Regional Schools Commissioners Norfolk Headteachers Tim Coulson 4, 5, 12 November

Background  For some time, the DfE and ministers have been considering how it continues to oversee the academies system given the growing numbers…the total number of open academies is now getting towards 5000, including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges.  A DfE Review said we need to consider how to manage the growing numbers of academies – and to build the capacity of DfE.  Speculation in the sector about whether we can continue holding contracts with every school from the centre.  Debate about the need to bring decision making closer to schools themselves.  Ministers keen to bring greater sector expertise into the management of the system. 2

Review to principles  Build capacity of DfE to deal with the growing numbers of academies.  Bring decision making closer to schools – bringing greater local/regional knowledge and context.  Give leaders greater influence over the direction of the academies system.  Regional decisions, centrally supported – create an efficient system of delivery informed by regional knowledge, supported centrally by existing teams.  Create an evolving system – allowing flexibility for the system to continue to evolve as the number of academies grow. 3

Review to actions 4  England is split into eight geographically pragmatic regions of reasonable size.  Regions are designed to spread education expertise  East of England and North East London – Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Southend, Thurrock, Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Haringey, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest

Role of Regional School Commissioners - take decisions regarding academies and free schools on behalf of the Secretary of State in each region Monitoring performance and intervening to secure improvement in educationally underperforming academies and free schools and in poor governance: Taking decisions on the creation of new academies by approving applications from maintained schools wishing to convert to academy status and approving new schools under the ‘presumption’ arrangements. A phased role on free schools:  from September 2014, advise on approval of new free schools, and oversee open free schools;  from March 2015, approve new free schools 5

Role of Regional School Commissioners - take decisions regarding academies and free schools on behalf of the Secretary of State in each region Encouraging new sponsors and approving new sponsors to operate in the region, monitoring the performance and capacity of existing sponsors and recommending suitable sponsors to ministers for maintained schools that have been selected to become academies. Make decisions about changes to open academies 6

Each region now has a Headteacher Board  Role of the board is to challenge and advise the Regional Schools Commissioner, bringing local knowledge and expertise.  Members commit to between half a day and one day a week role.  Members elected by heads of academies and appointed by Secretary of State 7

Some important aspects that have not changed  The Secretary of State remains accountable for decisions - Regional Schools Commissioners work for the Department for Education as civil servants  Regional Schools Commissioners do not have a role in relation to maintained schools  No change to the role of local authorities – we will work together and local authorities can raise concerns about academies with a Regional Schools Commissioner  The Education Funding agency remains responsible for financial compliance  Ofsted remains responsible for judging quality of education in all schools 8

Communication  We will send out (monthly) to any who want to receive it  There is no requirement to communicate with our office – ministers could not be clearer that we should not interfere with schools unnecessarily or create any unnecessary bureaucracy  We can be contacted via or 9

What’s the point? Many fewer children and young people attend poor schools, and many more children and young people attend great schools. No academy or free school is judged less than good. The school system in the region takes a significant step further towards being self-regulating and self-improving, in a sustained and sustainable way. Increasing numbers of primary, special and secondary schools assume academy status – in various partnerships and configurations – as part of the self-regulating system. Innovative and successful new models of leadership and governance are supported and championed locally, regionally and nationally. The number of strong sponsors with properly high ambitions for children and young people’s achievements increases significantly. 10

Region ‘Despite the relative affluence of the region, primary school pupils in the East of England have one of the lowest chances in the country of attending a good or outstanding school…. The region’s secondary schools continue to lag behind England as a whole, but they have gained some ground by improving faster than has been seen nationally.’ (Ofsted, 2013) OR The results of primary schools across the region were published at the end of August and this is the most improved part of the country. Some of the school improvement initiatives that have typically been based in London are now moving too to our region. Some emerging sponsors are home grown in the county 11

Region 12 % good / outstan ding primary schools % good / outstan ding seconda ry schools % 5A*-C GCSE inc. English and maths % 3 levels progress English % 3 levels progress maths % Level 4+ reading writing and maths % 2 levels progress reading % 2 levels progress writing % 2 levels progress maths Cambs 76% 57%56% 72%64%75%89%91%84% Essex 75% 77%56% 72%65%79%91%92%86% Norfolk 72% 65%52% 70%65%74%87%90%84% Suffolk 74% 71%51% 68%62%73%87%89%81% England 82%73%56%71%65%78%91%93%89%