1 Essex Learning Partnership - ELP Driving school Improvement for Essex Learners Welcome from

Facilitator’s introduction Regional events, March 2011 In partnership with

3 White paper key aims The key aims of the government’s plans for schools are to: raise the bar on teacher quality improve behaviour free teachers from constraint and improve their professional status raise the standards set by the curriculum and qualifications increase freedom and autonomy hold schools to account support the school system to become self-improving ensure there is more funding for the most disadvantaged

4 The white paper and the letter from the Secretary of State provide clarity on the College’s broad remit and role “I recognise the need for the College to continue to operate in a way that commands the confidence of leaders in schools and children’s services.” “I expect the College to play a central role in supporting excellent leaders to drive improvement in the school system and to foster a decentralised culture of self- improvement in schools.” Secretary of State’s letter to the National College, November 2010

5 The College’s broad remit and role Enable the best leaders to lead school and system improvement: - expand national and local leaders of education - create a new designation for specialist leaders of education Designate and de-designate national network of teaching schools - includes talent management/succession planning - expand middle leadership clusters ‘through the teaching schools network’ Review NPQH and make it available from a range of providers Provide training/support for leaders of children’s centres Provide training/support for chairs of governors

6 Teaching schools Specialist leaders of education Redesign of NPQH

7 Agenda for today Morning Consultation 9:00 Coffee and tea 9:30 -10:40 Teaching Schools 10: 40 – 11:00 Break 11:00 – 12:00 NPQH End Afternoon Consultation 1:00 Coffee and tea 1:30 – 2:40 Teaching Schools 2:40 – 3:00 Break 3:00 – 4:00 NPQH End

Teaching schools and specialist leaders of education Di Barnes Operational Director, National College Regional events, March 2011 In partnership with

9 Learning through ‘the work’ Collaborative Leadership

10 Learning through ‘the work’ Collaborative Leadership

11 Support from credible peers, through mentoring and coaching Opportunity to access and to observe excellent practice Time for reflection Access to high quality research Opportunities to discuss with peers and to work with them on common issues

12 “80% of middle leaders suggest that training in a cluster based environment offers additional value compared to traditionally delivered training programmes.”

13 Learning through ‘the work’ Collaborative Leadership

14 School to school support: impact Between 2008 and 2010: Primary schools supported by NLEs/NSSs improved their KS2 results by 7% while the results of those who had not been involved remained stable. The rate of improvement in the percentage achieving five or more A*-C grade GCSEs (including English and maths) for secondary schools supported by NLEs/NSSs is close to twice that compared to those who had not had this support.

15 School to school support: mutual benefits “Partnerships provided the national leaders of education with good opportunities to share and refine their own skills. Their staff gained additional and valuable experiences of leadership through working in another school, often in a very different context.” Developing Leadership: National Support Schools, OFSTED December 2010

16 School to school support: a real risk? “When the watering hole begins to shrink, the animals start to look at each other rather differently.”

17 Schools themselves are learning communities CPD is school-based and classroom focussed Talent development and distributed leadership are the norm Schools have ‘local knowledge’ and understand the value of reciprocal support

18 The role of teaching schools As well as offering training and support themselves, teaching schools will identify and co-ordinate expertise in partner schools, using the best leaders and teachers to: train new entrants to the profession alongside other partners, including universities lead peer to peer learning spot and nurture leadership potential provide support for other schools, including those facing challenging circumstances

19 Who can become a teaching school? Designation is open to: any phase of school: nursery, primary, middle, secondary, 6 th form college (tbc), special or PRUs/short stay any type of school including independent, academy, federated, faith school, free school or part of a chain smaller schools, such as small primaries, as the model will be set up in such a way that will enable them some flexibility to share the role

20 Designation criteria: a clear track-record of successful collaboration with partner schools Ofsted outstanding for overall effectiveness, teaching and learning and leadership and management consistently high levels of pupil performance or continued improvement an outstanding headteacher with at least three years headship experience, and outstanding senior and middle leaders with capacity to support others Who can become a teaching school?

21 Specialist leaders of education (SLEs) New designation acknowledging the important role of middle and senior leaders in supporting system improvement Excellent professionals in leadership positions below the headteacher, with the capacity, capability and commitment to work beyond their own school Outstanding in a particular area, for example: a subject specialism; inclusion; ITT mentoring; performance management; behaviour; school business management Designated and brokered by teaching schools, but may be from any school

22 Factors to consider when designating the first tranche of Teaching Schools: geographic spread the need to reflect the broad socio-economic mix of schools nationally the representation of secondary, primary, special and cross applications the strength and quality of current NLEs/NSS and Training Schools locally Identified demand for services of a teaching school, including the demographic challenge of ensuing the supply of new heads

23 “As for the future, our job is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

24 Key questions to consider Q1 What factors would encourage schools to work with teaching schools? And what would discourage schools? How could we overcome these potential barriers? Q2 What is your view of specialist leaders of education (SLEs)? What are the issues to be aware of? How would you see SLEs being identified and deployed across a local area? Q3 How will we know when teaching schools have been successful: a) at the level of an individual teaching school? b) across the schools system as a whole?

National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) Aidan Melling Operational Director, National College Regional events, March 2011 In partnership with

26 Redesign of the NPQH

27 “We will ask the National College to review the content of the NPQH, to make sure that it meets the highest standards for leadership development set in other countries and in other sectors of the economy” The Importance of Teaching, White Paper, November 2010

28 School leaders from across the sectors have told us that the new NPQH should have the following characteristics: Be the ‘qualification of choice’ Be seen as reliable, credible and relevant Include both strategic and operational learning Combine academic rigour and practical experience (including learning from successful leaders) Be flexible to individual and contextual needs and offer elements of choice Be part of an ongoing professional development journey

29 They also told us that it should have the following structure: Rigorous up-front entry criteria with a ‘high bar’ to access An emphasis on high quality and well focussed placements Essential and elective modules Links to the National College’s training for chairs of governors Cohort / peer learning A challenging final assessment

30 Q1 How can we best ensure that the new NPQH is a ‘qualification of choice’ that secures a strong supply of high quality headteachers for the system? Q2 How can we ensure that trainee headteachers are able to learn from the very best leaders? How can we improve preparation for headship through learning on the job? Q3 How can we enhance the academic rigour of the qualification without losing its focus on developing and assessing practical leadership skills? Do you agree that completing modules in Leading Teaching and Learning and Developing your Leadership Potential should be essential for all participants? Key questions to consider

31 Q1 How can we best ensure that the new NPQH is a ‘qualification of choice’ that secures a strong supply of high quality headteachers for the system?

32 Q2 How can we ensure that trainee headteachers are able to learn from the very best leaders? How can we improve preparation for headship through learning on the job?

33 Q3 How can we enhance the academic rigour of the qualification without losing its focus on developing and assessing practical leadership skills? Do you agree that completing modules in Leading Teaching and Learning and Developing your Leadership Potential should be essential for all participants?

34 Q1 How can we best ensure that the new NPQH is a ‘qualification of choice’ that secures a strong supply of high quality headteachers for the system? Q2 How can we ensure that trainee headteachers are able to learn from the very best leaders? How can we improve preparation for headship through learning on the job? Q3 How can we enhance the academic rigour of the qualification without losing its focus on developing and assessing practical leadership skills? Do you agree that completing modules in Leading Teaching and Learning and Developing your Leadership Potential should be essential for all participants? Key questions to consider

35 Further consultation opportunities A consultation report will be published online at the end of May, after the final event. Please continue to engage with the consultation by: completing one of the ‘Dear Steve’ cards on your table taking part in an online discussion at: Discussions include: What factors would encourage schools to work with teaching schools? How can we improve NPQH?