Trying To Make Sense Of It All An Exercise in Futility? Dave Farrow Head of Commissioning – Educational Outcomes

A Simple Life DfE LA Schools First/Infant/Junior/Primary/ Middle/Secondary/Maintained/ VC/VA/Federations Ofsted

A Life Less Simple DfE LA Maintained Schools (182, of which 102 are VC or VA) Regional Schools Commissioner Academy Chains/Multi Academy Trusts (8) MAT Schools (29) Individual academies/ free schools (40) Ofsted

Statutory duty “to promote high standards so that children and young people achieve well and fulfil their potential” 1996 Education Act To act as the champion of children and families (The Importance of Teaching 2010) Requirement to monitor challenge support and intervene still applies (Statutory Guidance 2015) SEND Reforms extend age of entitlement to 25 LA statutory duties in relation to RPA and monitoring NEETs remain Responsible for ensuring sufficiency of places Ofsted expectations of LAs remains high The Role of the LA

What will an Ofsted inspection of LA school improvement want to know How effective is Corporate and strategic leadership of school improvement? How well does the local authority know its schools, their performance and the standards the pupils achieve in particular vulnerable groups? What measures are in place to support and challenge schools (including governors) and how do they meet the needs of schools? What is the impact of the local authority support and challenge over time to help schools improve? How effective are commissioning arrangements?

What Do We Know? Multi Remit Inspection October 2014 –Insufficient knowledge of schools strengths and weaknesses –Insufficient support and challenge to early years sector –Improvement in secondary sector too slow –Schools judged as Requiring Improvement not narrowing the gap in performance effectively

The Next Five Years Good primary school place for every child (zero tolerance of failure) Expand NLE programme to take control of failing primary schools Every ‘failing and coasting’ secondary school to become an academy Expand academies/free schools etc Force coasting schools to accept new leadership RI schools to convert to academies

What Next? Develop and Publish an Improving Outcomes Strategy in two phases: –Phase 1 (a) – development and publication of Schools QA Policy – in place by September –Phase 1 (b) –Quick and dirty focussed on priorities agreed with Compact in place by September –Phase 2 – development of a vision for education and a more holistic strategy for achieving that

Phase 1–Improving Outcomes Strategy Importance of effective system led improvement All schools Good or Outstanding by (2018?) Improved ‘school readiness’ Ongoing improvement in outcomes in all phases Narrowing the gap for vulnerable groups (Pupil Premium/ CLA/SEN/EAL) Improving outcomes for the most able Addressing rurality issues Building the capacity/capability of effective school to school support (RAPs/NLEs/LLEs/teaching schools etc) Developing effective monitoring/accountability systems Making best use of available resources

Phase 1 Monitoring/QA Systems All schools categorised according to analysis of data and knowledge of schools Categorisation determines levels of monitoring and support Concerns addressed through escalation process where necessary If concerns remain options of exercising intervention powers for maintained schools or referral to RSC/Ofsted for academies

Phase 2 – Establishing The Vision for Education in Somerset What is our ambition for the County? What do we know about our future needs? What do our children and young people tell us? What does the JSNA tell us? What are businesses and industry telling us? How do we want our education system to meet the identified needs? How do engage effectively with a mixed economy of provision?

The LA Role Going Forward Providing leadership in developing and delivering the education vision in Somerset Ensuring high educational standards are secured in all schools Ensuring the availability of a good or outstanding school place for every child Safeguarding the more vulnerable including through closing the ‘achievement gap’ Championing all Somerset children and families Convening partnerships that will most benefit Somerset’s children and families, and Commissioning high quality services

Where Does The Challenge Fit? The key facilitator/driver of system led improvement in the secondary sector A partner in the development and the delivery of the vision and strategy for education in Somerset Monitoring and reporting on progress and performance of schools through the Board and SPG Shared activities/information informs LA QA Activities delivered through SSE

Where next? Impact, impact, impact Explore opportunities for greater synergy with other phase RAPS Consider the role of teaching schools in the delivery of the Improvement Strategy Even more focus on narrowing gaps Future shape of school system in Somerset – proactive or reactive?

SEN&D Review Area of InterestDeliverablesPurpose Universal and targeted provision Inclusion statement Expectations document (graduated response) Role of keyworker INMS Placement and provision audit and review process Model for QA process Consistent, clear and shared understanding supports increased confidence and ease of access to information for parent carers Education Support Services Mapping current offer Purpose, outcomes and impact document Options appraisal – models of delivery Model for QA process Shared understanding of role and impact of support services informs transparent commissioning arrangements Specialist provision Infrastructure reviewed and clarified Place commissioning arrangements Model for QA process Options appraisal – 16+ provision A clear infrastructure for our specialist provision with supporting processes ensures effective use of specialist provision Fair and transparent funding distribution supports the whole system RP/0515b022edp