the changing role of local authorities ... - inside government · • development of coventry...
TRANSCRIPT
www.coventry.gov.uk
Successful partnership working enables children, young people and
adults to access high quality education and learning, develop
resilience, make positive life choices and contribute to a vibrant
Coventry city
Kirston Nelson
Director of Education, Libraries & Adult Learning
(Coventry City Council)
www.coventry.gov.uk
Background and context
Coventry Position 2012
• Coventry cited in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspectors annual report on
account of poor primary school performance
• Council commissioned external review of arrangements for school
improvement – recommendations included new model for school
improvement utilising school to school approach
• Ofsted Focused Inspection of Coventry Schools – March 2013
• Development of Coventry School Improvement Strategy 2012-2015:
focus on school to school support via primary networks and LA
monitoring and support via Coventry Improvement Partners
www.coventry.gov.uk
Coventry Position June 2015
• Approx 80% pupils attending G/ OS Primary Schools –
renewed focus on harder to shift schools (12% Academies)
SI Model development - collective moral purpose & accountability
Increased Rigour/ Framework Development/ Building Capacity
Coventry Improvement Partners shift from providing support and
evaluation to monitoring officers allowing schools to provide
support
• Approx 53% pupils attending G/ OS Secondary Schools
Fragmentation of partnership & relationship with LA
Request for central leadership & drive
Co-construction of Secondary School Improvement Model with LA
enabling infrastructure despite 75% Academies
www.coventry.gov.uk Secondary Partnership Structure and Organisation
January 2016
A
MAT (2) Lead 3 Convertors 1 Maintained
B MAT (1) Lead 1 RSA School 2 Maintained
1 Catholic MAC
1 UTC
Secondary School Improvement Board
C MAT (2 + 1FS)
Lead 1 x Free School
2 x Convertor Academies
D
MAT (2) Lead 2 Maintained
(1 VA) 1 Convertor
Oversees the effectiveness of all collaboratives
Ensures collaboratives establish and maintain an approved constitution
Ensures appropriate schools are in receipt of support
Ensures LA funding is used effectively
Monitors and evaluates the impact of support in schools
Disseminates a profile of success and good practice across the city
Provides peer mentoring, challenge and evaluation for Chairs
Provides support, challenge and evaluation for the LA in relation to school improvement
Local Authority Provides the enabling infrastructure
Provides liaison with Collaboratives, RSC, DfE, elected members and other agencies
Provides funding to support the strategy
Co-ordinates communication between schools, Collaboratives and the secondary SIB
Issues, monitors and evaluates formal agreements with collaboratives
Works with collaboratives to create a system to identify schools at risk of underperforming and those offering good practice
Provides appropriate information for collaboratives
Evaluates the effectiveness of the strategy in supporting improving standards and value for money
Ensures compliance with statutory duties, including statutory intervention
Education
Standards Board
Political interface with Director and LA officers
Evaluates the effectiveness of challenge delivered by the strategy
Makes clear judgements about the impact of the strategy
Challenges proposed strategic and/or structural solutions for schools causing concern
Secondary Executive
Secondary Partnership
Collaboratives 2015-16 Chairs
Co-designs the structure and
organisation of the secondary partnership
Represents views of HTs contributing to decision making
Acts as a consultative group on a range of issues
Plans partnership agendas
Early help
strategy
Co-constructs the strategic direction of secondary educational provision across the city
Considers the impact of the national agenda on local provision
Shares best practice across Collaboratives
Consults and agrees on partnership policy development in all aspects of the service
Receives information about a range of services/providers (marketplace)
Meeting format: o updates – national & local o marketplace (coffee break) o collaborative working on
topic/issue/theme
Curriculum
SEND and
Inclusion
Safeguarding
Finance
www.coventry.gov.uk
Coventry: Current Position
Pupils attending good or outstanding provision:
- Over 91% of pupils attending G/ OS primary schools
(National 86%)
- Over 67% of pupils attending G/ OS secondary
schools (National 78%)
- 100% of pupils attending G/ OS special schools up
from 75% in 2015 (National 79%)
- Overall 82.5 % of pupils now attend a G/ OS school –
up from 58% in July 2012 (National 83%)
www.coventry.gov.uk
Coventry: Current Position
Refreshed approach to partnership working with a focus
on co-design & production
- School Improvement Model – LA enabling
infrastructure of choice
- School Organisation Strategic Planning
- SEND Demand Mapping/ Specialist provision &
support services
- LAC Education Offer
- Primary & Secondary Behaviour Pathways
- Early Help – schools as co-deliverers not receivers
- Education Service Re-design
www.coventry.gov.uk
Impact of National position on Coventry
May
2010
March
2016
203
2022
5,170
(Approx. 50% of
English Secondaries
and approx. 10% of
primaries)
• Government commitment to Academy conversion
by 2022 – Coventry high % secondary/ low %
primary
• Significant impact anticipated on school budgets as
an impact of National Funding Formula
• Anticipated £3m grant (ESG/ DSG) cut on top of
required savings
• National Curriculum & Skills replacement demands
disconnect
• LA committed to role in local education
• Despite movements to allow Local Authorities to run
Multi-Academy Trusts and Coventry’s significant
improvement the performance threshold is unclear
Approx.
24,000?
National - Number of Academies
www.coventry.gov.uk
Changing role of LA in Educational
Services - Local Position
• Political - against enforced academisation and enforced free schools
• Pragmatism - whilst Government agenda is still towards change of local
authority role, there is a 6-year academy conversion lead-in time
– Coasting criteria
– RSCs responsibility for RI schools
– Financial vulnerability
• Partnership - Coventry schools want to retain Coventry family of schools and
refuse to allow this to fragment the Coventry partnership the appetite to use
this as an opportunity to strengthen/secure the LA/ school & broader
partnership
• Positive - Relationship and new ways of working between LA/ RSC/ DfE and
Ofsted improving
www.coventry.gov.uk
Next steps
Coventry family of schools
• Focus on creating strong and secure local system to manage
these changes. Do we have enough local solutions to prevent
enforcement?
• Need to maximise funding in the system to target young people
• LA role to support schools to have a choice
• Need to avoid unintended system consequences
• Work together to make the most of our Coventry family of schools and control our own destiny
www.coventry.gov.uk
Next Steps
Explore alternative models with the LA entering into a formal
partnership with Coventry school partnerships to deliver statutory &
traded services for the future to:
• Create collective ownership through a Coventry partnership
approach
• Maximise freedom and flexibilities
• Identify schools experiencing better quality of service/ meeting their
needs
• Explore potential opportunity for a ‘Coventry MAT’
• Opportunity for growth to effectively invest
back into Coventry schools
• Be more sustainable in tough financial context