METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WIRRAL EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING SELECT COMMITTEE 12 MARCH 2003 EXCELLENCE IN WIRRAL: ANNUAL REPORT, 2001 – 2002 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 This report sets out the successes in the second year of Excellence in Wirral, which has developed in complexity as the government’s policy for the Excellence in Cities initiative, and the rest of its diversity agenda, evolves. Funding has been guaranteed up to 2006, although the detail of the Spending Review will not be known until the Autumn. As a phase 2 Partnership, we expect to receive a primary roll-out, which will bring the 3 main strands (Gifted and Talented, Learning Mentors and Learning Support Units) into a small number of the most disadvantaged primary schools. No details are available as yet. The considerable resources allocated to Excellence in Cities are attached to highly structured programmes and challenging targets. The overall target of 52% grades A* - C at GCSE, with 53.8% of pupils achieving top GCSE grades for 2002, was exceeded. (See Appendix 1 for a full breakdown of Wirral and individual school targets for EiC.) 1.1 The DfES monitors the progress towards targets closely, as well as the progress and activity within the strands, in particular the Gifted and Talented strand, and Excellence Challenge. This annual report outlines the progress made and future priorities in each of the 8 strands, with a clear indication of both internal and external evaluation where relevant. It will be sent to the DfES, as well as forming part of local evaluation. The Select Committee is asked to note this report. THE SECOND YEAR Leadership and Management 2.0 The Partnership has been extended, and now comprises all secondary headteachers, mainstream and special; the 2 college principals; a representative of the Primary Heads Consultation Group, (who also sits on the Specialist Strand Steering Group representing all Beacon schools); and 3 LEA officers (the Senior Inspector Secondary, one primary general inspector and the general inspector for Lifelong Learning). The monthly Partnership meetings are well attended. The meetings were chaired in this academic year by the chair of Wirral Association of Secondary Headteachers. Important decisions about allocation of resources, such as the second phase of specialist colleges, including the new specialisms, are taken by this group. 2.1 All the strands have steering groups, supported by EiC team members, which are chaired by headteachers, and the bulk of the debate is done here, and proposals brought to the Partnership for decision-making. As the Partnership matures, chairs of the steering groups, and other members, are taking on a more proactive role monitoring and challenging their colleagues. The two steering groups for Gifted and Talented and Excellence Challenge were combined during the year, as there is so much common ground and overlap between the two strands. Representatives from Connexions and the Learning and Skills Council join others from a range of schools, and the 2 colleges, on the group. A steering group for the 3 City Learning Centres (CLCs) was established during the year, and is ensuring the development of joint working, common principles and working practices, with the 3 CLCs working together where appropriate in order to maximise the benefit to all Wirral schools of this wonderful resource. MS1725/JM 1 2.2 The Specialist Strand Steering group has grown in size over the year, and its role has developed. Representatives of all specialist schools, CLC managers, EAZ Directors, a Beacon schools representative, the G&T strand coordinator and a primary general inspector attend monthly meetings, chaired by the EiC Manager. Networking, interweaving the strands, and assisting the dissemination and sharing of good practice, particularly across all Wirral secondary schools, are key functions of the group. A major priority is the management of the impact on primary schools as the number of specialist schools grows, the CLCs open, and the demands on colleagues’ time and expertise increases. We want to see as fair a distribution of opportunities for primary schools as is feasible, whilst avoiding overload, and yet to ensure as many Primary Schools as possible gain from EiC. 2.3 Excellence in Wirral is characterised by a strong ethos of collaboration across the diversity of Wirral schools and colleges via clusters and networks in all the strands, and at different levels. This is underlined by EiC being closely integrated into broader LEA structures, such as the School Effectiveness Group and Secondary Team, and the work of specific general inspectors who make a valuable contribution: for example GI Resources in the area of building the CLCs; GI Primary for his work with the EAZ Directors and the Specialist Strand, and GI MFL for leading subject inspectors in the development of strategies appropriate for challenging Gifted and Talented pupils within the curriculum. 2.4 There were opportunities provided by links with the National College for School Leadership’s EiC initiative for colleagues to attend 2 day workshops on building the capacity for leadership within the entire senior management team. 16 schools took advantage of this much valued opportunity, including some special schools. Other professional development, for heads of department, will result from Wirral being invited to join the second phase of the EiC Lead Department initiative, which has been piloted by 5 LEAs. Details of new leadership ‘strand’ within EiC have not been made clear as yet, but it will bring considerable extra funds into Excellence in Wirral. Time for the management of EiC within schools remains a difficulty; it is a complex and demanding initiative which requires coordination and interweaving at all levels to gain maximum impact. 2.5 Establishing monitoring and evaluation procedures which are manageable and provide relevant information has been a priority this year. Both Gifted and Talented and Excellence Challenge coordinators have submitted their annual reports, and school self evaluation (SSE) proformas have been piloted in G&T. DfES requirements for Excellence Challenge are only just finalised, and so their self evaluation documents are still in preparation. In the Learning Mentor and Learning Support Unit strands, we are awaiting national tools for SSE. Local monitoring has happened in the LM strand, with the piloting of a data collection system in the spring term, which delivered a wealth of interesting information (see Appendix 18). Local evaluation of the Learning Support Units followed from an external consultant who evaluated the LSUs in Halton and Wirral (see Appendices 23 and 24). He is also undertaking a longitudinal study of both EAZs; the first part is published here as Appendices 29 and 30. His report on the specialist schools of Halton and Wirral schools is yet to be completed by the addition of 3 case studies on good practice in the more problematic aspects of raising sponsorship, working with other secondary schools and work with the community. PROGRESS TO TARGETS 3.0 Schools with Learning Support Units (LSUs) were required to set targets related to the number of permanent exclusions, fixed term exclusions, percentage of Year 11 pupils achieving 5 or more A* - C grades, percentage of Year 11 pupils achieving 1 or more A - G grades, average points score, unauthorised absence, and total attendance. All MS1725/JM 2 schools were also required to set additional targets related to the Gifted and Talented strand, which focused on the percentage of A* and A grades at GCSE, the number of GCSE examinations taken before Y11, and raised standards at KS3. The overall target set in the EDP for all secondary mainstream schools had to be set in the knowledge of the additionality provided by the extra resource of EiC. 3.1 See Appendices 1a – 1d for a complete set of data. LSU targets 3.2 GCSE targets: this has been another successful year for Wirral. Final figures may amend the details, but the data available at present indicates that the overall target of 52% Year 11 pupils achieving 5 or more A* - C grades for all mainstream secondary schools has been met and exceeded (53.8%). As last year, 10 of the 16 schools with a Learning Support Unit met or exceeded their targets ( the range of those exceeding their targets is between +1% to +9%.) Looking at the figures for all Wirral secondary schools, 14 increased their results for 5 or more top grades at GCSE, in the range of +I% to +9%, and 2 schools maintained their 2001 figure. The overall target for Y11 pupils achieving 1 A* - G was met (95.9%), with 13 schools meeting the target and 4 exceeding it. Of those schools who did not meet their target, the range was in –1% to –9%. Wirral’s target for the average points score of 40.6 was exceeded at 41.2 points per pupil, 9 of the LSU schools met and exceeded their target. The removal of pupils with severe behavioural problems from the classroom into the LSU has clearly had an impact on attainment. 3.3 Figures for permanent exclusions are reasonably positive. The overall figure for permanent exclusions in those schools with a Learning Support Unit was 26, which is an increase in permanent exclusions by one since 2001. The overall target of reducing permanent exclusions has not been met, but schools have maintained the present relatively low figures, in the face of a tiny minority of difficult pupils. 8 of the LSU schools met their targets on exclusion. 7 schools with a LSU have increased their exclusions since 2001; many of the excluded pupils have had no connection with the LSU. 3.4 A total of 93 fixed term exclusions of 6 days or more were given across Wirral; one school was responsible for 25, another 22.