Wood Green School Academisation Proposal June 2016

The new Trust

The Headteachers and Governors of Icknield Community College, Watlington, Matthew Arnold School, Oxford, Wood Green School, , and Chalgrove Community Primary School are proposing the creation of a new Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) for .

The four schools propose to create this trust collaboratively because we believe that by forming a MAT, we can work with like-minded people to create exactly the right balance of challenge, collaboration and autonomy that will enable our schools to flourish.

Key principles and Values

 The Trust would be based on trust with open, honest relationships between each of the partners.  By forming a MAT, rather than joining an existing MAT, we can have greater control over our own destiny; we can work with like-minded people in schools with similar ambition to ensure the best education and outcomes for all the students in our care in each of our schools.  We believe that there should be a balance of challenge, collaboration and autonomy in order to drive improvement in each school and each partner school should be able to offer both challenge to other partners and have areas of expertise to share.  We feel that it is important to maintain the individual ethos and strengths of each partner school and for governance to be fully delegated to each school.  We believe in high aspiration and high expectation for all in both learning and leading.  We want to work with other professional partners on a national scale to encourage innovation, to challenge our thinking and to ensure that we are providing the best possible education for every student.  We want to focus on personal development and preparation for adult life, as well as on better examination outcomes for all.  We want to focus on professional learning and development for both teachers and those is supporting roles to ensure that everyone had the skills to ensure the best education for all.  We will encourage and enable creative and critical thinking and be concerned with the wellbeing of everyone in the schools.  The curriculum in each of our schools should be designed to inspire and to meet the needs of the learners in each local community.  Each school will continue to serve its own community and, as such, should focus on engaging the families in its community in the life of the school Underpinning our principles are a shared set of values for the partnership:

 Trust – all partners will work honestly and in collaboration to raise aspirations and improve outcomes for all our learners  Equity – all partners are equal and will have an equal say in the development partnership as well as an equal responsibility for the success of the MAT  Opportunity – every learner, students and adults in the MAT will have the best opportunities to enable them to flourish

The Partner Schools

Icknield Community College (ICC)

ICC is an 11-16 comprehensive school in the village of Watlington, in the south-east of Oxfordshire, with approx. 620 pupils on roll. Through the leadership of the headteacher, Mat Hunter, the school has improved rapidly since 2011. The school, which previously ‘required improvement’ was rated as Good (with a number of outstanding features) by Ofsted in March 2015.

Particular strengths of the school (quotes taken from Ofsted report, March 2015)

Leadership and Management

 The headteacher provides outstanding leadership  The headteacher, leadership team and other senior leaders set very high expectations for the school. They have established an ethos that encourages and supports good behaviour, attitudes and learning  The governing body is led well and provides good support and challenge to school leaders, particularly in working with the headteacher on his many plans for the further rapid improvement of the school  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school leadership

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

 The quality of teaching is good overall and there is some that is outstanding including in mathematics, English, science, geography, physical education, textiles and citizenship  Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons which motivate students to learn  Teachers mark students’ work regularly. They use highly effective questions to assess students’ understanding and to encourage them to think deeply about their learning.

Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare

 The behaviour of students is good. They respond very well to the positive ethos in the school  Students’ attitudes to learning are very positive. They have particularly warm relationships with teachers that help them make good progress in lessons  Students respect each other and their teachers, and take great pride in their school community  There is a calmness and good sense of order in the school  Students are happy, well-mannered and courteous

Outcomes

 Rapid improvement over three years  English at KS4 is very strong (93% A*-C 2015; 92% of students making expected progress)  75% of students achieved A*-C in English and Maths in 2015 (2nd highest state school in Oxfordshire)

Mat Hunter – Headteacher, Icknield Community College

 School Intervention Leader for Oxfordshire County Council working in both Primary and Secondary Schools  Designated a Local Leader for Education  Chair of the Watlington Partnership of Schools/CLOSER (Collaborative Learning in Oxfordshire’s South East Region) Collaborative Company  Member of the OSSHTA (Oxfordshire Secondary Schools Headteachers’ Association) Coordinating Group  Member of South East Oxfordshire Learning Partnership  Elected member of ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders) National Council  Previously, Senior Vice Principal at Banbury School  Seconded to by the LA as a consultant to work at (when judged Special Measures)  Governor of a Primary School Academy

The governors of Icknield Community College have given some thought to converting to academy status for a number of years. Until now, this has not felt like the right thing to do. More recently, governors have turned their attention to the opportunities that a multi-academy trust might afford.

Governors believe that creating, rather than joining, a multi-academy trust will bring “additionality” to our school. Working with like-minded schools, in a democratic structure, we will be able to provide greater experiences for our students and staff. We will be able to provide opportunities for colleagues with similar roles across school to collaborate to enhance the quality of their work.

Working within in a multi-academy trust, we will be able to provide challenge to other schools, as well as receiving challenge from others. This is particularly important to us, given the demise of the local authority, in terms of supporting our drive for continuous improvement.

Matthew Arnold School (MAS)

MAS is an 11-18 school in the west of the City of Oxford, with approx. 1100 pupils on role. The school has been rated as good with several outstanding features consistently for the last decade. The school has continued to improve over the past years and all students progress very well in their time at the school.

The school was last inspected in 2013 and the following strengths were identified.

Leadership and Management

The school is led very well by the headteacher who, along with senior leaders and a highly effective governing body, has worked well to improve the quality of teaching and students’ achievement.

Outcomes for pupils

By the time students reach the end of Year 11, the proportion of students achieving five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C GCSE, including English and mathematics, is well above national averages. (For the 2015 cohort, students’ attainment on entry was slightly below national averages).

The proportion of students making expected progress in English and in mathematics is 80% and 82% respectively.

The school is working well to narrow the gap in attainment between those students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium and that of other students.

Outcomes for sixth form students are high. Many students gain excellent grades and move on to prestigious university destinations in a range of subjects.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Our most recent lesson observations show that the proportion of outstanding learning and teaching is continuing to increase. Outstanding teaching and learning is typified by students being given accurate and detailed feedback, both in marking and orally in lessons, and by teachers creating opportunities for students to develop their own knowledge of how they learn and give them the skills and confidence to talk about aspects of their learning that they needed to improve.

Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare

Students have positive relationships with teachers, are proud of their school and are happy with the support they receive. Students show respect to each other. They are courteous and work well in groups in lessons.

Sixth form students are positive role models within the school and make a good contribution to the school’s ethos, supporting teachers in modelling excellent behaviour and conduct.

Katherine Ryan – Headteacher of Matthew Arnold School

 Local Leader of Education (LLE) for Oxfordshire County Council and OTSA (Oxfordshire Teaching Schools Alliance) working across both Primary and Secondary Schools.  Previously School Improvement Partner (SIP).  Lead Coach for OTSA (Oxfordshire Teaching Schools Alliance) with responsibility for training and developing Headteacher Coaches to support new Headteachers on the Oxford Early Head teachers’ Programme.  Previously, Principal Adviser for Secondary School Improvement for Birmingham City Council, accountable for school improvement across the City, with a specific focus on support for schools in challenging circumstances.  Chair of OCL (Oxford City Learning), a well-established network of secondary schools, academies and the FE College working together to successfully improve the quality of 11-19 education across the City of Oxford.  Member of the OSSHTA (Oxfordshire Secondary Schools Headteachers’ Association) Coordinating Group  Governor of the Radcliffe Academy Trust, the Alternative Provision Academy including Meadowbrook College and its associated services.  Governor at Oxford Brookes University

Chalgrove Community Primary School (CCPS) CCPS is a one form entry primary school and nursery in Chalgove, a village in south- east Oxfordshire. Currently have 207 on roll. The school has significantly improved in the last five years. With declining standards the school was judged to require ‘special measures’ in February 2011. In June 2012 it was judged by HMI to be a ‘good’ school.

Particular strengths (taken from Ofsted report June 2012)

 Attainment is above average throughout the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  The quality of teaching is good.  Well-focused questioning is used to assess pupils’ understanding and regular adjustments are made to ensure continuous challenge.  Teachers use marking well to improve pupils’ work.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and their attendance is above average.  Pupils relate very positively to each other and to staff and show pride in their work. They feel safe at school and any incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively.  A challenging curriculum engages pupils of all ages and interests  The governing body is effective in fulfilling its role as a critical friend, rigorously holding the school to account for what it achieves.

Since June 2012 the whole school staff have continued to improve provision and practice. This has led to a sustained increase in standards and outcomes for children.

Julie Quarrell - Headteacher since 2003

 School Intervention Leader for Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) supporting other Primary schools  Designated a Local Leader of Education  International School Inspector (working for Tribal Group)  Previously Leading Primary Practitioner for OCC

Placed in Chalgrove Primary School as interim Headteacher by OCC in May 2011 (after the school went into special measures

The governors of Chalgrove Community Primary School have previously dismissed academy conversion, because they could not easily identify a sufficient number of potential benefits to the children or families in the school community. The opportunity to form a multi academy trust with other schools has presented a different perspective. The governors are now able to pinpoint a number of potential benefits to this type of collaborative work:

 Clear vision of benefits to equitable approach  Centralised processes and sharing of workload  Support systems  Use of shared expertise and a joint approach, economies of scale  Timing is good for us – we are in a good position as a school and governing body

A number of governors commented that they had always been philosophically against the academy idea and valued the Local Authority (LA), but LAs, particularly OCC, were diminishing and no longer able to give support to schools so there seemed no alternative and if we had to go, this seemed the way, and probably the optimum time.

Collaboration to bring about school improvement

The Headteachers have identified several areas where being in the MAT can bring about improvement, in terms of increasing opportunities for students, raising outcomes and creating professional development opportunities for staff.

Examples of opportunities for students 1. The Arts Council have awarded us a significant grant for a collaborative Arts project. This will consist of a series of opportunities in Drama, Music, Dance and Art. Parts of this project will be aimed at giving disadvantaged children opportunities for engaging in the Arts, including performance. All three schools have strong practice in the Arts for able, interested and motivated students. Collaboration will enable us to push the excellence in performance. The project will create a series of performances which will be used to mark the creation of the new MAT. 2. All the secondary schools are developing business partners who offer quality apprenticeships and work experience for 14-18 year olds. An apprenticeship event will be held for the three schools. Our geography will ensure a wider spread of business opportunities than is available for students. 3. Developing Student Leadership is an aspiration in all four schools. A ‘Developing Leadership Skills for Students’ event across the schools will give our students the opportunity to meet with a wider range of students and challenge themselves to excellence.

Examples of Raising Achievement 1. Where achievement is high in one school, the other schools will benefit. For example, ICC achieved outstanding English results in 2015. Our English department has been working with ICC this year. 2. Attendance – this is a priority for all schools, especially improving attendance for vulnerable learners. Through collaboration, we will have access to practice across a wider range of schools and we envisage drawing on national expertise in this area. Joint appointments for Attendance Staff would be possible through the MAT model. 3. Where achievement is high across all schools, we can challenge each other to be outstanding. For example, achievement in Maths is similarly strong in all schools. The schools will be challenged to achieve outstanding outcomes, through carrying out subject reviews in each school and collaborative conferences. This may well lead to opportunities for student interaction. 4. Having both primary and secondary schools in the MAT will allow us to ensure transition to secondary school is better informed.

Creating Professional Development opportunities for staff 1. Improvement Groups, covering a wide variety of aspects eg Business Managers, Heads of Dept, Attendance Leads etc will enable best practice to be shared. 2. National partners eg Oxford University, will provide access to the highest quality CPD. 3. A clear aspiration for the Trust would be to achieve Teaching School status, which brings substantial benefits to staff. Although the schools could collaborate without being in a MAT, the formal partnership brings commitment to the process and an accountability to each other that would not otherwise exist.

Things that will remain the same An important part of the ethos of the Trust would be that we would retain our individuality as a school. We would still have a governing body with similar responsibilities. They would keep the Trust Board informed of our progress as a school and decisions made by the governing body. We would also retain our uniform and school logo, although we anticipate an additional logo would be created to be used e.g. for Trust documentation.

Financial implications Other schools who have converted to academy status recently have found that financially, the impact of being in a MAT is neutral. Contrary to belief, being an academy does not bring additional funding. However, the schools are committed to identifying savings and efficiencies that can be obtained through working together.