mats facing the future routes what did this the wrath of to becoming look like in competiton laws a teacher the classroom? page 4 page 6 page 24

SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 | EDITION 116 It’s not all black and white INACCCESSIBLE EXAM PAPERS FOR COLOUR BLIND CANDIDATES.

P 13 DFE’S ‘VAGUE’ PLAN TO FIND £1.3 BILLION FREDDIE WHITTAKER plan was “vague”, but said work was underway to @FCDWHITTAKER find savings, including efforts to merge different funding pots available for school improvement. The government still hasn’t found all the savings Justine Greening announced in July that it needs to give schools the additional £1.3 billion schools would get an extra £416 million in 2018- PROGRESS 8: funding it has promised over the next two years, 19 and £884 million in 2019-20. The department the Department for Education’s top civil servant has will use £420 million from its capital budget and admitted. £280 million in savings from the free schools DELVING INTO Jonathan Slater, the DfE’s permanent secretary, programme, but it also needs to find savings from told MPs that he has yet to identify £800 million of its resource budget, totalling £250 million in 2018- THE DATA savings from his department’s resource budget and 19 and £350 million in 2019-20. central school improvement funds, almost three It will also “repurpose” £200 million of funding months after they were announced. from central school improvement funds, it said. Addressing the public accounts committee Analysis P 15-17 on Thursday, Slater accepted the department’s Continued on page 8

Looking for a technical alternative to GCSEs? V Certs are high quality technical qualifications that come with performance table recognition for your school. Visit: ncfe.org.uk/schools Call: 0191 240 8833 2 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017

Edition 116 MEET THE NEWS TEAM schoolsweek.co.uk

Laura Cath Experts McInerney Murray EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR

@MISS_MCINERNEY @CATHMURRAY_ LUKE [email protected] [email protected]

Please inform the Schools Week editor of any errors or issues of concern regarding this publication. SIBIETA

Tom Freddie Social opportunity areas Mendelsohn Whittaker action plan announced Page 18 SUB EDITOR CHIEF REPORTER

Page 10

@TOM_MENDELSOHN @FCDWHITTAKER [email protected] [email protected] JOANNE

Alix Jess CROSSLEY Robertson Staufenberg SENIOR REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER Page 18 Headteacher boards @ALIXROBERTSON4 @STAUFENBERGJ [email protected] [email protected] election results THERESA Pippa Sam Page 12 Allen-Kinross King KERR REPORTER JUNIOR REPORTER

@PIPPA_AK @KINGSAMANTHA_ [email protected] [email protected] Page 19 THE TEAM

Managing director Shane Mann Head designer: Nicky Phillips Loic TOP BLOGS Designer: Matthew Willsone Menzies Photographer: Ellis O’Brien OF THE WEEK GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Financials: Helen Neilly Sales team leader: Bridget Stockdale PROFILE Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell PA to managing director: Victoria Boyle @LKMCO Tom Ravenscroft LKMCO.ORG Page 20 Page 20

ADVERTISE WITH US JO If you are interested in placing a product or job advert BS PREMIUM JOB OPPORTUNITIES in a future edition please click on the ‘advertise’ link at THIS WEEK’S TOP AVAILABLE JOBS IN THE FE SECTOR. TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION the top of the page on schoolsweek.co.uk or contact: PLEASE TURN TO THE CENTRE OF SCHOOLS WEEK. OR VISIT THE WEB ADDRESS LISTED E: [email protected] T: 020 81234 778 SUBSCRIBE For an annual subscription to Schools Week for just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and click on ‘subscribe’ at LARKSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL – the top of the page. HEADTEACHER - LEADERSHIP SCALE L18-2 www.schoolsweek.co.uk HTTP://9NL.ES/VY2 or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe

Disclaimer Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views MAGNA ACADEMY – HEAD OF PSYCHOLOGY - expressed within the publication are those of the authors named, TLR (HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SALARY, BASED and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the information we ON EXPERIENCE provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. HTTP://9NL.ES/4GR3 The design of the printed newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you wish to reproduce an article from either the printed paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week must be referenced CLEVEDON LEARNING TRUST – DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & (to not do so, would be an infringement on copyright). OPERATIONS - SALARY TO BE NEGOTIATED DEPENDENT ON Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILL internet sites linked to. HTTP://9NL.ES/MIVB Please address any complaints to the editor. Email [email protected] with Error/Concern in the subject line. Please include the page number and story headline, and explain what the problem is. WELLSPRING ACADEMY TRUST – HEAD Schools week is proud to be a member of OF ESTATES - £42,000 - £50,000 PER ANNUM Learning & Skills Events, HTTP://9NL.ES/37XW Consultancy and Training Ltd 161-165 Greenwich High Road London SE10 8JA TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND SCHOOLS WEEK T: 020 8123 4778 PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] E: [email protected] SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 3 NEWS: WCAT The eight sponsors to take over WCAT...

ALIX ROBERTSON and Astrea Academy Trust, Which will @ALIXROBERTSON4 Exclusive accept two. Inspiring Futures, Aston Community Eight academy chains will take over the Education Trust, Brigantia Learning Trust 21 schools currently owned by Wakefield Sheffield and Exceed Learning Partnership City Academies Trust which will then close will each take one of the schools. entirely, the government announced However the DfE said it wants to hear the this week. Jenny Bexon-Smith (pictured). option before this is leaked”. views of “interested parties” on the choices At the start of September, A report written by WCAT’s However, it wasn’t until September 8 before confirming final decisions. WCAT announced it was interim chief executive this year that WCAT released a statement Four schools handed to Delta Academies voluntarily folding and Mike Ramsay for a board saying it had asked the DfE to “place [all] our Trust would make for a remarkable had asked the Department meeting in December 2016 academies with new sponsors” after a full turnaround. for Education to find new states that “The RSC’s [sic] evaluation of the organisation found it did In late 2015, Delta, formerly known as sponsors for its 21 schools. remain of the opinion not have “the capacity to facilitate the rapid SPTA, was stripped of three of its schools In response, education improvements are too improvement our academies need and our in Nottingham. At the time, officials also secretary Justine Greening late… It is clear that they will students deserve”. expressed concerns about three of its said “swift action” would be rebroker some schools. Schools Week approached WCAT but the schools in Doncaster. taken to find groups willing to A report written for a second trust declined to comment. Rebranded as Delta last year following take over. board meeting in January 2017 The eight “preferred sponsors” named on the appointment of a new chief executive However, Schools Week can exclusively includes a diagram showing plans for the Tuesday as the chains most likely to take and new directors, the group have worked reveal the trust had already been planning staggered rebrokering of 10 academies over the 21 schools are: Outwood Grange closely with Outwood Grange Academies to give up some of its schools nine months across the trust. Academies Trust, which will take eight Trust to improve capacity. before the announcement – under pressure It states that it is “crucial” that “WCAT take schools, Delta Academies Trust with four, All four of the schools they are expected to from then regional schools commissioner, ownership to deliver the RSCs preferred Tauheedul Education Trust with three, takeover are based in Doncaster. ...and the secret transfer plans £5M NORTHERN HUB FUNDING

The January 2017 report includes a diagram Questions remain over the funding that WCAT showing the 10 academies the trust received as one of the flagship “northern expected to pass on to other sponsors. The list includes Goole Academy in Hull powerhouse” groups given £530,000 by the DfE and Montagu Academy in Mexborough, a year earlier in December 2015. South Yorkshire. The grants were awarded to “drive up “It is our understanding that the financial standards” in the north and were only handed position of each academy transfers to the to “top-performing” trusts. new sponsor whether this is a surplus or In March 2017 Schools Week reported the deficit position,” the report said. “Due to a number of academies having trust had opened three schools, but walked year on year deficit position this should away from two others. At the time, the provide more financial stability moving trust said the money would be used to drive forward for WCAT. The executive are “sustainable improvement”. working on modelling, redundancy Justine Greening sidestepped questions in evaluation and professional fees, impact Parliament on the handling of the northern hub and staff retention.” By March 8, however, the situation had funding during education questions last month, escalated. Ramsay wrote in another board and instead praised the government’s “swift meeting report that “the trust should this is the route they would focus on”. academies”. action” to complete the rebrokering. rebrand”, that he would not be applying for He also quoted “the RSCs” as saying It is not known when the decision was However, the documents suggest the process “the substantive CEO post”, and that “if the that “even the best trusts in the country made to change from having 10 academies has been in planning for longer than previously RSCs had the evidence to support a breakup would find it hard to improve all [WCAT’s] rebrokered to all academies. known. HOW DO WE SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE PURDAH?

The unexpected general election earlier had produced “a significant period of general election. this year caused problems for the attempted uncertainty on behalf of employees both Pickering wrote in the report that he was restructure at Wakefield City Academy Trust corporate and academy based”. battling rife speculation regarding the future before its collapse in September, according It raises problems highlighted before by of WCAT and whether its school numbers to a report by the trust’s interim chief Schools Week, that pre-election purdah would be slimmed. executive in June. periods, which limit civil service activity, are “I have obviously been unable to confirm Chris Pickering, previously CEO at disruptive to academies. either way. This has made one-to-one Diverse Academies Trust in the east Regional schools commissioners, who meetings more challenging,” he said. Midlands, took the lead at WCAT in May Schools Week, Pickering wrote that the oversee academies – including transfers The report’s overall analysis of WCAT’s with a brief to “review, realign and rebuild” realignment process was put on hold “due to – are employed as civil servants, and are problems was damning, including the trust, in the hope of creating “sustained the lead up to the general election”. therefore hamstrung during purdah. conclusions such as “leadership and academy improvement”. He said that while the delay had not Free schools, requiring sign-off for their management of the organisation is But in a confidential report on the “prevented the reviews taking place nor buildings and land, were also told they inadequate” and “the trust is financially operation and viability of WCAT, seen by accurate conclusions being drawn”, it would have to wait in the run up to the insecure”. 4 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS REVIEW INTO TEACHERS WORKING LATER DELAYED MATs could fall foul of competition laws

PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS ALIX ROBERTSON Wakefield, are expected to go to Outwood @PIPPA_AK @ALIXROBERTSON4 Grange Academy Trust, which already runs 22 schools in the north of England. Multi-academy trusts risk being investigated Oasis Community Learning has five A second report into the implications of by the Competition and Markets Authority primary academies and three secondary teachers retiring later is expected to find that if they come to dominate their local areas, academies in Bristol, and earlier this year older teachers are capable of continuing work, Schools Week understands. won a bid to open two new secondary but may need extra support. As academy trusts continue to expand, schools in the area. The ‘Teachers working later’ review was set with some focusing on specific areas, John Murphy, its chief executive, told secondary schools that serve the area.” up in October 2014 to ensure pension age- parents’ choice may end up limited to a set of Schools Week that his trust’s academies The Harris Federation now runs 44 schools schools run by the same organisation. “intentionally work closely together”. in and around London, and insists its schools changes do not have a detrimental effect on Schools Week understands that the “Our staff share resources, best practice, are “a federation, not a chain”. the teaching workforce. However, it has been CMA can intervene if a trust’s prevalence and expertise, while we also receive training “Each academy is run and led by its head beset by delays. in an area leads to complaints, and if the together and offer career development in a unique way,” a spokesperson said. An interim report originally scheduled for problems reported match its criteria for anti- pathways,” he said. “Twenty-seven of our academies were February 2016 was not released until March competitive conduct – for example if local He added that “local and regional failing or in great difficulty before joining the this year, after it waited almost a year for competition is poor. clustering” means the trust’s pupils “benefit federation and now most are ‘outstanding’. It So far, however, the CMA website shows from improved teaching and learning”. is hard to see how that is a worse choice.” ministerial sign off. no investigations into schools. While there are benefits to schools Examples of anticompetitive activity It is unlikely that the final report – originally Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary being able to collaborate closely, parental include businesses agreeing not to compete expected last autumn – will be revealed until of the National Education Union, said the opposition to academy chain expansion has with each other, abusing their “dominant the start of 2018 at the very earliest. situation was “concerning”. been widespread. position”, or having long-term exclusive Members of the steering group confirmed “When schools run by the same trust then In May the BBC reported that councillors contracts with customers. to Schools Week that a meeting to consider adopt the same curriculum model, the same on the Isle of Wight had agreed on plans James Goffin, a spokesperson for the teaching and learning approach, the same to oust England’s largest academy chain, Inspiration Trust, which runs 14 schools a draft final report is due to take place at behavioural management policy – some Academies Enterprise Trust, from the island around Norfolk, said that in rural areas, the the end of November, but that a release is of which are contested both in the public all together, after complaints from parents academy trust in charge was not the main unlikely this year. sphere and also by parents – if you’re not in and children about the trust’s intentions to concern for parents. “The publication date is not in our hands,” tune with that then actually you have very merge two schools. “Focusing on which trust is running a said one. little choice, if any,” she said. The problem of trust dominance goes school is a bit of a red herring in many rural Another member of the group, who did not It is increasingly common for academy back several years. In December 2011,a areas, where population, geography, and trusts to run a number of schools in the same parent from Bromley wrote to the Local transport are the really important factors want to be identified, said: “We’re hoping to area, as part of a wider strategy to protect Schools Network, saying: “Parents in Penge, governing parental choice,” he said. get the report out as soon as possible but it schools from the impact of isolation. south London, who want to send their child “It also assumes that all schools in a depends on the DfE. For example, Wakefield City Academy to their local school are being effectively trust have to be carbon copies of each “The things that have come out of the Trust gave up all of its 21 schools in denied any meaningful preference since the other, which certainly isn’t the case at the work are generally positive for teachers in September and eight of these, all based in Harris Federation now runs the four main Inspiration Trust.” the sector. There’s nothing to suggest that teachers approaching 70 will be impaired in Confusion reigns over double-science pass thresholds any way or struggle more than other teachers JESS STAUFENBERG Week understands. in any way. @STAUFENBERGJ If a 5-5 is what counts as a strong pass, “We want to make sure teachers are fully Exclusive pupils just within the boundary of a 5 won’t supported, however old they are and however Science teachers need clarification on what count as having one. However, Blow, a long they want to stay in their career. counts as a “strong” and a “standard” pass in headteacher, pointed out that the EBacc the combined science GCSE because they will move to an average point score in 2018, “We don’t think that people in their 60s can’t cannot predict outcomes, policy experts which is when the new combined science do the job, but we recognise there could be have claimed. exam will be sat by pupils. additional flexibilities to make sure teachers Pupils taking the double-award combined “Why don’t we have a 4 or a 5, and then As such, the strong/standard pass are supported as fully as possible. When science GCSE will get two numbered grades, we know where we are?” he asked, pointing boundary will not matter in terms of EBacc people say ‘flexibility’, you tend to think of such as a 5-4, rather than just one, when out that schools should try to put the issue measures, he said. part time working, but we want to look at they sit their papers in 2018. of where the exact boundary might fall “into The system also allows for a more accurate This is to reflect the fact the combined perspective” and concentrate on teaching to Progress 8 measurement, he said, “because things around job sharing or part time classes science should count as two subjects rather the best of their ability instead. it differentiates between pupils to a greater or extra support as well. But we realise other than three. Anne Heavey, a policy advisor at the degree”. pressures on the sector might make this Individual numbers will not relate to any National Education Union, guessed the When Schools Week approached Ofqual, difficult.” particular paper, but the system is meant to strong pass would be a 5-5, but said that a spokesperson directed us to a document It was the second of 14 expert groups sent “more accurately” differentiate marks across school leaders needed “absolutely clarity” on on changes to GCSE science, in which the up by the coalition government in the run-up a 17-point grading system, rather than just the matter. regulator said it “understands the concerns nine, according to Ofqual. “Science leaders and heads should about the possible complexity of a 17-point to the 2015 general election. But while the broader range of marks is probably work towards the assumption that grading scale”. It is the only expert group yet to report its fairer in terms of differentiating between a strong pass is two 5s,” she said. “But at the However “it is important that the grades findings. Last month the Rochford Review on pupils’ progress, according to the ASCL’s moment teachers are flying blind.” for combined science reflect the fact that it is assessment of pupils with special educational David Blow, schools and unions are unclear Science teachers on Twitter have also a double-award GCSE”, it added. needs was finally published. about what counts as a strong or standard expressed worry EBacc pass rates could be To award two numbers that are the same – Members to the working long review group pass – that is, whether a strong pass is affected, placing heads of department under such as 3-3, then 4-4, 5-5 and so on – would represented by a 5-4 or a 5-5, and a standard yet more pressure, if pupils who would have mean pupils “gain or lose two whole grades are hopeful their recommendations will be pass by a 5-4 or a 4-4. been within the 5 boundary in other subjects at each grade boundary”. implemented by the government and other Richard Needham, chair of trustees at do not count as having a strong pass in “We think a system that changes only one stakeholders. the Association for Science Education, said combined science. grade at each grade boundary is fairer,” it The Department for Education was the lack of clarity was causing teachers “a Under the current system, a pupil who concluded. approached for comment. lot of anxiety” because many senior leaders moves into the 5 boundary by a few marks Schools Week has approached the were still insisting they predict the grades of will get a 5-4. Those who are in the upper Department for Education to confirm which pupils. half of the 5 boundary get a 5-5, Schools numbers count as which. ONE DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE 29TH NOVEMBER 2017, LONDON

Establishing or Joining Multi-Academy Trusts Legal support, practical strategies and unbiased advice to support and guide your decision to join or form a Multi-Academy Trust oego.co/estabMATs

Expert speakers include: Dr Tim Coulson Chief Executive, Samuel Ward Academy Trust & former Regional Schools Commissioner Clare Collins MBE Head of Consultancy, National Governance Association Nick Mackenzie Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP Karen Burns Chief Executive, Carillion Academies Trust

KEY BENEFITS

LEGAL SUPPORT UNBIASED ADVICE PRACTICAL GUIDANCE Remain legally compliant Take part in The MATs Processes, pitfalls and when joining or Debate and understand the step-by-step guides to forming a MAT pros and cons support your journey

In partnership with:

1911 - Establishing MATs Full Page Ad.indd 1 11/10/2017 16:41 6 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS: Apprenticeships Teacher apprenticeships are go

FREDDIE WHITTAKER their first term of full-time work. This could very exciting.” @FCDWHITTAKER involve an interview or lesson observation. Carter’s excitement, Exclusive In order to get onto the apprenticeship, however, is not shared by The government has officially rubber- trainees will already need a degree, and will the National Education stamped proposals for a new apprenticeship still have to pass the QTS skills test before Union. The 450,000-member for teachers, Schools Week can reveal. they start, as they currently do on other teaching union is concerned The Institute for Apprenticeships this routes. about the impact the scheme week confirmed the “standard” for teacher It is the first teacher apprenticeship to be will have on workload, pay apprenticeships – which sets out the approved by the government, and follows and conditions, and is due content of the course – has been approved. the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. to meet the DfE about the It means that the new apprenticeship, Under the levy, schools with a payroll of proposal shortly. developed by a group of schools and over £3 million have to pay into the levy pot, Kevin Courtney, the NEU’s pioneered by teacher training tsar Sir and can then use funds from it to train their joint general secretary, said Andrew Carter, is now only awaiting its staff. the scheme “may be the straw “funding band allocation” before it can Further details will not be announced that breaks the back” of an be delivered. The first set of apprentice until the funding band – the maximum “already overburdened, off- teachers will start next September. amount schools will have to pay for the putting and complex initial The new route into teaching is an training – is confirmed. teacher training system”. apprenticeship at level six, that is Carter has hailed the standard’s approval “This is being driven by undergraduate level, but it will only be open as “a step-change in teacher education”. schools’ need to recoup the to existing graduates. “We now recognise that schools sit at the imposed apprenticeship According to Carter, the apprenticeship heart of teacher training,” he told Schools levy funding rather than will last for four school terms, starting in Week. “No doubt it will be adapted into all any evidence that this route September each year. Trainees will achieve sorts of different routes, especially as we would provide sufficient qualified teacher status during the third move into the possibility of enhanced QTS. numbers of high-quality Sir Andrew Carter term, and will complete their end-point If every school trained someone, we would teachers that the system assessment for the apprenticeship in the have more than half of the new teachers we needs, a potentially expensive experiment “The teacher apprenticeship has been first term of their NQT year. need. If every school trained two people we for our schools, teachers and their pupils. approved but is awaiting final funding The assessment process for QTS will be would have a surplus of teachers. “We will be speaking to the department on band allocation from DfE before it can be the same as it is on other routes like School “People say there are a lot of routes, and both the structure and the implementation delivered,” said a spokesperson for the Direct, and continuing into the NQT year it’s challenging. I don’t share that view. of this proposal as well as looking closely at Institute for Apprenticeships. will depend on achieving it. I think there are lots of routes so lots of how teachers will be financially rewarded “We anticipate delivery of the training Trainees will then be assessed during different people can become teachers. It is and the impact on workload.” from September 2018.”

TEACHING APPRENTICES COULD ‘EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE’ WILL BECOME NICE LITTLE EARNERS BE ONE OF THE FIRST T-LEVELS

The new teacher apprentice standard providers will not have a say in how their Education and childcare will be one of technical education ladder reaches every means some schools and academy apprentices are assessed. End-point the first of the new post-16 routes into bit as high as the academic one, I want trusts will effectively be allowed to pay assessment is independent and has to technical education, the Department for to see T-levels that are as rigorous and themselves to train their own teachers – be delivered in such a way that neither Education revealed on Wednesday. respected as A-Levels,” she said. and may even make money in the process trainer nor employer can make any The T-level qualifications are being The government first announced –under current rules. decision about the trainee’s competence. developed by industry professionals T-levels in 2016, pledging £500 million Usually when recruiting apprentices, Kevin Courtney, from the National and will be offered as two-year college every year for young people to study employers have to choose a provider to Education Union, has warned that there courses or as apprenticeships from 2020. a technical qualification at level three, run their off-the-job training. They can are still “niggling questions” about who Three of the routes will begin in which is equivalent to A-levels. pay another organisation to do it, or they will assess and award the qualifications. 2020 – education and childcare, digital The decision to introduce T-levels can carry out the training themselves, The new standard also paves the industries, and construction – with a came after an independent panel on providing they are approved by the way for new degree apprenticeships in further 12 on offer by 2022. technical education, chaired by Lord government to do so. teaching to launch next September. Organisations approved to deliver Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds Each of the qualifications includes Sainsbury, found in 2016 that the apprenticeship training are listed on the Trinity University and the University a minimum of nine weeks spent on a existing system of work-based training government’s register of apprenticeship of Hertfordshire have been granted practical placement so that students was too complicated and included too training providers. Several schools and government funding to deliver the can apply their learning in a workplace many qualifications. trusts have already made the list, and courses, which offer trainees the chance environment. However, the new T-levels will not more are expected to sign up in the future to gain an academic qualification as well The education and childcare pathway replace general vocational qualifications, in a bid to use their levy funding. as QTS. to roles such as nursery assistant, early- such as BTECs, and will instead be Under the levy funding system, a Now that the standard has been years officer, teaching assistant and offered alongside them. school approved to run its own training approved, all three universities say they youth worker. Responding to the launch, Lord will effectively be repaid some of the will aim to launch their courses in 2018. Justine Greening said the launch Sainsbury said: “I am delighted the money it pays in each year. They will initially only offer degree was part of “transforming technical government is pressing ahead with these And depending on how many apprenticeships at level six, equivalent education in this country”, to help essential reforms to technical education.” apprentices they train, some schools to a bachelor’s degree, but Hertfordshire could even get back more money than was at one point asked to develop a level provide young people with “the An action plan explaining how they put in, as providers are allowed to seven qualification, which is equivalent to world-class skills and knowledge that T-levels will be developed and delivered charge more than the cost of delivery. a master’s. employers need”. is available on the .gov.uk website. However, schools set up as training “As part of making sure that the SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 7

The advent of teacher apprenticeships is expected to open new routes into the teaching The future of profession, both for existing graduates and non-graduates. Here, we look at the different Teacher apprenticeships are go teacher training routes available, and the differences between them…

GRADUATE NON-GRADUATE

LEVEL SIX APPRENTICESHIP DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP (FOUR TERMS) (PROBABLY MINIMUM FOUR YEARS)

£ £ Paid £ £ Paid 4 Four work days + one off-site 4 Four work days + one off-site QTS QTS No PGCE Degree STILL IN DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL DIRECT (ONE YEAR)

BACHELORS OF EDUCATION Sometimes paid £? £ (THREE YEARS) 4 No standard timetable QTS Not paid Possibility of a PGCE £ 4 Placements

SCITT (ONE YEAR) QTS Degree £? £ Sometimes paid 4 No standard timetable QTS Possibility of a PGCE the unanswered questions TEACH FIRST (TWO YEARS)

WILL IT AFFECT TEACHERS’ PAY AND CONDITIONS? Paid £ £ Unions and others are concerned about pay. Apprentices in their first 5 Five work days year can be paid less than other employees because their minimum QTS wage is just £3.50. PGDE There are also questions about whether apprentice teachers will have the same rights as their counterparts, and whether they will be TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITY “PGCE” guaranteed a job at the end of their course (most apprentices are not). (ONE YEAR)

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE LEVEL SEVEN £ Not paid APPRENTICESHIP? 5 Placements Some providers have mooted the idea of a teaching apprenticeship at QTS level seven, equivalent to a master’s degree. However, until a standard PGCE/PGDE for such a course is approved by the government, those providers will have to stick to level six. NOW TEACH (TWO YEARS) The government says it is not aware of any other teacher apprenticeship standards in development, so it may be some time £ £ Paid before we see apprenticeships for “master teachers” come to fruition. 5 Four work days There are other questions about this route. Will it lead on directly QTS from a level six, enabling schools to pay certain apprentices the £3.50 PGCE minimum for longer? Will it grant some kind of “enhanced QTS”? It is thought these details won’t be confirmed until the government’s *Nerd box: Other routes do exist but these were the reforms to QTS are announced. most useful comparisons. 8 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS Spielman: Schools teach too much to league tables

FREDDIE WHITTAKER In March, Spielman said that conflicts @FCDWHITTAKER had emerged between heads’ desire to give pupils the right education, and to improve The curriculum at both primary and their league table position. secondary schools is narrowing in a “We know that there are some schools manner that Ofsted has warned risks that are narrowing the curriculum, using damaging pupils’ futures. qualifications inappropriately, and moving Primary schools are placing “too out pupils who would drag down results,” great a focus” on preparing for SATs, an she said. “That is nothing short of a scandal.” investigation published Wednesday found. However, headteacher Liam Collins The watchdog also criticised the way wrote in Schools Week in August that some secondary schools are shortening school leaders are struggling to meet the key stage 3 to focus on GCSEs, meaning conflicting demands of test scores and a some pupils do not get to study history, broad curriculum. geography or a language after the age of 13. “Should a school aim for great outcomes Ofsted first announced it would review the curriculum as a “deliberate choice”. headteachers thought that too much of on the Ebacc by focusing on a narrow the school curriculum back in March in However, for some schools, testing what trainee teachers currently learn is curriculum that is suited to the intake, response to allegations that schools were has come “inadvertently to mean the focused on teaching to the English and and risk a poor Ofsted report?” he asked. “gaming” the subjects they offered in order curriculum in its entirety”. mathematics tests.” “Or opt for a wider curriculum and poorer to improve league table results. This seems to have deterred lower- Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the outcomes, and face the RSC breathing down Extensive investigations by Schools Week attaining pupils from taking EBacc subjects Association of School and College Leaders, its neck instead?” had revealed some school leaders were at secondary school, while at primary said it was “hardly surprising” that schools Spielman insisted the review had being urged to enter vulnerable pupils into level, teachers have tended to focus on focus intensely on KS2 tests and GCSEs, “as revealed “the depth of the challenge” on the a qualification that could be “taught in three English and maths to the detriment of other that’s how their performance is measured”. curriculum and that school leaders need days”, but which was worth the equivalent subjects. “If Ofsted wants them to focus less on to recognise “how easy it is to focus on the of a GCSE. The review has also identified problems these assessments, we would suggest it performance of the school and lose sight of Preliminary findings reveal a “lack of with finding staff able to help schools lobbies the government for a change to the the pupil”. shared understanding” among schools of develop the curriculum, as this aspect accountability system rather than criticising She did, however, acknowledge that what the curriculum requires, and a “lack of teacher training fell away after the schools,” he said. Ofsted inspections “may well have helped to of clarity” around the language used to introduction of the national curriculum. The first phase of Ofsted’s review included tip this balance in the past”. describe it. “Primary school leaders reported research visits to 40 schools, a review of “Ofsted has a role in judging how well Chief inspector Amanda Spielman that recruiting staff who could design a inspection reports and five regional focus schools reflect the government’s intentions (pictured) said it was “unlikely” that curriculum was becoming increasingly groups with heads. Parent questionnaires and don’t distort the aims that have been any school had prioritised testing over difficult,” Spielman warned. “Some and school websites were also considered. set,” she said.

OMBUDSMAN CLAMPS DOWN ON FOSTER DfE still doesn’t know where to find £1.3bn schools funding TRANSPORT CHARGES FREDDIE WHITTAKER CONTINUED Foster families around the country are being @FCDWHITTAKER FROM FRONT forced to pay for what should be free school This morning, Slater was grilled by Liberal transport – but councils will now be warned Democrat education spokesperson Layla against the practice. Moran, who called the proposal “really The local government and social care vague stuff”. ombudsman (LGO) recently discovered He said she was “absolutely right” in Warwickshire County Council had told foster the way she described the proposals, but carers to pay for transport out of their claimed the DfE was “cracking on”. fostering allowance when children attended “That is a plan that we are constructing at schools beyond the statutory walking distance, the moment,” he said. “When a government even though they should have been entitled to announces it is going to spend £1.3 billion, free travel. some of it you can find straight away, some LGO Michael King said he knows of “a of it you have to look further for.” number” of other councils charging the same The education secretary had tasked and will be urging them to review the policy. officials with looking at “all of the separate Children whose foster families had to pay pots of funding” that schools can bid to for were being treated differently to children support with improvement, Slater said. living with their birth families and getting “The challenge that we’ve been set, which free transport. He said carers should not be I think is absolutely deliverable, and frankly “penalised” for trying to maintain stability by I think will be appreciated by schools on the transactions”. the spending decisions of individual keeping children in the schools they are used receiving end, is rather than being a whole When asked about one instance in schools. to. series of pots and funding regimes, each which around £400,000 was written off Slater said it was “not efficient” for schools “I would now urge others to check their with their own bidding processes, can we after a free school paid it to a company to simply cut subjects like geography, as policies as a matter of urgency to ensure they simplify that region by region, and in doing that subsequently closed down, Lauener was suggested in one example by MPs. But so, take out a saving?” he said. admitted his organisation could not prevent he denied the government was meddling in are treating fosters carers, and the children Slater appeared in front of the committee all such incidents. how heads run schools. they look after, fairly when it comes to school alongside Peter Lauener, the outgoing “No system can prevent all abuse,” he “We obviously don’t want to manage the transport,” he added. boss of the Education and Skills Funding said. “But in perspective, it’s a very small schools from Whitehall, or even from the A spokesman for Warwickshire Council said Agency, to answer questions about the DfE’s proportion of the total.” regional offices,” he said. “We would want it was “never our intention to put any foster accounts for 2016-17. According to Lauener, cash losses by them to offer a rich curriculum, but equally, children at a disadvantage”. They were grilled on academy spending, individual schools totalled around £1.1 we would need to have an intelligent He said the council accepts the LGO’s findings and in particular, payments made to million in 2016-17. conversation with the headteacher about and is now reimbursing carers and “taking private companies with links to schools Questions also focused on whether the what was the right thing to do in the appropriate steps to review its policy”. and their leaders, known as “related-party government was able to effectively monitor circumstances.” Investigative, informative and intelligent award winning journalism for the schools and education sector. YOUR ACCESS TO AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE EDUCATION JOURNALISM FROM AS LITTLE AS 80P A WEEK.

from

Subscribe today 80p per week

· Keep abreast of the latest news, reported PRINT AND DIGITAL £50 fairly and in depth PER ANNUM · See the bigger picture as we question DIGITAL ONLY £30 authority and uncover the truth PER ANNUM · Keep informed with expert contributors from every area of the sector Available on: · Indulge in exclusive subscriber offers

VISIT SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK/SUBSCRIBE OR EMAIL [email protected] 10 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS (SOCIAL) OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: GREENING’S ACTION PLANS ANNOUNCED

JUDE BURKE & FREDDIE WHITTAKER of where they are growing up,” she said. @SCHOOLSWEEK Investigates The programme, worth £72 million, aims to improve social mobility and PA/WIRE ndependent partnership boards young people’s life opportunities in have been set up to boost children’s the 12 areas which are all ranked as Iattainment in six of the government’s “cold spots” in the government’s social “opportunity areas”, and each has an mobility index. action plan to help improve schools, The plans unveiled today outline under plans announced this week by how schools will benefit from the Justine Greening. opportunity areas funding. Children in the six areas – Blackpool, The government has also set out Derby, North Yorkshire, Norwich, Oldham how major employers, including and West Somerset – will also be given EDF Energy, GCHQ, Barclays, Lloyds at least four “encounters” with the world Banking Group, Burberry and Rolls of work via partnerships with local Royce, will provide young people in employers. these areas with work experience The Education Endowment Foundation opportunities. The Careers and will also support schools in the areas by Enterprise Company will lead the sharing best teaching practice, while the programme. National Citizen Service will develop a Beyond the EEF and National programme of personal development and Citizen Service support, an additional volunteering in each area. £22 million will also be available Proposals for the first six opportunity for Essential Life Skills programme areas were first announced at last year’s funding. It will be shared between all 12 Conservative Party conference. of the opportunity areas. A further six areas – Bradford, Jim Whittaker, a member of the West Doncaster, Fenland and East Somerset opportunity area partnership Cambridgeshire, Hastings, Ipswich, and board and managing director of Stoke-on-Trent – were added in January, Channel Training, said the plan for his and additional plans should be published area “represents a unique and exciting by the end of the year. move to make a lasting change in our Greening has said that she wants community”. children living in the areas to “have access “The work done, and relationships to a world-class education”. built, during the project will be making “For too long, young people in these a positive difference here for many areas have been at a disadvantage because years to come,” he said. Justine Greening

BLACKPOOL DERBY

The chair of the Blackpool opportunity area Professor Kathryn Mitchell is chair of the Derby partnership board is Graham Cowley, who opportunity area partnership board. She is the works for Aldridge Education, a multi-academy vice-chancellor of the University of Derby. trust. Mitchell is a psychologist and the former deputy A former executive director of Capita, Cowley vice-chancellor of the University of West London. is also chair of UTC@MediaCityUK and a “We want Derby to become a centre of director of the Lancashire local enterprise excellence for education and employment in partnership. science, technology, engineering, arts and He says the plan for his area will deliver “a mathematics,” she said. significant and lasting impact” between 2017 and 2020. Priorities for schools in Derby • Improve teaching and attainment through Priorities for schools in Blackpool research: Wyndham Primary Academy, • Leadership and governance improvement: school, St Mary’s Catholic Academy, will the local research school, will be funded to national professional qualifications to be support others using the “best available widen access to research findings. fully funded for local teachers. Tauheedul evidence and research”. • Tailored school improvement support: the Teaching School to lead on strategic school • Strengthen collegial working: via a new DfE, Derby City Council, teaching schools improvement. secondary heads group. and school leaders, will create school- • Maths teaching: a local maths hub will be • Improve transition: awaiting proposals. specific plans. built and might extend support to post-16 • Maths teaching: embed maths mastery providers. in primary schools supported by the local • English outcomes: Ruth Miskin maths hub. Support for secondary schools programmes fully funded in “up to six and further education colleges will also be schools”. developed. • Improve STEM teaching: projects will be • Leadership development: TLIF programmes run by STEM Learning and the Institute of will run in schools. More than 100 teachers Phsyics. can take new national professional • Improve MFL teaching: the British Council qualifications for free. Numbers of locally- will do this, but it doesn’t say how. based national leaders of education will be • Improve teaching overall: a new research increased. Graham Crowley Kathryn Mitchell SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 11

(SOCIAL) OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: GREENING’S ACTION PLANS ANNOUNCED

NORTH YORKSHIRE NORWICH COAST Sir Martin Narey, a former adviser to Michael The former regional schools commissioner for Gove, chairs North Yorkshire’s partnership board. the east of England, Dr Tim Coulson, will chair Narey is a former director general of the prisons the Norwich partnership board. service and ran the children’s charity Barnardo’s Now chief executive of the Samuel Ward until 2011. Last year he authored an influential Academy Trust, Coulson’s vision for the region report on the state of children’s residential care is to create a system where “no child is left in England. behind”. He is “proud of the ambition” in the plan, “We know that by working together with local which will “focus on things we know will and national stakeholders who share our vision, make a difference, because they have done so we can truly make a difference over the next elsewhere”. three years,” he said.

Priorities for schools on the North Yorkshire Priorities for schools in Norwich coast academy trusts to access leadership • Language development: new language to help raise progress in maths among • Maths teaching: a new maths centre, support, securing “strong” sponsors for development training for teachers in five to girls at nine primary schools, attainment supported by the local maths hub and two ‘inadequate’ secondary schools, a seven schools. at key stages 3 and 4 in four secondary research school, will be identified. The local “comprehensive CPD offer” and SSIF • Maths teaching: the local maths hub will schools, and reading comprehension for maths hub project will be extended. Every spending. develop “a range of training” for teachers in disadvantaged pupils at key stage 2 at three school will be encouraged to run two training • Academic resilience: a review of whether “all Norwich schools”. primaries. events. There will be a project to assess the a successful resilience project in primary • Literacy teaching: Ruth Miskin Training will • Research: Notre Dame High School has themes emerging from SATs results. schools can be expanded to secondary level. provide in-school support. become a research school and will run • Literacy: a new literacy campaign and hub will • Parental engagement: secondary schools will • STEM teaching: STEM Learning’s “aspire to events, provide training and CPD. New “nurture a love of reading”. Work to improve be supported to commission evidence-based STEM” programme will be delivered in some Norwich evidence-based practice fund to be support for teachers will be commissioned. approaches to parent schools. launched for schools • Phonics: up to five primary schools will get a engagement. • Professional development: leaders in and colleges to “significant training package. • SEND: training will be primary schools will receive CPD. implement evidence- • Secondary school improvement: a plan will provided for six SEND • Physics teaching: Support from the Institute based approaches. be drawn up with the help of schools, the reviewers, and a SEND of Physics for specialist and non-specialist local authority and the regional schools regional leader will be teachers. commissioner. This will include help for appointed. • School improvement: SSIF-funded projects Martin Narey Tim Coulson

OLDHAM WEST SOMERSET

James Kempton, a former council leader who Dr Fiona McMillan, the former principal of sits on the board of Ofsted and is clerk to the Bridgwater College, has been appointed to chair College of Teaching, is the chair of the Oldham West Somerset’s partnership board. partnership board. McMillan retired in 2011 having led the college Kempton, a Liberal Democrat politician who since 1994. She is also a former president of the led Islington Council in the late 2000s, says Association of Colleges. young people growing up in Oldham “find it much “Our vision is to create a culture where harder” to achieve their life ambitions. all children in West Somerset have the best “The opportunity area – working through the opportunities to learn, achieve and gain partnership board – is a promise, made by worthwhile and progressive employment,” she national and local government, education leaders said. and teachers, voluntary organisations and employers, to make change happen,” he said. Priorities for schools in West Somerset • Phonics: “whole-school” training from Ruth • Maths teaching: intervention to improve • Leadership: funding for at least eight leaders Priorities for schools in Oldham Miskin, to be delivered over two years. attainment at key stages 1, 2 and 3, drawing to take national professional qualifications, • School readiness: Making it REAL, a National • STEM teaching: support from STEM Learning on the local maths hub’s resources. The as well as efforts to identify heads, governors Children’s Bureau programme aimed at and the Institute of Physics, targeted at board will support a SSIF bid to improve and schools with the potential to become increasing early literacy, will be scaled up schools rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires maths in at least six schools. national leaders of education, national and extended to include maths. improvement’. • Literacy teaching: specialist phonics leaders of governance and teaching schools. • Leadership: national professional • Mental health: impact and needs expertise, linking to development of practice • STEM teaching: a TLIF-funded programme qualifications will be funded for up to 150 assessment, in the early years. TLIF-funded CPD in to offer CPD in STEM subjects. participants in the first year. There will be plus baseline phonics. A review of phonics through the • Research: the Blue School in Wells is to training and support from Teach First for data, to be Somerset Literacy Network. become a research senior leadership teams, coaching and complete • Improve transitions: Somerset County school. training for primary school leaders, and by the end Council will initially lead coordination • Teach First: West access to programmes and qualifications of 2018. between schools. Somerset to be from the Institute for Teaching. Schools will be • SEND: a local consortium will help schools prioritised in • Governance: support from the “inspiring supported to review their own practice and learn from future rounds of governance” service, which links volunteers develop mental others. Training for six SEND reviewers, and recruitment. with schools. health plans. appointment of a SEND regional leader. James Kempton Fiona McMillan 12 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS SCHOOLS MEET MORE GIBB BLASTED ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS CAREERS BENCHMARKS JESS STAUFENBERG Schools are falling short of government- some headteachers flummoxed,” she the “different gender issues” that can be @STAUFENBERGJ endorsed standards for good careers advice, said. In particular, she raised concerns prevalent when dealing with such abuse. despite a slight improvement in recent years, that perpetrators are not prevented from These could include “girls being sexually new research has found. School guidance on harassment is to be entering the same classrooms as their touched/assaulted or boys being subject to Of 578 schools asked to rate their reviewed again, Nick Gibb (pictured) has victims under the current guidance. initiation/hazing type violence”. performance against eight benchmarks for said, after he came under heavy fire for a Labour MP Jess Phillips said the Harassment is mentioned just once. good careers provision, just 0.5 per cent “lack of action” since the problem was raised separation of victims and perpetrators had Meanwhile, the government’s ‘Preventing managed to achieve all eight in 2016-17. by MPs a year ago. underpinned sexual harassment legislation and tackling bullying’ guidance only refers More than a fifth of schools did not meet The schools minister told a meeting of the “for the last 30 years” and should be to sexual harassment in a list of contacts who any of the benchmarks at all, according to the Commons women and equalities committee specifically outlined in guidance to schools. may be able to support with the problem. Careers and Enterprise Company. on Wednesday that interim advice for She also said the committee had seen Phillips accused the government of simply Although the benchmarks are not official schools concerning peer-on-peer abuse a letter from the DfE to a solicitor which “including the word sexual harassment” and accountability measures, they were set out would be published this term. claimed new statutory guidance on the issue giving schools a few charities with which in the Gatsby Foundation’s 2014 Good Career A report by the committee last year will only come into force in September 2018. they could talk. Guidance report, and received government recommended schools be forced to “Do you think it’s acceptable to the girls or Gibb argued that schools found to be backing at the time. develop a specific policy for tackling sexual the schools that two years will have passed failing on safeguarding would likely be To meet all eight benchmarks, schools must harassment and to collect data on incidents, for this guidance to come into force, when placed into special measures, but was unable have a “stable careers programme” which but the government refused to change the we called for immediate action?” she asked. to say how many schools had been rated addresses the needs of each pupil and links rules. Gibb said the general election ‘inadequate’ specifically due to issues curriculum learning to careers. They must The report found that 29 per cent of year had contributed to the delay, relating to sexual harassment. also give pupils encounters with employers, 12 and 13 girls had experienced “unwanted and claimed the government’s He claimed moves to make employees, workplaces, further and higher touching” in school. “Keeping children safe in relationships education compulsory education, and personal guidance, in order to Almost 60 per cent of girls aged 14 to education” guidance had been for all schools showed the fully comply with the measures. 21 in 2014 had faced some sort of sexual updated with references to government’s “commitment” to In 2014, no school achieved more than five of harassment while at school or college. sexual harassment, and would tackling the problem of sexual the benchmarks. Now, however 2.8 per cent In the meeting on Wednesday, committee be updated again in November. abuse in schools. managed the feat. members blasted Gibb for failing to take The clearest reference to peer- “I understand the education wheels The proportion of schools meeting half of the significant action since the report was to-peer sexual abuse in the move slowly, but we are talking about benchmarks has also increased, from six per released. guidance relates to children being abused in schools cent in 2014 to 16 per cent last year. Maria Miller, the Conservative chair of the the need for on our watch,” Miller told Some benchmarks are harder to achieve than committee, said she and her colleagues were governors to Gibb. “That just hasn’t others. Just 4.2 per cent of schools met the “perplexed” about why the Department for ensure child changed quickly enough requirement for a stable careers programme, Education wasn’t displaying “more urgency” protection from what we’re while 45.9 per cent offered personal guidance on sexual abuse of pupils by other pupils. policy hearing.” to pupils. “The lack of protocol seems to be leaving reflects HEADTEACHER BOARDS: THE RESULTS The 32 school leaders elected to advise England’s eight regional schools commissioners

NORTH OF ENGLAND LANCASHIRE AND WEST EAST MIDLANDS AND WEST MIDLANDS YORKSHORE THE HUMBER

ELECTED ELECTED ELECTED ELECTED Zoe Carr Julie Bradley Peter Bell (Community Dame Mo Brennan (WISE Academies) (Tauheedul Education Inclusive Trust) (Matrix Academy Trust) Chris Clarke Trust) Anne Martin (QEGSMAT) Mike Donoghue (John (Lunesdale Learning Karen Bramwell Roisin Paul (Chorus Taylor MAT) Trust) (Forward As One Education Trust) Sinead Smith (Holy Nick Hurn Church of England Multi Paul Stone (Discovery Spirit Catholic Multi (Trinity Catholic Trust) Academy Trust) Schools Academy Trust) Academy) RSC: Lesley Powell RSC: Royston Halford (The RSC: RSC: Margaret Yates Janet Renou (North East Learning Vicky Beer Rowan Learning Trust) John Christine (All Saints Catholic Trust) Duncan Jacques Edwards Quinn Collegiate) (Exceed Academies Trust)

SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND NORTH-EAST LONDON AND NORTH-WEST LONDON AND SOUTH LONDON AND SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND SOUTH-CENTRAL ENGLAND SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND

ELECTED ELECTED ELECTED ELECTED Sally Apps (Cabot Brian Conway (St. John Sarah Bennett Sir Andrew Carter Learning Federation) the Baptist Catholic (Inspiring Futures (South Farnham Suzanne Flack (The MAT) Through Learning) Educational Trust) Redstart Learning Caroline Derbyshire Dame Sue Bourne Jon Chaloner (GLF Partnership) (Saffron Academy Trust) (Retired from The Schools) Paul Jones (Retired Karen Kerridge (Benflet Avenue School – Special Paula Farrow (Nexus from First Federation Schools Trust) Needs Academy Trust) Education Schools RSC: Trust Academy) RSC: Nardeep Sharma RSC: Tom Rees RSC: Trust) Lisa Mannall Steve Savory Sue Baldwin (Thrive Partnership Martin Post (Northampton Primary Dominic Justin Smith (The (Gloucestershire Academy Trust) Academy Trust) Herrington Primary First Trust) Learning Alliance) Claire Robins (Sir John Lawes Academies Trust) SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 13 NEWS Ofqual ‘refusing to engage’ on colour blindness

ALIX ROBERTSON @ALIXROBERTSON4 Following a week of correspondence with us, an Ofqual spokesperson acknowledged Exam boards are producing scripts for meeting with Colour Blindness Awareness GCSEs and A-levels that rely on coloured earlier in the year and said it was “aware of diagrams to convey information to their concerns”. candidates, even though this will make the “Our regulations are clear that awarding content inaccessible for colourblind pupils. organisations are required to minimise bias Colour vision deficiency (CVD) on average in assessment,” a spokesperson said. affects more than one child in every UK “We are not aware of any substantive classroom – one in 12 boys and one in 200 concerns that arose during this summer’s The May 2017 OCR GCSE geography exam paper The same map seen through deuteranopia girls – but exam boards continue to use exams but will continue to monitor the colours to explain details required to answer situation. “Every day in my classroom I have to ask an invigilator explain any colours, or print questions in subjects such as geography. “We have also invited Kathryn Albany- for clarification from my students regarding exam papers on coloured paper,” he said. Schools Week has seen copies of GCSE Ward to meet our Access Consultation a map or graphic,” he said. “What do students “Schools and colleges should know about and A-level exam papers which incorporate Forum to discuss the issues.” do if they are shy? What if they don’t even these options, for which they don’t even this type of content, produced by Edexcel Ben King, a secondary school geography know about their hidden disability? Many need permission from exam boards.” (owned by Pearson), AQA, and OCR - with teacher in Devon who is himself will just think that they are ‘stupid’.” But Albany-Ward believes these some dated as recently as this summer. colourblind, told Schools Week he that sees Children have not been screened for arrangements are inadequate. According to Kathryn Albany-Ward, “a couple of examples each year” of exam colour blindness in schools since 2009, “The Department for Education has tried founder and director of Colour Blind scripts that are “totally inaccessible” to meaning many go undiagnosed. Research to put the onus for seeking and supporting Awareness, the papers are simply “not colour-blind pupils. by Colour Blind Awareness has shown that CVD pupils onto schools but has not suitable for colour blind people”, and she “I have seen inappropriate use of colour 80 per cent of year 7 pupils have never ensured that schools are aware of the issues raised the issue with the exams regulator combinations to show patterns on maps and been screened for CVD. At least 50 per cent nor that they are equipped to deal with Ofqual in April. graphs, where different lines or categories of colourblind students are estimated to them,” she said. “Ofqual was made aware of the problems appear to me to be the same colour,” he be undiagnosed by the time they sit their In response, a DfE spokesperson said: for CVD students in external exams earlier in said. “It is important for exam papers and GCSEs. “A child with colour blindness may be 2017,” she told Schools Week. “They agreed resources in general to also include labels, Michael Turner, the director-general of considered to have a special educational at a meeting with us that this is a problem patterns or numbering.” the Joint Council for Qualifications, told need if it means they need additional they have overlooked but now they refuse to King achieved A grades throughout GCSE Schools Week that all exam boards “make support and resources from their school. engage with us.” and A-level, except in one A-level geography sure that colour blind students aren’t “Schools and colleges must make But the regulator reopened discussions paper, in which he received an ungraded disadvantaged”. reasonable adjustments where a child has with Colour Blind Awareness after Schools result that he believes was down to the “Schools and colleges have several options an impairment or disability that affects their Week raised the issue. coloured resources in the exam. and can use a colour overlay sheet, have ability to take part in everyday activities.”

PUPILS PICK SUBJECTS MORGAN: NO COMPULSORY CHARACTER LESSONS ACCORDING TO ENJOYMENT

Subject difficulty is the least considered JESS STAUFENBERG is unlikely to be as effective as schools factor by pupils when choosing what to study, @STAUFENBERGJ developing their own. according to a report from the exams regulator Emma Gleadhill, an educational trainer in Ofqual. Former education secretary Nicky Morgan wellbeing and emotional intelligence who has said teachers should not be measured works with schools, disputes the notion. It found that pupils focused more on on how they improve their pupils’ character, Gleadhill said headteachers should enjoyment and usefulness of subjects, rather but experts have warned that regulation is be encouraged to measure wellbeing or than difficulty, when choosing which subjects needed if pupil development is to be taken character either through “government to take as exams. seriously. regulation” or the inspection framework, Ofqual’s latest report looks at perceptions of Speaking to teachers at a wellbeing and she wants Ofsted to look at subject difficulty and subject choices. It asks conference last Friday, Morgan said her “safeguarding and well-being” measures, whether the two are linked, and if so, how. department had debated “endlessly” about rather than just safeguarding. The watchdog interviewed 49 teachers and whether to set requirements on character Her words follow a government- 112 pupils from 12 schools across England. education, but her “instinct was we commissioned survey of schools which Nicky Morgan and Anthony Seldon The research found that subject choices shouldn’t try to measure it”. found that only 44 per cent of maintained “Frankly we would have spent the entire their progress, and the school records how schools and 49 per cent of academies collect appear to be “primarily driven by a triad of time debating the list of traits to measure,” many pupils move up from bronze. data about pupils’ mental health needs perceptions: enjoyment, usefulness, and she said, admitting she was not “not entirely Teachers are also trained to include a – compared to 77 per cent of alternative difficulty”. convinced” that character lessons should be character-building objective alongside provision settings. Although perceptions of difficulty did on the national curriculum. each lesson objective. Also arguing the government should influence pupils’ subject choices, they are But Sara Fletcher, the vice-principal of For the first time this year, pupils will make it compulsory for schools to measure “perhaps the lesser of these three concerns”, Babington Community College, an 11-16 also undergo formalised testing three times wellbeing was Gus O’Donnell, an economist the report concluded. school in a deprived area of Leicester, said annually, using a resilience test developed who led the civil service under David According to the research, advice from her team designed a programme called by the school. Results will be mapped Cameron and three other prime ministers. teachers and school curriculum policies were ‘Building Character for Learning’ which against a national standard for resilience He told the conference he had tried to more influential on subject choices. runs across all lessons, extracurricular and support put in place where needed, persuade Morgan and her successor Justine activities and school reports. Fletcher told Schools Week. Greening to formally begin measuring In some cases, schools choose not to offer Pupils receive a termly “character” grade Having such a structured system of wellbeing or similar standards. certain subjects because they are “seen to instead of an effort grade, with those grades measurement means developing pupils’ “If there were one thing Justine should be be too difficult”. Teachers also sometimes translating into points totted up at the end personalities “actually happens”, she said. doing, it’s saying to Theresa May that doing discourage pupils from taking subjects that of the year. “If we don’t formalise it and make sure it this would make a difference,” he said. might be too difficult for them, but said this Pupils with the highest points are rated permeates every area, then it won’t achieve The “fact that Ofsted aren’t measuring is mostly done according to person-specific on a scale that runs from diamond down our aim.” wellbeing” is astonishing, he added. “So subject difficulty, “as opposed to more general through gold, silver and bronze. Diamond However she pointed out that a single what’s it all about, then? We’re too obsessed notions of subject difficulty”, the report found. pupils give a presentation to their peers on way of developing character or wellbeing by GDP and exam results.” 14 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS DFE INVESTIGATES EXCLUDED PUPILS ‘TWICE AS LIKELY’ TO HAVE UNQUALIFIED TEACHERS EXCLUSION RATES JESS STAUFENBERG ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, compared with 75 per JESS STAUFENBERG @STAUFENBERGJ cent of all schools, the report states. @STAUFENBERGJ But a “frightening postcode lottery” sees Excluded pupils are twice as likely to be some areas offer only ‘inadequate’ provision. The Department for Education is to launch taught by an unqualified or supply teacher In Newcastle and Gateshead, all 368 an external review into the links between when they reach their alternative school, a alternative provision places are ‘inadequate’. pupil ethnicity and exclusions, focusing on new report has shown. In Dudley, Sheffield, Reading, Stockton- “disproportionate” exclusion rates among The analysis, published by the Institute on-Tees, Barking and Dagenham and some ethnic groups. for Public Policy Research, found the Cheshire East no providers are ‘good’ or It’s part of an audit by Number 10 into how proportion of unqualified teachers at better. people from different ethnic backgrounds are alternative providers has risen by nearly four Seamus Oates, chief executive of the TBAP treated across all public services. percentage points over the past four years multi-academy trust, which runs eight AP The DfE says it will “take forward an external – more than double the increase in other academies and has a teaching school, said review to improve practice in exclusions”, schools. The number of temporary staff has alternative or pupil referral units is five times “inadequate pockets” of alternative provision which will “focus on the experiences of those also doubled. the number of official exclusions. Earlier across the country often reflect poor groups who are disproportionately likely to be The report makes the case for a new this year, Schools Week revealed how some mainstream provision where many pupils excluded” and share best practice. teacher training programme, to encourage pregnant pupils were passed to alternative are kicked out. School exclusions data shows that pupils outstanding teachers to work in alternative providers. The PRUs may also have failed to present from black Caribbean backgrounds are three provision for a period before reentering the This figure is also increasing; while themselves as part of the “career continuum” times more likely to be excluded than white mainstream. permanent exclusions almost halved for teachers in an area, he said. Proper pupils, at a rate of 0.29 per cent compared with Lead author Kiran Gill (pictured) said the between 2006 to 2013, they rose 40 per cent government funding for the sector must be a rate of 0.1 per cent. situation is made worse by the leadership over the past three years. invested alongside training schemes such as Pupils from Irish traveller or Roma/ vacancies in the sector. Alternative provision units are therefore The Difference. gypsy backgrounds have the highest rate of “It’s a real worry if there are a lot of expanding and several new ones are in the Alison Ryan, exclusions and behaviour exclusions of any ethnic group, at 0.49 per cent unqualified staff, but not enough leaders to pipeline using government funding recently expert at the National Education Union, and 0.33 per cent respectively. help train them – how do we quality-assure announced by Justine Greening. The said it was “really worrying” that unqualified Boys in both groups are particularly likely what’s going on?” she said. expansion is putting substantial pressure on teachers were working with AP settings. to be excluded, and are being told to leave Overall, 48,000 pupils are taught at recruitment. “There’s a real worry about quality by schools at the highest rates ever, according to alternative providers – with many in In response, Gill is launching The employing unqualified teachers,” she previous Schools Week analysis. unregistered settings not eligible for Ofsted Difference, a teacher training programme said. “There’s nothing to say they’ve had a In 2012-13, Irish traveller boys were inspections, as a Schools Week investigation in which teachers qualified for at least three particular level of training. They won’t be excluded at a rate of 0.5 per cent of their total, recently found. years train in an alternative provision unit learning properly about teaching and could and this rose to 0.75 in 2015-16. Roma and A “whole classroom” of 35 pupils are before returning to a leadership roles in a end up just doing a certain amount of crowd Gypsy boys have also been excluded more, excluded from school every day, the report mainstream school. control.” from a rate of 0.34 per cent three years ago to notes, with 6,685 told to leave last year. Despite a sometimes maligned reputation, Interested parties can sign up at The 0.54 per cent last year. However, the number educated at 81 per cent of pupil referral units are judged Difference website to find out more. Meanwhile, analysis by The Difference, a teacher training programme for the alternative provision sector, has found that in inner cities, where populations tend to be Nottingham’s overtime cap wins praise, if not adherents most diverse, local pupil referral units have We’ve been getting requests from all over. disproportionately high numbers of pupils from PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS Everyone comes to us and says ‘what can we ethnic minority backgrounds. @PIPPA_AK Exclusive do’ and we’re just a small group of people in “In our cities where we believe we have the Nottingham council’s pioneering approach Nottingham doing all this work. best schools, and the most diverse populations, to capping overtime for teachers has won “The DfE has been really supportive, but actually what you see within the PRUs are plaudits across the sector – but the number we need national figures and leaders to take many pupils from those diverse backgrounds,” of schools committing remains low. a stand and say this needs to happen and said Kiran Gill, the group’s founder. The city’s education improvement board take it on. If someone like Justine Greening Dave Whitaker, the executive principal launched its “Fair Workload Charter” last would take a lead and work with authorities of Springwell Learning Community, an autumn, urging local schools to cap the work and Ofsted on this, it would make a real alternative provision and special needs teachers are expected to perform in their difference.” school in Barnsley, said the issue of pupils own time at two hours a night. A spokesperson for the DfE said that from certain ethnicities being excluded was The EIB’s lead on school improvement, points to workloads above everything else as alleviating pressures on teachers “remains a “geographical”, and pointed out that most David Anstead (pictured), believes the charter being the main reason why we are seeing all priority”. pupils he deals with are from poor, white, will help alleviate the crisis of teachers these teachers leave.” “We know excessive workload contributes working class backgrounds. quitting the profession. He insisted the charter is not an to teachers leaving the profession which The review is “very timely”, he added, as In February, an education select expectation that teachers must work is why we continue to work with unions, “something needs to be done about exclusions, committee report recommended the two hours longer but rather a cap on the teachers and Ofsted to challenge unhelpful and alternative provision, full-stop”. approach after Mr Anstead presented it otherwise unlimited hours they can be practices that add to teacher workload,” they The government’s education attainment data last October, but despite initial excitement, expected to spend planning and marking said. shows “there are disparities in primary school very few schools have actually adopted the once the school day is finished. “We have already published a range of which increase in secondary school”. charter. And although he confessed he is examples about how schools are managing It notes that Chinese and Asian pupils tend Of the 100 or so schools in Nottingham “disappointed” by the number of Nottingham workload in our teaching blog and have to perform well, but white and black pupils do only nine have signed up, and another 10 to schools that have adopted the charter so far, awarded grant funding to 11 groups of “less well, particularly those eligible for free 15 are in the pipeline. he is surprised by how many local authorities schools to carry out collaborative research school meals”. “Headteachers need to feel reassured not which contacted the EIB for advice on how projects into efficient and effective A new website called Ethnicity Facts and only that this is allowed but that it’s essential. to implement the scheme. approaches which reduce workload related Figures will also have thousands of statistics It’s just not a priority for heads right now and “We started in Nottingham doing this to marking, planning and resources and data covering more than 130 topics in areas unless we can make it a priority things are for the benefit of Nottingham schools, to management.” including health, education, employment and unlikely to change,” Mr Anstead said. make them a better place to work and make The Nottingham EIB is hosting a school the criminal justice system, said the release. “Unless we all do something about teacher Nottingham stronger in the recruitment workload conference on November 17, A spokesperson for the DfE told Schools workload we will continue to have this market. It was completely selfish,” he said. with speakers including Dr Mary Bousted, Week that more information on the review will recruitment and retention problem. It’s “It wasn’t our intention to make it a Stephen Baker and Professor Sir David be launched in due course. absolutely critical. All the national evidence national issue but it just sort of happened. Greenaway. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 15 NEWS: School performance

DELVING INTO THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCE DATA

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER THE 9-1 EFFECT ON BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE FOR EBACC MUST SURMOUNT GCSE RESULTS STUDIO SCHOOLS AND UTCs

Ebacc entries drop amid Progress 8 pressure

JESS STAUFENBERG language last year, that figure fell to 23.5 per Tom Sherrington, an education outcomes in all subjects and the depth and @STAUFENBERGJ Investigates cent this year. consultant and ex-head teacher, said breadth of their curriculum. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, insisted schools were avoiding entering pupils for His words echo calls by Ofsted chief he proportion of pupils entering the more pupils were taking core academic “high-risk” subjects such as modern foreign inspector Amanda Spielman not to sacrifice EBacc has dropped for the first time, subjects. languages for fear of threatening their rich curriculums to hit accountability Tnew data shows, and experts claim “Since 2010, the proportion of pupils Progress 8 score. measures this week. the pressure for high Progress 8 scores taking GCSE science has risen from 63 per Progress 8 “overrides all the other Susan Coles, of the National Society for is causing schools to avoid “risky” EBacc cent to 91 per cent, and 21 per cent more measures”, he said. The EBacc pass rate Education in Art and Design, demanded subjects. students are studying maths at A-level,” he is almost a “soft measure, an aspirational once again that the EBacc be scrapped, Whereas 39.7 per cent of pupils entered said. measure” while the Progress 8 score is pointing to a report by the Education Policy the EBacc last year, that proportion dropped He also pointed out the “outstanding” higher-stakes. Institute that showed a continuing decline by 1.5 percentage points to 38.1 per cent this Progress 8 scores of converter academies The fact schools were choosing to in the number of children enrolling into year, according to provisional key stage 4 and free schools, which came joint top of all enter pupils into fewer EBacc subjects arts GCSEs last month. data. This is the first fall in five years. school types. Analysis by Schools Week has demonstrate the “inherent paradox” within Meanwhile, Kevin Courtney, the joint A smaller proportion of pupils also since revealed a more mixed picture, with a the government’s accountability measures, general secretary of the National Education achieved the EBacc this year. Whereas third of free schools scoring -0.2 or less. he added. Union, said the drop in entries “confirms 24.7 per cent of pupils passed the five However teachers and unions have called He called for both Progress 8 and the the DfE must abandon the delusional “core” academic subjects of English, for Progress 8 and the EBacc to be scrapped EBacc to be scrapped, and for schools to be expectation that 90 per cent of children will maths, science, history or geography and a in the wake of today’s report. inspected on a “case-by-case” basis on their take it” by 2025. 16 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE EBacc hits languages barrier

JESS STAUFENBERG failed to fill the final basket because they who believes that the combination According to Ofqual’s GCSE data @STAUFENBERGJ Investigates lacked a modern foreign language. of pressures on schools is having a released in June, entries to German “Suzanne O’Farrell, a curriculum and “severe impact which must simply dropped by 12 per cent, French was This year’s fall in EBacc entries has largely assessment specialist at the Association be addressed.” down by 10 per cent, and Spanish been driven by a drop in the proportion of School and College Leaders, said a Reduced government funding fell by three per cent. of pupils choosing to study languages – “widespread understanding” that languages for language assistants from Vicky Gough (pictured), a schools undermining the government’s intention GCSEs were “graded more severely” was overseas is also limiting pupil contact adviser at the British Council, which for more pupils to study them. discouraging both pupils and school leaders time with native speakers, said Rene runs international language programmes, Whereas 39.7 per cent of pupils entered the from entering. Koglbauer, president of the Association said that there are fewer opportunities to EBacc last year, that proportion dropped to These pressures mean the likelihood of for Language Learning, which represents practise fluency, particularly through foreign 38.1 per cent this year, which is the first fall pupils taking two languages is particularly teachers. exchange trips, so fewer pupils stay on. in five years, according to provisional key “under threat”, which is concerning as these A native speaker in the classroom is This chimes with previous Schools Week stage 4 data. school leavers are the future workforce of inspiring for pupils, and gives classroom investigations which show foreign exchange The 1.5 percentage point drop in EBacc language teachers, she said, while many teachers “an extra pair of hands and trips are being “killed off” by safeguarding entries overall is largely explained by schools are also already struggling to recruit expertise” in the room, he said. worries and unclear guidance about a 1.7 percentage point drop in modern language teachers. But many applying from overseas are background criminal checks on parents. foreign language entries, according to the Education Datalab, a think-tank, suggested having their applications rejected because Gough welcomed government initiatives Department for Education’s report. in May that if all schools were to enter 75 schools are short of cash – even though to tackle the decline in uptake of languages, This drop in EBacc languages will have per cent of their pupils into the Ebacc, this assistants are not expensive members of such as the introduction of compulsory impacted on overall EBacc entry,” said the would require an additional 3,700 language staff. language-learning at primary school, report. classes per year group. Schools also do not need to enter pupils but said ministers need to do more to The data shows that of those pupils entered A “national focus” on improving languages for them to fulfil the headline Progress 8 “champion” language learning until the into four of the five EBacc pillars, 80 per cent take-up is needed, according to O’Farrell, measure, he added. impact of such changes were felt. New GCSE grades pushing down results

ALIX ROBERTSON the headteachers’ union NAHT, said year-on- GCSE GRADE 2016 POINTS 2017 POINTS @ALIXROBERTSON4 year changes to qualifications and the way G 1 1 scores are calculated had made it “extremely F 2 1.5 The shift to a numeric scoring system for difficult” to compare the performance of E 3 2 GCSEs is playing havoc with this year’s schools over time. D 4 3 results, as Attainment 8 results drop and “What is clear is that a notional floor C 5 4 more schools fall below the Progress 8 floor standard serves no purpose, other than to B 6 5.5 standard. heap more pressure on schools already at A* 7 7 The number of schools with a Progress breaking point, and to drive good people A 8 8.5 8 score below -0.5 has increased by 30 per from the profession,” he said. cent this year, while headline Attainment 8 “This will keep on happening unless we figures have dropped by four points for all adopt fairer methods to hold schools to schools. account, recognising that test and exam data Number of schools with P8 scores below -0.5 This is being blamed on the Department for are only part of the picture when judging a (excluding closed schools) Education’s “interim” points scale for 2017 school’s effectiveness.” and 2018, during which time certain subjects Duncan Baldwin, the Association of School 2016 PROVISIONAL 2017 will be graded from 9 to 1 while others still and College Leader’s deputy director of use A* to G. policy, claimed the Progress 8 number alone TOTAL NUMBER NUMBER OF TOTAL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS SCHOOLS OF SCHOOLS The DfE claimed the fall in Attainment 8 “clearly does not tell the story about the BELOW FLOOR was “expected from when we applied the school”. GRAMMAR SCHOOLS 162 0 162 0 2017 point score scale to the 2016 data”. “This is a recalibration exercise rather more Analysis by Education Datalab concurs than it’s a statement about standards, and SPONSORED ACADEMIES 553 107 571 102 that the increase in schools below the floor against really a rather arbitrary line in the ACADEMY CONVERTERS 1171 34 1213 77 standard is likely to be a result of this change. sand,” he said. Dave Thomson, the author of the research, Thomson pointed out “that not only was the COMMUNITY SCHOOLS 512 51 457 67 told Schools Week the increase is “not DfE aware that more schools would fall below FOUNDATION SCHOOLS 252 28 229 40 necessarily a deterioration in performance”. the floor if it remained at -0.5, but also that it VOLUNTARY AIDED 262 11 249 20 For exams in 2016, Attainment 8 and considered this justifiable”. Progress 8 headline measures were “I suspect some will disagree,” he said. VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED 33 2 32 3 calculated by awarding one point per grade The DfE said schools would not be judged FREE SCHOOLS 26 7 49 10 rise – for example an A was worth seven on this data alone, but it may be used to target points and a B six, while a G grade was worth additional support. STUDIO SCHOOLS 25 15 29 18 one and an F was worth two. Thomson also warned in 2016 that Progress UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES 25 16 33 26 But this year pupils jumping from an A to 8 scores this year would “widen the gap” an A*, a B to an A, or a C to a B are awarded between selective and non-selective schools. CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES 3 0 3 0 1.5 points, while the difference between a He now believes that this has indeed FURTHER EDUCATION 12 11 NP* NP* G and an F is just 0.5. All other grades are happened, and that Progress 8 scores TOTAL 3036 282 3027 366 separated by one point. at grammar schools have “superficially” Nick Brook, the deputy general secretary of improved. *NOT PUBLISHED SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 17 NEWS: School performance WINNERS AND LOSERS

MER O SOOLS ERE AE RAMATIALL A ZERO-SUM GAME 700 600

Because of the nature of Progress 8, the with last year were at Colyton Grammar 500 national score is designed to be zero. But School, Perry Beeches the Academy and 400 schools are moving around that measure, Simon Langton Grammar School for 300 with numbers almost exactly balanced Boys whilst Adelaide School, Bloxwich 200 between winners and losers. The biggest Academy and Manchester Creative Studio 100 drops in Progress 8 scores compared saw the biggest leaps forward. 0 Greater than Greater than Greater than Greater than -0.5 loss -0.25 loss 0.25 gain 0.5 gain

TOP 5 WINNERS TOP 5 LOSERS CHANGING THE MEASURE

Fullhurst Community College Holy Trinity School Shifting the focus of school league tables for progress under the new regime. from attainment to progress has led to Meanwhile, selective schools are feeling Holy Family Catholic Academy The Five Islands School big wins for some schools – but dramatic the pressure: two of the five biggest drops for others. losers from Progress 8 were grammars, St John Fisher Catholic High School Colchester Royal Grammar School Fullhurst Community School was the with Colchester grammar school pupils biggest winner, with an A*-C pass rate of achieving a 99-per-cent five A*-C pass Djanogly City Academy Priory Academy 46 per cent but a Progress 8 Score of 0.67 rate but a negative progress 8 score of making it 2,520th-best in the country -0.3 putting it in the top fifty on the old according to the old measure but 200th measure but 2,232nd for progress. Harris Academy Upper Norwood Oakwood Park Grammar School

ISTRITIO O REE SOOL RORESS SORES

FREE SCHOOLS A MIXED BAG

The New Schools Network was quick to form – free schools are outperforming all celebrate free schools coming joint top other types of school”. However, analysis of the table for school type on Progress by Datalab later revealed a mixed picture 8. Free schools advocate Toby Young with some free schools achieving sky- described the results as “a ringing high results, whilst others languished well endorsement of the policy” and said behind. Schools Week found that a third “the data means that in every phase of had scores of -0.2 or less. education – primary, secondary and sixth

igure erage point sore per entr or ee students institution tpe tae a England, 2017 A level students

KS5 WOES FOR STUDIO SCHOOLS AND UTCS Local authority maintained mainstream schools (53,095) C

Sponsored academies - mainsteam (21,697) C- University technical colleges have the D+, still well behind results achieved at Converter academies - mainsteam (121,903) C lowest average A-level points score, converter academies and 16-to-19 free according to the data. schools. These notched up average A-level Free schools (971) C

The average score for UTCs, which often scores equivalent to a C+. Free schools 16-19 (1,698) C have a more vocational offer, was 20.7, The picture for pupils leaving studio University Technical colleges - UTCs (1,588) D equivalent of a D. schools before key stage 5 is also mixed. The second lowest score was at studio Destination data published this week Studio schools (364) D

schools, which focus on creative and shows that pupils who leave studio schools Independent schools (39,154) B industry-related courses. at 16 are almost three times less likely than Sixth form colleges (65,933) C Pupils at these schools achieved a slightly the average pupil to be in the job or course higher score of 23, the equivalent of a of their choice by the following March. FE sector colleges excluding sixth form college (31,673) C-

0 10 20 30 40 50 Source: 16-18 attainment data APS per entry 18 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 NEWS

Education Committee Live EDITOR’S COMMENT @miss_mcinerney | [email protected] Let’s do the social mobility time-warp

This time last year, education was same. There’s the annoying corporate grounds of outcomes: other parts of the the low wages and lack of rights for going back to the 1950s with grammar front, a whizzy picture of the local area, country are far worse. As Mike Parker apprentices. They were right. By 1995 schools as the idea in vogue. This and a foreword by someone important, of Schools North East pointed out at an the scheme was in a mess; six in 10 left week, Justine Greening is taking us though Greening is in these ones; local event, there isn’t a single opportunity halfway through the programme. Of back to the 1980s, with her Youth plans used to feature councillors or a area in the north-east of England even those who stayed, half were fired when Training Scheme for teachers (okay, pushy mayor. though it has the worst secondary they received their final qualifications, apprenticeships), and back to the 2000s Crucially there’s a plan, with some outcomes. mostly so they could be replaced by with her “social opportunity” areas. money behind it, for new services or to Still, that’s enough of the 2000s for another trainee. Let’s time-travel a little: it’s summer target or link together existing services now. Onwards to the 80s! And yet today we find ourselves 2004, Charles Clarke is education in new ways. Unfortunately, we have landed in faced with a new form of YTS – the secretary, England’s biggest problem is So far, so benign. Should people in a the 1981 riots. New stop-and-search apprenticeship. This time the scourge it that Marks & Spencer is having a hard local area work together for the good of laws have caused unrest across the will solve is Brexit, and though unions time flogging vests, and Britain only their pupils? Sure! We’ve all been saying country, with riots occurring in Leeds, are again worried about wages and won nine gold medals in the Olympics. this all along. London, Birmingham and Liverpool. In a lack of rights, we are apparently to In response to the death of a young The question that Greening needs response, the government has decided believe that all will be okay this time. girl called Victoria Climbie, the country to address is why there has been such the youth need sorting out. Our list of unanswered questions (see has had a crisis of conscience about a big hole in place of these services A policy first mooted by Norman page 7) may suggest otherwise. children’s wellbeing and created a new over the past seven years since Michael Tebbitt in 1980 for on-the-job training In fact, let’s take one final whizz at policy called “Every Child Matters”, Gove, practically overnight, swept away for older teens was implemented. Enter the time-travel. Let’s imagine it’s 2027. compelling local organisations to work all that progress made back in 2004. the much-maligned YTS. Apprenticeships have matured. Brexit together to help make children safe, The second question is this: When is The Youth Training Scheme – to give has happened. Marks and Spencer healthy and happy. New laws are on the the rest of the country going to make its full title – was an apprenticeship- is probably still having a hard time way which will require local authorities such plans? style programme for all 16- to flogging vests. But what does the to write “children and young people’s I understand that social opportunity 18-year-olds. The government world of schools look like? plans” showing how key local groups areas have particular difficulties. But no guaranteed the cost of training, I’ll leave that for your will deliver great outcomes for all one sensible can believe that all local delivered for at least 13 weeks imagination to decide. young people in the area. organisations working together for the per year away from the job, If you’ve never seen one of these good of children is a bad thing? And if and trainees were given an plans, you no longer need to dig into the government answer is “autonomy” allowance of £35 per week, a dusty archive. Justine Greening’s then I wonder why they feel they have equivalent to around £115 brochures, released this week for six the right to impinge on the 12 areas in 2016. of her social opportunity areas, will do they have landed in? From the start just fine: they look almost exactly the They can’t justify it purely on the unions worried about JO FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 EDITION 116 BS

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

THE FRIENDLIEST PRIMARY SCHOOL IN OXFORD NEEDS A NEW HEADTEACHER.

• Closing Date: (Noon) Monday 7th November 2017 we know we could be doing better - not just in comparison to local • Shortlisting notification: Monday 13th November schools, but to national exemplars and against self-evaluations. • Interview Date(s): 21st and 22nd November 2017 • Job Start Date: April or September 2018 We are now looking for a headteacher who can shape and lead • Contract/Hours: Permanent, Full-time the clear vision for Larkrise, on our journey to outstanding. We are • Salary: Leadership Scale L18-24 looking for a leader who recognises the importance of our 5C values • Contact e-mail address: [email protected] and who is an effective communicator and expert facilitator of exceptional practice. Larkrise Primary School is a vibrant and caring school, proudly reflecting the diversity of the East Oxford community it serves, caring Please read the associated documents (our ‘Candidate Brochure’ and for 440 children and families; including a fantastic early years setting. ‘Selection criteria and Job Description’) to learn in more detail about what we are looking for and why Larkrise might be right for you. In partnership with a skilled governing body, a highly supportive community, and a talented staff we have developed a culture of Most importantly, we’d urge you to look beyond the headlines, and school improvement that has demonstrated that it is possible to care visit the school in person. Do get in touch to come and see us. We’re for children, combine creativity with rigour, and get good results; also happy to talk over the phone if that helps. without teaching to the test. We are open to conversations and applications from people both Our finances are healthy, our site is well maintained and we have an inside and outside of Oxfordshire; and from groups underrepresented excellent reputation in the city. We’ve been doing a good job. But in the national school leadership workforce.

Application Procedure

To apply, please complete the OCC application form, - and email your completed form [email protected]

Visit our website for more details

Please note, the ‘Selection Criteria and Job Description’ document includes instructions and details to guide you in filling in the application form. Please read the instructions carefully to ensure that your application can be considered fairly.

Larkrise Primary School and Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.

www.larkrise.oxon.sch.uk FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 @SCHOOLSWEEK JO BS

Head of Psychology (and Deputy Coordinator: Humanities for the right candidate)

TLR (highly competitive salary, based on experience, with opportunity to become a Specialist Leader of Education, with further salary enhancement) January 2018

‘This is an outstanding school. Teachers have high expectations of their As a rapidly growing academy, that will be at full capacity in 2019, and as students, who respond by producing excellent work.’ a newly designated NCTL Teaching School, you would be joining us at a very exciting time and become part of a vibrant learning community that (OFSTED, June 2015) will offer you fantastic opportunities for CPD, career development, future promotions and for you to be able to make your mark. You would be able to High aspirations? Looking for an exciting new challenge? Our Academy is study for the NPQML/NPQSL and have excellent progression opportunities a vibrant and exciting place to work and was graded as outstanding in all to eventually become an Assistant Principal as the Academy, Teaching areas by Ofsted in June 2015. In 2016, Magna achieved a Progress 8 score School and MAT continue to grow. As a Teaching School, you would also of 0.52, placing us well within the top 5% of highest performing schools have the opportunity to become a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE). nationally. With great students who behave impeccably, an outstanding team of We have a desire to be in the top 1%. staff, state of the art facilities, and a very pleasant location in beautiful Dorset, Magna Academy offers an excellent opportunity for an ambitious, Our systems ensure you can really focus on your core purpose – teaching, talented individual looking to develop their career. Ofsted highlighted our in a sustainable way, reducing your workload through: very effective staff training and support and outstanding CPD. We have a very comprehensive, and effective, development programme, bringing all • tight, robust and no-nonsense behaviour systems subject areas together every week to share best practice. • all detentions are centralised, including homework detentions • a feedback policy focused on whole class feedback, eliminating the need We teach a challenging academic curriculum for all students. We are driven for hours and hours of marking by a desire, at the core of Our mission, to get the best possible results for • highly visible and supportive senior leaders all of our students, no matter what their starting points or circumstances.

‘The behaviour of students is outstanding. They are exceptionally keen to ‘Students make exceptional progress.’ learn, and show real enthusiasm in lessons.’ (OFSTED, June 2015) (OFSTED, June 2015) We would be delighted to show you around our Academy in order to fully We are looking for an exceptional individual to play an important role in appreciate our excellent learning environment. our unique and growing Academy. The successful candidate will be an experienced teacher of A Level Psychology, and also be able to teach, at How to Apply least one of either, Sociology (GCSE/A Level), Geography or History at KS3 or KS4. Application forms and further details on the role are available from: www.aatmagna.org/82/vacancies or Zoe Challis, [email protected] This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious practitioner, who wants or 01202 604222 to lead the Psychology A Level (which is very popular) and assist in the leadership of the Humanities Faculty, making a real impact on further Closing date for applications: Apply immediately, interviewing shortly. driving up attainment and progress in Humanities. Learn more about Magna Academy at: www.aatmagna.org

Magna Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check before taking up the post. JO FRIDAY, OCT 13 2017 EDITION 116 BS

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

Director of Finance & Operations (DFO)

Permanent position Full / Part time, dependent on skills and experience Salary to be negotiated dependent on qualifications, experience and skills

The purpose of this role is to lead the delivery of outstanding operations In addition, the postholder would play a leading role in major CLT across the Clevedon Learning Trust (CLT). projects e.g. building, IT to ensure successful and financially efficient completion. The role is designed for a high performing, impact driven person who is able to co-ordinate activity across multiple schools, providing efficient You will ensure delivery of consistent, efficient and outstanding support and effective operational services so that educational staff can maintain across all Academies in order that the strategic leadership team of the a core, unrelenting focus on teaching and learning. This person will also CLT (Executive Headteacher, Director of Education and Director of take a leading role in developing the strategic vision for the CLT and Finance and Operations) can execute the School Improvement Strategy delivering this to secure high standards across the organisation that with the maximum available budget. encourage other schools to join.

You will need to be able to motivate and bring together a team of financial and operational staff to ensure that they work as one central team for the CLT in ensuring value for money, policy compliance, budget adherence, site management and opportunities to generate income. If you are interested in this post please contact John Wells on 01275 337404 to discuss interview arrangements or to arrange a Reporting to the Executive Headteacher, the post holder will be visit to the Trust. accountable for the financial and operational outcomes of the CLT and as such will performance and line manage the staff operating in the An application form and further details are available from: Business, Finance, Site and Operational Management teams as well as www.clevedonlearningtrust.org.uk other functional leads to ensure that their objectives are being effectively Tel: 01275 337404 Fax: 01275 340935 met. Email: [email protected]

You will be an ex-officio Director of the CLT Trust Board attending meetings and reporting on all aspects of Finance and Operations. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS Friday 20th October 2017 The role would support the Executive Headteacher in the CLT growth strategy providing expertise to manage the conversion processes for schools joining the MAT. This would involve liaison with the school, Local Clevedon Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and all Authority, Diocese, DfE and RSC. applicants

The Clevedon Learning Trust (CLT) was launched on 1st January 2015. The CLT is currently formed of seven schools in two geographical areas; one secondary and three primary schools in Clevedon and three primary schools in Bridgwater. We also have an Academy Order for a secondary school in Bridgwater and a further primary school in Clevedon making a total of nine schools for the CLT by the end of this academic year. The CLT brings with it a new, innovative and student focussed approach to education within local communities. The CLT will provide high quality education and experiences for children and families. We will achieve this through our formal school partnership, using the most effective teaching and learning strategies, the best resources and facilities and the clearest progression routes for our children from the age of 0 to 18.

SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 19

READERS’ REPLY email tweet facebook WEBSITE Harris academy chain to build 100 including development of teachers – exactly homes for teachers what MATs should do! State and independent school

Martin Matthews, Oldham Alex Ford // @apf102 teachers attend night classes To be honest, this sounds largely sensible. together as part of CPD pair-up Great to see Harris Federation thinking If MATs are going to train in house then creatively and finding a traditional solution from having everyone on same board makes another sector. This is an entirely sensible idea to sense. meet the demands of teachers for reasonable cost reply of the week accommodation and schools for skilled teachers. Daventry council demands E-Act hand over sports sites Leon Cych // @eyebeams Jo Young // @joslyoung Could be a good idea or could be a new form Angela Webb // @Angie777712 of indentured servitude. Will all teachers in Our young people deserve the right "We feel as an independent London be single in the future? decision promptly put into place. Being used as a bargaining tool is totally Alice Woolley // @alicewoolley1 unacceptable. school that we want Really interesting idea. And bound to have nice carpets/astroturf! Teacher training deregulation doesn’t to learn from the state solve the supply crisis Helen Wheels // @HelenWheels1 sector." We should see Manchester did this 12 years ago – 'The Education State, address supplied Apple Building', refurbed flats for NQTs. There’s another equally serious problem: retention. ITT has a crucial role to play this being said a lot more Katie Hopkins’ school tour not banned here too. One way to improve retention is for under Prevent universities and schools to refuse to work with often. organisations that actively encourage new Catherine Ann Coughlan trainees to see teaching as a temporary role. Fantastic. Love a debate and love a different Better for retention to portray teaching as a point of view – it is what democracy is all long-term commitment. ITT routes might also about. A dictatorship has only one point of be minded to be as honest and open as possible view. Great to get our English language and about the reality of teaching in their marketing, reply of the literature alive again. for instance, so that would-be recruits are fully informed about what they’re getting into Stephen Foster // @MrSRFoster before they take the plunge. That can only help week receives Wondered where she would surface next. retention too. Would the EDF be allowed in a school or similar far left groups? Extracurricular rap lessons improve a schools week pupil behaviour at Croydon Janice Rush // @Jan_Rush secondary school But why would you even contemplate mug! letting her through the door? Suzie Winter // @Suziewooziewong Can't wait to suggest this at our Monday Schools open three-year sixth forms to meeting!! Maybe our senior leaders could boost pupil numbers swap detention for rapping! DO you have Ian H // @ha97lw Ruth McCartney // @RuthieMcC19 a story? How do they afford to do it in the budgets at Music to the rescue yet again. The impact the moment? and value of music in education is far However big or small, if you have information or a greater than advertised. story you think our readers would be interested in, then please get in touch. For press releases make sure DfE advertises jobs to push you email our news email account, and don’t be afraid government’s curriculum plans Author and multi-academy trust CEO to give us a call. offers behaviour management tips on Nick // @outside_left Twitter [email protected] Here’s a thing: don’t pay these salaries; don’t 020 3051 4287 waste money on ‘tsars’ & vanity projects, pay Anne Marie Gallagher teachers a decent salary! Maybe if we had a supportive inspection regime and enough staff and less austerity WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Academies (and prisons) are – staff, pupils and parents would need less synchronising exams sticking plasters on gaping wounds? We @SCHOOLSWEEK used to have teams within local authorities Louise Beasley // @loubeasley91 that gave practical support. [email protected] Makes absolute sense to me! Reduces WWW.SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK workload and increases resource sharing, 20 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 PROFILE

JESS STAUFENBERG @STAUFENBERGJ "BY THE END OF THE YEAR,

Tom Ravenscroft – CEO and founder of EVERY SINGLE KID WAS Enabling Enterprise, a social enterprise bringing a skills curriculum to primary and secondary schools. STANDING UP AND GIVING

om Ravenscroft is perhaps the most quietly passionate proponent of a “skills” curriculum in FORMAL PRESENTATIONS Teducation today – and if that rings alarm bells, keep reading. He was just nine years old when he set up a little production line making greeting cards. His mum, ABOUT THEIR BUSINESSES" a speech and language therapist, suggested he sell them at village fetes, which he did. At 11, he offered his services as a car washer around his town of Marlowe in Buckinghamshire, soon “rebranding as a car valet” traditional curriculum. Apprenticeships and further to charge a bit more. In the same year, Ravenscroft’s education cover the “skills” question, separate to the work father, an auditor with BP, helped him decide which of schools. secondary school to choose by listing his key criteria, Perhaps, says Ravenscroft, but the skills debate has been such as “IT equipment” and showing him how to weight a “mess”, according to his book – with buzzwords like them mathematically. A five-mile run was treated with “business skills”, “soft skills” and worse still, “21st century similar foresight, with goals worked backwards over skills”, muddying the waters – resulting in "confusion" and several months. "misconceptions" among teachers. The fruits of his parents’ support, and discussions He has now developed a Skills-Builder framework, at dinner with three bright brothers, are clear when which leads schools through each of the four key skills you meet Ravenscroft, a former teacher who now step by step, with his book as a practical manual. At runs a social enterprise working with schools. It’s not primary school, it looks like this: one lesson a week, only that at Oxford he made a four-month plan for his focused on a specific skill, such as presenting. Each lesson finals, “actually stuck to it” and got a first, but that after works towards a long-term project, such as creating a training as a teacher for two years, he has committed radio show. There is also a day spent with an impressive the last decade to designing a formal framework for local employer, and a “challenge day”; a favourite of his is teaching what he learnt – how to plan, listen, persuade running an election. – to all pupils. At secondary school, 10-minute sessions are delivered It’s called Enabling Enterprise, and he has finally in form time, again with visits to an employer and a put its principles in a book (“written mostly during challenge day. By starting early, at three years old, and my commute”) published this week. At his core is a measuring the outcomes tightly, “you apply a mastery belief that grew “like a hunger” while teaching year 10 approach to building these skills”, he claims. His book is pupils in Hackney as a BTEC business studies teacher “the academic underpinning for why this is a sensible – to teach them the skills they needed to access the approach”. curriculum properly. As might be apparent from the fact he spent his “I’d set them to a task, and then I’d be there, pulling boyhood savings on the sensible choice of car insurance my hair out, wondering why they couldn’t get on with while still a teenager, this 31-year-old values order and each other when I asked them to do something simple uses the word “rigour” so often in our interview he in the corner,” he admits. wryly notes my article will have it throughout. In short, The group got a full lesson on teamwork, including everything about him screams the kind of methodical TOM RAVENSCROFT how to allocate roles, such as a facilitator, a note-taker approach more commonly associated with knowledge- and a time-keeper. Group work became civilised, based or direct instruction advocates than with so-called and assignments to design business meetings were ‘progressives’. Ravenscroft and his team of formerly thoughtful. Next was how to stand up and present. ‘outstanding’ teachers train staff on exactly how to deliver More lessons were added, delivered in curriculum the lessons, and have a vision of a “master skills teacher” time over the year, to form the four key principles in every school. that knowledge is the “bedrock” for developing skills and Ravenscroft describes now: presenting, listening and Skills lessons should not be mixed with curriculum the progressive view, which claims education should understanding; working in a team without falling out content: one hour a week is enough. And they want develop aptitude. He identifies Daisy Christodolou, who and leading others well; solving a problem and thinking measurable outcomes, wherein Ofsted checks they are wrote Seven Myths About Education, as a flag-bearer of creatively; and the self-management to aim for being taught. Sitting there exuding contented self-control, the former, but if you want to know what Ravenscroft something and not give up when the going gets tough. Ravenscroft is also well placed to be this voice – he was is really about, the heading that ends the chapter reads “By the end of the year, every single kid – no schooled at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe “Bringing the two together”. exceptions – was standing up and giving formal and then Oxford. But even with 85,000 pupils working with Enabling presentations about their businesses,” he says. He soon But his drive for grades in Hackney was not producing Enterprise this year, and 3,500 teachers trained last year, began to feel less “completely panicked” that his pupils the kinds of boys he and his brothers had become through those barriers have made themselves felt: after 10 years, would not get jobs. their parents – his pupils only grew as self-confident just 300 schools are signed on, or 1.2 per cent of the But haven’t we heard it all before? The public is when he gave dedicated time to building those “habits”, country’s total. Moreover, 10-minute sessions in PSHE immune to the CBI saying, for the umpteenth time, as he also calls them. For him, education should impart a cannot have the same impact as he did in Hackney, when that graduates need better skills – they still get jobs, holy trinity: knowledge, character and skills, and the last he was a dedicated teacher delivering whole lessons for don’t they? We already have the Careers and Enterprise of these should not be neglected. his class. While Ravenscroft disputes this, the numbers do Company, Business in the Community, Young This may be, but Ravenscroft gives over a whole chapter hurt. Enterprise and many more rabbiting on about it, and to two obstacles in his path: the rubbish past initiatives “I have mixed feelings,” he confesses, adding that it it’s too late, anyway: “skills” has become an increasingly he has to disprove, and teachers’ ideological opposition. “frustrates the hell out of him” that his system is not in embarrassing word, a throwback to Sir Ken Robinson One headteacher asked him if this was the latest “trendy, more schools. For someone so able to achieve his own and the Blair years. Nowadays the Department for progressive fad”. The “ideological battleground” of English goals, whether it’s a five-mile run or a social enterprise, Education is run by believers in the knowledge-rich, education, he says, has long been divided into the view having to wait is hard. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 21

Tom with wife Charlotte, 2008

Tom in New Zealand 2006

Tom mountainbiking, 2004

IT’S A PERSONAL THING

What is your favourite film? The movie that stuck with me the longest was Inception. I think particularly because I was at the end of Christmas Day and I had had some wine and it just blew my mind! “What if this is all a dream…”

If you were on a desert island, what would you take? I’d have to take a massive photo album with me, of family and friends, if I’m marooned from them.

TOM RAVENSCROFT Who are your family? I’ve got a three-year-old son, and our second boy is due in January. I got married just over five years ago – Charlotte and I met at university, in the second term, and had our wedding at the college! My parents are from south Wales. My brothers have good solid Welsh names: Rhys, Dafydd and Harri.

What’s your favourite book? The best book I ever read – it’s the geekiest thing – I read this 1,000 page book about the 1988 US presidential election called What it takes: The way to the White House. It was fascinating because it followed the nominees for the Democratic and Republican race, and you felt like you knew them. The book was basically asking, who are these people who think they should be the leader of the free world?

Who do you admire? A real mix of people, but I think Brett Wigdortz at Teach First, who really stuck with But with a book coming, free video sessions now it to build the organisation even though it was tough. Somebody like Wendy Kopp available for teachers, and work beginning with the who runs Teach For All [a global network of non-profit groups to expand education Careers and Enterprise Company, Ravenscroft says his opportunities] for about 25 years, who has been hacking away at the same problem. team is about to “make a breakthrough fast”. Are they on the cusp? “Yes.” What is your earliest memory? So the skills debate is back on the table, but this time I can remember going to the airport when we flew off to live in Japan for a year with a stricter master. If the knowledge-rich schools and half when I was about five years old. I definitely remember being in Japanese get on board, and some already are, the face of English kindergarten and basically making a break for it out of the classroom, and education could quietly, radically rebalance after decades of “polarisation”. And you never know, he might finally consciously thinking “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear them”, and just running. I remember even sort out careers guidance – so there’s an incentive. that vividly. Knowing that I was being naughty but I was going to get away with it. 22 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 OPINION LUKE JOANNE SIBIETA CROSSLEY Research fellow, Institute for Fiscal Studies Teacher and former barrister How and when money matters in education From courtroom to classroom: One teacher’s unusual journey We shouldn’t just throw money at the system, school funding per pupil (just over 10 per says Like Sibieta; we have to use it smartly cent) can improve key stage 2 test scores by Early last year, Joanne Crossley hung up courtroom and classroom than you might about 10 per cent of a standard deviation, with her wig and joined Teach First at 46. It was imagine: talking, persuading, showing off, chool funding was a source of much considerably larger effects for schools serving a shock to the system, but not a bad one mastering the brief. Getting to grips with controversy during the recent general poorer families. Money matters and it matters paediatric neuro-radiology over the course Selection campaign, and the Department more for disadvantaged pupils. t was a dog that finally pushed me over of a weekend in order to cross-examine an for Education changed its spending plans There is now near-universal agreement the edge. A family that cares more about expert on Monday has prepared me well for soon afterwards, to enable a freeze in school that early investments in children’s skills Iits pets than its kids doesn’t deserve my grappling with the byzantine nuances of a spending per pupil in England between 2017 are important for cognitive development: help – no matter how much they’re paying new-spec English curriculum in time for a and 2019, and softened plans for a national children are more receptive at younger ages. me. This is how I flounced away from the bar hastily convened department moderation funding formula. However, coming on top Later investments are also likely to be more to become an English teacher in Bradford. meeting. And no-one wants to work on of real-terms cuts of just under five per cent effective as a result; it is easier to teach a pupil How hard can it be, I arrogantly wondered Friday afternoons, from that restless year 7 to between 2015 and 2017, school funding is who has already grasped the basics. as I swapped my wig and gown for an A-line a snippy crown court judge. Both worlds also likely to remain prominent. In a recent follow up to their paper on skirt and a cardigan. share a demoralised public sector outlook; People believe that cuts will reduce the court-ordered school finance reforms, the publicly funded bar feels every bit as quality of the education children receive. the same authors looked at the interaction dejected, underfunded and beleaguered as Most research to date, however, has not between school funding and the roll out the teaching profession. found a strong relationship between of a government childcare scheme for There are more The differences, too, are illuminating. school expenditure and pupil outcomes. disadvantaged families in the 1960s and Whatever their reputation, no court of appeal This is largely because it is quite a hard 1970s. The results are fascinating: when not judge has ever thrown highlighters at me, question to tackle. There are many other preceded by the scheme, 10 per cent more similarities or rejected my submissions by shouting reasons why funding and pupil outcomes school spending had relatively small effects “You’re shit, miss”. Unlike their pedagogical may be correlated, e.g. funding is often on adult outcomes. between counterparts, barristers are quite relaxed But when pupils from low-income families about who uses which cup in the staff room. were exposed to it in full, a 10 per cent courtroom and I will admit that it’s been quite a stretch to get increase boosted adult earnings by 15 per cent on top of all of the IT and data requirements: Money matters and – even more dramatically - reduced the classroom the most days at the bar it was me, my notebook, chance of incarceration by the same amount. my files and a pen. No data captures, no and it matters UK evidence also shows that investments than you might assessment windows, no spreadsheets, no in secondary schools are more effective for projector failures. I felt very avant garde just pupils who have achieved better outcomes at imagine being on Twitter. more for 11. Investments in the early years and schools The difference that has surprised me are sometimes presented as competing most has been school politics, especially disadvantaged choices. However, to have full effect, we It’s harder than anything else I’ve ever line management, and the general lack of should be doing both. Sustained investment done in my life, that’s how hard. And then a understanding of experience outside of pupils can help break the link between family bit harder than that, with more hard on top. the classroom. The modern bar is a well- income and educational attainment. I’m not sure I could have written this article managed, commercial operation. As part A large amount of the UK’s increase in during my first half term as a teacher – I of the finance team in my chambers, I directly targeted at pupils and schools in funding in the 2000s was Spent On Hiring didn’t stop crying for long enough. I emailed managed a successful multimillion-pound disadvantaged circumstances. Recent pieces Extra Teaching Assistants. Some research, my tutor, asking “how is it possible to be this business. As head of department at a mid- of research have shown that the context, the however, has found that TAs are deployed bad”. Now, starting my second year in the tier law firm, I managed a large team of timing and the way resources are used all in relatively ineffective ways: the Education classroom (my NQT year), I can finally say people. I also have decades of experience of matter enormously. Endowment Foundation has built up a that this is the best decision I’ve ever made. dealing with families in the most difficult A recent paper from the US looked at wonderful set of materials showing more In April 2016, aged 46, I found out that circumstances. This counts for nothing in the consequences of court-ordered school effective ways they can be deployed. For I had been accepted onto the Teach First school. finance reforms. Until the 1970s, American example, structured one-to-one catch-up programme. I had applied only a matter of I’m not sure it should, really. I accept that schools were almost entirely funded from interventions delivered by TAs can boost weeks beforehand, having decided that it to have any credibility in education, you property taxes levied on houses in the local literacy and numeracy by an additional three was now or never. I had always wanted to be have to be able to cut it in the classroom. I do area, which meant wealthy areas had higher to four months of progress. a teacher and from time to time the dream wonder, though, whether schools could do levels of funding. The courts decided this What should we take from these findings? resurfaced, although in later years it seemed more to exploit the experience that career- was unfair and ordered states to provide First, resources do matter and they matter much more like a fantasy. changers bring with them to build better more to less wealthy areas, which ended up more for disadvantaged pupils. Targeting When I left Oxford, my mum (then a connections with the world outside the having some very positive consequences. For disadvantaged pupils, for example through primary school deputy head in Widnes) classroom. children from poorer families, the research the pupil premium, is likely to be an effective simply wouldn’t hear of teacher training. My husband complains that my new found that a 10 per cent increase in funding way to narrow the achievement gap. Second, She decided that I was destined for greater career means that it’s like living with a per pupil increased adult earnings by as much. investing early and sustaining this through things, so wanting nothing more than to breakfast TV presenter, up at 5.30 to do my The effects for children from richer school is an effective way to address the outdo my older cousin, a solicitor, I decided morning show. At least now I jump out of families were about half as large. A similar attainment gap. Third, these investments will to become a barrister. She was happy with bed, as each day brings challenge and joy in pattern emerges in the UK: Recent research only be effective if they are used in ways that that choice. equal measure. I like to think that my mum has shown that a £400 increase in primary have been proven to increase attainment. There are more similarities between would be proud of me. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 23 OPINION

New data laws come into force next May. explicit, affirmative, fully informed and freely Theresa Kerr explains how to comply given. An example of where the issue of THERESA consent is likely to be relevant for schools is if lot of schools are aware that the law you want to use the personal data you hold for on data protection is changing but are marketing purposes. Anot sure what it will mean for them in practice. A school business manager recently KERR Transparency asked even asked me if he should be losing Senior education associate, Transparency is also a key theme of the GDPR. sleep over it. My answer? Not really. Winckworth Sherwood Schools will need to be clearer with their The General Data Protection Regulation stakeholders about the personal data they (GDPR) is the new law that will apply to all hold. Privacy notices will be an important organisations, including schools, from 25 How to prepare for the tool for communicating this information May 2018. It will replace the Data Protection and should be updated to ensure they clearly Act 1998 (DPA 1998) which governs the way demonstrate that personal data is used by the organisations process personal data about new data protection laws school fairly and transparently. The ICO has people (students, employees etc), and the legal produced a code of practice which includes rights that individuals have in relation to that breaches, but the ICO has stated that these more detail about privacy notices. data. powers will be used “proportionately”. There are proactive steps that schools will This should provide schools with some Compliance need to take in order to ensure their policies reassurance. Schools shouldn't There are a number of ways that you can and procedures are up to date and compliant So, what will change? satisfy the act’s accountability requirement for when the GDPR comes in next year. One have to lose sleep including, for example, providing training of the biggest challenges will be finding the Timescales and fees to staff, carrying out data audits and keeping time to make these preparations. But first, let’s There will be changes to some of the over this change records of data-processing activities. bust a myth about fines. processes that many schools are already Compliance will need to be integrated into It’s true that the fines that can be issued by familiar with under the DPA 1998. For Consent: a school’s daily operations and policies and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) example, the timescales for responding to Another change relates to consent. Does become part of the culture in the same way will be increased to an eye-watering four per a written request from an individual for a this mean that schools will need to obtain that safeguarding has for many schools. cent of worldwide turnover or £17 million – copy of their personal data, a “subject access consent before they can process any personal A data protection officer must be appointed, but don’t let this throw you. request”, will reduce from 40 calendar days to data? The simple answer is no. It’s likely that and they are required to report to the board, Elizabeth Denham, the current information one month. schools will be able to rely one or more of the which shows that compliance with the commissioner, who has regulatory oversight In addition, the £10 fee which schools five other lawful bases for processing a lot of GDPR is expected to be a feature of good over data protection, has written in her blog can currently charge before they respond to the personal data they hold in order to run a governance. that “it’s scaremongering to suggest that we’ll a subject access request is being scrapped. school, for example where it’s necessary for In summary, while the GDPR will inevitably be making early examples of organisations There are also new rules about the timescales compliance with a legal obligation. have an impact on schools, staff and for minor infringements or that maximum for reporting certain data security breaches, If none of the five other bases apply to a governors/trustees shouldn’t have to lose fines will become the norm”. Obviously depending on the seriousness of the breach. processing activity, then it is likely that you sleep over this change to the law if they take there is a risk of incurring a fine for serious will need to obtain consent, which must be appropriate steps to prepare for it.

Join the Eighth World Innovation Summit for Education Co-exist, Co-create, Learning to live and work together

WISE 2017 will explore issues of global citizenship, social change, advances in science and technology, and other key developments in education.

Join over 2,000 international thought leaders, educators, experts and policymakers in Doha to network, build new partnerships, and explore practical innovative ways to improve education. NOVEMBER 14-16, 2017, DOHA, QATAR

Apply now to join WISE 2017 Benefit from preferential rates with the code SW2017 http://www.wise-qatar.org/apply

International media partners Platinum sponsor Silver sponsor

AFRIQUE MAGAZINE 24 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 REVIEWS TOP BLOGS OF THE WEEK To view individual blogs visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk/reviews

for Theresa May. Coughing, spluttering, losing your voice whilst trying to retain What does this look like in the the correct information. a semblance of dignity during a speech classroom? Bridging the gap between As a head of year, I particularly liked the must have been quite a trial. It is a trial research and practice chapter on behaviour. Tom Bennett speaks many teachers have been through and will sense about consistency over time; you have By Carl Hendrick and go through. A teacher’s voice is the most to be willing to stick it out until kids finally important tool in his or her armoury, lose Robin Macpherson see you more as an “authority figure than an it and it is difficult to teach.” He gives some Published by John Catt interloper into their culture”. useful advice on looking after your voice. Reviewed by Fran Lindau, humanities Jill Berry gives a great example of research in action when she describes an intervention Charter academy: teachers teach, teacher and head of year kids learn that targeted one entire year group on Our reviewer of the week is @naveenfrizvi behaviour, going into lessons over and over Andrew Old, a teacher and and looking for what was actually working, blogger @oldandrewuk There has been intense debate on Twitter They had me from the intro, which basically before presenting their findings to the whole about whether attempts to introduce a strict goes like this: “We know you’re suffering. We staff. discipline system at a struggling school understand that the majority of your CPD Having just launched a reading scheme could ever actually work. Much of this debate over your teaching life (15 years, in my case) for our year 7s, some of the insights in the focused on one school in Great Yarmouth, has been well-meaning but inapplicable Reading and Literacy chapter where we have an account from a visitor The problems with grade forecasting to the classroom and were invaluable. Alex Quigley’s @AnthonyRadice1 who concludes that with the right leadership, generally forgotten the focus on “disciplinary literacy” behaviour can reach the highest standards next day. We are here to as part of whole-school literacy This post makes an interesting argument in five weeks. Many teachers might envy the condense the research makes a huge amount of against forecasting grades. Rather than orderly environment described here. sense: “how does a scientist focusing on the usual criticisms about into bite-size chunks and accuracy and the danger of lowering Better behaviour benefits everyone. tell you what’s real and read, write and talk?” expectations, the author points out that Why inclusion is good for all what’s junk.” While not a proponent the activities that lead to the most accurate @tombennett71 The concept is that of ED Hirsch, having been predictions are not the ones that lead to the authors put questions indoctrinated for years in the most learning. Trying to accurately predict Also on the subject of behaviour, and the that teachers actually US by his (middle-class white performance is simply the wrong objective systems that help ensure that it is top ask to two experts in Anglo-Saxon Christian) for a teacher and a waste of everyone’s time. notch, is this post from behaviour expert each chapter, to flip the “common culture”, I finally Tom Bennett. He argues that requiring “outside-in model of found something I could The teacher perspective good behaviour is actually more inclusive knowledge creation” by agree with: “If language @greg_ashman than tolerating disruption. Implementing university researchers is the medium by which consistent routines, with suitable removed from the “day- you instruct and assess students, then it Perhaps this is one of the most obvious accommodations where required, “is one of follows that precise, accurate and efficient things you could point out, but if you the most rational, rewarding investments a to-day practice of schooling”. Sometimes want to find out about what happens in teacher or school leader can make in their the two experts agree, but sometimes they use of language will have a significant effect classrooms, you’d do well to ask a teacher. community”. approach the question very differently. on your students’ learning”. This post observes that teachers’ perspective The authors told me to “dip in and out”, “The elephant in the room, of course, is is often ignored, and discusses a number The joys of transition so I’m going to start with something in the that many teachers are not confident in their of situations where the most important @thefish64 Learning Myths chapter that flipped a switch: own language skills,” adds Dianne Murphy, insights about a school situation could easily Bloom’s taxonomy is not a triangle! You don’t who suggests language and literacy CPD as be uncovered just by talking to one. He A post to amuse anyone teaching year 7 right have to build up each element sequentially. a remedy. concludes by encouraging teachers to join now. This teacher describes all the delightful Bloom conceived them more as “tools in a I found the quotes on the summary page the discussion and share their views. quirks of new arrivals at secondary school, toolbox”, explains Pedro de Bruyckere. Thus, at start of each chapter hard to read due to including the way “it takes them five minutes it is “possible (and often quite useful) to apply the font, but the short chapter introductions Teaching: if you aren’t dead yet, you to unpack their bags” and being asked “if you in order to understand or to evaluate as you were helpful. aren’t doing it well enough mind them using both sides of the paper in a apply”. The experts show intellectual humility, @JamesTheo test”. Everything in this post is very familiar. But even once you’ve worked out what which in an era of social media face-offs In the aftermath of World Teacher Day, this Daft drafting in the classroom Bloom meant… it’s all a little bit emperor’s is kind of nice. It’s more of a “here’s the blogger challenges those who talk about @Xris32 new clothes: there’s no research to back it up. research that informs the answer” approach teaching as if it were so much more than a It’s just “what Bloom reckoned”. Yes, those are – with no dogma. job. This talk might be intended as praise for I never much appreciated the fad for getting David Didau’s actual words. It’s going in my office. Or maybe at home teachers, but it risks creating a culture where kids to redraft their work multiple times. Dylan Wiliam and Daisy Christodoulou on my bedside table. they are expected to destroy themselves for However, I always assumed that this was share some useful insights in Assessment, As a teacher from abroad, I now feel up to the sake of their vocation. because I’m a maths teacher, and that it Marking and Feedback. “The best person date on the debates of the day. As a mentor made much more sense for, say, English to mark a test, is the person who just took to a young teacher, this is the book I would Voice protection and projection for teachers. It comes almost as a relief to see it”, says Wiliam. This is due to two factors: give, also to a whole bunch of fellow middle teachers (and for Theresa)… that an English teacher could have similar retrieval practice, and something called the leaders. @Trivium21c doubts. The author of this post argues that “Wouldn’t it be great if, for an inset day, the best time to give feedback on writing is “hypercorrection effect”, which basically Following Theresa May’s croaky conference while the writing is underway, not after a means that seeing you got something wrong your head took you to a good library?” muse speech, drama teacher and educational completed first draft. (especially if previously convinced you were the authors at one point. This wouldn’t be a thinker Martin Robinson tells us “I felt sorry right) is a really effective way of embedding bad place to start. SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 25 Week in Westminster Your regular guide to what’s going on in central government

very much of Ed Balls-era education policy). question is, will it change anything? Saturday: Chairs of the new opportunity area Talking of change, the results the thursday: partnership boards include former RSC Tim headteacher board elections are out. Sleeping off the Conservative Party The whole world may have come crashing Coulson, ex-Islington council leader and Thirty two people have been elected to conference down around Nick Gibb, but the schools Ofsted board member James Kempton and advise the eight RSCs on their never-ending minister was still in jubilant mood. At least Sir Martin Narey, of ‘The Narey Review of quest for academisation, and there are some he was in public. Monday: children’s residential care’ fame. interesting names in the mix. Despite evidence that progress on EBacc The world of education held its breath Sir Andrew Carter, the government- entries is stalling, Gibb issued a glowing on Monday as it awaited six of the most teacher-training tsar-turned-teaching- statement about the “excellent” results. important documents ever released by the Tuesday: apprenticeships enthusiast, has been Sleeping off our excitement over the Meanwhile, there was a collegiate government. elected to advise Dom Herrington in the opportunity area reports. atmosphere at a meeting of the public Actually, it didn’t, but you could be south-east. accounts committee, where DfE top brass forgiven for thinking that the release of six Also elected, this time to help Christine Jonathan Slater and Peter Lauener faced a “opportunity area” action plans was a big Quinn in the west Midlands, is Dame Mo Wednesday: grilling over the department’s accounts. deal, given the fanfare afforded to them. Brennan of the Matrix Academy Trust. Ofsted has realised that schools are At one point, Lauener cut across his boss Officials worked over the weekend to Matrix has been in the news recently, after teaching to the test, and the response from to correct him, when Slater said there was inform journalists that the reports were it was ordered to review its governance the schools community was exactly what uncertainty about school budgets beyond coming out, even drafting a press release arrangements and financial management you'd expect. 2019-20. about the fact they were being released. by the government following a review of its Some have welcomed Amanda Spielman’s He meant 2020-21, a dutiful Lauener However, the reports themselves were finances. musings on curriculum, in which she warns pointed out. Of course, Slater’s statement not sent out in advance, forcing us to write The review found that the trust had schools are focusing too much on exams still made sense, but it’s good to know his about the prospect alone – and wait until been unable to justify staff trips, one of and not on things like enjoying reading. finance chief is still on the ball. 12.15am on Monday to see the real things. which cost more than £17,000, and had But for many school leaders, the revelation Embargo bugbears aside, Week in not ensured separation of powers between that accountability measures are having Westminster was pleased to see some members and directors. an impact on the curriculum is not news. CHECK OUT @SCHOOLSWEEKLIVE FOR familiar faces beaming up at us from the Week in Westminster wonders if that will They’ve been saying this for years. The LIVE TWEETS OF WESTMINSTER EVENTS shiny and colourful reports (that remind us come up at the first board meeting. FLY ON THE WALL

Which section of the paper do you enjoy the most? If you weren't working in The profile section – some really inspiring stories and plenty education, what would of wisdom. you be doing? I seriously considered If you could wave a magic wand and change one education policy, studying musical theatre, which would it be? but actually studied Name Ben Ward More funding please... engineering, so maybe an Age 33 out-of-work actor? Occupation Maths teacher/ Who is your favourite education secretary of all time? assistant vice-principal for Estelle Morris – at least she had actually been a teacher. Favourite book on teaching and learning education? Location Manchester What is your favourite story or investigation reported in Do I have to choose just Subscriber since May 2016 Schools Week? one? Top four of the last 12 months (in no order) would be Liminal The investigation into rebrokering academies was very interesting, but Leadership (Stephen Tierney), Clever Lands (Lucy Crehan), Leadership there are so many to choose from. for Teacher Learning (Dylan Wiliam) and Making Good Progress (Daisy Christodoulou). What do you do with your copy of Schools Week once you've Fly on the Wall is a chance for read it? What new things would you like to see in Schools Week? you, the subscriber, to tell us Pass it on. Maybe a spot celebrating the great stuff going on in education; the what you love (and hate) about people making a difference and the great ideas that are changing young Schools Week, who you’d What would you do if you were editor of Schools Week for a day? peoples’ lives. like to spy on and, of course, Borrow Laura's little black book of contacts; there must be a lot of very what the world of education would look like if you were in interesting people in there to meet for a coffee. If you could be a fly on the wall in anyone's office, whose would it be? charge… The education secretary Justine Greening.

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, OCT 13, 2017 School Bulletin If you have a story you’d like to see featured in the school bulletin, email [email protected]

Pupil parliament provokes passion for politics FEATURED

primary school has appointed its own prime minister and cabinet Aas a way of getting pupils actively involved in school improvement. MATHS AND THEN SUM At Coton-in-the-Elms Primary School in Derbyshire, pupils are directly involved Primary schools are encouraged to enter their with big decisions, with an elected brightest mathematicians into the National prime minister, deputy prime minister, Young Mathematicians’ Awards 2017. chancellors, MPs and speakers of the Run by Explore Learning in conjunction with house in place across the school. the University of Cambridge’s NRICH project, For the first time this year, the cabinet the free-to-enter competition challenges will be given its own budget to spend teams of pupils to complete a series of maths on things pupils feel are most needed, problems through teamwork, mathematical controlled by a chancellor of the exchequer, who has the final say. thinking and systematic recording. “We’re going through a rigorous school Head Lee Smith and Helen Wheeler MP Teams should be made up of two boys and with the candidates improvement journey at the minute. two girls in year 6 or below, who will compete In order to make sure that journey children came to vote and put a cross next to to win their schools’ the grand prize, which accelerates, you’ve got to bring everybody the picture of who they wanted,” explained includes £500 worth of stationery, a trip to with you, and that includes the children,” Smith. “We have stuck to what it is like in London’s Kidzania attraction and a Meccano explained Lee Smith, headteacher at the Westminster, with the fact that you have M.A.X. Robot – as well as the title of UK school. “The main idea behind it is giving to be an MP before you can run for prime champions. the children a voice.” minister.” It is the eighth year the competition has run, Each member of the cabinet is elected In attendance at the election was Helen and last year’s winners, Bilton Junior School in by their peers, with a minister for reading Wheeler, the MP for South Derbyshire, who Rugby, beat 500 other teams from across the amongst this year’s newest recruits. looked on as four year 6 pupils battled for UK to take the top title. Duties include promoting reading across the role of PM – each penning their own the school, and overseeing which books manifestos which were read out to voters. The deadline for schools to register is are bought for the library. “They had some really sensible ideas October 20, with the first heats and semi- A recent election for this academic year’s like maintaining the trees because it was The election final taking place throughout November, and prime minister had a 97-per-cent turnout, looking untidy, and things they wanted to “It’s important children learn to not only the grand final hosted at the university on with the winning manifesto calling for do at playtime to make it more enjoyable develop their own opinions, but respect the December 13. a ‘bring your pet to school’ day, amongst such as quiet areas on the playground as opinions of others. That’s what parliament To register a team, visit: other more practical suggestions. well as areas playing music,” explained does – it makes children more appreciative https://www.explorelearning.co.uk/schools/ “We set up a polling booth and the Smith. of different viewpoints.” national-young-mathematicians-awards/ Waltham Forest's cultural revolution

The fitness zone gets a thumbs up Backing the bid

£17k fitness zone keeps pupils fighting fit rimary schools across Waltham to our classrooms over the coming weeks,” Forest are backing a bid for the said Maureen Okoye OBE, the chief Gloucestershire primary school Maria Budd, the headteacher of Carrant Parea to become London’s first-ever executive of Arbour Academy Trust, which has installed a £17,000 fitness zone Brook, decided to implement the trim “borough of culture”. runs two primary schools in the borough. A to improve the health of its pupils. trail to tackle higher than average obesity Over the coming weeks, local Ideas put forward by pupils will help shape The new “trim trail” play area at Carrant figures at the school. schoolchildren will take part in lessons the borough’s bid, which will be submitted Brook Junior School includes climbing “The pupils are really excited about the inspired by the campaign, and put forward to the Mayor of London on December 1. frames, balance boards, rope swings and new trim trail. It plays another vital part of their own ideas of what could be done to “Children and young people are the monkey bars in an effort to build pupils’ the healthy lifestyle choices we frequently improve the area. creative future of the borough and schools overall fitness levels in their recreational encourage,” she said. Pupils will choose a person, place or are hotbeds of talent and imagination time, alongside the daily mile the school “Our school has won a variety of awards thing they think best represents the area, within our local communities,” said already implements. for the steps it has taken in promoting and design a digital plaque – inspired by Grace Williams, Waltham Forest Council’s Funding for the equipment came from healthy living, including an Eco-Schools English Heritage’s Blue Plaque programme portfolio lead member for children and a £10,000 grant from the council’s Active Silver Award. We’re now aiming towards – for an online map collating pupils’ young people. Gloucestershire initiative and £7,000 Green Flag status, so are concentrating on favourite parts of Waltham Forest and their “It is essential to us that what we submit of the school’s own budget, combined getting children outdoors and engaging dreams for its future. to the Mayor’s Office in December is with money collected through PTA with the environment, which our new “The borough of culture team’s new something that young people in the fundraising. trail supports.” programme will bring an exciting element borough want and would benefit from.” SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 116 FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2017 27

ANNA JAMES BALSON Your weekly guide to who’s new NICHOLSON Executive headteacher Chief financial officer, (primary), Arthur Terry Academies Enterprise Trust Learning Partnership ROWENA START DATE: September 2017 COLE START DATE: November 2017

PREVIOUS JOB: Headteacher of Mere Green Headteacher, St John’s School, Leatherhead PREVIOUS JOB: Director of finance and Primary School (ongoing) resources at E-ACT

INTERESTING FACT: She swims outside most START DATE: September 2017 INTERESTING FACT: He is the vice-chairman of nights in either outdoor pools or local rivers. the FIAT Motor Club GB, one of the UK's oldest PREVIOUS JOB: Headteacher at Dunottar School single marques car clubs, and has 10 old FIATs in Reigate to look after.

INTERESTING FACT: Rowena owns a husky, has driven a team of sled dogs and would like to have MARTYN a go at the 1,000-mile Iditarod race in Alaska. TIM HILL LEUNIG Headteacher, South Senior policy adviser to Craven School the secretary of state, DEFRA UK

START DATE: April 2018 START DATE: October 2017

PREVIOUS JOB: Head of school at PREVIOUS JOB: Chief analyst and chief South Craven School Get in touch! scientific adviser to the DfE

INTERESTING FACT: He's a big Wigan Warriors If you want to let us know of any new faces at the top INTERESTING FACT: Tim opened his garden fan and coaches his children’s rugby team. of your school, local authority or organisation please to the public on the National Garden Scheme let us know by emailing [email protected] for 10 years.

CAREERS, EDUCATION AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR 14-19S FUTURE IS A NEW, FREE MAGAZINE AND WEBSITE FOR 14-19 YEAR OLDS. IT’S PACKED WITH TOPICAL AND HELPFUL INFORMATION AROUND CAREERS, FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION, APPRENTICESHIPS AND MORE.

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, OCT 13, 2017

#EDUCATIONFEST EDUCATIONFEST.CO.UK

WHERE THOSE WHO INSPIRE FIND THEIR OWN INSPIRATION

WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE DATES FOR THE TELEGRAPH FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION 2018. WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING GROUP BOOKING REQUESTS FOR 2018. MORE AND MORE SCHOOLS ARE MAKING BLOCK GROUP BOOKINGS FOR THE FESTIVAL. GET SET FOR SUMMER 2018 AND BOOK YOUR SCHOOL OR ORGANISATION TICKETS FOR 2018 TODAY. ACROSS TWO DAYS YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO 100’S OF INSPIRATIONAL SESSIONS FROM LEADING EDUCATIONALISTS AND THOUGHT LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE UK AND BEYOND. VISIT EDUCATIONFEST.CO.UK FOR MORE INFO.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY VISIT EDUCATIONFEST.CO.UK TO BOOK NOW

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 8 1 3 5 7 Difficulty: 2 3 EASY 3 5 8 7 9 4 2 6 1 9 7 1 5 1 7 6 2 8 5 9 4 3 4 2 9 6 3 1 8 7 5 6 2 9 7 3 2 8 1 6 5 9 4 2 7 5 9 1 5 3 4 7 6 8 2 3 5 6 8 6 4 5 2 9 3 1 7 5 9 7 1 6 3 4 2 8 6 1 4 9 6 8 3 4 7 2 1 5 9 7 1 2 4 1 9 5 8 7 3 6 2 4 7 6 3 Difficulty: EASY

Difficulty: 3 5 8 2 1 7 4 9 6 5 8 1 MEDIUM 1 6 9 3 8 4 7 2 5 9 8 7 2 7 4 2 9 5 6 1 8 3 7 6 1 9 8 7 4 3 2 6 5 1 9 8 7 4 5 1 4 8 6 9 2 3 7 6 2 3 1 7 5 8 4 9 4 2 4 3 6 5 2 1 9 7 8 5 8 4 9 2 7 5 6 9 8 3 1 4 8 9 1 7 4 3 5 6 2 6 5 8 7 5 9 3 4 5 6 Solutions: Difficulty: Next week MEDIUM Spot five differences. First correct entry wins a mug. Tweet a picture of your completed spot the difference using @schoolsweek in the tweet.