Do you think "intervention" works?

[CruiseSpeed]

I don't mean the interventions that we all instinctively make as teachers in response to concerns we have about specific pupils struggling with a particular idea or topic

I mean the timetabled intervention lessons after school that require every Year 11 pupil to be undertaking something after school most days, usually based around apparent lack of progress from a data drop.

Hell no!!! The opposite, in fact!

If a kid comes to a revision session, many of them will think, well that's it, I've revised. None of these sessions will address the specific areas of concern of that individual child, but will need to meet the needs of the group and so very few will have the actual things they need addressing addressed.

You've already taught them once - and probably in several different ways. If that hadn't worked, they need to sit with it and find a way that works for them as an individual. This process may involve asking a teacher specific questions, but those questions will only work if the individual has thought it through and tried to puzzle it out themselves.

I don't think making anything after school hours a must is a good idea mainly as you don't know what their commitments are outside of school or how that will affect the family logistics.

Offer them and those interested and serious about them will come but at year 11, they have to do it off their own back.

It gives students an unnecessary fall back plan. They don't need to pay attention in class because the material will be covered in intervention. They need to understand the risk if they do no revision.

There was a story in TES a few years back written by a headteacher.

He had been sucidal after the school have their lowest results after the highest levels of intervention the school had done. He banned intervention sessions and results and behaviour improved.

I agree with physicskate - I've overheard various pupils say things along the lines of "I'm only here because it gets my parents off my back", or "at least I don't need to revise tonight if I attend this" etc.

And I've had lots children look quite shocked when they won't be able to just sit there and listen to me talking - I NEVER addressed the whole class when I did revision sessions, I just gave them reams of past paper questions to work through, and told them to ask me if they were stuck, but they couldn't ask me until they'd checked a textbook/revision guide/asked a friend first.

I don't bother doing them now. Instead I have an open door policy for any child - if they want to see me either individually or in a group then they are welcome to come and see me whenever (within reason). The offer is rarely taken up.

I hate it. The admin is ridiculous and I feel like I'm dragging kids in who can't be arsed to work. So who's it benefiting?

I think it can have an impact but only under certain conditions.
E.g. I think for well motivated students, having a study space where they can get help or a teacher does a little extra drilling etc can help little boosts to click. I also think there are positive pastoral elements to it too for some as I've found myself doing 'this is how you revise' or helping students plan revision in a way that will have impact vs hours of poor quality colour coding etc. Plus there can be a psychosomatic effect for more stressy students. I've supported some students to surpass targets that way.

Do I think mandatory sessions like an extra lesson work? No.
Do I think cramming sessions with students who can't be arsed to work in school works? Not at all.

Senior leaders should (in my humble non SLT opinion) create a culture where it's not an option to mess on in y7-10 & then get intervened with to save your arse in y11.

Nah, it's just box ticking.

I’m torn on this.
I don’t think interventions work if intervention just means revision lessons. In our school we do a lot of intervention but true intervention. The group size in an intervention is small (4-10 kids) and the sessions are used to target specific areas of weakness or misunderstanding. I do the odd revision lesson here or there (one of my y11 classes begged me for a Saturday revision lesson before their mocks) but if I’m going to arrange an ‘intervention’ it will be a small group and looking at a specific thing.
If you put a kid on an intervention list then that session is compulsory for them in my school. Admin send home letters and texts and if it’s a Saturday session then a member of SLT is in school to follow up on attendance and call parents. Teachers just send the list of kids they want there to the HOY and they rest gets dealt with by HOY, admin and SLT.
It works for us. Our Progress 8 score was above +1.00 last year.

I refuse to have students in my intervention sessions if they are misbehaving in class. So, then I am left with those who want to learn.
Makes a massive difference to how the students approach me and how I view giving up my own time for free after school.