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SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | EDITION 113

RAYNER: ‘LET’S MOVE ON FROM TALKING ABOUT ACADEMIES’ PAGE 10

Loophole in voting causes

headteacher EXCLUSIVE: The “unfair” reason why Harrop Fold School can’t election farce become an academy JESS STAUFENBERG PAGE 3 @STAUFENBERGJ EXCLUSIVE PAGE 4

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Learning & Skills Events, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER – L5 + L7 Consultancy and Training Ltd (FRINGE) HTTP://9NL.ES/CCBS 161-165 Greenwich High Road London SE10 8JA T: 020 8123 4778 TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND SCHOOLS WEEK E: [email protected] PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 3 NEWS Multiple votes allowed in head board ballot

JESS STAUFENBERG week that while anyone with “executive @STAUFENBERGJ headteacher” or “headteacher” in their job Exclusive title could vote, CEOs who do not hold one Executive headteachers are able to vote of these titles were ineligible. more than once using a loophole in the However, a source pointed out that “CEO” headteacher board elections, Schools Week and “executive headteacher” are often has discovered. interchangeable terms at many small trusts, And if they’re standing, they are and some CEOs have been arbitrarily barred potentially able to cast multiple votes for from voting according to how they are listed themselves, plunging the fairness of the in the government’s database. whole system into doubt Despite this, although CEOs cannot vote, The elections opened this month, they can still stand as candidates – around to elect panels which will then advise half the candidates have CEO in their title. commissioners on the opening, transfer and Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of closure of other academies. the National Association of Head Teachers, There have been concerns throughout the wants the DfE to review the CEOs voting process hanging over their transparency, issue, as “leadership roles are changing John Fowler Paul Whiteman the lack of consistency in who is eligible to rapidly” and there is often significant stand, and the short voting timeframe. for themselves many times. to academies rather than individuals. overlap between the roles. But Schools Week has now learned that John Fowler, a policy manager at the The DfE said it was up to heads and senior But Stuart Lock, the principal of Bedford executive heads who oversee more than one Local Government Information Unit, leaders to “decide who should cast the vote”. Free School, believes the policy was a school are able to vote several times. described the set-up as “crazy”, and said it “These are not the standards to expect for “sensible” attempt to ensure every school The Department for Education sent showed the DfE was making up “how to do an election,” said Fowler. “You have billions was allocated just one vote each. emails to every academy this month which the elections as it goes along”. being spent [on the academy system], “If CEOs were also allowed to vote, a trust included a unique code allowing people A letter sent to senior academy leaders controlled by a fantasy franchise and with just two schools could get three votes to cast their vote on the election site, urging them to vote, told them to “check electorate, and no approval by Parliament.” for two headteachers and a CEO”, he said. addressed to the “headteacher or executive your academy’s email inbox for your Schools Week also understand turnout in The election is being run this year by headteacher”. voting pack and unique code”. This code elections has been worryingly low so far. UK Engage, an electoral services company. However, sources familiar with the “will authenticate your visit to the secure The headteacher board elections had Electoral Reform Services ran the previous system have realised that where an voting site”, but the system has no way to been facing problems before the loophole election held three years ago, and bid executive headteacher is the point of tell whether the same person is voting more was exposed, including delays to their unsuccessfully for the contract this year. contact for every academy in a particular than once. timeframe, and the fact that few candidates Voting closes on September 22, and trust, they “could be returning a vote on any The rules do not explicitly bar a person were standing in some areas. results are expected before the autumn number of schools” – and potentially voting from voting in this way as votes are attached The DfE was forced to confirm last half-term. EDUCATING... TV SERIES SCHOOL FACES ‘UNFAIR’ DEBT PROBLEMS EDUCATE! THROUGH TRAVEL BEAT THOSE BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES!

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PEACE OF MIND We’re fully ABTA and ATOL- accredited and have STF membership SPEAK TO AN EXPERT TODAY: 0333 321 7848 [email protected] PAY YOUR FULL TRIP DEPOSIT BEFORE THE Drew Povey END OF SEPTEMBER Exclusive AND YOU’LL GET A FREE GOPRO TO USE The school featured in a major Channel 4 turnaround support. ON YOUR TRIP series this year is struggling with historic Paying back the debt in the face of debt of over £3 million, which its headmaster stagnating budgets caused class sizes to claims is “unfairly” preventing it from balloon to 36 in some cases, while staff becoming an academy. numbers have fallen by more than 60 per Harrop Fold, the subject of this year’s cent since 2010, which is “impinging on life Educating Greater Manchester series, fell chances”, according to its head Drew Povey. into debt in the middle of the last decade “I never played the lottery until I found after it was put into special measures and out about this debt but now I play it every T&C’s Apply, see http://www.statravelgroups.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.htm conditions for more details. was forced to spend substantial sums on CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 4 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS Costs mount for excluded pupils sent to private schools

JESS STAUFENBERG £179,700 in 2013-14 placing two pupils @STAUFENBERGJ Exclusive in private provision, compared with the £25,000 it spent on two pupils at the local Multi-academy trusts spend three times council referral unit in the same year. as much on private alternative provision Meanwhile the Diocese of Coventry MAT as they do on local authority alternative spent £73,861 sending 29 pupils to private provision – even though many private schools over the past four years, but nothing providers have never been checked by on three pupils who went to local PRUs, Ofsted. because costs were covered by the council. Schools Week asked the largest multi- Not all trusts are making use of private academy trusts to give details of the private alternative providers, however. The alternative providers they have used to Tauheedal Education Trust sent 39 pupils educate their pupils over the last four years. to PRUs in 2015-16, a figure which rose to The sixteen trusts we spoke to spent a 48 last year, and sent just two to private AP total of £2.94 million sending children who – and then only due to a “lack of space” in could not be served in mainstream schools local provision. to private alternative providers, but just £1 Kiran Gill (pictured), founder of The million on local authority places, because, Difference, a programme that trains teachers they said, council-run provision had been in alternative provision, said she was closed or private provision was “better hearing that schools which “struggle to stay tailored” to pupil needs. in the black” could not afford to use private However Schools Week found that half providers, even as a preventative measure to of the 154 private providers used by the avoid permanent exclusion. trusts do not have individual Ofsted reports, compliant alternative provision”, hinting at a referral units in 2012, forcing it to seek Private providers collecting a fee have less raising serious questions about the quality “can of worms”. private alternatives. Five other trusts said incentive to return pupils to mainstream of provision on offer relative to its cost. The Diocese of Coventry MAT uses Bilton local council provision was full. schooling, claimed Rob Gasson, the CEO Among those which were graded, just Evangelical Church for alternative provision, Both the Collaborative Academies Trust of the Acorn Academy Trust, which runs over half were ‘good’, and around 15 per cent a body that does not appear on Ofsted’s list and LEAD Academies Trust said their local alternative provision in Cornwall, so were ‘outstanding’, but the rest were still of inspected providers. authorities did not run a form of alternative pupils are kept out of the mainstream for paid despite receiving grades three or four. Meanwhile Wakefield City Academies provision allowing pupils to return back longer than is necessary. Dave Whitaker, the executive principal Trust, which is to fold later this year due to into school when ready, whereas private A spokesperson for Ofsted said of Springwell Learning Community, an concerns over quality and finance, has used providers did. government guidance defines a school as AP school in Barnsley, said Ofsted tries to the Impact Centre, a private provider which And the Harris Federation said private an institution which provides education check independent providers during their costs £65 a day per pupil and was rated providers had less “complex referral for at least 18 hours a week. Non-associated inspection of schools. ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted in May. processes” than councils and often produced independent schools But these checks can be brief, and many Among the trusts we spoke to, private better academic outcomes than local PRUs, covered by this private alternative providers might never be alternative provision has become which can have in their care “some of the definition are visited at all, he said. increasingly popular and the proportion most troubled young people in the borough”. inspected. Under government rules private providers of pupils sent to one has more than trebled The Cabot Learning Federation said it are only inspected if they are providing over the past four years. The proportion preferred the smaller class sizes of private full-time education to five or more pupils sent to PRUs only doubled in the same provision. of compulsory school age, or they educate timeframe, showing a preference for using But the choice to send pupils to private one pupil who is looked after or has special non-council provision. schools is expensive for the taxpayer: in the educational needs or a disability. Reasons for the increase vary by trust. last two years, Harris has spent £779,000 Given this, Whitaker suggested that The Diocese of Coventry MAT claimed that sending 125 pupils to 34 private providers. some trusts could be “hiding kids in non- Warwickshire council closed all of its pupil The Collaborative Academies Trust spent ‘If I won the lottery, I’d pay the debt back’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Saturday,” he told Schools Week. “Honestly, deficits brought across, or than a mile from Harrop Fold, given so many new exam specifications. if I win this weekend, I’d give the money to multi-academy trusts also closed over the summer “I think a loan should be created, and then Harrop to get rid of this debt and I’d be back laced with deficits from with over £600,000 of we’ll pay it back to the local authority, one in work on Monday. I wouldn’t think twice schools,” he said. outstanding debt way or another, but to stop us from being about it.” “But I think ours is which is expected to able to become an academy and stop life Povey took over as head when aged 32 at different given the be written off. chances of kids because of a debt we didn’t the turn of the decade, making him one of make-up of the “If our school create and therefore we can’t convert seems the youngest school leaders in the country. debt, and I think was so bad that it wholly unfair,” he said. The deficit had already reached £3.1 million, we need special had to be closed, Povey has been pleased by the positive and the school was told it must repay the dispensation. We or taken over by reaction of the public since the television amount. It has now returned £1.4 million, but will pay it back, someone else, we series started last month. more than half of the debt remains. all we need is could get ourselves “I think it is because we’ve created this “We didn’t cause this debt, but I accept agreement on the out of this debt,” culture where it is safe for pupils to be who it, and I think we should pay it back to the terms.” said Povey. “But I they are. It’s safe for them to come into local authority but I am frustrated that it is Schools which can’t do that to our school and feel part of something. We do stopping us becoming an academy, and that fail Ofsted inspections children. I won’t do a bad have some challenging kids, but they leave is impinging on us doing our job,” he said. and are forcibly taken over job just so that we can avoid that at the door,” he said. Harrop Fold has been supported for more by academy trusts can have this problem.” “It sounds all a bit cheesy, but I also than two years by Consilium Academy Trust, their debts written off. Figures released But without becoming an academy, want the Educating series to be an honest which wants to absorb it into its chain, but last week showed the government handed he said the school cannot build the sort depiction. I want people to see the hard edge the Department for Education has refused millions to academy sponsors, in some cases of central capacity other schools are of what kids and staff go through on a daily the application on account of the debt. to wipe out deficits at schools they took over. developing, especially in terms of curriculum basis. This thing we call education is a tough “I totally get why people don’t want big Bolton Wanderers Free School, located less support – which is especially necessary game.”

6 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS TOP LONDON SIXTH FORM ‘EXCLUDING’ KIDS WITH LOW GRADES told pupils to leave if they did not get at least JESS STAUFENBERG three B grades at AS. @STAUFENBERGJ Investigates The government dragged St Olave’s over the coals, declaring the practice illegal and forcing it to U-turn and readmit the pupils it nother top London sixth form had dumped. has been accused of “effectively This apparently encouraged Bourne Aexcluding” pupils at the end of year 12 Grammar School in Lincolnshire to write because they did not get high enough grades, to year 13 pupils it had ejected for similar even though the government recently blasted reasons and invite them to re-enlist, for fear another school for doing the same thing. of legal action. Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre, led A second pupil at Newham Collegiate told by former City lawyer Mouhssin Ismail, did Schools Week that the school had forbidden not issue timetables for this term to 19 pupils them from continuing with any subjects, following their AS results, and told some despite achieving a C in one subject, and they could not retake year 12, according to getting a U grade in only one other. evidence seen by Schools Week. Both pupils asked to retake year 12, but The school was widely praised on results were told they would have to reapply with day for achieving top grades despite its applicants from other schools. location in a deprived area of east London. “I was completely in tears and my mum was It boasted on its website and in press very upset as well,” they said. releases that 99 per cent of A-level grades Nearby sixth forms have now taken the were between A* and C at the college, but pupils in to restart year 12, but they will find pupils have told Schools Week they could themselves funded at a reduced rate next only continue into the second year of their year, as 19-year-olds are apportioned less A-levels if they received a C or above, an money. “expectation” outlined on the school’s A spokesperson for the Department for website. Education said the Newham Collegiate Schools Week understands that 214 counted as a further education provider Mouhssin Ismail timetables were sent out before exams, but and that “clear guidance” states “that once a only 195 were sent out afterwards, implying They continued: “No-one can take two chance to continue in the three subjects they student is enrolled, the institution is expected that at least 19 pupils were barred from subjects, because you can’t get into university needed for university. to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the continuing into year 13. At least some of like that. He’s effectively excluding us.” The school’s website claims that student can complete their programme” as a these pupils were unable to continue due to The pupil has a medical condition which “consideration will be given to students in condition of funding. missing the expected grades. a consultant at a London hospital said, in an exceptional circumstances” if pupils don’t hit However, Newham council, which One pupil, who met Ismail after failing email to the school seen by Schools Week, C grades. currently oversees the college as part of its to get adequate grades in one subject, told “could affect [their] ability to revise and pass This isn’t the first high-flying school “adult education” services, said it will be Schools Week that he “kept emphasising I was [their] exams”. caught preventing students from carrying on opening as an academy “later this year”. being ‘allowed’ to continue into year 13, but In another email, Ismail acknowledged the into year 13. St Olave’s Grammar School in Schools Week has repeatedly approached only in two subjects”. condition but continued to deny the pupil the south-east London hit the headlines after it the school for a response.

CASE STUDY: CASE STUDY: CASE STUDY: “I should at least be “Essentially the “NCS was not the allowed to carry on headteacher has sixth form that I with three subjects” made them leave” expected it to be”

A pupil who got one C grade, with other grades below that “Essentially the headteacher has made them leave” A pupil who got a B and a C, with other grades below that. “Being kicked out of college has left many students A pupil who got two Cs, with other grades below that. “I’ve been the victim of the same situation at Newham stranded, forcing them to have to retake the whole year at “Students who didn’t get a C have been given a timetable Collegiate Sixth Form Centre as some other students. another sixth form or college, or desperately scavenging for with only two subjects, but no one will take that because no one “It’s caused a big problem for me in terms of continuing my year 13 places. can get into university like that. education as an A-level student. I am one of the few who was “I only got a U in one subject out of the four I took. This “So when they leave, it looks like it’s of their own volition. means that I should at least be allowed to carry on with three able to find a place at another sixth form. “But essentially the headteacher has made them leave, subjects. However, my college did not agree on this matter. “Unfortunately, NCS was not the sixth form that I expected it without directly making them leave. “Another horrendous option [the college] was offering to be, and that I was told about by the headteacher. “They also don’t let you retake the year. Mr Ismail said to some students who got two grades at C or above was to “I felt as if the sixth form wasn’t really working with me to there’s not space and if I want to reapply you have to go into the continue only two subject courses and drop the remaining one. reach my full academic abilities, but was just threatening me “But this leaves students with only two A-levels, meaning pool of 500 people who are also waiting. with losing my placement in year 13 instead.” that they will not be accepted into university. “He just would not budge at all. He said you will not do that “When we joined NCS, there was no formal discussion or subject at this school regardless of what you say. We’ve got no assembly of such where any of the grade requirements were space for you in year 12. discussed. “My parent said ‘but he’s already a student here’ and he said “Some of us did find out from the year 13 students at the ‘no, if he was to reapply we would have to reassess to see if he’s Jess time about required grades to move on in NCS. The teachers good enough for the school.’ Staufenberg informally told me, through conversation, that we need three “The school advertises the 99 percent A*-to-C but this is only SENIOR REPORTER Cs to carry on, but only about halfway to three quarters of the after you take the best students in East London, kick 20 out at @STAUFENBERGJ year through. [email protected] AS-level and focus only on the rest.” “By then it was too late to change schools.” SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 7 NEWS TOP LONDON SIXTH FORM ‘EXCLUDING’ KIDS WITH LOW GRADES NEWHAM COLLEGIATE’S ‘DUBIOUS’ LEGAL STATUS

Experts say Newham Collegiate The sixth form has also been Foundation, under a “commercial, legal “considered” as part of a wider inspection Sixth-Form Centre still has “legally criticised for claiming that Ofsted rated agreement” devised by the council. of the Newham Adult Learning Service, dubious” status both because it opened it ‘outstanding’, since its unusual legal However, now it has been caught asking Ofsted told Schools Week. The DfE said unlawfully, and because it counts status means it has never received an pupils to leave at the end of year 12, NCS NCS could therefore describe itself as neither as a further education college individual inspection report. appears to have broken a key condition ‘outstanding’ based on inclusion in this nor a school. Russell Holland, a barrister in the of its funding as a further education report. Schools Week reported in 2014 that education team at law firm Michelmores, “institution”, according to the Department Inspectors noted at the time that Newham council cabinet members pointed out that because it was neither for Education. “almost all of the year 12 AS-level concluded the school was “likely to be an FE college nor a school, it occupied Further education funding agreements learners have progressed to their A-level unlawful” because it had been opened by an unclear legal category. state that “once a student is enrolled, programmes”. the council itself without any legal basis. “It must have the authority to enter the institution is expected to take all Inspectors are meant to consider After an investigation, the council pupils into exams and so on, so it will be reasonable steps to ensure that the retention and exclusions data when doing announced it would be converting to an like a school but not actually technically student can complete their programme”. full inspections on further education academy. legally a school or a college,” he said. “By However, the Department for providers. It is not clear whether Three years on, the sixth-form centre becoming an academy, they’re sorting Education refused to say whether it would inspectors were aware that some pupils is finally going to open as a 16-to-19 free out the legal mess they’re in.” take further steps against the college. were not accepted into year 13. school before January, to be sponsored In fact, it doesn’t actually appear in The sixth form centre claims on its The City of London Academies Trust as part of the City of London Academies the DfE’s online performance tables, website that this year’s results “validate confirmed that NCS would become a Trust. which are typically used by the the ‘outstanding’ judgment “legal school” under its sponsorship, but The council insists that the college public to compare schools and reached by a team of Ofsted a spokesperson would not comment on has been operating lawfully in the colleges, and so its celebrated inspectors who visited in 2016”, whether its controversial demand for at interim, but independent education results cannot be verified. but it has never been individually least three Cs at AS-level would continue, lawyers claim it has been on “dodgy It had been subcontracted inspected. passing the buck back to Newham legal grounds” since 2014. to a charity, the Newham Instead, its services were council and the NCS’ board of governors. No concrete plan for playing field sell-offs

FREDDIE WHITTAKER are earmarked for better cricket facilities. @FCDWHITTAKER Exclusive “Unfortunately the project has not started so far as there are additional plans Schools are not using money raised from to change some of the roadways around selling playing fields into new sports school, so we await further instructions facilities despite promises to the contrary, a from the local authority,” said Trevor Schools Week investigation has revealed. Hughes, the school’s business manager. Schools and councils with surplus land, Meanwhile, Epsom and Ewell High including disused playing fields, can seek School in Surrey is “still in discussions” government permission to sell it off but, with the council over the sale of an in most cases, are obliged to use at least underused playing field. This was supposed some of the proceeds to fund new outdoor to fund three new all-weather pitches, two education facilities. tennis courts and a new sports hall, but In 2014-15, the Department for according to a spokesperson, “we have Education signed off on 23 so-called land made no concrete progress to date”. disposals – giving rise to headlines that At Plume School in Essex, a playing field playing fields were being sold at a rate of half a mile from the school site was to pay one every fortnight. for a new multiuse games area and other But, of the 14 projects for which Schools sports facilities. Week received updates, we found seven The land remains unsold, due to issues had not yet gone ahead and one had “Sadly when the sale came to market, £400,000 it spent on “supporting the with the council’s “local development plan” been abandoned altogether, at a cost of the land did not attract bids of the level we project”, nor various “unrelated costs – a document that governs housebuilding hundreds of thousands of pounds. had been led to believe it might, and the allocated against the anticipated receipt”. in the area. Banbury Academy in Oxfordshire had proceeds would not have covered the agreed Of the remaining seven projects still in Gillotts School in Oxfordshire and Kirkby hoped to sell part of its playing fields investment in sports facilities that Sport the pipeline, three have been delayed by Stephen Grammar School in Cumbria also for housing, and the sale was expected England made a condition of sale,” Steve planning issues. face delays in their plans to sell land, and to pay for new facilities including an Kenning, AAT’s chief executive, told Schools At William Farr Church of England while leaders gave no explanation when artificial sports field, a climbing wall and a Week. Comprehensive School in Lincolnshire, contacted by Schools Week, in both cases refurbished sports hall. “The sale understandably did not go leaders are “awaiting further instructions” they want to proceed with the sales. But the land did not attract bids high ahead, though if land values do pick up from council officials on plans to sell land Murton Nursery School in Durham, enough to make the sale worthwhile, significantly we may well revisit the idea in around its sports field which will be used as which closed in 2006, has still not had even though the school’s sponsor, the future years.” a cycle path. its playing fields sold by Durham County Aspirations Academies Trust, spent around According to documents seen by Schools The school hopes the path will give pupils Council. £400,000 on the project. Week, AAT has “no way to recover” the a safer cycle route to school, while proceeds 8 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS PRIVATE SCHOOLS CUT ARTS GCSE AT HIGHER RATE Petition against teacher widow inequalities FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER ALIX ROBERTSON up, said she was motivated @ALIXROBERTSON4 Investigates by “incredulity” after she A higher proportion of pupils are being entered found such inequality in for at least one arts subject at state schools A petition to force the government to public sector pensions. than at private schools, but the overall decline equalise the way teachers’ pensions transfer “The Supreme Court’s in popularity of arts subjects isn’t letting up, to their partners is gathering strength. ruling means it is possible according to new research from the Education Under the current system male teachers that it will be force of law Policy Institute. who accrued pension between 1972 and that makes the Department 1988 can pass 50 per cent of the final for Education changes their On average, state secondary schools entered amount to their wives if they die after lines about teacher pension 51.3 per cent of pupils for at least one arts retirement, but this privilege does not equality,” said Lewington, subject at key stage 4 in 2016, while private extend either to husbands of female who worked as a primary schools entered 47.6 per cent. teachers or individuals in same-sex teacher for 30 years. This is despite new accountability measures relationships. She has written to Nick for state schools that favour academic A landmark ruling made by the Supreme Gibb, who is both schools subjects, like the EBacc, and funding cuts that Court has however recently left the door minister and minister have seen some state schools cut back on their ajar for a change in the rules. for equalities, to call for a creative offer. Judges ruled in favour of John Walker, review of pensions for teachers over 50. there were clear financial barriers to a Pupils at independent schools take part in a an employee at the chemicals company She received a response from the change in the rules. great number of artistic activities outside of Innospec, who argued that if he died, his teachers’ pensions policy team, which “I think even the government would the public exam system male partner should receive survivors’ said the issue was being looked at with acknowledge that this is unfair, but the cost benefits based on the total number of teaching unions and confirmed the of redressing the imbalance would be huge,” The figures represent a decline in entries into years he paid into the company pension Walker vs Innospec judgment was already a spokesperson said. arts subjects among private school pupils since scheme, rather than on just his service from under discussion at various government “When you consider the economic 2012, when the proportion entered for at least December 5, 2005, when civil partnerships departments. climate we are in, I can’t imagine for one one arts subject peaked at 53.8 per cent. were first introduced in the UK. They admitted “the outcome of this moment that the government is going to In state schools, entries in creative subjects The court agreed with him that this case may affect all public sector pension have the funding available to make this hit a high of 53.7 per cent in 2013, but have would have been the case had he been schemes”. alright.” declined sharply since then, reaching their married to a woman, and declared a A spokesperson at Wesleyan Assurance Jeff Houston, head of pensions at the lowest level of the decade in 2016. certain clause in the 2010 Equality Act as Society, which provides specialist financial Local Government Association, said the Barnaby Lenon, who chairs the Independent “incompatible with EU law”. advice and services to teachers and medical case was pushing matters in the right Schools Council, said private school pupils take Following the decision, campaigners professionals, urged the government to direction, but that it is unlikely changes part in a “great number of artistic activities have launched a petition to convince the investigate “as a priority” in light of the would be made for teachers alone. outside of the public exam system”. government to “equalise survivor benefits ruling. “I can’t see the Treasury saying yes we’ll for widows and widowers in the Teachers The National Education Union told change the rules in the teachers’ scheme “When you consider that most independent Pension Scheme”. Schools Week it would raise the issue with but leave them as they are for the health school pupils take a modern foreign language Shena Lewington, who set the petition the DfE “whenever we can”, but claimed service or the armed forces,” he said. at GCSE and many do classics, [and] that most take three separate sciences alongside English language, English literature and maths – plus English GCSE mismatch could affect university offers at least one humanities subject – that leaves little room,” he said. ALIX ROBERTSON for their future, regardless of whether this “Given so many pupils are already learning @ALIXROBERTSON4 Investigates shows up on performance tables or not,” he about the arts through extra-curricular said. activities, some may choose not to study these Pupils are in danger of missing out on higher Most universities told Schools Week that subjects in the classroom too.” education due to a “mismatch” between they would be sticking with the current According to the EPI, provisional data for university expectations and the new GCSE requirement. reforms, Schools Week has learned. A spokesperson for Kent said it had “no 2017 shows a continuing decline in the number Schools were previously judged on pupils’ immediate plans” to change its language of children enrolling into arts GCSEs. achievements in English language at GSCE requirement, though he conceded the This is said to be partly down to new level, but this year’s changes to the exams university was aware of “the possible impact” accountability measures for schools, like now see English literature used as an equal of the reforms, and that it would consider the EBacc and Progress 8, which encourage mark of success. applications “in the round”. schools to emphasise a set of GCSEs that do However, many universities are still A spokesperson for Warwick also said there not include the arts. looking for a standard pass in English were no current plans to make changes, Stock image However, Progress 8 includes an “element language experts say schools must not de- but admitted the situation was under of protection” for arts subjects because, of the emphasise the subjects. may decide they do not need to resit their observation. eight subjects which count towards it, three Pam Tatlow, chief executive of MillionPlus, language exam. Simon Bullock of the Quality Assurance can be creative subjects. the association for modern universities, But a minimum C/4 grade in English Agency for Higher Education, an The report also claims that “wider financial told Schools Week that the government language is still an entry requirement at a independent quality body, said that while had created “a potential mismatch with number of universities across the country, “universities are free to set their own entry issues” are putting pressure on arts entries, university entry requirements”. including Warwick, Manchester and Kent. requirements”, they should keep “up to date though this varies between school leaders. “Schools, as well as universities, will “It depends on the course, but there’s with what’s happening in schools” to ensure “Our analysis shows that entries to arts need to give clear guidance about this,” she no doubt about it that universities do use prospective students have “the best possible subjects are currently declining, following warned. English language as a kind of filter,” said chance of success when they apply”. several years of slight increases,” said Becky New measures introduced in 2016 Tatlow. Entry figures for both English literature Johnes, the EPI’s senior researcher. permitted pupil performance to be gauged in Steve Adcock, of the academy chain United and language rocketed by around 50 per “This recent drop in arts entries is driven by either English language or literature GCSEs, Learning, is concerned about this mismatch cent last year, though according to Ofqual several factors, including changes to the way rather just on language results. and wants to appraise school leaders of the this was because many private schools had school performance is measured, financial Under this system, teachers can choose problem. ditched international GCSEs. pressures on schools, and, of course, local to prioritise literature over language in their “As schools grapple with exam reform we A Department for Education spokesperson decisions taken by school leaders.” teaching if a pupil is stronger in that subject. must continue to prioritise the interests of said there was “no reason” why the current The report has provoked a fresh round of If the pupil does poorly in language but our students, and ensure that they leave reforms “should make it harder to progress to achieves a C/4 grade in literature, the school our schools with the qualifications they need further study or employment”. calls for the government to review the EBacc.

10 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS: INTERVIEW Angela Rayner: ‘Labour should move on from academies debate’

FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER Exclusive

he Labour Party should “move on” from the debate over academies and focus on campaigning for Tgreater controls over the way they are run, the shadow education secretary has said. Speaking to Schools Week ahead of the Labour Party conference, Angela Rayner no longer wants to get “bogged down” in debates on the merits of certain types of school, and will instead pursue the government on the use of public money. This marks a departure from the party’s strident anti-academies stance and raises questions on the role local authorities would play under a future Labour government. The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, who has been in post for 14 months, still believes in “local accountability and local say” over where schools should open, but she is not “fixated on local authorities” as the solution to all problems in the system. “I’m not going backwards – I’m going forwards,” she says when we meet in her Westminster office. “Most parents, including me, are interested in a good school that their kids can go to. They don’t care what it’s called, quite frankly.” Despite this very obvious softening of Labour’s position, it is clear that to Rayner, the academies system is still far from perfect. She rails against the government for allowing situations like the recent one in Yorkshire, where Wakefield City Academies Trust shrugged off all 21 of its schools. school for when we did the GCSE results “They’re just handing back the keys in this year, and they gave me a picture that Wakefield,” she says, in disbelief. “Where Most parents, including me, are he’s kept in his wallet of me, and it’s on my was the accountability there? Where was school dinner token, which I thought was the secretary of state? interested in a good school that their quite apt. “She cannot oversee the system that “You knew you were free school meals she’s created, unless she sits there at night kids can go to. They don’t care what it’s kid, and you got a lot of stigma for that. literally looking at a fiefdom of academies I don’t believe we need to do that, and I thinking, ‘how do I look after these multi- called, quite frankly think helping working families is really academy trusts and these standalone important.” academies?’” Is she bothered by the lack of analysis of With academies now making up two She admits the manifesto, which Schools free school meals? Rayner says she “hears the impact of existing universal primary thirds of secondary schools and a quarter Week was the first to publish, “wasn’t the argument”, but wants to help all families, free school meals policies in Islington and of primaries, it was almost inevitable that perfect”, and puts this down to the timing of and give every primary school pupil a Newham? Labour would eventually have to give up the election, but insists it reflected “Labour “good, nutritious dinner” every day. “The benefits are clearly there,” she on the idea of returning them all to council values” about “making sure that everyone This is also about reducing the stigma says, although she acknowledges that the scrutiny. gets all opportunities”. that she faced herself as a claimant of free evidence is incomplete. But Rayner’s comments, coming so soon “We had literally a couple of weeks to meals during her school days. “There is anecdotal stuff,” she says. “I’m after an election campaign in which her pull all the things together that we’d been “I asked my dad for a picture of me from sure that evidence will come along as well.” party pledged to allow councils to “run working on for some time,” she admits. schools”, provides welcome clarity on “Is the National Education Service fully Labour’s priorities at a time of great political envisaged with all the fine minutiae? No. uncertainty. There’s always room for improvement.” With talk of another general election Rayner also rejects accusations that her PA/WIRE in 2019 or even sooner, Rayner has to party’s policies on free meals and tuition convince the public that she is an education fees were simply handouts for better-off secretary in waiting. For her, this means families. ditching some of the anti-academy rhetoric “Above the threshold where you get that has been at the heart of Labour’s these free benefits, there is a whole wave of campaigning for over half a decade. working poor that I believe would benefit On the party’s last election manifesto, and from this as well,” she says. the universalism behind her proposals for a “You have to be on £16,000 a year or new National Education Service, Rayner is less to get free school meals. I’d challenge candid but stubborn, as she defends party anyone with a child to live on £16,000 a policies on universal free school meals and year, it’s a really low income.” tuition fees. So why not just raise the threshold for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his shadow education secretary Angela Rayner SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 11 NEWS DfE silent on massaged transfer figures

ALIX ROBERTSON “Things like deficit payments are huge for something is rotten,” she added, suggesting it @ALIXROBERTSON4 some academies,” she said. was “the DfE’s second attempt to cover up the Deficit and diseconomy funding were also cost of academy conversion”. The true cost of transferring academies excluded in previous years, but redundancies A Schools Week investigation in May between trusts is likely much higher than the and capital costs were factored in. revealed that the academies minister Lord £7.1 million figure claimed by the Department Schools Week asked the DfE why these Nash had asked DfE officials to present for Education last week – because many costs had been excluded from the data, but figures in a way that might obscure high payments were simply left out. there was no response despite repeated rebrokerage costs. The transfer market for schools is enquiries over several days. He wrote in leaked emails that if publishing expanding; the figures showed that 165 Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary the information in one format was “not found schools were passed from one academy trust of the National Education Union, criticised to be particularly suitable”, then other options to another last year. By comparison, just 15 the decision not to publish the complete data, should “be explored”. were moved in 2013-14. saying it was “disgraceful” that there had been Bousted said: “It speaks to an embattled, The DfE claimed that these 165 academies no justification for the move. defensive DfE, who know that spending is out the information accurately; either that or the received funding totalling £6.2 million, up “It can only speak to a mindset in of control on academy conversion costs and figures are so excessive that they don’t want from £4.2 the year before, with another the government where they know that know that they don’t have the ability to gather people to know.” £900,000 spent in legacy payments. But campaigners have accused the department of massaging the figures, as they don’t include costs relating to redundancies THE STRANGE CASE OF INDEMNITIES or deficit payments which take place when a school in financial difficulties is taken over. Money is also flowing into the academy system via indemnities, a According to AAT board meeting minutes from March, the DfE Also missed were capital costs, such form of underwriting which protects schools against problems. asked AAT to take on the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community as ICT hardware or building works, as In December 2016, Schools Week reported that the DfE’s Academy, a failing school that the trust thought it was “able to were payments resulting from so-called accounts showed it had provided an indemnity of up to £2 million support”. “diseconomies of scale”, for instance when a to protect the Inspiration Trust in East Anglia against the potential We understand that as part of the takeover, the DfE guaranteed school is in an area on its own or has a small closure of its Great Yarmouth High School, should the school find that “any debt” from taking on the school would “only have to be population. itself unable to continue using its site. repaid if the school can afford this”, and that “even then this would Janet Downs, from the state school An indemnity of £5 million was also provided to the Church be capped at £150,000 per year”. campaign group Local Schools Network, told Commissioners of England in relation to the lease of an academy This stands in contrast with other maintained schools, where Schools Week that the DfE’s omission of these site. substantial historic deficits of over £1 million remain on the books factors changed the headline figure “by quite Schools Week has meanwhile recently been made aware of an and must be paid down annually, with interest, by the school a bit”, and that the real cost of transfers would indemnity given to the Aspirations Academies Trust. leadership. have been much higher. HALFON LAUNCHES DfE recruiting staff to learn what it’s doing wrong INQUIRY INTO PRIVATE PROVIDERS FREDDIE WHITTAKER But Dr Mary Bousted, The Commons education committee has launched @FCDWHITTAKER the joint general an inquiry into alternative provision after several secretary of the significant Schools Week investigations revealed New “delivery managers” are to visit National Education shocking standards. schools and identify problems with the way Union, said the move Robert Halfon, chair of the committee, says MPs the Department for Education works, it has was a “desperate want to establish whether pupils in pupil referral emerged. attempt” to counter units and other types of alternative provision are “receiving the best possible support”. Job adverts published last week are recent criticism, adding During the course of the investigation, MPs will seeking managers to join a DfE programme that the advert was quiz government officials, councils and schools called ‘Building our department together’. unclear, and “badly before creating recommendations. Three people will be paid up to £71,000 a written”. “Students in alternative provision are far less year to talk to schools and “ask them what “The DfE doesn’t likely to achieve good exam results, find well-paid problems they encounter” when working know which way is up,” jobs or go on to further study,” said Halfon. “Only with the department. she said. “They have around one per cent of young people in state This is part of the DfE’s new drive to been criticised for not alternative provision receive five good GCSEs. build a new school improvement function knowing about issues The debate over the quality of alternative which it hopes will tackle the problem of around teacher recruitment and retention, There are eight RSCs, whose teams and provision has grown louder in recent years, as the underperformance in some academies. and having no proper idea about how power have grown substantially as the rate of permanent exclusions from schools has increased. The campaign was launched last June academies are spending their money. number of academies has increased. In May, Schools Week revealed that multi- as a transformation programme to explore “This is just an admission that the Last year, Schools Week reported that 19 academy trusts specialising in alternative “better ways to deliver the department’s department is completely detached from deputy directors had been appointed to provision were being asked to expand and take activity with schools”. the schools it is now overseeing. It’s more support the RSCs, while earlier this on new schools as council-run services found However, officials admitted they “do not of the same, appointing civil servants to month, the DfE put out a call to recruit themselves squeezed by demand. yet know” which activities they want to oversee a detached and fragmenting school “school improvement” roles at an RSC’s The research organisation Education Datalab improve, though it will likely include school system.” office. earlier this year found a substantial number of efficiency and financial health, as well as She wants to see more “democratic As of May this year, the DfE employed pupils removed from schools during exam years, teacher sufficiency and safeguarding. regional oversight”. 3,519 people, up from 2,323 in May 2016. prompting calls from school leaders for clarity The delivery managers will trial These are the latest in a series of new The increase is partly down to the over a proposal to make schools responsible for improvement activities, first in “small school-facing posts the DfE has created at arrival of some staff who used to work at the pupils they exclude. Ofsted has also warned that schools do not pockets” of south-east of England and regional offices in recent years. the Department for Business, Innovation always seek adequate alternative provision for south London. One of the most notable changes and Skills after a shakeup last July, but the pupils educated off-site. A DfE spokesperson said the programme resulting from academy growth has DfE won’t say exactly how many people The education committee is asking for was part of an “internal infrastructure” been the creation and rapid expansion moved over. Some of the staff increase written submissions on the quality of teaching, project, and would be delivered at “no of the department’s regional schools is understood to be linked to the DfE’s educational outcomes and destinations of pupils additional cost to the taxpayer”. commissioner group. increasing involvement in schools. in PRUs. 12 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS IN brief LocatED ANNOUNCES FIRST Headteacher success study under fire NEW FREE SCHOOL JESS STAUFENBERG clarify the “detail LocatED, a private company set up by the @STAUFENBERGJ of their sampling Department for Education in July 2016 to methodology, find sites for new free schools, has named Rival researchers have condemned a new data collection study that recommends controversial ways approach its first project: the GEMS Kingston primary headteachers can turn failing schools or analysis academy in south London. around – accusing its authors of “confusing techniques”. The company was handed a £2 billion correlation with cause”. Hill told war-chest and took over the responsibility The study suggests significant staff Schools Week of acquiring and developing land for new turnover of between 30 and 50 per cent as that the heads schools, which was previously held by the one measure for success, as well as 95-per- were categorised cent pupil attendance and establishing according to Education and Skills Funding Agency. Ben Laker Alex Hill all-through schools. In total, the project their beliefs on The new project will be a two-form entry identified nine indicators of long-term why schools failed. Five typologies emerged early enough. primary with the capacity for 420 pupils and success, several of which sent shockwaves – which the pair labelled as ‘architects’, The study is therefore an attempt to give 11 residential units in the town centre of through the sector. ‘surgeons’, ‘accountants’, ‘philosophers’ and heads and boards better indicators to see Kingston. Management researchers Alex Hill and ‘scientists’. Architects for instance focus on whether their schools are on the road to Jodie Croft, chief executive of the GEMS Ben Laker analysed data from 411 leaders at the importance of the community around improvement, said Hill, who claimed he was 160 failing secondary academies, and found the school, while surgeons concentrate on “putting forward theories” to allow others to Learning Trust, said the group was pleased 62 heads whose methods steadily improved exam results and passing the school into follow up “in even more detail”. to have secured planning permission for GCSE results and fostered a healthy budget. new hands after a few years. Critics have complained that correlations the site, which “straddles two conservation If six of the nine indicators were met, they They were given access to all the data the research draws between the nine areas”. claimed, test scores improved continually in the schools’ management information indicators and school turnaround after three years. systems, including exclusions, staff do not allow it to make such “bold” LANGUAGE SKILLS MAKE Other researchers have criticised the sickness, exam results, finance, and parents’ recommendations. FOR BETTER SCIENTISTS study, however, and suggested that the evening attendance, all of which were used This is not the first time the two have Literacy skills are the most important sample of headteachers was unknown and to establish the nine indicators. been criticised. Last year, they were factor in determining how well pupils do in not replicable. GCSE results improved most sustainably flooded with criticism after they released a Karen Wespieser, head of impact at at schools run by architects, and continued poorly worded document that appeared to science subjects, new research has shown. the National Foundation for Educational to do so even after those heads left. recommend schools “exclude poor quality The analysis, undertaken by researchers Research, said it was “worrying” that However, board meeting minutes showed students” which went viral. It was quickly at Oxford University, used results data from headteachers and governors might make that they were also the most likely group deleted with assurances that it hadn’t meant across all key stages in national science decisions based on the study when “so little to have their position reconsidered to encourage such exclusions, but the sector exams and other subjects to compare is known about how these conclusions have by governors after two years, usually has stayed somewhat sceptical of their work achievements in different groups. been reached”. She wants Hill and Laker to because exam results were not improving since then. Reading and writing skills were found to be particularly important for helping pupils to understand scientific vocabulary and New academy trust vows not to employ unqualified teachers prepare their own scientific reports. The research also revealed that allowing FREDDIE WHITTAKER compared with £22,917 for those with QTS. pupils to design experiments that test out @FCDWHITTAKER “We are not going into this to make quick Investigates savings,” said Grant, who doesn’t agree with theories can help develop their scientific A new sixth form-led academy chain the rationale behind Gove’s rule change in reasoning abilities. has announced it will only hire qualified 2012. He believes experts in fields outside The Education Endowment Fund will use or trainee teachers in a bid to shake off teaching are not deterred by the need to the report to inform guidance on science the negative history of the academies train for professional qualifications while on teaching, which is due to be published in programme. the job. spring 2018. The Challenge Academy Trust, which “We have a number of people with runs five schools and a sixth-form college industrial experience, including ex-Royal UNIVERSITY MAT SINGLED OUT in the north-west, has even signed an Marines, engineers and bankers, and they FOR OFSTED PRAISE agreement with teaching unions to have all trained in order to do the job,” he Ofsted has praised the University of guarantee this promise. said. Chichester Academy Trust for “rapidly” Under the terms of the agreement, first The move is supported by the new revealed by The Warrington Guardian, the Matthew Grant National Education Union, which decided improving its schools, bucking the trend trust will only take on teachers with QTS, or “It was a question that was asked by earlier this year to allow unqualified for poor performance among university those working towards it through School parents, that’s why it’s a statement we teachers to join its ranks. sponsors. Direct or other salaried teacher-training wanted to make,” said Grant. “It wasn’t even Previously, the NUT, which recently The watchdog noted that all schools routes. just parents, but pupils – primary school amalgamated with the ATL to form the NEU, inspected since they joined had been judged National rules on hiring unqualified pupils – who were asking that question as had refused to admit them. either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in leadership teachers were relaxed for academies in well. Shaun Everett, who signed the agreement and management. 2012 by the education secretary Michael “I think it goes back to the very early days with the trust on behalf of the NEU, told The However, it said sharper and “more Gove, who said it would allow more of academies, when they were first set up. Warrington Guardian both two sides had consistent” reporting on pupil achievement “professionals”, including scientists and But I think that lesson has been learned “established a relationship that is based on was needed. musicians, to become teachers. now, and [hiring unqualified teachers] trust”. The letter makes for more positive This Challenge took shape earlier this actually isn’t going to help sustain a The Challenge Academy Trust currently reading than others issued to university- year when Priestley College became one professional workforce across the country. consists of the ‘outstanding’-rated Priestley of the first sixth-form colleges to convert It’s history in terms of the agenda, but it is College, one primary school and four backed trusts this year. to academy status, and promptly formed a still something we are being asked about.” secondaries, though a further primary is Education Central Multi Academy Trust, trust with local schools. Schools and trusts are permitted to pay due to join this year, and another is in talks. run by the University of Wolverhampton, Matthew Grant, who is both the trust’s unqualified teachers far less than those with The trust hopes to add more schools was ordered to improve its teaching and chief executive and Priestley’s principal, QTS – which is why unions have been so in the near future, and Grant says the school improvement “urgently”, while the said reservations were raised during keen to secure such a guarantee. commitment on qualified teachers will University of Chester Academies Trust for consultations with the local community Outside London, the pay range for an extend to the rest of its schools as it low standards. about the takeover of their schools. unqualified teacher starts at £16,626, continues to grow. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 13 NEWS LAS SPENDING LESS ON Ofsted to leave ‘not good’ schools for 2 years HIGH-NEEDS PLACES AS ACADEMIES EXPAND FREDDIE WHITTAKER The National Association of Head Local authorities are spending £43 million @FCDWHITTAKER Teachers has criticised the proposals, less on high-needs places this year as schools claiming it will “in effect” create an converting to academies take on the costs, new Ofsted is abandoning plans to give schools “unofficial additional rating” which will government data shows. a maximum of 15 days to prepare for a “confuse parents and disrupt school leaders’ Councils are planning to spend £20 million follow-up visit when it suspects they are no efforts to improve their schools”. less on special school places, £17 million less on pupil referral unit places and £4 million less longer ‘good’, and will instead give them up “For the most part, parents, staff and on hospital education places. to two years before a second inspection. governors understand the current four Outgoings are falling because schools are Schools that do not have serious ratings,” said Nick Brook, the NAHT’s converting, though there are also changes in safeguarding and behaviour issues will general secretary. “If, after a one-day visit, how “some local authorities recorded their be given “typically one to two years” – or inspectors are not able to determine that a expenditure”, according to the Department for longer under certain circumstances – school is still ‘good’, they will now mark it Education’s report on planned local authority before they are reinspected, even if they are out for reinspection.” spending for next year. at risk of being downgraded from a ‘good’ He said the fact that schools would then Whereas councils planned to spend £1.03 grade. potentially not be inspected for up to three billion on high-needs places this year, they are The watchdog will instead publish a letter years would mean “an unacceptably long expecting to pay closer to £985 million next “setting out the school’s strengths and areas delay”. year. Schools Week analysis also shows some for improvement”. The same approach “A cloud of uncertainty will linger over regions are expecting to spend less of will be applied to schools that inspectors the school until Ofsted can arrange a the national total than they did last year – believe could improve to ‘outstanding’, return,” he warned. especially on PRU places. but “requests for early inspections will be may not keep its rating, or where it could But the Association of School and College Whereas councils in the east of England considered” for these. improve to ‘outstanding’. Leaders has welcomed the approach planned to spend 10 per cent of national One union claimed this will effectively This happens in around a third of cases “It’s our view that there is a potential expenditure this year on PRU places (£14.4 create an unofficial additional rating which and a full inspection is then conducted benefit in introducing an interval between million), they are taking less of the pot next will confuse parents and disrupt school within 48 hours. the two inspections,” said ASCL inspections year, at eight per cent (£10.5 million). leaders’ efforts to improve their schools. “Under the new proposals, ‘good’ schools specialist Stephen Rollett. “It would give Outer-London councils also predict spending Ofsted insists that the change gives will get detailed feedback on their strengths schools the opportunity to recover from less next year, dropping from nine per cent of schools more time to improve using and weaknesses, and they’ll have more time the initial shock of conversion and prepare national expenditure (£13.7 million) to six per cent (£7.7 million). “detailed feedback” from a short inspection. to improve following a short inspection” themselves for the full inspection.” But expenditure plans for special needs Short inspections for schools rated ‘good’ said the watchdog’s national director of A consultation on the proposals has just places mostly rose: councils in the south-east, at their previous inspection typically last education, Sean Harford (pictured). “In this opened, and will run until November 8. If north-west and outer London are all predicted one or two days. A lead inspector can call way, we hope to catch schools before they approved, the changes will take effect next to spend more of the national total for next for a full inspection when they feel a school fall.” spring. year. Private school rebrands as ‘grammar’

FREDDIE WHITTAKER three successive years at number one in @FCDWHITTAKER Investigates Staffordshire for the EBacc GCSE, and insisted it has been welcomed by parents, in A private school in the West Midlands has spite of the unpopularity of the government’s taken the unusual step of rebranding as a recently scrapped plans to open new “grammar school”, and will focus on training grammar schools. its primary pupils for the 11-plus test. “The name change has been popular the real investment competition St Dominic’s Brewood, an all-through amongst parents. None have shown or independent school in Staffordshire, has expressed concerns,” McNabb told Schools for sixth form students changed its name to St Dominic’s Grammar Week. School and introduced the 11-plus for new St Dominic’s has recently undergone a of personal investors feel pupils hoping to join in year seven. change in ownership, after the charity that that they left school with The school educates girls from the age used to run it ceased trading earlier this year. insufficient financial knowledge* of two to 18 and boys aged two to 11, and According to the Express & Star, the school 98% leaders intend to use the change to “focus is now run by St Philip’s Care Group, a firm Bring financial education to life on the 11+ in the preparatory end”, and teach co-owned by Gary Hartland, whose two by equipping students with the younger pupils to pass the controversial test. daughters are pupils at St Dominic’s. According to headteacher Peter McNabb, The school’s buildings were already owned financial knowledge they’ll need a new “strict program of study” will enable by Hartland’s firm, which stepped in two for life after education. children to “access surrounding grammar years ago to fund a refurbishment of the To learn more visit: schools”, whether they are fee- or non-fee- school’s tennis courts, dining hall and ICT paying. suites. www.shares4schools.co.uk The school will also use a follow us: “rigorous mentoring system” for all GCSE and A-level students, to ensure they reach their potential, he said. Although it is common for private schools that used to be selective state schools to continue to use the name “grammar school”, it is rarer for one that has * Based on a survey by The Share Centre of 1,200 of its customers between 29.07.17 – 16.08.17. not previously used the 11-plus to Shares4Schools is organised by The Share Centre. Please remember: undertake such a rebranding. If your investments fall in value, you could lose money. McNabb said the change comes The Share Centre Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under ref. 146768. on the heels of the school’s St Dominic’s Grammar School 14 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 FEATURE RESEARCH SCHOOLS: HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

SAMANTHA KING Training They run conferences the funding. and interviewed. Applicants need to have the @KINGSAMANTHA_ and provide training and professional “They put out a call, schools applied, capacity and reach to connect with up to 200 development to teachers and senior leaders they shortlisted the schools – and then schools in their respective regions. There are now 22 research schools in their local areas. the DfE withdrew the money – so the EEF Research schools are constantly looking across the UK, and 11 are in government- Innovation They support schools in didn’t know quite what to do; they were to grow their networks through conferences identified social-mobility “cold spots”. developing new ways of improving teaching floundering a little bit,” says IEE director and events, and actively encourage schools Samantha King takes a look at why they and learning, in evaluating the impact of Bette Chambers. in their area to get in touch (see map). were created, how they function and how these innovations – and in applying for At that time, the IEE was in the process of “If we’re going to reach all corners and not your school can get involved research grants, such as the IEE innovation separating from the University of York but just preach to the converted, we’re going to evaluation grants, which are awarded three its funder, the Bowland Charitable Trust, need to amplify more,” says Alex Quigley, What are research schools? times a year. stepped in to provide money for the project director of Huntington Research School. The Research Schools Network is a This year, the EEF introduced a small to continue. partnership between the Education team of developers whose job it is to guide The first five research hubs in England Are there research schools anywhere Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the schools and facilitators in formulating – based in schools with prior research else in the world? Institute for Effective Education (IEE). plans to expand and develop their networks. experience – launched in September 2016. While the RSN did not model itself on any Despite their name, research schools are They each have different areas of expertise, The second wave of six was announced in specific initiative, similar evidence-based not separate institutions, so much as hubs some with university research backgrounds April 2017, and the third wave, all located education projects exist in the US (see box- based within existing schools or academy and others from the National College for in opportunity areas, of 11 schools was out), and the English project is now being chains. Teaching and Leadership. confirmed in July. Waves two and three watched with interest from abroad. Their job is to build and strengthen launched this September (see map opposite). The EEF has been sharing information networks of schools and help them access How were the research schools set up? with educators in Australia, and in decent education research and implement it They were first conceived by the EEF in 2015 How are research schools September a group of Swedish headteachers in everyday classroom practice. after a number of discussions with schools funded now? will visit Huntington Research School. that were already at the forefront of driving Each research school is funded for “Our focus is local – Yorkshire – but there What research do they do? evidence-based school improvement. three years by EEF and IEE, receiving is an interest far wider,” says Quigley. The “research” part of their names can be The leader of the RSN is James approximately £200,000 in total. The 11 a little misleading, as these hubs are not Richardson, a senior analyst at the EEF. research schools opening in opportunity primarily dedicated to conducting research. “In that respect, the model for research areas are to be cofunded by the EEF and the Research schools have three key aims: schools already existed,” he explains, “but the Department for Education. communication, training and innovation. EEF’s role was to formalise it into a network It is hoped the research schools will Communication They keep in regular of schools to ensure that all schools have the become “self-sufficient” after three years, contact with schools in their network, for external support to understand and make according to IEE director Bette Chambers. example by sending out monthly newsletters use of evidence to improve attainment.” – supported by content provided by IEE and Original a project jointly funded by the Who can become a research school? EEF – detailing interventions that have been EEF and the DfE, the IEE got involved Schools have to apply to become a research proven to work. after the government withdrew its part of school, with successful applicants shortlisted Alex Quigley

International research school initiatives Reflecting on year one

Evidence for ESSA, Maryland, USA The directors of Aspirer, Shireland and Huntington research school chatted to John Slavin, the former director of the IEE who Schools Week about their motivations for being involved now directs the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University, set up Megan Dixon from Aspirer Research School on for what actually has an impact, and support Evidence for ESSA for US schools. the power of research… schools to then make best use of this evidence The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) “In 2009 Ashgrove Academy [where Aspirer is to support their improvement. Research Schools International requires schools to examine the evidence if they based] was on the point of closure. The local “I don’t think anyone enters the teaching The Research Schools International (RSI) project want federal funding to support their work. authority was going to shut it down because it profession not wanting to make a difference, and partners researchers from the Harvard Graduate The resource provides information for schools was not in a good place. In a last-ditch effort, as a research school we can support schools to School of Education with schools around the on programmes that meet the ESSA evidence we got a new head and a new team to run the really make a difference in the classroom.” world. standards, and draws on previous work carried school. In 2013 it was ‘outstanding’ in all areas. It is currently linked with 20 schools across out by the IEE in the UK on their Evidence 4 “Every decision that was made, and every Alex Quigley from Huntington Research School the globe, six of which are in England and Impact database. process we went through, was informed by on peer-to-peer support… comprise four secondary independent schools, looking at the research. Back then it wasn’t “Schools listen to other schools. If the DfE or one comprehensive and a free school. Society for Research on Educational as easy either, because we didn’t have a nice Ofsted say something, people listen. When it RSI provides them with research-based Effectiveness (SREE), Washington DC, USA guidance report written up by the EEF. comes to Ofsted, people will make significant innovation, which they also share online to Made up mostly of academics, SREE looks at “The research is a mirror on your practice. It changes, but they’re often superficial or short- reach schools outside their network, as well as how to get evidence-based research used in gives you a lens through which to go ‘Really? Do term. With research schools, what we’re trying running CPD events. schools, through connecting with the research we do that?’” to give is support for teaching schools and RSI was founded by Christina Hinton, from community, policymakers and educational schools to make good, longer-term choices the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who professionals. Nicola Jones from Shireland Research School based on the best available evidence, and where developed the model around 10 years ago and One of its main aims is to disseminate and on the best thing about becoming a research there isn’t evidence, we’re trying to generate it. launched it officially in 2012. consolidate research findings on educational school… “As a system we are good at understanding She says the group is currently looking at causes and effects, and to this end, sponsors “The best thing is the communication with other Ofsted and we’re savvy about data, but I don’t reaching out to the Research Schools Network. the peer-reviewed Journal of Research on teachers and schools, and the support we can think we are very knowledgeable about the very Educational Effectiveness. give. As a research school we share the evidence broad complexity of evaluation.” SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 15 RESEARCH SCHOOLS: HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Key

WHERE’S YOUR NEAREST Research schools Launched Sept 2016 RESEARCH SCHOOL? Funded by EEF/IEE

Research schools Research schools want to reach out and build local networks – Launched Sept 2017 find where your closest one is and what they’re up to. Funded by EEF/IEE YOU CAN FIND CONTACT DETAILS FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS ONLINE AT SHOTTON HALL RESEARCH SCHOOL at The Academy at RESEARCHSCHOOL.ORG.UK Research schools Shotton Hall Linked to opportunity areas Contact: Louise Quinn Launched Sept 2017 Funded by EEF/DfE

BRADFORD RESEARCH SCHOOL HUNTINGTON RESEARCH SCHOOL at Dixons Academies at Huntington School DfE-designated Contact: Contact: Alex Quigley “opportunity areas” Judith Kidd

NORTHUMBERLAND

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NORTH YORKSHIRE COAST NORTH TYNESIDE

OLDHAM RESEARCH SCHOOL SOUTH TYNESIDE RESEARCH SCHOOL GATESHEAD by The Greetland Academy, SUNDERLAND by Esk Valley Alliance supported by Teamworks TSA Contact: Mari Palmer DURHAM HARTLEPOOL Contact: Dr Jo Pearson CUMBRIA STOCKTON-ON-TEES

DARLINGTON REDCAR AND CLEVELAND DONCASTER RESEARCH SCHOOL MIDDLESBROUGH BLACKPOOL RESEARCH SCHOOL by Partners in Learning at St Mary’s CatholicISLE OF MAN Academy Contact: Helen Bellinger Contact: Phil Naylor NORTH YORKSHIRE

KYRA RESEARCH SCHOOL

YORK MEOLS COP RESEARCH SCHOOL LANCASHIRE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE at Mount Street Academy BLACKBURN BLACKPOOL WITH CITY OF at Meols Cop High School DARWEN BRADFORD LEEDS KINGSTON UPON HULL Contact: James Siddle

CALDERDALE

Contact: Leon Walker WAKEFIELD

KIRKLEES NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE SEFTON BURY DONCASTER OLDHAM NE LINCOLNSHIRE EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND BARNSLEY

KNOWSLEY WIGAN ASPIRER RESEARCH SCHOOL ST HELENS 12 FENLANDS RESEARCH SCHOOL SHEFFIELD WIRRAL ROTHERHAM at Littleport CP School at Ash Grove Academy WARRINGTON STOCKPORT Contact: Megan Dixon HALTON Contact: John Cattermole CHESHIRE LINCOLNSHIRE DERBYSHIRE NOTTINGHAM- STOKE-ON-TRENT RESEARCH SCHOOL SHIRE WREXHAM CITY OF STOKE-ON- CITY OF by The Keele and North TRENT DERBY NORWICH RESEARCH SCHOOL

CITY OF NOTTINGHAM Staffordshire Alliance STAFFORDSHIRE at Notre Dame High School

TELFORD AND Contact: Diane Swift WREKIN DERBY RESEARCH SCHOOL LEICESTERSHIRE NORFOLK Contact: Niki Kaiser NORWICH CITY OF LEICESTER at Wyndham Primary RUTLAND SHROPSHIRE

CITY OF Contact: Angela O’Brien PETERBOROUGH

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

WORCESTERSHIRE

WARWICKSHIRE NORTHAMPTON- SHIRELAND RESEARCH SCHOOL COUNTY OF SHIRE IPSWITCH HEREFORDSHIRE MILTON KEYNES BEDFORD- at Shireland Collegiate Academy SHIRE Contact: Nicola Jones BUCKING- LUTON HAMSHIRE HERTFORDSHIRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ESSEX

OXFORDSHIRE

GREATER SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE LONDON SOUTHEND-ON-SEA THURROCK

CITY OF BRISTOL WEST SOMERSET RESEARCH SCHOOL SWINDON WEST BERKSHIRE SAMUEL WARD RESEARCH SCHOOL N SOMERSET

BATH AND at The Blue School NE SOMERSET at Samuel Ward Academy Trust MEDWAY WILTSHIRE Contact: Tom Colquhoun SURREY Contact: KENT WEST SOMERSET HAMPSHIRE Andy Samways and Chris Dale SOMERSET

EAST SUSSEX WEST SUSSEX HASTINGS DEVON SANDRINGHAM RESEARCH SCHOOL DORSET

CITY OF BRIGHTON & HOVE at Sandringham School ISLE OF WIGHT Contact: Caroline Creaby

CORNWALL

TORBAY

CITY OF PLYMOUTH DURRINGTON RESEARCH SCHOOL HASTINGS RESEARCH SCHOOL at Durrington High School at Ark Blacklands Primary

ISLES Contact: Shaun Allison Academy OF SCILLY Contact: Lorraine Clarke KINGSBRIDGE RESEARCH SCHOOL at Kingsbridge Community College Contact: Lorwyn Randall

UPCOMING EVENTS

DURRINGTON RESEARCH SCHOOL SANDRINGHAM RESEARCH SCHOOL HUNTINGTON RESEARCH SCHOOL LAUNCH EVENT LAUNCH EVENT EVIDENCE IN EDUCATION CONFERENCE ROSENDALE RESEARCH DURRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL SANDRINGHAM SCHOOL YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 27, 5-7PM OCTOBER 3, 4.30-6PM OCTOBER 20, 9.30AM-4PM at Rosendale Primary School ASPIRER RESEARCH SCHOOL DONCASTER RESEARCH SCHOOL Contact: Marc Rowland EARLY YEARS CELEBRATION CONFERENCE LAUNCH EVENT ROMERO CONFERENCE CENTRE, MACCLESFIELD HUNGERHILL SCHOOL, DONCASTER SEPTEMBER 29, 9.30AM-3.30PM OCTOBER 13, 2-5PM 16 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 NEWS

Education Committee Live EDITOR’S COMMENT @miss_mcinerney | [email protected] This is bigger than we thought...

In the past year, our determined their school careers. making calls, checking this was true. But the costs of private provision reporter Jess Staufenberg has This is a huge and quite And as far as we can see, she are sky-high compared with what discovered: unexpected finding. is correct. The Department for local authorities were previously • An increasing proportion of There are often good reasons for Education told us this week that able to offer, and no-one has a children with special needs this. In some areas, school leaders education providers are only clear sense of what’s appropriate. entering private provision no longer have any council-run inspected if they teach five or more Is there enough information about • An increasing proportion of special provision available. In pupils full-time. If they teach 20 the options? Do school leaders children educated at home, others, the private provision is better pupils for less than 18 hours, there really know what’s available in where they are privately and allows pupils to move back is no inspection. If they teach four the marketplace? Many smaller taught by tutors or their into state education when they’re pupils, there is no inspection. We academy trusts are now forced to parents ready. When a young person has believe this relates to the definition make decisions on complex cases • An increasing proportion mental health problems, for example of a “school” in law, which is all with almost no experience. of excluded pupils entering an eating disorder, it may be Ofsted is allowed to cover. It is therefore entirely welcome private alternative schools appropriate for them to move into a This is a baffling state of affairs. that the parliamentary education In each case, expenditures are private residential education system And it’s made even worse by the fact committee has announced an significant. Private provision is for a while before they re-enter the the provision is so expensive. inquiry into the private alternative often three or four times more mainstream. Of course, the education of pupils sector. Our research demonstrates expensive than when it’s provided This is not a complaint about educated outside the mainstream is that the time has come, and we by local authorities, whether at using the private sector, but there more complicated. In the case look forward to hearing their special needs schools or pupil are two major issues: cost and of special needs, a child may recommendations and will, of referral units. quality. need adaptive equipment, course, help in any way we We’ve known for years that From what we can tell, many 24-hour assistance, lifting can. seven per cent of the population private providers are not subject to and escorted travel. In the meantime, if there is are educated at straightforward, inspection at all. Likewise, where children anything more on this issue mainstream private schools – but When Jess told me that around are in alternative provision you think we should be when you add the pupils above, half the private providers that due to depressive investigating please it’s starting to look as though academy trusts use to educate their episodes, they can do get in touch with between 15 and 20 per cent of most vulnerable pupils had not been also require constant the team. England’s young people are inspected, I didn’t believe her. We (and expensive) privately educated at some point in spent hours trawling websites and monitoring. JO FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 EDITION 113 BS

CALL 02081234778 OR EMAIL [email protected] TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES Principal at Greengate Lane Primary Academy

Salary: Competitive Salary plus Benefits Date Required: Asap

“This is a school aiming high and looking to the future”

Astrea is a national family of academies, unswerving in our ambition to raise If so, we are looking for a forward-thinking, inspirational leader who has a attainment and achieve excellence for all pupils. The Trust includes schools at all demonstrable track record of inspirational leadership and the proven ability to stages of development. We are committed to enabling individual schools to flourish deliver the highest quality of teaching and learning across the school. You will have with a high degree of autonomy whilst benefiting from a strong culture of support and experience of supporting schools through periods of change; specifically driving collaboration. improvement through the modelling of outstanding teaching.

The Astrea Academy Trust has the highest expectations of pupil attainment in national The successful applicant will need the drive and enthusiasm to lead this school into the assessments, but aspires to go beyond the concept of “schooling” and to educate future and create a learning environment that inspires our students and helps them to instead, through valuing an all-round development of the individual through arts, achieve their full potential. sports, leadership opportunities, enrichment and community. This is a challenging and exciting role and a fabulous opportunity to become part of In order to deliver our mission statement we need exceptional staff across the our journey to excellence. In return we would offer a competitive salary plus pension, organisation, and we believe that the quality of our staff sets us apart. great career progression and development opportunities with many other benefits.

Do you want to be part of our leadership team which is passionate about making a Application Process: Please send all completed applications to difference to the lives of pupils? [email protected]

Do you have the passion and motivation to inspire others, and the ability to lead Closing date for applications: October 9, 2017 change and deliver excellence?

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Posts are subject to enhanced DBS checks. Maths Lesson and Resource Designer

Call to arms... Smart Notebook, Desmos, Word); lessons and inspire their students to be hard-working and • Excellent standard of spoken and written English and successful young people.’ Do you teach the “Butterfly Method” for adding first-class communication skills; fractions? How about “Float and Ping” for solving • Experience teaching KS2/KS3/KS4/KS5 students We are a rapidly growing edtech company and now equations? If so, don’t apply for this role. desirable (at least 3 key stages essential); support over 10% of UK secondary schools and in excess • HTML and Latex knowledge desirable. of 400,000 students and 5,800 teachers. Even bigger Is a consistent, coherent, well-scaffolded and well- things are still to come… sequenced approach to teaching maths your way? Do Remuneration and benefits… you relish the intellectual challenge of thinking through How to apply… such approaches and making lessons and resources for This is dependent on your experience, skill set and teaching that align with this principle? If so, please apply current salary/role. Please send a CV including cover letter to for Lesson and Resource Designer at HegartyMaths 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays. [email protected] by midday Friday 13th where this will be your full time job. Every day you will be making a difference. October 2017.

What you’ll be doing... Who we are… Interviews will take place in w/c Monday 16th October 2017. You will create lessons and content that will be used HegartyMaths is an online maths platform with a mission by thousands of students and teachers. As such, you to positively and materially will play a crucial role in development of our existing change maths resources that support the teaching and learning of education at scale in the UK. maths across multiple key stages. HegartyMaths was designed by practising teachers and What we’re looking for… each day we continue to work and abide by our • An exceptional knowledge of the primary and founding values: secondary UK maths curriculum; • A clear understanding of scaffolding maths lessons; ‘we strive to provide any • A strong track record for assessment design; student, no matter their • A passion for creating first class resources to support background or prior the teaching and learning of maths; attainment, access to world • Excellent time management and organisational skills class maths support whilst with an ability to prioritise a heavy workload; also saving teachers time • Laser focus and remarkable attention to detail; to do what they do best - • Superb IT skills across a range of softwares (Excel, deliver high quality maths FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 @SCHOOLSWEEK JO BS

St Paul’s Primary School Deputy Head Teacher

Newcastle upon Tyne NOR 264 (including Nursery) Group 2 L7- L11 £45,743 - £50,476pa

Required for April 2018, or sooner, a deputy head: For details and an application pack please contact:

• who is an experienced teacher with high expectations of The Administrative Officer, St Paul’s C of E School, Victoria Street, achievement and behaviour; Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7JU • who is a team leader with effective inter-personal skills and the ability to challenge, inspire, motivate, and support colleagues; and, Phone: 0191 273 3667 • who will have a positive commitment to the clear Christian Email: [email protected] character of the school. Closing date: 6 October 2017 St Paul’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Subject to DBS enhanced plus disclosure and other recruitment barring checks.

Transformational Leadership Opportunities

Executive Principal Norfolk Academies Salary: Circa £110k Closing Date: Friday 6th October

Transforming Education in Norfolk (the TEN Group) is looking for an Executive Principal to lead its multi-academy trust, Norfolk Academies and our University Technical College Norfolk. This is a new role and will have Group-wide academy responsibilities, for one junior academy, three secondary academies, and a university technical college.

An experienced school leader, preferably with experience of leading more than one school/academy, you will have demonstrated your abilities to improve the performance of schools under your care with evidence of sustained improvements in outcomes over time. You will also be an excellent people motivator and have the right skills to lead and develop your senior team of academic colleagues.

Principal Fakenham Academy Norfolk Salary: Circa £80k Closing Date: Friday 6th October

The TEN Group is looking to appoint an experienced school leader who will relish the challenge of moving Fakenham Academy Norfolk from Good to Outstanding. A dynamic individual with experience as an existing head, you will be a great people motivator, with a real desire to make the difference in young peoples’ lives. You will have a track record of success in school leadership, experience in improving student outcomes and able to evidence school-level performance improvements you have led.

Fakenham Academy Norfolk is an improving school with over 750 students, rated Good by Ofsted, with improvements in results over the last 4 years delivered through its membership of the Norfolk Academies multi-academy trust (MAT).

See www.tengroup.org.uk/senior-vacancies for full details and online application. JO FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 EDITION 113 BS

CALL 02081234778 OR EMAIL [email protected] TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCIES Customer Relationships & Sales Manager

Who are we? • Providing schools with an exceptional journey from call the directors as well as customers; to outstanding user; • Have the ability to critically analyse our current HegartyMaths is an award-winning online maths platform • Conducting demonstration calls (via online webinar sales processes and to not be afraid to suggest with a mission to positively and materially change maths with either the head of maths or entire maths improvements to the directors; education at scale in the UK. HegartyMaths was designed department); • Learn from your failures / knock backs and turn them by practising teachers and each day we continue to work • Work independently to develop new leads; into successes; and abide by our founding values: • Through relationships within current customer • Understand the benefits of working in an environment network. where a consultative approach to sales is preferred. ‘We strive to provide any student, no matter their • By building relationships outside the current background or prior attainment, access to world class customer base. What’s the earning potential? maths support whilst also saving teachers time to do • Report to the directors with regular sales / renewals what they do best - deliver high quality maths lessons updates; Starting basic salary £25,000. and inspire their students to be hard-working and • Providing unparalleled customer support; Very generous sales-based bonus scheme on top of basic successful young people.’ • Complete various tasks alongside directors within the salary. following arena’s: Opportunity for salary increase as you bring value to the We are a rapidly growing edtech company and now • Reporting and analysis of data and the impact of organisation and help us grow. support over 10% of UK secondary schools and in excess HegartyMaths; 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays. of 400,000 students and 5,800 teachers. Even bigger • Marketing and brand awareness; things are still to come… • User experience and helping us to build a fantastic How to apply… CRM system. Where will I fit in? Please send a CV including cover letter to What skills do I need to have? [email protected] by midday Friday 13th You will be our Customer Relationship & Sales Manager October 2017. and your primary role will be to grow the new sales • Have the same passion and drive to provide pipeline whilst providing unbeatable support for existing exceptional customer service as we do; Interviews will take place in w/c Monday 16th October customers. • A personable and friendly telephone manner; • Ability to build and uphold strong relationships with What will I be doing? people; • Speak confidently to school decision makers, whilst We care about scaling our programme responsibly so explaining the unique benefits of HegartyMaths; that each school gets outstanding customer service and • A team player who is enthusiastic with a “can-do” training in how best to ensure HegartyMaths delivers attitude to work; value to students, teachers and the entire schools. Day to • Extremely competent with Excel and have the day responsibilities will include: confidence to deliver high level analysis / reporting to

Weyfield Primary Academy Expectation – Opportunity – Success School Close, Woking Road, Guildford, Deputy Surrey, GU1 1QJ

Phone: 01483 598956 Email: [email protected] Headteacher Website: www.weyfield-tkat.org Salary: L5-L7 (fringe) Salary Type: Leadership Hours of work: Full Time Start Date: January 1st 2018

Our vision is to provide every child with an outstanding education, so that The Deputy Headteacher will mirror the role of the Headteacher, so this is they can develop in to confident young people with a sense of self-worth, an ideal post for anyone aspiring to headship in the next 2-3 years. who believe they can make a difference in the world. We invite you to visit and a warm welcome is guaranteed. For an Weyfield Primary Academy is a unique Surrey school with 46% Pupil application pack or to arrange a visit, please contact Miss Lim, Premium, significantly above the Surrey average of 13%. Our community is Headteacher via the school office. Please forward completed application diverse with 25% of our pupils speaking English as an additional language forms together with a letter of application to the school office marked for and almost 20% with recognised special educational needs. We are the attention of Jayne Thorne. Electronic applications are welcome. looking for a Deputy Headteacher who wants to make a real difference to our families’ lives and who is committed to making each school day count Weyfield Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the for our children. welfare of all its children and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments will be subject to full safeguarding checks as well as The Deputy Headteacher will play a major role in delivering the school satisfactory references. vision, establishing a culture of continuous improvement and ensuring excellent outcomes for all pupils. The successful candidate will have an integral role in driving forward the next phase of our transformation from good to outstanding, building on strong EYFS outcomes and in- year progress across the school to secure better attainment at KS2. This Closing Date: 6th October 2017 is a real opportunity to advance the quality of teaching and learning Interviews: 17th October 2016 and further develop a rich curriculum offer, working with autonomy and creativity to achieve impact. FRIDAY, SEP 22 2017 @SCHOOLSWEEK JO BS

Assistant Principal - with responsibility for English

Highly competitive and negotiable salary for an exceptional candidate

Do you want to be a leader in a forward thinking, dynamic and supportive We are looking to appoint a colleague who will: school that is rapidly growing in reputation? • Demonstrate strong leadership skills and prove to be a dynamic and If so, then Oasis Academy Oldham is the school for you. supportive member of the Leadership Team • Provide professional leadership to secure high quality teaching through We are on a strong trajectory. Results are strengthening and, following a improved standards of learning, progress and attainment for all students. 20 percentage point increase in our combined results in the last two years, • Be responsible for the development of the English faculty, providing clear we are amongst the most improved schools in the North West. Ofsted has direction and a sense of purpose. praised the progress that is being made and our ethos and outstanding £30 • Engage, enthuse, motivate and challenge students to raise achievement million state-of-the-art facilities ensure we are a vital hub for our community. at all levels, and provide the very best educational opportunities for the students Our ambitions are high. We are looking for a talented and inspiring Assistant • Be an inspirational team player and have a passion for enabling change for Principal with responsibility for English to help us continue this progress and students and across the wider community. ensure that we are developing respectful and confident learners to achieve excellence for all. In return you can expect:

This is a role in which you will be able to make a real impact. You will be a • A highly competitive salary and benefits including a generous pension member of a committed, driven senior leadership team whilst supporting scheme and access to our outstanding onsite gym, which is free to staff and leading a dedicated and talented English faculty looking to embrace members new ideas. The role requires someone who has a clear vision and will be • Excellent and extensive opportunities for professional development able to lead and develop the faculty at a strategic level on our journey to • The opportunity to join an organisation with a national reputation for outstanding. consistently improving results and facilitating community transformation. • Regional and national support towards career progression The school is dedicated to meeting the needs of our community, but • A supportive and encouraging Senior Leadership Team who prioritise staff excellent transport links to Manchester and our proximity to the M60 mean and value every individual. that our staff are able easily able to reach us from a much wider area. If you are interested in becoming part of our team, building on our success Through Oasis Community Learning, the opportunities to further your and joining us on our exciting journey to become an outstanding academy, career are significant. Oasis has, for example, recently been successful in a we would love to hear from you. bid to open a secondary free school within Oldham. This partner school will enhance the career opportunities available – making this a very attractive position for someone committed to furthering their career in education.

The Principal welcomes an informal conversation either by phone or school visit.

To learn more about us or to download an application pack, visit our website: www.oasisacademyoldham.org or email: [email protected]

Completed applications should be returned to [email protected] Closing date for applications is: 12.00 noon on Tuesday 26th September 2017 Interviews will be held week commencing 2nd October 2017

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READERS’ REPLY email tweet facebook WEBSITE SATs scrapped for seven-year-olds Is it time to bring back the EdTech by 2023 quango Becta? Carter: Is your school an

Stephen Fowler, address supplied Rebecca Stride // @rstride_stride ‘improving decliner?’ Budget cuts have made schools more It would help if the tests were simplified, e.g. cautious with technology – much less no open ended questions. This would save time on experimental and much more focused on reply of the week marking and save a few trees as well, as the tests tech to aid the learning process. need only be three sides of paper instead of 23. And Michael Griffiths, the marking scheme need only be one side long. Book review: Taught Not Caught: The same applies to KS2 tests. Exactly the same Educating for 21st Century Character amount of testing can be achieved with questions It is difficult to understand how large that are not open ended. CEM make some good Gemma Wood // @Gemma_Lass trusts in particular will be able to fit into tests used for the 11 Plus. They could adapt that Really good, balanced and thoughtful piece this new model proposed by Sir David model. – exactly the kind of political maturity needed for a debate about what schools are Carter for improving and declining Laker and Hill: Change at least a third for #education of staff to get turnaround success schools. Surely it is those who run the Becky Poynter // @flyinggov trust that should analyse themselves Debra Kidd, Oldham Perhaps against 'gut instinct' I have ordered this on strength of Lucy Powell review! and use a continuous-improvement I don’t even know where to start. But I’ll Here's hoping for some real insight. model across their organisation and have a go. What do Laker and Hill mean by “turning a school around?” Do we mean improving School partners with local care homes within individual schools? We have results? In which case, how much of this is down to launch pen pal scheme had two or three decades of individuals to drilling, moving children on who might not pass, bringing in staff who are already lined up to Carrie Tracy // @CarrieTracy96 producing models and announcing them support your culture? How many “turned around” Love this. Provides an opportunity for at conferences: Michael Barber, David schools have simply changed their roll? Are the students to write to an authentic audience, authors aware of the staffing shortage that exists in learn from those who have experienced Hargreaves, David Hopkins et al. Toolkits, teaching? I challenge any school to get rid of 50% history AND serve the community. of their staff and be successful in recruiting 50% models, analysis tools are all very well but who are better than those who left. What of Dylan Summer Macer // @SM_HRTC you don’t need a weatherman to tell which Wiliam’s research that shows that the vast majority OMG I love this!! Makes me think back to way the wind blows. Such things are of staff can be supported to improve? What about Channel 4’s Old People's Home for 4 Year all the research on shame and how ranking/ Olds...FAB! usually “emperor’s clothes” and will only embarrassing children damages them? Does turning a school around encompass measures such last until the next person that should be as wellbeing and mental health? I suspect not. I listened to produces another painting by wonder how much time these two have ever spent in a school. numbers process. We are like farmers who DO you have continuously find new ways of weighing Summit Views // @Summitviews1 No teachers there to replace the third a story? the pig, when it is really down to the sacked. farmers to feed it! How to fix the academy transfer system However big or small, if you have information or a story you think our readers would be interested in, Douglas Cowie // @DouglasCowie then please get in touch. For press releases make sure reply of the week Getting rid of academies and returning you email our news email account, and don’t be afraid schools to LGA control, with appropriate to give us a call. receives a schools funding levels, would be a good solution.

Sarah Dodds // @CllrSarah [email protected] week mug! Schools can be left in limbo during this period. Shocking failure of the academy 020 3051 4287 system.

Matthew Elton Thomas // @MatAndEltTho WE WANT TO HEAR @SCHOOLSWEEK What about schools where no MAT exists or no academy is interested? Ideology FROM YOU [email protected] over education. WWW.SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK 18 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 PROFILE

CHRIS JANSEN SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 19

LAURA MCINERNEY @MISS_MCINERNEY

Chris Jansen – Cognita Schools, chief executive

ognita Schools is a rare thing: a turnaround private school chain. C Turnaround is a phenomenon more commonly discussed in relation to state schools than the independent sector. But back in 2015 Cognita featured in Schools Week for aggressively bankrupting parents in order to claw back fees it was owed. Having taken over several small private schools in previous years, the chain seemed to be spiralling out of control. Enter Chris Jansen, a business specialist with a rollcall of brands to his CV to make Alan Sugar weep. As director at British Airways and then British Gas, Jansen oversaw the gradual turnaround in reputation of both. Next, he oversaw the £1.4 billion sale of the AA as its chief executive. Now, in the two years since he took over as chief executive at Cognita, the company has changed Schools Week editor Laura McInerney and Chris Jansen dramatically. Its prior purpose as the “low-cost” private school chain, given to it by the controversial former chief inspector Chris Woodhead who founded the group, is gone

for good. Clocks showing school timezones across the world Instead a row of clocks sit above the entrance to Cognita's minimalist central London office, nestled just behind the glitzy shops of Oxford Circus, showing the different timezones occupied by the schools it owns across the world. Jansen starts our chat with results. International Baccalaureate scores were strong in Asia and improving in Latin America this year. In Europe, he is now tracking progress of every child and value-added scores in England are moving upwards (he has introduced value- added league tables to motivate and inform the groups’ headteachers). In Hong Kong, the group has just opened a new school. can be improved to get better outcomes for pupils. And didn’t know what to expect the first time we did it. I think “We opened with 350 children, which is great. We have indicators such as employee, pupil and parent satisfaction they were expecting us to talk about admissions or how to 33 teachers, and 11 of those came from within the Cognita are helpful in working out whether the needle is moving. run their school financially. We didn’t speak about that at group, including the head and superintendent,” he says, “Sometimes in education people separate into ‘teaching all. Every talk was about education and leadership,” he says. very keen to stress the international opportunities for staff staff’ and ‘non-teaching staff’,” he explains. “The most “What was fascinating was that, by the end, headteachers who join the company. fundamental thing is the quality of the teaching that were saying ‘I would really like to know how to manage the If it sounds clinical, it’s tempered by Jansen’s boyish happens in the classroom, sure. But all of the people school commercially’ and I said ‘don’t worry about that – enthusiasm for high performance. With an uncanny around that, not just the teacher, are important too. So the focus on the quality of improving education’.” physical similarity to Dragon’s Den presenter Evan Davis, ICT has got to work, the facilities managed, the right HR, Jansen himself was educated at St George’s College he also smiles, motions and speaks articulately enough to admission, safeguarding systems.” Weybridge, an independent day school in Surrey. It was a be his doppleganger. Does he make this emphasis because he’s not from an boys’ school when he attended but it admitted girls from “Leadership is fundamental to all organisations but education background? the late 1990s. He is now a governor there, a role his I have never been involved in a situation where it’s “I’m just a facilitator. I’m… look, people say to me ‘you father – who died suddenly aged 58 – had also once more important than a school,” he says. “School leaders don’t know anything about education’. And I say, ‘you’re occupied. are absolutely critical to everything that is happening. right’. And, actually, when I was at British Gas, we used to At school he was easily bored, somewhat mischievous Leadership comes with a clear vision of what you want to fix seven million boilers a year and I still can’t fix even one,” and focused more on sport than academics, but it was a achieve, of having the right team, of everyone being clear he points out. talking to by his tutor, Dr Peter McLoughlin, during his on what we’re trying to achieve, what the expectations are, “I can’t run a maths lesson, but what I can do is try and A-levels, which changed everything. what success looks like. contribute to an environment where people can contribute “I remember exactly where it was,” he says. “I was sat on “With clear targets we can then think about how we freely and give their views and use their experience to get a radiator outside the staff room, it was a grey day behind motivate people, how we manage people, how we inspire us to a better place.” me, and he said ‘Chris, you’ve got a choice to make. Either them, that’s how we create a culture of success, of honesty, But how is he starting to pull together a cohesive, well- you knuckle down and do some work and get some good of transparency.” supported school chain given the constraints of timezones grades, or you’ll be lost to the world, and goodness knows This is not pie-in-the-sky strategy - it is about specifics. and geography? After all, the academies minister Lord Nash what happens then.’ At British Gas, Jansen focused on the length of time believes that schools more than 30 minutes away from “He was a tough man, but he cared. And I think he got customers waited to get phone calls answered (10 minutes) each other are too difficult to manage. For Cognita, there’s through to me by genuinely caring. He fundamentally and on staff turnover at call centres (50 per cent). Those around 30 hours of travel involved in getting from the changed my life. That’s why I’ve very keen that we care for were simple metrics that told a bigger story about the school in Chile to the one in Hong Kong. our teachers so that we look after them, and in turn,” he organisation. Changing them meant turning around a Jansen explains that the company works regionally in looks almost surprised for a moment, “then they give their culture which eventually turned around performance. the first instance – with directors for each region. Core best care to the children.” Jansen is aware that schools may not be so simple: principles are the same everywhere, however, and those There is no getting away from the fact that such care “We can’t be the McDonald’s of education. Education is are communicated via an intranet system and a series of comes at a cost. Cognita schools are not hitting the complex, it’s long-term, it needs to be thoughtful. This isn’t key metrics that the group is building. £40,000-a-year highs of the top public schools, but fees about creating an inflexible model.” And each year, in November, the leaders of the schools come in at around £10,000 a year in England. Does he feel But there are certain factors driving performance, such also come together for a conference. that reflects the low-cost dreams of Woodhead’s original as ICT, staff recruitment, staff development, all of which “We talked about education for the whole week. They intent? 20 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 PROFILE CHRIS JANSEN

"WE CAN’T BE THE MCDONALD’S OF EDUCATION. EDUCATION IS COMPLEX, IT’S LONG- TERM, IT NEEDS TO BE THOUGHTFUL"

“It comes back to value,” he says carefully. “We’re not the most expensive, we’re not the cheapest. We’re middle of the pack. But when a parent pays an enormous amount of money, and it’s a lot they’re paying, then you have to respect that and be certain they are getting good value. For me, it’s not about ten versus twenty or fifty thousand pounds, it’s whether parents are satisfied with the learn from that. way their child is developing. “So what I’d like us to do is learn how to run better “There are many children that perform below networks of schools and then openly share that. In a expectation, or below their potential, in our sense, I don’t see it as competitive, like the detergent. education system. And what I’d like to guarantee, I want us to be better for our children, but I want and I think we can now, is that the vast majority everyone to be better.” of children at Cognita will at least perform to their At present, for example, Cognita’s school in potential or above. And that means doing well Vietnam is running a daily TV news bulletin academically but developing as people as well.” anchored by a rotating fleet of pupils who choose In a country like England, however, where the stories, write the scripts, and produce the show, academic grades are increasingly constrained and which is then distributed via screens in the school. where value-added measures are zero-sum, does It’s a neat way of improving literacy and general he feel improving Cognita will affect state schools knowledge, and he wants to try it in other schools. which don’t have the same resources available? If it works, people are free to steal the lessons they “It’s an interesting one,” he says, again guardedly. learn of how to make it successful. IT’S A PERSONAL THING “When I was at Procter and Gamble, we were trying Recently, Jansen wrote to Dr McLoughlin, the to sell more boxes of Ariel than Persil because it tutor who changed his life. What's your favourite book, and why? was a zero-sum game. There are only so many “If you are a British Gas engineer, you fix a boiler, Tour de France Legendary Climbs as this book inspires the boxes of detergent sold; we wanted to have the and the heat instantly returns, and you are a hero. cycling I love to do with my wife, family and friends. greatest share. In education, teachers have a massive impact, but “In education there are seven per cent of parents the chances are that you never know. So I wrote to If you were invisible for the day, what would you do? who are in a fortunate position – and they make him, and he wrote back – I was in tears reading it,” I would go into our classrooms and just listen, learn and a lot of sacrifices to do it – that they can afford he confesses. think how we could do even better. independent education. It’s been seven per cent for As I leave he challenges me to call anyone in the a long, long time. It’s never going to be eight per organisation to ask for their feedback: “Seriously, call Growing up, what job did you think you would do? cent, it’s never going to be 10 per cent. anyone. I’d love to know what they’d say in fact.” A Grand Prix driver. “So one of the reasons I wanted Sir Kevan Collins Despite this he emphasises that Cognita is still from the Education Endowment Foundation to very much “a work in progress”. come work with us on a network we are building, is “We have a healthy dissatisfaction for where we What do you eat for breakfast? because I said to him that he can take anything he are, but I know today that the quality of education Plain porridge – my wife Lucie is a nutritionist and has learns from us and open source it into education. in our schools is getting better – it’s better than it banned honey. “Sometimes, in the maintained sector, which was last year, and next year it will be even better,” he is massive and complex, driving change in insists. Which animal are you most like, and why? thousands of schools is difficult. We’ve only got 70 “Cognita hasn’t always been the organisation we’d A dog: very committed and loyal but can be influenced schools globally. We can do things in six months aspire to be. We really haven’t. And we’re not there by food. you can’t do elsewhere. And other schools can yet. But, really, we are now one step closer.” Join the Eighth World Innovation Summit for Education

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AFRIQUE MAGAZINE 22 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 OPINION EMMA STEPHEN KNIGHTS GORARD Chief executive, Professor of public policy, the National Governance Association Durham University

Hold on! There's no need to start paying governors Too many summer-born Emma Knights explores the latest thinking by NGA’s membership for five years, and in school governance support for remuneration amongst serving volunteers has stalled at 27 per cent. pupils are labelled SEN ike a number of binary debates in Although there is paid governance in many English education, the discussion on other sectors, there is no evidence to show There’s a huge difference in the specific challenge and ensuing provision Lskills and stakeholders that school it improves practice. Attendance does seem attainment of older and younger pupils is agreed by a combination of the school, governance has been bogged down in for to improve, but impact is more difficult to in the same year, and it’s too often local authority, social services, doctor and/ the past five years is sterile, limited and decipher. misdiagnosed, says Stephen Gorard or educational psychologist. Alternatively, sometimes even immature. We do need to improve the diversity of SEN without a statement can be agreed by a Can we please just agree that we all want boards, and to recruit more people under t is well known that summer-born pupils smaller group perhaps including the school skilled, competent governing boards, and 40 and from ethnic minorities. The RSA leave school with lower grades than and parents. then consider how we can best achieve recommends that the same standards of Itheir peers, but research has now shown SEN labelling without statement is over them? practice should be used when recruiting that they are also diagnosed by schools with 60 per cent more common for the youngest A scoping report entitled ‘Who governs our governors as for the appointment of paid special educational needs at a significantly pupils than for the oldest in any year. schools: Trends, tensions & opportunities’ staff. There is NGA guidance on exactly higher rate than the older children in their published this month by the Royal Society for this, and though the number of governing year. It is time government took action to the Arts should help move the discussion on. boards formally interviewing candidates is address both problems. As the report says, “building on locally increasing, it’s not happening fast enough. In England, the oldest child in a year Precise age-in- contextualised knowledge… is not a block on Boards struggling to find candidates to group is born on or near September 1, and good governance; it is often the route to it”. In interview should try Inspiring Governance, a the youngest up to 12 months later, until other words, people recruited as stakeholders free online service that connects schools and August 31 the following year. How old a child year is not being (parents, teachers or others from the local trusts with skilled, interested volunteers. is relative to the rest of their year group has community) can of course bring skills and The theme on improving induction and been strongly linked to attainment, later-life taken into account knowledge to the table. Many headteachers training for school governors is rightly outcomes, and wider personal development. recognise the added value that links with widened by arguing that teachers and In England, 49 per cent of summer-born sufficiently the community bring. Moreover, given particularly school leaders need to have children who start school in September recruiting and retaining volunteers can be a better understanding of governance. having just turned four achieve a “good level difficult, we need every route to interested, Where governance is weak, it is unlikely to of development” in their first year, compared The same happens to a lesser extent with committed people. improve if senior leaders do not know what with 71 per cent of autumn-born pupils, who labelling as SEN with statement, and as not “good” looks like, or simply do not accept are nearly five when they start. having English as a first language. its importance, viewing it as a distraction The younger children in any cohort There is no reason to believe that genuine from the task of improving teaching and are less likely to pass the entrance test for SEN are distributed across the population Who or what gives us learning, rather than central to sustained a grammar school, are entered for fewer like this. It is far more likely that children school improvement. At the heart of examinations, and are 10 per cent less likely with lower results at school tend to be the right to govern? good governance lies trust and respectful go to university. By the age of 18, they have considered for SEN labelling, which means relationships between the non-executives had 12 or more years as the youngest, least their precise age-in-year is not being taken and the executives. mature, and maybe the smallest person in into account sufficiently. The distortion But effectiveness is not even the whole As the report’s author wisely observes, their year. The summer-born pupils are less by age is worse when schools make the conversation; ethical guardianship and “the governing board, in a sense, transcends likely to be picked for competitive sports, decision to label as SEN (without statement), legitimacy are also important. Who or what the professional leadership of the school more likely to be bullied, and to have lower and better when a doctor or educational gives us the right to govern? or group of schools because of its self-esteem. Age-in-year clearly matters. psychologist is involved. Listening to a broad range of parents, institutional permanence and overarching These differences in outcomes cannot Younger children in any cohort will tend pupils and staff is fundamental to good responsibilities. While individual governors be explained by most other characteristics. to struggle more on average, and so become governance, whoever is on the board, and we and heads come and go, the institution of Younger children are no more likely to visible as apparent under-achievers. need to do it better. The National Governance the governing board remains a permanent be boys, or from less-educated families, Changing the cut-off date for entry to Association has suggested to Justine feature, appointing successive heads and specific ethnic groups, or poorer areas, school or allowing parents to delay starting Greening that this should be recognised as a carrying the organisation’s ethos and for example – all of which are also factors school for their child would not solve all fourth core function of governing bodies in tradition over time.” related to differences in attainment. They the problems with the system. These unfair the Department for Education’s governance The report also explores the effect of are, however, more likely to be labelled as artefacts of the school system should be handbook. changing school structures, which I wrote having SEN. amended by the age standardisation of all Becoming a school governor is one of the about in Schools Week last year: moving New research presented at BERA 2017 results, which would then form the official most popular means of formal volunteering decisions “upstream” in multi-academy showed that a pupil’s precise age ought be record for educational decisions by schools, in the UK and this should be celebrated. Any trusts to boards of trustees and the line given more consideration in identifying universities, employers, individuals and move that undermines either this purpose or management of heads from governing ‘special educational needs’. SEN is a legal family. its participative spirit should be viewed with bodies to a paid executive. term used to describe “children who have caution. Unsurprisingly I am fully behind the a difficulty or disability which makes This study is based on two ongoing ESRC- The report recommends a pilot for conclusion – “how we govern our schools learning harder for them which calls funded studies and was originally presented potential remuneration which seems should be an education policy priority, not an for SEN provision to be made available” at BERA 2017. slightly at odds with this spirit. Pay for afterthought”. The more people saying that, (Section 20: Children and Families Act 2014). Co-author Nadia Siddiqui is Assistant those governing schools has been debated the better. In order to have a statement of SEN, the Professor at Durham University SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 23

We must stop rating reading skills on a work, but reading is too important to neglect. bell curve – it lets us leave struggling For critical skills – such as driving cars pupils behind, says James Murphy JAMES or flying planes – we use a proficiency test, not a bell curve. Reading is critical to life t is alarming that so many students arrive chances, so we need a minimum standard at secondary school not reading well of reading proficiency that all children must enough to access the curriculum. It is MURPHY reach before sitting their GCSEs, and for I School partnerships director, even more alarming that we don’t believe Thinking Reading which schools are held accountable. Yes, these students can catch up. we would still have a bell curve in terms of The assumption that most secondary relative abilities, but the whole curve would leaders work on is that low attainers are also move to the right, so that the proportion of low ability – that is, students who begin Every child can read – children who really couldn’t read was tiny. school further behind have less potential and Currently poor literacy is estimated to will therefore stay behind. affect six million adults in the UK, and to The move to adjust Progress 8 points so don’t write them off cost our economy between £23 billion and that progress in the highest grades at GCSE £31 billion per annum. That’s at least half was worth three times as much as progress to a passive approach to reading problems. research, and that research is converging in the lowest grades is a case in point for. The While the ‘Read On. Get On’ campaign around how best to ensure that all children government claimed the change “protected” identified that 20 per cent of children learn to read, even – or especially – those schools from being disadvantaged by large arriving at secondary school are not reading for whom reading does not come naturally. The widespread numbers of low attainers. well enough, the OECD identified that 17 per It appears that the processes of learning This move did nothing for the students cent of 15-year-olds were at or below the to read are very similar at any age. If we belief that struggling concerned, however, and in many ways it lowest standards of literacy, and in a separate teach students explicitly and systematically, has made matters worse. The message to report found that the UK is the only country applying a high degree of rigour to our own readers cannot catch school leaders is to focus on maximising in the world where our 15- to 24-year-olds practice, they can catch up. the progress of the most able if they want are less literate than their grandparents’ One reason for our systemic assumption up is a myth to lift the school’s Progress 8 score. If you generation. A longitudinal study currently of reading failure is our fixation with the could put resources into extending 10 bright under way at Royal Holloway University has bell curve. Because reading scores can students or accelerating 10 weak students, found that the reading gap between different be arranged on a normal distribution, we of the annual schools budget. If the system which group would you invest in? attainment groups largely remains constant assume that students at the lower end cannot were to genuinely prioritise reading so that Under the incentives of the new regime, throughout secondary school. be good at reading. But this is not the case. every child leaves school reading fluently, the weaker students would only generate half The widespread belief in secondary For example, over three years, my previous we would transform not just the educational as much bang for your buck. Which is all a bit schools that struggling readers cannot catch school in north London ensured every landscape, but our whole society. odd, since, if it’s so hard to get progress from up is a myth. There is now clear evidence student could read. In my current work, we Can it be done? Certainly, with the political low attainers, shouldn’t it be their progress that all children, except those with the most typically see gains of several years over a few will, and the humility to learn how. The that is double-weighted? severe disabilities, can learn to read well. months, in students with a long history of political will is required at the policy level, Secondary schools are particularly prone Reading is the richest area of educational struggling to read. That’s not to say it’s easy but humility is needed at the coalface.

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Red17 blogs, presentations, Taking Control: How to Prepare for video links primary and secondary schools. Not only @5N_Afzal Ofsted Inspection does this prove invaluable in preparing for By: Paul Garvey an inspection, but seeing the self-evaluation ResearchEd is becoming one of the biggest as cyclical means it becomes a job with dates on the educational conference Published by: John Catt purpose and not just one you perform for calendar. I have never attended one – it’s Reviewed by: Antony Witheyman, your Ofsted visit. rare for me to go to educational events at CEO of Innovate MAT One section focuses on the physical the weekend due to personal commitments inspection from an inspector’s point of view, – but I know that for many teachers and people involved in education it has become a which for me is the most interesting part of must-visit event. the book. I am surprised – as is the author – Saturday 9 September was the date of the I head up a small, multi academy trust that Ofsted has never published this kind of 2017 conference. Naureen Afzal, one of the focusing on village schools in the document itself, as it really helps understand attendees, has helpfully curated a list of blogs Northamptonshire countryside and formed the why, when and how of inspections. From written about the event as well as videos and in 2014. For the most part the sun shines the documents to which the lead inspector streams of talks. If, like me, you have never brightly for our schools. However, there were has access prior to inspection, to which been to a ResearchEd, her list is a useful darker clouds questions you will be asked Our blog reviewer of the week starting point. For example, I watched a this summer, in the first call, to how the is Iesha Small, an educational video of Alex Quigley talking about subject- inspection timetable is crafted, researcher, teacher and specific language which I found interesting. as every commentator @ieshasmall single one of the author has given schools Youth Homelessness: It’s people that our schools a real insight into the pieces need a place to call home was inspected of the Ofsted puzzle and how @KateBV during a they all fit together. Humiliating children: ust because it’s period of 14 For most schools the notion your tribe doing it, doesn’t make it ok “At times, it was challenging. I came away weeks. As CEO of the unknown is the biggest @Disidealist from the workshops feeling physically and I was involved concern and this book helps emotionally drained.” This could be the in every dispel myths and drops in This is a short and powerful blog description of any teacher’s full teaching inspection, as little nuggets of information which will divide many teachers and school day: as I sit here writing this article on a was one of our to help guide thinking leaders. Disappointed Idealist outlines Friday afternoon, trying to meet my deadline headteachers, throughout the process. The some practices that they strongly believe having taught all day, I can empathize author continually refers to be wrong in schools. In their view, there with the sentiment. However, it’s not about and it was to the “Ofsted framework”, are some things which are unacceptable teaching. In this blog, Kate Bowen-Viner is one of the and in my experience, this wherever you identify yourself on the left- writing about a research project, ‘A place to most stressful right, permissive-authoritarian ideological call home’, that she has been working on to and relentless is another vital aspect of spectrum. explore youth homelessness and its links to periods I have taking control. Knowing I imagine it was prompted by recent education. experienced in 18 that framework inside out means that as reports coming out about strict behaviour Kate reflects in a very personal nature about years of teaching. senior leaders we can understand decisions policies at some secondary schools, which what she has learned now that this phase So the question I hoped to have answered made by inspectors and challenge where are linked to in the article. of the project is over. Organisations like by this book was whether or not it would necessary. Taking Control highlights the I do not agree with humiliating children; ResearchEd and the newly formed College have made a difference to have read it in areas that schools should be aware of. I do not agree with humiliating anyone. of Teaching are keen to make teaching a advance. I have, however, taught in schools where more evidence-informed profession. Kate The answer? Most definitely. it was hard to recruit teachers and where reminds us that some more qualitative behaviour was not only a barrier to learning research can be used to “step into a world While Paul Garvey’s book doesn’t tell A real insight into the but – on too many occasions – completely that is otherwise hidden”. I had the pleasure you anything revelatory about the process unsafe for staff and children. It is difficult to of project-managing this research for LKMco or what to expect, the calm, precise and pieces of the Ofsted speak about schools that you haven’t visited and I loved reading Kate’s blog because she professional way in which it is written will and comment on teachers that you haven’t articulates so well that research can be used certainly help senior management teams, puzzle and how they seen teach. I am also wary of anything that to improve things for young people, either in governors and staff take control of the has the whiff of a witch hunt – possibly our classrooms or wider society, and that it inspection process. My recent experiences all fit together stirred up by journalists or parents with an should be a tool that makes us start to listen have led me to agree: taking control of your axe to grind – because I can empathize with rather than close off debate. inspection is the key to the whole process. how I would feel as teacher or leader at a The book takes you through the entire It doesn’t matter which Ofsted category school receiving a barrage of negative press Orchestrated leadership... consistent Ofsted journey, from how to write an you are in, or whether you are primary or that detracted from the job of actually trying vs coherent effective self-evaluation form, through the secondary, as the book is differentiated to improve the school. @ROptimism. accordingly. Until recently, Garvey was an However, I do whole heartedly agree with initial phonecall to the analysis of data that Ofsted inspector and it is for this insider Disappointed Idealist’s point that if we see Relentless Optimism is a pleasure to Ofsted will expect (or not expect) you to have knowledge that I believe this book is an something we feel or know to be wrong we interact with on Twitter and is always full prepared. Garvey discusses the language should act. For me, this action should be of interesting takes on school leadership schools should use in their SEF, and essential read for all schools awaiting in the real world not only as a social media adapted from a variety of fields. Here they highlights ways in which these can be used the call. If taking control is the key to a activist. Silence or looking the other way is consider leadership via the prism to run school improvement during the entire successful inspection, reading Garvey’s book not a solution “otherwise, by our inaction, of conducting an orchestra; it’s well worth cycle between inspections. The process of will help school leaders understand exactly we do not just tolerate it, but foster it”. a read. writing a SEF is broken down separately for how to do it. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 25 Week in Westminster Your regular guide to what’s going on in central government Monday: And, under a section titled ‘Achievements in Parliament’ Yawn, snoooooze, snore. Parliament is out this week so most shenanigans have ceased. But never fear, because Week in Westminster has some exciting news. Longtime readers of the column will know we have been waiting since Easter 2015 for the most recent minutes of the Department for Education’s board meetings. Sigh. Some things never change. The last ones were brief to say the least: Tuesday: We were excited today to learn the DfE is hiring people to find out what the civil service can do better (see page 11 for more). Our favourite line from the job advert was where it said “we do not yet know exactly what ‘activity’ we want to improve and how we will do it”. That’s the sort of honesty we like to see! It’s a shame that the title for these people – who will be paid over £60k each – is “delivery Since then, nothing. So, after a wrangle involving the law, (rights under the law that is, manager” though. Is it just us or does it sound like they’re about to drop your shopping off? not the actual police), we got copies of more recent meetings. Joy. Only, it appears that while the department has at least made the minutes more detailed, Wednesday: they are still not going to let us see them. New guidance was issued to schools today on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors Our favourite extracts include: (otherwise known as epi-pens) for emergency use on children at risk of anaphylaxis. For anyone who has ever had the horror of watching a child struggle to breath because of an allergy, this is very good news. Seriously. We don’t have a sarcastic comment to make. Go get one and make a policy for it.

CHECK OUT @SCHOOLSWEEKLIVE FOR Thursday: LIVE TWEETS OF WESTMINSTER EVENTS Yawn. FLY ON THE WALL

Where do you read your copy of Schools Week? What would you do if you were editor of Schools Week for a day? In Costa Coffee while having lunch on Fridays, on my iPad. I would institute a campaign to get more consistency in school funding. Which section of the paper do you enjoy the most? The news section is great. It has a broad perspective that I find useful Favourite memory of your school years? as a governor. I always make sure I read the blogs and book reviews Performing Millikan’s oil drop experiment and getting the right Name Chris Shepherd on the lookout for new ideas. answer to the charge on an electron. How cool is that? Age 54 If you could wave a magic wand and change one education policy, If you weren't working in education, what would you be doing? Occupation Biomedical which would it be? I don't work in education, but wish I had tried to become a engineer and governor Fair funding for schools; we have suffered from long term primary teacher. Location Swindon underfunding in Swindon. Favourite book on education? Subscriber since March 2016 Who is your favourite education secretary of all time? Playing with fire: Embracing risk and danger in schools is a thought- I can't choose from a pretty lacklustre bunch. provoking read about what is possible.

What is your favourite story or investigation reported in What new things would you like to see in Schools Week? Schools Week? A section for governors/trustees/members. There have been many but the investigations into MATs are certainly interesting. Fly on the Wall is a chance for If you could be a fly on the wall in anyone's office, whose would it be? you, the subscriber, to tell us What do you do with your copy of Schools Week Rebecca Clark, when she was regional schools what you love (and hate) about once you've read it? commissioner for the south-west. I might find out Schools Week, who you’d It usually goes straight to the recycling from the what is actually going on, though as a fly I might not like to spy on and, of course, wrapper since I prefer to read it electronically. I understand it all. what the world of education did share one of my free lollipops with the would look like if you were in wife though. charge…

We’d love to hear from you – email [email protected] or submit an entry at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/flyonthewall 26 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 School Bulletin If you have a story you’d like to see featured in the school bulletin, email [email protected]

South Yorkshire launches massive mobility project FEATURED NAME YOUR SCHOOL’S UNSUNG HEROES government-backed initiative to raise the educational attainment Aand aspirations of young people in Sir Daniel Moynihan, the chair of the education South Yorkshire was launched last week. honours committee, is calling for more schools South Yorkshire Futures, a social in the north of England and the midlands to mobility project led by Sheffield Hallam nominate their staff members for awards. University, will support disadvantaged Subject leaders, long-serving teachers, young people in the region from early support staff, site managers and lollipop years as far as further and higher ladies are among those the committee wants education, in an effort to close the to see put up for a nomination, alongside attainment gap and better life chances. senior leaders. The project will focus on preparation, So far, the committee has received a The minister for children and number of nominations from the south-east performance and aspirations of pupils families Robert Goodwill, left, with in local schools, with a strong focus Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of of England, but only a small number from Sheffield Hallam University on finding ways to increase teacher elsewhere in the UK. recruitment and retention in the region. “We want better representation from South Yorkshire Futures has different regions,” said Moynihan. “Schools already received support from recruitment and education than their peers in other parts of are collegial places and sometimes there’s the government for its plans retention. South the country. a reluctance to nominate, but when we’ve for the opportunity area, with Yorkshire is a major To tackle the problem, part of the project seen people get honours in schools, it has the project’s director, Greg supplier of the teacher will involve looking at schools who don’t lifted everybody. It’s recognition not just of Burke, on secondment from workforce. We’ve been get involved in external initiatives, and an individual, but of the team around that the DfE. developing a partnership analysing why and how that can be person.” “What we’re trying with the University of changed. Schools can nominate staff year-round to create is a spirit Sheffield and three school- “We’re particularly interested in engaging through gov.uk. The process involves filling of optimism,” Burke centred ITT providers to with schools who don’t get involved in in a form to say why someone is worthy of an explained. “We’ve got lots develop a collaborative things like initial teacher training,” he honour and then gathering letters of support of data that says South approach to marketing and said. “We want to work out why they’re not testifying why the nominee does a good job. Professor Sam Twiselton, the director of Honours are awarded biannually through the Yorkshire doesn’t perform Sheffield Institute of Education recruitment.” involved and what would be the things that very well on educational Research from the Sutton might enable them to get involved.” new year’s honours list, which is announced on stuff, and it’s trying to Trust in 2015 revealed that The initiative is currently open New Year’s Day, and the Queen’s birthday list, get people to come together and say of the 14 South Yorkshire to all schools in South Yorkshire. announced in June. actually, we can do something about this. constituencies, 10 had very low or low social Interested schools can contact Nominations submitted now will be eligible “We’ve identified a significant area mobility, and pupils in the region are less [email protected] for more for the Queen’s birthday list. where we can add value in teacher likely to achieve good GCSEs and remain in information.

Not a crow in sight Scarecrow project eases back-to-school transition Leedon Lower School pupils see the wood for the trees primary headteacher has launched a interested, with one Forests ‘can improve poetry skills’ cross-curricular scarecrow-making placing straw on desks, Aproject to get pupils back into work and another using a mode after the summer holidays. book about a scarecrow study undertaken with a Bedfordshire “There was a much higher and richer level The project had pupils from reception marriage. primary school has revealed the of imagery amongst the poems crafted by to year 6 at Houldsworth Valley Primary One finished creation Apositive impact of the outdoors on the ‘outdoor’ group compared to the ‘indoor’, Academy in Suffolk using their design, had an iPad for a face, children’s creative writing. which suggests that learning in natural English, science and maths skills to design which played a video One group of year 4 pupils from Leedon environments could enhance creativity and build a scarecrow. of pupils talking, and Lower School entered a forest, and another and language development,” said Dr Paul “The purpose of the project was to one cardboard box group looked at laminated images of woods, Gardner, a researcher at Curtin University’s reinforce behaviour, teamwork and scarecrow reached before writing a poem. school of education. cooperation, but also consolidate the the ceiling. Led by researchers at Curtin University Some of the students' descriptions academic skills they’d already learned, “Sending the message to in Australia, the study revealed the group about their natural experiences included such as measuring with a ruler, as well children that maths can be done through that went out into the forest used more evocative lines such as "it was like walking as introducing some new concepts,” said measuring a scarecrow, and science by vivid language – and twice as many similes on marshmallow ground", "sharp pine cones headteacher Lisa Tweed. looking at the materials that can be used and metaphors – in their poetry than their like grenades" or "crows that bark like a dog", Teachers in each class were encouraged to to create them – it’s a different slant of classroom-based counterparts. reported one of the researchers. come up with their own hook to get pupils thinking on education,” said Tweed. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 113 FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017 27

TONY PAUL SMITH Your weekly guide to who’s new DODDRIDGE Founding headteacher, Principal, Oasis Katherine Warington Academy Woodview School EMMA HOLLIS START DATE: January 2018 Executive director, START DATE: September 2017 National Association of PREVIOUS JOB: Deputy head, PREVIOUS JOB: Headteacher of Roundwood Park School School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) St George’s CE Academy INTERESTING FACT: Tony has two classic cars, START DATE: September 2017 INTERESTING FACT: Paul is a huge music fan: a Jaguar and a Morris Minor, and used to DJ he plays piano and guitar, and sings in a local on Xfm. PREVIOUS JOB: Head of educational strategy at Birmingham band, The Mandrills. the Inspiring Futures Through Learning MAT, and head of the Milton Keynes Teaching School Alliance

CLARE INTERESTING FACT: Emma is a PADI-qualified JULIAN HODGSON advanced open-water diver. APPLEYARD Head, Bohunt Sixth CEO of the Pontefract Form Academies Trust

START DATE: September 2017 START DATE: April 2018

PREVIOUS JOB: Assistant headteacher at PREVIOUS JOB: Executive principal and CEO, Bohunt School Get in touch! Rochdale Sixth Form College

INTERESTING FACT: She played violin as part of If you want to let us know of any new faces at the top INTERESTING FACT: He is a huge Paul Weller an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. of your school, local authority or organisation please fan, and has been to see him countless times. let us know by emailing [email protected]

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A careers, education and lifestyle magazine dedicated entirely to 14-19s, published five times a year - regionalised and, ideally distributed through your secondary school. SUPPORTING THIS MAGAZINE IS AN EXCITING AND TOPICAL WEBSITE: FUTURE-MAG.CO.UK If you’d like your students to receive Future is brought to you by specialist PR and Future Magazine please email marketing firm EMPRA - in touch with what [email protected] for more information. works in the sector and what readers want to see. 28 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, SEP 22, 2017

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How to play: Fill in all blank squares Spot the difference SCHOOLS WEEK Sudoku challenge making sure that each row, column and 3 by 3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9 to WIN a Schools Week mug Last Week’s solutions 9 7 Difficulty: 8 1 2 EASY 2 8 6 5 1 4 7 9 3 3 2 7 9 6 8 5 4 9 3 8 7 6 2 1 7 1 3 9 6 2 5 4 8 4 7 8 5 7 2 4 9 1 3 6 6 7 1 8 4 4 6 2 1 7 3 8 5 9 3 9 1 8 5 6 2 7 4 9 2 9 3 8 6 2 5 4 1 7 6 3 5 8 1 9 6 7 5 4 9 1 3 8 2 1 6 2 1 2 4 7 3 8 9 6 5 8 4 Difficulty: EASY

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