Back on track, stay on track

Taking the opportunities, rising to the challenges Sue Morris-King HMI

3 July 2009

Current opportunities and challenges – what are they?

Some new opportunities…… 21

st

century schools

  Contributes with others to all aspects of a child’s well-being, including  Excellent personalised education with effective strategies for narrowing the gap Tackling impact of disadvantage on a child’s learning and progress Ensuring that every child has someone to monitor his/her progress, set challenging goals and respond quickly if difficulties emerge  Contributes with others to safeguarding and promoting health, social and emotional development, e.g. through focus on prevention and early identification and access to a core offer of extended services Add presentation title to master slide | 3

21

st

century schools

Underpinning this are:    Work with parents Other effective partnerships Development of the workforce and leadership with a focus on ensuring the well-being of pupils Add presentation title to master slide | 4

Back on Track vision:

 High quality provision that better meets the range of pupils’ needs, is more responsive and leads to better outcomes for young people.  Closer partnership working between alternative provision and schools as well as with other service providers to facilitate early intervention and provide young people with more integrated support.

 Better professional support for those working in this sector and better accommodation.  Government committed to supporting innovation and learning from what works.

Add presentation title to master slide | 5

New Ofsted framework:

 Judging progress:‘….the progress made by different groups, particularly…’  Grade descriptor for curriculum (satisfactory): ‘Provision for potentially vulnerable pupils is satisfactory.’  Working towards a final judgement: ‘inspectors should evaluate the outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils at all stages of their education’.

 Capacity to improve includes ‘the extent to which there have been sustained improvements in outcomes for pupils, including those for individuals and different groups’  Overall effectiveness: inspectors should evaluate how well the school meets the needs of all pupils and demonstrates it has the capacity for sustained improvement.

Add presentation title to master slide | 6

Learning environments for pupil referral units (DfES 2007)

Essential that:  there is good quality accommodation to provide for pupils’ entitlement to a broad, balanced and relevant education, and to support their well-being.’  staff should have good working conditions and for parents or visitors to have appropriate access.

 PRUs should present a positive image to the community they serve and reflect the significance of their role in the education of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

Add presentation title to master slide | 7

Increasingly high profile of mental health needs

 ‘A significant number of pupils who behave badly in schools are likely to be suffering from mental illness. In the past this has not been sufficiently recognised with the result that children’s needs have been neglected.’  ‘The provision of CAMHS support is particularly important for Pupil Referral Units and other forms of alternative provision.’ Learning Behaviour: lessons learned – Sir Alan Steer, 2009 Add presentation title to master slide | 8

‘Local areas have to understand the needs of all their children and young people – at population and individual level – and engage effectively with children, young people and their families in developing approaches to meet those needs. For parents, carers, children and young people, this means being listened to, knowing what is available and being able to access help quickly and in places they choose to go to.’ CAMHS Review 2008

….and some old challenges

      Difficult to get information and/or work from schools Getting pupils back into school, and succeeding once there Having confidence in being able to demonstrate how your pupils achieve Always needing to think broadly and creatively Working in isolation – as an institution, as an individual Rewarding but emotionally draining Add presentation title to master slide | 10

Rising to the challenges

The characteristics of 12 outstanding schools

The schools:  excel at what they do, not just occasionally but for a high proportion of the time.

 prove constantly that disadvantage need not be a barrier to achievement  put students first, invest in their staff and nurture their communities.

 have strong values and high expectations that are applied consistently and never relaxed.

Add presentation title to master slide | 12

They:  operate with a very high degree of internal consistency.

 are constantly looking for ways to improve further.

‘Their achievements do not happen by chance, but by highly reflective, carefully planned and implemented strategies which serve these schools well in meeting the many challenges which

obstruct the path to success.’

Twelve outstanding secondary schools: excelling against the odds – Ofsted 2009 Add presentation title to master slide | 13

Challenge yourselves to:

 change practice within your school or centre  change practice (and attitudes?) with partner schools and within the local authority   really challenge your pupils demonstrate how you meet the raised expectations (national context, Ofsted)  become outstanding or sustain excellence  Bullet 3 Add presentation title to master slide | 14

Taking the opportunities

( and taking on the world…)

Your aims:

 We strive to raise the standards of education for young people who are temporarily or permanently disadvantaged by illness or other medical or mental health conditions.

 We actively promote our children and young people's entitlement to high quality educational opportunities.

 We support our members in continuing professional development to achieve these high standards.

Add presentation title to master slide | 16

 

Be up to date

 Curriculum and qualifications – are they fit for purpose?

 What do you know about the Back on Track innovation pilots? How could you benefit – or contribute?

 Learn from national and local evidence and use this to shape developments Use research Network with each other – but also with mainstream Add presentation title to master slide | 17

  

Know and use the legislation and policies:

  know what your pupils’ rights are challenge schools to work with you partnership working will be evaluated in framework inform and challenge the LA empower parents use the language Add presentation title to master slide | 18

“If you do one thing, just get people who know what they are doing to work together better.”

A father, responding to the CAMHS review

   

Be at the forefront, not in the background:

Where are you in the LA’s training plan for schools? Are you part of networks, pyramids, conferences? Behaviour and attendance partnerships – how can they support you? And how can you support them?

Model good practice to others, for example in multi-agency working Contact national leaders and policy makers to show your own good practice Add presentation title to master slide | 20