Regional Schools Commissioner AAIA, 8 October 2015

Working regionally 2  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 underperforming academies Taking decisions on applications from maintained schools wishing to convert to academy status Encourage and assess applications and make recommendations on free schools; approve ‘academy presumption’ new schools Encourage and approve new sponsors, monitor performance and capacity of existing sponsors Make decisions about changes to open academies Approve the multi-academy trust that a school requiring a sponsor joins 3

New sponsors 1 st September 2014 to 1 st August RSC region Number of sponsor applications since 1 Sept 14 No. of sponsor approvals since 1 st Sept 14 East Midlands & Humber1815 Lancashire & West Yorks2422 East England & NE London1924 North98 NW London & South Central1715 South East England & South London1716 South West1910 West Midlands1610 Total139120

Academy applications, 1 st September 2014 to 1 st August 2015 RSC region Converter apps approved Sponsored projects approved Converter Academies opened Sponsored Academies opened Total opened East Midlands & the Humber Lancashire & West Yorks East England & NE London North South Central & NW London South East & South London South West West Midlands Total

Free schools Free Schools opened between and RSC region Total number of applications received Total number of interviews held East Midlands & the Humber Lancashire & West Yorks 2610 East England & NE London North 54 3 South Central & NW London South East & South London South West West Midlands Total

RSC region ConverterSponsored Free Schools UTCs Studio Schools LA Maintained SchoolsTotal East Midlands & the Humber Lancashire & West Yorkshire East England & NE London North of England South Central & NW London South East & South London South West West Midlands Total

Primary schools Number of primary schools5 There were 14,888 state-funded mainstream primary schools with key stage 2 results in ,803 (86%) were LA maintained schools. 1,375 (9%) were converter academies 689 (5%) were sponsored academies. 21 were free schools.

Key Stage 2 results Sponsored academies689 59% 61% 67% 71% Open for one year % 71% Open for two years % 68% 71% Open for three years % 60% 67% 69% Open for four or more 35 65% 66% 73% 75% Converter academies1,375 79% 80% 82% 84% Open for one year % 83% Open for two years % 81% 82% Open for three years % 79% 83% 84% Open for four or more % 82% 84% 85% LA maintained schools12,803 76% 77% 80% 81%

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Multi-school governance Strong and dynamic governance to underpin a self-improving and autonomous education system. 1. We need to focus even more on skills. 2. We need to see more boards governing groups of schools. A smaller number of accountable bodies governing larger numbers of schools is a crucial step to higher quality governance across the system - fewer, more highly skilled people with a more strategic perspective at board level, who can compare and contrast performance across their schools to create more robust accountability, greater efficiency and more effective school improvement.

Benefits of school collaboration A richer curriculum – through the ability to recruit and deploy more specialist staff. Better staff retention and professional development and progression opportunities for staff. Bigger leadership challenges for ambitious heads, and new leadership roles. Financial efficiency – through shared procurement. Economies of scale – that make for instance employing specialist finance directors and business managers with vital skills more feasible. Ultimately, better prospects for pupils.

Ten reasons why schools might want to become a Sponsor Spreading Excellence to more Students Easier to link well with other partnerships including Teaching Schools Alliances Opportunities for new staffing structures Wider and better staff development Better staff recruitment, development and retention

Ten reasons why schools might want to become a Sponsor Back office efficiencies to increase funds for teaching and learning Possibility of linking primary and secondary curriculum for benefits both ways Increasing the community impact of a good school The Whole School System led by Strong Schools Moral purpose

Education and Adoption Bill Inadequate schools Coasting schools Schools requiring improvement

16 What the Bill does It makes a new group of schools eligible for intervention – coasting schools. Puts a duty on the Secretary of State to make academy order for all inadequate schools. It gives Regional School Commissioners (RSCs) the same power local authorities already have to give warning notices to maintained schools Introduces flexibility around warning notices so there is no time limit for compliance and removes the appeal mechanism to Ofsted. Puts the governing body and local authority under a duty to progress conversion where an academy order is made using the powers in the Bill. It also gives the Secretary of State the power to give directions to do with conversion in these circumstances. Where an academy order is made, the Bill removes the requirement for consultation on whether a school should become an academy. However it also introduces a requirement to consult on the sponsor choice for certain schools (i.e. church schools). It gives the Secretary of State the power to revoke an Academy Order where necessary. It also gives RSCs the same power as local authorities already have to require a governing body to enter into arrangements with a view to improving the school. Finally the Bill gives RSCs the power to give directions about the make-up, remit and duration of any LA-appointed IEB, including the power to take over responsibility for IEB members.

Coasting schools policy A school is coasting - not consistently ensuring that children reach their potential. The definition is based on performance data over 3 years, not Ofsted judgement. No school will be identified as coasting until the end of RSCs will have the discretion to make judgements about whether and how to act in coasting schools - some will have the capacity to improve, some may need support and becoming a sponsored academy will be the best solution for others. 17 Primary schools -In 2016 fewer than 85% of children achieve the new higher expected standard at the end of primary and pupils fail to make sufficient progress and -an interim measure for 2014 and 2015 of fewer than 85% of pupils achieve level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics and below the median percentage of pupils make expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics Secondary schools-in 2016 below a level set against the new progress 8 measure ­and -an interim measures for 2014 and 2015 of fewer than 60% of pupils achieve 5 A*-C including English and mathematics and the school has a below median score for the percentage of pupils making expected progress,

Assessment changes Levels removed – assessment freedoms Interim Framework for Teacher Assessment New floor standard New way of measuring progress New coasting schools measure What does this mean for those supporting schools? - each school will have its own approach - move away from ‘tracking’ pupils progress to ensure depth of learning - need to ask schools the first principle questions: 1) What sort of system are you using to assess pupils when they arrive and to monitor their progress in learning against the national curriculum and towards meeting the national standard at the end of KS? 2) How are you pupils doing against this assessment?