Future of Education
Paul Jacobs
Assistant Director,
Learning & Achievement
Session 1 - Aims
• To update governors on national education
policy.
• To outline the North Somerset context.
• To identify priorities for further improvement.
National Context
• Schools have become more independent of
Councils in recent years.
• Councils retain a duty to promote academic
excellence, protecting vulnerable children and
ensuring sufficient high quality provision (219) for all children and young people.
• Ofsted have introduced an inspection
framework for Local Authority School
Improvement.
School Improvement Strategy
• Support for all schools
• School Categorisation:
1,2,High 3, Low 3, 4
• Intervention Process
• Regular updates for
Director, Executive
Member and Chair of
Scrutiny, DfE agent
• Performance Reports for
Scrutiny
Learning Exchange
• Trusted partners for school improvement and
professional development.
• The Learning Exchange is a not-for-profit organisation
dedicated to helping schools achieve their school
improvement priorities and to providing valued
professional development opportunities for teachers and
school leaders.
• Our team is made up of experienced education
professionals, committed to creating positive outcomes
for children through outstanding leadership and teaching
practice. We work with a broad range of primary,
secondary and special schools in North Somerset and
beyond.
• www.http://thelearningexchange.org.uk/
Early Years
• Early Learning Goals – Mean Score: 34.2
above national of 32.8.
• Lowest 20% of learners – 26.2 is highest
in country (apart from IoS*).
• Achievement Gap – 23.0 is narrowest in
country*.
• Ofsted Currently 76% of settings are
Good or Outstanding, with 18%
Outstanding.
Primary
Attainment:
• Reading: Level 4+ 95% (94%), L5+ 47% (44%)
• Writing: Level 4+ 96%(96%), L5+ 26% (30%)
• Maths: Level 4+ 86% (85%), L5+% 39% (41%)
Progress:
• Reading: 89% (88%)
• Writing: 92% (91%)
• Maths: 88% (88%)
Ofsted: Currently 73% of Primary schools and 100% of
Special Schools are Good or Outstanding
Secondary
Attainment:
• 5+A*-C (Including Eng & Ma): 58% (60%)
• English A*-C: 67.4% (67.8%)
• Mathematics A*-C: 68.4% (71.0%)
Progress:
• English: 70% (70%)
• Mathematics: 68% (71%)
Ofsted: Currently 80% of schools are Good
or Outstanding
Pupil Premium
Primary: (National figures in brackets)
Level 4+: Reading 79%(78%), Writing 69%
(74%), Mathematics 76% (77%)
Progress: Reading 88% (84%), Writing 90%
(89%), Mathematics 84% (84%)
Secondary:
5+A*-C(EM):34% (41%)
Progress: English 53% (56%), Maths 44%
(54%)
Priorities
• Improve outcomes further, especially for
Pupil Premium (including Looked After
Children) and more able in Primary and
Secondary.
• Increase the percentage of Good and
Outstanding Settings and Schools.
National Horizon
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Curriculum, Qualifications
Performance Tables
Teachers’ Pay & Conditions
SEN Reform
Careers’ Guidance
Funding reform
School Organisation
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/toolsandinitiatives/cuttin
gburdens/b00216133/need-to-know-schools
Changing Landscapes; The
Context
Discussion
• How do these North Somerset priorities
compare to the priorities for your school?
Session 2
Ofsted – Top Tips
Aims
• Overview of the latest Ofsted expectations
• Consider the role of Governors in inspection
Ofsted Framework
• Four key judgements:
 Achievement;
 the quality of teaching;
 behaviour and safety;
 leadership and management.
Ofsted
Even greater focus on:
• Narrowing gaps in performance for groups of
pupils, especially Pupil Premium/Year 7 catch up
and more able;
• Quality of teaching and its impact on learning and
progress over time;
• Reading and literacy;
• Numeracy;
• Behaviour and safety;
• The impact of governance.
Achievement
A single judgement on achievement in
which inspectors will consider:
• Current pupils’ progress;
• Current pupils’ attainment;
• Trends in attainment and progress in
recent years (3 years);
• Focus on Pupil Premium and more
able.
Teaching
• The most important role of teaching is to raise pupils’
achievement. It is also important in promoting their
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Teaching includes teachers’ planning and
implementing of learning activities across the whole
curriculum, as well as marking, assessment and
feedback. It comprises activities within and outside the
classroom, such as support and intervention.
• There is no expected method of teaching by Ofsted.
Behaviour & Safety
This judgement will include separate judgements
on behaviour and safety. For behaviour, a range of
evidence will be considered including:
 behaviour in the classroom and attitudes to
learning;
 behaviour around school;
 attendance and punctuality;
 a focus on freedom from bullying, including
cyber bullying
Leadership & Management
A focus on how effectively leaders and managers at
all levels, in the context of the individual school:
• Lead on and improve teaching.
• Promote improvements for all pupils and groups
of pupils.
• Enable pupils to overcome specific barriers to
learning.
• Use performance management to drive up
standards.
• Meet statutory guidelines on safeguarding.
Ofsted – other key points
• Parent Views
• Data Dashboard
• School Improvement Planning
• Ofsted surveys and reports
DfE Perspective
“The new theology of the Coalition
government is autonomy and
choice…Governors are more important in a
more autonomous system. Their ability to
challenge and lead is the key.”
Sue Hackman
Chief Adviser for School Standards, DfE
2011
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DfE Perspective
“Governing bodies should be the key strategic body in
schools, responsible for the overall direction that a
school takes. In that respect, governors are also,
therefore, the key body for school improvement.”
Lord Hill, 2011
“The headteacher is accountable to the governing body
– both for the functions performed as part of the
headteacher’s normal role, and for powers delegated by
the governing body”
A Guide to the Law for School Governors, 2010
Ofsted Guidance
Inspectors should consider whether governors:
• carry out their statutory duties;
• understand the strengths and weaknesses of the
school, including the quality of teaching;
• ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• understand and take sufficient account of pupil data,
• are aware of the impact of teaching on learning and
progress in different subjects and year groups;
• are challenging and supporting leadership in equal
measure.
Ofsted Guidance
Inspectors should consider whether governors:
• are providing support for an effective
headteacher;
• understand how the school makes decisions
about teachers’ salary progression;
• performance manage the headteacher
rigorously.
The Role of Governors
Governors’ roles
Headteacher’s role
• Ensure school runs effectively,
providing best possible education.
• Challenge and support school to do
better.
• Take strategic view, set up policies,
plans and targets.
• Monitor and evaluate results.
• Delegate enough power to
headteacher to run school
effectively.
• Accountable to parents and the
local authority for how school is run.
• Appoint headteacher and deputy
headteacher.
• Organises, manages and controls
the school day-to-day.
• Expects governing body to
challenge and support school to
do better.
• Discusses main aspects of school
life with governing body.
• Reports to governing body on how
school is managed.
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Accountability
Being ACCOUNTable
Taking ACCOUNT of
Giving an ACCOUNT
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Accountability
Being accountable for
• Effectiveness: school performance
• Efficiency: value for money
Taking account of
• Performance data
• Feedback from stakeholders
• Self-evaluation
• Policies, plans, improvement strategies
• School environment
• Governing Body’s actions
Giving an account
• To parents and the community
• To Ofsted
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Accountable for
Effectiveness: school performance
Taking account of:
• Self evaluation (including Governing Body)
• RAISEonline/Data Dashboard/School tracking data
• Learning Exchange Adviser Reports
• Headteacher and teacher performance management
• Stakeholder feedback e.g. Parent View, complaints and compliments
• Policies, plans, improvement strategies
• School environment
Efficiency: value for money
• Taking account of
• Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS)
• Financial reports to Governing Body, including use of Pupil Premium, Catch
up Funding
• Finance committee minutes
• Financial benchmarking
• Value for Money tools
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Giving an account to
Parents and the community
• Regular communication:
 Newsletter
 Website
 Presence at school
Ofsted
• Ensuring the governing body provides effective challenge and
support, so that weaknesses are tackled decisively.
• Fulfil statutory responsibilities.
• Shape the direction.
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Discussion
1. Consider examples of holding the school leadership to
account from your own experience:
 What worked well?
 What could have been done better?
 How was this recorded?
2. Consider the questions on the cards provided. How
would you respond to these questions?
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