Current Issues Policies and Practice

2. Current IssuesPolicies and Practice Malcolm Trobe ASCL Deputy General Secretary (Policy)

3. Overview • Local authorities • “New” Agencies • Curriculum and data • Funding • Pay and conditions • Teacher Standards and Performance Management • Pensions • Questions

4. The first year of the coalition

6. The current landscape • “We will not govern by announcement” Michael Gove • Reduce/remove bureaucracy? • Freeze on communications • No central initiatives? • No regulation – permissive legislation? • Accountability and funding streams driving practice • Children and Families part of DfE definitely lower priority

7. Implications for School Leaders • Little experience of what happens with a change of government • Have been used to top down policy but with lots of warning, information, guidance (DCSF) • Complete change of policy in many areas but lack of information

8. The greatest challenges for school leaders • Staff morale , the pensions dispute, succession planning pay freeze • Budgets – are SLTs prepared for what is coming. • Post riots England – government reactions • Social mobility • Accountability / Floor standards • Curriculum • Academy transfer issues

9. Confident schools Constrained schools • Standards safe • Oversubscribed • Well to do catchment • Very good, recent Ofsted report • Parents supportive • Stable staffing • Unions low profile. • Close to floor targets. • Free school opening down the road. • Surplus places • Challenging catchment • Ofsted could come any time • Staffing /union issues

10. Confident schools Constrained schools • Can choose to ignore government policy • Curriculum designed according to long term vision of leadership • Able to relax about accountability measures • Unlikely to be at risk if inspected • Teaching can be innovative and creative • Reactive to government policy • Curriculum dominated by external demands • Can never relax about accountability measures. • Tightly focused on Ofsted framework • Teaching to the test

11. Impact of Academisation/Free Schools • 50% of secondary schools likely to be academies by March • 320 sponsored academies. • 24 free schools already; 55 for 2012 (+8) • 3 UTCs + 13 + 3 in pipeline • Rumour but no hard information about budgets / transitional funding

12. The role of local authorities • Meltdown? • Uncertainty about role and very under-developed discussion. • Major cutbacks in front line provision e.g. Wigan £66m reduction. • Youth Services • Extended Schools • Strategic planning of places / Admissions • SEND

13. ALB review – The new Executive Agencies • The Teaching Agency responsible for ensuring the supply of high quality teachers and training, and for teacher regulation • Standards and Testing Agency will oversee statutory tests and assessments for children up to age 14.   • The Education Funding Agency will take over responsibility from the Young People’s Learning Agency for the funding of young people’s education and training - including the increasing number of Academies.  • National College for School Leadership

14. GTC(E) and the Teaching Agency • GTC(E) stops operating 31st March 2012 • responsibility for teacher regulation passes to Secretary of State • day to day functions carried out by the Teaching Agency • TA includes all schools, children’s homes etc. • until next year, referrals, hearings etc. as at present

15. The Teaching Agency intended to be responsible for • holding a database of qualified teachers, available to employers from April 2012 • managing a list of prohibited teachers • supply & retention of workforce • quality of workforce • teacher regulation • hearing cases of professional misconduct

16. Part 5 Protection of Freedoms Bill • Amendments to vetting & barring • ISA & CRB to merge • registration scrapped • regulated activity redefined • CRB process updated and fairer • no longer covers supervised volunteers • will cover 16/17 year old (House of Commons amendment at 2nd reading)

17. Definition of regulated activity • Involves contact with children or vulnerable adult or • is a specified role • no distinction made between paid & voluntary work of a specified nature or “frequently, intensively and/or overnight” in a specified place

18. So... • Revert to ‘Safeguarding children & safer recruitment 2007’ • Legal duty to refer – ISA referral guidance 2007 • ISA vetting & barring scheme guidance 2010 • Wait for new guidance It’s as you were for the time being and get ready to review procedures

19. Curriculum review • Expert group advising ministers + pressure groups, reviews, advisory group • Frequent ministerial statements which appear to indicate decisions already taken • Early 2012 consultation on core content (English, maths, science, PE) for first teaching Sept 2013 • Big bang introduction or phased? • From 2012 decisions and consultation about other subjects for first teaching 2014 • Academies and free schools exempt

20. Assessment • KS2 compromise: tests remain but some teacher assessment • Possibility that all NC assessment will change following curriculum review (no more levels?) • Schools expected to track student progress but at KS3 no recommended process • Ofsted looking for evidence that teachers and students aware of progress • KS3 teacher assessment levels should still be reported to parents end of KS3

21. Planning the school/college curriculum Take account of • Legal requirements • Accountability • Context of school • Funding Have your story ready for Ofsted and others The curriculum should provide all students with a rich and broad education to prepare them for their life and employment

22. A student’s curriculum and qualifications are for life not just for the period of office of a Secretary of State

23. Data: Current political view Strong transparency agenda As much data about schools in the public domain as can be achieved Publication of a wide range of indicators “Gove Compare” www.education.gov.uk/schools/search • Reads from other datasets • Updating Edubase is schools responsibility

24. Data as a driver of school behaviour • Publication of results in Performance Tables • Ofsted making judgements • Media selecting their favourite indicator

25. Issues • Using threshold indicators • Using raw scores for floor targets • Floor standards rising! • Norm referenced systems

26. Funding • No significant change for 2012-13 • Increase in pupil premium amount (redistribution) • £50m taken from a pupil premium for summer schools • Await outcome of consultation for future years • ASCL pushing strongly for activity referencing and full modeling of new formula

27. Capital Funding: James Review Priorities • Demographics • Building condition • Central retention for Free Schools • Central procurement systems • Local aggregation of devolved formula capital?

28. Pay freeze • For next two years • Cash values of scale/spinal points remain the same in 2011/12 as in 2010/11 • All TLR values frozen • Remain frozen for 2012/13 • Pay freeze does not affect or prevent progression up the relevant scale/spine

29. Head’s ISR • Head’s ISR (seven point range) fixed within appropriate school group range (total pupil unit score): whether one or more schools • Remuneration to cover the head full role and responsibilities(part 9 STPDC ) • School causing concern, recruitment and retention, temporary appointment as head of more than one school henceforth discretionary items not part of determination of ISR

30. Head’s ISR • Governing body must ensure process is fair and transparent • Proper record made of reasons for determination of ISR and discretionary payments

31. Taking on more than one school • Clear distinction between permanent and temporary basis • Permanent basis: ISR calculated on total pupil units of all schools concerned + discretionary percentage (Max 25%) • Temporary basis: discretion applied to existing point of heads ISR • Under new arrangements remuneration for taking on second school unlikely to prove attractive

32. Exceptional circumstances • Wholly exceptional to make discretionary payments in excess of 25% • Where exceptional circumstances warrant a payment in excess of the limit relevant committee must make business case to full governing body • Must seek external independent advice from appropriate person • Must be clear audit trail for advice to governing body • Full accurate record of all decisions • Reason behind the decision

33. Bank holiday • Teachers available to work 194 days in 2011/12 • Teach pupils for 189 days • Directed time will be 1258.5 hours • Change should be incorporated into school calendar • Advice given about part-timers pay/entitlement to a day off will apply

34. Teacher Standards • Existing standards still operational • New standards start 1 September 2012 • Sets the minimum requirements for teachers’ practice and conduct • Second stage review considering higher standards, threshold, excellent teachers and ASTs • Details available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/reviewofstandards

35. Performance Management • Currently under review • Draft model PM policy being developed • Start date not yet determined (probably September 2012) • Need to watch out for its publication (end of this month is target)

36. Pensions: current and future changes The government has: • Changed from RPI to CPI as a measure of inflation • Altered discount rate; mechanism for setting cost of scheme The government intends to: • Introduce higher contributions and tiered contributions to TPS • Provide benefits broadly as generous as those currently received by lower and middle earners • Introduce new arrangements in 2015 • Accrued benefits protected

37. Pensions: current and future changes The government favours: • A Career Averaged Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme • Normal retirement age related to state pension age

38. Current negotiations • TUC and Treasury continuing overarching negotiations on public sector pensions • General secretaries of teacher unions meeting with ministers • “ without prejudice” discussions with DFE of data and technical matters • Cost envelope released last week

40. Whilst the information provided at this event was correct to the best of the knowledge of the presenters and organisers, neither ASCL nor MAPS can accept liability if at a later date this should prove not to be the case. Nor can they be held responsible for any errors or any consequences resulting from its use