Developing a School-led Improvement System in Essex Engagement sessions 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

Introduction Schools are responsible for their own improvement and so we need a self-improving school system All schools benefit from regular external challenge in order to identify key areas for development and to improve continuously. The local authority’s capacity to offer such challenge to all schools is decreasing System leaders are at the heart of this - we have a significant number of headteachers who are currently engaged in school to school support, we need to further develop this capacity and expertise across the county With the removal of the scaffolding provided by the LA – some time ago for secondary schools and now for primaries – schools that work in isolation are likely to be putting their own school improvement at risk. This is especially the case with primary schools, which are generally too small to maintain a sufficiently robust internal challenge function. The way forward is for schools to join together in school improvement partnerships. 2

Previously discussed… A system of local partnerships of schools: –With a shared ambition to rapidly raise outcomes for all children across the partnership at all key stages –That provides mutual support and challenge to each other –That holds each other to account in the context of robust and effective performance monitoring and scrutiny of outcomes for children thereby ensuring agreed targets are met –That supports in challenging circumstances –That innovates and provides solutions to locality issues – curriculum, quality of teaching, leadership development, Ofsted preparation, recruitment of teachers, peer reviews, governance –e.g – a coherent maths curriculum from Early Years to Post 16 3

A system of local partnerships of schools: –That can (over time) be responsible for, and deploy resources for pupils with SEN –That will be supported by Teaching School Alliances, Essex Education Services, the LA and other providers –That may want to have an objective perspective from an independent chair and / or facilitator to drive change and provide challenge –That may be quality assured by an overarching collegiate governance group 4

Underpinned by Policy and Research The Importance of Teaching 2010 The Coalition government will: –Make clear that schools have responsibility for improvement. We will end the approach of trying to control improvement from the centre and make it easier for schools to learn from one another. –Make sure that every school has access to the support it needs through National and Local Leaders of Education, Teaching Schools and leading teachers, or by working in partnership with a strong school. –Make sure that schools have access to evidence on best practice, high-quality materials and improvement services which they can choose to use. –Support underperforming schools such as those below the new floor standards, and ensure that those which are seriously failing, or unable to improve their results, are transformed through conversion to Academy status. 5

Underpinned by Policy and Research David Hargreaves – National College “Creating a Self –Improving School System” There are four building blocks of a self-improving system: – clusters of schools (the structure); –The local solutions approach and co-construction (the two cultural elements); –and system leaders (the key people). These are already partially in place but need to be strengthened so that schools collaborate in more effective forms of professional development and school improvement. 6

7 The journey in Essex…

Getting to top quartile at KS2… KS2 Reading, Writing and Mathematics Level 4+ District Number of eligible pupils Percentage achieving level 4 or above Current Numerator Top Quartile Current % Shortfall Option All up to top quartile Basildon Braintree Brentwood Above32 Castle Point At0 Chelmsford Colchester Epping Forest Harlow Maldon Rochford Tendring Uttlesford Above40 Essex districts increased by more than 5% points this year (Harlow, Rochford, Tendring, Uttlesford) 3 districts in top quartile range (Brentwood, Castle Point and Uttlesford) Need minimum of 443 more pupils to achieve key threshold measure

Getting to top quartile at KS4…. 9 2 districts saw increases in proportion of pupils meeting the key threshold measure this year (Harlow, Rochford) 5 districts in top quartile range (Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Richford and Uttlesford) Need minimum of 541 more pupils to achieve key threshold measure 2014 KS4 5+ A*-C inc English & Maths District Number of eligible pupils Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C inc E&M Current Numerator Top Quartile Current % Shortfall Option All up to top quartile Basildon Braintree Brentwood Castle Point Chelmsford Colchester Epping Forest Harlow Maldon Rochford Tendring Uttlesford Essex

Essex quartile position in 2013/14 KS2 L4+ RWM KS4 5+ A*-C inc E&M 10 Quartile thresholds - LAIT website Top QuartileUp to and including nd QuartileUp to and including rd QuartileUp to and including Bottom QuartileUp to and including Quartile thresholds - LAIT website Top QuartileUp to and including 93 2nd QuartileUp to and including 81 3rd QuartileUp to and including 79 Bottom QuartileUp to and including 77

Disadvantage gap across Essex schools KS2 L4+ RWM v KS2 disadvantaged pupils KS4 5+A*-C inc E&M v % KS4 disadvantaged pupils 11 National averages: attainment 79%, Disadvantaged rate 31% National averages: attainment 56.6%, Disadvantaged rate 26.9%

Partnerships 12 - Depth takes time to achieve and comes as partners build trust and work together more Extensively - Depth is linked with hard-wiring how partnerships work together Source: David Hargreaves for National College, 2012

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 13 Core or home partnership

Partnerships What partnerships are you currently part of? What is the impact of being part of these partnerships? What are the common interests of each partnership? What are the current strengths? How often does this partnership meet and what is discussed? What do you and other schools expect to get out of the partnerships? What are the benefits? How deep and tight are the partnerships – support and challenge? What are the potential activities of the partnerships? What are the governance arrangements of the partnerships? Does it require funding and resources – who provides this? Could this partnership be developed into a School –Led Improvement Partnership – how will it need to change? 14

Components of a School-led Improvement Partnership What is the vision and breadth over time of a system of School- Led Improvement Partnership? Collaboration and relationships – joint curriculum planning System leadership Recruitment and retention Governance Systems and Procedures / Accountabilities Intelligence Resources Reduction in workload –How would the partnership contribute to our ambitions for Essex as a county? 15

Next steps Feedback from each session to form the outline of the strategy More briefing sessions to Heads and Governors this academic year Local partnerships to discuss where they fit into the model Indication of funding to be outlined 16