www.coventry.gov.uk

The Changing Role of Local Authorities in

Educational Services

22 June 2016

www.coventry.gov.uk

Successful partnership working enables children, young people and

adults to access high quality education and learning, develop

resilience, make positive life choices and contribute to a vibrant

Coventry city

Kirston Nelson

Director of Education, Libraries & Adult Learning

(Coventry City Council)

www.coventry.gov.uk

Background and context

Coventry Position 2012

• Coventry cited in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspectors annual report on

account of poor primary school performance

• Council commissioned external review of arrangements for school

improvement – recommendations included new model for school

improvement utilising school to school approach

• Ofsted Focused Inspection of Coventry Schools – March 2013

• Development of Coventry School Improvement Strategy 2012-2015:

focus on school to school support via primary networks and LA

monitoring and support via Coventry Improvement Partners

www.coventry.gov.uk

www.coventry.gov.uk

Coventry Position June 2015

• Approx 80% pupils attending G/ OS Primary Schools –

renewed focus on harder to shift schools (12% Academies)

SI Model development - collective moral purpose & accountability

Increased Rigour/ Framework Development/ Building Capacity

Coventry Improvement Partners shift from providing support and

evaluation to monitoring officers allowing schools to provide

support

• Approx 53% pupils attending G/ OS Secondary Schools

Fragmentation of partnership & relationship with LA

Request for central leadership & drive

Co-construction of Secondary School Improvement Model with LA

enabling infrastructure despite 75% Academies

www.coventry.gov.uk Secondary Partnership Structure and Organisation

January 2016

A

MAT (2) Lead 3 Convertors 1 Maintained

B MAT (1) Lead 1 RSA School 2 Maintained

1 Catholic MAC

1 UTC

Secondary School Improvement Board

C MAT (2 + 1FS)

Lead 1 x Free School

2 x Convertor Academies

D

MAT (2) Lead 2 Maintained

(1 VA) 1 Convertor

Oversees the effectiveness of all collaboratives

Ensures collaboratives establish and maintain an approved constitution

Ensures appropriate schools are in receipt of support

Ensures LA funding is used effectively

Monitors and evaluates the impact of support in schools

Disseminates a profile of success and good practice across the city

Provides peer mentoring, challenge and evaluation for Chairs

Provides support, challenge and evaluation for the LA in relation to school improvement

Local Authority Provides the enabling infrastructure

Provides liaison with Collaboratives, RSC, DfE, elected members and other agencies

Provides funding to support the strategy

Co-ordinates communication between schools, Collaboratives and the secondary SIB

Issues, monitors and evaluates formal agreements with collaboratives

Works with collaboratives to create a system to identify schools at risk of underperforming and those offering good practice

Provides appropriate information for collaboratives

Evaluates the effectiveness of the strategy in supporting improving standards and value for money

Ensures compliance with statutory duties, including statutory intervention

Education

Standards Board

Political interface with Director and LA officers

Evaluates the effectiveness of challenge delivered by the strategy

Makes clear judgements about the impact of the strategy

Challenges proposed strategic and/or structural solutions for schools causing concern

Secondary Executive

Secondary Partnership

Collaboratives 2015-16 Chairs

Co-designs the structure and

organisation of the secondary partnership

Represents views of HTs contributing to decision making

Acts as a consultative group on a range of issues

Plans partnership agendas

Early help

strategy

Co-constructs the strategic direction of secondary educational provision across the city

Considers the impact of the national agenda on local provision

Shares best practice across Collaboratives

Consults and agrees on partnership policy development in all aspects of the service

Receives information about a range of services/providers (marketplace)

Meeting format: o updates – national & local o marketplace (coffee break) o collaborative working on

topic/issue/theme

Curriculum

SEND and

Inclusion

Safeguarding

Finance

www.coventry.gov.uk

Coventry: Current Position

Pupils attending good or outstanding provision:

- Over 91% of pupils attending G/ OS primary schools

(National 86%)

- Over 67% of pupils attending G/ OS secondary

schools (National 78%)

- 100% of pupils attending G/ OS special schools up

from 75% in 2015 (National 79%)

- Overall 82.5 % of pupils now attend a G/ OS school –

up from 58% in July 2012 (National 83%)

www.coventry.gov.uk

Coventry: Current Position

Refreshed approach to partnership working with a focus

on co-design & production

- School Improvement Model – LA enabling

infrastructure of choice

- School Organisation Strategic Planning

- SEND Demand Mapping/ Specialist provision &

support services

- LAC Education Offer

- Primary & Secondary Behaviour Pathways

- Early Help – schools as co-deliverers not receivers

- Education Service Re-design

www.coventry.gov.uk

Impact of National position on Coventry

May

2010

March

2016

203

2022

5,170

(Approx. 50% of

English Secondaries

and approx. 10% of

primaries)

• Government commitment to Academy conversion

by 2022 – Coventry high % secondary/ low %

primary

• Significant impact anticipated on school budgets as

an impact of National Funding Formula

• Anticipated £3m grant (ESG/ DSG) cut on top of

required savings

• National Curriculum & Skills replacement demands

disconnect

• LA committed to role in local education

• Despite movements to allow Local Authorities to run

Multi-Academy Trusts and Coventry’s significant

improvement the performance threshold is unclear

Approx.

24,000?

National - Number of Academies

www.coventry.gov.uk

Changing role of LA in Educational

Services - Local Position

• Political - against enforced academisation and enforced free schools

• Pragmatism - whilst Government agenda is still towards change of local

authority role, there is a 6-year academy conversion lead-in time

– Coasting criteria

– RSCs responsibility for RI schools

– Financial vulnerability

• Partnership - Coventry schools want to retain Coventry family of schools and

refuse to allow this to fragment the Coventry partnership the appetite to use

this as an opportunity to strengthen/secure the LA/ school & broader

partnership

• Positive - Relationship and new ways of working between LA/ RSC/ DfE and

Ofsted improving

www.coventry.gov.uk

Next steps

Coventry family of schools

• Focus on creating strong and secure local system to manage

these changes. Do we have enough local solutions to prevent

enforcement?

• Need to maximise funding in the system to target young people

• LA role to support schools to have a choice

• Need to avoid unintended system consequences

• Work together to make the most of our Coventry family of schools and control our own destiny

www.coventry.gov.uk

Next Steps

Explore alternative models with the LA entering into a formal

partnership with Coventry school partnerships to deliver statutory &

traded services for the future to:

• Create collective ownership through a Coventry partnership

approach

• Maximise freedom and flexibilities

• Identify schools experiencing better quality of service/ meeting their

needs

• Explore potential opportunity for a ‘Coventry MAT’

• Opportunity for growth to effectively invest

back into Coventry schools

• Be more sustainable in tough financial context

www.coventry.gov.uk

Thank you for listening