Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee
Evidence Set 2 - Appendix 1 to the report
“Education Strategy and Raising the Bar”
Raising the Bar
Progress and Forward Plan
Raising the Bar – Progress Sept 2013-March 2014
(Numbers) / (letters) cross-refer to further information on each activity on the following pages.
Sept/Oct 13
RTB Get Involved
conference (1)
Suffolk Bacc Scheme
evaluated and
expanded (2)
Learning Framework for
Enterprise &
Employability trial in 4
pyramids;
Employer /school
brokerage service
launched (3)
50 governors on
National Leadership
Programme (4)
Sep
Oct
RTB Programme
Manager appointed (a)
Nov/Dec 13
Feb/Mar 14
Jan 14
Families of Schools
symposium (1)
Learning Partnership
proposal put forward
(9)
Another 50 Governors
places on National
Leadership Programme
secured (4)
Suffolk Federations
Conference (1)
> 70% of Primaries in
Families of School
partnership (10)
Newmarket Vision RTB
Workshop (6)
Families First Awards
school pilots agreed (5)
First RTB Awards
ceremony (11)
Primary Maths pilot
started in West Suffolk
(8)
Lowestoft Rising RTB
Schools Meeting (6)
Parental engagement
campaign started (5)
> 65 schools engaged
with Hackney schools
(7)
Nov
RTB action plans
drafted based on RSA
recommendations (b)
RTB Meetings with
District /Borough
leaders & CEXs (c)
Over 2600 students
engaged in the
school/employer
brokerage work (3)
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Ofsted Inspection (d)
RTB Programme
Gateway Review (e)
RTB Comms Officer
appointed (g)
Raising the Bar – Progress Sept 2013-March 2014
Programme content - highlights
1) The Programme has run a number of events and conferences over the autumn and winter:
1.
2.
3.
2)
3)
“Raising the Bar Get Involved” Conference in September, inviting delegates to add their voice to Suffolk’s response to
the RSA’s ‘No School an Island’ report that was published in May.
A Families of School Symposium, discussing and celebrating the Families of Schools approach to school improvement
based on fostering challenge and peer review between schools
A Suffolk Federations Conference providing information and guidance on the benefits and need for federations
The Suffolk Baccalaureate scheme has been evaluated and further expanded to other schools.
A Learning framework for Framework for Enterprise and Employability has been created to clarify the
employability skills that business leaders require today, as well as a brokerage system to connect Business
and Education. This is trialled in four areas in Suffolk (Mildenhall, Sudbury, IP2- Ipswich and Haverhill)
since September 2013 – the Table below shows the numbers of students reached so far.
Feedback from schools, the young people and employers about their experiences has been extremely
positive and a several summer term requirements have already been received.
The Learning Framework approach will be widened to other school clusters in 2014 – 8 secondary schools
have been confirmed so far who will be involved with their feeder schools (Felixstowe, Ipswich, East Point,
Stowmarket, Stowupland, Thurston, Ormiston Denes Academies and The Priory).
See pages 9-10 in this appendix for some real examples of the work and the learning framework.
Students
Autumn
Spring *
Total
Primary
388
1544
1932
Primary – with Suffolk One Students
55
165
220
Secondary
540
685
1225
Total No of Students
2670
* Delivery to half term & scheduled activities
Raising the Bar – Progress Sept 2013-March 2014
4)
“The Best You Can Be” governance training programme is running, aligned with National College for
School Leadership Development Programme. 50 Suffolk Governors are on the national Governors'
Leadership Development Programme programme in 2013/14, with a further 50 places secured for
2014/15.
5) A parental engagement strategy has been developed under Raising the Bar. As part of this, a parent
information hub has been created on the SCC website, and an information campaign has been launched,
with radio adverts on Heart FM and articles in the EADT education supplement. SCC has also worked with
he National Association of Family Information Services (NAFIS) to set up a Families First Quality Assurance
Scheme for schools, to allow schools to demonstrate how they keep families at the heart of their practice.
Raising the Bar is supporting 10 schools to pilot the Family First Awards.
6) Work is underway to create a locality approach for Raising the Bar, and linking Raising the Bar with
Lowestoft Rising and Newmarket Vision. This work has galvanised local support and engagement in
Raising the Bar. Each area has held locally based education meetings to look at how to implement Raising
the Bar locally, and educational summits are planned for both localities in the spring.
7) As part of the strategic partnership with Hackney, more than 65 Suffolk head teachers have engaged with
partnership work with heads and schools in Hackney.
8) A Primary Maths pilot has rolled out from January in West Suffolk schools, based on Hackney experience.
9) A proposal for a Learning Partnership has been put forward and is currently being considered.
10) More than 70% of Suffolk Primaries have signed up to the Families of Schools programme, a school led
attainment improvement initiative. Each of the School Improvement Groups has agreed its own action
plan and targets.
11) A new Educational Award, the Raising the Bar Award 2014, has been launched, to recognise and reward
excellence and hard work that goes on in Suffolk schools, colleges, early years and all other educational
settings. 814 nominations have been received for the Award.
Raising the Bar – Progress Sept 2013-March 2014
Programme Organisation - highlights
The Raising the Bar Programme has moved over the last few months from the discovery phase to the
implementation phase. Progress on changing the organisation of the programme accordingly includes:
a) The Programme has appointed a Programme Manager.
b) A Programme Plan has been drafted, based on actions plans that have been put together around the 20
recommendations from the “No School an Island” report.
c) Meetings have been held with District and Borough Council leaders and Chief Executives to discuss their
role in Raising the Bar.
d) In January 2014 Ofsted undertook an inspection of the council’s arrangements for school improvement.
e) To ensure that the programme remains fit for purpose and effective for the different requirements of the
implementation phase of the programme, Raising the Bar conducted a “Gateway Review”, an
independent “peer review” where a team of 2 headteachers, a District Council Director and 2 SCC staff
examined the progress and likelihood of successful delivery of the programme. The recommendations of
this review are currently being considered, alongside the outcomes of the Ofsted inspection.
f) A Communications Officer fully dedicated to Raising the Bar has been appointed.
Raising the Bar – 2014/15 milestones
April 14
May/Jun 14
Jul-Aug 14
Sept-Oct 14
Nov 14-Mar 15
Schools Choice set
up
Schools Choice fully
operational
Newmarket Vision
Educational Summit
RTB school
improvement
straegy finalised
Learning
Partnership set up
At least 8 more
school pyramids to
embed Learning
Framework for
Enterprise &
Employability
LIS transformation
completed
Lowestoft Rising
Educational Summit
Clear accessible
Suffolk Bacc
programme available
Pupil Premium
Conference
Web based platform
for young people
showcasing local
economy launched
Revised federation
policy
Learning Partnership
proposals finalised
RTB activities
around Queen’s
Baton Relay for
Commonwealth
Games
Challenge fund
launch
Apr
Post Transfer Tracking
Study completed
May
Full review of Programme arrangements, blueprints,
priorities, based on
Gateway Review and
Ofsted rec’s
RTB Comms Officer
starts
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
RTB Programme
Performance Review
completed
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Second Gateway
Review (tbc)
Mar
Raising the Bar – Forward Plan highlights
Area of activity (link to RSA
recommendation)
Timescales / targets
Setting up Learning Partnership
(R2)
Spring 2014: Learning Partnership concept signed Learning Partnership that is backed by all schools, delivering
off
in partnership with the County Council agreed key priorities
Outcome
Spring/Summer 2014: Learning Partnership set up
School improvement strategy
April 2014: RTB School Improvement Strategy
finalised
New more effective School Improvement Strategy is central
to the ambition of RTB, making a real difference to the
performance of schools
Better teacher recruitment in
Suffolk (R3)
Strategy and action plan to be developed and
implemented (time scale tbc)
Improved recruitment resulting in better teachers
Suffolk Baccalaureate (R13/14)
Summer 2014: Clear accessible Suffolk Bacc
programme
Significant number of schools to use Suffolk Bacc by 2016
Effective, collaborative use of the
pupil premium (R12)
Summer 14: Revised guidance in place
Better use of pupils premium
Establish a new Challenge Fund
(R11)
Spring 14: Challenge Fund established and set up
Oct 14: Conference
New innovative evidence based practise established, with
support of the Challenge Fund
Successful Transition from primary Autumn 2014: post transfer tracking study and
to secondary schools (R6)
lessons learnt disseminated
All schools share one learning journey for each pupil, and
track progress post transfer.
Establish ‘families of schools’ to
foster challenge and peer review
(R7)
Ongoing: Further increase schools involved
Families of Schools, make the partnerships more
effective
2014/15: 82% (212) of primaries in families of schools (with
community accountability process in phase 2 - 15/16)
Promote Federations (R8)
Spring 14: New policies and strategies for
Federations and Small Schools. Federations
toolkit. Promotion and advice on Federations.
Increased number of federated schols
Raising the Bar – Forward Plan
Area of activity (link to RSA
recommendation)
Timescales / targets
Outcome
Transformation of LIS
April 2014: Schools Choice set up;
Autumn 2014: LIS transformation completed
An effective Learning Partnership with schools, a
small effective performance and intervention team
to support and challenge schools and college, and a
wide profitable traded school improvement offer.
Supporting Governing Bodies to
become more strategic (R4)
Continue to develop “Be the best you can be” governors
programme and involvement in NCTL Chair of Governors
Programme. Increase opportunities for members of the
business community to support school governance.
Increased challenge by governors to ensure head
teachers are held to account for standards and
improvement, improving outcomes for children.
Broader skills sets within Suffolk governing bodies.
Learning Framework for
Enterprise and Employability
(LF4EE) to be embedded in
schools curricula (R17)
2013/14: Learning framework embedded in 4 pyramids
A shared understanding between schools,
employers and work-related learning providers of
the skills needed for work in place across Suffolk
from age 9 (some from 5)
Establish a countywide
brokerage to connect Business
and Education (R17)
2015: Brokerage available across Suffolk
Business and Education are well connected and
collectively support young people in developing
employability skills
Establish a web based platform
for young people showcasing
the local economy (R17)
Sept 2014: Platform launched
Platform is well used by young people, and young
people feel well informed about the local economy,
informing them about their future choices.
Locality Approach: Lowestoft
Rising /Newmarket Vision (R16)
Spring 2014: Education Summits in Lowestoft and
Newmarket
Locally owned RTB programme
Annual review and selfevaluation to renew and refresh
the strategy for school
improvement (R20)
Sept 2014 First Annual Review completed
Regularly renewed and refreshed RTB and School
Improvement strategy
June 2014: Schools Choice fully operations;
2014/15: at least 8 additional pyramids involved
2015/16: All schools
Raising the Bar – Examples of connecting business and education
Julian Evans (Sales
Director Archant)
visiting Lavenham
Primary to talk to
the Gifted and
Talented writers
Year 6 Pupils at Bures Primary
taking part in a Dragons Den
activity to support literacy and
numeracy development
Sprites Primary
visiting One College
Engineering Suite
Year 8 students at Stoke
High School Employer
Speed dating Day
Personal
Statement Day
at Thomas
Gainsborough
where
employers
helped Year 11
with their CVs
Learning
Framework for
Employability
Communication
Responsibility
Skill
Social - connections
Self
Literacy &
Numeracy ability
Articulate language skills
Making an impact – Self promotion &
Confidence
Computer literacy
Sharing ideas
Contributing to discussions
Listening attentively
Presenting to audiences &
Customer Service
Empathy
Emotional Intelligence
Time and Project management
Motivating others i.e. team
members and customers
Keen to self -improve including
Willingness to learn
Managing Money
Supporting others i.e. team
members and customers
Self awareness
Accountability – managing and
completing tasks
Honesty & Trustworthiness
(linked with fair trading)
Perseverance
Analysing (comparing and
contrasting)
Strong work ethic and positive
approach to new experiences
Stress tolerance
Research and Information
retrieval
Initiative
Teamwork
Teamwork
Networking – making
connections building
relationships
Adaptability and positive attitude
Exercising professional
judgement
Creativity and Innovative Thinking
Self-management including
planning and risk management
Drive and enthusiasm
Prioritising and Planning
Influencing, Justifying , &
Negotiating
Political sensitivity incl. Cultural
Differences and Ethnic working
Problem Solving
Conflict management
Openness
Coaching and Feedback
Challenges – questioning in a positive
manner