We’re delighted to let you know that OTrack and Juniper Education have combined forces to create a stronger provider able to provide a more local service.

We’re delighted to let you know that OTrack and Juniper Education have combined forces to create a stronger provider able to provide a more local service.

New for June 2019…

On Tuesday 4th June, we released a new report. This report is designed to be a supplement to your written parent reports.

See it in action

Watch the video below to see what the report can do:

If you have any questions, please email support@optimumotrack.co.uk

The data that’s available to you in ASP and IDSR can be invaluable, but do you use it to positively impact your pupils and your school as a whole?

Maze Education and OTrack are working together to give you free simple and effective training that will help you use this data to positively impact on your school.

We will show you how to build the skills you need to become an advanced ASP and IDSR user. We will also show you how to address the accountability see-saw whilst identifying the support needed to help each child progress.

Check dates, and book your place now

Key benefits

• Learn how ASP works, and how to simplify the key terminology and calculations that are used.
• Get to grips with IDSR and understand the underpinning calculations/measures better.
• How to interrogate your own data and answer the most important questions for your school.
• Reduce the time you spend looking at data and empower you to focus more on the classroom.
• How to ensure that your data is recorded once and used many times.

What delegates will learn

• How to interpret data using the ASP platform.
• Demystify the key terminology/calculations and concepts of ASP.
• Answer the key questions that are most pertinent to your school by interrogating your own ASP data.
• Understanding the new IDSR.
• What is available to support your school improvement journey.

Please note that this course focuses on Primary age ranges from EYFS to KS2.

All attendees will qualify for trial access to Maze Education’s end of year reporting, including QLA.

Book onto the training course here

In November, I was working with The Grange Primary in North Lincs. We were discussing the most robust way to report progress.

The school were wanting to set individual targets based on prior attainment. My response was a simple one, “That’s easy, use our Termly Targets feature”.

So we got to work on recording these targets. The SLT told me how they set targets and we started entering the data. Whilst I was helping them do this, I found out what a massively onerous task it was. I knew then that we needed to build a tool that would help you record these targets much easier and much faster.

We needed your advice

When we originally released the Termly Targets feature, we thought (assumed actually!) that it would be a tool for teachers. As it turns out, I’ve since found out that it’s mostly SLT that record the pupils’ targets.

I asked for feedback from our users… and I got it! Within 24 hours I had received over 250 emails telling me how the feature was used and how long it took to set targets.

What have we done about it?

After reading all the emails, we discussed the best way to meet the majority of schools needs, and our Application Development team got to work. I have to say, it was far easier for me to explain what was needed than it was for our Devs to actually build the new tool. But we like a challenge :).

We released the updates earlier this month and have trained many schools on how to use this new tool. If you haven’t seen it yet, get in touch and we’ll show you what it does. We’re sure you’ll love it because it will make recording targets much, much (much) quicker.

Email our support team to find out more: support@optimumotrack.co.uk

As you may know, when we released the newer version of OTrack we made a significant change to the EYFS tracker. This was really welcomed by many users, but it hasn’t been popular with others.

The change I’m talking about is the removal of a code between Secure at 40-60+ and meeting the ELG.

The good news is if you’re not a fan of this change we can re-add the extra code if you need it. If you don’t want that extra code, don’t worry, this won’t affect your tracker.

I’ll explain a little further...

In the old OTrack you used to have these codes available towards the latter end of the EYFS code set:

• 40-60 B
• 40-60 D
• 40-60 S
• ELG B
• ELG D
• ELG S

The default codes in the new version of OTrack are:

• 40-60 B
• 40-60 D
• 40-60 S
• G (meaning a pupil understands the ELG)
• E (meaning a pupil is exceeding the ELG)

Some schools contacted us to say they felt that they need a code between ’40-60 S’ and ‘G’ so they can report progress. We can now update your EYFS tracker to have the following:

• 40-60 B
• 40-60 D
• 40-60 S
• W (meaning a pupil is working towards understanding the ELG)
• G
• E

If you want this extra code adding to your OTrack account please email support@optimumotrack.co.uk

Reading time: approx 2 minutes, 55 seconds (739 words).

Find out how we helped reduce staff workload, so they can spend more time on teaching and learning.

How we reduced workload

As with any ‘tracking review’ session, the first thing Joanne and I looked at was the codes that were being used. This is always the best place to start. We could have looked at learning objectives first, but we’d come to that later!

1) Teacher Assessment Codes

Joanne showed me the 7 codes, and their descriptors. They were a common set of codes, ones that I’ve seen used many times:

• B for ‘Below standards’,
• Three codes (W1, W2 and W3) dedicated to showing progress, as a pupil’s ‘Working towards standards’,
• Then a further three codes for ‘At standards’, ‘Mastery’ and ‘Exceptional’.

These codes weren’t a major problem. But the amount of time that the teachers were spending working out which of the codes to use, for each pupil, certainly was an issue. Staff were calculating the percentage of learning objectives that were understood. Then using that percent, they worked out which of the 7 codes each pupil should be, in each subject.

Joanne wanted to consider a Point In Time Assessment model (PITA). We discussed using 3 codes to identify ‘Working towards standards’, ‘Working at expected standards’ and ‘Greater Depth’.

Teachers would ask “based on what I’ve taught to date, has the pupil understood what we’ve covered?”

• If the answer is “some of it”, then record a WT (working towards)
• If it’s “yes”, then record an EX (expected)
• If a pupil needed more challenging tasks etc, then enter GD (greater depth).

We scrutinised the method to make sure it would work for Joanne and her team. After considering all needs, we found that this worked great for Thorngumbald.

There’s more to PITA than the above, but I want to keep this article short…

Book a free online tracking review session to see how we can help you reduce workload too

2) Learning Objectives

Joanne’s staff were tracking objectives using an amended version of the national curriculum, with objectives for Reading, Writing and Maths only. That doesn’t sound too bad, right? But when we looked closer it soon became a concern. Here’s an example of the work we did:

• There are 209 learning objectives in the year 6 curriculum
• There are 36 pupils in year 6
• If each pupil moved from ‘not understanding’ to ‘showing signs of understanding’ to ‘understood’ in each objective, that would be 3 assessments to record through the year.

So, (209 objectives x 36 children) x 3 assessment outcomes = 22,572. That’s 22,572 boxes that the year 6 teacher has to click each year!

Some pupils may jump from ‘not understanding’ straight to ‘understood’ within a term. Not all will, but some will. Let’s assume however that all will:

(209 objectives x 36 children) x 2 assessment outcomes = 15,048. That’s just over 7,500 fewer clicks, but still a massive data entry task for the teacher.

When we applied this to the entire school, we found that over 90,000 assessments would need to be recorded in a single academic year. We knew we had to address this problem somehow.

“The sign of a good pupil tracker is when you’re not using it much. I’ve got that now. Our staff can login, record data, get the analysis they need and get out, fast! This means more time to spend on planning, and of course teaching and learning.”

Joanne Carroll, Headteacher at Thorngumbald Primary School.

Looking at books

With the introduction of the PITA model, and with an understanding of the time spent recording objective level data, we decided to explore if there was any need to commit so much time to data entry.

Recording and reviewing the pupil’s gaps in learning is vital for great planning. The teachers at Thorngumbald already have a great system in place for this… they stick learning objectives into pupil’s workbooks. Then, when a teacher observes that a pupil has understood an objective, they highlight it. Simple, effective and child-inclusive.

That was the ‘nail in the coffin’ for the electronic recording of objective level data. And welcoming news for staff!

The way forward

Thorngumbald now uses a simple PITA model for tracking attainment and progress. Teachers record assessments for 3 subjects, 3 times a year. That’s significantly less than 90,000 boxes to click.

“Teachers now record and analyse assessments with ease, and senior management still have access to the data we need. It’s makes so much more sense now.”

Joanne Carroll

The work that Joanne and I did has guaranteed less pupil tracking and more teaching and learning. That benefits everyone in school!

Book a free online tracking review session to see how we can help you reduce workload too

Further reading

[1] – What is a Point In Time Assessment model?

Our termly report pack is designed to save you time in school. We compile all your Y1 to Y6 Teacher Assessment Summative data and send it to you in one easy-to-read PDF pack.

Download a sample analysis pack now

How do I order?

Complete the order form here

How much does it cost?

The prices below are an introductory price and may change in future terms.

You can order these packs for all terms or one, or two, or three etc – it’s completely up to you. Let us know by ordering, using the button above.

Primary Schools: £75 per term
Junior Schools: £60 per term
Infant Schools: £45 per term

When will I get my report?

When you complete the order form, tell us the date you want the pack sending. We will send the PDF pack to you on that date.

We work with over 1600 schools, so we’re in a great position to watch how pupil tracking evolves.

READ MORE →

This week has been action packed and very interesting, so I thought I’d share the experience with our social media friends.

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