Leadership and management guide

Leading The Secondary National Strategy, KS3

Effective leadership is key to schools making good use of the The Secondary National Strategy, KS3. With more freedom and flexibility schools are now able to select and use Strategy materials most appropriate to meet the individual learning needs of their pupils.

For further information please see the publication Key Stage 3 National Strategy 2004-05: Raising Standards and supporting whole-school improvement.

"Excellent schools have excellent leaders. Leaders who are able to shape the vision for their schools: to identify and develop strengths and weaknesses; to chart a course for school improvement and to engage the whole school and its community in a concerted effort to raise standards of education."
A New Specialist System: Transforming Secondary Education, DfES 0173/2003, p13

Effective leadership is a key component of a successful school. Headteachers and senior leaders have a vital role to play in making The Secondary National Strategy, KS3 a success by improving attainment for all 11-14 year olds. This document helps headteachers and senior leaders in that role.

The Secondary National Strategy, KS3 is designed to support schools to raise standards by strengthening teaching and learning across the curriculum for all pupils aged 11-14. Its goal is to meet the Government's ambitious targets for 2004 and 2007.

Since 2003 the Strategy has shifted its emphasis from working through separate strands to working towards whole school improvement. This shift has clear implications for senior leaders in schools who need to ensure coordination and coherence whilst maintaining a tight focus on raising standards.

The Secondary National Strategy, KS3 aims to raise standards by

• improving the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects by the application of the principles of teaching and learning and the development of pedagogy to meet the individual learning needs of pupils
• by promoting inclusion and tackling underperformance so that all pupils make good progress and many more achieve the national expectation by the end of Key Stage 3
• strengthening the whole curriculum so that pupils may improve their learning skills and develop as independent learners
• supporting school leaders to use the Strategy to bring about whole school improvement

Since the introduction of the Key Stage 3 Strategy significant progress has been made in raising pupils' standards. This year the focus will be on building on this success to further accelerate the progress of all pupils so that many more pupils progress two levels across the key stage. In English and mathematics attention will also be paid to those pupils who enter at level 3 and find it more difficult to progress to level 5.