Somerset Children and Young People’s Compact

1. Somerset Children and Young People’s Compact Overview David Hayward (23 February 2012)

2. Context: ‘The primary responsibility for improvement rests with schools, and the wider system should be designed so that our best schools can take on greater responsibility for leading improvement work across the system’ The Importance of Teaching 2010

3. Background: Local Authority cost reductions over 4 years (£100 million plus); Coalition Government decision to recoup 25% of Area Based Grant in-year; Immediate staff reductions and deconstruction of Local Authority’s Children and Young People’s Local Service Teams; Schools and LA came together to reconstruct services to children and young people. 3

4. What is the Compact? • A significant partnership involving schools and the Local Authority focused on improving outcomes for cyp in Somerset. • Led by schools, on behalf of schoolsin collaboration with the Local Authority. • The main body for consulting on, shaping and directing policies and service provision in relation to schools. • Becoming an effective commissioning partnership. The Compact is intended to be a vehicle for joint working to ensure access to high quality education for all children and young people in Somerset 4

5. The Compact will: • Shape provision to meet identified needs and oversee effective and responsive quality assurance of services; • Maximise efficiency and value for money; • Maximise the impact of school-to-school collaboration; • Ensure effective processes for support and signal where intervention may be appropriate; • Ensure opportunities for leadership and continuous professional development. 5

6. Key Issues Raised by Stakeholders: • Leadership and Governance: Need for sustainable model and concerns expressed regarding capacity and time implications for Headteachers on the Compact. • Quality Assurance:Schools will only engage if the Compact delivers a quality cost-efficient service. It must be possible to influence services and make changes within a reasonable time period. • School-to-School Support and role of Community Learning Partnerships. • Relationship with Academies and engage All Schools. • How will the Compact influence the relationship between schools, the County Council and Southwest One? • Funding and clarity regarding services to be provided. 6

7. Outline Governance Framework: SCC Cabinet Schools Forum Compact Executive Somerset Children’s Trust Local Safeguarding Children Board Leadership and Continuous Professional Development (Somerset Leadership College) Targeted Provision for Vulnerable CYP (Children Who Need More) The Quality of Universal Provision and Sufficiency Task and Finish Groups 7

8. Agreed Priorities: Early Years and School Improvement Strategy Admissions and Transport SEN Services Vulnerable Learners Access and Alternative Provision Early Intervention and Prevention The development of a Somerset Leadership College * Interface with Council’s Service Reviews of all services.

9. How does this relate to Primary Schools in Somerset? 9

10. Key Drivers: The White Paper; The self improving school system; External Review of Primary Performance recommendations; County Council new model of delivery.

11. What Makes a Self Improving School System: Compact Launch Conference October 2011 Professor David Hargreaves Four Building Blocks: Structure Local Solutions Approach Co-construction System Leadership (Creating a Self Improving School System – David Hargreaves 2010)

12. ‘The Compact gives Community Learning Partnerships the lead for strengthening school improvement by mandating them to challenge and support schools in their area to improve outcomes for all children and intervene in schools at risk of failure’ Recommendation from the External Review of Primary Performance – Jim McElligott

13. Schools with significant risk factors, eg at risk of falling below floor standards Schools with short term risk factors ISB CSB Schools below the floor standards Schools performing at or above expectations with no or few risk factors identified Central Monitoring of agreed datasets Schools in an Ofsted category Continuum of School Improvement and Intervention: Universal Families of Schools (define) Individual School to School Ongoing Informal/ formal Intervention External Provider NLE LLE SLE/AST etc Focused Intensive Short Term

14. Schools IP Schools Schools IP IP COMPACT Networks IP IP Schools Schools IP Schools Suggested Improvement Partnership Model:

15. Principles: Partnerships should be cross phase focussed on continuing improvement and prevention Partnerships should contribute to intervention activities coordinated by the LA with a view in the future to leading on interventions Compact should determine function of structures and outcomes sought Structures should be flexible and determined by schools

16. Role of Improvement Partnerships – geographically based: To deliver the Compact Early Years and School Improvement Strategy (EYSIS) through: Maintaining an overview of performance of schools in the partnership through self evaluation activities and providing challenge and support; Promoting excellence through ensuring best practice is identified, shared and embedded; Providing leadership development activities / opportunities; Ensuring effective transitions and linking with early years providers networks; Ensuring effective use of resources.

17. Role of Networks – statistically based: To provide schools of similar types and/or in similar contexts to work collaboratively on shared issues. To enable individual schools to identify and work with other schools outside of their geographical area which may be able to provide them with support in relation to specific issues.

18. Issues Should accountability for the performance of partnerships be built in to the process and if so how? Systems and structures are easy – how do we change culture/behaviours? As this proposal is a key element of the Early Years & School Improvement Strategy should the Compact invest in the development/running of the structures and should it develop a leadership development programme to support the implementation / ongoing activities? What role should NLEs/LLEs play in supporting this approach? How do we ensure effective governance at a partnership level? Sharing of data.

19. Further Information:(accessible to all schools and partners) Somerset Children and Young People’s Compact Website: https://slp.somerset.gov.uk/cypd/compact/default.aspx • Compact Bulletin; • Compact Consultations; • Membership, agendas, minutes and supporting papers. Produced by the Compact Business Support Office: CYPCompact@somerset.gov.uk 19