BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE

“EXPRESSION OF INTEREST” SUBMISSION TO DfES

MIDDLESBROUGH LEA VISION AND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

1. is an ambitious and forward thinking Authority with a vision of excellence for all that is vibrant, diverse, collaborative and inclusive in education, making a key contribution to the regeneration of the town.

2. The Council is strongly focused on its communities and will adopt an innovative approach to meet the needs of its pupils. We recognise that Middlesbrough’s results at Secondary level must improve. Nowhere can this be better demonstrated than in the positive role the Authority has played in proactively promoting and facilitating diversity and change in the provision of Secondary and Special Needs Education.

THE MIDDLESBROUGH VISION FOR BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE

3. The Middlesbrough LEA vision for Building Schools for the Future is for;

 Investment in Education linked to the vision for the regeneration of Middlesbrough

 Schools serving their communities.

 All schools should be extended schools.

 All schools will be specialist schools with innovative buildings to support their specialisms.

 Secondary and special schools sharing sites to encourage exchange of pupils, staff and facilities.

 Greater links will be provided between schools to enable children to take advantage of specialisms at all schools, including transport links.

 Each school to promote vocational education and education and training links to Middlesbrough College and the University of .

 Schools should be well provided with flexible spaces for working in different ways and have appropriate accommodation for mentors, facilitators, teaching assistants and other support staff.

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE

4. Faced with increasing surplus places and our drive on standards the Authority took the opportunity to exploit the potential offered to provide new schools by City Academies. A key part of Middlesbrough’s approach to Secondary re-organisation was to work closely with the DfES City Academies Unit and Academy sponsors Amey and the Vardy Foundation. The result has been the inward investment of over £42m in new state of the art secondary education facilities, which was reflected in the opening of The King’s Academy in September 2003 and the which is building due for completion at Easter 2004. Four schools were closed to enable the development of the two new academies. D:\ModernGov\Migration\IntranetAttachments\EXECUTIVE\200501251300\Agenda\$ukrbaait.doc - 1 -

5. Special Education provision in the Secondary sector has also been subject to a process of continuous review over recent years and is closely linked to the inclusion agenda. This has resulted in significant improvement in provision. All our schools, both secondary and specials, are keen to develop co-location as a way to enhance opportunities for their pupils.

6. Ofsted in its visit to Middlesbrough in 2001 praised the Authority’s ambitious change programme and its track record of achievements in Secondary’s provision change management. The CPA process confirms this.

THE NEED FOR CHANGE

7. Now, some four years since the start of the Secondary and SEN reorganisation process, the Authority recognises that further substantial issues need to be addressed to maximise the opportunities presented by the Building Schools for the Future programme. Middlesbrough understands increasingly that the quality of the school environment and in particular the design qualities of school buildings is vital for achieving the main goal of the LEA which is to support and challenge schools to raise standards in attainment. The delivery of 21st Century education in functional buildings that are designed to inspire a modern generation of pupils and which have been adapted to the latest innovations in technology is at the forefront of current thinking.

8. Middlesbrough has proactively encouraged schools to achieve specialist status as part of the Excellence in Cities strategy for collaborative working. However, despite some undoubted achievements, the LEA recognises that there is much more that can be done. In fact in providing state of the art educational facilities, the 2 Academies have only served to highlight the unacceptable and unjustifiable gap between the leading edge provision and the remainder of existing Secondary School buildings.

9. Middlesbrough’s Education vision is set out in the Middlesbrough Integrated Plan for Education 2002-07 which recognises that every Secondary school will make a contribution through;

 raising standards and fulfilling curriculum requirements especially for science, design and technology

 collaborative working, developing opportunities via the 14-19 agenda, developing new partnerships with outreach college facilities along with close links to post 16 providers.

 developing Extended Schools where provision for local Communities and Out of Hours teaching and Lifelong Learning will become the norm.

 maximising development of these new first class teaching and learning environments with a focus on the full range of needs and aspirations of youngsters

 delivering a holistic approach through the spirit of the Children’s Green Paper – Every Child Matters and the Children’s Bill. The Council is already at an advanced stage of development of its Children’s Service.

 multi agency working with partners ie promoting healthy living centres

 addressing pupil behaviour and attendance and provide fully inclusive education

 promoting up to date facilities for ICT for example via broadband and the Portal and E learning

 promoting workforce remodelling

 promoting diversity and choice D:\ModernGov\Migration\IntranetAttachments\EXECUTIVE\200501251300\Agenda\$ukrbaait.doc - 2 -  contributing to the sustainability and school transport agendas

 promoting Sport and Art via Active Middlesbrough and Schools Sport and Arts Co- ordinator and making the most of NOF PE and Sport investments

 working positively with Neighbourhood Renewal, New Deal for Communities, Single Regeneration Budget and other government EU initiatives

THE WAY FORWARD

10. The facilities will offer greater flexibility and increase community use. The opportunity will be taken to increase ICT provision across all curriculum areas.

11. The Council embraces DfES initiatives in workforce remodelling and the 14-19 agenda, we will continue to follow our strong policy of inclusion.

12. The six existing Community and VA Schools have a current school population of 5,860. By 2011 this is forecast to fall to approx 4,750 pupils and to fall to 4,530 by 2013. The challenge is to agree a strategic vision for provision to allow the effective and efficient delivery of 21st Century education to the population of Middlesbrough. The proposed Middlesbrough BSFF programme includes all of the six Community/VA Schools, all Secondary SEN provision.

13. The Middlesbrough School Organisation Plan 2003 – 08 acknowledged the strategic challenge that the LEA and providers face in addressing the issue of falling rolls and recognise the opportunities that Building Schools for the Future programme offers. This is reflected in the high priority the Authority places on addressing the issue and the development of a strategic approach. Similarly the Schools Asset Management Plan (Local Policy Statement and Statement of Priorities) also recognises the crucial role of BSFF can play in transforming Secondary provision.

14. Significant progress has continued to be made in discussing Building Schools for the Future and the future provision of Secondary/Secondary Special Education with our key partners since 19th December 2003. A number of meetings have taken place with the group of Head Teachers and Chair of Governing Bodies, RC Diocesan Trustees, The Newlands FCJ, The Society of Mary, Learning and Skills Council, FE providers, (Middlesbrough College, and St Mary’s College). Full details are provided in the Executive Report of 30th March 2004 and Report to School Orgasniation Committee of 1 April 2004. It is expected that consultation on implementation details with all of the key stakeholders will continue until the Middlesbrough BSFF strategy is agreed with DfES for implementation.

THE PROPOSAL

15. Whilst the Authority has yet to complete the detailed site specific option analysis for the proposed school provision for 2010/2011, the current proposal relates to the most radical solution which is also the most cost effective, with the reduction of the six existing secondary schools to four. Similarly the co-location siting of provision for Secondary SEN will be the subject of further detailed consideration and consultation once the siting of secondary schools has been agreed.

16. Taking all of the current proposals together the Authority recognises that the BSFF programme will involve an investment of approximately £90m at current prices. The LEA has considerable experience of procurement and Partnership working with the Council’s Building Design Services having Beacon Status in recognition of its ‘Partnering’ procurement approach and also have close links with CABE. Similarly in planning for major capital projects the Council’s Education Planning Officers worked closely as partners with the City Academy sponsors and procurement teams to successfully deliver the two City Academies. Their experience will be invaluable in dealing with Partnership for Schools.

17. Middlesbrough fully recognises the significance of Secondary School re-organisation and the importance of Capital works projects to the future aspirations and expectations of pupils D:\ModernGov\Migration\IntranetAttachments\EXECUTIVE\200501251300\Agenda\$ukrbaait.doc - 3 - and local communities. The Authority is supportive of the Government’s agenda for Transforming Secondary Education and is also well advanced and working in the spirit of the consultative Green Paper “Every Child Matters”. In recognition of the importance of the initiative the Authority is to establish an integrated ‘Children Families and Learning Department in January 2005. This will be reflected within the LEA‘s approach to the provision of a holistic approach to ‘schools places’.

18. Implementing the Middlesbrough BSFF vision Middlesbrough Executive have agreed to take forward the Strategic Vision for Secondary and Special School education based on,

A. LEA Community Schools

Three LEA maintained community secondary schools in Middlesbrough serving their current school catchment areas,

a) Acklam Grange (Capacity 1350), a new school built on the same site

b) Acklam Base (Hall Garth/King Manor – capacity 1400), a new school located at a site to be determined

c) Ormesby (capacity 750) retain school and complete major refurbishment.

B. Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic provision

A single Roman Catholic VA Secondary School (capacity 1400 11-16) serving the whole of Middlesbrough (located at a site to be determined). Proposals in respect of the age range to be covered, 11-16 or 11-19 will be subject to further discussion between Diocese, the FCJ, The Society of Mary and the Council, with up to 400 additional places for 16 – 19 provision.

C. Provision for Special Education and Special Schools

Dependant to the final secondary provision option, plans for the future provision of special education will be based on the principle of inclusion and relocation of facilities, on shared sites with secondary schools.

IN CONCLUSION

19. In conclusion the Middlesbrough LEA vision is to transform Secondary Education in Middlesbrough through implementing the BSFF programme and providing all of the pupils of Middlesbrough with 21st Century education facilities. Middlesbrough has the confidence, ability and experience to drive through the BSFF initiative as a cornerstone of its Strategic Vision for Secondary Education and has agreed a deliverable and innovative programme of change, which is supported by its key partners.

30 March 2004

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