National Schools Commissioner Roadshow: East Midlands and Humber
Monday 11th July2016
2.00pm – 4.00pm, Tapton School, Darwin Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 5RG
Agenda
Time / Session1.00-2.00pm / Arrival, registration and lunch
2.00-4.00pm / Sir David Carter sets out his priorities as National Schools Commissioner. This includes interactive session, and Q&A with audience
4.00pm / Close
Hello and welcome to the National Schools Commissioner Roadshow. The purpose of doing these 9 roadshow events are to set out my vision and plan for how I want to deliver the NSC and RSC core priorities. I want to support and develop a dialogue with leaders across the system in whatever school they work in. I also want to help schools, trusts and TSA understand where they fit in the system and the contribution we need them to make. I hope you find the next two hours enjoyable and useful.
Sir David Carter
Follow the conversation: use #NSCRoadshowon Twitterto submit comments, thoughts and questions in advance and on the day.
Sir David Carter: TES Article 1 (for reading)
The publication of the White Paper “Educational Excellence Everywhere” has at its core, the vision that all schools will become academies by 2022. My task and that of my team of Regional Schools Commissioners is to deliver and implement this policy. As National Schools Commissioner (NSC) I have been thinking about the best ways to approach this task.
Having spent 19 years as a Principal, and a CEO of a Multi Academy Trust before I became the RSC for the South West, I constantly remind myself of the need to see the world through the lens of those leading schools when offering hopefully constructive advice about the future.
My vision for the education system in this country is based on the view that as leaders we have a duty to ensure that all children make progress and achieve their personal best irrespective of their starting point. I would also want to encourage all schools to choose to be both a giver and receiver of support. Exercising this choice will be critical if we are to create an equal and socially just education system that places the needs of all children in every school at its core and where the best schools “step up” to help to improve performance in weaker schools. The “weaker” schools today will then become the system leaders of tomorrow if this becomes the cultural norm.
Schools that collaborate in formal partnerships see the value of accountability lines that are clear. They also recognise the authority that is invested in an Executive Head or CEO to make important strategic decisions that will raise standards. We know that school improvement is rarely linear, so building collective capacity to take decisions and provide rapid support is essential. This focus works alongside the collective responsibility of leaders and teachers to uphold the moral purpose of the educational entitlement of all children. As we move forward, it is this view that should inform the debate.
As NSC I want to stimulate more discussion and dialogue about how we can build our education system together. I want to share three thoughts that have been underpinning my thinking over the past few weeks.
Thought 1-There is no need to rush into a decision. The policy to convert all schools into academies has a six year delivery timetable. This timescale is unprecedented in my experience of managing educational change. I want all schools to enjoy the same freedoms as academies. Leaders and teachers who see the same children every day are best equipped to make the right decisions for the right children at the right time.
Thought 2-I am certain that there is a place in our education system for the outstanding stand-alone school. I can also see that there is clear momentum towards more schools wanting to join a MAT. We know that 93% of our current MATS are made up of less than 10 schools and that 77% of them have less than 5 and that these schools are close geographically. Therefore it is fair to suggest that the typical MAT of the future is likely to be made up of a group of local schools who have probably worked together for years, share the same values, and work comfortably with a leader who is well known to that community and has been appointed because they have an outstanding track record that can now influence the lives of more children.
Thought 3-Many schools already have excellent and important relationships with their Local Authority. I can see a MAT of four Primary Schools for example, choosing to “buy back” support services from the Local Authority they already work closely with. Where these partnerships benefit children, my RSC team and I want to encourage new academies and MATS to continue with this work. I would go further and suggest that the many talented individuals who are employed by Local Authorities could consider setting up their own MAT so that their considerable impact can be sustained in a different way.
Finally, I know that leadership teams and governing bodies will be discussing these changes this term. If I was attending these meetings I would want to build a conversation around the following three questions.
- What are our strengths that we could share with other schools with credibility as a sponsor or lead schools in a MAT?
- What does our current performance suggest are the areas of weakness that could improve if we worked within a formal partnership?
- Which current relationships and partnerships add so much value to our work that we would not want to lose them?
Sir David Carter: TES Article 2 (for reading)
There are few more passionate advocates of the multi-academy trust structure than me. I recognise the leadership capacity that a MAT can unleash, yet we must not assume that the benefits extend only to those who are directly accountable for raising standards across their trust.
More teachers and support staff than ever before are employed in MATs and the advantages go beyond the obvious employer-employee relationship. CPD is often cited. We should be careful not to downgrade or underestimate the capacity of a single, stand-alone school to provide high-quality experiences for its staff. However, the size of the talent pool and the potential to personalise CPD in a MAT is greater.Gemma Green, a teacher with the White Horse Federation in the South of England, says: “Through regular meetings and professional dialogue with others across the MAT, I have been able to develop my role as an English subject leader to improve the outcomes of children in my school.”
Those of you on Twitter will have seen the sharing of great teaching, curriculum and assessment experiences that takes place there on a weekly basis. The commitment of these professionals is admirable. But what if this could be replicated every term as it is in many MATs, where fellow employees communicate about the learning issues of the children in their care?
When I led the Cabot Learning Federation, I instigated a “Federation Network Night” every half-term, which brought together teachers from the same subject, year group or key stage. In the secondary sessions, 20 to 50 colleagues would plan resources and develop new models of assessment and differentiation.
Career development and succession planning are another frequently mentioned benefit. The best MATs take succession at all levels very seriously, and plan and talent-spot at a strategic level. They do not, however, adopt the rule that internal candidates are the obvious choice. They test the ability and skill of their colleagues against highly talented national fields.Career development is an important part of the offer that a MAT can make to future employees. The retention of new cohorts of teachers has never been more crucial. Annie Radley, a newly qualified teacher with GLF Schools, a MAT in the South of England, says: “The federation has really helped my professional development, offering me courses with other NQTs and time to reflect on practice with experienced teachers as well. Mixing with other schools is very important, and the courses have motivated me to want to progress my career further within GLF.”
While it is not the only strategy, being able to “paint the picture” of a career trajectory that means a young teacher does not have to leave an employer that they believe in, or an area of the country that they have chosen to live in, can be very persuasive. In a stand-alone school, there are not enough roles to satisfy the demands of the best teachers who are ambitious and eager to develop.
Being identified as someone MAT leaders believe in is a huge confidence boost. I’ve seen primary staff deployed to develop high-quality phonics practice in early years settings, and heads of maths and English leading their subject across a trust.
As national schools commissioner, I want to describe the effective practice I observe when I visit MATs across the country. The MAT construct is still fairly new in our education system. The earliest trusts are not yet 20 years old and the majority have been formed since 2010. However, if we are to engage seriously in why this model works, it is the experience of the adults who work in MATs that will make a compelling argument.
The Performance Challenge (group exercise)
Q1-If you were responsible for improving a school in deep trouble, what would be the 5 key areas of your due diligence?
Q2-What is the relationship between middle & senior leadership in rapid school improvement?
Q3-How would you structure your report to your board to demonstrate impact on the school you were working with?
Please return this document with your evaluation form
National Schools Commissioner’s Roadshow
Monday 11th July, 2.00pm – 4.00pm, Tapton School, Sheffield
Evaluation form
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List/describe what you thought was successful and worked well at today’s event:
List/describe what you thought was not successful or did not work well at today’s event:
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Please tick the boxes you would be interested in getting involved in next year:
Participation of your MAT in the Growth Strategy Audit
Participation of yourself or a member of your team in conducting a Growth Strategy Audit
Helping the NSC to Quality Assure the Growth Strategy Audits
Offering your support to the NSC and DFE as a critical friend as we develop the MAT development programme
Participating in a series of NSC round table events next year to discuss the emerging school led system
Nominating trustees from your board to take part in a series of trustee networking events in 2016-17
Nominating a potential future CEO from your trust to participate in a “CEO in waiting” network programme in 2016-17
Attending future Roadshow events in 2016-17 on similar lines to the one you attended today