1. Approaches to delivering school improvement: Portsmouth Mike Stoneman Deputy Director of Children, Families and Education Education Service 7th June 2019

2. Background
Critical Ofsted inspection in 2016 (LA arrangements for school improvement) – led to:
Proactive drive by the LA to encourage schools to join strong Multi Academy Trusts – engines of school improvement providing regular challenge and support from outside the city as well as from within
66% of schools are now part of a MAT (70% of pupils in the city are taught in academies)
LA stepped away from the direct delivery of school improvement support for maintained schools outsourcing the majority of it to the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance and a local MAT with respect to KS1 and KS2 moderation and assessment
Establishment of the Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP) in November 2016

3. Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP)
Rationale
Provide a space for strategic leaders to come together and improve educational outcomes for children and young people
Develop collective arrangements to take forward programmes / priorities that matter to all schools in the city
Provider greater challenge and support and exploit every advantage of proximity
Secure funding to support key priorities
A congregation rather than ‘gym’ membership
Evolving, not prescriptive
Launched in November 2016 – Strategic Board + 5 Sub Groups chaired by education leaders
PEP Manager appointed in Sept 2017

4. Approach to school improvement
PEP School Improvement Board – determines key school improvement priorities for the city. For 2018/19:
Improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils (successful R1 SSIF bid)
Improving outcomes for pupils on SEN Support in mainstream schools (successful R2 SSIF bid)
Improving outcomes for the most able
Improving transition between KS2 and KS3; early focus on Maths led by Solent Maths Hub
Expansion of subject networks for primary and secondary schools and associated CPD – English, Maths, MFL, Science
Implementation of Leadership programmes (NPQML/SL led by Portsmouth TSA and Ambition School Leadership programmes)

5. Approach to school improvement
PEP Performance Dashboard – RAG rated indicators for every school and every key stage based on published data and criteria agreed by the Board in order to help determine strengths and weaknesses and areas to prioritise
School improvement support commissioned by the LA delivered / brokered through the Portsmouth TSA but under the auspices of the PEP – drawing on expertise of stronger schools and MATs in the city, other teaching schools outside the city and a range of school improvement advisors
PEP School Improvement Directory of system leaders – NLEs, SLEs, LLEs, NLGs

6. Approach to school improvement
Prioritisation of support for LA maintained schools initially determined by the PEP Performance Dashboard – Priority 1, 2 and 3 schools
Sept – Oct: preparation of performance dashboards and prioritisation of schools
Oct – Nov: school visits to Priority 1 and 2 schools in order to determine level and type of school improvement support
Priority 3 schools can request a visit
Schools may also be visited if: Ofsted inspection imminent, post inspection follow up, and/or change of headteacher

7. Has it worked? Probably too early to say:
Proportion of schools that are judged by Ofsted to be good or better has continued to improve – now at 93% with 6 schools Requiring Improvement
Outcomes at the end of KS2 and KS4 remain well below national and below that of most of Portsmouth’s statistical neighbours
Nearly £1m of funding / investment secured through the PEP e.g. SSIF, Leadership programmes, AP Innovation Fund
Feedback from schools has been positive about the quality and capacity of school improvement support plus more meaningful opportunities for S2S support