Governor Update MAY

Excellence in Essex Evaluating the effectiveness of Essex Primary Schools RAG rating Providing challenge, support and intervention as required Notification of RAG rating – Summer and Autumn terms A RAGing exercise 2

Developing a School-led Improvement System in Essex A partnership between: Essex County Council Association of Secondary Heads in Essex Essex Primary Heads Association Essex Special Schools Education Trust Essex Schools Governors Association

What is a School-led Improvement System? White Paper – The Importance of Teaching 2010 –The Primary responsibility of school improvement rests with schools –The wider system should be designed so that the best schools and leaders take in greater responsibility, leading improvement work for the system as a whole David Hargreaves, National College July 2010 –Schools should form organic and sustainable improvement clusters which support each other, distribute innovation by sharing costs and transfer professional knowledge through joint mentoring, coaching and professional development. 4

What is a School-led Improvement System? National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers – DfE January 2015 Excellent headteachers – the self-improving school system Create outward facing schools which work with other schools and organisations – in a climate of mutual challenge – to champion best practice and secure excellent achievements for all pupils. East of England and North East London Headteachers’ Board, January 2015 Excellence as Standard The schools in the region – take significant and sustained steps towards being self-improving Increasing numbers of primary, special and secondary schools - particularly in mutually supportive clusters – as part of the self- improving system. 5

Process thus far Introductory sessions – February 2015 Engagement sessions – March 2015 Informal meetings with clusters/consortia Formation of a “Project Board” – May 2015 Headteacher conferences – May

Characteristics of an effective school partnership –Shared ambition - outcomes for all children including “narrowing the gap” & OFSTED outcomes (targets) –Monitoring of outcomes for children –Cross phase involvement –Mutual support and challenge –Accountability –Support in challenging circumstances –Innovation – responsive to address to locality issues –Links with TSAs and other providers –Engagement of governors 7

Current Partnerships Your school may be part of: –A Teaching School Alliance –A Local Delivery Group –A Multi Academy Trust –A Consortium/Cluster –A Diocesan Network –A Small Schools Cluster –A Finance Group 8

More than one partnership? SCHOOL Part of a federation / deep partnership with local schools Teaching School Alliance Partnership with local primary or secondary schools LDG / others 9 Core or home partnership

The role of the Local Authority The role of the LA is to facilitate and co-ordinate this change, leadership and vision must come from headteachers and governing bodies To provide data and intelligence to the school-led partnerships To advise, guide and quality assure the partnerships To monitor the performance of the partnerships across the whole of Essex To retain our statutory responsibilities for maintained schools but to exercise these powers with the partnership To maintain our relationship with Ofsted and with the Regional Schools Commissioner Officer in respect of academies 10

The Role of Headteachers and Governors To move from individual school outcomes to collective outcomes for children both at each school and within the school-led partnership To have the highest aspirations and expectations for all children within the partnership and to challenge when they are not met To share resources, best practice, teachers and other staff to help all schools on their improvement journey within the partnership To innovate and develop solutions around common challenges such as recruitment, curriculum, SEN provision, behaviour 11

For table discussion What partnerships are you currently part of? What is the impact of being part of these partnerships? How often does this partnership meet and what is discussed? Does the group have collective aspirations for their pupils? What do you see as the benefits of the sorts of partnership we have been considering – for your school and the local community? How might such a partnership change the way that your school works? What impact could there be on governance? Are funding and resources needed? If so, who provides them? 12

Raising achievement of disadvantaged pupils Defined group Free School Meals “Ever 6” Children in care Children of families in the armed forces Not necessarily pupils with Special Educational Needs 13

Disadvantage gap across Essex schools KS2 L4+ RWM v KS2 disadvantaged pupils KS4 5+A*-C inc E&M v % KS4 disadvantaged pupils 14 National averages combined attainment Other pupils 83%, Disadvantaged 67% National averages: attainment 56.6%, Disadvantaged rate 26.9% Essex attainment gap 17.7% Essex attainment gap 27.6%

What Governors need to know A general discussion 15

Questions Governors may consider asking What is the proportion of disadvantaged pupils in our school? How are they distributed across year groups? How well are they achieving – in relation to Essex and national averages? What are the gaps between them and their peers? Are the gaps widening or closing? What strategies is our school employing to close the gaps? Are they working? How is Pupil Premium being spent and what difference is it making? 16

General Questions & Answers 17