Primary Heads Meeting Summer Term 2013

Open Schools East

Annual Agenda Framework

• Provide a common agenda • maintain a balance of LA input, sharing best practice and discussion • Allow for Heads to input into future agendas

Priorities 2013-14 Performance

• • • Increase % of good and outstanding schools Maintain a high focus on monitoring of levels of attainment for all schools and settings in all key stages in Suffolk Continuing with the DFE Academisation programme for schools below floor thresholds and in Ofsted categories where appropriate

Partnership

• • • • Identify and share best practice Encourage and facilitate school to school CPD models Use research and development approaches that draw on best practice locally, nationally, internationally and share through Suffolk Learning Continue to work with other LAs to share and develop best practice across a range of school improvement activities

Equality and Achievement

• • • Increase registration for, and uptake of, free school meals and pupil premium Ensure Pupil Premium is used effectively to maximise achievement and to demonstrably impact on attainment Support and challenge schools in line with Narrowing the Gap strategy

System Leadership

• • • • To further develop the comprehensive programme of CPD for the schools’ workforce Building capacity to support system leadership in schools through the challenge partner programme Develop Suffolk School Improvement Groups (SSIGS) to pilot approaches based on national research, visits to other LAs and feedback from Suffolk Continue to develop the Federation and Partnership working

Primary Academy Update

5 converters 1 sponsored 2 applications for sponsored academies approved by DFE

Ofsted Outcomes

• • • • • Primary Inspections from January to end of May 24 schools inspected 1 Outstanding – Hopton CEVC Primary 15 Good 8 Requires Improvement No schools have gone into a category during this period (We have 6 schools in an ofsted category)

Since January

• 12 out of 24 schools inspected have improved the overall effectiveness grading • 11 have stayed the same • 1 has moved down a grade

Current Ofsted – all primary schools

• • • • 15.7% Outstanding 57.5% Good 24% RI / satisfactory 2.8% Category Suffolk: 73.2% Good or better National average (data view) 74%

Most Common Key Issues

• • • • • • Marking – mentioned in 15 out of 24 reports Nursery or Reception issues - 7 reports Sharing good practice within school and with other schools – 6 Subject leaders monitoring – 5 Matching work to ability levels and more able challenge – 5 Governor challenge - 3

Role of HMI in RI Schools

• • • • • Initial monitoring 4-6 weeks after inspection HMI will recommend whether or not further monitoring visits and/or other activity should occur to encourage the school’s improvement RI schools invited to a regional Getting to Good seminar with HMIs leading LA invited to attend HMI seeking to join up with LA support for RI schools

School Bands for Support 2013

• • • Why do we band schools in this way?

Local Authority have a statutory duty to monitor the performance of all schools including academies.

LA required to have a SI strategy. The banding system is part of the SI strategy.

Banding allows LIS to target support appropriately.

Why Change?

• simplify the system • align more closely with government policy – increase % pupils attending good school • Closer alignment with Ofsted

Proposed Bands for Support

1. Outstanding at last Ofsted 2. Good at last Ofsted and standards maintained or improved 3. Good at last Ofsted but declining standards and vulnerable to RI 4. Satisfactory or require improvement at last Ofsted 5. Below floor standard 6. Ofsted category

Your views

• • • • Does this banding feel equitable and fair?

Is it easily understood?

Can you foresee any possible tensions? What are they?

How should improving /declining trends be defined, bearing in mind we haven’t got published progress data for reading and writing?

Families of Suffolk Schools 'Working together for Suffolk Children'

• • • •

Since its inception this ‘solution group’ has:

Consulted widely & researched new ways for groups of schools to work together Promoted School Improvement Case Studies Reported on LIS study visit to Merseyside Established first phase of ‘Suffolk School Improvement Groups’.

Suffolk School Improvement Groups

• • • • Typically 3-6 schools work together on progress and attainment issues Emphasis on improvement in English and Mathematics Funding is available for up to 40 groups this school year Groups may be organised around existing cluster arrangements or they may be more widely based

Suffolk School Improvement Groups

• • • • They can involve partner schools e.g. from outside the LA, academies, free schools Each group is led by a coordinator headteacher (with funding) More details on our website including full guidance document Contact [email protected]

Web site:

http://www.suffolklearning.co.uk/content.asp?did=6729

http://www.suffolklearning.co.uk/content.asp?did=6783

LA Study Visit to North West Liverpool and Knowsley

• A team from the Learning and Improvement Service made a two day research visit to Liverpool and Knowsley in February • A follow up report with recommendations was made to the LA

Why Liverpool and Knowsley? Background Information Local Authority Suffolk Liverpool Knowsley

* Official Ofsted figures to July 2012.

Schools Number of Schools(all) School Population 344 173 63 Learners 99, 126 67, 266 21, 283 KS2 Level 4 (2012) English & Maths 74% 79% 82% Ofsted Outcomes Area Free School Meals % Primary schools Good or Outstanding 13.6% 32.4% 33.0% 61%* 77%* 89% Square miles 1489 43 33

Liverpool & Knowsley- Improvement Over 5 years

85 70 65 80 75 60 55 50 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Suffolk Liverpool Knowsley National

Research Findings - Liverpool

• • • • Local Authority has the capacity to monitor and be involved with all schools High level of top slicing to fund School Improvement Service. Transparent business case made to schools Strong School Improvement Partner (SIP) role maintained for all schools (5 days) SIP role key in their improvement

Research Findings - Liverpool

• • • • Strong action to support and challenge underachievement No schools in a ‘category’ (last 2 years) Strong level of support / challenge for Ofsted grade 3 schools Aim to push on and support good schools to become outstanding

Research Findings - Liverpool

• • • • Very strong Relationships LA Schools Strong ethos of collective responsibility for ‘Liverpool Children’ Ambition, confidence and pride in progress made Networking with other nearby LAs, teaching schools, ITT - pooling of ideas and good practice

Research Findings - Knowsley

• • ‘School Improving School System’ Improvement led by a system of collaboratives and clusters with Headteachers leading challenge Clusters focus on teaching, learning, outcomes and priorities are identified from data at each milestone – EYFS, KS1, KS2, Ofsted, attendance

Research Findings - Knowsley

• • • • • Clusters organise CPD & focused visits to meet professional development needs.

Strong exchange of effective practice Strong networking with other nearby LAs, teaching schools, ITT Improvement due to ‘many small marginal gains’ May lack capacity to support vulnerable schools

Key Recommendations arising

1. Introduce ‘CHALLENGE PARTNERS’ for schools, involving LIS team and LLEs with strong track record of school improvement. Three main themes: data analysis, quality of teaching and learning and leadership.

2. SUFFOLK SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GROUPS

Building on existing good practice, establish groups of schools working together to raise standards and progress.

Key Recommendations arising 3.

‘ONE SUFFOLK’ Build an ethos of working together in the interests of ‘Suffolk Children’ Break down any ‘them and us’ perceptions between the LA and Schools Promote ‘good news stories’ about collaboration 4. MARGINAL GAINS Investigate ‘marginal gains’ referred to by Knowsley headteachers.

Study Visits - Future Study Visit?

Case Study – Effective Feedback

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• • •

The Importance of Feedback

Strong research evidence that effective feedback makes a real difference to progress Children and adults can be strongly influenced by the feedback they receive Scores highly in Educational Research of classroom effectiveness

Case Study – Effective Feedback

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• • • •

The Importance of Feedback

A key aspect of ‘Assessment for Learning’ Ofsted – strong focus on feedback in school inspection It should be meaningful and useful to the child, relating to the success criteria and next steps for learning Children should give their feedback and responses

School Organisation Review Update June 2013

Programme Timetable

2013 - Sudbury and Great Cornard 2014 – Thurston 2015 - Stowmarket and Stowupland 2016 - Bury St Edmunds

Sudbury Thurston Stowmarket/Stowupland

Present position

Middle schools closure process in place Phased transition of Yrs 7,8,9 into secondary schools this term Yrs 5/6 in primaries Sep 2013 Building projects complete Independent school taking over Stoke by Nayland MS Yr 5s stay on in primaries in Sep 2013 Middle schools close 2014 Free school on Ixworth MS site agreed TCC 6 th form at Beyton MS Pupil transition arrangements agreed Tailored CPD support for staff in middle schools to encourage redeployment Year 5s stay on in primary schools Sep 2014 Middle schools close 2015 Building projects planned New 315 place VA primary at Combs Ford

Bury St Edmunds

• • • • New team formed to support the reorganisation process in Bury Working closely with Bury Partnership and Catholic pyramid Planning for public consultation in autumn this year (October-December) with Cabinet decision in April 2014 Finalising options for individual schools now and we will be seeking expressions of interest to establish a new 11-16 x 600 place Academy later this term

Contacts

Joy Stodart: Project Lead ( [email protected]

; 01284 758829/07575190911) Lisa Grove: Project Coordinator ( [email protected]

; 01284 758917/07702958722) Sonia Docherty: HR Manager ( [email protected]

; 01473 260819/07887832975) Debbie de Cova: Resource Manager ( [email protected]

; 01284 758834/07872676941) Paul Calver: School Organisation Review Adviser (Secondary) (paul.calver

@suffolk.gov.uk

; 01473 263985/ 07557 536 957) Alex Bedford: School Organisation Review Adviser (Primary) (alex.bedford

@suffolk.gov.uk

; 01473 263961/ 07545 422 445)