Transcript No Slide Title

Working Together for
Norfolk’s Young People
Gordon Boyd
12 November 2011
A quick look at
• The new roles of schools and the LA
• Norfolk clusters
• Norfolk Academies
Who’s in charge around here?
‘Many believe that 80 per cent or more
of secondary schools in their area will
choose to convert to academy status
within three years. Academies are
schools that are funded and
accountable to the Secretary of State
for Education, not local councils.’
Keeping you
topped up
Mike Baker asks of Mr Gove…..
…..but would he have won such
enthusiastic backing by promising to
"nationalise" schools?
A caveat
Local authorities have not controlled schools for
many years. Their main task has been to work with
Governors, Heads and communities on the strategic
functions that individual schools cannot easily or
efficiently do themselves. These include :
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Tackling coasting schools
Admissions
Attendance
Special needs provision
Dealing with fluctuating demographic demand.
Nationalisation?
“Now, of course, ministers insist they are not
running schools, but are creating a market in
which consumer satisfaction determines
which will flourish and which will have to
change their ways. But markets need
regulation to ensure that standards are met
and to prevent a few big players creating a
monopoly by forcing out smaller providers.”
The Local ‘system’?
“If the government does not want to waste
money on surplus places, and wants to raise
standards at coasting schools, it will need a
strong local monitoring body. It increasingly
looks as if it must accept, however quietly,
that it really does need those very local
education authorities that it has spent so long
bashing.”
Nick Clegg to the rescue?
“As academies become more
commonplace, and eventually the norm,
we will make sure people do not lose
their voice over what local schools
provide. So we will need to develop a
new role and relationship between
schools, central and local government…
admissions/SEN/ fairer funding/ new
providers/holding to account …..”
The importance of local
stakeholders
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The LA and School Governors have
mutual interest in
Promoting the best teaching and
learning for young people
Sharpening leadership and
management
Minimising risks
Making best use of available funds
The Importance of Teaching
“In a more autonomous school system,
local authorities have an indispensable
role to play as champions of children
and parents, ensuring that the school
system works for every family and using
their democratic mandate to challenge
every school to do the best for their
population.”
Championing families
• Local authorities will have a strong
strategic role as champions for parents
and families, for vulnerable pupils and
of educational excellence
• Governors play the same role for their
own school and for their own
communities
The LA will
• Support parents and families through
promoting a good supply of strong schools –
encouraging the development of Academies
and Free Schools which reflect the local
community.
• Ensure fair access to all schools for every
child.
• Use their democratic mandate to stand up for
the interests of parents and children.
and ….
• Support vulnerable pupils – including
LAC, those with SEN, those at risk of
NEET and those outside mainstream
education.
• Support maintained schools
performing below the floor standards
to improve quickly or convert to Academy
status with a strong sponsor
• Develop their own school improvement
strategies
Freedom
Fairness
Responsibility
Coordinating our efforts
• We will provide a better education
system by working together
• System leadership for our communities
is best shared between the LA,
Governors and Headteachers
• Far better to work together in managing
risks and tackling under-performance
Building bridges
Building bridges
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Clusters
14-19 LOPs
EiC and EAZ
Behaviour Partnerships
Extended Services partnerships
Academy and other Trusts and Federations
Sixth Form partnerships
Functional arrangements for finance, HR,
payroll, capital
A vision
Vision for Norfolk schools
• Attainment : as high a standard for all
learners as possible
• Achievement : best possible progress by
each child
• Accountability : confident leadership that
knows the progress the school is making
• Inclusive : beacon of excellence for every
learner
The Norfolk network
• Strong associations : unions, properly
constituted Head and Governor associations
• Active partnerships that both support and
challenge : geographical cluster, functional
partnerships, strategic partnerships
• High levels of involvement by all schools in
developing policy and strategy
Developing a new strategy for
clusters in Norfolk
• Norfolk Cluster, klus’ter, n. = a geographical
group of primary schools with the high school
that they ‘feed’ together with any local
children’s centre or special school
• The building block in schools providing
mutual support and in providing equality of
access for every learner in a geographical
patch
• Prominence of learners, not schools
Current position
• No longer exclusively to do with catchment
areas although transition remains an
important theme
• Funding streams – Parent Support Advisers,
extended schools, disadvantage subsidy,
SEN – through cluster. £5.5M not ring-fenced
• Different forms of inter-school collaboration
(Exec Headship, hard and soft federation) as
part of clusters
Why develop now?
• Greater autonomy of schools gives great
potential for collaboration to school leaders
• Also poses greater risk of fragmentation of
the local ‘system’
• Desire to delegate increasing funding and
doing so to individual (small) schools would
not produce economy of scales
• Big and small; intrinsic and extrinsic
Need for cluster governance
• Oversight of funds
• Appropriate governor involvement in
appointments
• Regular reports to Governing Body
• Discussion forum on strategic
developments including school
organisation issues
• Cluster Governors’ Committee
With greater autonomy …
• Collaborative focus on raising standards
• Local solutions to local issues
• More cross-phase projects including
with Children’s Centre or Academy
Trust
• More efficient, effective support services
• New inclusive curriculum 0-19
• School improvement support
To run effectively …..
• Agreement to work together for the well being
of the children in the area
• All Heads demonstrate they value the cluster
• Strong governance and links with each
Governing Body
• Effective communications
• Enhanced admin support
• Named links with LA officers and teams
• Become commissioners of services …..
Options for clusters
1. Status quo
2. 5 or 6 large groupings based on
General Practitioner consortia
3. 9 or 10 within CS three new divisions
4. New clusters formed by amalgamating
existing clusters
Academies in Norfolk
Academies in Norfolk
• 2008 approach to sponsored Academies
• Neutral approach to ‘converter’ Academies
• Need to recognise and work within current
Government policy for Academies
• Respond to individual schools or seek to
shape developments?
• New NCC policy needed due to considerable
pressure on schools to become Academies
Current state of play
• Six original sponsored Academies
replaced seven High Schools
• 9 converter Academies of which 2 are
primary. A further 8 have applied or are
consulting.
• One free school open
• Bids for University Technical College,
Studio School and a further free school
Key points
• Power of Academy chains
• Little choice for underperforming schools
• Use of Free Schools
Expectation of LA that schools will work
collaboratively in the interests of children and
local community whatever their status or
totally autonomous schools
Academy funding
• Commitment by Ministers to ‘funding Academies
at levels equivalent to other schools in the same
LA with similar characteristics.’
• Budget share : normal share of DSG except for
AY and based on previous year’s LA formula
• School element of LACSEG – Schools Forum
• LA element of LACSEG – top-sliced from LG
finance settlement
• Start up grant
• In current climate, decision is likely to be
financial, at least in part ….
Impact of Academy Funding
• No diminution to services to LA schools BUT
reduction in resources available
• System of predominantly Academies could
perversely limit choice and community
influence and reduce ability to improve
schools that are not academies
• Another reason for a strong Norfolk network
Options for NCC
1. Status quo : neutral responding to queries
2. Support broker : active seeking of sponsors
and partners once a school has made its
decision
3. Active influence with sponsors and chains
to shape strategic partnerships – existing,
new or grow our own
4. Help to create new trusts – existing, grow
your own, primary/secondary
Recommendations
• Special schools : further discussion with
schools in context of SEN strategy
• Primary schools : option 4
• Secondary schools : option 3
Links
Discussion paper on Norfolk’s Clusters
https://csapps.norfolk.gov.uk/csshared/ecourier
2/misheet.asp?misheetid=17880
Fair Funding Consultation for 2012/13
http://schools.norfolk.gov.uk/myportal/custom/fil
es_uploaded/subsection_files/75/docs/CONS
ULTATION_PAPER_2011_DRAFT_V2.doc
Academy paper for Children’s Services Panel
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/download/firecom021
111agendapdf
Norfolk’s Common Ground
• Enthusiasm, spirit, inventiveness, selfbelief ….. of Norfolk’s young people
• Stimulus, challenge and excitement of
Norfolk’s economy …in spite of
challenges
• The best provision and the right support
• Diversity through partnerships
• Support through very challenging times
Building bridges
= Learners First