Organisation of Schools

Organisation of schools Education Standing Committee An update: 12 March 2012. Lindsay Alldis Lead Adviser for school partnerships. Diversity of schools • Nottinghamshire County Council promotes choice and diversity in schools. There is not one preferred option. The model adopted in each locality will depend on an assessment of local circumstances and the best interests of pupils and their parents/carers in the community. (Ref: Categories of schools. NCC) • The Coalition Policy on education has and continues to increase the autonomy of schools in facilitating their ability to develop new models of leadership. • Nottinghamshire County Council works in strong partnership with schools, Ofsted, central government and other stakeholders to ensure that the most appropriate model is adopted by schools to ensure the best educational provision for our children. School Partnerships. • Schools have historically worked in partnership with each other, the positive impact of this work is well documented . • No school can meet the needs of all its pupils alone. • Delivering the Pupil and Parent guarantees will require schools to work in partnership with other schools and wider children’s services in order to offer more by working together than any one partner could alone; and to provide better value for money. • At the same time FEDERATION and other partnership solutions will become central to tackling underperformance and extending the reach of our best leaders. (Ref: White paper Your child, Your school, Our future, 2009) Coalition Policy • The Coalition policy on education is to increase the autonomy of schools facilitating their ability to develop new models of leadership where this is appropriate for their school. • The principle is underpinned by the commitment to providing the highest possible quality of education for the children in the community. • Teachers and leaders should not be hindered by over prescription, complicated inspection systems and bureaucratic procedures. Fundamental change • …a new approach based on trust, responsibility and freedom (which) requires a fundamental change in the relationship between schools and the Government, Ofsted and Local Authorities.’ Nick Gibb 23/09/2010. • Nottinghamshire County Council have a clear policy to support and facilitate individual school governing bodies to develop the most appropriate model of leadership for their school. (Ref: school to school partnership policy) • The Local Authority continues to work hard to develop a professional and trusting partnership with schools, central government and Ofsted in the context of these fundamental changes. Models of leadership… What are the different models of leadership? NB. In all instances, this should be underpinned by a clear vision of how the chosen model will make a positive impact on the educational experience for pupils; it is this vision which will determine the resulting structure. Single schools This is the standard model with one school, one Headteacher and one governing body but shared headship is increasing as a new model of leadership Collaborations This is a formal Partnership model using the collaborative regulations to establish a strategic group across the Partnership. Federations This is where two or more schools are governed collectively under a single governing body. Mixed Federations and Collaborations This is where groups of schools apply both sets of regulations according to their local circumstances. 3 and more… What are the different models of leadership? Partnerships In this model, groups of schools establish formal and informal agreements to work together outside the statutory framework. Trusts This is a strategic model encompassing one or more schools with partners (educational and non-educational) to deliver improved outcomes. Currently unlikely to be incentivised but no change to regulations Academies ‘Sponsored’ academies are expected to have innovative leadership structures to help them tackle underachievement. ‘Converting’ academies are expected to work with other schools to help raise standards. Free Schools These schools will be independent of Local Authority Control and may be sponsored by parents, community groups and others. They will be academies 4 So that’s what we can do but why? Leadership models & the school system Emerging themes from the White Paper: Schools working together remains a central part of the drive to raise standards – academies, federations and chains are high profile Current range of partnership models remains plus the addition of new Academies ,‘Free Schools’, Technical & Vocational schools– more autonomy - less bureaucracy and greater curriculum coherence? School to school partnerships will become increasingly important as other sources of support diminish – schools leading a self- improving system – but accountable Teaching Schools, teachers and teacher quality are vital Inspection to focus on the ‘essentials’ 7 A Self Improving School System ‘Creating a self improving system’ David Hargreaves identifies four building blocks of a self improving system: • clusters of schools • a local solutions approach • co-construction • system leaders These building blocks, in combination with current and potential future models of leadership could generate improvement of the system from within. www.nationalcollege.org.uk 8 Current leadership models • Nottinghamshire Education Improvement Service is committed to raising standards in all schools. There has been a significant improvement in the quality of provision for the children in Nottinghamshire, school to school partnerships have been key to this improvement. • Councillor Owen summarised this in his letter to the Educational Improvement Service. ( Please refer to the handout.) Collaborations (Soft federations) • This leadership model has been developed across Nottinghamshire schools. • There are numerous examples with clear evidence to support the success of the effectiveness of this model in the appropriate context. • One example is that of the support that the Minster School is providing the Magnus C of E Foundation School in the Bassetlaw area. This is in its third year. In May 2008 the Magnus C of E comprehensive school was judged by Ofsted to require special measures. It entered into a collaboration with Minster school. • Ofsted currently judges Magnus to be a satisfactory school and also that Minster has improved from a good to outstanding school in all areas. Minster Ofsted inspection (23-24 November 2011) • The following statements show that collaboration has been beneficial to both partner schools in raising standards. • ‘This school is highly effective so that outcomes in all areas are outstanding.’ • ‘The success of the school is a result of highly effective leadership at all levels. Senior leaders are highly principled and have shown excellent judgement in determining exactly the right priorities. Governors, through the whole hearted backing they have given to the development of partnerships, have been instrumental in enabling the school to develop an outstanding capacity for sustained improvement’. Academies • In the Schools White Paper ‘The importance of Teaching’ 2010, it stated that ‘We will rapidly expand the Academies programme so that over time all schools can make the most of greater autonomy and strong leadership’. • ‘All schools will be able to become academies with outstanding schools leading the way’. • ‘We will make sure that schools can find suitable improvement support’. • ‘We will support underperforming schools and ensure that those that are seriously failing or are unable to improve their results are transformed through conversion to academy status.’ Academies in Nottinghamshire • Nottinghamshire Local Authority is clear in its commitment to the strategic commissioning role, championing educational excellence through meeting the need of individual schools. • Detail of Schools with Academy status in Nottinghamshire and those schools in the process of gaining Academy status. (Please refer slides 19 – 26 at the end of this presentation) The New Relationship • The DFE have proactively identified schools across the country that are significantly underperforming. In consultation with Nottinghamshire LA they have facilitated a school to school partnership for underperforming schools where the leading school has a National or Local Leader of Education.( NLE/LLE). • The DFE have supported this partnership by adding a specific amount of funding to the school budget of the NLE or LLE. These leaders submit a partnership plan to the DFE which will aim to strengthen the leadership and management of the underperforming school. School partnerships (currently funded directly by DFE) • £25,000 to fund Heymann Primary to support Croft Primary • £25,000 to fund Candleby Lane to support Rosebrook Primary • £25,000 to fund Wynndale Primary to support Samuel Barlow Primary and Nursery • £25,000 to fund Central Junior to support Edgewood Primary • £25,000 to fund Chuter Ede Primary to support Bowbridge Primary • £25,000 to fund Jesse Gray Primary to support Oliver Quibell Infants • £25,000 to fund Jesse Gray Primary to support Hawtonville Junior • ( Hawtonville Junior and Oliver Quibell are currently federated as Cleveland Green and are in final stages of an amalgamation to become a new school.) and… • £25,000 to fund Tuxford Academy to support Tuxford Primary • £30,000 to fund Ashfield Secondary to support Gedling • £30,000 to fund Minster School, to support Magnus C of E Foundation School. • £30,000 to fund Toothill

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