Schools Forum 9 July 2015 Agenda Item 3
Inspiring Excellence in Somerset
Early Years Settings and Schools
Ensuring the very best educational
experience and outcomes for Somerset
children and young people
Educational Strategic Vision in a partnership with
Early Years Settings and Somerset Schools
Key Foci:
• In partnership with schools and SSE produce a clear strategic vision for
education in Somerset that reflects the County Council’s leadership role
in ensuring a good educational experience and outcomes for every
child and young person in Somerset
• The Vision document will include for example:
Secondary/Primary/Special Schools/Early Years/ Skills and
Employability/Inclusion and Leadership and Governance strategies
• In partnership with providers, school leaders and SSE create a clear
Improving Outcomes strategy that delivers the outcomes against the
identified priorities. This will reflect our ambition and target plan against
our priorities and the milestones described in % increases against all
the essential educational descriptors for 2016-2019
Partnership Working between the
LA, SSE and Schools
We need to establish a partnership plan that reflects the following
arrangements:
- Commissioning arrangements between the LA and SSE against
the identified priorities and targets including an agreed delivery
model based on the DSG and LA funding contribution
- Commissioning arrangements between SSE and potential
commissioning groups such as SASH, SAPHTO, SAHSP and
Teaching Schools
- Describe and formalise the accountability mechanisms between
partners taking into account reporting and evaluation activity
- Describe and agree the accountability mechanism at county level
10 Key Actions
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1. Strategic vision ready for consultation by September
2. Improving outcomes strategy in place for consultation
by September
3. Commissioning arrangements between LA and SSE
in place by end of July
4. Delivery plan in place by end of August
5. Educational Design Teams (task and finish groups)
established by beginning of September to complete
their work for consultation by Christmas
10 Key Actions (cont.)
6.
Internal accountability mechanism in place by end of July
7.
Partnership accountability model in place by end of
September
8.
Early Help and school partnership plan in place for
consultation with schools in September
9.
Memorandum of Understanding in place with the Diocese
10. Review of data and the development of data packs for all
schools
‘When
the water hole begins to shrink the animals begin to
look at each other very differently’ (African Proverb)
Key Issues as we move forward
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Government strategy
Ofsted: Inspections
RSC
Primary and Secondary performance measures
Coasting Schools
Models of partnership
Governors
Sustainable schools – Finance and Fair Funding
SEND review and reforms
Headteacher well being
Recruitment and Retention
Curriculum Reform
Supporting Professional
Conversations
We know that Ofsted new inspection framework for good schools, the
vast majority of Somerset, is focused on a one day evidenced base visit
which will test:
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Is this still a good school?
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Is Safeguarding effective?
The Inspection feedback:
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We know from the pilots that Heads said:
It was very intensive
Data analysis had already been completed
Trails were clear at the start of the day – focused on areas
of weakness rather than areas of strength
Do you know your issues? What are you doing about
them? What is the impact? How do you know?
The experience was a ‘walking talking SEF’
Work scrutiny, middle leaders, governors all key foci
The quality of conversation with the Head and SLT plus
Governance was key to the success of the inspection
Supporting Professional
Dialogue
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We therefore need to put in place support for all Heads to have
regular Professional Dialogue Meetings (PDMs) to ‘rehearse’ the
conversation and the process for a successful evidenced based
inspection
The LA has a statutory duty to know all its schools. This includes
academies as we are still held accountable for their performance
Therefore the LA will seek to source the provision of this support to
all schools in order to ensure effective partnership working as well
as maximising system leadership and school to school support
through the commissioning of all phase associations and structures
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Thoughts:
Strategic Education Vision
Improving Outcomes Strategy
LA will commission the Professional Dialogue Meetings for every school
including academies against schools own self evaluation and LA soft and
hard intelligence. Number of visits determined by categorisation process
The LA will directly commission TS for NLE/LLE capacity to support priority
schools Additional support for PDMs will be sourced through SSE/Good
and Outstanding Heads not badged to ensure NLE/LLEs are not
overburdened
LA will ensure the production of effective data packs for all schools in the
Autumn term
LA agrees commissioning budget against priorities with SSE to include
commissioning of phase organisations against our ambition in the targets
SAPHTO/SASH/SAHSP continue to develop Challenge and RAP plans
against the commissioning priorities ( this will include their commissioning
of TS or other agencies to support the delivery of the priorities)
Reporting and Accountability
Mechanism
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Council Cabinet ( Lead Member)
Education Cabinet Committee (ECC) ( Linked to The
Children’s Trust Board and the Health and Well being
Board)
ECC example fed by:
SEND Board
School Performance Group (SPG)
Compact
SASH/SAPHTO/SAHSP etc. produce reports to the
Compact. Each phase will identify its
reporting/accountability mechanism below its executive
body.