‘ Creating, inspiring and achieving’

1. ‘Creating, inspiring and achieving’ Englefield CE Primary School

3. The Governors SPECIAL SUBJECT INTEREST GOVERNORS The role of the governing body in school self-evaluation is to take a strategic view of how the school is doing, where we want it to go and to ensure accountability from school staff and leadership. It is our responsibility to ensure that we receive regular reports from the leadership team, to ensure that core policies and procedures are in place to support our school and to act as a critical friend.

4. Funding Formula changes and the implications • In real terms, schools have seen their income decreasing year on year since about 2005. Gradually previously funded grants have been withdrawn, school budgets have received little or no % increases in income to counter balance rising costs (e.g. energy has doubled in costs), • For a small school like us this has been quite a challenge. As the major part of our income comes through pupil numbers in schools, we are somewhat limited. • The Finance committee uses a 4-year projection budget to inform future needs of the school. Two years ago we had to take steps to address a future forecast deficit of £50,000 after all income and expenditure had been taken into account. We had to look at our main areas of expenditure, the most significant of which is of course staffing. It was clearly apparent that in the long term the high level of staffing in the school was unsustainable. To put this into some form of context, if we average out the income the school has had over the past three years purely in relation to the number of pupils in school, this amounts to £260,000. If we then compare this to the corresponding 3-yr average amount of expenditure purely on salaries, national insurance and pensions alone, this amounts to £371,000.

5. So, how do we manage to make up the difference? • To date local authorities have been able to fund schools using 50 elements, but this is all changing. • From April 2013 central government has introduced a new funding formula for local authorities to use, which has reduced the number of elements from 50 down to 10, eight of which are relevant to West Berkshire and out of these 8, only two will provide any significant amounts of funding for Englefield – pupil numbers and the annual grant (which will mop up some of the little elements that used to exist). • What does this mean for us? Well, for the next year it will not make a significant amount of difference – the challenge will be for future years because those two main elements under which our school will receive the bulk of its funding will remain static and do not increase in monetary terms even though inflation does. • Our projections show that we will still find ourselves in a forecast deficit situation but not as significant as previously; because of staff changes and through prudent monitoring of expenditure we have been able to carry forward an amount which will help balance our budget in the short term. Whilst we acknowledge that changing the structure of the school from 4.5 classes to 4, and reducing our full time equivalent teaching team from 5.9 to 5.1 was not popular with parents, we do feel that the change has led to a staffing level that is sustainable and one that can deliver the aims of the school.

6. How are the school’s priorities decided? An annual benchmarking exercise is carried out to assess the school‘s performance against the priority goals and expectations of its key stakeholders: CHILDREN!, Parents, the school Community (HT, Teachers, Governors), Ofsted and SIAS. From this key School Improvement Objectives are identified and prioritised. The SDP should set out the Implementation Plan for delivering the school improvement objectives prioritised and include expected outcomes and targets for evaluation. Progress and achievement of the targets are then monitored regularly during the course of the year, at Governor meetings and in the Head Teacher’s termly report. The aim of any school must be to continually assess the quality of the education it provides to all its pupils to ensure that throughout their school career they make good progress in order that they are equipped with the skills they will need in life. Schools do this through a process known as self evaluation.

7. OFSTED • From Sept 2012 a new Ofsted framework has been introduced. It now has a sharp focus on pupil progress and attainment, specifically judging schools against key areas. • As a result we have developed our own school self evaluation against these: • Achievement of Pupils • Teaching and Learning • Quality of Leadership and Management • Behaviour and Safety of Pupils • As a church school Englefield is also subject to a statutory inspection on how we deliver our Christian ethos (Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools – SIAS). Therefore our process of self evaluation also includes looking at: • The extent to which the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meets the needs of all its pupils • The extent to which the children receive additional opportunities to enrich their personal development

9. 1. Achievement of Pupils

10. Attainment and Achievement The tests taken at the end of each  Keystage show the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels in English and maths each year.

11. 2. Teaching and Learning

12. 3. The Quality of Leadership and Learning

13. 4. The Behaviour and Safety of the Pupils

14. 5. The extent to which the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meets the needs of all its pupils

15. 6. The extent to which the children receive additional opportunities to enrich their personal development

16. The Challenge Award • rigorous self-evaluation tool - 10 Elements representing quality provision - objective criteria & suggested evidence - provides benchmarks and shows you how to improve • an external Award which recognises and celebrates quality provision • CA schools are ambitious, open, rigorous in their self evaluation and have a “Learning Culture” • It is about changing and developing practice and the central focus is challenge in the classroom for all • It is about raising standards and ensuring pupils should progress as they should • The focus on G & T in the classroom raises the bar for everyone • CA schools value and act upon the pupil voice • There is an important emphasis on tackling underachievement • High expectations

17. The culture of challenge Teachers: • High expectations of all pupils. “Can do” culture • Relentless focus on improving • Willing to learn – also from each other • Skilful, motivating teaching which stretches and inspires • Nothing less than the best Pupils: • Willingness to learn/dispositions and skills of learning • Belief that effort will lead to success • It is “cool” to work hard and do well • Aspire to be the best they can

18. The School Structure

19. What can you do to help and support? • Writing: any form of writing and sentence structure work • Maths: any form of maths-giving the children real life experiences; their times tables etc • Consolidating those targets/homework that is sent home • Support us in continuing to have high expectations-uniform, manners, respect for each other, others in the school community • Allowing the children independence e.g. getting themselves sorted for school, having a go at things first before being helped etc ‘Creating, inspiring and achieving’