My Postcode is better than
your Postcode!!
David Carter
Executive Principal
Cabot Learning Federation
Aims for
Session
• 3 GOALS of this Presentation
– To describe how educational leaders need to
be the champions of the vulnerable
– What being vulnerable means?
– How do we lead and influence this agenda?
Starting Points
• There are two key questions we need to
be able to answer:
– Can we as educators compensate for a
dis-advantaged start in life?
– Can we assume that if we get the
support right for one cohort we have
solved the problem for ever?
CLF and the 419 Journey
• How is our Context
Changing?
– 900 staff
– 5638 students
• 1265 in Primary
Academies (22%)
• 3870 in 11-16 (69%)
• 503 in post 16 (9%)
– 10 Open Academies
– New Primary AcademySeptember 2013
– 16-19 Academy
Application for Sept
2014 start
• Teaching School
•
•
•
ITT-Primary and Secondary
(27 School Direct for 2013)
40 SLE providing School to
school support
NPQH/NPQSL and NPQML
What was our
vision in 2007-8?
• We wanted to change the educational landscape
of East Bristol for ever!
• We wanted to give the John Cabot City
Technology College (CTC) experience to more
students
– ….but not by admitting more students to the CTC
• We wanted to build a learning community of
children, parents and carers and professionals
• We wanted to take responsibility for a child’s
education in BS15 and BS16 from the age of 4 to
19
Has it
worked?
• Bristol Brunel Academy
– 17% to 53% 5 ACEM
• Bristol Metropolitan
Academy
– NTI to Good (June 2011)
• King’s Oak Academy
– 32% to 52% -2011 to 2012
• Bath Community
Academy
– Exited Special Measures in
Feb 2013!!
• Hans Price Academy
– 23% to 45%-2011 to 2012
• John Cabot Academy
– Outstanding in 2007 and
2009
– 5 A-C with English and
Maths not less than 73% in
the past 3 years
– Summer of 2012, 93
CLF students have
gone to University-22
from BBA and BMA
– 17/22 the first in their
family to do so
Improving Capacity, Changing
Cultures, Building Resilience
Improving the
Quality of
teaching &
learning
5 Core
Strands
Improving the
quality & Impact
of Leadership &
Governance
Improving the
quality of
Transition in a 4
to 19 Federation
Improving the
Quality and
range of Student
Support-”team
around the child”
Improving the
Quality and
Impact of
Finance and HR
Management
What Beliefs underpin
our Strategy?
• Children get one chance
only
– Year 7 is too late to start
the intervention
• Year 11 students today
will be parents of
secondary students in
2030-2040 and we need
to transform the home to
school relationship
• University Education and
higher level employment
IS attainable for our
students
– Communities sometimes
believe education has
nothing to offer the most
dis-advantaged
• 3rd and 4th generation
unemployment
– How do we break the
cycle?
How do we do things
differently?
Federated
Partnership
• Single Employer
– Staff Secondment and Exchanges
• Collective Responsibility from the CLF
Leadership Team for Every Vulnerable child
• Focus on teaching
• Leadership, Succession Planning and Talent
Management
• Leading Education for a Community
“Collaboration for
Outstanding Achievement”CLF Mission
You have to have a bold vision
and not be disturbed by the
challenge…..
“Collaboration for
Outstanding
Achievement”
• Our Promise is to deliver an outstanding
education to every child who attends one
of our Academies.
– To achieve this, every student will be taught
by a well trained and well supported teacher,
in an Academy that is led at every level by an
inspirational leader….
“Collaboration for
Outstanding
Achievement”
• Our Belief is that through collaboration we
can accelerate our vision of every CLF
Academy being judged to be at least
“good” and on the path to “outstanding” by
2015-16.
– Students come first, and we judge ourselves
on how successful we are in supporting our
most vulnerable children as well as those who
are gifted and talented.
“Collaboration for
Outstanding
Achievement”
• Our Goal is to share the effective practice
that is developed by staff in one Academy
so that students in another can benefit
from federation wide strategies.
– We embrace the uniqueness of our schools
and the communities they serve.
Where do we
Start?
“There are no quick fixes to
closing the gap but
outstanding teaching is part
of the long term solution”
Developing Teaching
& Learning in the CLF
• Main Focus
– To identify and share the best practice in teaching
and learning across the ten schools
– To design and support school “swaps” & exchanges
– To move teachers from Satisfactory to Good
– To move teachers from Good to Outstanding
• CLF target is 85% of observations show good or better
– To enable, where appropriate, teachers and support
staff to visit and work alongside colleagues from the
other Academies
What do the best
teachers do every day to
close the gap?
• Differentiate the learning
experience
– Every child is potentially
vulnerable
• Plan for the students who
have fallen behind
• Mark the work of
vulnerable students better
and more frequently
• Focus on progress first
• Believe they are teachers
of literacy as well as their
subject
• Take responsibility for
managing behaviour as
90% of low level
disruption is caused
because students cannot
access the learning
Leadership and
Succession Planning
• Leadership Development
Programmes
– Emerging Leaders
– Middle Leaders
– Emerging Senior Leaders
• Annual Federation
Conferences in July &
November
• Make connections for
staff visits to schools
across the UK and
Overseas
– Boston USA and Finland
– CLF Study Tours when at
least 1 Academy has
INSET Day
• Coaching and Mentoring
– NQT and PCGE across
CLF
– Appointment Directory
– Alumni
• Student Parliament
Leadership Development
Programme
• Senior Leaders on
secondment
What do the best leaders
do every day to close the
gap?
• Champion the Vulnerable
child and talk about them
positively
• Work hard with parents
and the “hard to reach”
• Lead and Manage the
data audit to ensure
progression and prevent
further falling back
• Work with internal and
external expert groups
• Share and learn from
best practice
• Work with partners from
other schools to develop
next practice
• Create opportunities for
vulnerable students to
spend more time not less
time in school
Are Staff Equipped to support the most
vulnerable students?
Has some empathy but in
general finds them a
distraction:
-Training and support to use
their strong teaching skills to
create more impact
Has a flair and talent for
getting the best from
vulnerable learners
-Use these teachers to be
closing the gap champions
and support others
Has little or no success
with vulnerable learners
-Support with the
expectation of improvement
but strong challenge needed
to ensure students get best
deal
Has limited success with
vulnerable learners but
wants to improve
-Training, mentoring and
support from a champion
with clear strategies for
planning
Impact Measures
How do we know our strategy is
working?
Formal Measures
of Success
• Performance Measures
– KS2 and GCSE Performance
– Levels of Progress
– Attendance
– Rewards and Sanctions
– Student Voice
Other Measures of
Success
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transition from Primary to Secondary School
Staying on rates to post 16
Employment
Number of students from vulnerable groups gaining
access to higher education
Frequency of interaction with parents
Involvement in extra curricular events
Involvement in school trips and visits
Bristol CC “80 before 18” and the CLF Learning Promise
Contacts and Follow Ups
• If you would like to come and see the CLF
in action please e mail my PA Sam Brooks
at [email protected]
• www.cabotlearningfederation.net
• @carter6D on twitter