refer to the SEND Code of Practice (paragraph 6.15). You may also find this recent article by Sara Alston useful:  Who should go on the school SEN register?

 

"List of pupil SEN provision code descriptions"

 

Is the SEN type code description correct?

To be recorded under one of the SEN types, there is no requirement for a pupil to have a specialist assessment, though it is important, as part of your ongoing conversations with families, that they are aware of the SEN type code descriptions the school is using.   

For the School Census, you must choose a SEN type code description from the list provided.  This is available in Hertfordshire’s SEND Toolkit. For 2024-25 the DfE has introduced an update to the Pupil SEN type codes to include Down Syndrome.

You will find more information about some of the SEND type descriptions in the SEND Code of Practice paragraphs 6.30 to 6.34.

 

"Pupil SEN type code descriptions".

 

  • Is every pupil’s primary need – and, where appropriate any secondary need – recorded as an SEN type ranking?  Only two rankings are collected in the School Census - the most significant, or primary need, is ranked as ‘1’, with any secondary need ranked ‘2’.

If your school has an MIS support contract with HFL Education you will be able to find more information about how to record SEN on the Data Management Services Portal. If not, you will need to access any help guides provided by your school’s management information system (for example:  Arbor, SIMS, BromCom or ScholarPack).

 

Does my school have an SEN Unit or Resourced provision?

These indicators identify pupils with SEN who are members of a SEN unit or a specialist-resourced provision. 

  • SEN units are special provisions within a mainstream school where the pupils with SEN are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time.
  • Resourced provisions are places that are reserved at a mainstream school for pupils with a specific type of SEN, taught for at least half of their time within mainstream classes, but requiring a base and some specialist facilities around the school.

Schools and academies must only use these indicators where the SEN unit or resourced provision has been formally recognised as such by the local authority where the school is located. The school’s get information about schools (GIAS) record should indicate if the school has an SEN unit or a resourced provision.

 

What happens after the data has been submitted?

Submitting the correct data is important.

The data SENCOs submit is collated by the DfE who then use it to publish national SEN statistics in June every year.  You may not realise it, but this is the data used to create the SEND Context poster published annually in Hertfordshire’s SEND Toolkit - a helpful tool enabling SENCOs, school leaders and governors to understand their own school context.
 

"Information from the school census: pupils with SEN"

 

For example, we know from the 2024 national SEN statistics that 13.6% of children are identified as receiving SEN support, and 4.8% of children have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).  We know that the most common type of need for those with SEN support continues to be speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

The School Census information is also used in other databases, such as Ofsted’s inspection data    summary report (IDSR) which is used by inspectors when preparing for and during inspection to access information about individual schools.               

If you have made any changes to your data, you may want to update your SEND Context poster and share with your leadership team and governors.

Make sure that parents have been informed of any changes to those identified with SEN. Follow up conversations in writing, giving a copy to parents as well as retaining a copy for the school’s records.

 

Please subscribe if you would like to receive new blogs from the SEND team as they are published: Subscribe

 


Links to resources that you might find useful: 

Complete the school census - Guidance - GOV.UK

SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years

SEND toolkit sixth edition | HFL Education

Special educational needs in England, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

Sara Alston article:  Who should go on the school SEN register?

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the SEND team if you would like to explore this issue further. 

Share this

Eliminating economic exclusion in educational settings - spring 2024

Published
11 January 2024

The Eliminating Economic Exclusion (EEE) Newsletter is our new termly newsletter focusing on the central theme of eliminating the impact of child poverty in educational settings and we’re delighted to share the spring edition with you.

It is full of practical ideas and suggestions for supporting families facing economic hardship and for ensuring that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are not excluded in any way from accessing school life fully. Sign up to receive future editions

Also available to support your eliminating economic exclusion work is a PowerPoint briefing version which you might want to use in a staff meeting or CPD session. Please feel free to adapt it as you wish.

Eliminating Economic Exclusion (EEE) newsletter

Sign up to get the termly newsletter

Contact us today to find out how we can help you.