Case Study: Greenshaw’s Focus Five Initiative

Greenshaw High School has implemented a targeted approach to addressing disadvantage and supporting vulnerable students through a strategy called Focus Five. We explore how they did it and how SBLs can adopt similar practices

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on gov.uk

This approach offers a compelling example of how schools can effectively meet the needs of disadvantaged students while fostering success for all learners. For school business leaders, working closely with teaching staff to explore and adopt similar strategies is essential. Here’s a look at how Greenshaw High School implemented their Focus Five initiative.

Focus Five empowers teachers to identify and prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable pupils in their classes, particularly those who are eligible for pupil premium or have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Teacher Input

Teachers plan their lessons with the specific needs of their students in mind, utilising a range of strategies to provide targeted support. Through a combination of core teaching techniques like live marking and scaffolding, which are defined and refined through coaching, teachers are empowered to address the unique challenges of their most vulnerable learners. These strategies have been specifically identified as key tools for supporting pupils, especially those eligible for pupil premium or with SEND.

The Focus Five approach ensures that teachers are always mindful of the pupils who require additional attention. Each teacher identifies five pupils in every class who may need extra support, ensuring a more focused approach to lesson planning. By using data, teachers identify these pupils based on criteria such as low reading comprehension, weak inference skills, or slower processing. This enables them to tailor their lessons to meet the individual needs of these students, ensuring that explanations, activities and objectives are accessible.

Implementing Similar Initiatives

Focus Five encourages teachers to avoid focusing solely on the majority of students, instead reminding them to provide additional support where it’s needed most. This might involve extra scaffolding, early check-ins during tasks, or simply offering positive praise to motivate and reassure students. The approach also considers the time constraints and workload of teachers, helping them balance the needs of all students without overwhelming them.

An ongoing challenge when implementing strategies like Focus Five is ensuring that new staff members fully understand and embrace the approach. For school business leaders looking to implement similar initiatives, this challenge can be addressed through a structured and supportive induction process. By providing clear, targeted training and ensuring new staff are familiar with the key principles from the outset, school leaders can foster an environment where the strategy is easily adopted.

School business leaders can also create collaborative opportunities for teachers to discuss and share best practices, ensuring they feel supported and confident in using the approach. This proactive preparation ensures that all staff are equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively support vulnerable students, making initiatives successful and sustainable.