SSIF Case Studies
The DfE have now completed the final monitoring reports for the 103 Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) projects (20 in the East Midlands and Humber) that ended in March 2019. As part of that process a total of 18 projects helpfully provided lessons learned from their experience of delivering SSIF projects, in the form of case studies. Those case studies can be accessed below and we hope others can learn from these projects.
The SSIF provided £56 million to 171 projects in England, supporting over 3,100 individual schools and projects had a variety of foci including maths, English, leadership and support for disadvantaged pupils.
SSIF Round 1
Launde; Closing the gap for disadvantaged white boys through writing in Leicestershire and Rutland
Ashbourne; Project READ (Reading Everywhere Across Derbyshire) - A programme to improve pupils’ outcomes in spoken language and reading comprehension from EYFS to Year 6, targeted upon 43 identified schools
Kyra; LEAP (Lincolnshire English Attainment Project): Reduce the attainment gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by improving literacy and communication skills
Landau Forte; To diminish the difference in achievement in reading between the boys eligible for PPG in the identified schools and ‘other pupils’ nationally
Learners First; Developing Spoken Language Skills, Vocabulary and Oracy Competency to Improve Pupil Outcomes
LeTs; Raising achievement for SEN and Low Prior Attainment Pupils in Key Stages 2 and 4 in Leicester’s mainstream schools
Pathfinder; Improving KS2 writing by developing independent writing skills
Transform; Improving stubborn reading performance data in Nottingham through evidence based practice and shared accountability
SSIF Round 2
Cotgrave Candlby Lane; Improving reading outcomes across the primary key stages with a particular focus on reading in the early years, the teaching of comprehension at KS2, and implementation of effective interventions to narrow existing gaps
Kibworth; Improving pupils’ reading at KS1 and KS2 through training of teachers in synthetic phonics, reading comprehension, reciprocal reading, language development, and encouraging enjoyment for reading
Kirk Sandall; To improve outcomes in literacy across KS2 with a focus on diminishing the differences for vulnerable groups through an evidence informed professional development programme
Landau Forte; To diminish the difference in achievement from Early Years to KS2 in Mathematics between disadvantaged and other pupils nationally
Rushey Mead; Improving attainment and progress in maths and subjects with a high maths content at KS4 for disadvantaged and white British students in Leicester schools
Silverdale; Improving literacy attainment levels of disadvantaged pupils by increasing reading comprehension of children at KS1 to KS3, through Inference Training
Sneinton; Making every person count in Maths. Reducing the attainment gap from EYFSKS4 with a specific focus on disadvantaged groups, transition, leadership development for sustainable numeracy strategies, subject knowledge and pedagogy for all adults supporting maths learning in underperforming schools
South Hunsley; Improving progress at KS4, focusing on meeting the needs of disadvantaged students
Staniland; Lincolnshire Attainment in Maths Project (LAMP)
Tinsley Meadows; Developing the metalinguistic awareness of children and their understanding of language choices in order to help them apply grammar meaningfully to their writing. This will in turn improve the end of KS2 writing outcomes for all and in particular for White British disadvantaged children