Leading Independent Schools

1. Leading Independent Schools Teaching Schools 9 July 2013

2. Welcome Deborah Bailey Independent Schools Associate

3. General Housekeeping • No fire alarm test planned today so if the alarm sounds it is a sign to exit the building. • Toilets are located in the Central and West Atrium.  Disabled toilets in the West only. • For security purposes we request all delegates wear a badge whilst on site.

4. Programme

5. How Teaching Schools are leading the system Dr John Stephens Director, School Improvement and Teaching Schools NCTL

6. Statement from the Secretary of State The teaching schools initiative plays a key role in the government’s plans for a school led system, with schools freed from the constraints of central Government direction and teachers and schools placed firmly at the heart of school improvement. I am committed to supporting this country’s education system to become an autonomous one, where the best schools lead the way in teaching teachers and where schools work together in partnership - supporting one another to provide an outstanding education for all. That is precisely why I am eager for independent schools to become leaders of teaching schools. I am delighted that the National College for Teaching and Leadership are hosting an event on 9th July 2013 for leading independent schools interested in finding out more about becoming teaching schools.   I believe strongly that every child should have an education of the highest quality and I urge all independent schools to get involved, to apply for teaching school designation, and to become key players in leading this country’s school system now and in the future. Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

7. The big picture • Key drivers: autonomy, collaboration, freedom, diversity, self-improvement, accountability – an increasingly school-led system • The challenges: building capacity, confidence and trust • The goal: that elements of a devolved system are held in balance so that … • Autonomy doesn’t become isolation • Diversity doesn’t act as a barrier to collaboration • Accountability doesn’t become regulation

8. System leadership System leaders care about, and work for, the success of all children, not just those in their own school • Some system leadership roles are undertaken by those with formal designations that are identified against strict criteria such as SLEs, LLEs, NLEs, Heads of TSs and NLGs • Other key system leadership roles include CEOs of academy chains, principals of academies which act as sponsors and other important system roles such as chairs of headteacher networks • In addition to working beyond their own institutions system leaders often help shape nationalthinking, policy and practice • System leadership opportunities need to be considered in a non-hierarchical manner, and will depend on an individual leader’s circumstancesas well as that of their school

9. Designated teaching schools Following our third cohort there are now 360 designated teaching schools representing 300 alliances: • 164 Primary/Early Years (45%) • 3 Middle (1%) • 149 Secondary (41%) • 40 Special (11%) • 3 Independent (1%) • 4 post 16 (1%)

10. Cohort 3 • 153 teaching schools representing 124 teaching school alliances (further 8 deferred) • The majority of applicants applied, and were designated, as a single teaching school alliance. • The number of designated teaching schools representing the Early Years and Primary phase has almost doubled rising from 84 schools to 164 (45% of designated teaching schools) • National coverage has increased by 16% to 89%, with 136 of the 152 Local Authority areas now have a designated Teaching School

12. Who can be a Teaching School? Designation is open to… • any phase of school: nursery, primary, middle, secondary, 6th form/college, special or pupil referral unit / short stay school • any type of school including independent, academy, federated, faith school, free school, studio school, university technical college (UTC) grammar school or school leading a chain • smaller schools, such as smaller special or primary schools, as the model enables more than one school to share the designated role of leading a teaching schools alliance

13. Who can be a Teaching School? Designation criteria … a high bar … • a clear track-record of successful collaboration with other schools • Ofsted outstanding/ISI equivalent for overall effectiveness, teaching and learning and leadership and management • consistently high levels of pupil performance or continued improvement • an outstanding, experienced headteacher and outstanding senior and middle leaders with capacity to support others.

14. Role of Teaching Schools • As well as offering training and support for their alliance themselves, teaching schools will identify and co-ordinate expertise from their alliance, using the best leaders and teachers to: 1 lead the development of a school-led ITT system, through School Direct and in some cases by seeking full accreditation as an ITT provider 2 lead peer-to-peerprofessionaland leadership development 3 identify and develop leadership potential 4 provide support for other schools 5 designate and broker Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) 6 engage in research and development

15. Professional continuum Teacher Continuing Snr Leadership training professional development development LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

16. Teaching Schools and ITT “… over the next five to ten years we expect that, rather than Government managing much of the ITT system centrally, schools should increasingly take on this responsibility. This does not mean that universities would not be involved: far from it. Groups of schools, often led by the new Teaching Schools, might lead ITT partnerships and draw on support from universities and other providers.” Training our next generation of outstanding teachers (June 2011)

17. Teaching Schools and ITT “… we expect Teaching Schools to take a particularly structured and proactive role in leading, managing and taking responsibility for a school-led ITT system. “… Over the next 2 years we expect that the expansion of School Direct will be led by Teaching Schools, with the aim that by 2015 each Teaching School Alliances would be training 50, 60 or more teachers a year.” Charlie Taylor to Teaching Schools (April 2013)

18. School Direct • Schools, or groups of schools, bid for School Direct places (mainly Teaching Schools in the first year). • Schools: • select the trainees they want; • choose an accredited provider to work with to award QTS; • negotiate the training programme with the provider; • are expected to employ the trainee after qualifying.

19. School Direct 2013-14 • 850 lead schools (6000 schools) asked for 9600 places • Over one in three School Direct places held by Teaching School alliances • Healthy numbers of applicants from high quality graduates • Accepted places..?

20. Accreditation • Increasing numbers – examples on the ITT section of the online community • Monthly meetings for “potential new providers” • Details at TA.accreditation@education.gsi.gov.uk • Support with preparing applications and business cases

21. CPD / leadership development • Programmes • The NCTL leadership curriculum includes a range of programmes at different levels that can be flexibly combined by leaders • The Outstanding Facilitator programme (OFP) which trains leaders to deliver teaching and learning programmes such as the Improving and Outstanding Teacher programme (ITP and OTP) • Licensing • Licenses awarded in 2012 for a period of 4 years • Licensees required to grow their partnerships, involving more schools and more school leaders year on year – so opportunities for all teaching schools to be involved (some further process will be required for lead licensees) • Opportunity to develop bespoke programmes within the alliance and to work closely with Licensees

22. National College Licence distribution Lead schools (levels 1-3) (36 schools for 33 licensees) Teaching Schools connections • 94% of licensees have at least one teaching school within their partnership. • 75% of licensee lead schools are teaching schools. • 54% of currently designated teaching schools are in partnership with a licensee either as a lead school, partner or NPQH placement school.

23. Supply of leaders There is still a significant challenge to secure enough headteachers - particularly for primary, small rural, faith and special schools. Alliances have a crucial role to play. Teaching Schools will: • Auditand understand the future leadership needs of their alliance • Systematically identifythose with the highest potential for senior school leadership/ headship • Provide talent development opportunitiesacross the alliance that are specifically designed to move these people to next stage promotion • Increasingly work beyond the alliance to meet the strategic needs of the local system (working with other partners such as LAs, diocese and other non teaching schools/ academy groups as appropriate) Support: • Resources in the online community, data support and support from your associates

24. School to school support • Comes in many forms • Combination of NLE, LLE, SLE and other teacher support as required • Schools benefiting include those in SM, SW, “coasting” and those lacking in leadership capacity/specific expertise • Operates on a continuum – from relatively light touch to federation, trust, chain, academy sponsorship arrangements – as appropriate • Funded through various sources/contracts inc LA, DfE, school • Focus always on impact on standards

25. Specialist Leaders of Education • Relatively new designation acknowledging the important role of middle and senior leaders in supporting their peers • Excellent professionals in leadership positions below the headteacher, with the capacity, capability and commitment to work beyond their own school • Outstanding in a particular area, for example: a subject specialism; inclusion; ITT mentoring; performance management; behaviour; school business management • Have the track-record and skills to work in this way • Designated and brokered by teaching schools, but may be from any school

26. Research and development Research and development network • Enabling Teaching School alliances to engage in research and development activities, both working with their individual HEI partners and working in regional and national networks • Providing opportunities for training, sharing expertise and wider dissemination of ‘what works’ • R&D advisory group • Online R&D community

27. Research and development (2) Key research initiatives • These initiatives provide opportunities to work alongside commissioned research teams. • 3 themes on pedagogy • What makes great pedagogy? • What makes great professional development which leads to consistently great pedagogy? • How can leaders lead successful teaching school alliances which enable the development of consistently great pedagogy? • Expression of interest for cohort 3 opens in May. • Successful applicants will receive a grant.

28. Research and development (3) New initiative – Closing the gap: test and learn scheme • 2 year project. • Open now for cohort 3 TS to join. • Funding available for all alliances that opt in.

29. Business planning Clear purpose and vision Importance of SMART planning Need for well-defined partnership Clear leadership and accountability Transparent governance Strong communications and relationships Focus on building capacity Big risks if you get this wrong!

30. Working with, not doing to….

31. TS Teaching School and its alliance schools

32. TS The teaching school designates SLEs from the alliance

33. TS SP SP SP Some alliance schools are strategic partners that take responsibility for some delivery

34. HEI TS SP SP SP All teaching schools will also have a university partner as a strategic partner

35. HEI TS TS SP SP SP There can be more than one teaching school in an alliance

36. HEI HEI TS SP TS TS SP SP SP SP SP HEI TS SP SP LA SP SP A number of teaching school alliances decide to work together form a network to share services and knowledge

37. Independent/state school partnership SP HEI TS SP Diocese TS TS SP SP SP SP HEI LA TS SP SP SP SBM cluster Chain of Academies Federation 14-19 consortia This is in the context of other system-wide support and collaboration LLE NLE Associate SLE outside alliance Associate NLE Associate LLE

38. Working in partnership • The model is flexible and teaching schools will be able to choose strategic partners such as other schools and universities to support the alliance. • They may also decide to join with other teaching schools to form a network of teaching school alliances • Win-win for all is essential • Need to take the time to build trust • Not about empire-building and needs to be seen as such

39. It will take time … • This isn’t easy - no gain without pain • We need to remember our role is to enable not to lead or control – ‘work with not do to’ • Alliances will need to be resilient and build trustover time • Teaching schools and strategic partners need to build leadership capacity • Need to remember why we all are doing this

40. Sustainable growth essential Stage 3 Denial of risk and peril Stage 4 Grasping for salvation Stage 2 Undisciplined pursuit of more Stage 5 Capitulation to irrelevance or death Stage 1 Hubris born of success Source: How the mighty fall: and why some companies never give in, Collins, 2009 40

41. 3. Peer review moderated externally (Year 3 only) 1. Start-up / annual meeting with NC and TDA Annual collaborative fund monitoring Full core funding released 2. Peer review of TS alliance Mid-year collaborative fund monitoring (If total exceeds £100k) Quality assurance and KPIs • National KPIs • Pupil attainment • Ofsted grades for: • Overall effectiveness • Teaching • Leadership • No. of trainees trained • Headship vacancy levels • Numbers of schools in alliances • SLEs designated, trained Alliance success criteria Based on local priorities and national KPIs

42. Review of designation • A role and not a reward • Expectation that teaching schools engage annually in review • College also looks at school performance, Ofsted data and status of the headteacher • All teaching schools reviewed in year 4 - those demonstrating positive impact within their alliance will be re-designated • The brand must remain strong and credible - teaching schools can be reviewed at any time of they no longer meet eligibility criteria • However, the intention is to retain designation where there is capacity, progress and clear evidence of quality…

43. The role of Associates / PDLs • Supportive • Enabling • Responsive • Critical friend • Networks and connections

44. The role of the associate • provide support and challenge to each teaching school alliance as it develops its action and business plan • broker links with other alliances to form teaching school networks • Possibly help to facilitate quality assurance by peers of each alliance’s work • link teaching schools with other College colleagues

45. But all on top of the day job… • Ofsted/reputational pressures • League tables and exam performance • Parent issues • Safeguarding/compliance • Developing the business

46. Impact • 2 versions of ‘Green Shoots’ • Remarkable stories of success over short periods of time • Characterised by values, ingenuity…and absolute commitment to collaborative improvement

47. Strength in alliance, partnerships and collaboration

48. Building partnerships and capacity Mark Ronan Headteacher Pocklington School

49. Building Partnerships and Capacity

50. Building Partnerships and Capacity • Partnerships: MLDP and OFP • What did schools and staff across the sectors share in common? • What were the main lessons learnt from the experience of partnership? • Partnerships beyond the school gates