Sample departmental/subject action plan (English

department)
The following sample sets out what a detailed action plan may look like for an English department in a fictional secondary school.

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DEPARTMENTAL/SUBJECT ACTION PLAN

Subject: English Subject lead: Peter Smith Year: 2019/20

CONTEXT

New head of department in 2018

Department is fully staffed and now includes 2 trainee teachers
Main focus for 2018/19:
 Raising the standard of teaching across the department: now 80% of all lessons were good or better
 Identification of underperforming teachers and support given
 Long term and medium term planning: to support consistency in teaching
 Staff peer to peer support given
Strengths:
 A strong English curriculum which will now support teaching and learning next academic year
 Consistently improving results in Y11 and 13
 Increase in progress across the school
Areas for development:
 Feedback: to ensure consistency across the department
 Raise attainment further in KS4
 Create middle leaders in department to delegate responsibility

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DEPARTMENT LONG-TERM PLAN (2-3 YEAR TIMESCALE):

1. All teachers to know and understand what outstanding teaching and learning looks like
2. For English expectations to be consistent throughout the school – across all subjects
3. 50% of cohort to be working above expected levels

DEPARTMENT PRIORITIES (1 YEAR TIMESCALE):

1. Feedback: to be consistent across the department, supporting assessment for learning

2. To raise attainment in English across KS4
3. To develop a middle leadership structure in the department to support consistent teaching and learning across the department

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DEPARTMENT PRIORITY 1: TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF TEACHING IN ENGLISH

Member of staff responsible: Head of Department (HoD)

Targets Actions to be taken By whom By when Resources Success criteria Monitoring RAG
needed

All teaching in  Learning walks HoD Ongoing Cover for Teaching and learning in English to be judged Monitored
English is conducted once learning as at least ‘good’ if not ‘outstanding’ on a each half term
‘good’ and per half term walks consistent basis by HoD and
‘outstanding’ HoD and By the end the link
 ‘Good’ to Attainment and progress in all classes
advanced of term 2 member of the
‘outstanding’ improving by xx%
skills senior
teaching CPD teachers Gap between PP and class average closing by leadership
for all staff xx% team

95% of KS3  Baseline HoD Year 7 in Baseline Summer 2 data entry shows achievement data Monitored at
students will assessments for term 1, assessment matching or exceeding this target each data
meet the new students others entry by HoD
Milestones:
school’s and set targets ongoing and second in
expected Extension December: xx% students on track. Xx% department,
standard in  Moderation English
resource exceeding and discussed
completed department
English each The end of booklet with the link
within one week April: xx% students on track. Xx% exceeding
year, with 40% term 2 member of the
exceeding it of assessment senior
June: xx% students on track. Xx% students on
Intervention track leadership
resource pack team
Key students who are off track are identified
and support given to accelerate progress:
mentoring, weekly micro-targets set

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DEPARTMENT PRIORITY 1: TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF TEACHING IN ENGLISH

Staff in the  All staff HoD During term Cover for All teachers in department show development HoD monitors
English complete skills 1 training in skills audit from baseline using skills
department audit to set audit and
Milestones:
are prepared baseline Assistant confidence
for teaching principal The end of Training costs Term 1: Teaching strengths and weakness survey
the new  All staff to responsible term 2 identified. Areas of developments included in
curriculum attend new for training performance management targets
curriculum Costs of
training Term 2: All staff trained with new curriculum
Throughout resourcing
Whole expectations and are starting to plan according
 ‘New curriculum the year the new
English to new expectations
strategies’ curriculum
department
sharing time Term 3: New planning in place for next year.
during all Planning moderated by SLT and in line with
departmental Fortnightly new expectations
meetings department
Planning is consistent across all year groups
meetings
All resources are bought and in place ready for
next year

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