BRUISED AND BROKEN: LOOKING AFTER THE KIDS FALLING UNDER THE RADAR A digital newspaper determined to get past the bluster and explain the facts. P25

Agnew: Moynihan’s Pupil snooping or Investigation: £440k pay is safety? The firms The SEND ‘reasonable’ surveilling kids funding crisis

P9 P11 P14 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK | @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30, 2018 | EDITION 159 EXCLUSIVE

School caps Christmas teacher gifts

PAGE 16

It’s a Dwan deal Academy trust gave founder’s brother rent-free use of school building Nursery will stay on site until 2028, despite school’s move to new trust

Family freebie means trusts miss out on £50k rent revenue P8

EXCLUSIVE PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS | @PIPPA_AK

DISCOVER Vocational qualifications, equivalent CAMBRIDGE in size to GCSEs for 14–16 year olds. NATIONALS They offer practical, engaging content that fits your students’ learning styles.

Oxford Cambridge and RSA @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Meet the news team

John Dickens Laura McInerney Cath Murray EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COMMISSIONING EDITOR & HEAD OF DIGITAL

@JOHNDICKENSSW @MISS_MCINERNEY @CATHMURRAY_ [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Freddie Whittaker Jess Staufenberg Pippa Allen-Kinross CHIEF REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER

@FCDWHITTAKER @STAUFENBERGJ @PIPPA_AK [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

THE TEAM Head designer: Nicky Phillips SUBSCRIBE Shane Mann Designer: Simon Kay MANAGING DIRECTOR Photographer: Ellis O’Brien For an annual subscription to Schools Week Financials: Helen Neilly for just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and Sales team leader: Bridget Stockdale click on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. Sales executive: Clare Halliday schoolsweek.co.uk Administration: Georgina Heath @SHANERMANN or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe PA to managing director: Victoria Boyle [email protected]

JO BS

THIS WEEK’S TOP AVAILABLE JOBS IN THE EDUCATION. TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SCROLL TO PAGE 40 OF SCHOOLS WEEK OR VISIT THE WEB ADDRESS LISTED

CORE EDUCATION TRUST – TRUST HEADTEACHER – COMPETITIVE SALARY

HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/ZR8M

AMBITION SCHOOL LEADERSHIP - ASSOCIATE DEAN - LEARNING DESIGN - £54,000 - £59,000 + £3,000 LWA (IF APPLICABLE)

HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/TPQD

AMBITION SCHOOL LEADERSHIP - ASSOCIATE DEAN - LEARNING DESIGN (MATERNITY COVER) - £54,000 - £59,000 + £3,000 LWA (IF APPLICABLE)

HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/4W2B

TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND SCHOOLS WEEK PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] 2 BOOK NOW | Super early bird offer ends 11 January save at least 30%

TH

NEXT YEAR WE WILL CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION, WHICH HAS GROWN FROM A THOUGHT-FORUM TO THE MOST IMPORTANT, INTERESTING AND INSPIRATIONAL EVENT IN THE EDUCATION CALENDAR.

LAST YEAR OVER 4,000 ATTENDEES IMMERSED THEMSELVES IN SESSIONS RANGING FROM THE CANDID PIERS MORGAN INTERVIEW WITH SIR MICHAEL WILSHAW, TO THE INFORMATIVE TESSA DON’TDUNLOP AND THE EMOTIVE MISS DR NEVILLE LAWRENCE. THE WITH OVERULTIMATE 250 OTHERS, INCLUDING TOM FESTIVALSHERRINGTON, GEOFF BARTON, OFAMANDA SPIELMAN EDUCATION AND DAISY CHRISTODOULOU, THERE WAS OVER 250 SPEAKERS OVER 4,000 ATTENDEES ACROSS TWO INSPIRING DAYS

THE 10TH FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION #EDUCATIONFEST THURSDAY 20 & FRIDAY 21 JUNE 2019 EDUCATIONFEST.CO.UK WELLINGTON COLLEGE, CROWTHORNE SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK | @SCHOOLSWEEK Edition 159

The editor’s top picks

News News

ADVERTISE WITH US If you are interested in placing a product or job advert in a future edition please click on the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on schoolsweek.co.uk or contact: E: [email protected] New Schools Network Delegate more on T: 020 81234 778 finally reveals its funders curriculum, Ofsted tells heads SUBSCRIBE P12 P7

For an annual subscription to Schools Week for just £50 visit www.schoolsweek. co.uk and click on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. schoolsweek.co.uk Research review: Why failure in or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe education is a good thing Disclaimer Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. The design of the digital newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you wish to reproduce an article from either the digital paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week must be referenced (to not do so, would be an infringement on copyright). Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. Email @Schoolsweek.co.uk with Error/Concern in the subject line. Please include the page number and story headline, and explain what the problem is.

SCHOOLS WEEK IS PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF Knowing what hasn’t worked is just as valuable as knowing what has, says Stuart Kime

LEARNING & SKILLS EVENTS, P33 CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING LTD 161-165 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD LONDON SE10 8JA T: 020 8123 4778 E: [email protected] @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News: teacher training CONTACT US [email protected]

Physics and maths are hit hardest as teacher-training targets missed

FREDDIE WHITTAKER RECRUITMENT AGAINST 5 @FCDWHITTAKER GOVERNMENT ITT TARGETS

The government has missed its own teacher-training targets in most EBacc subjects this year – with physics, maths 5 and technology also falling to their “lowest points” in recent years. 5 Initial teacher training census data released yesterday (Thursday) shows the government only met its postgraduate trainee recruitment targets in biology, English and history. The target for primary teachers was also reached, but only just. The government missed its targets in modern foreign languages, classics, geography, chemistry, computing, maths, HYSICS HISTORY ENGLISH IOLOGY CLASSICS

physics and other non-EBacc subjects. CHEMISTRY SUECTS COMUTING GEOGRAHY NON EACC NON EACC In physics, the government recruited just MATHEMATICS

47 per cent of its target number of trainees, MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES while in maths, just 65 per cent of the target was met. At the other end of the scale, the DfE Rayner, the shadow education secretary, master’s degree level) that builds on and recruited 153 per cent of the biology criticised the government for missing its complements their initial training”, he said. teachers needed and 110 per cent of the teacher-training targets “six years in a row”. This week’s data also revealed just 90 English teachers required. James Noble-Rogers, from the people took up a place on the government’s The situation is a slight improvement on Universities Council for the Education of new postgraduate teacher apprenticeship, last year, when targets were missed in all Teachers, added: “These results are a great launched last year and aimed to recruit EBacc subjects bar history. cause for concern. 1,000 trainees Overall, 29,255 new postgraduate trainees “The government has yet again missed The number of new postgraduate trainees were recruited this year, against a target of its training targets, which will mean that starting this academic year was 29,255, up 32,226. schools will continue to struggle to recruit from 27,145 last year, a rise of 8 per cent. Luke Sibieta, a research fellow at the the teachers they need. There were also 5,335 entrants to Education Policy Institute and Institute for “The DfE must as a matter of urgency undergraduate initial teacher training this Fiscal Studies, said increases in the number develop a coherent recruitment and year, up from 4,765 last year. of trainees were driven by rises in biology, retention strategy, rather than continue Nick Gibb, the schools minister, English, PE and geography, subjects “where with a series of piecemeal and ad hoc highlighted that the overall number of new current shortages are less acute”. initiatives.” trainee teachers starting courses this year Numbers remain “broadly stable” across a He said the DfE should remove tuition (34,500) was more than 2,600 higher than range of “mostly smaller subjects”, Sibieta fees for postgraduate initial teacher in 2017. said, but he warned of “continuing education students, replace the “badly He said this shows teaching continues falls seen in physics, maths and administered” pre-entry skills test with on- to be an “attractive career for able technology”, which are now at programme assessments of literacy and graduates” despite a “competitive “their lowest points seen in numeracy, and “rationalise the way in labour market”. [the] recent past”. which the different routes into teaching “This includes the highest “Where are all the physics are marketed to potential teachers”. number of new postgraduates and maths teachers going The government should also invest since 2011-12, and the quality to come from for the extra more in teacher retention and of entrants remains high, 400,000 pupils expected give all new teachers with 19 per cent holding in secondary “an entitlement to fully a first-class degree.” schools over funded, structured the next five early professional years?” he said. development Angela (ideally at Luke Sibieta Angela Rayner

5 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News: marking CONTACT US [email protected]

New method of exams marking ‘could transform teachers’ workload’

JESS STAUFENBERG double marking, without losing any reliability. was used on a mass scale, to find out the point at @STAUFENBERGJ “Paired comparison can match the predictive which the method “starts to deteriorate and the accuracy of double marking or two examiners whole model fit starts to collapse”. Grading exam essays using comparative rank ordering with significantly less time Paula Goddard, a fellow of the Chartered judgment is “significantly” quicker and still as invested,” said the Marking reliability studies 2017 Institute of Educational Assessors, warned paired reliable as double-marking them, Ofqual has report. comparison “may be faster” than double marking, found. The report follows pledges from education but “it still hasn’t been used for a full-sized On Tuesday the exams watchdog published secretary Damian Hinds to help teachers strip examination cohort” of 10,000 entries. findings from research it conducted over the away workload tasks that don’t “add value”, Examiners only looked at 60 extended essays past five years into improving the quality of including triple marking, in the face of a persistent for AS history papers in Ofqual’s research. examiner marking at GCSE, AS and A-levels. teacher-retention crisis. But if the paired comparison model could be It found paired comparison, also known as Daisy Christodoulou, director of education at made to work at scale, then Ofqual’s finding could comparative judgment, in which examiners No More Marking, which promotes comparative hold “great” possibilities for the marking system judge pairs of essays against one another until judgment in schools, said the new research in future, said Goddard. all are ranked and then graded, is as reliable and proved the method could transform workload for Ofqual’s report concluded there is “scope to takes as long as traditional marking and another teachers. further investigate alternatives to marking”. method called “rank ordering”. “This shows that comparative judgment is It added careful thought would need to be given Rank ordering is simply where examiners use amazingly reliable and efficient,” she said. to ensuring “transparency” as to how the rank- example essays provided by the exam board as The method also allows for more “holistic” order placing was determined for each individual “anchors” for the grade a paper should get, and is judgment about essays rather than trying to stick candidate. not the same as comparative judgment. to a mark scheme which some teachers struggle As well as being as reliable as traditional with, she added. marking and rank ordering, Ofqual also found However, the Ofqual report warned further paired comparison is “significantly quicker” than research would be needed if paired comparison

EXCLUSIVE FREDDIE WHITTAKER | @FCDWHITTAKER Exam board marking metrics still on shelf

Ofqual, the exams regulator, is still trying to thresholds or benchmarks do not compromise find a way to publish data on how the quality the live online monitoring procedures and hence of marking varies between exam boards, more the actual quality of marking, which is the very than three years after the idea was floated. thing we wish to improve.” Dame Glenys Stacey (pictured), the former Concerns were also raised in a January chief regulator at Ofqual, announced in June 2017 Ofqual board meeting. Minutes state 2015 that the organisation would publish that although the regulator was “now able to metrics for exam marking quality in 2017. routinely create marking consistency metrics However, only limited data was made available for GCSEs and A-levels”, the metrics were last year, and Schools Week understands the based on data from exam boards’ own quality regulator is still trying to find a “sensible” way control mechanisms. to make the published data work. “As we have previously discussed, New documents published this week reveal publishing such metrics might have perverse Ofqual is concerned about the impact any more consequences for the monitoring of live detailed data would have on the way marking is marking.” GCSE and A-level exams in England, said its monitored. A set of marking reliability studies completed members “welcome any research into marking Although the document, Marking consistency last year provided limited information about the consistency. metrics: an update, reported for the first time quality of marking by exam boards. However, “We are focused on implementing on qualification-level metrics, it warned that it is believed a method of regularly publishing improvements to the quality of our marking. future work with metrics “needs to proceed with quality metrics is still some way off. Our priority is, as it always has been, to give some caution”. The Joint Council for Qualifications, which students the results they deserve for their “This is to manage the risk that any use of represents the four exam boards which provide performance in examinations.”

6 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News: Ofsted CONTACT US [email protected] Delegate more on curriculum, Ofsted tells heads

next year that will have schools’ curriculums planning to “turn up in September and send JESS STAUFENBERG at its core. out a bunch of inspectors to downgrade a @STAUFENBERGJ But Jones said in some schools his team bunch of schools”. observed it was “the headteacher who did all “That’s not the intention here,” he added. Some headteachers are doing “all the the thinking around vision and ethos, and However one education expert has now thinking” about the school’s curriculum when how that translated into their curriculum warned that Ofsted’s focus on curriculum they should be delegating more responsibility intent”. risks being a tick-box exercise which doesn’t to subject leads, according to a senior Ofsted “Obviously that’s no good if the find out whether pupils are actually learning. figure. headteacher then leaves.” Becky Allen, professor of education at Chris Jones, deputy director for research In addition the research found the “best University College London’s Institute of and evaluation at the inspectorate, said his curriculums” were those with proper input Education, delivered her warning at an team were “worried” by examples of schools from subject specialists, he added. assessment panel event organised by research in which heads had too much control over “The strongest examples of the curriculum organisation Evidence Based Education on curriculum re-design. we found were those where you have a thursday. He also promised Ofsted was conscious strong central vision…but then subject leads By emphasising curriculum while ignoring some schools are further behind on their were given responsibility to then get on and the “incredibly complex” issue of whether curriculum design and the inspectorate was implement the curriculum.” pupils are learning, Ofsted risks returning not planning to “downgrade” lots of them One delegate also warned schools might schools to “the age of just writing down when the new framework is introduced in try to design their curriculum “in a summer curriculums as a set of tick statements”. September. holiday” given the new inspection framework “That is absolutely not the way we decide The finding that heads should delegate will be published in summer 2019, leaving how a child’s knowledge domain is being more curriculum planning emerged from little time before term. built up or mastered at all,” said Allen. Ofsted’s research into curriculum practice Jones said Ofsted was aware schools Ofsted is due to publish a draft version of at 23 schools. It comes as the inspectorate were “further behind” with their curriculum its new framework in the new year, before a prepares a new inspection framework for planning, but said the inspectorate was not consultation.

FIND OUT MORE EDUCATION-SHOW.COM LET’S MAKE SCHOOLS THRIVE 24-25 JANUARY 2019 EXCEL LONDON

NEW FOR THE LOW-DOWN ON POLICY IN PRACTICE NEIGHBOURING THE EDUCATION SHOW MORE TEACHING RESOURCES EXPLORE EDTECH 2019 THE BEST BUYS TO KIT OUT YOUR SCHOOL SOLUTIONS AT

#EdShow19

7 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 Investigation DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected] Dwan trust gave brother rent-free premises

bugs” at Liskeard. PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS Minibugs was officially incorporated as @PIPPA_AK EXCLUSIVE a company on November 15, 2015, with its 100 shares belonging to Blue Support A failed academy trust gave the brother of Services. its founder rent-free premises for ten years But documents at Companies House show to run a private nursery on the site of one that on March 2, 2016, all the nursery’s its schools. shares transferred to Andrew Dwan. The Adventure Learning Academy Trust The contract that allowed the free rental (ALAT), the sister-trust of the crisis-hit was signed off in September 2016 by Kathy Bright Tribe Trust, signed a deal to let Kirkham, the then Bright Tribe operating a nursery company owned by Andrew officer, but it’s not clear from public Dwan, brother of the Bright Tribe founder documents when the decision to award the Michael, to move into a building at contract was made. the Liskeard Hillfort Primary School in performance of its schools. However, minutes from a meeting of the Cornwall. Both Michael and Andrew Dwan have joint ALAT and Bright Tribe trust board on The deal was not recorded in the trust’s denied any wrongdoing. March 17, 2016, involved an update from accounts where other related-party Asked whether there were plans to end Kirkham, a former head of free schools at transactions are listed. the free lease now that Liskeard was being the DfE, on “nursery provision in Cornwall Both trusts are now being wound rebrokered to the Truro and Penwith impacting on ALAT academies”. down and all of their schools rebrokered Academies Trust, Andrew Dwan insisted The minutes read that directors noted “the following financial and performance the nursery’s licence to occupy the site “is a Minibugs Liskeard Ofsted registration will problems. legal agreement and should be honoured”. be completed by April 2016 and a nursery But the terms of the deal made two years He told Schools Week that Minibugs manager has been recently appointed”. ago under the previous leadership allows Nurseries, which runs another nursery in The minutes list Michael Dwan as present the 74-place Minibugs Nursery to continue Cornwall and one in Sheffield, spent more and say “no potential conflicts of interests to operate in rent-free premises until 2026, than £100,000 to refurbish the nursery. were declared relative to published agenda after which it will pay £5,000 a year. “Minibugs is disappointed that there items”. The licence stipulates that the contract appears to be an attempt to allege In relation to the shares, Andrew cannot be terminated until 2026 unless wrongdoing of some sort, when the facts Dwan said this was the result of a there has been a serious breach. The are that Minibugs invested substantial “communication error on establishment of nursery is then entitled to two years’ notice money and effort in establishing this the Minibugs company and was corrected before it has to quit the site. nursery, which only enhances the once realised” and he should have always This deals means that ALAT, which opportunities for reception recruitment owned the shares. He said the transfer charged £5,000 annual rent to the previous and an expansion of facilities at the took place “pre-trading before any lease occupiers of the site, and any new trust will school,” he said. agreement was entered into”. have missed out on an estimated £50,000 “We understand that other commercial A spokesperson for Michael Dwan insisted in revenue by the time Minibugs begins to operators were not interested in this that he “took no part in any discussion pay rent. premises, which required significant or negotiation on behalf of the trust with The disclosure comes as police and investment and refurbishment and where Minibugs”, but would not confirm if he government investigations into Bright the previous operator had failed to attract had been present in trust meetings that Tribe are still ongoing. New government- viable children numbers.” discussed the deal or that he had absented appointed trustees are also carrying out Andrew Dwan said he personally himself due to the conflict of interest. investigations, which are expected to be “appointed and paid for” the contractors A spokesperson for ALAT said Minibugs completed by Christmas. to work on the nursery, but refused to Nursery is operating within the school They will also look at allegations made by comment on whether the works were site under a licence to occupy agreed by the BBC’s Panorama that the trusts made undertaken by Blue Support Services, a the previous leadership of the trust. They repeated false claims for building and facilities management company run by the added: “Liskeard Hillfort Primary is due to maintenance grants. brothers. join a strong new trust next year, marking a Michael Dwan stepped down as an However, posts on the company’s fresh and exciting new start for the school.” academy sponsor from both trusts in Facebook page ranging from July 2016 A Department for Education spokesperson September last year, expressing frustration until November 2017 boast of being the said they will investigate any allegations of with government scrutiny as concerns “proud partner” of Minibugs Nurseries and financial wrongdoing and take “quick and over the trusts’ financial dealings and the describe its workers as having been “busy decisive action where substantiated”.

8 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News: Academies CONTACT US [email protected]

EXCLUSIVE Bright Tribe probe ‘will be published’, vows Agnew ‘nails’ academies minister

excessive pay – but FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER EXCLUSIVE Moynihan gets the OK An investigation by the Education and Skills Funding Agency into allegations of wrongdoing at the doomed Bright Tribe trust will be made public after all of the chain’s schools have moved to new sponsors, the academies minister has pledged. In an exclusive interview with Schools Week, Lord Agnew said the under-fire trust had been “too ambitious” in taking on “too many really, really difficult schools too quickly”, and admitted the Department for Education “probably wasn’t tough enough in restricting that”. educational outcomes of the trust,” he said. He also spoke of his sadness at the FREDDIE WHITTAKER “So if you split the 40,000, or however many collapse of the trust, which ran 10 schools. @FCDWHITTAKER kids Harris has got, against the salary Sir Dan “We don’t take these things likely,” he said. is being paid, and you look at the educational “I hate these things. It’s really upsetting A minister who claims to have “declared outcomes, I think it is reasonable. when these things go wrong.” war” on excessive executive pay in academies “The problem we have had is that weak The government is in the process of has ruled that the £440,000 annual salary governance of other trusts have seen this big rebrokering all of the schools run by Bright of England’s highest-paid academy chief is headline figure and they’ve kind of, in a rather Tribe and its sister trust the Adventure “reasonable”. complacent way, said ‘oh, he’s being paid half Learning Academy Trust, after a long- Lord Agnew, who is leading the Department a million a year, therefore it’s probably OK’. running dispute over the condition and for Education’s clampdown on largesse in That was a huge mistake, and that’s what I’m performance of a number of their schools academy pay, told Schools Week he had seeking to undo now.” came to a head earlier this year. spoken to the Harris Federation about the pay Analysis by Schools Week in the spring Several investigations are being carried of Sir Dan Moynihan, its chief executive, and revealed that Moynihan is paid the equivalent out by the interim leadership team sent in deemed it appropriate because of the size of of £10,000 for each of Harris’s 44 schools, and by the Department for Education to wind the trust, its financial situation and outcomes the equivalent of £13.75 a pupil. up the trusts, while other issues are being for pupils. Agnew said Harris had “done an incredible considered by the ESFA itself. Harris’s accounts show Moynihan earned job”, adding: “It is an extraordinary thing. How This week, Agnew revealed the ESFA between £440,000 and £445,000 and received many other trusts are as good as that? was investigating claims made by BBC between £50,000 and £55,000 in employer “What gets my goat is mediocre trusts who Panorama of repeated false claims for pension contributions in the year to August 31, are paying large sums of money; that’s where building and maintenance grants. 2017. He received a £20,000 pay rise last year. my energy is deployed.” The programme claimed Bright Tribe Agnew, appointed as minister for the school Official records show that between his received public money for building system last September, wrote to academy appointment last September and June of work, lighting upgrades and fire safety trusts earlier this year warning them they this year, Agnew met with two academy improvements that were either not finished were “not being rigorous enough” in curbing trust chairs about executive pay, including or never started in the first place. excessive pay. Alan Winn of the four-school Rodillian Agnew confirmed the government had In an exclusive interview with Schools Week Multi-Academy Trust. It paid Andy Goulty, its invoiced the trust for some of the money, this week, Agnew said he had “declared war” chief executive, at least £220,000 last year, and pointed to “an ongoing ESFA report”. on excessive pay and that officials had had equivalent to £55,000 a school or £70.20 a “They’ll publish it after the schools have “very stiff conversations” with some trusts. pupil. all gone,” he said. “We’re nailing them. I’m after them,” he said. The trust confirmed that, “following that The minister said Bright Tribe had He revealed he had convinced a further 11 meeting, discussions took place between the grown too quickly and was “badly set trusts to cut the pay of their highest-paid trustees and Andy Goulty who agreed to a pay geographically”. The trust ran 10 schools employees, on top of the 43 that have already reduction”, but would not say what his salary in the north-east, north-west and east of done so. now was. England, while its sister trust ALAT only had He said he had “personally” spoken to Lord Agnew also met David Johnson, the chair five schools in Cornwall. Harris, the founder of the Harris Federation, of the four-school City Learning Trust, which “When you take on these schools, you’ve but had ruled that Moynihan’s pay was paid its chief executive Carl Ward between got to have capacity from somewhere. And “reasonable”. £195,000 and £200,000 last year. The trust did if you take on a bunch of failing schools “You have to take the cost per pupil and the not respond to requests for comment. simultaneously, it is an incredibly difficult job,” Agnew concluded.

9 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Exclusive interview: Lord Agnew CONTACT US [email protected] ‘I’ve got to stir up a bit of controversy’

FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER

he academies minister is frustrated that schools aren’t listening to him. T In the 14 months since his appointment, Lord Agnew of Oulton has made it his personal mission to encourage schools to make more savings on their back-office functions, and attracted his fair share of ire from headteachers as a result. And the venture capitalist-turned-academy trust founder-turned-minister for the school system was ridiculed again last week, when he told the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham that he’d bet any headteacher a bottle of champagne that he could find more savings in their schools. His comments were labelled as “crass” and “wrong” by headteachers, but Agnew tells this is a really pointless deal, we can do it far important decisions made by its bosses, while me he felt he needed to court controversy better’, then I’d be on it. I genuinely, absolutely, another chain, Bright Tribe, was made to do because his guidance on cost-saving was do not understand.” so. being ignored. To Agnew, this lack of engagement is a sign Agnew tells me he initially struck a deal “It wasn’t done off the cuff,” he says. “I that schools aren’t taking the issue of cost- to remain on the trust’s board as long as he thought: ‘I’ve got to stir up a bit of controversy savings seriously, rather than a signal – as stood down as chair and avoided decisions here,’ because no-one is listening. It wasn’t headteachers have warned – that there is simply about the trust or nearby organisations, but a flippant remark. If schools genuinely need nothing left to cut. he subsequently decided to cut all ties to help in terms of how to look at their budgets, I ask him if he believes schools have enough avoid further allegations. we have now created an infrastructure here money to function. “The deal I reached with the head of ethics that is in place to do that. “I think it depends,” he says. “I’m not going at the Cabinet Office was that although I “We live in a vigorous democracy, and to sit here blindly and say every school has got would remain on the board I would obviously people can be as rude to me as they like. enough money, because there are pressures. step down as the chair, and any decision If I’m not being listened to, I have to up I know there are pressures on high needs. I relating to Inspiration never went near me the amperage. That is my response to that know there are pressures on small remote rural and indeed any decision [about] a multi- criticism.” [schools], particularly primaries. academy trust or single-academy trust based Although he agrees with education secretary “There are pressures in the system. It’s not in Norfolk would never go anywhere near me. Damian Hinds’s view that “funding is tight and that I’m not listening.” “So I can unreservedly assure you there’s we’re asking schools to do more”, Agnew says The minister is also bullish when challenged been absolutely no favouritism at all. Indeed, he gets frustrated when schools don’t listen. about alleged special treatment given to his own I think they’ve been given a harder time, In particular, he’s annoyed about the take- trust, Inspiration, since he became a minister. probably, because officials are so paranoid up of new government “deals”, cost-saving In May, Schools Week revealed that Cobholm about the perception that there’s some initiatives negotiated by the government on Primary Academy, one of the trust’s schools, sweetheart deal going on. There really hasn’t behalf of schools in areas like energy. received a second, softened report from Ofsted been.” “When I arrived, within a month of me after inspectors returned just four months after Agnew has now resigned from the trust’s arriving last year I wrote out to 1,300 trusts, a damning inspection, prompting claims the board and is going through “quite a palaver” give or take, and in the letter I said ‘if our school got a “rehearsal before the real deal”. to stand down as a controlling member of the deals are no good, please tell me’, because And last week the Department for Education trust. only with the feedback can we improve them. was accused again of giving special treatment “I’ve been absolutely meticulous to step Do you know how many replies I got? None. to Inspiration after it emerged that the trust aside, because it just creates another load of “That’s what’s so frustrating. If they said ‘no, was not forced to share documents relating to pointless noise, frankly.”

10 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected] Academics question new surveillance product

INVESTIGATES SCHOOLS WEEK REPORTER @SCHOOLSWEEK

Academics are concerned safeguarding software that allow firms to keep watch on pupils’ activity on computers is “normalising extreme authoritarian approaches” in schools - with worries parents might not know about the “snooping”. It follows tech firm Smoothwall launching a new partnership with company Safeguard Software to provide a service that scoops up data from pupils’ activity on school devices to check for safeguarding concerns, and allows teachers to log incidents to create a digital profile for every pupil. In an interview with Schools Week, said there is “sufficiently strong legislative would have to do that”. But no teacher or Douglas Hanley, the chief technology pressure” in this country to “obligate parent had ever made such a request. officer at Smoothwall, said thousands of schools” to do this that it “becomes a An article in The Times in April found schools already used his firm’s services – moot conversation for me, and for other that a classroom app used by schools – which also includes Radar, a product that companies selling this kind of product”. ClassDojo – held data in the US which, searched for key words on pupils’ own Keeping Children Safe says that under its terms, may be shared with 22 phones if they were logged on to the school governing bodies should ensure third-party service providers, including wifi. “appropriate policies and procedures in Facebook and Google. Company figures show that in one week place” were in place to safeguard pupils. Hanley said Smoothwall did not share Smoothwall’s surveillance detected nearly This should include an effective child safeguarding information with other 2,500 threats for vulnerable people, nearly protection policy that was available people “outside those that provide the 1,500 for a terrorist category and 884 for publicly on school websites, for example. managed service”. cybersexing. When asked if parents would be aware He said the company provided web When safeguarding alerts are flagged, the that schools used such software, Hanley filtering to 30 per cent of the education school is either emailed or called – but in said he was “not sure how visible it would market, a position that was cemented after some cases emergency services have been be”. it bought the digital safeguarding company called. A survey of 1,004 parents in March Future Digital in June. Hanley, who would not say how much his by Defend Digital Me, the data privacy The new partnership combines company products cost, said schools used campaign group, found that 28 per cent Smoothwall’s Visigo product (which them to comply with obligations under knew their child’s school used internet monitors the text on school computers) the Keeping Children Safe guidance that monitoring software, but didn’t know how with the service from Safeguard Software. “obligates schools to introduce appropriate it was used. The latter allows teachers to record levels of web monitoring”. Leaton-Gray said schools should also be incidents in the classroom or playground But Sandra Leaton-Gray, a senior lecturer wary of such data collection under new into a digital record, which they can track. in education at the UCL Institute of general data protection regulations (GDPR) “The majority of schools simply have a Education and author of Invisibly Blighted: While schools could retain data they ledger, journal, Excel spreadsheet – but The Digital Erosion of Childhood, told needed strictly for operational purposes, it safeguarding software provides convenient Schools Week that digital surveillance could not be a data-gathering “free-for-all digitisation of that task,” Hanley said. systems “normalise quite extreme like before”. However, Andy Phippen, professor of authoritarian approaches to discipline in She added the “classroom mantra” should social responsibility in IT at Plymouth schools”. be: “Is this data really necessary?” Business School, said: “Are we forgetting “There’s a risk this makes the adults in Hanley said the law allowed schools to that children have rights to privacy? And the school overly reliant on tech to judge collect and hold personal data when it was does this really keep them safe anyway? A children’s situations - and that human necessary to comply with legal obligations. surveilled individual is one who will modify relationships become secondary.” He said if a parent wanted their child’s their behaviour because they know they are When asked about such concerns, Hanley data to be erased under GDPR, then “we being watched.”

11 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected]

New Schools Network finally reveals who funds it

FREDDIE WHITTAKER The Blavatnik Family Foundation was founded the foundation allowed an investment company @FCDWHITTAKER by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, a Ukraine-born it controlled to make the donations between 1993 businessman who made a decent chunk of his and 1999. The foundation of a controversial oil tycoon was fortune by selling his stake in the Russian oil The Garfield Weston Foundation supports a among the donors to the New Schools Network company TNK-BP for $7 billion in 2013. number of other education causes, including the this year, new documents show. Blavatnik’s support for educational institutions Baker Dearing Trust, which was set up to promote In what appears to be a first, accounts has been controversial in the past. In 2010, the University Technical Colleges. published by the NSN this week reveal the businessman gave the University of Oxford It is not known why the NSN opted to name the names of two donors, the Garfield Weston £75 million to found the Blavatnik School of donors this year. It is also not known for how long Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Government, which admitted its first students in they have supported the charity, though Schools Foundation. 2012. Week understands they have given money in Set up by government to promote and help Last year, Bo Rothstein resigned as the school’s previous years. set up free schools, the NSN receives more professor of government and public policy in A spokesperson for the NSN said: “We have than £2 million a year from the Department protest after it emerged Blavatnik had given a wide range of donors, both individuals and for Education, but also takes in hundreds of money to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. organisations, and we are grateful for their thousands of pounds in donations and legacies. Founded in 1958 by Canadian businessman support.” In previous years, the charity’s annual Willard Garfield Weston, the Garfield Weston Accounts also reveal that the David Ross accounts have revealed little about the Foundation was rapped by the Charity Foundation, the charity of Carphone Warehouse donations beyond the amounts given by its own Commission in 2010 over donations of more than founder and NSN chair David Ross, gave the NSN trustees. However, this year, the NSN thanked £1 million to the Conservative Party. £25,000 this year. A further £116,000 was donated the two foundations in its accounts – though it The Times reported at the time how the regulator by trustees or “related entities on which no did not reveal how much each one gave. had found that some family members who ran conditions were attached”.

FREDDIE WHITTAKER | @FCDWHITTAKER Schools charity gave Toby Young £55k payoff

The New Schools Network handed its former size of women’s breasts, and one in which he included £55,000 of restructuring costs,” an director Toby Young (pictured) a £55,000 payoff refers to a gay celebrity as “queer as a coot”. NSN spokesperson said. “The role of director when he resigned earlier this year, according to It then emerged that Young had deleted tens has always been paid in the region of £90,000 the charity’s accounts. of thousands of his tweets. He subsequently to £100,000, which is also the band that we Documents published yesterday (Thursday) resigned from the OfS board, claiming he wants anticipate for the next director.” show Young was paid in the £150,000 to to focus on his schools work. Young was approached for comment. £160,000 band in the 2017-18 financial year, The charity, which is partly funded by NSN continues its hunt for a new much more than the former salary of £90,000 to the government to support free schools, director following interim boss Mark £100,000 for the role. announced in March that Young, a Lehain stepping down. The NSN said that the higher amount was journalist and free-school founder, was Lehain, the founder of Bedford Free down to a £55,000 lump sum handed to Young leaving his role as director. School and director of education- as part of his departure from the charity in Trustees said Young, who reform lobbyists Parents and March. founded the West London Teachers for Excellence, Schools Week understands the sum was Free School seven years had been in post since paid in lieu of salary for Young’s six-month ago, had decided “that March when he took notice period, and was paid-for with donations the media attention his over in the wake of received by the NSN, not government funding. continuing presence Young’s departure. Young’s departure followed criticism of his at the helm of NSN is But he stood down appointment in January to the board of the new attracting has become a after the NSN board universities regulator, the Office for Students, in distraction from the vital turned down his the light of numerous comments he had made work”. proposal to merge the on social media, as well as his views on some “The accounts show charity with PTE. education issues. that the £150,000 These included multiple tweets about the to £160,000 band

12 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Advertorial Behind every success, there is aspiration

Farnborough Academy who received a special mention inthe 2018 Aspiration Awards for their commitment to learner success

uccess looks different to different people, and young people face all Skinds of challenges and barriers to being successful. It’s not always easy and progress isn’t always linear. The Aspiration Awards encourage schools and teachers to nominate learners who have demonstrated their own particular brand of success whilst studying an NCFE or CACHE qualification at school. We understanding that achievement is more than just getting the best marks in exams, so the Aspiration Awards will ask schools and teachers to consider a range of criteria, including achievement rates, innovative work and overcoming personal challenges, when nominating a Learner of the Year. Last year, we received some amazing Joe received a commendation in the Nicholas overcame his struggles with Aspiration Awards after he made time entries and we were able to decide on particular foods due to his autism to achieve for his school work even though he was great marks in his Food and Cookery V Cert an overall winner, as well as some special struggling with a serious illness commendations. In 2018, Emma Owen, a learner from Park and watch a West End show. She also “We were incredibly moved by the entries Everton Free School, was announced as received a hamper of health and fitness we received last year so we’re delighted to 2018’s Learner of the Year. After a tough products to help her in her further studies. open up the submission process for schools start and expulsions from 2 previous schools, Due to the amount of worthy entries, NCFE and teachers to help us recognise inspiring Emma reengaged with education, showing also decided to award two other learners learners once again. We understand that qualities of resilience, determination and as highly commended, Joe Armstrong from it’s not easy growing up and there’s a lot of personal growth and development, which North Chadderton Schools and Nicholas pressure on young people and that it’s not has set her on course for a very bright future. Earl-Phillipps from Bitterne Park School, and always about getting the best marks, it’s Her commitment to her V Cert in Health to recognise the commitment of teachers at about having the imagination to dream big & Fitness saw her achieve a Distinction* Farnborough Academy in Nottingham who and the determination to see it through. in her coursework which, along with her go above and beyond for their pupils. Each other grades, helped her achieve a place at received a prize of £200 towards learning Birkenhead Sixth Form College. resources or an experience. Find out more about the awards and submit Emma and her mum enjoyed a trip to Stewart Foster, Managing Director at NCFE your entries at ncfe.org.uk/aspirationawards. London to visit the Queen Elizabeth Olympic said:

13 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 Investigation DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

INVESTIGATES

The pupils who are missing out

Councils have told MPs that the country is “close to a national crisis” on SEND funding. They warn of a £536 million funding gap and say the whole system will “implode” unless there’s more money. Schools Week investigates…

What’s going wrong: cent of all pupils this year, from 14.4 “approve none of the options” for JESS STAUFENBERG the council view per cent in 2017. There are now about moving the money over. They want @STAUFENBERGJ Councils point to sweeping SEND 254,000 pupils with EHCPs and about the council to raise the lack of funding reforms under the 2014 Children and 1 million not on a plan but requiring “with the education secretary as a Council bosses say pressure on their Families Act. “SEN support”. matter of urgency”. SEND budgets leaves them at risk The act replaced statements with But as Schools Week revealed last The situation is likely to deteriorate of not being able to deliver core Education, Health and Care Plans year, state-funded special schools are next year because the government services – which would result in the (EHCPs) and extended the right to full, forcing councils to commission has capped how much money can be government imposing emergency provision from age 19 to 25. Families more expensive places for pupils in moved into the high needs budget. spending controls. were to be at the heart of decision- private special schools. For 2018-19, councils will be able Dave Hill, executive director of making and education, health and To ease this extra pressure on their to move up to 0.5 per cent from children, families and learning at social care would work together. high needs funding – which pays the schools block if they have the Surrey County Council, this week told But local authorities say the for special schools and mainstream approval of their local schools forum. the education select committee that funding didn’t match up. top-up funding – councils are raiding The secretary of state must approve councils have been inundated with The Local Government Association schools’ block funding. any amount larger than 0.5 per cent. requests for assessments of pupils, warned this month of a £536 million On Monday local authorities across Recent figures show just 13 local but have no money to spend on early funding gap in SEND budgets this year Yorkshire and the Humber revealed authorities got approval to move intervention. as a result of growing demand – more they had top-sliced £10 million more than 0.5 per cent. They have been forced to plug the than double last year’s shortfall. this year. Overall last year, 80 local funding gap by top-slicing from their It also warned that by 2020 authorities transferred £118 million What’s going wrong: the school view school budget. councils would have lost 60 per cent from the schools block to the high Mainstream schools face a variety of But headteachers are now fighting of their funding compared with 2010. needs block. obligations towards their pupils with back – with one group refusing to At the same time, the number of Faced with their own funding special needs. accept its council’s proposals to take pupils diagnosed with SEND has shot pressures, however, schools are Special educational needs more cash from its school budget. up. Sector experts point to slashed fighting back. Headteachers in South coordinators (SENCOs) in mainstream Parents are also taking councils early intervention, such as Sure Start Gloucestershire have rejected their schools must assess pupils for to court over planned cuts to SEND centres, and the increasing number of county council’s plans to move £3 additional needs and, if necessary, budgets. Meanwhile, the country’s babies surviving premature births. million this year. assign them “SEN support” or most vulnerable pupils are missing Government statistics show that The South Gloucestershire recommend an ECHP assessment. out and waiting longer for the extra between January last year and this primary headteachers’ executive and Under the SEND code of practice, support they are entitled to – with year, 32,000 more pupils were added local National Association of Head schools must support their SEND schools left to pick up the pieces. to the SEN register, rising to 14.6 per Teachers’ branch told councillors they pupils.

14 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 Investigation DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

However, heads say the 1 MILLION UP TO £6,000 government’s guidance that PUPILS ON SEN HOW MUCH THE mainstream schools meet the first SUPPORT GOVERNMENT EXPECTS £6,000 of additional costs for each MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS child is unrealistic. 253,680 TO FUND PER SEND PUPIL Esther Brooks, head at Chestnut PUPILS WITH EHCPS Park primary school in Croydon, south London, said she regularly 14.6% had to spend more than £6,000 on PUPILS ON THE SEN her SEN support pupils and had to REGISTER fundraise to avoid a deficit. £10,000 This included choosing to spend the THE MINIMUM FUNDING money she earned from working one £118 MILLION THAT SPECIAL SCHOOLS day a week for the national charity HOW MUCH 80 RECEIVE PER PUPIL Whole School SEND on pupils. COUNCILS MOVED OUT OF THE SCHOOLS BLOCK Ofsted singled out the school’s INTO THE HIGH NEEDS “effective support” for SEND pupils BLOCK LAST YEAR and graded the school “outstanding” across the board, which Brooks said was welcome recognition. schools wait for funding. Hill told added that special schools had less Ofsted has published 71 local area But Laxmi Patel, a SEND lawyer the education select committee that flexibility than mainstream schools SEND reports, 32 of which resulted in at the law firm Boyes Turner, said Surrey has spent £500,000 on the to cut down on staff as they had to written statements of action. that many other schools might be tribunals process alone. guarantee the safety of pupils with The government has also discouraged from labelling a child Even if an EHCP is returned, there complex needs. announced a SEND “support network” “SEN support” because they could not is no guarantee the provision outlined led by eight regional leaders, which find the £6,000. in the plan will be carried out. Who’s trying to find a solution? will reach 10,000 schools by 2020. This blocked the pupil from being Antony Witheyman, head at The education select committee is Whole School SEND, which is helping eligible for an ECHP assessment, Weedon Bec primary school in running a SEND inquiry and has had lead the project, said a “SEND Index which could trigger more funding. Northamptonshire, said one pupil’s two hearings so far, in which funding report” looking at regional variations “Schools are caught in a loop of no EHCP placed him in specialist has been repeatedly raised. in provision will be published in funding,” she said. provision, but the county council said January. Last year Ofsted warned that pupils no special school places were left. with SEN support did not achieve as The Conservative-controlled well as those with a legally binding council declared itself effectively THE COURT CASES: EHCP because they were more likely bankrupt earlier this year. to have their needs overlooked and be Witheyman said he was “horrified” Bristol The High Court ruled plans for £5 million in planned SEND cuts “unlawful” in the first case of its kind excluded. the pupil couldn’t access the right But even if a pupil did qualify for an provision, and warned he was now Hackney and Surrey Families have brought a similar case against these EHCP assessment, they then faced the spending £80,000 on just 10 pupils councils for planned budget cuts and are awaiting outcomes “huge issue” of too few educational with special educational needs. The government Campaign group SEND Family Action is crowdfunding psychologists, said Anne Heavey, the Ofsted’s report also found SEND a legal challenge against ministers for SEND funding cuts and has hit £12,397, and is aiming for £15,000 national director of Whole School pupils fare better in special schools SEND. The psychologists contribute to than in mainstream. the assessments. Special schools, however, also This summer Kent county council face funding uncertainty. Councils said its few remaining educational have to fund the first £10,000 of all psychologists were so tied up with special needs school places, but top- THE COUNCIL BUDGET CUTS: assessments they could not support up funding varied “wildly” between Derbyshire Consultation ongoing for £70 million savings over the next pupils with learning difficulties. authorities, according to a special five years “Educational psychologists are not school head who did not wish to be Richmond Consultation closed on Sunday after shortfall rose from £8 doing the early intervention work that named. million to £13 million next year they used to be able to do,” Heavey “If my school was in a neighbouring Surrey SEND strategy consultation ongoing to shift more resources to said. authority, I’d be better off to the turn early intervention Cash-strapped councils are also of £750,000 at least. It’s a postcode Rochdale Budget cuts consultation closed in September to make £9.3 turning down many assessment lottery of funding.” million savings by 2021 requests. They are then drawn Simon Knights, joint head at Frank South Gloucestershire Budget consultation to move £3 million into high into costly appeals tribunals while Wise special school in Oxfordshire, needs block

15 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected] It’s the thought that counts at Christmas (apparently)

“But you might thank a teacher who has PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS gone above and beyond for your child. It @PIPPA_AK INVESTIGATES may be genuine and a one-off. The context is important.” A prestigious private girls’ school has She added that some parents “go too far”, written to parents urging them to cap the which contributed to an “escalation” as value of Christmas gifts for teachers to parents tried to out-do each other. avoid “awkward” situations. Gray said she knew of teachers receiving St Helen and St Katharine school in a wide range of gifts, spanning from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which charges designer handbags, a brace of pheasants or £16,470 a year, has warned parents that its dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant, to policy on giving and receiving gifts sets out cuddly toys and used toiletries. a “number of restrictions” on what teachers However, the author Katherine Pathak can accept. said she would welcome letters of guidance The rules say that staff cannot accept any from schools advising parents about cash gifts, gifts with a value of more than acceptable levels of gift-giving. £50 from an individual pupil, or vouchers At her son’s primary school in or gift certificates worth more than £100 north Essex, parents donate from a group of students. £10 through PayPal to buy However, they can accept gifts worth Christmas presents for their more than £100 from a group of students, child’s teacher. such as a form group, as long as it is not “My feeling has always been cash or gift certificates. that it isn’t the spirit of a thank you The letter, sent on November 23 and from the student. It’s about signed by school’s bursar David Eley, said: the value of a gift, not a “We appreciate your understanding in this personal message,” she said. matter, which will avoid placing staff in an However, the name of pupils awkward position.” whose parents who would In a statement, Eley said the school was not or could not donate were a charitable organisation and “obliged to not included on the present have a policy in this area to ensure strong or card handed over in a governance”. It was not in response to “any presentation at the end of particular issues we have had in the past”. term. “We have issued this letter to parents to “The children of parents provide clarity and to prevent placing staff who can’t afford to take part must feel or parents in an awkward position,” he said. affected. I wish our school would issue “We have a great relationship with our such a letter, it would calm things down a parent body and a powerful sense of little.” community that is built on this kind of A spokesperson for the National transparency/clarity.” Association of Head Teachers said a However, Janita Gray, a senior editor “small gift” at Christmas was a “perfectly at the Good Schools Guide, described acceptable way for the letter as “particularly joyless” and a pupils and families “bureaucratic killjoy”, and warned a £50 to show their baseline could make parents feel pressured appreciation”. to spend that much. “But anything “All teachers, whether in a private or state excessive, even if school, put in so much hard work that it’s well-intentioned, natural for parents to want to recognise would probably that, particularly at this time of year,” she make staff feel quite said. awkward and is best “The implication is that it’s some kind of avoided.” bribe, but what realistically would you hope to achieve by that?

16 LAST CHANCE TO BOOK SSAT National Conference 2018 PURE IMAGINATION 5 - 6 December, ICC Birmingham Find out how can you become an imaginative school leader

SSAT Secondary Network members receive a two-day complimentary - Main stage speakers include - pass Will Gompertz speakers BBC arts editor ‘Spotlight from a on…’ range of Charlotteeducational campaigner Church sessions sectors and singer Independent a choice Thinking of 30 Priya Lakhani workshops founder of Century Tech School-led workshops evening David Lammy MP programme The Schools including Week Panel Amanda Spielman gala dinner discussion HMCI at Ofsted Optional plus Inspirational headteachers and leaders from across the SSAT network

Find out more at ssatuk.co.uk/nc18

Workshop Sponsor Exhibition Partner Drinks Reception Sponsor Lead Conference Partner Media Partner Gala Dinner Sponsor @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected] College-run academy trusts in trouble

control over the trust, which, according to are rated ‘requires improvement’. Three PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS accounts published in February, had been more of its academies, including two @PIPPA_AK INVESTIGATES identified as “high risk” by the Department studio schools, have closed. for Education after a review of one school In total, 13 college-run academies A trust run by a further education provider identified “serious weaknesses”. are rated as ‘good’, nine as ‘requires has been warned it will be stripped of its And in March the multi-academy trust improvement’ and five as ‘inadequate’. The only school if standards don’t improve – Marine Academy Plymouth, sponsored rest have not yet been inspected by Ofsted. the latest in a string of college-run trusts by the University of Plymouth, Cornwall Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive falling into trouble. College and the Plymouth local authority, at the Association of Colleges, said it was The Burton and South Derbyshire was warned its namesake school could be important to note that colleges “mainly” Education Trust – set up by Burton transferred to another trust after being put sponsor trusts with schools that were and South Derbyshire College – was into special measures in November last previously failing, or which run ventures warned the Kingfisher Academy could be year. like university technical colleges or rebrokered unless standards improved. Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary alternative-provision academies. In a minded to terminate notice, of the National Education Union, said He said there have been “many published last week and sent in October, colleges are “very good” at providing post- successes” in college-run trusts, but the government highlighted the school’s 16 education, but warned that “does not added: “Colleges don’t have deep pockets ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating, after its first qualify them to run schools or manage like some sponsors do, and the different inspection in September 2017. academy trusts”. legal structure of academies has been an Although a monitoring visit in June He said: “The government was wrong unhelpful obstacle.” found leaders were taking effective action to assume that a college provider could The obstacles he referred to include that to make improvements, the government simply take over schools and run them colleges have a different financial year has asked for further information to successfully.” end, and that colleges can’t recover VAT, ensure progress is being made. The trust According to DfE statistics, 21 colleges while schools can. has since said they have provided this are listed as the main sponsors of academy Kevin Gilmartin, post-16 and colleges information, and claimed closing the trusts, with a total of 57 academies specialist at the Association of School school had now been taken off the table. between them. They range from having and College Leaders, said colleges can Among the other college-run academy between one and up to 13 schools. bring “great benefits” to trusts because of trusts to face problems is the Salford Schools Week analysis found just one of their “close links to employers and their Academy Trust, founded by Salford City these academies is rated as ‘outstanding’: expertise in vocational and technical College, the University of Salford and Heath Lane Academy run by The Midland education”. Salford City Council. In June it confirmed Academies Trust, which is sponsored He added the biggest challenges to that it would give up all four of its schools by North Warwickshire and South education are inadequate government and close. Leicestershire College. funding and teacher shortages. Salford City College retained 75 per cent However, the trust’s three other schools

FREDDIE WHITTAKER | @FCDWHITTAKER Free PDP for teachers in struggling schools

Schools can now apply for a free professional schools graded “requires improvement” or of a teaching career can create a virtuous development programme for their early- “inadequate” by Ofsted in the government’s circle: new teachers are better able to career teachers under a £4.3 million 12 opportunity areas and other priority overcome common challenges, success government-funded scheme. locations. improves their motivation, and in the longer Accelerate, a programme developed by Teachers taking part will learn how to term it means teachers are less likely to the Education Development Trust (EDT) and manage some of the common challenges leave the profession.” Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) for faced by the profession, including workload, Professor Dame Alison Peacock, CCT’s those in the first five years of teaching, will behaviour, assessment and feedback. The chief executive, said Accelerate “will provide start in January next year and last for four project will explore how, with professional sustained support for early-career teachers, terms. support, teachers can “grow in their roles empowering them to deliver the best The project, funded with money from and sustain a long-term career in teaching”. possible education for disadvantaged pupils”. the Department for Education’s teaching Matt Davis from EDT said: “We know that Schools and teachers can register at and leadership innovation fund, will target good professional support at the beginning accelerate-teaching.co.uk.

18 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected] Ex-government advisor Simons joins Public First were involved in founding Parents and FREDDIE WHITTAKER Teachers for Excellence too. This claims to @FCDWHITTAKER be a grassroots campaign set up to lobby for education reform, including a knowledge- Former government adviser and Policy based curriculum, rigorous assessment and Exchange head of education Jonathan strict behaviour policies. Simons has joined the policy and PR However Schools Week has previously consultancy Public First. reported how many of the group’s Simons will lead education and social members have political links, mostly to the policy work at the firm, which was set up Conservative party and to Michael Gove in by former Department for Education chief “it’s an agency that builds on the best particular. spin doctor James Frayne and New Schools elements of a serious think tank. In a statement issued by Public First, Network founder Rachel Wolf. “Many agencies produce so-called Wolf said: “Anyone that has worked in the The move marks a return to UK public ‘thought leadership’ but Public First’s education policy world in the last decade policy for Simons, who served as director team produces high-quality public policy will know of Jonathan’s exceptional work in of policy and research at global charity the research, which helps clients to truly shape the field and we’re looking forward to him Varkey Foundation for most of the past two the policy space they operate in.” strengthening our rapidly growing policy years. Prior to that he was head of education In his new role Simons will be reunited team.” at Policy Exchange, a right-leaning think with a number of former colleagues. Frayne Schools Week was told the organisation is tank founded by Michael Gove. was a director of Policy Exchange before he funded by client contracts. Simons told Schools Week it was too early left to set up Public First in 2016, while Wolf Simons became a policy adviser to the to confirm which areas he will focus on, is also a former government adviser who Treasury in 2003, before moving to the but said he’ll help education organisations worked for David Cameron. Gabriel Milland, Number 10 strategy unit and spending more navigate government policy and to shape a partner at Public First, served as head of than three years as a senior policy adviser their own policy work. communications at the DfE under Gove. and head of education to prime ministers He was attracted to Public First because Husband and wife team Frayne and Wolf Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

EXPERIENCE THE BIGGEST EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY EVENT OF THE YEAR

• Explore 800+ education suppliers under one roof • • Expand your mind with CPD sessions • • Encounter like-minded educators in our new Peer-to-Peer lounge • • Enjoy extended opening hours until 7.30pm Wed-Fri •

23-26 JANUARY 2019 LONDON EXCEL

REGISTER NOW AT BETTSHOW.COM

19 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

Schools investigated for SATs problems

FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER

The Standards and Testing Agency investigated almost 600 primary tests last year. The agency, responsible for developing and delivering statutory assessments, investigated 599 cases of maladministration of key stage 1 and 2 tests in 2017, up from One in three A-level pupils 524 in 2016. The agency looked at 73 key stage 1 tests, gets ‘unconditional’ uni offer down from 77 in 2016, and 466 key stage 2, up from 430. FREDDIE WHITTAKER under-predicted”. That equated to 0.4 per cent of schools @FCDWHITTAKER “Instead of increasing the rate of that participated in KS1, down from 0.5 per unconditional offers even more, we want to cent in 2016. Investigations into KS2 tests More than one in three school pupils who move to a post-qualification applications system were carried out in 2.9 per cent of schools, applied to university this year received some where students apply only after they have up from 2.7 per cent. kind of unconditional offer, new analysis from received their A-level results.” The number of investigations into the the Universities and Colleges Admissions The number of unconditional offers to phonics screening check also rose from 17 Service shows. 18-year-olds has risen by more than 2,000 per UCAS, which presides over university cent since 2013. (0.1 per cent of schools) in 2016 to 60 (0.4 applications in England, Wales and Northern In July, UCAS revealed that 67,915 per cent) last year. Ireland, has revised its figures for the number unconditional offers had been made for places Meanwhile, 14.3 per cent of KS1 cases of pupils given an offer with some kind of starting in September 2018, up from 51,615 in last year resulted in an amendment or unconditional element to almost 90,000 in 2018, 2017 and just 2,983 in 2013. annulment of results, up from 2.1 per cent 20,000 more than first thought. However, the latest research looked for in 2016. At KS2, 16.7 per cent of cases The service’s latest research also seems to the first time at the prevalence of so-called resulted in amendments or annulments, up support schools’ fears that these offers – which “conditional unconditional” offers, whereby promise university places regardless of A-level a university initially requires pupils to meet from 15.1 per cent. grades – result in pupils making less effort in certain entry criteria to gain a place, but then Schools self-report most possible their final year. drops those conditions once a pupil names the maladministration cases for both KS1 and It found that 67 per cent of pupils with university as their first choice. KS2 (26.2 per cent), with councils reporting unconditional offers missed their predicted Once these are considered, the number of 21 per cent. A-level grades by two or more points, compared pupils who received an offer “that could be At both key stages, the most common with 56 per cent of those with conditional offers. considered conditional” for 2018 entry was allegation was over test or check Last week, a group of university bosses, 87,540 this year, equivalent to 34.4 per cent of administrators helping pupils too much. private school heads and academy trust leaders 18-year-old applicants in England, Wales and said pupils should not be “compelled” to accept Northern Ireland. Schools Week reported last month that the unconditional offers until after their A-levels. Clare Marchant, UCAS’s chief executive, said exams regulator Ofqual urged the STA to They used a public letter to outline how they it was “clear that the use of unconditional offers strengthen its guidance so it was “more of would change the system. is not a binary issue”. an expectation” that key stage 2 tests were Education secretary Damian Hinds said the “They’re used in a variety of ways to enable independently observed. steep rise is “not in the long-term interest of students to progress on to undergraduate This would further support the “verification students” and said they “shouldn’t be used by courses, and while students are broadly of the integrity of test administration”, said universities just to get people through the door”. supportive of them, the link with their A-level He added: “Universities should use them attainment can’t be ignored. the regulator, which added that the STA is responsibly and if they don’t the Office for “The analysis needs to continue though, and currently “considering” the language it uses Students will take action.” many universities and colleges are already around test observers. Sir Peter Lampl, the founder of the social tracking the progress of students admitted with The STA currently recommends schools mobility charity, The Sutton Trust, said unconditional offers. I encourage this evidence “should” arrange for the tests to be universities are likely to put more weight to be shared, enabling nuanced debate for independently observed. on students’ predicted grades, which the benefit of students, their teachers, and “disadvantaged students are more likely to have universities.”

20 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

Save top grade for ‘excellent’ arts and technical schools

FREDDIE WHITTAKER TV documentary @FCDWHITTAKER school put in Ofsted should save its coveted ‘outstanding’ rating for schools which excel in creative special measures and technical teaching in an effort to stop arts subjects being squeezed out, a charity has said. The Edge Foundation wants the watchdog to limit the top inspection grade to schools FREDDIE WHITTAKER proper recording or appropriate process for “that are able to demonstrate excellence in @FCDWHITTAKER exclusions”. creative and technical teaching as well as The report stated that pupils’ safeguarding for traditional academic subjects”. Harrop Fold, the Salford secondary school had been “compromised by the inappropriate It follows calls from Lucy Noble, the that featured in the Channel 4 documentary and informal exclusion of pupils and by the artistic and commercial director of the Educating Greater Manchester, has been deliberate misrecording of attendance”. Royal Albert Hall, for the creative arts to placed in special measures by Ofsted. However, Salford council insisted that the be compulsory at GCSE. Damian Hinds, The Ofsted report, which has not yet been school has “ensured such practices no longer the education secretary, has defended the released by the watchdog but published on the take place” since September. government’s approach, claiming the arts school’s website, found “significant and wide- John Merry, Salford’s deputy mayor, said are “a key part of a broad and balanced ranging weaknesses” that require “urgent Ofsted inspectors identified unsafe historic curriculum”. improvement”. practices at the school, along with poor It also comes after entries to GCSEs in The school, which will now become an performance and achievement. performing or expressive arts subjects academy, was rated as inadequate across “This has potentially compromised the nosedived by 40 per cent since 2010. every category. safeguarding of pupils as leaders and staff The Ofsted recommendation from Edge It follows the suspension and subsequent have not been in a position to ensure that they was made in the charity’s Skills Shortages resignation of Drew Povey (pictured), the are safe.” school’s headteacher, amid an ongoing Merry said the Greater Manchester Learning bulletin. x The charity is particularly worried about investigation by Salford council into suspected Trust, which currently providers interim the decline of creative and technical “off-rolling” of pupils from the school. leadership at the school, is “committed to subjects in the wake of the introduction of Upon resigning in September, Povey accused working alongside a new academy sponsor the EBacc, a school-performance measure the council of a “heavy-handed” approach and to provide stability and support for as long as which favours academic subjects over the of pursuing a “personal vendetta” against him. needed”. arts and vocational courses. Entries to He and three other members of staff were He added: “There has been a lot of design and technology GCSE, for example, suspended in July. speculation in the community regarding hidden have fallen by 57 per cent since 2010. The Ofsted report stated the school had agendas. Once again, I want to reaffirm to The report also recommends that the “failed its pupils in far too many ways”, adding: everyone that the school, governors and local government restores creative subjects “back “It has let down its pupils in the past and, authority all want the same thing – for Harrop into the heart of the curriculum”, and says despite very recent changes, continues to do Fold pupils to be happy, safe and achieve their higher and furthereducation institutions so with those pupils who currently attend the best.” must be “properly resourced to deliver school.” The inspection is due to be published by creative courses”. Evidence from the inspection, which took Ofsted in the coming days. It also calls for the apprenticeship levy place on October 31 and November 1, found However Povey said the description in the – a scheme whereby employers pay into a year 11 pupils had been “deleted from the report was “unrecognisable” from the school central funding pot and can then reclaim school roll shortly before the date of the DfE he left in July. money to train apprentices – to be “tailored January annual census, to be readmitted at a He said it was “easy” for a new team and the to industry needs”. later date”. council to “point the finger” and take “little An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We have This “type of action means that the responsibility for the current situation, when in often said that pupils deserve to benefit examination results of pupils taken off truth it is of their making”. from a broad and rich curriculum, and that roll temporarily do not appear in school “From the TV cameras in school that have schools should not teach to the test. Our performance tables”, the report stated. captured the brilliance of the students and education inspection framework, which will Inspectors also found that attendance staff, through to the numerous senior leaders, go out to consultation in January, will focus records were “inaccurate” because pupils who from both public and private sectors, that have on the substance of education when it takes were known to be absent “had their register visited and fallen in love with team Harrop – effect in September 2019. mark deliberately changed so that they they can’t all be wrong, and they can’t all have “We will propose new criteria for appeared to be present”. been fooled.” outstanding as part of that consultation.” Furthermore, pupils were “sent home or Channel 4 will decide on the future of allowed to leave the school premises (both the show after the council has finished its with and without parents’ knowledge) without investigation.

21 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 News DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

DfE launches consultation on terrorist attack guidance

PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS @PIPPA_AK

Schools are being advised to consider establishing emergency lockdown protocols in their classrooms to counter potential terrorist attacks under proposed new government guidance. The government launched a consultation this week on school security guidance, warning “no school can afford to ignore the potential threat and impact of security issues”. The proposed guidance, which is non- statutory, recommends working with police and other local security networks to draw up individual security plans for schools, as well as stating all school staff should get “appropriate” security training. Staff are also advised to have “an awareness” of relevant security networks so Move to ban isolation booths divides teachers they can “evaluate and assess” the impact of any new initiatives on the school’s security importance of good behaviour”. JESS STAUFENBERG policy. Mark Lehain, director at the Parents and @STAUFENBERGJ The Department for Education is looking Teachers for Excellence education reform to update its security guidance because the lobbying group, said a blanket ban on booths existing material “does not provide schools A behaviour specialist’s campaign to ban “completely denies the professionalism of with the information needed to draw up isolation booths from schools has divided effective school security policies and plans”. teachers. teachers” to use them appropriately. In cases where “significant risk” is Paul Dix, chair of the alternative provision “Some pupils will thrive in the serenity” identified, a school “may wish to review TBAP trust, which has 11 schools across of a booth while other pupils who disliked its invacuation/evacuation procedures and the southeast, launched his Ban the Booths the experience would behave better, he told consider whether to introduce dynamic petition on Tuesday. Schools Week. lockdown procedures in order to help He said hundreds of teachers have backed Research commissioned by the Department manage an increased level of risk”. his campaign, which also demanded schools for Education in October found more than half Regarding preventative measures for of secondary schools used “internal inclusion terrorist attacks, the guidance suggests record any pupil isolated for more than half a units”, but few had evidence they changed “effective building controls”, which includes day and find alternatives to booths. behaviour. the ability “to lockdown parts of the school” It comes after a Schools Week investigation and minimising direct access to school in October revealed more than two thirds of the Dix, who is also a behaviour consultant, buildings with speed bumps and barriers for country’s largest academy trusts have isolation told Schools Week he had seen “far too many vehicle blocking. spaces, including for pupils as young as five. isolation rooms where children are left with a Other suggestions include “effective Our investigation highlighted that worksheet staring at a wall for days” and that screening of staff, pupils and visitors to government guidance was patchy – particularly booths were “overused”. school for prohibited items”, and installing over whether schools should track the number His campaign website added that the use of voice alarm systems to enable direct of pupils put into isolation – and that there was booths was a breach of the UN charter on the communication to pupils, staff and intruders. rights of the child. According to the guidance, terrorist attacks a lack of evidence over their effectiveness. “The confinement booths have no dignity,” in schools are most likely to take the form of But some teachers have challenged the new he said, adding that “skilled teachers doing improvised explosive devices, gun or knife campaign. attacks, or using a vehicle as a weapon. Less They say that temporarily moving pupils who fabulous work to calm down anxious and angry likely forms are listed as postal devices and cannot meet behaviour standards out of the children can do so without booths”. the use of chemical substances. mainstream classroom setting is appropriate. Dorothy Trussell, head of Flixton Girls’ The guidance also addresses how schools It allows them to reflect on their behaviour and School near Manchester, said getting rid of deal with the aftermath of a distressing stops the disruption of other pupils’ learning. internal exclusion spaces at her school had incident, urging them to develop a business Geoff Barton, general secretary of the saved £46,000 in senior staff time and allowed continuity plan that explains how they will Association of School and College Leaders, for more relationship-building with pupils. handle the “emotional impact” of such an Behaviour guidance from the DfE says event, including planning how to deal with said isolation was an alternative to suspension, schools must ensure pupils can leave isolation “extensive social media and press interest”. removed disruptive pupils and allowed them to rooms of their own free will, must mention The consultation runs until February 18, “work quietly”. 2019. He said he was aware of the campaign them in behaviour policies and not keep pupils “but we would remind those involved of the in them “longer than is necessary”.

22 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected] Duvet days boost retention, says academy trust CEO

given teachers a “Christmas shopping day” Morrow denied it adds further costs to JESS STAUFENBERG during termtime. staffing, as either heads or deputy heads @STAUFENBERGJ EXCLUSIVE St Paul’s Church of England primary cover the time off. in Kent gives staff the day off as part of “This is our way of saying thank you to the An academy boss has warned that a wellbeing initiative, but traditionalists staff,” he said. “As a chief executive my role “machismo” leadership teams are thwarting claimed it set a bad example to pupils. is [serve] the community – but it is also to the wider use of “wellbeing days” – claiming However Morrow believes the “idea that safeguard the happiness and hopes of my his policy to allow staff days off “for teachers can only live and be human beings staff.” whatever they need” has reduced turnover. in non-termtime is ludicrous”. Former education secretary Justine Dan Morrow, chief executive of the “There’s also a martyr-like mentality Greening launched a flurry of pilot projects Woodland Academy Trust, which has four about teachers,” he added. “Yes, we around flexible working in October last year, schools in south London and Kent, has have an important profession and it’s wishing to update guidelines and “dispel” introduced three wellbeing days a year into transformational, but it does not mean common myths. the employment contracts of all his 250 teachers should be sacrificing their personal While it has not been updated yet, staff, including lunchtime supervisors. lives. guidance issued in February last year states Morrow said that since implementing the “A lot of this goes back to egotistical school employees have a legal right to policy last September, which allows staff to leadership that is a bit machismo.” request flexible working. take a day off without reason, the proportion Morrow said he’s alone in offering all staff Employers must deal with requests in a leaving the trust fell from 40 per cent to just three wellbeing days every year. “reasonable manner” and can only refuse if six per cent. Schools offering more flexible working has they have a good business reason for doing Meanwhile staff absence has more than long been touted as a potential solution to so. Reasonable grounds for refusal include halved and the trust has saved more than teacher retention problems. the burden of additional costs, not being £100,000 on recruitment costs, he said. Schools leaders say they can’t implement able to cover work through other staff, or The disclosure follows a row over the use such flexible arrangements because performance suffering as a result. of flexible working policies after a national of the perceived increase in costs and A flexible-working research project started newspaper reported this week a school had management time. in August, and is due to report in early 2020.

You are warmly invited to the BAMEed Network second anniversary conference: Owning Your Professional Identity

When: January 19th 2019, 9am – 4pm Where: University of East London, University of East London, Stratford Campus, Water Lane, London, E15 4LZ Who is it for? Educators, teachers, senior leaders, from Early Years to Higher Education, and from formal and informal education settings

Join this thriving Black, Asian, Ethnic Minority (BAME) educators network for a stimulating and enriching day of keynote speakers, workshops and networking opportunities.

This year’s theme ‘Owning your professional identity’ will feature practical workshops intended to raise awareness of the issues for BAME educators, to support your practice, and enhance your professional development and career progression.

Delegates are invited from all backgrounds, including people working in the education sector who do not identify as Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority. All those committed to anti-racist practice, equality, diversity and inclusion are welcome.

FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO BOOK YOUR PLACE, GO TO HTTP://BIT.LY/BAMEEDCONF

23 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

EDITORIAL DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

Agnew’s winning the CEO Time to get tough on the pay battle, but not the war academy scandals

Lord Agnew claims he’s “gone to war” on The government has talked tough on acting excessive pay in academy trusts, but his backing against academy trusts that flout the rules. of Harris over Sir Dan Moynihan’s £440k But their own action hasn’t so far lived up to paycheck sends mixed signals. the hype. It makes sense for the minister to concentrate High-profile academy scandals such as the his energy on trusts that combine poor ongoing Bright Tribe and ALAT case are causing performance and large pay packets for leaders. people to, unfairly, lose faith with the academies Agnew said the pay of Moynihan is justified system. because of his pay-per-pupil, and also the The scandals aren’t representative of a sector trust’s performance. Fair enough. where the vast majority of leaders are doing But rather than the current approach of brilliant things for their pupils. whether pay is “reasonable” based on Agnew’s One way to fix this is to make sure those found opinions, shouldn’t a system-wide approach be to be breaking rules are held to account. taken? As our story shows this week, there are still While we don’t doubt the minister’s desire to ways trusts can swerve reporting rules over enact change or his energy in pursuing this, the related-party transactions. government’s overall approach to dealing with The government has some way to go to this issue still smacks of back-of-a-fag-packet- ensure it has water-tight procedures in place to style planning. Get in If the government insists on micro-managing monitor wrongdoing at every single trust. CEO pay, maybe it could consider some sort But it can provide a big deterrent to others touch. of benchmark so it’s transparent on what they by properly investigating, and publishing, the think is justified – be it a per-pupil cap, or a cap actions of wrongdoers. We will be watching linked to the pay of the lowest-paid employee? with interest.

CONTACT: [email protected] OR CALL 0203 4321 392

24 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 The MAT branching into family services

ACE Schools Multi Academy Trust

Sarah Gillett

wraparound education packages to pupils To do this, the trust is planning to set up CATH MURRAY with complex special needs across Devon a not-for-profit subsidiary company, ACE @CATHMURRAY_ and Cornwall. Family, to provide complex family support It has also just had a free school approved, and intervention. “We will be commissioned ACE Schools Multi Academy Trust, an but Sarah Gillett, its chief executive, is at cost, it’s not designed to turn a book, we’re alternative provision trust in Devon, all paid by taxpayers’ money,” she says. With is developing a new way to provide Edward Timpson’s review of alternative wraparound family support to get children “ You put on your provision due next year, this could be a out of the “downward spiral” of those model to consider. who’ve fallen under the radar Gillett and Paul Winterton, her director big girl pants and of school improvement, have picked me f you’ve read the recent stories in the up from Plymouth station and I’m leaning media, you’d be forgiven for thinking get on with it” forward in the BMW X3, trying to keep up Ithat alternative provision is a terrifying with what they’re saying over the noise underworld of knife crime and drug of the engine and the lashing rain. “It’s runners. I’m on a whirlwind tour of the more occupied with how to provide more a vehicle for delivery of a wraparound southwest’s largest AP provider to test this wraparound family support to get children care element for families and to get the assumption first-hand. out of what Amanda Spielman, the chief kid back in school, back attending and From a converter pupil referral unit in inspector, has called the “downward spiral” back achieving. That should always be the 2010, ACE Schools Trust now runs 14 sites of those who’ve fallen under the radar. The common denominator of every family that around Plymouth for children who’ve been work has to start at family level, “because we deal with.” Gillett strikes me as the kind of excluded and/or have special educational nobody gives a toss about the French woman who would battle a gale-force wind needs. It’s contracted to do home visits to all Revolution if they’ve had to clear up their and emerge unfazed. those identified by Plymouth City Council mother’s substance abuse from the night The trust’s longer-term aim is to add as being home-schooled, and it provides before”. children’s homes to the mix, although legal

25 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 The MAT branching into family services

But it does make judicious use of the criminal justice system. “If you do swing at somebody maliciously and you do hurt them, then there is going to be a consequence. That is life,” says the 44-year- old CEO, who has, over a long career in pupil referral units and high-risk residential settings, been stabbed twice and had her ribs, collarbone, and eye socket broken. “I’m no bleeding heart,” is one of her stock phrases. She is someone who cares deeply – something that is shown by the way she talks to and about the children in her care, and by the way they speak about their provision. Part of the trust leadership strategy is that everyone spends at least a couple of days every term “on the shop floor”. Gillett worked as a teaching assistant on a school trip last summer: “I loved it – probably more than doing the political stuff. It’s not about being super pious but, from a leadership Frankie-Jo and Henry with sensory therapeutic aids at Dover Road specialist base point of view, it’s really important to remain connected with your staff and the young people and their stories.” She’s no victim, either. “And neither are my staff,” she insists. “If you get hurt, it’s normally because you’re trying to get the young person to go somewhere where they don’t want to go and because they’re in such a state of heightened anxiety they are flitting through the building ready to do something – or you are trying to break up a fight and you put yourself in harm’s way.” It’s usually the youngest children who lash out, while teenagers are filled with remorse when they realise they’ve hurt a staff member. “I’ve been doing this for 20-odd years, and I’ve worked with some really, really acutely violent young people, specifically when I was back in residential,” Gillett says. “Very few young people are born with the propensity to enjoy violence. It’s conditioned as a behaviour for defence.” Sam Maguire, Outreach The trust operates a triage-on-entry lead at Courtlands School, system that splits them into 11 different running an assembly categories. One of the distinctions is between those who are “acting out” and those who are “turning on themselves”, restrictions could make this problematic. prevents academy trusts from following the with the latter educated at Dover Road, a Subsidiaries of academy trusts cannot model of social housing providers, which specialist mental health base. borrow money without the consent of typically use trading subsidiaries to develop Fifteen-year-old Frankie-Jo has been at the education secretary, and the default private housing then gift-aid any profit back Dover Road for more than two years. She position is currently to refuse, says Antony to the main provider. chats at length about how the school feels Power, a partner at Michelmores, the law ACE Schools Trust never turns away a like a big family, and how lucky she feels to firm helping to set up ACE Family. This child, and it never permanently excludes. have been able to stay for so long.

26 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 The MAT branching into family services

have a word to yourself, put your big girl pants on and get on with it.” The tough love doesn’t stop here. What the trust staff also teach – which is often true for the children that end up in their care – is that they can’t wait for others to sort out their life: they need to learn to rely on themselves. “The first time you try it, you feel a little braver than last time and a little more able to cope,” she says, tiger-mum fashion. Henry went to six secondary schools before he arrived at Dover Road. He was often agitated in class and would become disruptive, and his mum would get regular calls from schools wanting to send him home. He’s now going through a diagnostic assessment for ASD and has developed a five-point scale to help him to self-identify when his risk of disruptive behaviour is increasing. At four, the teacher will allow him to step outside the classroom to do a lap of the courtyard or to massage a squishy. “This is the best school I’ve probably ever been in,” says the year 9 pupil, whose enunciation and sentence structure belie his age. “It’s definitely relieved a lot of stress on my whole family. I wasn’t in full-time education for about 18 months.” Part of the preparation for returning to mainstream – which Henry is determined to do – is learning that life isn’t always fair, that sometimes you just have to lump it. “A teacher can be just as unreasonable as Lee Earnshaw, headteacher, Courtlands School anybody else,” says Winterton as he weaves through Plymouth traffic to deliver me to Generally young people come and go, as the trust’s primary special school. “How the school works hard to place them back “Parents don’t do you cope with the teacher who’s being in mainstream. Frankie-Jo, who suffers unreasonable about why you’re late for the from psychotic episodes and does regular want to risk their lesson? You don’t argue about it because residential stays in a mental health hospital, you’re not going to win.” arrived in year 9 and will stay through her children going back Gillett adds: “Sometimes you’ll hear young GCSEs. She’s doing English, science, maths, people say, ‘They didn’t treat me with history, geography, PE and citizenship and to mainstream” respect so I didn’t show it to them.’ Well, wants to be a mental health nurse. what’s the truth of the matter? You’re 13. She struggled in mainstream, saying that “One of the main common denominators They’re in a position of responsibility. You some teachers lacked patience when she across all of our young people,” Gillett says, talk like that to a policeman, what do you couldn’t concentrate, and pupils made jokes “whether they are with us for mental health think is going to happen? So, what would be about mental health and suicide. “I didn’t issues, teenage parents, kids who are in a better way forward?” take it well and I got put in isolation. I was in hospital and are suffering from life-limiting Emphasising “choices and consequences” there for months on end, because I was just illnesses, is a lack of personal resilience, a rather than a “tariff system” with dangerous, apparently.” Despite her obvious lack of self-reliance. I manage what, £15 transgressions linked to specific sanctions, emotion as she tells me her story, she never million, 300-odd people, and a lot of risks. gives the practitioners flexibility when holds back. Her honesty is disarming. Sometimes I don’t feel like getting out of debriefing incidents, Winterton says. “We Teaching resilience is a big part of the job. bed, but you know what? I do. Because you talk about recovering your behaviour. Yes,

27 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018 The MAT branching into family services

Pupils at Courtlands School

you’ve lost your temper, now get it right.” whether there isn’t something scandalous special school feels like a safe space. Most For some kids, a zero tolerance policy, with about the number of children with special pupils will progress from Courtlands to strict firm parameters and transparency, education needs who are excluded. special secondary schools rather than is “absolutely the language they speak”, Lee Earnshaw, headteacher at Courtlands, mainstream. “The parents don’t want to risk Gillett says. “But the complexities of support the trust’s primary special school for pupils it,” Earnshaw says - and he doesn’t blame around the social emotional need don’t with social, emotional, mental health them. The trust does have an outreach team, always readily fit into zero tolerance.” (SEMH) needs and moderate learning however, that sends specialists into local A child with Asperger’s, for example, difficulties, seems to agree, but the waters mainstream schools to work on behaviour might struggle with the inflexibility of a soon become muddied. and help to prevent the exclusions in the zero tolerance policy “just because they are Every child who arrives at ACE Primary is first place. trying to do what they have literally been eventually diagnosed with an SEMH need. With ACE Family, that same support told”. Some of these needs can be worked through will soon be extended to parents. “It’s not It’s not just kids with autism, though – and should not necessarily be considered rocket science, when we know that social it’s also about allowing enough flex in the permanent conditions, Earnshaw says. disaffection is generational. It’s the gift that system to give the young people a chance However, once there’s been a diagnosis, “it’s keeps on giving, isn’t it?” Gillett says. “Quite to make amends. “When you apply a rigidity a protected characteristic, it’s a disability”, a lot of parents have had really disruptive to any practice, what it does is disavow you he says. and really poor experiences of education, from coming back to use anything else.” It’s that age-old problem of the fuzzy and we really try to turn that on its head. My With 85 per cent of the children referred boundaries between SEMH and SEND. staff are very personable, and we train them to ACE’s primary AP base progressing to The problem in getting any child to to be like that, because we should have our a special school, it’s natural to wonder reintegrate into mainstream is that the door open, we serve the community.”

28 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Opinion DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

Schools paying into the heads and providers, to develop apprenticeship levy need advice on DAVE their staff. how to access it so they can reap its 4) Apprenticeship content benefits for staff training, argues COBB delivery must be placed within a David Cobb CEO, National College of Education, school context – schools should an apprenticeship training provider be signposted to those apprentice t a time when the headlines providers who deliver school- are awash with schools’ based programmes. Astruggles for funding, since 5) Apprenticeships should be part May 2017 some £225 million has been Schools need more support of a whole-school professional taken from schools in the shape of learning plan for teaching and the apprenticeship levy, with very to take on apprentices non-teaching staff. little for those schools to show for it. 0.5 per cent of salary costs. Education as an organisation pays In the main, this is due to a shocking 6) MATs should be given guidance Second, that levy can be used for about £1.2 million per year into the lack of information available to on promoting apprenticeships to training new or existing staff across apprenticeship levy. Through “levy schools about how to access the levy existing and prospective staff – as a range of apprenticeships, including transfer” it could transfer 25 per and what it can be used for. a way of boosting retention and technical, managerial and leadership cent of its contributions to schools It’s only fair to point out that this is recruitment. apprenticeships. The levy cannot be not within LAs or MATs, who don’t just the start of the apprenticeship 7) More apprentice providers used to pay wages. currently pay into the levy. journey for schools. There are few should be encouraged to support Third, once a levy account has been Forward-thinking schools can providers and more are needed. schools, including the 64 teaching spent, schools, MATs and LAs can use effect a paradigm shift in the way The apprenticeship standards are schools who were allowed on to the co-investment model, accessing professional learning happens in their bedding in, with many only recently the register of apprenticeship approved. The rhythm of the training providers this year. apprenticeship levy leaving schools’ 8) And finally, the DfE should take budgets and moving into general For Ofsted to blame schools a lead and offer its 25 per cent as taxation from April 2019 has yet to be levy transfer to smaller schools established. for providing insufficient who can’t access the levy. This So for Ofsted and a training could easily pay for 24 schools to provider to effectively throw support to apprentices train a teaching assistant or team schools and headteachers under leader within their current staff the bus recently by blaming them seems a little disingenuous teams. for providing insufficient support to apprentices seems a little levy funds that have been contributed schools. But for that to work across The apprenticeship levy disingenuous, particularly when we from across the economy. In this the system as a whole a number of is hugely misunderstood in know that schools are dealing with model, schools contribute just 10 per things need to happen: our sector. It provides an significant curriculum change, not to cent of the cost of training (to become unprecedented opportunity to mention a new inspection framework 5 per cent from April 2019) beyond 1) Headteachers need explicit advice transform talent management looming. their existing levy contributions. about how to use the levy – tailored and CPD in schools. Let’s hope So, it’s perhaps worth highlighting Fourth, unspent levy contributions to whether they are an academy or that the sector sees it for what it some headline facts about the from the financial year 2018-19 will maintained school. is and takes full advantage of the apprenticeship levy. expire in April 2019 and will disappear opportunities that it presents. 2) Heads also need examples of how First, any school that is part of from the school account at the rate apprenticeships can work in schools. a multi-academy trust or local they were contributed. Nationally, More information on 3) Local authority procurement authority where salaries are this is estimated to be £11.5 million a apprenticeships that are suitable processes should be simplified and collectively more than £3 million month from school budgets. for schools can be found here: levy funds put into the hands of the annually is paying into the levy about And fifth, the Department for http://bit.ly/WhitePaperNCE

29 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Opinion DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

Leora Cruddas explores ethical and legal implications of removing LEORA enforcement powers. unsuitable trustees These powers include (among CRUDDAS others): n Wednesday last week, the Chief executive, · suspending or removing a Public Accounts Committee Confederation of School Trusts trustee; Oheld its second session · appointing additional trustees; into academy finances. The themes Falling short: how academy · appointing an interim manager. explored were wide-ranging. One of The power to remove a these was the proposed “banning” trustees can be banned trustee is exercised through a of trustees who are found to misuse disqualification order, which public money. What powers does the secretary of Powers of direction will state whether the person It is absolutely right that the state have as the principal regulator? In specific circumstances, the is disqualified in relation to Education and Skills Funding Typically, principal regulators must secretary of state also has the power all charities, specific charities Agency (ESFA) explores its powers promote exempt charities’ compliance to prevent an individual from taking or a class of charities, such as to restrict and sanction trustees who with charity law. They usually have part in academy-trust management. academy trusts. The period of are found wanting. Trustees should no powers of enforcement. However, This could prevent an individual disqualification depends on the commit themselves to the highest academy trusts are accountable to from acting as a member, trustee or seriousness of the case and can be standards of public life. Where they the secretary of state through their executive leader. for a maximum of 15 years. fall short of these standards, and in funding agreement. The latter also The circumstances are set out in The bar for disqualification particular where there is misuse of includes details about the financial regulations, but can include where is relatively high. For example, public money, it is right that they are information a trust must produce. the individual is subject to a caution people disqualified from prevented from being trustees in or conviction or has engaged in being a trustee or director are future. usually under restrictions from Academies are run by non-profit- bankruptcy or a debt relief order. making charitable trusts. Anyone Trustees should commit Other types of “unfit conduct” involved in the governance of include: an academy trust (for example, themselves to the highest · not keeping proper company members, sponsors and trustees) is accounting records; not allowed to make a profit from standards of public life · not sending accounts and their involvement with it. returns to Companies House; Academy trusts are, in fact, “exempt Financial notice to improve poor conduct, and the secretary of · not paying tax owed by the charities”. The same is also true of The education secretary can take state considers, that because of that company; sixth-form colleges, voluntary-aided, enforcement action if an academy caution, conviction or conduct, the · and using company money or voluntary-controlled and foundation trust breaches its funding agreement. individual is unsuitable to take part in assets for personal benefit. trust schools. Such organisations are This usually takes the form of a the management of a school. While the ultimate sanction – not registered or directly regulated by financial notice to improve. A principal regulator would the power to suspend or remove the Charity Commission. The ESFA, acting with the delegated normally refer to the Charity trustees – is very important, They are instead monitored by a authority of the secretary of state, has Commission if a serious failure to we really want all trustees of “principal regulator”, the secretary of the power to issue a financial notice comply with charity law is found. academy trusts to be committed state for education. to improve usually where there is an to the principles of public life: It is important to note that “exempt” actual or projected deficit, cash-flow Referral to the Charity Commission selflessness, integrity, objectivity, charities must still comply with problems, risk of insolvency, irregular and the power to remove or disband accountability, openness, honesty charity and company law. use of public funds, or inadequate a trustee and leadership. Very little can go governance and management, In cases of a serious failure to wrong where trustees individually, including weak oversight by trustees. comply with charity law, the and the trust board collectively, Charity Commission has a range of observes these principles.

30 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Opinion DO YOU HAVE A STORY? CONTACT US [email protected]

It’s an uncomfortable subject for many, but a recent court case has EMMA highlighted the need for schools to BANISTER DEAN have robust guidelines in place that address the problem of sexual abuse Partner, education team, perpetrated by young children, says Royds Withy King solicitors Emma Bannister Dean The risk of pupil-on-pupil sexual ith Barnardo’s reporting to the House of assault cannot be ignored We all find the idea of hyper- Commons science and W sexualised primary-school where the perpetrator and the victim protecting the school’s reputation. • technology committee that children are both pupils. • Engage early with professional children an uncomfortable as young as five are perpetrating In my experience, both when advisers who can provide you with one. With prevention and sexual abuse on their peers, and this advising on these situations and when the toolkit to interact with parents adequate responses to assaults week’s reports of a high settlement dealing with them as a governor, and pupils. being so critical, the lack of paid to parents of an abused pupil, it’s schools can feel so conflicted by their If you don’t get it right, what are the training, counselling and robust important for schools to know how to obligations to both parties that they risks? enforcement of behaviour protect themselves and their pupils. are unable to make clear and timely The most serious risk is to the victim policies cannot continue. Staff Sexual assault on children is an decisions. Preparation is the key to and their recovery. need adequate training to enable emotive and highly charged issue. protecting all parties. In the current reported case of them to fulfil their safeguarding When that assault is committed by role and we all need to put our another child, adults often shy away. discomfort aside and tackle these With the recovery of the victim being issues. so strongly linked to the way in which Schools can feel so conflicted There is an understanding these incidents are dealt with, schools by their obligations to both among parents that schools take need to ensure the availability of on an implied duty of care for their adequate training, sanctions and parties that they are unable children while on school premises. counselling. This is particularly the It was in response to a claim by case in primary schools, where the to make clear decisions Bella’s parents for breach of that perpetrators are below the age of duty that the primary school in criminal responsibility and the school question paid a large settlement. may be the only organisation that is To minimise the fallout: the girl known as Bella, who was The press reported this case as able to send a strong signal about the • Adapt behaviour policies to deal repeatedly sexually assaulted at the first example of a settlement acceptability of behaviour among its with situations where both parties her primary school by two fellow being paid in these circumstances. community. are pupils. pupils when she was aged six, staff Those of us advising schools know The increasing use of social media • Train staff in how to identify and had witnessed inappropriate sexual that unfortunately this was not and the internet by primary-school challenge risky behaviour. behaviour by the boys towards Bella the first. children unfortunately results in • Enable staff to understand when to but failed to report their concerns or Evidence of what the school some children becoming sexualised escalate and report concerns. to intervene. They had also failed to has done to minimise the risk of or learning sexual behaviours at a • If the worst does happen, follow notify her parents. When the abuse such assaults and to maximise very young age. Safeguarding policies your adapted policies and did come to light and Bella’s parents the victim’s chances of recovery and procedures are often designed procedures. They provide you with asked for counselling to help their will all help to protect the school to protect children from adults. a clear decision path and justify daughter, they were told that she was as well as potential victims. The While behaviour policies might cover your actions. not entitled to counselling because messages sent to pupils will also allegations of sexual assault, they • Don’t assume that waiting for it she did not come within the “child in contribute to making the school often do not deal with allegations to go away will be the best way of need” criteria. community a safer space.

31 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Reviews

BOOK REVIEW

The Learning Imperative Authors: Mark Burns and Andy Griffith Reviewed by: Helena Marsh, executive principal, Chilford Hundred Education Trust, and principal, Linton Village College Publisher: Crown House

As a self-confessed educational- “bounce” and Pink’s theory of manufacturing, as well as education, leadership-book junkie, I was interested motivation, among others (is there a lack enables the reader to make connections to see how effectively The Learning of female writers in this field?). It also with their own experiences. These useful Imperative, which focuses on a range of offers suggested further reading. vignettes help us consider individuals’ workplaces rather than schools Its digestible chunks of contextualised responses and potential approaches to per se, would get to the nub of knowledge achieve its ambition to untap professional potential, address professional development: learning. “deliver a highly practical guide to underperformance and recognise I encourage readers who, like develop performance through effective behaviours symptomatic of imposter me, might be initially put off by learning”. It is an easy read, but syndrome or its opposite (the Dunning- the endorsement of “progressive encourages its readers to engage in Kruger effect) within ourselves and our management”, the lack of capital letters consideration and action throughout colleagues. in the cover title, the proliferation of the with its regular reflection questions and The Learning Imperative is the adjective “outstanding” in relation to case studies. equivalent of training delivered by wise, the authors’ previous publications, the A strength of the book is its focus respected and experienced leadership bite-size structure and the plethora of on psychological characteristics that role-models through the medium of grids and acronyms within the book to underpin professional learning. skilful coaching and mentoring. The reserve judgment. I particularly enjoyed the sections on book walks the reader through logical It achieves exactly what it promises relational trust, processing overload steps to consider, diagnose, plan, deliver on the cover; this is a “practical, well- and perception gaps. They helped me to and reflect on professional learning. Its constructed reference book for leaders”. consider my own professional learning rich professional advice, helpful stories, I am confident that both experienced limitations and provide a vehicle to metaphors, images and tools make it and novice leaders will take some examine team dynamics and individual memorable; the book exemplifies the very theoretical gems and practical activities behaviours. essence of its own subject matter. from it. It provides useful affirmation It includes models that are introduced It is a leadership manual that I wish I of tacit knowledge, helpful summaries and revisited throughout the chapters had possessed when I started out as a head of theoretical concepts and a range of to identify, analyse and address of department many years ago. Alongside strategies for reviewing adults’ learning potential barriers to professional plentiful nuggets of wisdom, there are and performance. learning and performance; the learning- takeaway materials that can be used in The Learning Imperative delivers performance matrix and Kaplan team meetings. I found myself folding substance as well as style. The workload management method are down pages and adding Post-it notes to authors, Mark Burns and Andy useful. The techniques share sections with colleagues, and I Griffith, successfully weave in a serve to examine the root have already made use digest of relevant research. The book causes of negative and of several of the models touches upon a significant number resistant responses to in senior team and staff of influential thinkers and concepts, professional learning meetings to prompt including: Kirschner’s theory of such as complacency, discussion. instruction; Maslow’s hierarchy of defensiveness, delusion I recommend this book needs; Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow”; and helplessness. to anyone responsible for, Sweller’s cognitive load theory; Covey’s Sharing scenarios or aspiring to, lead a team; effective habits; Rogers’ unconditional taken from lots it is essential reading positive regard; Goleman’s emotional of different for those responsible for intelligence; Hattie’s visible learning; industry examples, organising and delivering Berger’s ethic of excellence; Syed’s including retail and professional learning.

32 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Research

Every month Stuart Kime trawls through his greatest research hits to offer practical implementation tips for using evidence in practice If we don’t know we’ve failed, we can’t do better!

Stuart Kime, director of education, Evidence Based Education

The English education system has a pretty strange – perhaps dysfunctional – relationship with evaluation, although I don’t think that we’re unique in this. We talk about it a lot, we seem to think it’s important, and we don’t make the most of what it can offer us. As such, most educational initiatives and innovations, given sufficient enthusiasm and buzz, are doomed to success.

professional competence of teachers puts interventions and initiatives, and CPD providers How can evaluation help schools? it: “People with strong self-regulatory skills have organisations built on the success of their Evaluation methods are not a panacea, but demonstrate a level of occupational engagement products and services; the threats to reputation they can help teachers, school leaders and that is commensurate with the challenges and self-esteem can be very high for all. policymakers be more effective and efficient by: of the teaching profession while at the same At a policymaking level, consider the attraction • helping improve a programme or practice as it’s time maintaining a healthy distance from of evaluation: knowing the impact of public funds being developed; work concerns and conserving their personal invested in a new initiative would enable better • helping decide if we should amend, continue or resources.” policy decisions. But consider also the political cease a programme or practice; Robust evaluation can help teachers and school fallout for the minister responsible when we find • informing the decision to scale up a programme leaders figure out how best to expend their that the initiative has no effect (or is worse than or practice; personal resources in the professional context. doing nothing at all). And consider that in the • identifying inefficient aspects of a programme Having worked in schools, in the civil service context of a fractured minority government with or practice’s delivery; and in research, I am confident in saying that I a working majority of precisely 0. • communicating accurately the impact of don’t think I’ve ever met someone who thought There are arguments against evaluation – too programmes and practices; that evaluation was a bad idea. It’s hard to argue costly, too slow, too hard – but none is sufficient • influencing policy. against it, really. So, given its potential benefits to persuade me that it’s not worth persevering Evaluation can help us stop doing so many and public enthusiasm for it, why is it not a with. To help schools develop in-house evaluation good things, so that – as Dylan Wiliam would put core component of every government policy capacity, the Education Endowment Foundation it – we can focus on even better things. But until decision? Why is it not at the heart of CPD published The DIY Evaluation Guide in 2013. Take we have an increased awareness, knowledge and providers’ development and delivery processes? a look! understanding of evaluation in our education Why do we not heed John Hattie’s plea to “know system, I’m afraid this is a pipe dream. And the thy impact”? Kunter, M., Baumert, J., Blum, W., Klusmann, U., ramifications are clear for a workforce trying While the answers to these questions often Krauss, S., & Neubrand, M. (Eds.). (2013). Cognitive hard to eradicate ineffective programmes and include a lack of time, money, training and tools, activation in the mathematics classroom and practices. one fact sits above all: done well, evaluation professional competence of teachers: Results from Teachers’ and school leaders’ may reveal that something didn’t work. the COACTIV project. Springer Science & Business occupational self-regulation – in Personally, I see this as a good thing – Media. other words, their ability effectively to knowing what hasn’t worked is just as budget their personal resources in the valuable as knowing what has – but I Coe, R., Kime, S., Nevill, C., & Coleman, R. (2013). professional context of education – is also recognise that teachers and leaders The DIY Evaluation Guide. London: The Education a critical feature of effective teaching. invest their time, effort and energy in Endowment Foundation. As one study by Kunter et al on the

33 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

Reviews

The murmuring: a generational crisis in our schools @Oldprimaryhead1

Brian Walton, a headteacher in the TOP BLOGS southwest, uses the metaphor of nature to reflect on the state of our educational of the week landscape. Evoking autumnal leaf fall, the “murmur of starlings” and a “murder of crows”, he pays homage to James Pope, the latest headteacher casualty in our system, as depicted in episode three of School. The much debated show has captured the stark, gritty reality of our broken system. Hannah Wilson is a headteacher and founding member of WomenEd Prompted to muse about life and death by this blog, I was left with the image of @THEHOPEFULHT roadkill. Our schools are the innocent victims of our politicians’ dangerous driving. RIP performance management and a teacher. In this post, she reports on @ChrisMoyse attending a @ResearchSEND conference Lost Words Event session, where she learns from a parent @MrEFinch All the blogs I reviewed this week chimed what her daughter’s experience of being

with me and my core values because they failed by the system was like. In an I had the privilege of hearing Ed Finch read were full of heart and made me stop and emotional response to this talk, Shahina this blog live at The Lost Words event in think, but more importantly empathise with considers her own upbringing and Oxford on Friday night. Health warning: our fellow professionals. First up is Chris experience of “otherness”, and encourages make a cuppa and get the tissues out before Moyse, a reflective leader who challenges us to question why we label “difference” you read this one as I sobbed when I heard the system’s traditional practices. We know and do not celebrate “diversity”. it and cried again when I read it. The whole we need to appraise our school staff and evening was a profound artistic experience. support them to develop and perform The quiet return of the inner voice First, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris to their potential, but he questions our @Illwriteitdown conjured up spells from their highly methodology in doing this. Chris frames praised book The Lost Words, punctuating his argument by considering the concerns Another trainee teacher blog caught my the readings and discussions with live about recruitment and retention across attention this week. Ele reflects on her art as Jackie brought nature to life before our profession, and reflects on managing SCITT placement breakdown and taking our eyes. We also listened to beautiful workloads and wellbeing. He proposes a some time out from her training to contributions from cancer patients, solution-focused approach, underpinned recalibrate. She digs deep to make sense of their families and their carers, each an by a set of values that underpin the culture went wrong, why she needed to walk away exploration of life, love and light. Ed closed and ethos of where he works. from a fantastic job offer, and how she the event with a love letter to his late wife found the resilience to reapply for teaching Diane. The Sheldonian Theatre was lifted ResearchSEND conference roles and restart her PGCE. I have the as the song she wrote and performed in @shahina_j utmost respect for her honest reflections her music therapy sessions at Sobell House and am happy to hear she has found the hospice filled the room. A career changer who blogs about being a right role, in the right school, with the right trainee teacher with a focus on inclusion, support. Shahina Patel’s writes as both a mother

CLICK ON REVIEWS TO VIEW BLOGS 34 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

REPLY OF THE WEEK @peterbellswfc s’ Big-hitters stripped of special status er ad as their schools struggle e My issue with NLGs is the R plY selection criteria. As a chair of governors I’ve helped lift two schools out of special measure measures, dealing with lots of issues along the way. When I Schools told to consider lockdown protocols to counter apply to be an NLG I get terrorist attacks turned down, but I could

@LJ_Finch be chair of governors in I joined a new school and asked them what their lockdown an outstanding school procedure was. I was told that you had to barricade yourself in and a ‘yes man’ to the Head and get NLG status :-( your classroom until someone came by, ringing the break bell THE REPLY OF THE WEEK WINS A SCHOOLS WEEK MUG. and shouting “squirrel”. CONTACT US AT [email protected] TO CLAIM

Should home education be monitored? @FamilySend Helena Barron It was there before (as we all knew) but now it’s out in the I assumed that home ed was monitored? Shocked to hear that open, which is good in many ways, though there are negative this isn’t the case. consequences (our children constantly being presented as a burden). We need to work together to systemically evidence what’s @EdWelfareMan happening. This debate ignores the fact that LAs have been cut to the bone. There’s no-one left to do the monitoring and registering even if Exclusive: New data reveals pupils from poor postcodes are it does become a requirement. more likely to be taught by a non-specialist. Is that fair?

@drleatongray @davidjones3525 My position is on this that home schooling families should be Totally unfair. You can be a great practitioner but you have to have able to apply for small equipment and material grants (say £250 a depth of knowledge and passion for the subject. I have seen it a child), which would be a benign nudge towards volunteering many times. for registration without the long arm of the state reaching into private homes too much. @alisonclarke14 Been told of a primary school where 70% of teachers are ‘The whole system will implode’: Council bosses warn of unqualified or NQTs, again in an area of deprivation, how can that SEND funding crisis help social mobility?

@nourishedschool DfE dishes out £10m to recruit 600 more career changers School leaders, teachers, support staff, children and families feel sad and indignant about the current SEND funding realities in Karl Peter our schools. Getting this right will say much about our society, Fund education properly. Honour the pay recommendations (like about our values. they did for themselves). Reduce the scrutiny. Then you won’t need £10 million for ‘persuaders’. @kategrey34 This is so disturbing. How can we help? What can we do? I have Laura Wood two children with SEN. Our children matter too. A court found Give the schools the money to fund support staff! Excellent support our school guilty of discrimination. What will happen when staff means teachers will stay! there are even less funds? Schools won’t be able to support children with SEN. Andy Lawton If they looked after the teachers who already teach a lot better, some excellent teachers would return to a teaching career. Government just don’t get it, not just about money... many of us took a pay drop to leave the profession.

35 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

WEEK IN WESTMINSTER Your regular guide to what’s going on in central government

MONDAY is of course the senior minister in our own MP’s department – risks reflecting Still sleeping off the weekend. Is it poorly on our organisation.” Christmas yet? To add insult to injury, Surrey Live’s TUESDAY tweet about the story even got a passive aggressive “like” from DfE minister Recent tales of failure in the academies Sam Gyimah. What larks! sector appear to have irked Lord Agnew, If he wants to attract a bigger crowd, the minister for the school system. Hinds should take a leaf from the During an interview with this book of former national schools newspaper, the Tory peer ranted commissioner Sir David Carter, who at our reporter about the lack of seems to be enjoying his newfound “heartwarming” stories about academy freedom to say what’s on his mind. success. Freed from the shackles of the civil “I know you hate positive stories, service code of conduct, Sir David but we’ve opened 1,700 sponsored reacted with incredulity to the news academies,” he said. “Only one in ten that no-deal Brexit will shrink our were good or outstanding before they economy by eight per cent. converted, compared to seven in ten “Why for FS are we doing this?” he having become academies and been tweeted. inspected. For those not savvy with Carter’s “So that’s half a million more children, modern vocabulary, “for FS” means “for and these were often in areas of often fuck’s sake”. great deprivation. I mean, the change to It’s a brave new world. the lives of these children, having been WEDNESDAY educated in a special measures school to The Guildford Conservative Association THURSDAY being educated in a good or outstanding has been forced to cancel an event due The government’s vaunted new school, it is life-changing.” to feature Damian Hinds as the keynote postgraduate apprenticeship route “I just think you ought to give a little bit speaker because of poor ticket sales. into teaching has really lived up to of juice to us, occasionally. I mean, the According to Surrey Live, the expectations (it hasn’t). people doing this are heroes. They’re not education secretary had been due to New ITT census figures released this easy jobs. I’ve been in the front line with speak at the Guildford Tories’ annual week show just 90 trainees chose the these people. I know what it takes out of dinner, but the party pulled the route this year, a 9 per cent recruitment them. Energy and stamina.” plug after fewer than 50 tickets sold. rate against a target of 1,000. If that isn’t a pitch for a guest editorship, Members were being asked to pay It remains to be explained why the we don’t know what is! £60 a head to hear Hinds speak in the route is having teething problems, P.S. We’re sure Agnew will read constituency of his fellow education but we suspect it would have been with interest our four-page feature minister Anne Milton. much more popular if ministers hadn’t highlighting the life-changing work of In an email seen by local journalists, stubbornly blocked attempts to open it the Ace trust, the academy boss saying Sallie Barker, the association’s deputy up to non-grads too. his trust is beating the retention crisis chair of membership and fundraising, Nick Gibb strikes again! by offering all staff three wellbeing days said: “A turnout of less than 50 to the (page 23)! Secretary of State for Education – who

36 JO BS EDITION 159 | FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

CALL 02081234778 OR EMAIL [email protected] TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES

Trust Headteacher

This is an exciting new role for an experienced Following the shortlisting of applicants, if you Headteacher to work directly with the Trust are selected to attend an interview you will be Executive to offer school improvement capacity contacted by CORE Education Trust by email. across our 6 Schools. Candidates will ideally have experience in both primary and secondary For further enquiries please contact Emma contexts and will certainly have a track record Chapman on 0121 389 2824. in school improvement. The role will involve working directly with each of the schools and Position: Trust Headteacher leading a specialist network of high performing subject leaders. Apply by: 12 noon Monday 3rd December

Though not a named Headteacher role initially, Interview Date: Tuesday 11th December this post could involve stepping in as an interim Headteacher as required to meet the needs of a Job Start: ASAP growing Trust.

To apply visit; www.core-education.co.uk/jobs-with-us/

EDUCATIONWEEKJOBS.CO.UK JO BS EDITION 159 | FRIDAY, NOV 30 2018

CALL 02081234778 OR EMAIL [email protected] TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES

ASSOCIATE DEAN - LEARNING DESIGN Ambition School Leadership has merged with the Institute for Teaching to become (MATERNITY COVER) a new organisation dedicated to supporting teachers and school leaders to keep London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds getting better. We legally merged in September 2018, but will launch publicly as the Salary: £54,000 - £59,000 + £3,000 LWA new organisation in early 2019. (if applicable) We know that great teaching and school leadership are the most powerful levers for Interview date; Week commencing transforming children’s outcomes. Effective leaders set the culture and create the 10 December 2018 conditions for improvements in teacher expertise, and expert teachers can close Hours; 37.5 hours the attainment gap. Yet too much professional development for teachers and school Closing date; Dec. 9, 2018, 11:59 p.m. leaders is low-quality, generic and fragmented.

Our new organisation, launching in Spring 2019, will have a single focus: to help ASSOCIATE DEAN - teachers and school leaders to keep getting better. We think that this is the best LEARNING DESIGN way to make sure that every pupil, regardless of their background, gets a great London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds education. Salary: £54,000 - £59,000 + £3,000 LWA (if applicable) To apply for any of our vacancies please visit Interview date; Week commencing https://www.ambitionschoolleadership.org.uk/work-us/ 10 December 2018 Hours; 37.5 hours For any questions or queries please email us at Closing date ; Dec. 9, 2018, 11:59 p.m. [email protected]

ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES HERE!

JO BS

Jobs in schools, colleges and education; leadership, management, teaching and administration

We’ve made finding your next colleague easier.

Visit our website at educationweekjobs.co.uk

To place a recruitment advert please contact: Clare Halliday 020 3432 1397 [email protected]

EDUCATIONWEEKJOBS.CO.UK JO BS

MAKING THE RESEARCH EASY Start your search for a new role today. Search through hundreds of premium jobs from across the education sector.

Visit www.educationweekjobs.co.uk To place a recruitment advert get in touch at: [email protected] or call: 020 8123 4778.

Roles from organisations including: