This session What RSCs do MATs – features Coasting Schools Church of England – Memorandum of Understanding White Paper – Education Excellence Green Paper – Schools that Work for Everyone

Regional Schools Commissioners Role - Help raise standards: Challenge academy underperformance Decide on the development of new academies Address underperformance in maintained schools Make recommendations to Ministers about free school applications Encourage organisations to become academy sponsors Approve changes to open academies With the help of a Headteacher Board Chosen due their extensive knowledge as education practitioners What do RSCs not do? Intervene in well-performing academies: RSCs do not have a role in relation to academies that are performing well, except perhaps to encourage them to become a sponsor or support another school. Provide improvement themselves: An RSC may encourage academies needing school improvement to access support from Teaching School Alliances, National Leaders of Education (NLEs), and other sector-led school improvement in their region. Maintained schools: RSCs have no remit in relation to maintained schools, other than providing advice on sponsor matches. RSCs’ only interactions with good and outstanding LA maintained schools is to make decisions regarding any applications to convert to academy status. Financial underperformance: RSCs do not have a direct role in tackling academy financial underperformance; this is led by the EFA. However RSCs can report any concerns about an academy’s finances to the EFA. Preventing extremism: RSCs do not have a direct role in tackling extremism but will add local intelligence to strengthen the DfE due diligence process.  RSCs will also work with local authorities, Ofsted and others to ensure that any concerns are identified and reported to the DfE.

Four main blocks of work: first, underperformance Balance support with challenge where academies are underperforming Visit academies to understand context before deciding how to intervene Use local intelligence and relations with trusts to identify performance issues early Use formal intervention in cases where academies have underperformed for a period of time or where we are not convinced by trusts improvement plans When required transfer academies to other trusts Ensure that maintained schools judged inadequate by Ofsted become sponsored academies with strong sponsors

Second, build strong sponsors Identify those with potential to grow or and those who need support Use a trust evaluation tool to identify areas for development and offer support, for example mentoring, CEO leadership training Target Sponsor Capacity Funding to help develop trusts Identify more sponsors, including from outside of the education sector, and facilitate sponsors moving into areas of geographical shortage

Sponsors: an effective MAT? Strategic vision and plan that moves seamlessly from implementation into impact Accountability framework for Trust performance Quality assurance systems to improve consistency and performance Delegated framework for governance at Trust Board and local governing body level Trust-wide school improvement strategy that recognises different stages of the improvement journey Systematic programme of school to school support that is focused on the need of individual academies Skilled management of risk Clear succession plan for key posts within the MAT Trust commitment to making a contribution to networks beyond the MAT

Third, open high quality new schools Facilitate and create new academies and MATs – explaining what we see Encourage existing high quality trusts to apply to open free schools Work with LAs on need for new places to ensure new provision is opened where it is most needed Headteacher Board members play an active role in the interview process for free schools

Fourth, facilitate collaboration We hold events to get system leaders to meet, share knowledge and best practice and form new networks We have run regional sub-groups with representation from LAs, trusts, Diocese, Teaching School Alliances to help shape work and direct interventions We work with Teaching School Council representatives to identify capacity gaps We work with Teaching School Alliances and the National College to ensure school to school support goes to institutions most in need

Coasting schools The ‘Schools Causing Concern’ guidance sets out the action RSCs take with coasting schools. This includes: Notifying schools once final 2016 performance tables published. Asking to see the school’s current plan for improvement and/or requesting a meeting with the school leaders / Trust. Discretion to decide which schools have sufficient capacity to improve Action appropriate for those that do not – considering data, its context, and what led to it meeting the coasting definition. This could result in: No further action by the RSC Some additional support and challenge The GB of the school being required to enter into arrangements. Additional governors or an Interim Executive Board (IEB) A sponsored academy solution

RSC/CofE Memorandum of Understanding sustaining the formal and statutory partnership between the Church of England and the state in education; ensuring the religious character of every church school is protected; ensuring every pupil attending a church school receives the best education possible, including taking prompt action to address any concerns about the performance of a church school; and maintaining clear and open lines of communication between RSCs and diocese regarding all decisions relating to academy conversion, intervention and sponsorship in each region, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Ongoing commitment between RSCs and DBEs to consistency and transparency in its decision-making; a clear expectation that model documentation agreed between the National Society and the department will be adopted and applied as per the key principles at all times. Where a bespoke solution is required which requires specific documentation this will be formulated with input and advice of the National Society and DfE. We were keen to ensure RSCs and delivery teams have good understanding of the core principles that shape the department’s relationship with the Church of England and how Church schools operate. The principles echo commitments made by ministers during the passage of the E+A Act to preserve the faith ethos of Church schools when they become academies They demonstrate the shared commitment to improving standards and ensuring all children receive the best education possible and to strive to make that a reality Most important the show a clear commitment on both sides to clear, transparent and open communications – this is crucial and will help to build and strengthen our relationship with dioceses

The White Paper joins up a lot of challenges in the system Attracting more great teachers Developing more great leaders More school improvement stimulus Everywhere….developing Achieving Excellence Areas Academy status ambition

White Paper - Key Aspects Supporting excellent teaching, including replacing the current ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ (QTS) with a more challenging accreditation based on a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom, as judged by great schools Improved leadership training, world-class qualifications and attracting the best leaders to challenging areas, including through the new National Teaching Service A school-led system where every school is an academy and where pupils, parents and communities are empowered to have a more significant voice in schools, with a clearly defined role for local government

White Paper – key aspects Preventing underperformance through improvement that includes transferring responsibility for school improvement from local authorities to school and system leaders. Focus on areas where too few children have access to a good school and there are not yet enough high quality teachers, school leaders, governors and sponsors National funding formulae for schools, improved effectiveness of the pupil premium and making the best possible use of resources.

White Paper – next steps The government wants to see all schools, over time, become academies so that they can benefit from the autonomy and freedom to innovate But will only be requiring academy status for inadequate schools and others that may be eligible for intervention (i.e. coasting and warning notices). In parallel we will continue to build capacity in multi-academy trusts and communicate and evidence the benefits of academy status and MATs. Education Bill this session to implement proposals.

Green Paper: Schools that Work for Everyone The Prime Minister outlined the government’s ambition to extend opportunity to everyone, not just the privileged few. This, as the Secretary of State has also said about social mobility, is a major priority for the government.

Aims The Prime Minister has set out three aims, which are also reflected in the consultation document: Expanding the number of good schools and school places; Removing the barriers and increasing the incentives for high performing schools and universities to support state schools; and Delivering a diverse school system that supports children of all backgrounds to succeed.

Consultation Independent schools setting up new schools, sponsoring academies, and supporting other schools in return for benefits associated with charitable status; Universities playing a greater direct role in improving school quality and pupil attainment; More selective school places – through setting up new selective schools, expanding existing ones, and enabling non selective schools to become selective; all with obligations to educate children from less affluent backgrounds; and to improve schools in their local area; and Removing the 50% cap set on new faith free schools, supporting more faith free schools to be set up, but replacing the cap with other proposals to ensure that they are inclusive of all sectors of the community.

Consultation As well as a suite of consultation questions in these policy areas, there are also ‎some important questions about how to identify those children and families which are 'just managing‘. A group wider than the current free school meals target group of families. This is therefore just the beginning of a big debate about the next phase of how our schools system evolves – a consultation which will run during the autumn term. Any legislation which is needed will follow from early next summer in the new Parliamentary session onwards. 

Overview of the sub-region

Hertfordshire Maintained schools, including special: 419 Academies/free schools: 100 (including 2 UTCs and 2 SSs) Total: 519 19% of all schools are academies Number of MATs with 3 or more academies: 7

Central Bedfordshire Maintained schools, including special: 83 Academies/free schools: 51 Total: 134 38% of all schools are academies Number of MATs with 3 or more academies: 5

Bedford Borough Maintained schools, including special: 49 Academies/free schools: 28 Total: 77 36% of all schools are academies Number of MATs with 3 or more academies: 3

Luton Maintained schools, including special: 49 Academies/free schools: 16 Total: 65 25% of all schools are academies Number of MATs with 3 or more academies: 3

London Borough of Barnet Maintained schools, including special: 115 Academies/free schools: 29 Total: 144 25% of all schools are academies Number of MATs with 3 or more academies: 1