Remodelling Schools Manual: Workforce Reform (Schools Management Solutions)

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Remodelling Schools Manual

Workforce Reform Sonia Blandford

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Remodelling Schools Manual Workforce Reform SONIA BLANDFORD

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PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED Edinburgh Gate Harlow CM20 2JE Tel: +44 (0)1279 623623 Fax: +44 (0)1279 431059 Website: www.pearsoned.co.uk

First published in Great Britain in 2006 © Pearson Education Limited 2006 The right of Sonia Blandford to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 13: 978-1-4058-2202-2 ISBN 10: 1-4058-2202-3 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Blandford, Sonia. Remodelling school : workforce reform / Sonia Blandford. p. cm. -- (School management solutions series) Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-1-4058-2202-2 1. School personnel management--Great Britain. 2. School improvement programs--Great Britain. 3. Teachers--Workload--Great Britain. 4. Educational change--Great Britain. I. Title. II Series. LB2831.585.G7B58 2005 371.2’02--dc22 2005052746 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publishers. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 09 08 07 06 05 Typeset in 10.5/16pt Stone Serif by 30 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport, Hampshire The Publisher’s policy is to use paper manufactured from sustainable forests.

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To Bethany and Mia – my remodelled workforce.

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Contents

Author’s acknowledgements

ix

About the author

ix

Publisher’s acknowledgements Abbreviations

x xi

Useful websites

xiv

Introduction

xv

SECTION 1 · REMODELLING AND WORKFORCE REFORM

1

1

Why remodelling and workforce reform?

5

2

What is remodelling?

13

3

Remodelling and workforce reform practice

19

4

Remodelling issues

26

Workshop materials

33

Summary

38

SECTION 2 · THE EXTENDED SCHOOL – A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

39

5

A community of learners

42

6

School, home and the community

45

7

Extended schools

48

8

Community schools

53

9

Extended schools – extended services

57

10 Working in partnership with local authorities

61

Workshop materials

69

Summary

72

SECTION 3 · WORKFORCE REFORM

73

11 School workforce reform – policy

76

12 Teachers

81

13 Teaching assistants

88

14 Higher level teaching assistants

92

15 Headteachers

96

Workshop materials

100

Summary

105

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Contents

SECTION 4 · RESOURCES

107

16 Funding and value for money

110

17 Recruitment and selection

117

18 Induction

124

19 Performance management

128

20 Professional development policy and practice

131

21 Professional development – qualifications framework

138

Workshop materials

146

Summary

154

SECTION 5 · LEADING REMODELLING

155

22 Change

158

23 Leading teams

168

24 Work/life balance

174

Workshop materials

181

Summary

186

SECTION 6 · REMODELLING FOR LEARNING

187

25 Learning and teaching

191

26 Planning, monitoring and evaluating

198

27 Where next?

209

Workshop materials

212

Summary

222

Postscript

223

Bibliography

227

Index

235

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Author’s acknowledgements

The approach to the writing of this manual was to gather a team of interested and valued practitioners; it would not have been written without their expertise, encouragement and time. I wish to express my thanks to Marissa Newton, Kent County Council; Raphael Wilkins, Dr Viv Wilson and Bob Gibbs, Canterbury Christ Church University; and the schools who participated in the research. Particular thanks to Dr Lynne Graham-Matheson and Charlie Eldridge who assisted with the research and subsequent editing.

About the author

Professor Sonia Blandford is Pro-Vice Chancellor (Dean of Education) at Canterbury Christ Church University, which is one of the largest providers of initial teacher training and professional development in the United Kingdom. Following a successful career as a teacher in primary and secondary schools, Sonia has worked in higher education for nine years. Sonia has acted as an education consultant to ministries of education in Eastern Europe, South America and South Africa. Sonia has also worked as an advisor to the European Commission, local education authorities (LEAs), and schools, and co-leads the Teach First initiative. As an author of a range of education management texts, Sonia has a reputation for her straightforward approach to difficult issues. Sonia writes in an accessible style, communicating ideas in a pragmatic manner as illustrated in Master Class and columns written for the Guardian.

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Publisher’s acknowledgements

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: Extract from ‘New Trainers’ by Sonia Blandford, 14 September 2004, The Guardian ©Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004; extract from ‘What the changes mean for us’ by Stephen Hoare, 1 March 2005, The Guardian ©Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005; extract from ‘Role model 1: support staff raise self-esteem’ by Chris Arnot, 1 March 2005 The Guardian ©Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005; extract from ‘All change on the job front’ by Julie Nightingale, 1 March 2005, The Guardian ©Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005; Figure 4.1 from ‘Funding responsibilities’ from School and LEA Funding, a presentation by Stephen Bishop at DfES (www.teachernet.gov.uk); Figure 6.3 from Blandford, S., Middle Management in Schools, 1997, Pitman; Figure 6.5 from Hargreaves, D.H., ‘Self-managing schools and development planning – chaos or control?’, School Leadership & Management, Vol. 15:3. pp. 215–217, http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals, reproduced with permission; Table 6.1 from Blandford, S., Middle Management in Schools, 1997, Pitman.

In some instances we have been unable to trace the owners of copyright material, and we would appreciate any information that would enable us to do so.

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Abbreviations

AST

Advanced Skills Teacher

ATL

Association of Teachers and Lecturers

BA

Bachelor of Arts

BEST

Behaviour and Educational Support Team

CAF

Common Assessment Framework

CEP

Career Entry Profiles

Cert Ed

Certificate in Education

CFR

Consistent Financial Reporting

CHS

Childhood Studies

CMC

Community Music Centre

CMT

Change Management Team

CPD

Continuing Professional Development

CRB

Criminal Record Bureau

CV

Curriculum Vitae

CWDC

Children’s Workforce Development Council

CYPP

Children and Young People

CYS

Child and Youth Studies

DfES

Department for Education and Skills

DTI

Department of Trade and Industry

EAZ

Education Action Zone

EBR

Employment-based Route

EdD

Doctor of Education

EDP

Educational Development Plan

ERA

Education Reform Act

EWO

Education Welfare Officer

EWS

Education Welfare Service

EY

Early Years

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Abbreviations

FAS

Funding Agency for Schools

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education

GT

Graduate Trainee

GTC(E)

General Teaching Council for England

GTP

Graduate Training Programme

HEI

Higher Education Institution

HLTA

Higher Level Teaching Assistant

HMG

Her Majesty’s Government

ICT

Information, Communication and Technology

IMC

International Music Centre

INSET

In-service Education and Training

IRU

Implementation Review Unit

IT

Information Technology

ITT

Initial Teacher Training

KS

Key Stage

LAA

Local Area Agreement

LEA

Local Education Authority

LRA

Learning Resource Assistant

LSC

Learning and Skills Council

MBA

Master of Business Administration

MCI

Management Charter Initiative

NAHT

National Association of Headteachers

NASUWT

National Association of Schoolmasters’ Union of Women Teachers

NCE

National Commission on Education

NCSL

National College for School Leadership

NEOST

National Employers’ Organisation for School Teachers

NHS

National Health Service

NJC

National Joint Council

NPSH

National Professional Qualification for Headship

NQT

Newly Qualified Teacher

NRT

National Remodelling Team

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Abbreviations

NVQ

National Vocational Qualification

ODPM

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Ofsted

Office for Standards in Education

OTT

Overseas Trained Teacher

PE

Physical Education

PFI

Private Finance Initiative

PGCE

Postgraduate Certificate in Education

PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

PPA

Planning, Preparation and Assessment

PVI

Private Voluntary Independent

QCA

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

QTS

Qualified Teacher Status

RT

Registered Teacher

RTP

Registered Teacher Programme

SEN

Special Educational Needs

SENCO

Special Educational Needs Coordinator

SHA

Secondary Heads’ Association

SIP

School Improvement Plan

SLT

Senior Leadership Team

SMT

Senior Management Team

STPCD

School Teacher Pay and Conditions Document

STRB

School Teacher Review Board

TA

Teaching Assistant

TDA

Training and Development Agency

TGWU

Transport and General Workers’ Union

TSW

Transforming School Workforce

TTA

Teacher Training Agency

WAMG

Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group

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Useful websites

Key documents can be found at the following websites: DfES

www.dfes.gov.uk and www.teachernet.gov.uk

Every Child Matters

www.everychildmatters.gov.uk

The Guardian

http://education.guardian.co.uk/remodelling

National Remodelling Team

www.remodelling.org

The above list is by no means exhaustive. As you investigate further, you will find links to other sites that will inform your practice. Keep a record on your computer using favourites as you explore the most relevant sites to you and your school.

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Introduction

REMODELLING SCHOOLS: WORKFORCE REFORM In 2000, government negotiations with a range of agencies led to workforce reform: a remodelling of practice in schools which would provide teachers with time to focus on raising standards in schools. The changes that followed emanated from the good practice that was already evident in many schools. The ‘one size fits all’ model of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) was to be revisited. The remodelling process is predicated on change which is a feature that will remain with schools for the foreseeable future. This future holds many challenges and opportunities for the wider workforce who are tasked with the planning and delivery of workforce reform, extended schools and the five outcomes of Every Child Matters. In 2003, the National Remodelling Team (NRT) was established by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and hosted by the National College of School Leadership (NCSL) to promote and progress the school workforce remodelling agenda. The NRT was tasked with working in partnership with local education authorities (LEAs) to release the capacity for change which exists in schools and to create and manage their own self-directed and supported change process (NCSL, 2003). As from 1 April 2005, this has been hosted by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), which became the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for Schools in September 2005. The Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG) representing teaching unions and other partners within the National Agreement for Raising Standards and Tackling Workload (WAMG, 2003a) supported the launch of the NRT. Dame Pat Collarbone, the NRT National Director, stated that ‘as we collect more and more evidence of a revolution beginning to take place in our schools, the realisation is beginning to dawn, not only that remodelling is achievable, but that it represents perhaps the most powerful tool we have for changing the education landscape’ (NCSL, 2003). Initiatives are rarely entirely new: remodelling emanates from existing good practice demonstrated in a number of schools and, therefore, the notion that the remodelling of schools is an initiative created by government policy is inaccurate. Many of the central tenets of a remodelled school (employment of support staff in classrooms, schools as learning environments managed by teachers, extended hours, and multi-agency provision in partnership with children and youth agencies) are not new. There are elements of such practice evident in many primary and secondary community schools in England and Wales since the introduction of compulsory education. It should also be noted that the majority of state schools have been well-led and efficiently managed organisations with committed staff that inspire children to learn.

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Introduction

Prior to the ERA, schools were able to approach learning and teaching in response to local and individual needs. The ERA introduced a common curriculum with statutory assessment at ages 7, 11, 14 and 16. In addition to a national curriculum and common assessment framework, parents were able to select the school their child attended, and schools were to be responsible for budgets and marketing. In the context of control and change, teachers were increasingly required to deliver a curriculum created by government committees. At this time, teachers felt disempowered and under pressure; many left the profession. Those that remain contrive to be highly committed professionals working in partnership with other agencies, delivering a curriculum and assessing children within a common framework. As demonstrated by local leagues and concerts, many schools continue to provide sports and performing arts activities that extend the curriculum beyond the school day. For example, the National Festival of Music for Youth celebrates the ever-increasing number of school ensembles and reflects the high standards of performance in schools and local communities. Schools also continue to support children, at a basic level, with special educational and social needs; they serve free school meals and some have already extended provision with the introduction of breakfast clubs. The Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED) has acknowledged the significant improvements that have taken place in schools (OfSTED, 2004). These achievements are evidenced by the year on year increase in the number of students gaining qualifications at 16 and 18 Department for Education and Science (DfES, 2005d). The introduction of the national teaching awards has also been a public recognition of the skill and commitment of those dedicated to raising standards in schools. It is within this context that, since 2000, many of the agencies (unions and government, private and state) that have contributed to the positive improvements in schools came together to develop a framework that would further enhance good practice. Remodelling schools and workforce reform have been created to introduce a structured change that would empower schools to tackle issues according to context. As the NRT stated (from website www.remodelling.org): In September 2003 a unique agreement was struck between unions and government agencies to secure improved working conditions for teachers. This has led to the remodelling of schools where a teacher’s practice … focus[es] on learning with less emphasis on administrative and support tasks … Set within the context of the future social, economic, technological and educational change, teachers will accommodate changes as a matter of course. Change management will continue to be a normal part of a professional’s life.

The global phenomenon of poor recruitment and retention of skilled and informed professionals needs to be addressed. Many agencies have recognised that schools are not static organisations. Set within the context of the twenty-first century knowledge society, the shared view is that graduates from all disciplines might find teaching a more attractive profession. A significant factor within the remodelling process is the focus on supporting teachers who, for many years, have worked above and beyond contracted hours, by reducing the number of administrative tasks encountered on a daily basis.

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Introduction

Remodelling is not just another initiative; it introduces a new way of managing schools and claims to have the potential to transform the lives of all who work and study in them. As such, any person or organisation involved in the education sector is inevitably involved in remodelling: from the DfES to pupils. The most active participants in implementing the remodelling programme are shown in Table i which is adapted from the NRT website www.remodelling.org: Schools are central to the Government’s aim to develop a world-class children’s workforce that is competent and confident and which people aspire to be part of and want to remain where they can develop their skills and build satisfying and rewarding careers so that parents, carers, children and young children trust and respect (DfES, 2004b).

Table i Remodelling participants ●

Schools are at the frontline of remodelling. The remodelling process is an opportunity for them to seize the initiative and make a difference to the effectiveness and work/life balance of staff and the way pupils learn.

●

LEAs have at least one nominated remodelling adviser in place; many LEAs have a team of remodelling advisers. These advisers support schools through their change process, and champion the remodelling agenda and workforce agreement within the LEA. These advisers identify ‘early adopter’ schools to be fast-tracked through the change management process. These early adopters created the momentum for remodelling across England and served as examples of what remodelling can achieve.

●

The WAMG is a partnership of 10 organisations* representing employers, government and school workforce unions. It is firmly committed to a better deal for everyone working in schools, including support staff, teachers, headteachers and, most importantly, pupils. The union members of WAMG represent the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), GMB, National Association of Schoolmasters’ Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), National Employers’ Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST), PAT, Secondary Heads’ Association (SHA), Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) and Unison.

●

Governors have a key role in school remodelling, particularly ensuring that their school is implementing the contractual changes introduced in the National Agreement and in making sure that remodelling is central to all their school’s future planning.

●

Remodelling consultants work with LEAs to support and advise individual schools as they go through their change processes. Remodelling consultants use their skills to identify the key issues and underlying challenges that schools need in order to ▼

address remodelling successfully.

* There were initially 11 organisations but the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) withdrew in March 2005.

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Introduction

●

The NRT works in partnership with LEAs, NRT regional centres, WAMG, DfES and other bodies to challenge and support schools in implementing the National Agreement. It also supports forward-looking ways of remodelling the school workforce in England. The NRT has been training and coordinating LEA remodelling advisers to help schools understand the change process and support them in developing their own solutions, and in learning from other schools.

●

The Implementation Review Unit (IRU) panel of serving headteachers, teachers and a school bursar scrutinise initiatives from a number of national organisations, including DfES, OfSTED, TTA and LEAs. It also has a regional role and will be seeking information directly from schools to inform their work. The IRU meets regularly with WAMG and with government ministers.

Source: Adapted from the NRT website, www.remodelling.org.

Remodelling the workforce underpins the government’s drive to improve outcomes for all children and young people so that they are healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being as detailed in Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b), Every Child Matters: Next Steps (DfES, 2004a), Choice for Parents – the Best Start for Children: A 10 year Strategy for Childcare (HM Treasury, 2004), Common Assessment Framework (DfES, 2005c) and Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce (DfES, 2005b). Examination of the DfES website (www.dfes.gov.uk) shows the importance of workforce reform in current government thinking. Remodelling encompasses three key points of practice: ●

National Agreement on workload enabling teachers to focus on learning and teaching.

●

The Extended School, through the engagement of para-professionals and experts in a range of activities, while attending to basic needs so that children are able to access a creative and active curriculum.

●

Every Child Matters to be delivered through increased and enhanced multi-agency and inter-agency collaboration for the benefit of all children.

WHO IS THIS MANUAL FOR? This manual is compiled for the wider workforce within and beyond the school community who contribute to the functions and well-being of a remodelled school: ●

governors

●

headteachers

●

senior leaders, managers and supervisors

●

teachers

●

learning support staff, learning mentors, higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) and teaching assistants (TAs)

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Introduction

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administrators and their support staff

●

technicians and site managers who manage the environment and contribute to the wellbeing of the school

●

finance managers

●

the wider workforce, including health and social services professionals.

WHAT DOES THE MANUAL DO? The manual provides the wider workforce with guidance and advice on how to implement, develop and evaluate remodelling and workforce reform. Set within the context of schools as learning organisations, the manual is written and designed to support leaders and professionals within the wider context of practice. Based on research and experience, the manual is a guide and resource, providing solutions to real problems. Worked examples are given in response to theoretical and practical issues. The reader will also find definitions and descriptions of new policies and practice. The manual aims to provide the reader with: ●

knowledge and understanding of remodelling and workforce reform

●

possible action that will deliver results.

The manual is divided into six sections that include: ●

a framework for practice based on current theories, policies and legislation

●

practical guidance based on case studies

●

checklists and questions for consideration by all members of the school community and associated practitioners

●

workshop materials

●

summaries.

The manual provides guidance on policies and examples of practices that can be transferred to schools. Each section will need to be read as appropriate to individual and school development needs. Advice in the manual is supplemented by a range of activities that might prove useful. Fig. i illustrates how the manual leads the reader from the principles of the remodelled school to identifying institutional and individual needs in creating a learning and supportive community.

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Remodelling and workforce reform

Section 1

The extended school – a community of learners

Section 2

Workforce reform

Section 3

Resources

Section 4

Leading remodelling

Section 5

Remodelling for learning

Section 6

Why remodelling and workforce reform? What is remodelling? Remodelling practice Remodelling issues

Community of learners School, home and community Extended schools Community schools Extended services Working in partnership

School workforce reform: policy teachers teaching assistants HLTAs headteachers

Funding and value for money Recruitment and selection Induction Performance management Professional development

Leading teams Managing change Work/life balance

Learning and teaching Planning, monitoring and evaluating

Fig. i Remodelling in schools: workforce reform

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Summary of each section

Section 1: Remodelling and workforce reform This section examines policy and practice as determined by government legislation within the context of remodelling and workforce reform.

Section 2: The extended school – a community of learners This section asks what is meant by the school as a community. It provides guidance for those entering the new domain of the extended school as illustrated by case studies on effective practice.

Section 3: Workforce reform Practical advice is provided on the changing role of leaders, teachers and the school workforce. Set within the changing educational environment, this section focuses on the central tenets of workforce reform.

Section 4: Resources This section encompasses guidance on aspects of resource management that are necessary for management of the school workforce. Professional development is also a critical factor in the effective management of the school workforce and can occur in a variety of forms. This section provides models for teaching and non-teaching staff.

Section 5: Leading remodelling This section provides advice and guidance on how to develop teams and manage change. Case studies of effective collaboration between teaching and non-teaching staff will illustrate the strength of positive team management in schools.

Section 6: Remodelling for learning Learning and teaching underpin good practice. ‘Planning, monitoring and review’ provides valuable guidance on planning, including how to communicate with teams, practitioners and parents, and advice on monitoring and evaluation. The section concludes with information on designing a school strategy that engages the school workforce in remodelling.

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Summary of each section

Summary and manual checklist This manual provides advice and guidance for practitioners, leaders and managers in schools. Building from policy to practice, the manual will take the reader through the current reforms through to practice within the classroom. Each section begins with a clear statement of intent followed by a diagram illustrating content, aims and objectives. Checklists provide the reader with the means of registering key points, followed by questions and case studies that focus on leadership and practice. A summary for each section provides an operational list upon which workshop materials are based.

The first section defines remodelling and workforce reform, and considers their application to practice.

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Section 1

REMODELLING AND WORKFORCE REFORM

1

Why remodelling and workforce reform?

2

What is remodelling?

13

3

Remodelling and workforce reform practice

19

4

Remodelling issues

26

Workshop materials

33

Summary

38

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Introduction

Remodelling and workforce reform embrace the wider culture changes in education and the other professions that relate to children, young people and learners, while addressing staff workload. Many of these reforms have been developed out of good practice, which includes the child in determining the most appropriate support and improves his or her development. Key points to consider are leadership, management and planning, and resourcing and development. Figure 1.1 illustrates the factors that impact on the success of remodelling.

Policy: research consultancy and implementation

Change management

Delivery of learning

Planning, monitoring and evaluation

Accreditation and training

REMODELLING IN SCHOOLS: WORKFORCE REFORM

Extended schools: policy and practice

Routes into the professions

Multi-agency/inter-agency working Work/life balance

Fig. 1.1 Remodelling in schools: workforce reform

By placing learners at the centre, remodelling can enhance practice when: ●

it is understood as being of direct benefit to practitioners and the wider workforce

●

it acknowledges the individual as a professional within workforce reform

●

it is actively supported by headteachers and senior leadership team colleagues

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Section 1 · Remodelling and workforce reform

●

the outcomes are related to all children so that they are healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being (DfES, 2003b)

●

outcomes are achieved by a world-class children’s workforce (DfES, 2004b) that: – is competent and confident – people aspire to and want to remain where they can develop their skills and build satisfying and rewarding careers – parents, carers, children and young people trust and respect.

This section sets remodelling and workforce reform within the context of government policy and legislation.

Questions to consider 1 What is remodelling? 2 What is workforce reform? 3 Who are the stakeholders? 4 How will remodelling and workforce reform impact on your practice? 5 How can remodelling and workforce reform raise standards in education?

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Chapter 1

WHY REMODELLING AND WORKFORCE REFORM?

Remodelling is a structured change process which empowers schools to tackle their key issues in a way that reflects their individual circumstances Source: NRT (2005)

This chapter outlines the policies and legislation that provide the framework for practice in the remodelling of schools. This introduction is not exhaustive and it is suggested that readers consult government and trade union websites relating to education, health and social work. In 2000, the government, trade unions and supporting agencies met to agree a strategy that would facilitate change in schools. As with previous policies, the purpose of the change was to raise standards in schools. While the approach was to set further targets and create new policies, there was also an emphasis on providing schools with the opportunity and resources to lighten the workload of teachers. School leaders would be encouraged to be creative in their approach to managing staff and extending provision in terms of time and scope. The agenda for change was far-reaching and encompassed a range of policies that was were to include all areas of public sector provision that engaged with children. As shown in Table 1.1, the government began workforce reform with the 2002 Education Act, Extended Schools (DfES, 2002; 2005f) and Every Child Matters (HMG, 2003a; DfES, 2003b). Established to help LEAs support schools with the implementation of Raising Standards and Tackling Workload: A National Agreement (WAMG, 2003a), the NRT has subsequently been involved in supporting schools with the implementation of the extended schools’ agenda and continues to produce regular updates, case studies and advice. There followed a plethora of related policies and papers that were intended to commit school leaders and other professionals to workforce reform, extended schools and Every Child Matters. In 2005, the DfES published a prospectus for extended schools (DfES, 2005f). During this period, the DfES also developed further policies on Every Child Matters that engage school, health and social work practitioners in further change: the Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (DfES, 2004d), A 10 Year Strategy for Childcare (HM Treasury, 2004) and Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy (DfES, 2005a).

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2002

Education Act Extended schools

2003

National Agreement Time for standards: transforming the school workforce National Remodelling Team School teacher pay and conditions Every Child Matters

2004

Children Act

2005

Five-Year Strategy on Education Every Child Matters: Change for Children Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy Common Core of Skills and Knowledge Common Assessment Framework

Table 1.1 Key developments and policy documents

In addition, supplementary policies on finance (DfES, 2003a), skills and knowledge (DfES, 2005b) and a common assessment framework (DfES, 2005c) have been produced along with further government legislation and details of earlier policies. Each new document contributes to school practice but has also swamped practitioners with ever more advice to be absorbed. In 2005, further advice was also provided by the TTA (Developing Multiagency Teams) and the Study Support Teams Extended Schools Framework. There are also local policies that supersede or supplement the national policies in the context of LEA reform; the creation of Children’s Trusts is an example of such change. This is to replace LEAs’ bringing together of services that embrace the social, educational and economic wellbeing of children as determined by Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b).

WORKFORCE REFORM Workforce reform legislation began with the 2002 Education Act through regulations under Section 133 implemented in August 2003 (see www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031663.htm). The accompanying guidance was fully endorsed by the signatories of the National Agreement on raising standards and tackling workload. The purpose of the legislation was to make an important contribution to changing the way that schools work, raising the standards for pupils by increasing the range of adults with different skills and experience in schools. Given the previous limited range of guidance on adults in the classroom, the government also sought to ensure that schools safeguard the quality of pupils’ education when they are working with adults who are not qualified teachers (DfES, 2003a). The legislation was underpinned by the need to address the concerns of trade unions and educationalists that the workforce had been required to work beyond a reasonable level. This had been expressed as concerns about workload, job satisfaction, recruitment and

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efficiency within the context of a government emphasis on teachers raising the quality and standards of achievement of young people in schools (STRB, 2002; DfES, 2003a). Since 1988, schools have been required to reform in order to meet government legislation. The difference, espoused by the National Agreement and later by the NRT, was that schools should move away from the uniformity and compliance of the ERA towards a greater sense of equity and interdependency where change is to be at differing levels. There is an opportunity for schools to lead reform by working in partnership with LEAs within the framework set by government, trade unions, lead professionals and other stakeholders. This opportunity allows for creativity and flexibility in planning workforce reform, but there is a challenge to personalise the service they provide in response to the agendas of Extended Schools (DfES, 2002; 2005f) and Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b). Schools are being encouraged to remodel the workforce as described in the guidance for governors: Remodelling is about giving teachers more time to focus on teaching and learning, and providing extra support and renewed leadership to reduce workload, increase job satisfaction and maximize the effectiveness of the whole school workforce in delivering improved standards. Remodelling is about a culture change in schools; about using a broader range of adults in different roles. It will have a profound effect on the ways schools work. Source: NRT (2004a)

Further explanations are given in Chapter 2, but remodelling moves school teaching staff from the high levels of prescription that had become workload issues. The National Agreement identifies the need to move teachers away from those activities other than teaching that had created overload. In 2001, a report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2001) showed that teachers had been working up to 70 hours a week. Three successive secretaries of state for education agreed that the way forward was the remodelling of the workforce.

EXTENDED SCHOOLS The government’s commitment to extended schools is detailed in the DfES’s Extended Schools, which provides opportunities for all: An extended school is one that provides a range of services and activities often beyond the school day to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. Across the country, many schools are already providing some extended services including adult education, study support, ICT facilities and community sports programmes. Schools and their partners can build on existing provision and consider what additional services or activities they might offer. Source: DfES (2002)

Extended schools are an example of integrated practice between public and private agencies and schools that provide universal services in support of the development of the child. Delivering extended services requires a flexible approach. Schools are to set out in their

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school profile any self-evaluations of extended services they provided which will then be inspected by Ofsted. Considerations of extended services and how they can raise standards will also form part of a school’s improvement plan. Further details can be found in Extended Schools: Access to Opportunities and Services to all: A Prospectus (DfES, 2005f) (see Chapter 7).

EVERY CHILD MATTERS With the government green paper, Every Child Matters (HMG, 2003a) sets out a framework for improving the outcomes of all children and young people. There followed a number of documents that focused on children within school, communities and other environments. Every Child Matters: Change for Children (DfES, 2004e) sets out a national framework for local change programmes to build services around the needs of children and young people in order to maximise opportunity. In 2004, the five outcomes of Every Child Matters were given legal force in the 2002 Children Act, as shown in Table 1.2.

Be healthy

Physically, mentally and emotionally healthy Healthy lifestyles Parents promote healthy choices

Stay safe

Safe from maltreatment, neglect and violence Safe from accidental injury and death Safe from bullying and discrimination Safe from anti-social behaviour Parents provide safe homes and stability

Enjoy and achieve

Ready for school Attend and enjoy school Achieve stretching national education standards Enjoy recreation Parents support learning

Make a positive

Engage and support the community and environment

contribution

Engage in positive behaviour in and out of school Develop positive relationships Develop self-confidence and deal with life changes and challenges Parents promote positive behaviour

Achieve economic

Engage in further education, employment or training after

well-being

leaving school Ready for employment Parents are supported to be economically active

Table 1.2 Five outcomes of Every Child Matters

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The approach taken by government in the delivery of these aims is for an integrated frontline delivery. Through the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce (DfES, 2005b) and Common Assessment Framework (DfES, 2005c), local authorities and partners will be working to improve the sharing of information and subsequent planning. The role of schools is self-evident as detailed in Every Child Matters: Change for Children in Schools: ● schools are being encouraged to offer a range of services that help pupils engage and achieve, and

building strong relationships with parents and the wider community and ● supporting closer working between universal services … so that children with additional needs can be

identified earlier and supported effectively. Source: DfES (2004c)

The impact of the 2004 Children Act will stimulate research, political analysis and discussion. The government has committed to further spending; it will be needed if Every Child Matters is to be delivered in a meaningful way. In the context of Every Child Matters, the workforce extends beyond schools and encompasses all agencies whose function it is to support and develop children. A clear and pragmatic description of workforce reform is provided in the introduction to Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy: This strategy is designed to help improve skills and knowledge, encourage the joining-up of services around the needs of children and young people, and support a focus on prevention while strengthening protection. It encourages local partners to work together, across the public, private, voluntary and community sectors, to achieve these aims. It also seeks to promote improved careers for people working with children and young people, with the possibility of genuine progression available to all: better training, better development, better rewards. The Government believes that the key strategic challenges across children’s services are to: ● recruit more people into the children’s workforce, ensuring the work is attractive and promoting

more flexible entry routes; ● develop and retain more people within the children’s workforce, improving their skills building

on the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge and creating a single qualifications framework; ● strengthen inter-agency and multidisciplinary working, and workforce re-modelling; and ● promote stronger leadership, management and supervision.

Source: DfES (2005a)

These reforms are far-reaching and, if successful, will lead to the celebration and enhancement of all professions allied to child and young-people learning. However, in addition to policies, there is a need for a change in culture, perception and professional experience of the school workforce. Personally, professionally, socially and educationally the school workforce needs to be valued.

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STRATEGIC CHALLENGES In 2004, the Department for Education and Skills published its five-year strategy for education in which guidelines for future practice were presented as follows: Five key principles of reform will underpin our drive for a step change in children’s services, education and training: ● Greater personalisation and choice with the wishes and needs of children, parents and learners

centre-stage ●

Opening up services to new and different providers and ways of delivering services

●

Freedom and independence for frontline headteachers, governors and managers with clear simple accountabilities and more secure streamlined funding arrangements

●

A major commitment to staff development with high quality support and training to improve assessment, care and teaching

●

Partnerships with parents, employers, volunteers and voluntary organisations to maximise the life chances of children, young people and adults. Source: DfES (2004d)

The principles that underpin the strategy for reform require further translation into practice. In 2005, the TTA published a draft framework for the training of professionals engaged in the delivery of children’s services relating to schools. Much of the change will need the commitment, understanding and goodwill of teachers, the extended school workforce and leaders. While early adopter and pathfinder schools will continue to maximise the possibilities that reform brings, the sceptics will require more than policies. For every school, remodelling raises strategic and operational challenges (see Chapter 26). Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy (DfES, 2005a) details the government’s concerns regarding the recruitment of more people into the children’s workforce while ensuring the work is attractive and promoting flexible routes. Much has been achieved by the TTA in providing flexible routes into the profession (see Table 4.2 on page 144). However, the need to promote these routes reflects the disproportionate number of teachers leaving the profession. It is hoped that the remodelling of schools will provide some solutions as those in the profession commit to the changes. There are also plans to create a single qualification framework building on the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge. The National Children’s Bureau, TTA and the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) consultation is to be welcomed by professionals and higher education institutions (HEIs). The consultation process emphasises the need for teachers to be graduates and for other adults engaged in children’s service to have adequate training. The intended outcome of workforce reform is that educated, trained and retained professionals will work together; remodelling will then strengthen inter-agency and multiagency working. Nearly 30 years since the Warnock Report (DES, 1978) raised the issue, and

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ten years since the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Education Needs (DfE, 1994) was published, a statement of intent would be strategically useful; however, operationalising such policies continues to be a challenge and should be recognised as such. Leadership appears to be an answer; though in one sense, all practitioners are leaders. How will those in leadership positions be trained? The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) has had some impact and a new qualification, the National Professional Qualification for Leaders of Children and Educational Services, is to be introduced in 2006. The aim of Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce, set in the context of Every Child Matters: Change for Children (DfES 2004e), is to support all those working with children in developing a shared understanding and common language, so that they can work together effectively in the delivery of the government’s five outcomes for children. Guided by the CWDC, the common core sets out what everyone working with children should know about, and be able to do, under six headings: ●

effective communication and engagement with children, young people and families

●

child and young person development

●

safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child

●

supporting transitions

●

multi-agency working

●

sharing information.

The common core is intended as a starting point for further detailed work by responsible bodies. It is not a curriculum, nor is it pitched at a specific level. It can be used as a tool for human resources and to support the review of training programmes. It needs to be developed and adapted, as appropriate, for use by different professional groups and in qualifications at different levels.

CHILDREN’S TRUSTS The implementation and development of the workforce reform strategy involves a number of professionals from the public sector workforce managed by local authorities and the National Health Service (NHS). Several authorities were early adopters or pathfinder authorities who embraced government initiatives prior to legislation (see Chapter 10). Many of the early adopters created children’s trusts that included organisations from the state, private and voluntary sectors. These trusts have prepared the ground for LEAs to move towards the creation of Local Authority Children’s Trusts (see Chapter 10) bringing together education, social work and, in some cases, health professionals in one organisation.

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RESOURCING WORKFORCE REFORM In 2003, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills responded quickly to headteacher concerns on the funding of schools. Workforce reform required sufficient financing to alleviate teacher shortage, the intention being that all professionals commit to the changes in the National Agreement and the Children Act. This followed an earlier statement in July 2002 that committed the government to eight key reforms: ●

guaranteed three-year budgets for every school from 2006, geared to pupil numbers, with every school guaranteed a minimum per-pupil increase each year

●

universal and better specialist schools

●

freedom for all secondary schools to own their land and buildings, manage their assets, employ their staff, improve their governing bodies, and forge partnerships with outside sponsors and educational foundations

●

more places in popular schools

●

a new relationship with schools to cut the red tape involved in accountability, without cutting schools adrift

●

200 academies by 2010 – and more new schools

●

every secondary school to be refurbished, or rebuilt, to a modern standard in the next 10 to 15 years

●

foundation partnerships.

It would seem that the government and their advisers were committed to extending the range of educational opportunities for all children and learners. In order to achieve these aims, the nature and range of opportunities for learners was to change. However, for practitioners, the words are different but the rhythm and tune has yet to change.

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Chapter 2

WHAT IS REMODELLING?

The terms ‘remodelling’ and ‘workforce reform’ have become interchangeable. This is unhelpful as ‘workforce reform’ might more usefully be applied to the changes being introduced through the National Agreement and ‘remodelling’ applied in a broader sense to encompass Extended Schools and Every Child Matters. This chapter seeks to provide an understanding of the origins and implementation of the remodelling process.

Checklist Workforce reform focuses on: ●

a commitment to reduce teacher workload

●

enhanced responsibility for support staff

●

flexible deployment of support staff.

Remodelling embraces: ●

workforce reform

●

Extended Schools

●

Every Child Matters.

Remodelling and workforce reform are both part of a wider cultural change in how children are educated and supported by schools, the justice system, social workers and health professionals. The changes are therefore not unique to practitioners in schools. In order to become effective, the wider workforce will need to consider how to be inclusive, flexible, focused and collaborative. Remodelling is the means by which schools embrace workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters. In practical terms, the introduction of remodelling will be at the discretion of the school leadership teams. However, legislation following the National Agreement determines that remodelling of the workforce must happen in a form that responds to and meets the requirements of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) (DfES, 2005e).

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WORKFORCE REFORM As described, the government, in partnership with leading teaching and public sector trade unions, agreed that there should be a new approach to Raising Standards and Tackling Workload: A National Agreement (WAMG, 2003a). Rather than placing additional demands on school practitioners, there would be a commitment to providing additional resources to enhance the quality of learning and teaching. Remodelling of the workforce was implemented in September 2003. In practice, many schools had already begun the process with the introduction of learning and support assistants and school bursars. The three phases of the agreement are detailed on the DfES website (www.dfes.gov.uk). Of the various supplementary documents, the most helpful for schools are those aimed at governors provided on the NRT website (www.remodelling.org): Information Pack for Governors on Workforce Remodelling (NRT, 2004a) and Workforce Remodelling – A Guidance for Governors III (NRT, 2004b). The NRT website also contains a full copy of the National Agreement. The framework for the workforce reform was based on a seven-point plan aimed at creating time for teachers and headteachers to enable them to focus on raising standards in their schools (DfES, 2003a). In brief, these include: ●

a reduction in teachers’ overall hours, which should be monitored and audited

●

changes to teachers’ contracts to ensure that they – do not have to undertake routine administrative tasks – have a reasonable work/life balance – have reduced the burdens in providing cover for absent colleagues – have guaranteed planning, preparation and assessment time to support individual and collaborative teaching – have time allocated for leadership and management activities

●

an attack on paperwork and bureaucratic processes for all staff

●

reform of support staff roles that focus on helping teachers and supporting pupils

●

the recruitment of new managers with experience from outside education who can contribute to leadership teams

●

additional resources and national ‘change management’ programmes

●

a commitment to monitor progress.

As the guidance to governors states (NRT, 2003b), though statutory, remodelling would be phased to allow some transition of the National Agreement: Phase One: with effect on 1 September 2003 ● Monitoring of progress on delivery ● No teacher required routinely to undertake clerical and administrative tasks ● Provision made for teachers and headteachers to enjoy a reasonable work/life balance

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● Teachers with management and leadership responsibility entitled to a reasonable allocation of time

within school sessions to support the discharge of their responsibilities Phase Two: with effect on 1 September 2004 ● Introduce an initial limit on cover for absent teachers with the objective of reaching the point where

teachers at a school rarely cover at all. Phase Three: with effect on 1 September 2005 ● Introduce guaranteed professional time for planning, preparation and assessment ● Introduce new invigilation arrangements

Source: NRT (2003)

Given that this advice was first published for governors in September 2003, it is quite understandable that school leadership teams are still endeavouring to meet the demands on timetabling and other tasks previously managed and delivered by teachers.

PARTNERSHIP: NATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR REMODELLING The first priority for schools is to implement the National Agreement. To guide schools in their remodelling, the NRT promoted a change process based on techniques and experience gained in business and education environments, and successfully piloted in selected schools. This includes change management teams (CMTs) and collaboration with external agencies. In April 2003, the NRT was tasked with coordinating the implementation of workforce reform in partnership with the following organisations: ●

Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG)

●

Diocese Directors of Education

●

Teacher Training Agency (TTA)

●

General Teaching Council for England (GTC(E))

●

Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)

●

employers’ organisations

●

confederations

●

other trade unions

●

governors.

At a regional level, the regional NRT advisers coordinated with regional training teams, regional WAMGs and the NCSL affiliated centres (now NRT regional centres); they also utilised internet resources at www.remodelling.org. Depending on capacity and funding, both national and regional participants are supported by LEA remodelling advisors, remodelling consultants and diocesan schools’ advisers. Training has been provided by the NRT through LEA remodelling advisers, consultants and training coordinators. There are also NCSL training programme managers and regional training teams to supplement NRT guidance and advice.

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WHO DOES IT INVOLVE IN SCHOOLS? Remodelling and workforce reform involve all professionals and practitioners engaged with schools and children. The list has grown beyond learning and teaching assistants to encompass all salaried (and some unsalaried) members of the school community now collectively termed as the school workforce. It has been acknowledged that support staff already played an important role in raising standards in schools; this was to be extended.

WHAT IS TO BE DELIVERED? Remodelling and workforce reform provide an opportunity for school leaders in collaboration with teachers and other professionals to redesignate to para-professionals activities that have little to do with teaching and learning. This should raise standards and address teachers’ work/life balance. Collectively, the remodelling community, through workforce reform, has the potential to enhance the status of everyone who works in schools, improve recruitment and retention, and challenge practice. Within the context of remodelling the workforce, a workload plan may assist in the allocation of teaching, management and administration time. Workload planning is the means by which the diverse workload of the school is allocated to individual staff. The procedures are designed to meet the needs of the school, individual departments and the aspirations of staff in a fair and transparent manner. The contractual changes for teachers, introduced in September 2003, are a real challenge for schools and governors. The NRT and WAMG are advising schools at LEA level, through NRT advisers, on the impact of the broader workforce reform agenda and its implications for learning and teaching.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES The development opportunities created by the implementation of the remodelled workforce are intended to create greater flexibility for teachers. The focus is to enhance a work/life balance for individuals while encouraging schools to work collaboratively in sharing ideas on how to work effectively (see Chapter 24). Fundamental to successful workforce reform is the need for all staff to feel valued. There are also challenges for schools as they develop an appropriate model of workforce reform. The uncertainty of funding is often cited by school leaders as the reason for failed initiatives and workforce reform has arrived at a time of considerable unrest and disagreement. In order to address some uncertainty, a priority for school leaders will be the generation of roles and expectations for the school workforce. Training will assist in this process (see Section 4); each member of the school workforce should participate in determining the nature of the roles of support staff. For example, teachers will need to know how: to manage other adults in the classroom; to provide opportunities for creative approaches to learning and teaching; and to adapt to working with different class and group sizes. Flexibility and training will be central to successful reform.

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What is remodelling? · 2

PRACTICE Remodelling embraces workforce reform, Extended Schools and the principles that underpin Every Child Matters. The aim is to raise standards by tackling teacher and headteacher overload. This will only happen through a wider culture change which embraces practice that has a professional focus on teaching and learning. The NRT advised that this will be delivered in part by: ●

planning and preparation

●

lesson observation and reflective practice

●

personalised learning

●

assessment for learning

●

information, communication and technology (ICT) in the classroom

●

continuing professional development (CPD) for all staff

●

performance management and feedback.

This list was not intended to be definitive or exhaustive though the NRT consider that the subsequent impact will be raising standards measurable through: ●

pupils’ exam results

●

improved behaviour and attendance

●

staff recruitment, retention and morale

●

school being more popular

●

stakeholder expectations being met

●

Every Child Matters. Source: NRT (2005)

Checklist Developing the remodelled workforce ●

The range of activities for the remodelled workforce must be determined by all staff.

●

The remodelled workforce must be engaged according to school needs and priorities.

●

Training and resources are essential to effective change.

●

Government initiatives include dedicated time for planning, preparation and assessment.

●

Workload planning can assist with the implementation of school workforce reform.

●

Professional development for managing the new workforce is required.

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Leadership and practitioner questions 1 Have you been trained to lead remodelling and workforce reform? 2 Have you trained your staff? 3 Do you have contact with national, regional and local support teams? 4 Do you use the NRT website, www.remodelling.org? 5 Are you involved in remodelling? 6 Do you have support for managing and delivering the curriculum? 7 Are you monitoring the progress of your pupils against national standards?

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Chapter 3

REMODELLING AND WORKFORCE REFORM PRACTICE

Since 2003, there has been much reported on the impact of remodelling on practice. Interviews and case studies with headteachers and staff (see NRT website www.remodelling.org) clearly demonstrate that where schools are committed to remodelling, there has been considerable change in the deployment of the school workforce. It would appear that this has enabled teaching staff to focus on learning and teaching, having been released from administrative tasks and cover, and being allocated planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time. The NRT predicts that most schools will be involved by 2006; by April 2005, 20,000 schools were involved. However, telephone interviews with a random selection of headteachers have identified a lack of momentum to the initiative that appears to counter claims (Blandford and Graham-Matheson, 2005). This chapter focuses on what has taken place in schools since January 2003 and what is intended for the immediate future. Later sections will focus on change management and resource issues that are critical to the success of remodelling. Remodelling is a process by which a number of previous school initiatives have come together. During the remodelling process, schools are to be self-directed and formulate solutions to their own problems that depend on the involvement and participation of the entire school community. The approach to remodelling is one of continuous change, underpinned by support involving national, regional and local networks. The more creative staff are in working together to plan, implement and develop effective teams, the greater the impact on practice and attainment in the classroom (Barber et al., 1995). Teachers and support staff will need to be guided and supported throughout the process (see Chapters 20, 21 and 22).

WHY CHANGE PRACTICE? The following extract presents a summary of the guidance and issues: In the current climate, remodelling is not a ‘nice to do’ it’s a ‘must do’. Over recent decades a combination of factors has created pressures which are forcing schools to change. Social and technological changes, employment legislation, Government initiatives and new models of learning and pupil assessment – all are driving change at breakneck speed. Schools are under pressure to raise standards and tackle workload, whilst at the same time having to deal with a number of unavoidable issues:

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● teachers cite workload as their major reason for leaving the profession ● over 30 percent of a teacher’s working week is spent on non-teaching activities ● teachers generally have a poor work/life balance ● 45 percent of teachers are due to retire within the next 15 years ● 30 percent of teachers leave teaching in their first five years ● there is a need for development of professional support staff ● there are specific teacher shortages in a number of key subjects ● there is a need for recognition of individual learning styles ● there is a need for assessment for learning not just assessment of learning ● there is a need for collaboration within and between schools.

Source: NRT (2003a)

While schools will find their own solutions to particular problems, the following are common aims of remodelling: ●

teaching and learning is the main focus

●

the workforce is involved in making decisions

●

tasks and activities are undertaken by the appropriate people within flexible working patterns

●

managing change is a normal part of school life

●

the school shares experiences and learning with other schools and agencies

●

the work/life balance is acceptable to the whole workforce

●

all workforce and other stakeholders are aware of the vision and purpose of the school. Source: NRT (2003a)

CHANGES TO CONTRACT Headteachers were expected to implement the first phase of remodelling by 1 September 2003 (WAMG, 2003b). The necessary contractual changes include: ●

transfer of 24 clerical and administrative tasks from teachers to appropriate support and clerical staff

●

reduction in cover

●

the provision of a reasonable allocation of time in the school day to support leadership and management responsibilities.

The WAMG also provides useful guidance on implementing the transfer of workload: 8. Each of the tasks listed in paragraph 23 of the Agreement should be reviewed to identify if it is currently being done and who is doing it … Alternative arrangements will need to be made for any task currently being carried out by a teacher.

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Remodelling and workforce reform practice · 3

9. There may be cases where teachers have management allowances or leadership posts for carrying out some of these tasks. Either the teacher may continue to manage the task or s/he may undertake an alternative responsibility commensurate with their management allowance or post and more focused on teaching and learning. In the context of the remodelling agenda the second option is the preferred one … 10. In transferring administrative and clerical tasks to support staff, heads must have regard to the suitability of the task to the member of staff’s current role, the impact on their workload and whether sufficient time is available, or could be freed up; whether additional training is needed; any implications for pay and grading. 11. A range of options could be used to facilitate the transfer of tasks including: ● revising a job description to replace an existing activity with a new one; ● revising a job description to reflect additional responsibilities including consideration of any

additional remuneration which may be necessary; ● extending paid working hours …

Source: WAMG (2003b)

Phase 1: Transfer of administrative tasks Remodelling began with an agreement that schools would tackle workload. School leadership teams are tasked with employing support staff to lighten the administrative load of teachers. Twenty-four tasks were identified (see Workshop 6.2 and NRT website www.remodelling.org). Planning is required if the school is to develop a culture of support and collaboration. The distribution of tasks might assist with the staff members’ understanding of where they are positioned in terms of feeling and being valued. If support and clerical staff feel undervalued, this will contribute negatively to work/life balance within the school. Other aspects of Phase 1 refer to work/life balance and leadership and management time. Work/life balance is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 24. Teachers with leadership and management responsibilities are now entitled, as far as is reasonably practical, to a reasonable allocation of time within school sessions to support the discharge of their responsibilities. This is in addition to the contractual provisions on work/life balance and the provisions of Phase 3. It should be recognised that work/life balance is for the individual to determine. At this stage, schools might wish to consult with other public sector employers; in particular, health and social workers have encountered similar issues to teachers. While the transfer of tasks might lighten the workload of teachers and headteachers, there is still the matter of delegation; planning is the key to success (see Chapter 22).

Phase 2: Cover A sustainable cover policy that limits or reduces to zero the amount of non-contact time eradicated by absence has been advised. Many schools have appointed an additional member of the teaching staff to provide the additional resource needed.

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Phase 3: PPA Having removed clerical and administrative tasks, allocated cover to other professionals and considered work/life balance changes, the final phase includes the introduction of guaranteed PPA time. With effect from 1 September 2005, all teachers have a contractual entitlement to guaranteed PPA time within the timetabled teaching day. This should be at least 10% of their timetabled teaching time. In the case of newly qualified teachers this would be 10% of a reduced timetable that is equivalent to 90% of a main grade teacher’s timetable. The DfES and NRT advised that during the non-contact periods only teaching and learning activities that maintain or enrich the school curriculum should be timetabled. Again, this might seem problematic for small schools and should be an area for consideration in terms of funding (Chapter 16). Alternative arrangements such as the teaching or organisation of classes into large groups are also suggested, but these may also be limited by public liability insurance. Invigilation of public examinations is another area where teachers may not be appropriately employed. This is relatively straightforward in terms of planning; resourcing might be another matter. Dedicated headship time is also critical if staff are to benefit from changes indicated in the National Agreement, this might be less viable in small schools (Blandford and Craig, 2004).

TRANSFER OF OTHER TASKS In the transfer of tasks to support clerical staff, the government published guidance to accompany Section 133 regulations. These clarify the respective roles of qualified teachers and other staff in schools. Recognising that support staff already played a significant role in schools, the National Agreement proposed extended roles within a career structure encompassing HLTAs. The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003 (HMG, 2003b) define the issues that schools should take into account when deploying new and existing support staff to work with pupils. It is clear that teachers and teaching assistants are not interchangeable. Specific work for teachers involve the following activities: ●

planning and preparing lessons and courses for individual pupils as well as groups and whole classes

●

delivering lessons to individual pupils as well as groups and whole classes, including delivery via distance learning or computer-aided techniques

●

assessing the development, progress and attainment of individual pupils

●

reporting on the development, progress and attainment of individual pupils.

Within the Regulations and School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (DfES, 2005e), the government appears to acknowledge the role and status of qualified teachers. It is clear that only those with qualified teacher status (QTS) can have responsibility for pupil learning. However, the document also states that unqualified staff might take responsibility, for example, for the marking of multiple-choice tests. As such, there is scope for interpretation at all levels so that, for detailed breakdown of roles, schools might need clarification from advisers. 22

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In sum, the National Agreement includes the progressive reduction in teachers’ overall hours through changes to their contracts. It involves a concerted attack on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy leading to the reform of the support and clerical staff in order to assist teachers and support pupils. At this point of the change process, additional resources are needed (see Chapter 16).

COMMENT The most significant potential outcome of remodelling is the reprofessionalisation of teaching. Every teacher is to be a leader in the classroom. All headteachers must also be the leaders of these leaders; their greatest task is the motivation and deployment of their key resource – their staff. Heads must be free to remodel the school workforce. They must be imaginative in the organisation of the school day, school week and school year, which could involve the use of school space, opening up opportunities for learning in the community, engaging with business and developing vocational studies. As Gunter et al. (2004) comment, this strategy is the current preferred model of transformational school leadership. It should be recognised that remodelling is a process: a combination of a number of initiatives embedded in good practice that already exists within some schools. It is useful to consider the characteristics of a remodelling school as shown in Table 1.3. This also serves as a useful checklist against the National Agreement in terms of process and outcomes:

What you may see schools doing … ●

… to achieve

Involving the workforce in the

●

change process ●

Reinforcement of teaching and learning as the main focus

Involving the workforce in making

●

Appropriate allocation of tasks and

decisions about remodelling

activities within the school workforce

●

Implementing the National Agreement

and flexible working patterns

●

Sharing experiences and learning

●

with other schools

Change management as a normal part of school life

●

An acceptable work/life balance for the whole workforce

●

High morale among the whole workforce

●

Awareness of the direction of the school among all workforce members and stakeholders

Table 1.3 Characteristics of a remodelling school Source: Adapted from NRT website, www.remodelling.org

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REMODELLING FIELDWORK Telephone interviews with two headteachers illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of implementing government policies (Blandford and Graham-Matheson, 2005). School A is a Pathfinder primary school that started remodelling in 2002. This has been very successful as recognised by Ofsted (March 2004). Since 2003, teachers have not undertaken the 24 tasks and have been very supportive; they realised that this was good for the school. The school leadership took everybody on an awayday to a good venue to discuss what teachers do and what other people could do. Staff are enthusiastic as teaching and learning are a focus, and this has been recognised as being very good. The CMT questioned why the school needed an SMT; it was determined there was not a need for the SMT. The school now has a head and deputy head but does not have a leadership team. The school had implemented a CMT for remodelling and has continued with the CMT model whenever there is an issue to be considered; for example, in 2004 all staff felt they were spending a lot of time writing reports to parents that were not very useful. A CMT of parents, governors, teachers and non-teaching staff was established to come up with a better way of providing the information. In addition, for PPA, a CMT has been working to achieve the 10 per cent requirement by 2006. It is now felt that CMTs will be kept long-term as a good way of involving people in strategic decision-making. The school does not see finance as a serious issue, though it is currently working on a deficit budget which is expected to be turned around within two years. There is a strong belief in the school that teachers are not always the best people for every aspect of school life, for example support staff may have better musical or ICT skills than the teachers and it would be wasteful of the school’s resources not to utilise these capabilities. As to training and support for the headteacher in the remodelling process, advisers were keen and supportive but there was no actual training available. Two further points were made about leading the remodelling process: the need to be confident, and that the CMT considers remodelling as much easier for experienced headteachers who know what has not worked in the past. Remodelling has led to teachers taking on more management roles, though it has always been the policy in the school to give staff the maximum opportunity to get involved, for example the CPD co-ordinator has discrete activity. CMTs utilise people with relevant interests and skills, with the headteacher involved only when necessary. The headteacher believes that people should see remodelling as an exciting, true joy – not a burden. It allows professional people, who know what is best for school and pupils, to have the opportunity to put it into practice. The most difficult thing for many people is to accept that change can be good. School B is an early adopter secondary school that had an Ofsted in October 2004 and received specialist school status in September 2005; it had a remodelling philosophy before it was called remodelling. The support staff have been doing the 24 tasks since 2002 and PPA time was secured from 2003. The staff are fully on board, seeing it as very logical and

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doing it anyway. Although there were some sceptics, the majority are proud to be part of a school that is seen to be working for the benefit of the pupils. The change culture involved five CMTs who evaluated their areas, and refined, developed and enhanced the work to be done. Support staff have been a priority, with a reorganised workforce and recruitment of new staff. There has been a lot of progress in terms of attitude and culture within the school, although no end to the development in the future can be seen. Finances have been an inhibitor to pace of the change but the school has been able to overcome most limitations; lack of money has prevented the school expanding its ICT provision. As yet, the school has received no funding for remodelling and still needs primepump funding to facilitate radical change, especially in terms of ICT ambitions for the next three years. By this time the school will be funding the remodelling agenda. Though the LEA adviser has kept in contact, the school has driven the change. Currently the headteacher feels the school needs an injection of creativity so that the change teams can inspire others for a bright future. The teachers still need more training to utilise the support staff more efficiently inside the classroom and in administration. The support staff need some confidence-building and person behavioural management skills. The main conclusion is that teachers are now focusing on teaching and the children are the centre of the school’s work.

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 Have you introduced staff to remodelling? 2 Have you implemented the National Agreement for workforce reform? 3 Do you have change management teams? 4 Are you contributing to the change management process? 5 How do you delegate administrative tasks? 6 Do you have adequate PPA time? 7 How are you measuring the impact of workforce reform? 8 What are your plans to develop Extended School practice? 9 How do these developments embrace Every Child Matters?

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Chapter 4

REMODELLING ISSUES

This chapter considers a range of issues that might be encountered by those schools engaged in remodelling. Each issue is introduced as a point of discussion within leadership or change management teams (see Chapters 22 and 23). Although solution-focused, the intention is not to provide a statement or model that would fit directly into practice but to provide a few indicators that will encourage debate among leaders and practitioners. Several issues are considered in great detail in subsequent sections. Areas of practice considered include: ●

leadership and management

●

recruiting and training the school workforce

●

remodelling and raising achievement.

It would be appropriate for each reader to consider other issues as required in their school.

Questions to consider 1 How can you benefit from remodelling and workforce reform? 2 What does the NRT advise? 3 How are you implementing Extended Schools? 4 How are you implementing Every Child Matters?

ISSUE 1: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT The National Agreement outlines the means by which teachers and headteachers will reduce workload. At the centre of this practice is a collegiate approach to managing and leading teams. In spring 2002, the DfES launched the Transforming School Workforce (TSW) Pathfinders Project (Thomas et al., 2004), which involved 32 schools with nine comparator schools. The project aimed to: ●

secure significant reductions in the current weekly hours worked by teachers

●

increase the proportion of teachers’ working week that is spent teaching, or on tasks directly related to teaching.

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Five policy strands were secured to support headteachers in the process: ●

providing schools with consultancy support (school workforce advisers)

●

training headteachers in change management

●

allocating additional funds for employing additional teaching assistants

●

providing ICT hardware and software

●

funding the bursarial training of school managers.

In addition, funds were available for capital build to accommodate office staff. The project explored different approaches to implementing change and its impact on headteachers, particularly the demands of the job, the imbalance between home and work, information overload, and the tensions created while working for development and dealing with the unexpected. When the project team returned to schools in 2003, the headteachers were positive about workforce reform. A particular note was that the increased revenue generated by the project facilitated the use of additional resources that allowed headteachers and their teachers to focus on teaching. However, some had found the management of additional staff and the building projects to be stressful. Given that any new initiative takes time, there is the possibility that some aspects of remodelling will initially increase workload. As Thomas et al. (2004) found, transformation requires leadership that: ●

can frame a clear vision that engages the school community

●

can motivate and inspire

●

pursues change in a consistent and disciplined way

●

understands and leads the professional business of teaching.

Subsequent to the pilot project, Time for Standards: Transforming the School Workforce (DfES, 2003a) was published, which provides further guidance for headteachers and teachers in remodelling the workforce. The DfES noted that to ‘achieve their full potential, teachers need to work in a school that is creative, enabling and flexible and the biggest influence is the head’.

Partnership Collegiate leadership is dependent on a number of factors: strong communication, clear vision and transformational leadership that reside within the model of a superhead – an individual who delivers leadership through personality or experience. Remodelling engenders a greater feeling of collaboration which is the antithesis of the superhead model (The Guardian, 2005a; 2005b). The notion that teams can function more effectively than an individual is not new. The challenge for schools is to work with multi-agency, inter-agency and national advisory teams; it is now a time for strong teamwork. Every Child Matters clearly states the importance of services working together (DfES, 2004c):

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The local context in which schools are working will change … Trusts will work together with local partners from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors to assess local needs, agree priorities and commission local services to meet those priorities.

An example of collaboration is the NHS Healthy School scheme, where health education professionals work in collaboration with Kent County Council LEA and schools to develop awareness of healthy eating and fitness (East Kent Coastal, 2005). This model has proven to be a good focus for schools, health professionals and parents to work together for the good of the community. The next step is for all schools to consider how to extend provision in order to deliver the five outcomes that underpin Every Child Matters. This can only happen in partnership with others, as discussed in Chapter 9. Further guidance on leadership and teamwork can be found in Sections 5 and 6.

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 How has workforce reform been adopted in your school? 2 How effective is your change management team? 3 Do you have a work/life balance? 4 Are you monitoring and evaluating changes in your school? 5 How do you support your staff? 6 Where will your school be in 2010?

ISSUE 2: RECRUITING TEACHERS (adapted from Blandford, 2004c) Teaching is a profession of over 400,000 people in the UK that continues to attract 14,000 annual recruits. The number of training routes into teaching reflects the government’s recognition that people enter the profession at different points in their lives and are needed because the current retention of teachers is problematic. Teach First is a recent innovation, where first-class graduates from Russell Group universities are offered a package of teaching and business training; within this programme, participants gain qualified teacher status and Master of Business Administration (MBA) credits. The programme began in London and, being city-based, participants are placed in challenging schools that have since reported on the success of the programme. Participants are committed professionals and reflect the norm in teacher education – it is this professionalism that is at the heart of the remodelling agenda. In The Guardian’s reporting of the Teaching Awards 2003, there were many accounts on how teachers influenced the lives of the learners. The headlines were themselves inspirational: ‘Born to teach’, ‘Engage the young’ and ‘Children’s Champion’. The regional finalists stated that teaching exceeded their original expectations, and they were genuinely surprised and moved by the difference they seemed to make in youngsters’ lives. There is a

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dedicated workforce that continues to inspire and motivate the learners in their classrooms. Indeed, Ted Wragg commented that a whole recruiting campaign should be built around the winners. Why seek alternative means of attracting staff when the exemplification of good practice through heartfelt accounts could do the job? For anyone who might be considering teaching as a career, look at the TTA website and you find a plethora of programmes: part-time, full-time, award-bearing, non-award-bearing via higher education or employment. A route that will take trainees through the 42 standards leading to qualified teacher status is there as appropriate. Once recruited, the next challenge is to retain staff. Teachers are professionals who have spent time refining their craft. Professional standing in the community is important and whether this happens is often a reflection on the leadership of the school. The opportunity to develop is of paramount importance to the new teacher. Teaching should not be considered as a life of mundane repetition of the national curriculum. As in other professions, further academic awards and professional development have a place. This indicates that there is scope for change and development; remodelling the workforce should have an impact. Practitioner questions 1 Why is teaching exciting and rewarding? 2 What are the professional characteristics of teaching in relation to a remodelled school? 3 Has teaching developed within the context of a knowledge society? 4 How can established teachers contribute to the retention of staff? 5 How can teachers attract graduates to the profession? 6 Can the profession be modernised?

ISSUE 3: RECRUITING AND TRAINING ADDITIONAL STAFF (adapted from Blandford, 2004d) Given the emphasis in current thinking on learning, teaching and raising achievement, it would seem appropriate that teachers are provided with the opportunity to recharge their thinking by reflecting on the government’s plans to remodel the school workforce. It has taken several summers and lots of paper to generate a plan that is to unburden teachers who have been beset by additional administrative tasks since the start of the national curriculum. Additional staff are being employed to stand by the photocopier, collect dinner money, take the register, provide cover for absentee teachers and provide additional support in the classroom. While headteachers and their staff are now in the enviable position of having additional help, they are also faced with the problem of how to fully utilise the remodelled workforce. As headteachers tackle this issue, many of the recent training days have focused on creating and implementing policies on how best to manage the workforce.

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Once the workforce development plan has started, the next step is to ensure that there is appropriate follow-up. It is the implementation process that links new learning to practice in the school and classroom. A good action plan needs to be introduced that will give detailed consideration not only to the intended innovation but also to the strategy that will be employed to implement it. The process of planning is often more important than the plan. In terms of the innovation itself, the action plan might address a range of questions, including who will benefit from a remodelled workforce: pupil/students or colleagues? What will the costs be for those affected? Will additional resources be required to monitor the additional resources? Beyond workforce reform and the remodelling agenda being agreed at the local level, it is also worth considering the following: is the change easy to communicate to those concerned? Will they see its purpose? If this is not agreed, will it be possible to adapt what is intended to suit specific circumstances? Whose support will be needed? Will key people have a sense of ownership of the change? All schools are different; there is no single blueprint for a successful school. Knowing the direction of the school as expressed in its vision will enable future practice and frame the wider workforce to participate with a shared sense of purpose. Inevitably, remodelling leads to the restructuring of schools and it is their communities that should feel empowered to tackle the key issues that arise in the most appropriate way. Leadership questions 1 Do all members of the community have a shared understanding of the purpose and function of the school? 2 Who will facilitate these changes – a team or individuals? 3 Where will the school be in 2010?

ISSUE 4: RAISING ACHIEVEMENT – REMODELLED WORKFORCE, SAME CURRICULUM Since the introduction of the national curriculum, school governors have had a responsibility to ensure the delivery of a broad, balanced curriculum that all pupils have access to. Qualified teachers remain the point at which pupils engage with the curriculum. Under the direction and supervision of qualified teachers, support staff are being trained to support teachers and enhance pupils’ learning. The introduction of the national curriculum in 1988, created by teams of teachers and public servants, was distributed through a number of A4 binders sent to all maintained primary and secondary schools in England and Wales. Each subject featured a number of attainment targets that were to assist the teacher in determining the lesson content; each target was referenced against a level. Pupils were graded regardless of age. After the initial

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introduction, further changes were implemented followed by further recommendations and review. The current version is a single document with fewer, less explicit attainment targets. In parallel to several curriculum variations, national literacy and numeracy strategies were introduced and the national examination system changed. The national curriculum has never been received with much enthusiasm. Parents, pupils and teachers can be passive recipients of a knowledge-driven curriculum. Creativity and individual development have been limited by the delivery of a prescribed amount of reading, writing and mathematics based on schemes of work that may not directly relate to the individual learner. There is now the opportunity to revisit the model of delivering the national curriculum through the remodelling of schools. Teachers will now manage a team of learning assistants led by a higher-level teaching assistant. It will be the responsibility of the team to carry out the more mundane administrative tasks and assist the teacher in the delivery of the national literacy, numeracy and behaviour strategies. In addition to the opportunity to reshape the delivery of the curriculum, there are also technological advances to be considered. However, there is a perception that the technology of teaching has remained unchanged over the past 140 years. Clearly this is not so. The place of learning might be Victorian but the mode of learning is located in the twenty-first century. In the majority of schools, teachers are graduates with an understanding of theory and practice. Learners are also beginning to participate at different ages, with many retired people now joining learning sets through the University of the Third Age. As this wide range of learners embarks on a voyage of discovery, the resources to support engagement with learning are also changing, driven by technology and a greater understanding of how humans learn. At the core of the expansion of the knowledge society is learning and teaching; a relationship where the teacher engages learners whose ability to learn is a reflection in part of the teacher’s ability to teach. Leadership and practitioner questions 1 What are the core elements of teaching and learning that remain constant in a changing world? 2 How do teachers engage with change? 3 Do you have the skills, knowledge and resources that will enable you to participate in change? 4 What will be your role in five years’ time? 5 How can you shape the future?

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ISSUE 5: REMODELLING – A NEW CONCEPT Remodelling provides schools with the opportunity to develop a new concept of schooling. Examination of the DfES, NRT or other educational websites will reveal several examples of new concept schools. As Stephen Hoare reports, should you want to see how workforce remodelling could radically change the future of education, then visit Darlington Education Village (The Guardian website http://education.guardian.co.uk/remodelling). He explains how two special schools and a community school have collaborated under the stewardship of a chief executive officer. The education village now provides a programme of learning that responds to the needs of the wider community for learners aged 2–19 and is open from 7.00 am until 10.00 pm. The village concept also embraces the concept of adult learning. There are opportunities for the village community to engage with teachers, technicians, behaviourists, youth workers – all with their own expertise. Learning takes place in a variety of contexts and information technology (IT) systems record pupils’ attendance and achievement. Staff also have the opportunity to engage in professional development, including watching teachers’ TV. The Darlington Village would appear to be a model that responds to the remodelling of schools in a way that encapsulates the principles of Every Child Matters. It provides a schoolbased model where social services, youth justice and primary healthcare collaborate in partnership on one site.

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Workshop materials

1.1 Plan for an academy school

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Workshop 1.1

PLAN FOR AN ACADEMY SCHOOL During a scheduled meeting, consider the following case study that presents the overall plan for a new-concept school which is a particular response to workforce reform and the remodelling process. The Marlowe Academy is to be a new school located on a purpose-built site in East Kent. Its predecessor school had struggled to raise attainment over a significant number of years. The incoming headteacher and governors are seeking rapid change in return for the private and public investment. The headteacher plans for a new curriculum and timetable. The new timetable is to be introduced in September 2005. The aim is to fulfil the requirements of the National Agreement. It is for the reader to consider the appropriateness. It can be used as the basis of group and staff discussions that reflect on government policies for the remodelling of the workforce. The leadership team have considered Extended School, workforce reform and raising attainment issues. Work/life balance For the school day, the goal is that no one routinely takes work home. A revised timetable will show an extended day as follows: 8.20 am 8.30 am 9.00 am 11.00 am 1.00 pm 3.00 pm 4.00 pm

Staff briefing Assembly/tutorial Learning 1 Learning 2 Learning 3 Learning 4 Learning 5

The new timetabling process has been developed with the following key issues: ●

team leaders agree where the breaks are to go

●

pupils have up to two hours of individual study each day allocated within a learning period

●

clubs, activities, support, case conferences: all go into individual study time to release teachers and provide a meaningful curriculum

●

more non-contact time is allocated for teachers in English, mathematics, science and humanities to allow for additional PPA

●

all teachers gain an extra 10 hours non-contact time per week – above the National Agreement – with work during the day rather than the evening

●

associate staff work their hours around their personal, professional and training commitments. How do these issues address work/life balance issues?

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Curriculum The new curriculum will be based on two concepts: ●

It is dynamic and changes every year as the roll increases.

●

Individual study enables us to reduce lesson time for English, mathematics, science and humanities and increase it for performing arts, art and design, and technology.

More detailed changes will include: ●

business taught from Year 8 in response to local needs

●

English, mathematics, science and a vocational round robin in Year 9 in response to attainment and local needs

●

double science, mathematics, English language and literature and a choice of vocational four GCSE equivalents in Year 10

●

rationalisation of Year 11 curriculum to encompass vocational programmes

●

60+ youngsters interested in Year 12, choice of six vocational courses plus English/mathematics retakes

●

cross-curriculum ICT to be introduced in 2006.

Is the curriculum inclusive?

Staff structure The headteacher will be a hands-on member of a team with the staff structure: ●

being a flat structure with every teacher being one step from the action

●

having responsibilities clearly identified

●

being where the buck stops!

Other details of the structure will include: ●

posts of responsibility within each team

●

responsibilities to go across each team

●

leadership roles for associate staff

●

progression routes for learning mentors

●

other opportunities being opened up by our being an Extended School.

Will all staff have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the school?

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Ethos Working with colleagues: ●

teachers, associate and support staff treated as equals

●

focusing on learning; in-service education and training (INSET) budget of around £100,000

●

all staff contributing to developments

●

developing people, not judging them; supporting, not over-extending; having high expectations

●

respecting and valuing each other’s contribution

●

planning for the 95 per cent to achieve

●

rewards and incentives? Will the ethos be positive, exciting and challenging?

Working with the community in loco parentis ●

being encouraging and supportive

●

emphasising rewards and incentives

●

focusing on learning, dealing with behaviour

●

being assertive, not aggressive

●

including, involving and listening

●

raising aspirations; respecting

●

caring for them; wanting them to succeed; valuing them

●

planning for the 95 per cent; dealing with the 5 per cent.

The overall opportunities are: to become a community comprehensive that raises the aspirations and levels of achievement of its 1200 students; to work in close partnership with other schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions (HEIs); to become a nationally recognised centre of innovation and good practice that develops new practice for other schools to tailor and use, and trains and develops staff who eventually move on to promotion in other schools; to open up facilities, experiences and opportunities to the local community and support its growth; and to support community regeneration by working in partnership with local agencies, local businesses and the voluntary sector.

Will the school be a community comprehensive that embraces: ●

workforce reform?

●

Extended Schools?

●

Every Child Matters?

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Having considered the plan, how can this inform remodelling in your school? Key points

Action

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Summary

This section examined policy and practice in schools as determined by government legislation within the context of workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters. Remodelling embraces the wider culture change in education and the professions that relate to children, young people and learners while addressing teacher workload. Many of the reforms have been developed out of good practice, which includes the child in determining the most appropriate support to improve his or her development. Key points to consider are leadership, management and planning, resourcing and development. In 2000, the government, trade unions and supporting agencies met to agree a strategy that would facilitate change in schools. As with previous policies, the purpose of the change was to raise standards in schools. While the approach was to set further targets and create new policies, there was also an emphasis on providing schools with the opportunity and resources to lighten the workload of teachers. The Green Paper Every Child Matters (HMG, 2003a) sets out a framework for improving the outcomes of all children and young people. There followed a number of documents that focused on children within school, communities and other environments. Remodelling extends beyond schools and encompasses all agencies whose function it is to support and develop children. A clear and pragmatic description of workforce reform is provided in the introduction to Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy (DfES, 2005a). These reforms are far-reaching and, if successful, could lead to the celebration and enhancement of all professions allied to children and young people learning. However, in addition to policies, there is a need for a change in culture, perception and the professional experience of teachers in schools. The principles that underpin the strategy for reform require further translation into practice. For every school, remodelling raises strategic and operational challenges (see Chapter 27). The leadership and management of the remodelling process and workforce reform are critical to a school’s success. Development opportunities provided by the remodelling and workforce reform are intended to create greater flexibility for teachers. The focus is to enhance a work/life balance for individuals while encouraging schools to work collaboratively in sharing ideas on how to work effectively. Remodelling provides the opportunity for schools to professionalise all staff. The more creative staff members are in working together as a team to plan, implement and develop an effective team, the greater the impact on practice and attainment in the classroom. The following section considers schools as a community of learners

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Section 2

THE EXTENDED SCHOOL – A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

5 A community of learners

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6 School, home and the community

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7 Extended schools

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8 Community schools

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9 Extended schools – extended services

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10 Working in partnership with local authorities

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Workshop materials

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Summary

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Introduction

Extended schools embrace the five outcomes of Every Child Matters: be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieve economic well-being. With an extended school, the balance of activities is shared amonge the school workforce: teachers, support staff, administrators, technicians, external agents and the voluntary sector. Extended schools are to be learning communities that guide and support all members of the extended community. This section will examine what is meant by the school as a community and, from this, how the school can involve others in the creation of an extended school.

Key questions 1 What is meant by community? 2 What is an extended school? 3 Who are the partners in an extended school? 4 What will be the impact on pupils? 5 What can be learnt from community and social initiatives practised elsewhere in education?

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Chapter 5

A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

If a school is to be remodelled it will need to determine its place and function as a community. This chapter defines schools as a community within a community. As such, schools reflect community social and educational needs. Essentially, schools exist to facilitate learning and teaching; this does not happen in a vacuum. This can inform the relationships with parents and the broader community that are central to the effectiveness of an extended school.

SCHOOLS AS COMMUNITIES All staff have a responsibility to understand that their school is a community within a community which can be defined as multi-dimensional with its: ●

location – where it is, the influence of the environment and systems of control

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structure – the administrative elements and guidance that determine equality of provision

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process – the management of people and development of a shared understanding of beliefs and values

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agencies – government, business, voluntary, sport and the arts.

All members of the school, as participants in the school and local community, should be encouraged to have a shared commitment to the modelling of the school community. It is axiomatic that schools need organisational structures, aims and guiding rules if they are to be effective. As active players in the daily life of the school, pupils, teachers, parents, governors and support agencies work in partnership, sharing an understanding of the goals and targets that are to be achieved in an effective school. The determination of these goals is: ●

reflective, in that the school mirrors the local community involving its key players in determining values and practices

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individual, as each member will have their own identity with personal goals and objectives

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collective, in that shared understanding of common beliefs and values will create a sense of community bound together by a recognisable identity and geographical location.

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A community of learners · 5

The principles on which community provision is built are based on certain assumptions that may also relate to remodelling agenda and inclusion (Gibson and Blandford, 2005): ●

education relates to other branches of social provision; it does not exist only as an academic entity

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social provision is determined by the prevailing social and economic framework of society

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both social and educational provision have become more centrally controlled

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there has been a move towards devolution of power reflecting the need to provide community-type activities led by the community

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there is a greater emphasis on participation that contributes to the emancipation of the teacher.

Critically, education in schools should be concerned with education within and for communities, not of communities (Poster, 1982). Community education begins with and for the individual.

SCHOOL CULTURE AND ETHOS Schools, like other communities, have their own characteristics and personalities. The culture of each school is determined by individual and collective beliefs and values. Schools do not consist of homogeneous groups of people with shared identities; schools are collections of individuals within a shared culture. The modelling of a school will require improvement plans and policies that acknowledge established practice. A school culture will manifest itself in many forms: ●

practice – rites, rituals and ceremonies

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communications – stories, legends, symbols and slogans

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physical forms – location, style and condition of the school buildings, fixtures and fittings

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common language – phrases or jargon common to the school.

Differences between schools may be explained in terms of organisational and social structure that also reflect the interpersonal relationships that create ethos. The wholeschool feeling exists to such an extent that it drives the school as a community towards achieving goals. An intangible relationship between local and school communities and school ethos may exist but the link could be difficult to define. Ethos is multi-dimensional, as no single definition would apply to the many situations that occur in the life of the school community. Leaders, managers, practitioners, parents and pupils, teachers and all staff create school ethos through values and behaviours that reflect values portrayed in policies and practice.

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Section 2 · The extended school – a community of learners

ENVIRONMENT There is a distinctive link between the culture and ethos created in schools and their environment. An uncared-for school building, regardless of age, will reflect an uncaring community. Working in an environment that is in need of repair (as most schools are) creates stress before any consideration of workload. As Every Child Matters recognises, working in an environment that is unhealthy is not conducive to healthy development. Members of the school community need encouragement in order to fulfil their potential: a stimulating environment will produce stimulating results. Members of the school community need to consider how to create a positive environment. This may include: ●

good-quality displays of pupils’ work and achievements covering the full range of ability

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bright, open spaces with carpeted floors, plants, pictures and photographs

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clean buildings: no litter, adequate bins that are emptied, working toilet facilities

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supervised areas for study

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adequate facilities for every subject, for example physical education and music store areas

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the opportunity to use outside places and spaces.

The management of the school environment is the responsibility of everyone in the school community. The development and maintenance of the internal and external environment can be a key activity within the school and can help with remodelling.

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 How can the culture and ethos of the school impact on remodelling? 2 What factors influence culture and ethos? 3 Can your school environment be improved? 4 How can the community engage in remodelling: workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters?

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Chapter 6

SCHOOL, HOME AND THE COMMUNITY

The relationship between school, home and the local community will have a significant impact on implementing the remodelling agenda. The connection between the school and the community is not static but exists in a continuum. The manner in which a school reaches out to its community is determined by its degree of community interaction. There are three possible patterns of connection between the school and the local community, described as follows: 1 The closed-door pattern: the school deals with all the child’s educational and social problems, while community involvement and intervention are minimal. Within a closed system, as in the second law of thermodynamics, the total energy of the system will deteriorate. According to Friedman (1986), the closed-door policy towards the community lacks feedback and will waste energy without the right guidance. In the absence of input from the parents and the community, the school will be unaware of changes occurring in these systems, and hence will be unable to adapt itself and its curricula to these changes and will keep degenerating. 2 The open-door pattern: the school and the parents operate as open systems, so that information flows freely in both directions. The school with an open-door policy makes the parents partners to their children’s educational process and strives to become an influential factor in the life of the community. A basic assumption of systems theory is that the open system is designed to process the inputs of its external environment and return the processed product to the environment for its use and benefit. The exchange of energy occurs in a cyclic nature. The final and improved product serves as a new source of energy passing from the environment to the system. In this way the deteriorating process is stopped (Katz and Kahn, 1978). According to Friedman (1986), the school with an open-door policy receives its pupils from the parents, teaches them and raises their level of education in order to return them to their community. In their adult life they will produce a new generation of pupils, whose contribution to their children’s education is expected to be greater than that of their parents’ generation. 3 The balanced pattern: the school and the parents set the degree of closeness or distance between them, in order to achieve their educational and social goals to the optimal extent. When the distance is large, the school has to bridge the gap and reach out to the community; when the distance is small, the school has somewhat to close its gates.

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Section 2 · The extended school – a community of learners

Leadership questions 1 How would you describe your school community? 2 How does your school participate in the community in which it is located? 3 What are the values that underpin practice in your school? 4 Does your school have an open- or closed-door policy? Or both?

Parental involvement in the school enriches the pupils’ world and extends their horizons because, when the parents take part in the educational process, pupils are exposed to a variety of people who represent different worlds in terms of life experience, age, occupation, interests and attitude; these encounters afford many opportunities for learning, enrichment and identification (Noy, 1984). The benefit of parental involvement is also manifested in the pupils’ personality and behavioural variables, such as improvement of the self-image and learning habits, reduction in disciplinary problems and absenteeism, and rise in motivation (Raywid, 1984). Parents will also benefit from their involvement, which enables them to deepen their knowledge of their children’s world, the subjects taught, the teaching methods and effective forms of negotiation with children. Involvement in their children’s education may help the parents to develop their own personalities and satisfy their own needs. In the school they may find an outlet for their talents that are not expressed in other places. They gain satisfaction from the experience of expressing their needs and skills, from the new opportunities opened to them for self-expression and realisation, and from the opportunity to share in the educational process and the gratitude and praise they receive for their participation and involvement (Noy, 1984; Hituv, 1989). Teachers benefit from the parents’ participation in the educational work in the school. Noy (1984) reports on four main areas in which parental involvement makes a substantial contribution: physical help, connections and contacts, the educational sphere, and creativity. This also strengthens the teachers’ professional, social and personal images, relieves the feeling of solitude that accompanies a teacher’s work, and increases their motivation to persevere and refresh professional knowledge.

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 Do parents have a voice in creating the school community? 2 Does your school have a range of activities that involve parents? 3 How does your school encourage parents to participate in extended activities within the school? 4 Is your school welcoming to all who visit?

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School, home and the community · 6

RAISING ACHIEVEMENT In the remodelling agenda, the school workforce will need to be encouraged to extend the repertoire of their experiences beyond the classroom. From the NRT website, www.remodelling.org, case studies provide examples of practice that have engaged professionals and parents in the common goal of preparing pupils for their role in society. This is not new, as shown by the National Commission on Education (NCE) study of effective schools in disadvantaged areas, which provides several examples where good practice and a common goal have motivated the local community. The NCE refers to the ten success features in Success Against the Odds (NCE, 1996) which formed the basis for the proposals for raising achievement in schools; each resonates strongly with the remodelling agenda: ●

strong, positive leadership by the head and senior staff

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a good atmosphere or spirit, generated by shared aims and values and by a physical environment that is as attractive and stimulating as possible

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high and consistent expectations of all pupils

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a clear and continuing focus on teaching and learning

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well-developed procedures for assessing how pupils are progressing

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responsibility for learning shared by the pupils

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participation by pupils in the life of the school

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rewards and incentives to encourage pupils to succeed

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parental involvement in their children’s education and in supporting the aims of the school

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extra-curricular activities that broaden pupils’ interest and experiences, expand their opportunities to succeed and help to build good relationships within the school.

In the course of this study, NCE researchers visited a school in the West Country which had a positive, highly motivated staff and where the ten features of success were in evidence. The research team was able to observe each of the above in practice: We were impressed by the positive attitude of staff, including teaching support staff, and by their dedication. It is surely a central part of successful school management to create the conditions to enable the staff to make this kind of commitment. One example of the school’s success in this respect is the range of after-school provision which is provided by teachers out of sheer commitment to the school. Source: NCE (1996)

Leadership questions 1 What leadership and management skills can schools provide for the broader community? 2 What activities within your school could be extended to involve more members of the school community? 3 How can your school become an extended school?

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Chapter 7

EXTENDED SCHOOLS

This chapter examines government policy that intends to help schools develop in the context of ‘wraparound’ childcare. The government’s vision is for integrated services and activities that extend beyond the school day. There are almost as many definitions of extended schools as there are those who are engaged in this aspect of the remodelling agenda. Funding for extended schools is a core offer which makes it possible for all schools to develop as extended schools; this is an inclusive policy with no blueprints. Extended schools are based on good classroom teaching and high standards of leadership and management, but recognise that, to achieve the highest standards and sustain improvement, the curriculum and other learning experiences of the child should be considered as a whole. Extended schools are a base for the delivery of integrated services for children and families. The WAMG advises that the: delivery of the Every Child Matters agenda will involve widespread initiatives across a number of sectors to ensure coherence in children’s services. Extended schools will be at the heart of this delivery. We are also confident that the principles of workforce remodelling, if appropriately applied, should enable schools to identify the appropriate skill set for those involved in the development and delivery of extended services. Source: WAMG (2005)

This concept introduces a new approach to community-based support, which has a childcentred, outcome-led vision that will provide integrated front-line delivery, integrated processes and strategy, and inter-agency governance. For many, this is an ambitious initiative to further advance standards by promoting more ‘connectedness’. Based on the five key themes from Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b), this will contribute to the life of both our schools and communities. Once again, this is not new; multi-agency and education professionals have worked together for generations in supporting children with special educational needs (SEN). As evidenced in community schools, there is a huge potential in cooperating with parents and local community organisations; this now extends to include professionals in health, youth justice and social care. Those involved also recognise the time involved in bringing together these services, which requires:

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Extended schools · 7

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values shared by all

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children placed at the centre of all activity

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a venue shared by all

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practice shared by all.

In practice, the core offer being funded within the Extended School Prospectus (DfES, 2002; 2005f) includes: ●

study support that covers out-of-school-hours activities, such as sports, arts and drama, as well as more formal learning opportunities, such as homework clubs and Saturday schools

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family support, including family learning and parenting classes

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childcare from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm throughout the year, including school holidays in primary schools and for children aged up to 14 in secondary schools

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‘things to do and places to go’ for young people in secondary schools

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swift and easy referral to more specialised support services for children and young people when needed

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widespread community use of school facilities.

It is easy to see that, through the core offer, extended schools can move beyond the classroom to encompass: ●

involvement of parents and families

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childcare

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study support

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supporting families

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improving health

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youth offer

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opportunities for community activities

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community renewal

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lifelong learning.

The notion of the extended school is described in the Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (DfES, 2004d), which clearly indicates the government’s intention to increase the number of schools that will provide a range of family and community services. However, it is important that there is a clear understanding within schools as to what is intended. It is through the extended school initiative that the government appears to recognise that a child’s environment and circumstances have a significant impact on his or her learning, attainment and future life chances and, that by engaging parents and carers with learning, may have a positive effect on children’s achievement. Extended schools will provide the facilities and resources where it is possible to develop and deliver a range of services that support and address the needs of individual children and their communities.

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Section 2 · The extended school – a community of learners

The government’s commitment to extended schools is also outlined in Every Child Matters: Change for Children in Schools, which strongly supports the work schools are already doing to raise educational standards, by: ● encouraging schools to offer a range of extended services that help pupils engage and achieve and

building stronger relationships with parents and the wider community; and ● supporting closer working between universal services like schools and specialist services so that

children with additional needs can be identified earlier and supported effectively. Source: DfES (2004c)

PARTNERSHIP – A CODE FOR PRACTICE Extended schools, in fulfilling the outcomes of Every Child Matters, will move education beyond the classroom to involve parents and families, childcare, health and social care, youth services, community activities, community renewal and lifelong learning. In May 2005, Stephen Twigg, then Minister for School Standards, commented that the government recognised the impact schools have on local families and communities and the importance of forging effective partnerships at a local level to achieve mutual benefits. There is a clear recognition of the need to fund activities beyond the classroom. This is to be welcomed but, if it is to be successful, values and attitudes will need to be determined and addressed. This can be achieved through transparency of governance and leadership, which has clarity of purpose with a vision for partnership that is sustainable, supported in part by Extended Schools: A Code of Practice (Sandwell, 2005). The intentions of the authors of this code of practice were that it should be a flexible selfevaluation tool for self-review, planning and quality assurance. It is designed to accommodate the extensive range of activities and services provided by schools contributing to community development. It acknowledges that growth takes place when people have opportunities to set their own goals. The code is therefore a framework for all extended schools that recognises the ongoing and developmental nature of the process as an extended school that: ●

identifies common principles drawing on examples of good practice from around the country

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provides a common framework with identifiable success criteria that all schools can use to evaluate and improve practice

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establishes a clear process for self-review, evaluation and recognition at one of three levels of good practice.

Using the code of practice as a framework for self-evaluation may bring important tangible benefits that can: ●

ensure that activity is closely linked to overall purposes and is really targeted at identified needs

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Extended schools · 7

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identify areas for development and set priorities for future action

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ensure that all stakeholders are involved in extending activity

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provide a foundation for building partnerships with other agencies and services, including youth and community, social, health and other services based upon recognised standards of good practice

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provide a benchmark for internal and external comparison.

Extended Schools: A Code of Practice identifies three categories of good practice: Emerged: There is a clarity of purpose, coherent planning and provision which meets local needs and which demonstrate a clear link with the purposes, goals and targets of extended schools across more than one area of activity or service.

Established: Schools have demonstrated a commitment to continuing improvement and increasing community ownership. They are self-critical, able to address weaknesses and build on strengths, with an understanding of self-evaluation and the ability to use it effectively in realising their goals. They will have widened provision across several areas of extended school activity or service.

Advanced: Provision represents the leading-edge of practice, involving young people, parents and the wider community in goal setting, planning and developing the provision. Schools will have the conviction, confidence and expertise to train and to lead others and to become national centres of excellence, in the majority of extended school areas of activity/service. Source: Sandwell (2005)

MANAGING EXTENDED SCHOOLS As the NRT advises, the management of extended schools is a role that should not be taken by a teacher or school leader engaged in teaching and learning during the traditional school day (NRT, 2005): this could be in conflict with workforce reform. The management of an extended school programme will require training to prepare managers and staff to develop an understanding and the skills needed for the role. This will involve working in partnership with a range of other agencies in order to provide services and activities that extend beyond the traditional school day to meet the needs of children and young people, their families and the wider community. There are schools and LEAs who are developing modes of delivery that do not require direct input from staff and headteachers (see Chapters 8 and 9). Given that the prospectus for Extended Schools (DfES, 2005f) also engages with A 10 year Strategy for Childcare (HM Treasury, 2004), this is to be welcomed. Since 2003, the NRT has been running a pilot in a range of extended schools that provides an opportunity for the practical implication of this initiative to be worked through. Clearly this may have a negative impact on workforce reform: with schools open from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm, there are implications for all staff involved. Further guidance is being developed by the NRT with current information found at websites for Every Child Matters (www.everychildmatters.gov.uk) and Remodelling (www.remodelling.org).

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Section 2 · The extended school – a community of learners

Enrichment activities Within the remodelling process, the range of available roles to each school will depend on the size and potential scope of activities. Sports, arts, language enhancement and other activities, which were often delivered through clubs and extra-curriculum programmes, may be reintroduced into the timetable. If carefully planned and integrated into the curriculum, there is huge potential for the growth of such activities. Partnerships with neighbouring schools may also facilitate the transfer of talent within these areas. There is no statutory PPA entitlement for these specialist staff although schools may choose to provide time. Enrichment activities should be designed to enhance the quality of the curriculum and learning experience of all learners. The importance of enjoyment in learning must not be overlooked and health and safety should also be considered when planning such activities. Communication with the LEA remodelling adviser would be useful at this stage as well as discussions with schools who have implemented successful PPA strategies. Collaboration across schools might allow sports coaches, specialist teachers and support staff to be recruited to cover a number of schools. When extending the workforce, headteachers and governors should follow safe recruitment practices. These are available from the DfES and LEAs and will be discussed in greater detail in Section 4.

Leadership questions 1 Have you delegated management and leadership of extended schools? 2 Have you negotiated/received additional funding? 3 What support has been provided by the LEA? 4 How is the extended school agenda being monitored and evaluated?

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Chapter 8

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

This chapter focuses on the regeneration of community schools within the context of the remodelling, workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters, as community schools are not necessarily extended schools. Each area of current innovation and development was a feature of community schools when they were first conceived in the 1950s (Poster, 1982). The shared drivers for community and/or extended schools are: ●

school improvement – breaking through barriers – parental engagement

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children – preventive strategies – children’s services – childcare strategies

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the regenerating of communities – supporting independence.

LEAs are now proposing to create shared structures and systems that will underpin collaboration and partnership between schools and other agencies (see Chapter 10); the intention is to support the community leadership role of schools while raising attainment and attendance. As outlined in DfES and inter-agency policies, the objectives are to: ●

enhance the relationship between schools and their communities by extending the use of schools as a resource for the wider community to address educational and social needs

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improve each school’s capacity to remove the barriers to success, which includes economic, health and social factors

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promote parental engagement in children’s learning.

Within the core offer, government, regional and local funding will be provided to support: building links with local business; the strategic coordination and planning for community engagement and multi-agency work; and to provide project management support. As with extended schools, the key elements of community schools include multi-agency family and child support services, study support, family learning and community use of facilities. Local authorities recognise that this will mean a culture change for heads of service and, in some

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Section 2 · The extended school – a community of learners

cases, heads of schools from management and control to leadership and influence. Figure 2.1 illustrates the range of potential services on offer throughout community schools.

Advice and guidance Onsite community facilities

Community of schools

Health and well-being

Community schools

Lifelong learning

Early years, childcare and education

Business Community support

Fig. 2.1 Community schools

The many partners who are in support of effective community schools are illustrated in Fig. 2.2. Community and extended schools have to address a range of issues beginning with a change in culture. This will involve the building of trust and confidence in and with new partners, in order to realign services closer to the point of delivery. This is set within the context of demographic changes that include: new housing developments; the reduction in the number of school-age learners; a further need for children’s centres and family liaison officers; and an increase in the capacity or need for voluntary and community sector support. With an availability of services and support, schools need to understand which extended and/or community initiatives might have a positive impact.

Community Development groups

NHS healthy schools

Voluntary and community sector

Creative partnerships

Community partnerships Community/ extended schools

Arts development

Federations

Children’s centres Specialist schools

Fig. 2.2 Community support

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Community schools · 8

BUILDING WITH THE COMMUNITY All new community and/or extended school strategies policies recognise that each school exists in a distinctive social context that ultimately impacts on the culture and ethos experienced by staff and children. If schools are to develop within the community and for the community, school leaders will need to engage with that community. Working collaboratively at strategic and operational levels is essential for school improvement and community development. Headteachers will need to be aware of current issues and future trends that will impact on the school and community while developing the community and/or extended school. In communities, there is a rich and diverse resource that can support opportunities for pupils and other learners. Models of collaboration are already practised strategies that encourage parents to support learning. Headteachers need to build a school culture that is aware of the richness of the resources that exist within and beyond the school, and ensure that learning experiences are integrated into the wider community. The change in culture will also contribute to the development of an education system that, through sharing, will lead to innovation in all areas. The effectiveness of building partnerships with the community is based on long-term planning through consultation and identification of needs. Innovation is pro-active, as well as reactive, where multi-agency teams work across boundaries.

Case study 8.1 Partnership project Social inclusion was well developed within School C. It had a strong focus, with high-quality professional input by school staff, but it also recognised that sustained response to social needs required a partnership with other agencies. This partnership involved staff from the local support unit, Education Welfare Office service, school psychologists, school nurse health workers, child protection staff and social services. Increasingly, staff were aware that many of the problems being encountered by pupils in the 11–19 age group were a continuation, and a consequence, of much earlier social and educational concern. In 2001/2002, the school addressed this situation by defining social inclusion work in the broader context of nursery, infant, junior and primary school children and their families, and outside agencies. The leadership group recognised that the success of its work required an integrated response across the local community. To this end, the school’s focus provided a vehicle for different agencies to combine in meeting the needs of children and their families.

▼

The relationship between eight local nursery/primary schools and the school was well established. The project identified and targeted staff in each of the eight local schools to work specifically with the most needy children and, through this work, to access their family situations. The headteachers of the schools involved formed a social inclusion management group. The project established operational modes provided funding and met the on-going professional development for all staff concerned.

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The management integrated response team provided the strategic direction for the project. Through the work of the staff in each school, staff had lists of needy children and families. In a coordinated way, the necessary support groups were identified in response to these needs. Managers distributed responsibilities according to expertise, secured resources for families as appropriate, defined follow-up procedures and, crucially, ensured respective area teams were informed about the work. The costs associated with this project were to fund workers in the schools. Essentially, the project focused on breaking the cycle of accumulative disadvantage by placing pupils at the core of the work, recognising that families in the community need to have frequent and trusting relationships with the school. The work supports parenting skills programmes and brings staff into contact with the full range of family needs and concerns.

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 Is there a shared vision across services with regard to providing the best for all children? 2 Will the main partners (education, health and social services) become an integrated service? 3 What are the staffing and resource implications? 4 Who do we need to communicate with in our community? 5 Is your LEA developing the concept of a fully integrated children’s trust with its ‘one-stop shop’ dimension, based in schools? Is this a clearly understood and deliverable model?

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Chapter 9

EXTENDED SCHOOLS – EXTENDED SERVICES

As indicated in previous chapters, the remodelling of schools will not take place in isolation from other public sector, or private and voluntary services. The Children’s Workforce Strategy (DfES, 2005a) encompasses health, social care and youth justice services in addition to schools. It is appropriate for school leaders and headteachers to be familiar with the range of changes that are in place for services within, and related to, schools. This chapter is based on interviews and research presented in examples and case studies, each exploring extended services under development in parallel with the Extended Schools initiative. These include: ●

children’s centres

●

children’s trusts

●

community music centres

●

sports centres

●

voluntary sector

CHILDREN’S CENTRES The aim of children’s centres is to respond to the social needs of a pupil or his or her family. These needs are understood to relate to the pressures on the pupil, from home and community, and the developmental needs of the child that relate to his or her previous life experiences. The centres may encourage the school to modify its demands on the pupil and vice versa. This necessitates the school being well informed about the individual circumstances of the child within the family setting. The underlying principle to the children’s centre approach is based on the notion that a child’s development and self-concept are primarily formed by his or her family in interaction with the educational experience. In practice, children’s centres provide a service beyond the school for those families requiring additional support. Schools will need to work closely with health advisers and centre coordinators to ensure clarity of communication. This extends beyond case conferences and enables all practitioners to be proactive and reactive to a family’s needs. This is not new; in areas of need, children’s centres are often located on school sites. Child psychologists and paediatricians may also contribute to work in this area. The focus of the centres may be on the pre-school and foundation stage, but it is not unusual for this to continue to families with children of secondary school age.

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CHILDREN’S TRUSTS AND MULTI-AGENCY SUPPORT The government has proposed further reform within local authorities. The intention is for education, social care and health departments to function as one, both strategically and operationally. This builds on existing schemes that have rationalised local authorities in terms of role. Underpinning this change is the rationale that local authorities will commission, monitor and review services rather than be the point of delivery. There are examples of such work in practice elsewhere in England. Each of the authorities has developed strategically in response to local need and it is important to consider local needs as the first point of reflection prior to establishing change. There are examples of existing practice, as with a Pathfinder Children’s Trust that aims to bring together services that facilitate prevention and early intervention for children and young people aged from 0 to 19. The various partners of such a trust include: ●

lifelong learning

●

social services

●

community trust

●

Connexions

●

youth opportunity training scheme

●

voluntary sector

●

children’s fund

●

HEIs.

Management and leadership of the trust involves governance, local strategic partnership, a chief executives’ group, a joint strategy group, a trust board and local coordination groups. The trust has also involved seven local family support teams, previously at various locations but now within a common site with a single local manager. The service provides an enquiry line that leads to activities which are outcome-based; the key outcome is the provision of integrated services. The next steps will be commissioning a strategy group. Extended school developments in this study began with local schools that were involved and informed through a conference and all of the established meeting cycles. School-based local coordinators were appointed in each family support team area. Their salaries and a small amount of trigger funding came from Standards Fund 15. Four networks were created as full service schools, funded by a combination of Standards Fund 15 and Standards Fund 19. There is joint accountability and planning with shared or pooled governance that has shared priorities and processes. Links and relationships have been established with local coordinators and a children’s trust board, which are all seen as embedding good practice. The trust aims to address the essential features of the 2004 Children’s Act as follows: ●

child-centred, outcome-led vision

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integrated front-line delivery

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integrated processes

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●

integrated strategy

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inter-agency governance.

Further research is required on the effectiveness of the trust.

Case study 9.1 Community music centres Many schools and communities have a history of music-making. These have been established over time through church and faith groups, the voluntary sector, schools and philanthropists. This case study describes two examples of a local centre and an international centre that have provided many opportunities for volunteer and students to develop a range of skills. The local centre originated in a large co-educational 11–18 comprehensive school in southern England; the other is a music centre in Lisbon, Portugal. Within the comprehensive school, community music started with a choir for pupils and children from neighbouring schools that led to the formation of a school wind band which evolved into a community music centre (CMC) and now exists as an independent charity organisation within the local community. In Portugal, the music centre provides an opportunity for young people to join a musical ensemble that rehearses in languages with which participants are most familiar, i.e. English and Portuguese. The centre sympathises with the internationally mobile student and caters for students from a variety of musical backgrounds. As a community group, the international music centre (IMC) is unrestricted by involvement in the national music system and is open to all. Blandford and Duarte (2004) found that the social benefits motivated and sustained membership of both centres. Social skills are enhanced by participation in a musical community and through the development of friendships, improved self-confidence and, in many cases, facilitated transition into a new environment. In terms of learning, participants develop transferable skills associated with learning and taking responsibility. Through teaching and guiding younger members, the participants are able to gain understanding of their own needs, particularly in the areas of intonation, aural perception, notation and ensemble proficiency. The experience of inclusion moves beyond notions of class, ability, race or creed, as has been demonstrated by research, practice and music-making. In terms of inclusion, it would appear that by moving out of school and into the community the codes that limit our understanding of community are broken. Participation in a musical community is fully inclusive. Children with learning and physical disabilities are supported and stimulated by the groups. Students from different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, abilities and a wide age range are able to combine their efforts to the common good of the community. All members reported how much they had enjoyed the experience of participating in a musical community as reflected in the words of the music educator Isaac Stern the aim of music-making is: … not to make ‘musicians’ out of everyday performers, but more important, to make them educated, alert, caring inquiring young people, who by playing music feel a part of the connective tissue between what the mind of man has been able to devise and the creativity of music … in other words, become literate, and part of the culture of the whole world. Source: cited in Guaspari (1999)

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SPORTS CENTRES The government has stated that schools could reach out to their communities through sport and that there are real opportunities for joined-up approaches to extended schools within the context of Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b). Many consider that sport within schools is in decline, with a high proportion of the population being inactive, so there is a clear need for a positive encouragement to future generations. This can happen through school/club links, Step into Sport, QCA PE and School Sport Investigation, Gifted and Talented, and Swimming. The government’s White Paper Choosing Health (HMG, 2004b) has recommended a need for a decrease in the number of people who smoke or are obese and an increase in the number of people who exercise and are encouraged to support sensible nutrition and drinking habits. Extended schools can reach out to their local communities through sport by: ●

maximising physical activity by embedding these intentions into the school improvement plan (SIP)

●

letting out the school premises to establish strong links, communication and participation in local sports teams

●

inviting parents to be involved

●

making all visitors feel welcome.

There are real opportunities for a joined-up approach that responds to the needs of Every Child Matters.

Leadership questions 1 Why do you offer extended activities and how are they coordinated? 2 How did you decide what to offer? 3 What partnerships exist and how do they support the extended school? 4 Why do young people, adults and service providers want to be involved? 5 Who is doing what, and what are the resources available to them? 6 Who participates in activities? 7 How do you let people know about the activities? 8 Who currently delivers activities and services, and how are they selected? 9 How can you develop the range of your activities/services? 10 What evidence do you need to collect to show that activities/services are worth the cost? 11 How could you use the Extended Schools code of practice?

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Chapter 10

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES

The framework for change is developed from the 2004 Children Act which focuses on five outcomes that are the key to well-being in childhood and later life (DfES, 2004c). This chapter focuses on the policies and practices that will help to facilitate these five outcomes. The government proposed radical changes to the whole system of children’s services which include: ● the improvement and integration of universal services … ● … specialised help to promote opportunity, prevent problems and act early and effectively ● the reconfiguration of services around [children] and [families] in one place, for example, children’s

centres, extended schools and the bringing together of professionals in multi-disciplinary teams ● dedicated and enterprising leadership at all levels of the system ● the development of a shared sense of responsibility across agencies for safeguarding children and

protecting them from harm. Source: DfES (2004e)

Government publications set out a vision for integrated services beginning with advice for early years and progressing to school-aged children and young people. They identify that early years and childcare provision gives a good start to young children’s development as well as appropriate support for parents. The government’s ten-year strategy for early years and childcare intends to provide more integrated services for young children, as well as childcare and family support services for older children in schools. Community participation will be a key to success. As shown in the previous chapter, many schools already offer a wide range of extended school sporting and cultural activities. The government will therefore be amending the criteria for school inspection to include schools’ support in terms of the five outcomes of Every Child Matters.

LEAS AND CHILDREN’S TRUSTS The government intends that children’s trust arrangements are to be developed in most areas by 2006 and all areas by 2008. This will mean for schools that:

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● children’s trust arrangements involving schools in local partnerships so that schools can feed their

views into local service planning and, if they wish, provide services individually or in partnership with other schools; ● children’s trust arrangements and schools working together to find places for hard-to-place pupils … ● local authorities working closely with schools in fulfilling their duty to promote the educational

achievement of looked-after children. Source: DfES (2004e)

It is intended that integrating services will mean more effective support for pupils with complex needs who require multi-agency support. Two processes are available: ● a Common Assessment Framework to help schools identify when a pupil’s needs can be met within

the school and to enable better targeted referral to other specialist services when needed so they can respond more effectively ● cross-government guidance on information-sharing to improve the sharing of information between

schools and other agencies about individual children with additional needs. Source: DfES (2004e)

LEAs and children’s trusts will also engage with schools and other providers to ensure that all children in their local area are being effectively supported. Headteachers will be key strategic partners in shaping the pattern of local services. Schools may want to develop their role in delivering services through foundation partnerships and other clustering arrangements. The delivery of more integrated services will require new ways of working and a significant culture change for staff used to working within narrower professional and service-based boundaries. Easy and effective communication across current organisational and professional boundaries is a strong foundation for cooperation. One way is the co-location of managers and frontline staff from different services working together in multidisciplinary teams in an extended school.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Raising achievements through meeting the needs of individual pupils requires flexible working of statutory agencies. From September 2005, maintained schools must publish information on the school’s arrangements for working in partnership with LEA support services, health and social services, the Connexions service and any relevant local and national voluntary organisations; OfSTED inspection teams will be seeking evidence of this practice. It should be recognised that external support services can play an important part in helping schools identify, assess and make provision for all pupils. The objective is to provide an integrated, high-quality, holistic support that focuses on the needs of the child. Such provision should be based on a shared perspective and should build on mutual understanding and agreement where all voices are heard. Services should

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adopt a flexible pupil-centred approach to service delivery to ensure that the changing needs and priorities of the pupils and their parents can be met at any given time. All agencies should recognise the need for effective collaboration of services involved with pupils and parents. Consultative responsibilities and effective communication systems at all levels can then be clearly identified. Developments in organisational structures and working practices need to reflect this collaboration. Practice within LEAs is varied and experience has shown that several have complex support structures that are unknown or unclear to practitioners in schools. Central to the effectiveness of LEA support teams and other support agencies is their ability to communicate their role to classroom practitioners. Often the point of contact in schools is the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO); in the context of remodelling, this will need to extend to other members of staff. Procedures will need to be developed if teachers are to receive support from other agencies in the education of all pupils. In practice, the school workforce will need to have knowledge and understanding of the remodelling process as the framework for recognising and managing all pupils. Rather than leaving the overworked SENCOs to deal with multi-agency support, all practitioners should consider their responsibilities to pupils in their classrooms. LEA support services can provide advice to practitioners, e.g. on teaching techniques and strategies, classroom management, and curriculum materials. They also support curriculum development, direct teaching or practical support for class teachers, part-time specialist help and access to learning support assistance. LEAs should also provide full information to all schools about the range of locally available services and how they can be secured. The SENCO and senior leadership team should be aware of the LEA’s policy for the provision of support services and how the school can access them. Whether or not funding for particular support services is delegated to schools, it may be helpful for schools and LEAs to draw up agreements for such services, specifying the scope, quality and duration of the service to be provided. When schools enter into contracts with private or voluntary sector providers, they should also satisfy themselves of the qualifications and experience of the specialists involved and that the service represents good value for money, and that appropriate police checks have been carried out.

Leadership questions 1 How does your school engage with local authority and external agencies? 2 Is there a school policy on identifying support for pupils? 3 How involved are parents in determining support for their child? 4 Does the LEA provide adequate information on the support services available? 5 What are the development needs of all the staff?

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EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE The educational psychology service is a highly specialist area of education provision. An educational psychologist provides support and advice for pupils to schools, parents, the education department, social services, health services and the pupils themselves. Educational psychologists are trained experienced professionals bound by codes of conduct to act in the best interests of the individual pupils referred to them. They work with parents, teachers and other professionals to help pupils succeed and prevent or minimise difficulties. Their work is concerned with learning, language and literacy, specific learning difficulties, behaviour, emotional or social problems and physical or sensory difficulties. The role of educational psychologists is central to the assessment and statementing of pupils with SEN. They also provide in-service training and support research projects involving teachers, other professionals and parents in fulfilling their aim to promote a wider understanding of pupils’ needs. They are in contact with pupils, parents, headteachers, governors, LEAs and social services officers and a wide range of professional and other staff from all agencies that provide services to the local community. In practice, educational psychologists are assigned a number of nursery, primary and secondary schools. They consult with the headteacher to establish priorities according to the needs of the pupils in the school and provide a range of in-service courses for parents and professionals that focus on pupil needs, individual and whole-school behaviour policies, mediation and negotiation, development of teacher self-esteem, and special learning difficulties.

BEHAVIOUR AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TEAM Behaviour and educational support team (BEST) teachers are specialists who provide a range of services to mainstream and specialist schools. They are experts in the management of discipline in schools. BEST staff are highly qualified professionals able to deal with difficult pupils. They are also able to deal tactfully and effectively with teachers in mainstream schools who need their help and yet may feel defensive about seeking it. Within the BEST team there will be a team leader, specialist teachers, special needs support assistants and administrative support staff, which can be set up to provide a service to support pupils experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties in their setting, to help maintain their places in mainstream education and access the national curriculum by: ●

providing direct support to individual pupils

●

providing practical advice on support strategies to staff

●

working with parents/guardians to support their child’s educational needs

●

assisting schools in developing their own support structures and expertise

●

working with social services, health and other education agencies to encourage continuity of support and exchange of information.

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In the majority of LEAs, pupils may be referred for BEST support with or without a statement of SEN. Increasingly, support for non-statemented pupils can be obtained when their school placement has broken down. Referrals will also require evidence that the pupil still exhibits inappropriate behaviour after receiving support from the school.

EDUCATION WELFARE OFFICER (EWO) Schools may expect the EWO to undertake many core functions, such as attendance, exclusion, child protection and welfare benefits, but they also have duties relating to SEN where the EWO has direct involvement with the pupil, to support parents and pupils in the process of formal assessment. They can also advise and support schools in relation to general welfare issues affecting pupils, which can include breakdown in communication between school and home and under-achievement that might be caused by a domestic problem and/or the child not being properly cared for at home. The Education Welfare Service (EWS) in the majority of LEAs is active in consultation with other agencies within the authority, including social, medical and legal services.

OTHER SERVICES A school’s first point of contact with health issues will be through the local school health services, which deliver health advisory and support services to schools. These health professionals will usually be able to advise the school and should also advise the medical officer designated to work with children with SEN that the school has sought advice about a child. Health professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, as well as doctors and the school nurse, also provide advice and support for children. Health trusts must comply with a request for help from an LEA in connection with SEN children, unless they consider that help is not necessary for the exercise of the LEA’s functions. Schools should be aware of the range of local services provided by social services who have duties under the 2004 Children Act to provide a range of services for children in need. The designated teacher for looked-after children should work closely with the SENCO when the pupil also has SEN. Schools should also ensure that where a child is ‘looked after’ by the local authority, the child’s social worker and, where possible, the parents are involved in their child’s education and all processes relating to SEN. Voluntary agencies and groups have an important role in providing services and in some cases they deliver their own provision. It is essential that LEAs, schools and local authorities seek to work actively in partnership with the voluntary sector to meet pupils’ needs. LEAs and schools should demonstrate a willingness to work with them and value their contribution. Local authorities also need to help join up the different local partners in order to maximise the benefit for pupils.

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The DfES sponsors regional networks. These partnerships bring together groups of local authorities and local health, social services, voluntary and private sector partners. The overall aim of the network is to secure greater consistency in the quality of the response for all pupils (see Chapter 26).

Leadership questions 1 What are the systems for engaging multi-agency support in your school? 2 How are staff informed of the support provided for pupils they teach? 3 Is multi-agency support recorded, monitored, reviewed and evaluated? 4 What is the role of the SENCO in managing multi-agency support?

COMMON ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK A Common Assessment Framework (CAF) has been created (DfES, 2005c) to support the five outcomes of Every Child Matters. Its aims are, where appropriate, to provide an assessment of a child’s individual, family and community needs, which can be built up over time and, with parental consent, shared among practitioners. It is intended to: ●

improve the quality of referrals between agencies

●

help embed a common language about the needs of children and young people

●

promote the appropriate sharing of information

●

reduce the number and duration of different assessment processes.

The government intends that the CAF will help practitioners undertake an initial holistic assessment of a child’s or young person’s needs to determine the level of need and identify an appropriate response. It consists of a common process for understanding and articulating the range of needs of an individual child involving the child, his or her parents or carers and other practitioners, as appropriate, with a common format: ●

to help practitioners record the findings from the assessment in terms that are helpful in determining the most appropriate response to future needs

●

for sharing assessment information with other practitioners and services as appropriate, while assuring the necessary levels of confidentiality and security.

The aims of the CAF are to: ●

provide a method of assessment to support earlier intervention

●

improve joint working and communication between practitioners by helping to embed a common language of assessment and a more consistent view as to the appropriate response

●

improve the coordination and consistency between assessments leading to fewer and shorter specialist assessments

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●

inform decisions about whether further specialist assessment is required and if necessary provide information to contribute to it

●

enable a picture of a child’s or young person’s needs to be built up over time and, with appropriate consent, shared among professionals

●

provide better, more evidence-based referrals to targeted and specialist services.

Case study 10.1 Remodelling and the future of LEAs (adapted from NRT website www.remodelling.org) Remodel West is a working partnership of seven west London LEA remodelling teams. The wide variety of expertise within the group is one of its strengths, including a recent headteacher with experience of both primary and secondary schools, a school adviser with expertise in school improvement and CPD, teacher recruitment strategy managers and education personnel officers. Since its inception, in autumn 2003, it has been active in the creation and delivery of training to support and facilitate school remodelling with other resources active in CPD. Working collaboratively has ensured good practice with well-motivated and energised involvement that has created a good rapport while sharing resources and costs. Most importantly, there has been a positive knock-on effect on the services provided to all of the remodelling schools. The invitation to a cross-section of other LEA colleagues to a half-day workshop allowed the remodelling group to provide an opportunity for others in LEA organisations to see how remodelling joins up the local and national initiatives that individuals and groups of staff are working on. The main objectives were to engage a whole range of LEA stakeholders in workforce remodelling (and potentially remodelling in LEAs), to showcase practical examples of school remodelling, to outline the impact of school improvements on standards and to set a context for the future of LEA services.

Having read this case study, how can this inform future plans to improve relationships between members of the school and local LEA?

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To do

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Action

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Workshop materials

2.1 First steps towards an extended school

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2.2 External agencies contact list

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Section 2 · Workshop materials

Workshop 2.1

FIRST STEPS TOWARDS AN EXTENDED SCHOOL 1 Use the following tabulation as a checklist for the school leadership team to consider in terms of taking the first step to extended school status.

WORKING TOWARDS ‘EMERGED’ STATUS Baseline key indicators (Sandwell, 2005) Focus

Code of practice

Key indicators

Purpose and ethos

‘Having a purpose’ ‘Getting the ethos right’

Activities have a purpose and there is an understanding of the need for a user-friendly environment

Finding out what’s needed

‘Finding out what’s needed’

More than intuition and guesswork

Planning and resources

‘Getting the best from resources’ ‘Selecting providers and recruiting the right staff’

Identifying the best use of existing resources, suitable providers and developing recruitment procedures

Programme

‘Establishing a programme’ ‘Developing together’ ‘Developing teams and team members’

A programme of activity existing beyond the school day

Involving and informing

‘Involving the community’ ‘Letting people know’

Finding out who is taking part and advertising extended school activities

Working with partners

‘Working with partners’

Knowledge of existing and potential partners

Impact

‘Measuring the difference’ ‘Getting and demonstrating results’

Recognition of the need to gather baseline data

2 Evaluate the outcomes. 3 Discuss and decide on the next steps.

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Workshop 2.2

EXTERNAL AGENCIES CONTACT LIST List the external agencies working in partnership with your school. Include contact names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers and the points of contact within your school.

External agency

Name

E-mail address

Phone number

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School contact

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Summary

When a school is to be remodelled it needs to determine its place and function as a community. Relationships with parents and the broader community are central to the effectiveness of an extended school. All members of the school, as participants in the school and local community, should be encouraged to have a shared commitment to the remodelling of the school community. Schools, like other communities, have their own characteristics and personalities. The culture of each school is determined by individual and collective beliefs and values. Differences between schools may be explained in terms of organisational and social structures that reflect the interpersonal relationships that contribute to ethos. The management of the school environment is the responsibility of everyone in the school community. The development and maintenance of the environment can be a key activity within the school and has an influence on remodelling. The relationship between school, home and the community will have a significant impact on implementing remodelling. The connection between the school and the community is not static but develops in a continuum. There are almost as many definitions of extended schools as there are schools engaged in this aspect of the remodelling agenda. Extended schools are based on standards of leadership and management but also recognise that to achieve the highest standards and sustain improvement, the curriculum and other learning experiences of the child support should be coordinated as a whole, contributing to, and being sustained by, the local community. The management of an extended school programme requires training that prepares managers and staff to develop an understanding and the skills required. The key elements of extended schools include multi-agency family and child support services, study support, family learning and community use of facilities. Local authorities recognise that this will mean a culture change for heads of service and, in some cases, heads of schools who will move from management and control to leadership and influence. This will involve the building of trust and confidence in and with new partners in order to realign services closer to the point of delivery. The effectiveness of building with the community will lead to long-term planning through consultation and identification of needs. Building schools in communities will bring schools to the heart of each community, offering a wide range of services to support the whole community. The following section considers the wider workforce and the participants in the remodelling process.

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Section 3

WORKFORCE REFORM

11 School workforce reform – policy

76

12 Teachers

81

13 Teaching assistants

88

14 Higher level teaching assistants

92

15 Headteachers

96

Workshop materials

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Summary

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Introduction

This section focuses on the school workforce, which is the greatest resource in the delivery of the remodelling agenda. The need for a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities is self-evident. This will enable participants in the process of workforce reform to feel confident and able to respond to Every Child Matters in the context of an extended school. While raising achievement remains a central tenet of government reform, it is the quality of support for each pupil through a shared understanding of roles that will secure the trust needed to achieve success.

Questions to consider 1 Can you define the roles of those employed in your school? 2 How do they contribute to the raising of all pupils’ achievements? 3 How does the school workforce contribute to the development of each child in your school as determined by the five outcomes of Every Child Matters?

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Chapter 11

SCHOOL WORKFORCE REFORM – POLICY

There are a number of policies that underpin the remodelling agenda and workforce reform; these extend beyond those policies that focus entirely on schools and the National Agreement that secured improved working conditions for teachers and has led to workforce reform where a teacher’s practice will focus on pupils’ learning with less emphasis on administrative and support tasks (see Section 1). In this context, they and their teams will create new and exciting places and spaces for teaching and learning. Teachers will be the facilitators of knowledge enabling learners to access and discover learning in a variety of forms. Change management will continue to be a normal part of a professional’s life within schools. To enable change to occur within a secure, comfortable place, the direction of schools within a knowledge society will need to be transparent to all. The sharing of experience and learning will be commonplace whereby staff will advise the decisionmakers, both informing and contributing to the change. This is of greater benefit when time is made available for reflection, development, delivery and evaluation of learning. Thus a teacher’s life is to become more attractive to graduates from all disciplines; such is the vision, met in part by those pathfinder and early adopter schools. Within this section, practical advice is provided on the changing role of leaders, teachers and the wider workforce. Set within the changing educational environment, it focuses on the central tenets of workforce reform. Table 3.1 indicates the range of policy documents that relate to the role of the wider workforce and show how workforce reform is being developed across the public sector as part of a shared national programme of change. Each of the policies relates to Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003b) in which the government recognised that if there were to be improved outcomes, radical change in the whole system of children’s services was required, including: ●

the improvement and integration of universal services – in early years settings, schools and the health service

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more specialised help to promote opportunity, prevent problems and act early and effectively if and when problems arise

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the reconfiguration of services around the child and family in one place, for example children’s centres, extended schools and the bringing together of professionals in multidisciplinary teams

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Title

Description

Date

Every Child Matters

The Children’s Green Paper, Every Child Matters,

8 Sept. 2003

sets out the government’s commitment to improving outcomes for all children and young people Every Child Matters:

This document sets out the purpose of the Children

Next Steps

Bill and the next steps for bringing about change in

4 Mar. 2004

children’s services Five Year Strategy

This is the five year plan for the DfES, which sets

for Children and

out the commitments the department will deliver

8 Jul. 2004

Learners The Future of

The local government strategy developed a

Local Government:

ten-year vision which focused on the key role

Developing a

played by local authorities in delivering local

10-year Vision

services and set out a broader framework for local

Local Area

change programmes to improve children’s services.

Agreements (LAAs):

The prospectus for LAAs proposes that outcome-

A Prospectus

focused agreements between central government

27 Jul. 2004

and local areas should be based around three blocks, one of which would be outcomes for children and young people Table 3.1 Key published documents ●

dedicated and enterprising leadership at all levels of the system

●

the development of a shared sense of responsibility across agencies for safeguarding children and protecting them from harm

●

listening to children, young people and their families when assessing and planning service provision, as well as in face-to face delivery.

The Children Act 2004 is the legislative spine on which the government is building its reforms of children’s services. It established for England: ●

a children’s commissioner to champion the views and interests of children and young people

●

a duty on local authorities to make arrangements to promote cooperation between agencies and voluntary and community organisations in order to improve children’s well-being, and a duty on key partners to take part in the cooperation arrangements

●

a duty on key agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

●

a duty on local authorities to set up safeguarding children boards and on key partners to take part

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●

provision for indexes or databases containing basic information about children and young people to enable better sharing of information

●

a requirement for a single children and young people’s plan to be drawn up by each local authority

●

a requirement on local authorities to appoint a director of children’s services and designate a lead member

●

the creation of an integrated inspection framework and the conduct of joint area reviews to assess local areas’ progress in improving outcomes

●

provisions relating to foster care, private fostering and the education of children in care.

THE WIDER WORKFORCE The wider workforce encompasses a range of practitioners whose professional and voluntary activities focus on the child, of which examples are illustrated in Fig. 3.1. Any aspect of quality in education or childcare will be determined by the quality of the workforce. The CWDC is now responsible for this development. Schools, LEAs and, it would appear, governments continue to recognise that the current workforce is capable and dedicated. However, the need to raise standards reflects on the difficulties experienced by the workforce that include: ●

professional experience that is limited by short-term retention of staff, thus reducing the time to develop skills and expertise

●

limited finance to attract and sustain long-term appointments of suitably qualified staff

●

poor communication between childcare and education services

●

the heavy approach to inspection, which can be demotivating

●

poor leadership and management.

It is not surprising that both care providers and schools are experiencing problems in recruiting and retaining staff. In response to these issues, the government has developed initiatives for the professional development of the wider workforce, including accessible progression routes for the existing workforce. There are also plans to attract and retain sufficient staff by reducing turnover and encouraging men and members of ethnic minority groups into the professions. The career framework will include degree-level qualifications for early year practitioners, the aim being to create a profession that combines learning with care. Such plans are being developed across the public sector to: ● develop more flexible entry routes to improve recruitment ● improve training and development to raise quality and better progression opportunities to improve

retention and thus stability … ● explore and promote new ways of working … ● ensure effective leadership, management and supervision.

Source: DfES (2005a)

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Faith groups

Business

Site managers

Local authority partners: health, social and youth workers

School leaders

Arts and sports organisations

Administrators

Teachers The child Learning and teaching assistants

Finance managers Multiinter-agency workforce

Governors

Parents and volunteers

Technicians

Children’s centres

Play groups

Fig. 3.1 The wider workforce

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Set within the context of the wider workforce, the challenges and opportunities that schools will encounter when addressing workforce reform are manifold. Staffing issues are at the forefront of the agenda, as are the needs of all children. Schools should be in a position to recruit and retain sufficient teaching and support staff as defined by maximum class size limits determined by legislation, i.e. 30 for Key Stage (KS) 1. This would enable schools to meet the personal, social and educational needs of children and young people in partnership with other agencies. The national reduction in numbers of school-aged pupils will facilitate appropriate reduction in class sizes and provide greater opportunities for teachers to meet individual learning needs and expanding curriculum opportunities. The National Agreement presents new challenges to the way that support staff are deployed, supervised and managed. Governors and LEAs are encouraged to develop support staff in schools. As the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services (NJC, 2003) advises, LEAs have a key role to play in developing local frameworks to recruit, retain and develop a skilled and committed workforce. The NJC suggests that grading reviews and advice on fixed term contracts may need to be revised; this will dependent on local arrangements. What is evident, by the increase in range, ability and number, is that support staff will be willing to play their part in meeting the new demands in schools. Changes in contracts will need to be negotiated in response to these developments.

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Staff in schools are employees of the LEA, with headteachers and school governors having delegated responsibilities. Working time for support staff shall be based on individual contracts within the national framework and ensure that support staff are paid for all worked hours. The NJC provides generic advice on job profiles and suggests three families of support staff: ●

teaching assistants (TAs)

●

curriculum/resource support

●

administration and organisation.

The career progression for staff described in government policies might determine that teaching and other child-centred professions are graduate professions with training that encompasses a range of knowledge, understanding, skills and responsibilities. Continuing professional development (CPD) should be an entitlement; the school workforce needs time and space to reflect, research and develop practice (see Chapters 20 and 21). There are further issues to consider as the new initiatives also provide a framework in which the delivery of the national curriculum and its content can be explored. Schools are members of a global community that is knowledge-driven; the nature of learning is no longer discipline-based. Thinking skills, sustainability and faith issues are central to our lives, as is knowledge about health, citizenship and how to manage learning facilitated by technology. Perhaps now is the time to re-evaluate the nature of learning and teaching (see Chapter 25).

Leadership and practitioner questions 1 Have you read and discussed the government’s policies underpinning workforce reform? 2 Have you introduced workforce reform for the wider workforce in your school? 3 What is the impact of workforce reform? 4 How is this measured? 5 Have you discussed workforce reform with your leadership team/line manager?

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Chapter 12

TEACHERS

Within the remodelling agenda, workforce reform has focused attention on the recruitment, management and redeployment of teachers. This is not without controversy, as not all trade unions feel comfortable with the changes within the National Agreement. This chapter examines the changes and explores the implications for teachers. Evidence has been gathered from government policies, websites, union publications and interviews with headteachers. The National Agreement aims to raise standards and tackle workload in schools. It is the function of the WAMG to monitor the implementation of the National Agreement. On a regular basis, the WAMG issues guidance notes, which reflect the agreed position of all the signatories, to support schools in implementing the National Agreement. Twelve notes had been issued by June 2005. Further definitive guidance is presented in the latest statutory School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (DfES, 2005e), while additional advice is given by a number of agencies, including: ●

NRT

●

National Joint Council (NJC) for local government services

●

governors associations

●

individual trade unions

●

LEAs.

The NRT has worked with schools to focus teachers’ time and energies on teaching and learning, eradicate time-consuming and wasteful activities, facilitate new technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness, assist school leaders to optimise resources and share innovative and effective practices within and between schools in order to deliver solutions to workload issues appropriate to each school’s individual context and circumstances (adapted from NRT website www.remodelling.org). In essence, the WAMG’s guidance explains that support staff will supplement, not supplant, teachers and that every class or group of pupils must have a teacher assigned to teach it. Far from allowing anyone to teach, the new regulations mean that, for the first time, skilled TAs, nursery nurses and other support staff will work within an agreed framework of direction and supervision by teachers (see Chapters 13 and 14).

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PHASE ONE: WORK/LIFE BALANCE In addressing the National Agreement, the WAMG advises that there are many issues which impact on work/life balance. Systems and structures may help teachers to address such issues while the context and status of teachers as professionals are also important. Cultural and personal issues are also key factors in teachers’ ability to address their work/life balance (see Chapter 24). As the NRT explains: Remodelling is designed to enhance the status and work/life balance of all who work in our schools … It is an opportunity to reassess the work and role of everyone involved in educating young people … The remodelling community has the potential to enhance the status of everyone who works in schools, improve recruitment and retention, challenge traditional practices and help create a modern workforce. Source: www.remodelling.org

Specified work The STPCD and National Agreement state that teachers will: ●

plan and prepare lessons and courses for pupils

●

deliver lessons to pupils, including delivery by way of distance learning or computeraided techniques

●

assess the development, progress and attainment of pupils

●

report on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.

The tasks that will no longer be carried out by teachers will include: ●

the 24 tasks set out in the National Agreement

●

financial and premises management, procurement and sponsorship

●

supervisory and pastoral activities that require behaviour management experience but are not directly related to classroom teaching. These include playground supervision, examination invigilation and elements of pastoral care (counselling).

PHASE TWO: COVER SUPERVISION Within the National Agreement, the contractual change since September 2004 now limits teachers covering for absent colleagues to 38 hours per year; the long-term objective is that teachers will not have to provide cover. The WAMG has provided guidance that includes a cover resource pack which: … contains a variety of resources and information that schools may find useful in implementing this phase of contractual change. It also contains guidance for schools that are considering using cover supervision, along with a range of other strategies, in order to deliver an effective and tailored school policy for dealing with cover. Key points to note from this guidance include:

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● cover supervision occurs when there is no active teaching taking place ● cover supervision should only be used for short-term absences ● cover supervision by effectively deployed and appropriately graded support staff with appropriate

skills, training and pay will be a fundamental part of an effective cover strategy, increasing the options available to headteachers and allowing them to deal with teacher absence in a way which is compatible with the standards agenda and the efficient use of resources. Source: WAMG (2004b)

Leadership questions A Guidance for Governors (NRT, 2004b) advises that school leaders and governors should consider: 1 Why and when does the need for cover arise? 2 Can the need for cover be minimised? 3 How will the cover strategy affect the continuity of learning for the pupils? 4 What are the implications for the school’s support staff? (See Chapters 13 and 14.) 5 Has the strategy been incorporated into the budget and long-term financial planning? 6 How easily can a new strategy be implemented in the school?

PHASE THREE: PLANNING, PREPARATION AND ASSESSMENT (PPA) The following is adapted from Time for Standards: Planning, Preparation and Assessment (NRT, 2004e): the National Agreement states that teachers are doing too much of their PPA in evenings and weekends, and in isolation from each other. While this cannot be changed overnight, the National Agreement marks a turning point in carving out some guaranteed PPA time during the school day. This is the most complicated aspect of workforce reform. Within the National Agreement and underpinned by statutory guidance, teachers are allocated time to plan and prepare lessons and to assess pupils’ work. The purpose of the guaranteed PPA time is to relieve some of the existing workload pressures on teachers and to raise standards. From 1 September 2005, all teachers (including headteachers) with timetabled teaching commitments, whether employed on permanent, fixed-term, temporary or part-time contracts, have had a contractual entitlement to guaranteed PPA time within the timetabled teaching day. The amount of guaranteed PPA time should be set as a minimum of at least 10 per cent of a teacher’s timetabled teaching time but not other forms of pupil contact. It should be provided as part of a teacher’s normal weekly or fortnightly timetable. It should take place during the school timetable and in blocks of at least 30 minutes. It must be used for PPA

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and not to cover for absent colleagues. It is for the teacher to determine the particular PPA priorities but does not preclude using time to support collaborative activities. To achieve the minimum allocation of guaranteed PPA time for the majority of teachers will involve one, or a combination, of the following strategies: ●

a reduction in teaching time

●

changes in the use of existing non-contact time

●

redesignation and redistribution of non-contact time from administration of cover, organisation of work experience and the administration of examinations to appropriate support staff.

It should be noted that, in some cases, it is possible that teaching commitments will increase as a result of remodelling, for example with senior teachers, who currently have a reduced teaching load to carry out administrative responsibilities that may in the future be undertaken by support staff, will now return to teaching once that transfer has taken place. Some schools may choose to use HLTAs (see Chapter 14) as one of the strategies for releasing teachers for guaranteed PPA time. Where HLTAs are deployed, the teacher’s guaranteed PPA time must not be encroached upon to deal with problems with a class. The HLTA would need to use the school’s usual referral system, as a qualified teacher would in case of difficulties or an emergency. Implementation of a sustainable staffing plan for the provision of guaranteed PPA is a threestep process involving developing strategies, integrating strategies into the school timetable and planning the evolution of strategies over time as an integral part of the SIP. Time for Standards (NRT, 2004e) recommends the following stages for implementation of PPA (Fig. 3.2):

Identify a range of strategies that release appropriate PPA time Develop school timetables to guarantee 10% PPA Develop staffing policy and plan, school development plan and school budget

Fig. 3.2 Implementation of PPA Source: Time for Standards: Planning, Preparation and Assessment (NRT, 2004e)

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Stage 1: Maximising the existing teaching resource Teachers in most secondary schools, and in some primary and special schools, are not timetabled to teach every lesson of every week. Often, they have some timetabled noncontact time which can provide an excellent opportunity for schools to provide designated and guaranteed PPA time. Non-PPA activities carried out during these periods should be assessed to evaluate whether they are a good use of teachers’ time. Key questions include: Is it necessary? Should we be doing this task? Why are we doing this task? Is the person carrying out the task the most appropriate person to be doing it? Can it be transferred to another person? Many activities can be reallocated to a more appropriate person, reduced, or even, when appropriate, discarded. It is vital that schools make a thorough assessment of any change to ensure that their quality of care, teaching and learning is maintained or enhanced. Typically, activities that can be reallocated, reduced or discarded include: ●

Administration – These duties can be transferred to appropriate support staff. Schools should continually be examining the administration burden of their teachers, especially SENCOs, to ensure that all their routine administration tasks are redirected to appropriate support staff.

●

Pastoral care – Many pastoral duties can be moved outside timetabled teaching time but within school sessions. These duties should also be assessed to evaluate if they could be carried out by an appropriately qualified/trained support staff.

●

Training and coaching – Some of these duties do not need to be carried out during timetabled teaching time.

●

Parent liaison – Prospective parents are shown around on an ad hoc basis and support staff can be deployed to carry out this duty.

●

Working with other organisations – Schools are increasingly working closely with organisations such as the police and social services with the implementation of the Extended Schools and Every Child Matters agenda. Much of this work can be carried out by appropriately trained support staff.

Stage 2: Timetabling additional resources When schools do not have enough non-contact time available to provide all their teachers with the minimum 10 per cent guaranteed PPA, and/or where they want to enhance their curriculum, the option is to deploy additional unqualified staff to release teachers. These additional appropriately trained and qualified staff are brought in from outside the school. By providing appropriate training and support, schools may also be able to redeploy existing support staff in roles that build on under-utilised skills, for example modern foreign language ability or computer expertise.

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Key to the deployment of additional staff is that the school curriculum is maintained, though schools should look for opportunities to enhance the curriculum by delivering lessons in subject areas that were not previously offered, for example contemporary music production. Additional staff should be deployed to carry out specified work, as opposed to supervision. They should have appropriate qualifications and/or experience and have been assigned the appropriate grade. Additional school staff strategies include: ●

Higher level teaching assistants – HLTAs are expected to make a significant contribution in teaching and learning activities under the direction and supervision of a teacher (see Chapter 13).

●

Instructors – A person with ‘specialist qualifications or experience or both’ can deliver specified work, provided the LEA and/or school governing body is satisfied that he or she has the relevant qualification or experience. Instructors have unqualified teacher status and are employed under the terms of the STPCD. They are contractually entitled to PPA time for the timetabled teaching provided.

●

Specialist staff – These members may already be employed by the school or can be brought in from outside. They can be existing support staff, as long as they have qualifications or experience in their speciality, for example a member of the support staff who is a dancer or a native French speaker, sports coaches and local business people. Specialist staff can work with one class or in a ‘floating’ capacity, working with classes across the school, but are not employed under the terms of the STPCD as there is no PPA entitlement for these staff, although schools may chose to provide them with some PPA time.

●

Other teachers – The teacher(s) can be brought in from outside the school or released internally, through an increase in their non-contact time – perhaps as a result of having fewer cover duties or administrative tasks or by maximising the teaching resource within school sessions. These teachers must be given timetabled commitments and will be entitled to receive their own guaranteed PPA time. They may be timetabled to teach a number of different classes on a weekly or fortnightly basis. They can be supported by an HLTA or TA accustomed to working with a particular class.

The principles underpinning workforce reform are to be celebrated: advising and supporting teachers to achieve a work/life balance, providing them with 10 per cent PPA time while raising standards and extending schools. Is it possible? The wider workforce is the solution: TAs, HLTAs, volunteers and parents.

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Questions to consider How can workforce reform enable school leaders to: 1 focus on teaching and learning? 2 reduce staff workload? 3 raise the attainment of all pupils? 4 enhance the professionalism and status of teachers? 5 provide solutions that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of one school? 6 improve recruitment and retention? 7 improve work/life balance? 8 facilitate change and encourage creativity and risk-taking?

Leadership questions The NRT’s Guidance for Governors (NRT, 2004b) has produced a checklist for discussion between governors and headteachers that has been adapted as follows: 1 Have all administrative and clerical tasks been transferred from teachers? 2 Has the school established an action plan? 3 Has time been allocated for all headteachers with leadership and management responsibilities? 4 Is there a sustainable cover policy? 5 Are there plans for invigilating examinations?

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Chapter 13

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

This chapter focuses on those who will play a major part in workforce reform – teaching assistants. Prior to the National Agreement, many schools employed TAs to support pupils with SEN and are now part of the central core of para-professionals who support practice in schools. In 2003, the DfES published Developing the Role of School Support Staff, which detailed the key benefits for support staff of workforce reform: ● a recognition of the important role played by support staff in improving schools and raising pupil

standards ● funding to enable the recruitment of additional support staff, including technicians, administrative

staff and classroom-based-staff so that by 2005, schools should be in a position to recruit at least 50,000 additional support staff ● the recognition that the remuneration of support staff should reflect their levels of skills, training and

responsibilities ● foundation training for all types of staff, building on the success of DfES induction training for

teaching assistants ● the extension of other key roles for support staff such as personal assistants to provide administrative

support to teachers or subject departments and trained cover supervisors who can undertake shortterm, ad hoc cover for absent teachers ● opportunities to progress through clear routes from entry level to the new higher-level teaching

assistant role or senior administrative roles or advanced roles in relation to behaviour and guidance ● newly-developed training to support higher-level roles: ● for higher-level teaching assistants, standards and training are being developed by the TTA ● for school finance managers, qualifications and training are being developed by the NCSL ● routes into other roles – for example, making sure that those who wish to become a teacher have

clear routes including through the higher-level teaching assistant training ● more funding to support training

Source: DfES (2003c)

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Government and headteachers (Gunter et al., 2004) are of the same view that support staff have contributed to the recent improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. The developments proposed in the National Agreement will extend the range of what teaching assistants will be asked to do in the classroom and prepare them for the role.

DEFINITION OF SUPPORT STAFF Time for Standards defines support staff as ranging from: teaching assistants, nursery nurses, librarians and other staff in schools such as technical support staff to, for example, business persons or members of the emergency services, who may from time to time engage with pupils e.g. the community police officer. Source: DfES (2003a)

These definitions appear to extend the scope of support staff from those traditionally involved in supporting teachers in the delivery of the national curriculum. Within this profile, there is also scope for creative appointments that include sports coaches, musicians, artists and the wider workforce although Time for Standards states: Where appropriate this may be achieved through building on existing supervision arrangements within the school … The practical effect of the Regulations is not to prevent support staff from undertaking the ‘specified work’, but to ensure that they do so within a proper system of direction and supervision by a qualified teacher. The headteacher will determine how the system of supervision is provided and by whom. Source: DfES (2003a)

Resources are the biggest challenge to expanding the workforce in schools. The government’s intention is to recruit an additional 50,000 support staff; however, there are considerable doubts as to whether there is sufficient funding to resource this initiative. Once recruited, training will be needed to prepare those in new roles. There is a strategic role to be played by governors and school leaders in developing the role of all support staff, especially TAs, to assist the workforce reform of classroom teachers. In 2003, the DfES guidance was embedded in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, which further developed Section 133 Regulations that gave circumstances where a TA can do work normally undertaken by qualified teachers. This allowance has been, in part, to provide resources needed to implement PPA though workforce reform that does not mean substituting qualified teachers with support staff. Time for Standards (DfES, 2003a) provides guidance to accompany the Section 133 Regulations and was intended to safeguard standards in the classroom and preserve the role, status and overall responsibility of qualified teachers in schools. It also addresses the uncertainty over the duties and activities that support staff may undertake to support PPA. It states that support staff:

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● who may undertake the ‘specified work’ subject to a number of conditions … ● must carry out the ‘specified work’ in order to assist or support the work of a qualified teacher in the

school; ● must be subject to the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher in accordance with

arrangements made by the headteacher of the school; and ● has the skills, expertise and experience required to carry out the ‘specified work’.

The teaching assistant’s role is further divided into classroom-based activity, supporting and delivering learning and behaviour guidance. As indicated, changes will require local decisions and training. The NJC profiles are a structural approach to job and career development, including four levels of progression written in conjunction with Section 133 of the Regulations and guidance agreed by the WAMG relating to supervision. The four levels are: ●

Level 1 – staff will be working under direction/instruction and not left alone with a class

●

Level 2 – experienced staff will be working under instruction/guidance as they develop new skills or gain qualifications.

●

Level 3 – staff will work under guidance according to the level of specified work undertaken.

●

Level 4 – staff will work under an agreed system of supervision/management. The WAMG advises that experienced support staff with appropriate training and qualifications may be given greater autonomy within the framework set by the teacher.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY Appropriate leadership and management are needed if support staff are to be recruited and retained. Headteachers are responsible for ensuring that new or redeployed staff meet the requirements of the support role as determined by a job description for both employed and voluntary staff. Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks (see www.crb.gov.uk) are also necessary, as are training in behaviour management, first aid and the safe use of equipment within the school. Support staff who assist teachers can expect supervision of activities relating to teaching and learning, and line management. This will involve time to discuss planning and pupil progress, and the use of the pupil referral system. Line management will be responsible for guidance relating to the role. Time for Standards (DfES, 2003a) suggests that schools audit the skills and experience of all of its staff and members of the school community, including voluntary support. This would assist in the planning of curriculum and enrichment activities.

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Case study 13.1 Teaching assistants The NRT website provides a range of case studies to illustrate the impact of TAs within overall workforce reform on practice in schools, one of which is the Alexandra Primary School in Hounslow (www.remodelling.org/submitted_article.php?id=9). It is a challenging school, yet its SATs’ results demonstrate significant improvement in five years from around 50% to 94% (science), 88% (English) and 82% (mathematics). This success is attributed, in part, to the eight full-time TAs. The posts are funded with a combination of Standards Fund, Education Action Zone (EAZ) and statement money. Funds have been used creatively and it would seem effectively. As the senior teacher explains: To optimise teaching and learning we attach one of our TAs to each year group of three classes. They take a very active role: attending planning meetings, supporting individual children and working with groups and classes. They also accompany teachers and pupils on school trips. All our TAs are fully insured and well trained in our health and safety procedures … Two of our TAs work in a floating capacity, working with specific children and supporting other TAs when required. A further example of successful remodelling presented by the NRT focuses on Whalton Church of England First School in Northumberland (www.remodelling.org/submitted _article_print.php?id=2). This small rural school, with just 41 pupils, has considerable needs in terms of time, money and staff. The teaching headteacher adopted the change management approach advocated by the NRT. The head addressed work/life balance issues by employing a full-time assistant who provides additional support in reception and KS1. The assistant also takes the whole school swimming, with parents, for an afternoon a week, thus creating leadership and management time. Creative use of funds has also helped, with the appointment of their own caretaker and reducing cover insurance costs. ICT is being adopted for planning while collaboration with neighbouring schools on training programmes has also reduced costs. Both these examples of good practice can be applied elsewhere.

Leadership questions The NRT’s Guidance for Governors (NRT, 2004b) has produced a checklist for discussion between governors and headteachers that has been adapted as follows: 1 Has appropriate training been given to support staff who are undertaking new responsibilities? 2 Do opportunities exist for support staff to develop professionally, and does the performance management policy apply to all staff? 3 Do all support staff have an up-to-date job description and appropriate grading and remuneration in line with NJC job profiles to take account of new responsibilities?

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Chapter 14

HIGHER LEVEL TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Remodelling is an opportunity for headteachers, teachers and members of the wider workforce to reflect on their role in relation to children. As this chapter will demonstrate, there are possibilities to create new ways of working that enable all staff to develop beyond their current practice; HLTAs are promoted teaching assistant and supervisory posts, so all of the factors discussed in Chapter 13 relate to the role of HLTAs. Legislation is in place through the National Agreement and School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document that underpins developments. The role of HLTAs is explained as follows: The HLTA initiative will allow those who achieve HLTA status to offer proven skills to support teachers and pupils even more effectively and to take on additional responsibility. The deployment of support staff with HLTA status is one of the strategies schools can use to implement the workforce agreement and their plans for school remodelling. Source: WAMG (2004a)

HLTA status provides the opportunity for schools to recognise the levels of knowledge, skills and understanding that many school support staff have and the contribution that they make in schools. It gives a wide range of school support staff, including librarians, technicians, nursery nurses and other TAs, an option for career progression. Many schools have already developed new roles for their support staff, and support staff roles will continue to develop over time. All schools need to consider what roles are appropriate for members of their workforce, what training and other support are needed so that staff can undertake those roles effectively, and what levels of remuneration are appropriate for the roles concerned. This is being provided through the Higher Level Teaching Assistants scheme which commenced in May 2004 when the first 7,000 candidates started training, followed by 7,000 in 2005–6 and another 7,000 in 2006–7. Participants in the training scheme will be trained to meet, and assessed against, national professional standards. The NRT explains that: HLTA status is awarded by the TTA to school support staff who successfully demonstrate the agreed national professional standards through one of the HLTA assessment and training programmes that are available across the country. These programmes are part of a wide range of training opportunities for school support staff. Source: NRT (2004c)

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Two training pathways are available: ●

an assessment-only pathway designed to allow teaching assistants who are already at, or near, the standards to achieve HLTA quickly

●

a full-training pathway running for 50 days designed to enable participants to meet the standards.

The four distinct stages to becoming an HLTA are:

Stage 1

Needs assessment Informed by the Standards Part of the appraisal and ongoing CPD TTA guidance

Stage 2

Developing competence Low cost – high energy – long term Locally arranged and delivered Local assurance

Stage 3

Preparing for assessment Informed by good practice and TTA guidance Locally arranged and delivered Local/regional assurance

Stage 4

Being assessed TTA assessment process Regional approved provider Regional/national accreditation

As the capacity of the HLTA programme grows, more support staff will be able to pursue HLTA status. In the longer term, there may be scope for support staff to take part in an HLTA training and assessment programme to further their career progression in circumstances where there is no vacant HLTA post available in their own school. The guidance to Section 133 Regulations states that HLTAs or other support staff and teachers are not interchangeable. HLTAs working with whole classes should not mean any reduction in the support for pupils. The headteacher should, therefore, consider what additional classroom support may be needed.

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SUPERVISION Support staff in higher level roles should be working within the school’s system of management and supervision, which should reflect good practice set out in existing guidance such as WAMG guidance notes. They may be working under the direction and supervision of more than one teacher. Supervision arrangements should include time for teachers and support staff to discuss planning and pupil progress within the contracted hours of each of those involved.

LINE MANAGEMENT Line management is distinct from the direction and supervision provided by a teacher for activities relating to teaching and learning. Line management covers the more day-to-day matters relating to the management of support staff. Support staff should have only one line manager, usually a senior member of the school’s support staff. As indicated in the NJC for local government services job profiles (NJC, 2003), HLTAs may be responsible for the management of other support staff. The line managers who coordinate the work of the HLTA and provide support should undertake appraisal. The teachers who direct and supervise the HLTA should provide feedback to the line manager on progress, to inform the appraisal process. Regular reviews allow an assessment of training and development needs so the staff concerned can develop professionally and improve the level of support they can offer. Specified work can only be carried out by teachers with QTS or someone who satisfies other requirements – for example support staff may undertake specified work in order to assist or support the work of a qualified teacher – and are subject to the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher in accordance with arrangements made by the headteacher. The headteacher must be satisfied that the support staff member has the skills, expertise and experience to carry out the specified work.

CLASS RESPONSIBILITY An inexperienced teaching assistant requires direct supervision and must not be left alone with the class, while an experienced teaching assistant who has undergone training and meets the national standards for HLTAs does not require the qualified teacher assigned to that class to be present at all times. The guidance distinguishes between the supervision of support staff by qualified teachers and line management, which need not be undertaken by a qualified teacher.

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PROCESS AND FUNDING The HLTA training and assessment programmes are delivered by TTA training providers. All LEAs publish details on how they will allocate funding and contact details for further enquiries. Standard Fund Grant 25 may be used to provide support for candidates attending training as well as supply cover, travel and subsistence costs when candidates attend centrebased learning, childcare costs and costs for the loan of laptops during training. Documentation, standards and guidance on meeting the standards for HLTA can be found within the resource bank at the HLTA website www.hlta.gov.uk.

HLTAS CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Within government guidance, remuneration for staff delivering specified work should be assessed in relation to new responsibilities and within the whole school-pay structure. Grading of staff is to be determined by the LEA or governing bodies as appropriate, under the terms of the NJC’s Green Book and grading structures. In addition to the profiling and grading of posts, employers are advised to consult with employees regarding changes to job descriptions, deployment and timetabling. As with all posts, there must be agreement about a change of contracts. Further training and development should also be provided (see Chapter 21), including dedicated training time, observation, mentoring and monitoring. CPD should be included in policies. As with teachers, support staff who are working to HLTA standards should have paid PPA time set aside to enable them to plan and prepare for their roles in lessons and to liaise with classroom teachers. The NJC provides detailed advice on preparing job profiles and performance appraisals for support staff. As with all staff, HLTAs must have job descriptions for training and development policies. These must be based on constructive annual appraisals and conditions of service clearly stated. Further details are provided in Chapters 20 and 21.

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Chapter 15

HEADTEACHERS

The remodelling process began with consultation with a range of agencies and practitioners, each with expertise, knowledge and experience of working in partnership for the benefit of the school community. Much of workforce reform focuses on teachers, but managers and leaders are also beneficiaries of the changes in legislation that facilitate dedicated headship time. The core purpose of the headteacher is to provide professional leadership and management for a school. The governors will have a role in monitoring the use of this time in order to enable headteachers to develop the necessary vision and direction to improve the quality of education and to raise standards. This chapter will introduce possible developments for all schools to consider and provide a model for practice beginning with management and leadership and the delegation of financial management. Headteachers must have dedicated time to lead their schools as well as manage them. From September 2005, governing bodies are expected to ensure that headteachers have dedicated headship time, having regard to resources in the school and to further national guidance that will be developed in good time before the provisions are implemented. Schools should work towards this change as far as possible prior to its statutory introduction. NASUWT’s General Secretary, Chris Keates, reflects on the implications of the government’s remodelling agenda for headteachers: Over the years, headteachers have been as vulnerable as teachers to the unrealistic expectation that they can consistently and continually absorb an ever-increasing myriad of tasks, often peripheral to their core responsibility of leading teaching and learning. Like teachers, their workload and working hours, over the years, spiralled out of control, their morale was low and recruitment and retention was a serious problem … When implemented fully, the seven contractual changes that have been the catalyst for the remodelling agenda will provide not only a reduction in workload but a long-overdue opportunity for headteachers and other members of the school leadership group to refocus their skills, expertise and energy on their core role of leading teaching and learning. This development has been warmly welcomed by many headteachers who now feel able to disentangle themselves from activities that do not require their professional skills and expertise and are reinvigorated by the opportunities remodelling presents to refocus their role. These heads recognise and respect the importance of what takes place in the classroom and wish to remain allied to it … Leading teaching and learning is exacting and onerous. Clearly no-one would argue that heads must have a full teaching timetable, on the same basis that it is recognised that others who lead teaching and learning within the school need time to discharge management and leadership responsibilities which support effective classroom practice. Source: NASUWT

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In managing change (see Chapter 23) and to alleviate the burden on headteachers, schools have been advised to create CMTs to facilitate the change process. Schools have been encouraged to think out of the box, to create new posts in areas previously covered by leadership teams, for example financial management, ICT support, curriculum support and management of student services. Premises with new posts can be funded through the Standards Fund/Grant (see Section 4). All new posts require job descriptions and should follow the advice available in the NJC Green Book and STPCD. Inevitably, the clearer the plan, the greater the scope for flexibility as staff will be sure of their roles and responsibilities, communication will be effective, and planning and decision-making will improve so that the more creative and forward-thinking schools will benefit from workforce reform and the remodelling process. The impetus remains with the headteacher as those who enter into the National Agreement with reluctance will not gain from the potential opportunities the initiatives can offer.

FINANCE MANAGERS Many headteachers are finding it difficult to refocus the management of their time and that of others. Partnership and delegation are key issues addressed in Chapter 22. An example of such practice is the appointment of a bursar or finance manager. There are several alternative titles, such as school business manager and senior administrative officer. Not all schools are in a position to appoint a bursar, hence the generic use of finance manager is used in this chapter. For those schools able to fund such a post, this would appear to be the first step in achieving the greatest benefits from remodelling the school as, without increased income and sound resource management, schools will not be in a position to meet the requirements of the National Agreement. The appointment of a finance manager, with knowledge and understanding of education coupled with the skill and ability to manage finances, would resolve many of the financial, operational and planning issues encountered by school leaders when implementing workforce reform. However, finance managers require a model on which to base their practice; a possible model is management accounting and control as adopted in other areas of the public sector (Blandford, 1997b). The model is based on the premise that all organisations have aims and objectives. Decisions need to be taken on which strategies are pursued to achieve the objectives and which are rejected, i.e. the planning process. Plans have to be implemented and systems are needed to ensure that the plans are followed and the objectives achieved. This is the control process, as Jones and Pendlebury explain: … processes of planning and control are two of the most important tasks undertaken by the managers of an organisation and together they form the nucleus of the overall management system. In order to carry out these tasks, managers require information. It is with the provision of such information that management accounting is primarily concerned. Source: Jones and Pendlebury (1996)

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Section 3 · Workforce reform

Finance managers must be sources of information to assist the school workforce. As with other management practices from the business world, management accounting could help to inform and guide education leaders (see Fig. 3.3).

Management accounting =

Control systems =

Decisions

Aims and objectives

Planning

Monitor

Evaluate

Review

Fig. 3.3 Management accounting and control

In practice, the role of a finance manager is not dissimilar to that of a management accountant; finance managers in schools are responsible for gathering information. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants defines management accounting as: An integral part of management concerned with identifying, presenting and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decision-taking, optimising the use of resources. Source: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (1994)

A finance manager should be a skilled and competent individual who can ensure that the most effective use of all school resources is made in supporting teaching and learning. At the same time, they may often have a management role, as part of the SLT involving strategic planning and risk management. Within Looking for a Bursar, the basic functions of a finance manager (bursar) are given as follows: ● budgets/monitoring/financial reports/payroll ● cash management ● securing funds that are entitled to the school ● recruiting and managing support staff ● basic premises management ● health and safety management.

Source: DfES (2003a)

The type of job done by a finance manager depends largely on the needs and circumstances of the individual school. It is the responsibility of the headteacher and governors to determine how best a finance manager can contribute to the smooth running of the school; however, the DfES has initiated the Bursar Development Group to advise on bursar training packages, recruitment issues and the promotion of the bursar role in effective school management (DfES, 2003a). Special training can be obtained from the NCSL. The following job specification provides guidance for those seeking to appoint a finance

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Headteachers · 15

manager (bursar) with specific reference to the remodelling process and workforce reform; many other functions could be included and will depend on the requirements of each school. This job profile recognises the demands of current pay and conditions regulations and reflects polices established by the governors of the school.

JOB TITLE

Finance Manager (Bursar)

JOB PURPOSE

To support the headteacher in implementing the aims and objectives of the school by assisting in the strategic planning aspects including all financial implications and ensuring that school makes the best possible use of resources. To be responsible for all or the majority of finance, estate management, effective ‘risk management’.

ACCOUNTABLE TO

Headteacher

Key tasks ●

● ● ●

● ● ● ● ● ●

● ●

●

●

●

To advise the headteacher and governing body on investment and financial policy, preparing appraisals for particular projects and for the development of an annual business plan for the future development of the school. To prepare the annual estimates of income and expenditure for approval by the headteacher and governing body. To obtain agreement of budgets and to monitor accounts against budgets. To use financial management information, especially benchmarking tools, to identify areas of relative spend, assess trends and directly advise the senior leadership team (SLT). To monitor all accounting procedures and resolve any problems, including: (i) the ordering, processing and payment for all goods and services (ii) the operation of all bank accounts (iii) maintaining an assets register (iv) preparation of invoices and collection of fees and other dues. To be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive payroll service for all school staff, with operation of the various pension schemes. To prepare all financial returns for the DfES, LEA, and other central and local government agencies within statutory deadlines. To maximise income generation. To be the point of contact with central and other agencies with regard to grant applications, gifts and other donations. To provide leadership and guidance for support staff, including management responsibility for premises and maintenance, ground staff, cleaners and caterers. To be responsible for the maintenance of the school site and the buildings, maintenance schedules and the operation of all facilities on the property including lighting, heating, domestic hot water, cooking, ventilation, water softening and energy conservation. To negotiate, manage and monitor contracts, tenders and agreements for the provision of support services. To purchase, either directly or indirectly, the school’s energy supplies. To be responsible for the arrangements for school facilities including catering, transport including the minibus(es) and drivers, the school shop, bookings for school facilities and provision of facilities for additional tuition out of school hours, including music. To coordinate the letting of the school premises to outside organizations and school staff, and for the development of all school facilities for out-of-school use, with particular reference to the local community. To acquire and dispose of land and buildings as authorised by the headteacher and governing body. To draw up outline specifications for new buildings, obtaining tenders and planning permission, and liaison with building contractors and the school architect. To know about risk assessment tools and to use them to identify hazards within the school and the associated risk involved.

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Workshop materials

3.1 Teaching assistants meeting the needs of all learners

101

3.2 Teaching assistants – pupil support

102

3.3 Learning activities

103

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Section 3 · Workshop materials

Workshop 3.1

TEACHING ASSISTANTS MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS The following questions will help as teaching assistants review their current thinking about meeting the needs of all learners in their primary and/or secondary classroom and should generate discussion worthy of consideration by the school workforce. ●

What do you understand your role to be?

●

Are you of the view that pupils are best catered for in separate environments, and if so why?

●

Do you see mainstream education for all pupils as a positive development in light of current global moves towards social justice and equal opportunity?

●

Are you aware of your team leader, and are you involved in any way assisting with this role?

●

Can you think of ways in which to make better use of TA support?

●

How do you differentiate assessment of pupils below level 1 on national curriculum attainment levels?

●

What if any experience do you have of using ‘P-levels’, and could this be shared with colleagues?

●

What are your current CPD needs, and have you talked to your change management team about these and ways in which they could be met?

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Workshop 3.2

TEACHING ASSISTANTS – PUPIL SUPPORT The following lists provide guidance for supervisors and managers to begin developing induction programmes for teaching assistants. The direct support to pupils will be managed in a range of ways by: ●

gathering information from pupil, school, home, community and other agencies

●

assessing the pupil by identifying patterns

●

understanding and observation of pupils

●

planning for school, home and the community

●

defining intervention procedures, including group work, work in classroom, work off-site and continued observation

●

reviewing dates planned well in advance.

The range of pupil support includes: ●

classroom observation

●

lunchtime and break observation

●

one-to-one counselling

●

social and interpersonal skills group work

●

anger management and conflict resolution group work

●

friendship groups support work

●

lunchtime clubs and playground support

●

therapeutic use of art, drama, play and music

●

cooperative games

●

home–school liaison

●

support for parents

●

classroom focused support work

●

off-site curriculum focused work at child and family support centres

●

teaching.

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Workshop 3.3

LEARNING ACTIVITIES The purpose of this workshop is to develop the professional work of HLTAs by taking responsibility for agreed learning activities under an agreed system of supervision. This will involve planning, preparing, delivery and evaluating learning activities for individuals and groups or short-term activities for whole classes and monitoring pupils and assessing, recording and reporting on pupils’ achievement, progress and development. Consider what their targets would be in relation to each of the following points: HLTA support for pupils ●

assess the needs of pupils and use detailed knowledge and specialist skills to support pupils’ learning

●

establish productive working relationships with pupils, acting as a role model and setting high expectations

●

develop and implement individual education plans (IEPs)

●

promote the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils within the classroom

●

support pupils consistently while recognising and responding to their individual needs

●

encourage pupils to interact and work cooperatively with others and engage all pupils in activities

●

promote independence and employ strategies to recognise and reward achievement of selfreliance

●

provide feedback to pupils in relation to progress and achievement.

HLTA support for teachers ●

organise and manage appropriate learning environments and resources

●

within an agreed system of supervision, plan challenging teaching and learning objectives to evaluate and adjust lessons/work plans as appropriate

●

monitor and evaluate pupil responses to learning activities through a range of assessment and monitoring strategies against pre-determined learning objectives

●

provide objective and accurate feedback and reports as required on pupil achievement, progress and other matters, ensuring the availability of appropriate evidence

●

record progress and achievement in lessons/activities systematically, and provide evidence of range and level of progress and attainment

●

work within an established discipline policy to anticipate and manage behaviour constructively, promoting self-control and independence

●

supporting the role of parents in pupils’ learning and contribute to/lead meetings with parents to provide constructive feedback on pupil progress/achievement, etc.

●

administer and assess/mark tests and invigilate exams/tests

●

production of lesson plans, worksheet plans, etc.

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HLTA support for the curriculum ●

deliver learning activities to pupils within an agreed system of supervision, adjusting activities according to pupil responses/needs

●

deliver local and national learning strategies, e.g. literacy, numeracy, KS3, early years and make effective use of opportunities provided by other learning activities to support the development of pupils’ skills

●

use ICT effectively to support learning activities and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use

●

select and prepare resources necessary to lead learning activities, taking account of pupils’ interests and language and cultural backgrounds

●

advise on appropriate deployment and use of specialist aid/resources/equipment.

HLTA support for the school ●

comply and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting concerns to an appropriate person

●

be aware of, and support, difference and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop

●

contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school

●

establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/professionals, in liaison with the teacher, to support achievement and progress of pupils

●

take the initiative as appropriate to develop appropriate multi-agency approaches to supporting pupils

●

recognise own strengths and areas of specialist expertise and use these to lead, advise and support others

●

deliver out-of-school learning activities within guidelines established by the school

●

contribute to the identification and execution of appropriate out-of-school learning activities that consolidate and extend work carried out in class.

HLTA line management responsibilities where appropriate ●

manage other teaching assistants

●

liaise between managers/teaching staff and teaching assistants

●

hold regular team meetings with managed staff

●

represent teaching assistants at teaching staff/management/other appropriate meetings

●

undertake recruitment/induction/appraisal/training/mentoring for other teaching assistants.

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Summary

There are a number of policies that underpin the remodelling agenda and workforce reform; they extend beyond those policies that focus entirely on schools and the National Agreement. The Children Act 2004 is the legislative spine on which the government is building its reforms of children’s services. All aspects of quality in education or childcare are determined by the quality of the workforce. The challenges and opportunities that schools encounter when addressing the remodelling agenda are manifold. Staffing issues are at the forefront of the agenda, as are the needs of all children. Within the remodelling agenda, workforce reform has focused attention on the recruitment, management and redeployment of teachers. Some schools may choose to use HLTAs as one of the strategies for releasing teachers for guaranteed PPA time. Where HLTAs are deployed, the teacher’s guaranteed PPA time must not be encroached upon to deal class problems. Remodelling and workforce reform require schools to work within and beyond their communities: partnership is the key. The government is encouraging schools to appoint more support staff in extended roles, including personal administrative assistants for teachers, additional technical support, new managers from outside education, cover supervisors and HLTAs. The intention is that support staff will be recognised for the contribution that they make to raising standards. There will also be opportunities for post holders to extend their roles with the possibility of enhanced career opportunities. Remodelling requires the school workforce to reflect on its role within the school community as part of the wider community. There are possibilities for staff to create new ways of working that enable all staff to develop beyond their current practice. Training is needed to support teaching assistants; this is being provided through the Higher Level Teaching Assistants scheme. Within government guidance, remuneration for staff delivering specified work should be assessed in relation to new responsibilities and within the whole school-pay structure. The NJC also provides detailed advice on preparing job profiles and performance appraisals for support staff. Much of workforce reform focuses on teachers, but managers and leaders are also beneficiaries of the changes in legislation that facilitate dedicated headship time. The appointment of finance managers, with knowledge and understanding of education, coupled with the skill and ability to manage finances would resolve many of the financial, operational and planning issues encountered by school leaders when implementing workforce reform. The following section considers resourcing remodelling and workforce reform.

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Section 4

RESOURCES

16 Funding and value for money

110

17 Recruitment and selection

117

18 Induction

124

19 Performance management

128

20 Professional development policy and practice

131

21 Professional development – qualification framework

138

Workshop materials

146

Summary

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Introduction

Schools are multi-million-pound organisations; stakeholders will therefore recognise the importance of managing all resources in schools, as Thomas and Martin explain: Those who work in schools as teachers and associate staff, …, all provide some of the means by which we transform our hopes and aspirations for children’s education into daily learning opportunities and experiences and, beyond that, into the longer-term outcomes of schooling. Source: Thomas and Martin (1996)

This section encompasses guidance on aspects of resource management necessary for the reform of the school workforce. Questions to consider 1 What is your school’s most important resource? 2 How do you determine value for money? 3 Are staff members well resourced? 4 Do you have clear protocols for recruitment, selection and induction? 5 What professional training is offered to staff?

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Chapter 16

FUNDING AND VALUE FOR MONEY

The remodelling of schools emphasises the need for all stakeholders to understand the management of fiscal, material, and human and time resources as determined by government policies and legislation. This chapter introduces funding policies and provides guidance on their implementation. Further information can be found in the DfES Financial Management Standard and Toolkit (see website www.dfes.gov.uk/valueformoney). The government funds each local authority in the form of a Revenue Support Grant, which accounts for the LEA’s need to spend on education based on the Education Formula Spending Share and includes pupil provision for schools through the Schools’ Funding Spending Share and the local authorities’ central provision, i.e. the Formula Spending Share. The Education Act 2002 introduced new regulations regarding the setting of schools’ budgets. This was clarified by the Minister of State in letters to headteachers, which outlined the content of a new funding system for LEAs. Further changes were introduced in 2005, as illustrated in Fig. 4.1.

STANDARDS FUND/SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT GRANT The Standards Fund has changed since its origins in the Education Act 1996 as grants for Education Support and Training. Key objectives are as follows (DfES, 2003): ●

to maintain an inflation-proof Standards Fund support for school as part of the overall package aimed at ensuring stability in school funding. This means that the previously planned reductions in Standards Fund support for schools have been reversed

●

to contribute to the delivery of the primary and secondary strategies as reflected in local education development plans and individual school targets

●

to give schools more freedom and flexibility in their use of grant funding to enable them to meet targets in the context of their own needs and priorities.

The School Standards Grant was first introduced in 2000–1. There are no restrictions in the use of this grant other than those within the normal delegated budget share. This grant introduced a direct funding route to schools for funds to be used by headteachers.

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Funding and value for money · 16

LSC

Funding for 6th forms

LEAs

Government

DfES

Single Standards Grant

ODPM

Dedicated Schools Budget

Children’s FSS Via RSG Incl. LEAFSS

Children’s grants

Local authority School’s budget

SIP

Centrally retained

Children’s budget Pooling

Core funding

Schools

School fourms

Schools

DFES = Department for Education and Skills FSS = Formula Spending Share LEA = Local Education Authority

PVIs

Extended services

LSC = Learning Skills Councial ODPM = Office of the Deputy Prime Minister PVI = Private Vountary Independent

Fig. 4.1 Funding responsibilities (Source: DfES (2005g))

THE IMPACT OF FUNDING ON REMODELLING Reports in the educational press (Hassett, 2005; Hoare, 2005) appear to indicate that schools are finding it difficult to access sufficient funding to resource remodelling, as Hoare states: Schools should be about teachers interacting with young people – evaluating their learning experience and planning future learning opportunities … Remodelling could work provided it’s funded properly, and that’s a big caveat. Source: Hoare (2005)

The NRT survey, Tracking Progress in Schools (NRT, 2004d), found that financial planning issues were mentioned by only 30 per cent of 127 respondents in the sample of 200 schools. The top priority to workforce reform was seen as the structuring of pay and conditions of support staff so as not to let them become overloaded. In many schools there was also seen to be a lack of time to allow teachers to undertake PPA.

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Section 4 · Resources

The government is planning to improve funding to schools and other agencies engaged in implementing workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters. The aim is to improve efficiency by removing duplication between services and bringing budgets together where appropriate (DfES, 2004c). Additional funds are to be distributed through the Local Change Fund grant and an increase in the Formula Spending Share for children’s services. The message to local authorities and those who manage children’s services is clear: … the increased efficiency of more joined-up working and less duplication gives every incentive to reconfigure baseline budgets in order to support new ways of working. Source: DfES (2004c)

Planning partnerships are apparently the key to success. Pathfinder and early adopter schools have demonstrated how, through the creative management of resources, schools have extended the school day while meeting the challenges of work/life balance, cover and PPA. Further advice is provided at the SHA (www.sha.org.uk) and NCSL (www.ncsl.org.uk) websites. The PPA Toolkit (as part of Time for Standards: Transforming the School Workforce), an extremely useful framework for practice, is available from the NRT website within resource on PPA and financial planning (www.remodelling.org/downloads/261.pdf). Further funding can be obtained through bidding.

VALUE FOR MONEY The first principle in the management of resources in schools is value for money. Since the introduction of local funding mechanisms, school resources have been limited. However, early in this process Arnott et al.,1992, in a study for the NAHT on the impact of local management in 800 primary and secondary schools, found that headteachers welcomed delegation and would not wish to return to full LEA control. As remodelling becomes established, this early experience of financial management will provide a good basis for much wider reform. Value for money performance is generally expressed in terms of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which resources are used as defined by the Funding Agency for Schools (FAS) (1999a): ●

effectiveness is concerned with the relationship between the intended impact and the actual impact of an activity. How far do the results achieved match those intended? How far do they achieve policy objectives? For remodelling this can be measured by recruitment and retention of staff.

●

efficiency is concerned with the relationship between outputs and the resources used to produce them. How far does the activity achieve the maximum output for a given input or use the minimum input for a given output? For remodelling this can be measured by the raising of achievement.

●

economy is concerned with minimising the cost of resources used for an activity. For remodelling this can be measured by the involvement of other agencies, parents and the voluntary sector.

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An integrated approach to value for money recognises that resources being used uneconomically and inefficiently in one part of school management deprive other areas of resources that might be put to better effect. Initially, remodelling may appear to be uneconomic as some of its benefits will not be immediately apparent. It is clear that value for money concerns much more than the price a school pays for its goods and services or the quality of goods it receives. Improving value for money will involve applying the principles of the three Es (effectiveness, efficiency, economy) across all aspects of remodelling and asking questions about how well the school is doing in relation to those principles. There can be no exhaustive definition of what constitutes or delivers good value for money in schools.

Leadership questions 1 How effective is your school’s resource management? 2 How efficient is your school’s resource management? 3 Is the school’s remodelling policy providing value for money? 4 What are the school’s best value practices? 5 How is your school accountable? 6 How are remodelling plans costed and linked to resource management? 7 Have evaluation measures been built into plans, and how does the school learn from experience? 8 Do leaders anticipate new demands and opportunities for the school? 9 Are structures and communications within the school organised to support the objectives? 10 Do staff members generally understand the school’s priorities and how well it is achieving them?

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT The key to delivering value for money in a school is strong leadership and good management. A strong leader inspires, understands and mobilises the school, reading the environment in which the school is operating and building relationships of trust with staff. A sound management structure makes sure that the strategic direction is delivered at all levels (FAS, 1999b). Leadership creates a sense of purpose and direction, aligning people and inspiring them to make remodelling a reality, as indicated in Fig. 4.2.

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Curriculum

Workforce reform

Pupil numbers

Funding

Remodelling: resource management

Fig. 4.2 Remodelling: resource management

The reality is the effectiveness of the planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluating outcome. Resource management is integral to effective school management and therefore, as demonstrated in Chapter 15, this should be identified as a role within school leadership equivalent to that of a curriculum or student manager in terms of status and influence.

LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES (LEAS) LEAs are responsible for allocation of the overall education budget to schools; however, the actual allocation is restricted by government guidelines. Each LEA is responsible for determining the exact form of an individual school’s delegated budget, based on a formula designed by the LEA but set within the guidelines of central government. Interpretation of the legislation will vary according to local factors. LEA administrators make decisions on staff/pupil ratios, curriculum, advisory support and additional educational needs and advise on remodelling through the school’s adviser. They also provide specialist advice from lawyers, architects and other local authority services. In practice, LEAs remain responsible for a number of key matters: ●

creation of local policies for the passporting of budgets/funds

●

offering support to schools

●

advising schools

●

monitoring performance.

Ultimately, it is the schools in partnership with their LEAs through the Schools’ Forum that ensure spending is targeted to match the available income. Remodelling will involve another stage in the ever-evolving partnership between schools and LEAs (Children’s Trusts). In aligning with remodelling, the Schools’ Forum must continue to ensure that standards and levels of achievement are raised.

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Leadership and practitioner questions 1 How does the LEA advise your school on resource management in relation to remodelling? 2 How does the LEA monitor school performance against remodelling targets, i.e. workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters? 3 How has the management of your school’s finances changed? 4 Do all stakeholders contribute to the management of resources? 5 What factors have the greatest impact on your school’s individual budget? 6 What changes are foreseen in the next few years? 7 What percentage of your school’s budget is allocated to staffing? Is this in line with local and national guidelines as stipulated in the National Agreement? 8 Does the change management team manage resources in an open, transparent way?

CONSISTENT FINANCIAL REPORTING The use of consistent financial reporting (CFR) is a key element of government strategy in the development and streamlining of financial management in schools. Through its Value for Money website www.dfes.gov.uk/valueformoney, the DfES states that CFR supports the government’s agenda by giving schools the tools to make the best possible use of the resources available to them. CFR is a framework of income and expenditure categories and balances, which are useful for benchmarking. The introduction of one financial reporting framework for all English schools, providing data to populate a national benchmarking website, enables a school to compare its expenditure on any CFR heading with that of similar schools. The framework ensures that there are important distinction between pay and non-pay expenditure, administration and curriculum costs and, if appropriate, PFI. As of March 2005, there were over 23,000 school records available for comparison on the Schools Financial Benchmarking website released in conjunction with the Audit Commission and OfSTED. Guidance on benchmarking has been included to help schools make full use of the website. Benchmarking enables schools to identify significant differences in spending and to consider why those differences might exist and whether they need to think about making different resource allocation decisions. Thus, benchmarking will enable schools to compare their performance, challenge themselves, and achieve best value more easily. As CFR develops, schools will be able to map their own performance against expenditure over time. CFR will also enable LEAs to fulfil their important support and challenge roles. This framework has been produced in light of responses received from consultation and has been finalised in conjunction with the Audit Commission and OfSTED (Blandford and Blackburn, 2004). Schools have developed many strategies to evaluate their effectiveness in recent years. CFR has been set up to provide schools with detailed data and allow greater opportunities to compare and contrast financial decisions of similar schools. CFR will, in time, reduce the

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demands on schools to provide data and information to LEAs and government as the DfES is to streamline administration in schools by collecting and issuing only essential data. OfSTED will also continue to evaluate the effectiveness of schools in using their resources and CFR will allow clear data presentation and comparison. The Audit Commission processes also help school managers to achieve value for money and promote accountability in spending decisions.

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Chapter 17

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

This chapter focuses on issues associated with the recruitment and selection of the school workforce. Given the extent to which governors and leadership teams are to engage in the employment and deployment of the wider workforce, further training in recruitment, selection and employment law is recommended. Employment law is notoriously complex and it is advisable for those engaged in any aspect of recruitment and selection to remain up to date, be aware of the pitfalls and seek advice. In the spirit of partnership, the government advises local authorities, schools and other agencies to share their understanding of the availability of suitable labour and the competing demands from other employers of professional, para-professional and support workers. The following is recommended: Supporting recruitment … what works? ● ‘Grow your own’ approaches – for example, training existing staff (social work assistants and care

workers or teaching assistants) to become qualified social workers or teachers, or recruiting local people to train as social workers, either full-time via bursaries and sponsorship, or part-time in employment via college or distance learning routes ● offering Golden Hellos, and/or recruitment bonuses/incentives ● enabling participation in Starter Home/key worker initiatives ● offering tasters to provide experience of the work with the employer locally ● promoting a positive local media message and improving the image of the council – or other agency –

as an employer of choice ● exploring targeted or co-ordinated recruitment from overseas.

Source: DfES (2005a)

RECRUITMENT Prior to any recruitment process the details of the vacant post will need to be clearly defined in the context of the remodelling process (Billsberry et al., 1994). The need to appoint a member of teaching or non-teaching staff will be the result of:

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Change

●

remodelling

●

workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters

●

SIP and curriculum change

●

transfer of role, increased/reduced pupil numbers

●

internal/external promotion

●

role change/transfer

●

maternity leave

●

resignation

●

retirement.

OR Maintenance

Job descriptions are at the heart of any selection process; it is critical that they are an accurate reflection of what is required. If the need to appoint is due to a colleague vacating the post, it would be useful to ask them to analyse what the job entails. The problem with job descriptions is that they often give little indication of what is involved in practice and may need to be revisited at a later date. Each role will be interpreted according to the expectations of the post-holder, colleagues and managers. Clearly, if a role is to be maintained it should be understood by the post-holder. Having analysed the purpose of the recruitment process – either change or maintenance – the specifications for the post and person will need to be determined. This generally involves identifying the qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills and attributes that are required. When undertaking a job analysis, the following checklist provides some guidelines.

Checklist Job analysis 1. Key questions: ● what is done? ● when is it done? ● why is it done? ● where is it done? ● how is it done?

include teaching, supervisory and managerial details

2. Responsibilities: ● for others – pupils and teachers ● for resources ● for budgets.

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3. Working relationships: ● with superiors ● with colleagues ● with other departments and agencies ● with pupils ● with parents ● with team members. 4. Job requirements: ● skills and experience ● education and training ● health ● motivation and social skills ● personal qualities.

5. Working conditions: ● the school ● the department/team ● social conditions ● funding and pay. 6. Check-up: ● check with the job holder ● check with the line manager.

From the job analysis, a job description and person specification can be written. The job description should describe the job, what the job holder is responsible for and what they will be required to do. The next stage is to write a specification of the kind of person required to fill the job described. It is useful to be as precise as possible about the skills, knowledge, qualifications and attributes that are required for the job.

Checklist Job description template Job title: Grade: Responsible to:

▼

A. Summary of main responsibilities and activities: ● subject area ● examination/pastoral ● age range ● ability range ● special needs ● budgets ● inspection.

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B. Specific responsibilities: ● staff ● materials ● resources. C. Working conditions ● school/LEA ● room ● work/life balance ● PPA/cover.

Checklist Person specification Characteristics

Minimum

Desirable

Education Experience Training Communication skills Special circumstances

Many posts within the context of remodelling and workforce reform will be recruited inhouse but it will still be necessary to follow recruitment and selection procedures. A schedule of dates might need to include advertisement, return of applications, short-listing, references and interviews before making an appointment. The timescale for each stage of the process should be realistic, especially for obtaining references. Once the documentation has been completed the post will need to be advertised internally and/or externally. It is important to recognise that the cost of replacing someone in a job can be considerable and the cost of advertising can constitute a high proportion of this expenditure. The content of the advertisement and job description should encourage suitable people to apply. The information contained in the advertisement should be taken from the job analysis and description. Once the planning and writing of it have been completed, check that the advertisement presents the best possible image of the school. A means of communicating more information is by offering to send further documents. The focus is important: school, training opportunities and full details of the job. Use the standard school/LEA application form or ask applicants to write a letter of application accompanied by a curriculum vitae (CV). Candidates will have to show in their applications how they measure up to the detailed job description/specification. Application forms facilitate the retrieval of information; a CV will also offer this information.

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SELECTION Applicants will be intensely interested in the selection process, which should be efficiently administered. Failure to do so can create an unfavourable impression. The following key points should be considered throughout the selection process: ●

candidates will be anxious to know what is happening, so brief the school secretary and administration staff so they can respond to general queries

●

application forms and further particulars should be ready to go out immediately; records should be kept of people to whom they are sent

●

returned application forms should also be recorded and acknowledged by return of post

●

candidates selected for interview should be given as much notice as possible; include contact details, a map, timetable for the day, information about any selection processes, and details of expenses

●

send a courteous letter to those who have not been selected

●

if references are required, letters should be sent at the earliest opportunity to ensure that they arrive before the date of the interview

●

detailed records of all correspondence should be kept at every stage.

The number of applicants short-listed will be determined by the time available for interviewing. The selection team will ensure that the most suitable candidates are selected. A short-listing procedure should be drawn up and several people should be involved. There may already be an established procedure for this process. Those participating in the shortlisting process should approach the task systematically, placing the applicants in rank order. It would be helpful to focus on the key requirements from the job and person specifications.

REFERENCES Following short-listing, references should be requested. References can sometimes have limitations, as the referees will in most cases want to write a good reference or disguise the candidate’s weaknesses. It is helpful for referees to be sent details of the requirements for the job and/or the job specification. If time is short, a telephone reference may be used, followed by a written reference. The phone could be considered to be an inappropriate and informal referencing method as, conversations can be too open and do not allow for carefully considered comments.

THE SELECTION INTERVIEW The aim of the selection interview is to determine whether the candidate is interested in the job and is competent to do it. Candidates may be compared against each other but, more importantly, they should be compared to the job specification. A selection interview will involve the following:

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●

a description of the school and the positive aspects of being a member of staff

●

a description of the job in a realistic manner, including any induction processes

●

ascertainment of the suitability of the candidate and his or her personal qualities

●

setting out the expectations of the post-holder for the candidate and management team

●

enabling the candidate to assess whether they want the job.

The drawing together of all information and decision-making are difficult processes. The evidence will be quite jumbled and will require processing in a logical manner. The panel notes will be vital at this stage. Interviewers can make errors of judgement such as: ●

stereotyping based on race, gender or class

●

unsubstantiated judgement whereby a candidate is assumed to possess certain skills

●

underrating or overrating all candidates.

Any rating of candidates should be preceded by a detailed discussion. Selection is an important public relations exercise and the ground rules should be established at the start. A rating form prepared in advance of the interview will assist:

Selection rating form Candidates Specification

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

Qualifications Education Experience Personal qualities

The person appointed will be elated, while the other candidates will feel deflated. The interview panel should provide all candidates with the opportunity to discuss the interview process and to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. These should be well considered and based on the evidence collated during the interview process. Sensitivity should be demonstrated at all times, especially with remodelling, where candidates are more likely to be current members of staff. The new appointee will require further documentation in support of his or her role. This should be prepared in advance of the interview to enable the appointee to take away relevant information. Site recruitment practices are important for all posts and further guidance is available at the DfES website (www.dfes.gov.uk). Workforce reform intends to promote a work/life balance for the school workforce. Use the following as a checklist to ensure that support and technical staff are fully integrated into the professional community within your school:

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Checklist Schools and LEAs need to: ●

ensure that there are job specifications for the school workforce

●

establish guidance and training for those involved in interviewing and appointing staff to new posts and for those assuming new responsibilities

●

ensure that all staff can demonstrate their proficiency in the role for which they have been trained

●

set up induction programmes that make differentiated provision, based on an analysis of individual need, to support new staff who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience

●

determine their respective responsibilities for the induction training that each is expected to provide and its timing

●

set up monitoring and evaluation procedures that can identify good practice and make possible its dissemination

Furthermore, schools and LEAs will need to: ●

pay particular attention to the impact of remodelling, workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters, so that there are no gaps in the responsibilities for the appointment and induction of staff

●

maintain monitoring and reporting procedures that ensure schools and LEAs are aware of and are able to adequately support the school workforce

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YES/NO

YES/NO

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Chapter 18

INDUCTION

The first days and weeks in a new post are stressful for any employee. Many choices will have been considered by all involved and it is inevitable that judgements as to the suitability of the post and post-holder will be determined by his or her early performance. Induction can assist in this process. This chapter provides some practical guidance on the induction of the school workforce. Working in schools can be both challenging and stimulating, and induction for newly appointed staff members is vital if they are to fulfil their roles in a remodelled school. In any profession, the transition from training to the workplace or into a new role generates certain tensions; employees need to know that the contributions they make are valued, and employers need to ensure that their staff have the appropriate training. Effective induction ensures that anyone new to a role or the school feels supported and confident, ready to join an effective team, and willing to contribute to their own and the school’s development. Specifically for teachers, the requirements for satisfactory completion of the induction period ensure that schools must support NQTs as they build on their previous achievements. This also applies to the wider workforce.

NEW APPOINTMENTS When a new member of staff joins the school, identify what he or she will need to know using the following list: ●

job description

●

his/her position in the team/school

●

school’s aims (SIP) and polices

●

reporting and assessment procedures

●

members of team – introduce colleagues

●

identities of vulnerable pupils.

The new appointee will also require further documentation: ●

contract (including start date and time)

●

staff handbook

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●

health and safety details

●

timetable

●

staff lists

●

room lists

●

class lists

●

reports/assessments

●

schemes of work/lesson plans.

Checklist What is needed for effective induction? Effective induction needs to be planned but flexible. The following actions should be taken: ●

appoint a mentor

●

identify the training, development and personal needs of the new appointee

●

negotiate with your new colleague the most appropriate personal and professional support

●

develop a climate of mutual support

●

create an environment that is open;

●

respect the needs of others

●

promote job shadowing and observation, laying the foundation for reflective practice

●

ensure that the newly appointed member of staff can identify with his or her team

●

ensure that the new appointee will know his or her role, managers and team

●

if necessary, consider external factors such as accommodation, transport and social needs to assist with work/life balance

●

ensure that support and professional guidance are relevant

●

plan a central induction programme to enable newcomers to meet and discuss their strengths and weaknesses; this programme may begin in the term before the member of staff takes up his or her post

●

provide access to external support networks: subject organisations, support groups, LEA advisers.

Figure 4.3 illustrates the range of potential induction activities to a new appointee. Senior leadership and professional development coordinators should ensure that new staff have access to all support mechanisms and relevant information. The professional development coordinator has an important role to play in the induction of the school workforce. Any CPD needs must be identified and the appropriate induction process planned. Release time for staff involved and the money for any supply cover should be available. The professional development coordinator can work within this to encourage staff to become involved in the induction programme actively promoting the development of individuals. They can also ensure the participation of members of staff who have

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Team development

Mentor

New appointee

LEA induction programmes

School induction programme

Fig. 4.3 Areas of support for newly appointed staff

identified such areas for development through the process of appraisal and in development interviews (Rawlings, 1998).

MENTORING Mentoring is a term that continues to be used in several different contexts in education (Ormston and Shaw, 1993). It means generally the positive support offered by staff with some experience to staff with less experience of the school. This experience can extend over a wide range of activities or be specific to one activity. The school workforce may engage in a number of mentoring relationships: ●

mentoring of new staff joining their teams

●

mentoring of colleagues to support them in their new roles

●

as a mentee, of either a team leader or senior leader in preparation for a current or future post.

Mentoring will differ according to need and include enhancing the mentee’s skills and professional development, helping to develop a set of educational values, consulting to help the mentee clarify goals and ways of implementing them, helping to establish a set of personal and professional standards, and networking and sponsoring by providing opportunities for the mentee to meet other professionals. Mentors are likely to have a number of roles within the school and they need to decide whom to mentor in the context of their other tasks and responsibilities. Mentoring is time consuming. Mentees should select their mentor based on professional needs: present and/or future. It is important to understand that mentoring is a continuous staff development activity that, once the system is established, takes place during normal school life. Mentors need to know and understand the essential elements of a mentoring relationship. Mentoring is a positive mechanism for developing management skills for both the mentor and mentee. As a process, mentoring should move through the stages shown in Fig. 4.4. The stages of mentoring will involve a period of induction for the mentor and mentee.

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During this stage, the mentor and mentee needs to ensure that they are the most appropriate people for the role. Interpersonal skills are essential for effective mentoring.

NEGOTIATING

INDUCTION

ACTIVE MENTORING

MOVING FORWARD

Involving: educating role modelling consulting networking counselling

Becoming a: friend peer

Fig. 4.4 Stages of mentoring

Checklist What are the essentials of mentoring? ●

a recognised procedure, formal or informal

●

a clear understanding of the procedure and the roles of mentor and mentee

●

trust and a rapport between both parties

●

the credibility and genuineness of the mentor as perceived by the mentee

●

confidentiality and discretion

●

a relationship based on the mentee’s perception of his or her own needs

●

a suitable range of skills used by the mentor: counselling, listening, sensitive questioning, analysis and handing back responsibilities

●

an appropriate attitude by both parties, for example the ability of the mentor to challenge the mentee, and the self-motivation of the mentee to take action when necessary

●

in addition, teachers should be aware of equal opportunity issues that need to be addressed in the selection and training of mentors.

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Chapter 19

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

This chapter describes performance management, which is an essential element in managing the school workforce. Its purpose is performance enhancement that motivates and develops individuals. Performance management and review should improve the quality of education for pupils by assisting the school workforce in realising their potential and to carry out their duties more effectively. Checklist What is the purpose of performance review? ●

to raise standards through target setting that enhances performance, and to improve provision for pupils and the school workforce

●

to link the review cycle to: – LEA education development plans – school management procedures – OfSTED – action plan – annual reviews and development plans – individual development plans – induction and assessment

●

to plan the professional development of the school workforce within the LEA and national frameworks.

A working definition of performance review is one professional holding him- or herself accountable to him- or herself in the presence of another professional. The review may improve the management of teaching and learning within the classroom by helping the school workforce identify ways of enhancing its skills and performance and support in the identification of achievable targets. Performance review should assist in planning the professional development individually and collectively within the framework set by the school development plan. This will also enhance the overall management of the school and provide an opportunity to consider the effective management of change. Performance review should also support the promotion of equal opportunities. To this end, a school workforce performance review scheme should be a process that is open and based on the mutual understanding by all staff of its context, purpose, procedures, criteria and outcomes. The process and procedures adopted should be fair and equitable and should be seen to be so, both in general and by respecting equal

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opportunities, particularly in relation to gender and race. The process and procedures supporting performance review should also be acceptable to all staff, headteachers, governors and LEA personnel. The school workforce should benefit from participation in the scheme. There should be the opportunity for objective judgements to be made concerning the management of the institution. At all times the scheme should aim to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and time-consuming administration by the maximisation of available resources and the use of data from a range of sources. It should be integral to the school’s development strategy and attempt to balance the demands of professional development and public accountability. A rigorous system of review is one that raises standards, key elements of which are trust, training, resourcing, time, support and commitment. For performance management to have any meaning it should be seen to inform the school development process. To this end, schools should aim to have in place a coordinated procedure for ensuring that: ●

mechanisms exist for collating professional development needs identified through individual reviews

●

there is coordination of training needs and related development opportunities

●

there are contingency plans for coping with those whose performance is perceived as poor for a variety of reasons, e.g. stress or lack of skills.

As performance review is an annual process, there is an opportunity to agree targets with staff in the light of targets set by the school in the development plan, which will itself be influenced by key points for action in OfSTED reports and benchmark information from national data collected by OfSTED and the LEA’s educational development plans (EDPs). Figure 4.5 illustrates the review process.

Initial meeting between reviewer(s) and member of staff

Self-review Classroom/task observation Collection of data and evidence

Review interview Target setting Production of statement

Follow-up discussions/meetings between reviewer and reviewed Professional development activities

Formal review meetings Additions to statement Follow-up support/professional development

Fig. 4.5 The review process

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Checklist Performance review – what is required? The management of performance review requires: ●

implementation plan for performance review scheme – statement of aims, documentation and organisation of scheme – timetable/duration of cycle/frequency – personnel, resources and equal opportunities policy

●

school improvement plan – process/cycle – availability/accessibility

●

job description

●

staff development policy

●

professional development – coordination and resources.

Checklist Target setting Targets linked to

Training Planned by

Delivered through

Whole school

SLT CPD coordinator

INSET days Staff meetings Conferences

Subject or department

Subject leader or line manager

Department meetings Conferences

Area of responsibility

CPD coordinator

Range of activities

Personal professional development

CPD coordinator

Range of activities

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Chapter 20

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND PRACTICE

Professional development is a critical factor in the effective leadership of the school workforce and can occur in a variety of forms. This chapter focuses on defining professional development through policy and practice. For all members of the school community, learning and development are central to the process of schooling. While schools provide learning and development opportunities for pupils, they should also provide a learning environment for all staff. The expertise and experience of its workforce is a school’s most valuable resource. School governors and leaders need to take responsibility for the training and development of the staff in their community. There has been a crucial shift by the DfES, GTC(E) and NCSL to provide for professional learning communities. Within the framework of workforce reform, self-development and staff development are prerequisites for effective and improving teaching and schools. Equally, a precondition and an outcome of effective CPD policies is a culture that encourages learning in reflection and development. The characteristics of ‘effective professional learning communities’ and what these look like in different kinds of schools include (McCall and Lawlor, 2002b): ●

innovative and effective practice in managing human and financial resources to create time and opportunity for professional learning and development to optimise its impact

●

generating models which serve as credible exemplars of ‘professional learning communities’

●

informing leadership programmes about creating and sustaining ‘professional communities’.

Professional development opportunities Professional development opportunities are many and varied. McCall and Lawlor (2002b) indicate there are significant differences between a learning environment and learning organisation:

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Learning environment (troubleshooting focus) ●

staff not motivated

●

staff lack some important, necessary skills

●

help staff to do their job better

●

increase openness between senior and middle managers to enhance professional relationships

●

improvement in staff/student self-esteem

●

seek better evenness in management strategies between consultation, negotiation and prescription.

Learning organisation (success focus) ●

staff see openness to learning as important for them as well as students

●

see school development as a cyclical, on-going process of organisational learning

●

protect, as far as possible, professional development work being interrupted by other issues/events

●

examine effectiveness of the school as a learning organisation, including review of preferred/alternative learning styles

●

ensure free flow of information from courses, inspection, research and self-evaluation.

The school workforce requires guidance on what is available to assist them in the development of their professional practice. The professional development coordinator has a responsibility for the management of both internal and external opportunities. Effective communication is essential if all staff are to benefit. Professional development needs to be clear and useful. Ask the question: what does it bring, in the best instances, to professional practice? Professional development experiences perform four major functions, all of which are related to the remodelling process. The four functions are: ●

to enhance the personal and professional lives of teachers and staff

●

to provide a remedy for ineffective learning and teaching

●

to set the groundwork for implementing school aims

●

to introduce changes.

In practice, development is a term encompassing any experience or process, which helps to bring out an individual’s full potential. Development embraces both individual and school improvement. The GTC(E) considers the purposes of CPD for teachers to: ● develop a shared understanding in the profession about what professional development and learning

should include ● influence national policy and funding ● raise teachers’ expectations both on entry to the profession and of professional learning communities

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● enable teachers to reflect on how they can and do contribute to the professional, collective knowledge

about teaching and learning ● provide the basis for widening opportunities for accreditation and recruitment ● provide support for school leaders in making time and support available.

Source: GTC(E) (2002)

In a learning community, staff development will include personal, team and school development. In addition to developing individual skills, staff development has a wider importance in promoting shared views, implementing change and promoting equal opportunities. Leaders have a shared responsibility to see that individuals develop new skills. It is critical to note that staff development, including qualifications, should not mean an additional activity; it should be integrated in school development. Professional development encompasses practitioner, education training, and support activities experienced by teachers, team leaders and senior leadership team (Bolam, 1993).

Practitioner development School-based development: self-development, induction, mentoring, observation, job shadowing and team teaching. Professional education Award-bearing courses managed and taught at HEIs, focusing on the relationship between educational theory and practice, and leading to higher education accreditation and professional qualifications. Professional training Conferences, courses and workshops that emphasise practical information and skills, managed and delivered by LEAs, school external consultants or trainers from HEIs; such courses may lead to accreditation towards national standards or academic awards. Professional support The responsibility of colleagues in school, through the process of fulfilling contractual conditions of service, e.g. recruitment and selection procedures encompassing job descriptions, promotion, career development, performance management, mentoring, team building, redeployment and equal opportunities.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT Self-development is systematic; we never stop learning and developing. The art of selfevaluation is to be continually learning. Senge makes it clear: People with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode. They never ‘arrive’. People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas. And they are deeply self-confident. Paradoxical? Only for those who do not see that the journey is the reward. Source: Senge (1990)

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A fundamental issue will be the individual’s ability to recognise where he or she is in relation to where he or she would like to be. As Senge indicates, the most successful among us will never reach our destiny. Self-evaluation of professional competence is more than an assessment of traditional conformity or technical accountability. It is assessed in terms of moral and prudent answerability for practical judgements actually made within the context of existing educational institutions (Carr and Kemmis, 1986).

Checklist Self-evaluation Leadership and practitioner questions: ●

what do I value?

●

what is my present situation?

●

where would I like my career to lead?

●

how might I get there?

●

what help is available?

Personal qualities required: ●

ability to self-manage

●

clear personal values

●

clear personal objectives

●

an emphasis on continuing personal growth

●

effective problem-solving skills

●

the capacity to be creative and innovative.

As a process, self-evaluation should inform day-to-day practice. An effective professional practitioner will be effective in their evaluation of him- or herself. In practice, selfevaluation will involve making sense of ourselves in situations. Look at Fig. 4.6 and ask ‘Where am I in this process?’

RESOURCING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Effective plans require resources if aims, targets and objectives are to be achieved. Funding for staff development is available from several sources: ●

School – CPD policies should include a detailed budget indicating funding arrangements related to strategic and operational plans.

●

LEAs will have funds available within their budget for all schools in their area and also have expertise in the management and delivery of INSET/CPD. LEAs will work in consultation with schools, HEIs and external agents to support school managers in the

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How effective is my system of monitoring the individual’s progress?

How fully do I participate in formal and informal staff discussions?

How do I ensure that all children have equal opportunities?

How well do I match work to the learner's abilities?

How loyal am I to my school?

How effective am I as a member of the school team working towards common ends?

What opportunities do I provide for learning?

How often do I listen attentively to anyone who considers it important to speak to me?

How well do I prepare for each task/session?

Self-evaluation How positive am I in promoting a warm, caring, good-humoured environment?

How balanced is my life?

How often do I give adequate praise and thanks to the children and my colleagues?

How prepared am I to: Attend courses to improve my professional competence?

What are my attitudes towards my supervisory obligations?

Read current publications? Disseminate my knowledge and skills to colleagues?

How do I combat racism and sexism?

How much do I value parents' help, opinions and views?

How adaptable am I to the changing needs of the children and circumstances?

Fig. 4.6 A model for self-evaluation Source: Adapted from Manchester LEA (1986)

development of their staff. An example of a collaborative approach to the management and delivery of continuing professional development is given in Workshop 4.1, at the end of this section. ●

Central government provides funding for professional development through the Standards Fund and National Standards for Teachers.

In most cases schools remain best placed to identify their own development needs and priorities, as a large proportion of the Standards Fund will continue to be devolved to schools. Nevertheless, LEAs also have an important role in supporting schools in raising standards. When allocating the money to CPD activities, schools are recommended to give consideration to central government initiatives, school needs and individual teacher needs (GTC(E), 2002).

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BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES Behaviour management programmes will be part of a broader staff development strategy that enables those new to teaching and learning support to guide and advise pupils while they provide an enriched curriculum. Current details of the Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project (Thomas et al., 2004) can be found on the NRT website (www.remodelling.org). The reality is that remodelling and workforce reform will be effective only if schools work within and beyond their communities: partnership is the key.

WHOLE-SCHOOL INSET The training of the school workforce is critical to the development of a school. Wholeschool INSET was considered by the government to be a suitable mechanism to implement development and, more specifically, change, such as remodelling. Since 1988, five days per academic year have been allocated to teacher development in all schools, the majority being utilised for whole-school INSET programmes. The effectiveness of such training programmes in terms of impact on practice was initially limited (TTA, 1994) due to lack of planning and management. The identification of need is the starting point for any in-house training. An analysis of needs will show what is happening in the school and what is intended to happen. For remodelling, this can involve: ●

performance indicators and target performance indicators

●

evidence of the school review and the school improvement plan

●

school actual and planned results

●

knowledge and skills possessed by staff, and the knowledge and skills shown by job analysis or skills analysis

●

appraised performance of individuals and the target performance.

Planning for INSET will require a period of review and consultation as the workforce should not be expected to accommodate suggestions immediately. Effective CPD policies need a culture that encourages reflection and development. INSET remodelling programmes should be planned by the CMT. Once planned, the programme should be circulated and views sought from colleagues on appropriate approaches to each element. The final details should reflect staff needs and concerns. INSET is only part of the process of developing, implementing and reviewing change. It is not a panacea for all ills but should be placed in the context of practice. The school workforce should be trained in a professional manner. The style, content and relevance of INSET should be complemented by appropriate management, planning and preparation.

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Checklist Criteria for effective INSET ●

recognition on the part of all staff members of their training needs in relation to the school’s objectives

●

support of the school workforce

●

precise targeting of provision

●

choice of appropriate form of INSET, whether school-based or externally based

●

choice of appropriate length of course and mode of attendance

●

practical focus

●

appropriate expertise from HEIs offering INSET

●

the appropriate follow-up.

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Chapter 21

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK

In April 2005, the government published Every Child Matters: Children’s Workforce Strategy (DfES, 2005a), which sets out a plan on how to build a world-class workforce for children and young people aiming to recruit more high quality staff into the children’s workforce. We need to retain them once recruited, including by offering better development and career progression. This chapter explores the emerging training and qualification framework for those training or already in employment in schools, as determined by the TTA, GTC(E), NCSL and HEIs.

TEACHER TRAINING AGENCY/TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SCHOOLS The TTA was established in 1994 by the government to review and develop the training of teachers. Central to its work is the issue of school effectiveness set within the context of the government’s school improvement programme. From September 2005, the TTA became the Training and Development Agency for Schools. Initially, the TTA developed a structure of national standards for teachers in order to promote well-targeted, effective and coordinated professional development. The national standards framework was designed to: ●

establish clear and explicit expectations of teachers

●

help set targets for professional development and career progression

●

help to focus and improve training and staff development at national, local and school levels

●

ensure that the focus at every point is on improving pupil achievement

●

recognise the expertise required and held by effective headteachers and teachers in schools.

GENERAL TEACHING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND The General Teaching Council for England recognises the importance of professional development as it is working in partnership with the TTA and DfES:

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The TTA and DfES have in combination used the rafts of National Standards to develop a professional framework for teachers. Teachers are able to benchmark their performance against a set of standards appropriate to their position, and also to identify targets for development at higher professional levels. Source: GTC(E) (2002)

Further information is available on the GTC(E) website (www.gtce.org.uk).

NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP The NCSL controls leadership training programmes for aspiring, new and practising headteachers, and middle managers (subject leaders), and administers funding for networked learning communities, enabling and encouraging schools and teachers to work collaboratively on issues of mutual concern and interests. The website address is www.ncsl.org.uk.

SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL In Every Child Matters: Next Steps (DfES, 2004a), the government also sets out its intention to establish new Sector Skills Council arrangements. In consultation with employers, user groups and employees, the DfES has developed a Common Core of Skills and Knowledge which sets out the basic knowledge and skills for effective engagement with the children’s workforce as focused in six areas of expertise: ● effective communication and engagement; ● child and young person development; ● safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child; ● supporting transitions; ● multi-agency working; ● sharing information.

Source: DfES (2005b)

A prospectus details each of the above areas of expertise. The intention is for those who manage the workforce to use the Common Core: ● in the design of induction and in-service and inter-agency training, building on existing practice. This

will not only support strategies for enhancing front-line practice but will also help establish a greater shared language and understanding across different parts of the workforce; ● as a tool for training needs analyses that focus on supporting individual development; ● as a tool for workforce planning.

Source: DfES (2005b)

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The government has asked those organisations in the Children’s Workforce networks to review their National Occupational Standards for work with children, young people and families. This is to be done collaboratively and to ensure that the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge is built into all revised standards. In support of these developments, the government has implemented: ●

a Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC)

●

a Common Assessment Framework, multi-agency working toolkits, lead professional guidance and the framework for inspection of children’s services

●

specific propositions for the early years that can be taken forward with the transformation fund

●

a working group’s review of social work to ensure that the local government leadership centre has started its work on management and supervision in statutory social services.

QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK For the future, the government intends to complete work on a qualifications framework and make it fully operational by 2010. Local authorities will then use it to inform job design to create new roles in the workforce: embed the Common Core in all relevant job description, have children’s trust arrangements and a lead member and Director of Children’s Services in place and ensure every full daycare setting has an early years’ professional by 2015.

NATIONAL VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The DfES introductory course for support staff other than TAs has been reissued for LEAs and schools (NRT, 2004d) with a new vocational qualification at Level 2 in Support Work in Schools as a two-year pilot. This is a flexible, generic qualification that enables all school support staff to receive recognition of their existing skills and experience, with tailored training provided where needed to increase their knowledge and skills. Work is in hand to develop a generic qualification at Level 3. Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) and LEAs worked together to support a significant increase in the number of support staff in receipt of LSC-funded training with the new Level 2 qualification forming a key part. Funding is either on a 50:50 match-funding basis between the LSC and LEA/school, or fully subsidised for a first Level 2 qualification in Employer Training Pilot and Level 2 entitlement areas. A new apprenticeship framework has been approved, so new entrants under 25 years of age can be supported to work through an apprenticeship to gain the NVQs. The Employers’ Organisation has updated its helpful booklet, Qualifications for Teaching Assistants, which is available at www.lg-employers.gov.uk/skills/teaching/guidance.html. Table 4.1 illustrates the structure of NVQs in relation to workforce reform.

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Working under instructions/guidance ● preparation and maintenance of resources ● support for pupils and staff ● specialist equipment/resources ● routine invigilation/marking ● general admin/technical support where some technical/specialist knowledge required

Working under instruction/guidance ● some skilled work, e.g. word processing/secretarial ● routine financial administration ● regular interface with public ● specific curriculum/dept support ● record keeping/production data/information

Working under direction/instruction ● general clerical/admin procedures ● typing, photocopying, etc. ● maintenance records/data ● collect/record finance ● organisational support for staff/schools

Working under instruction/ guidance Enabling access to learning ● welfare/personal support – SEN ● delivery of pre-determined learning/care/support programmes ● implement literacy/numeracy programmes ● assist with planning cycle ● clerical/admin support for teacher/department

NVQ 2

Working under direction/instruction ● preparation/routine maintenance/ operation of materials/equipment ● organisational support for teaching staff ● support/supervision of pupils in lessons ● general clerical/admin/technical support

Working under direction/instruction Supporting access to learning ● welfare/personal care ● small groups/one-to-one ● general clerical/organisational support for teacher

Induction/basic skills

Level 4 Manage: ● budget, resource/systems, people, business, premises Working under guidance ● complex finance ● operate complex tasks/systems ● management/analysis of resources/data/information ● advice/information/training/ supervision of other staff ● skilled PA/word processor etc.

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Level 4+ Responsibility for: ● Budget, resource/systems, people, business, premises

Working under supervision/ management Specialist knowledge resource ● management team ● management of budget/resources ● staff management ● lead specialist ● delivering lessons in subject specialism under supervision ● support special projects ● advise teaching staff on specialist area/equipment/resources

Working under an agreed system of supervision Manage systems/procedures/policy ● pastoral support ● mentoring/counselling ● behaviour ● exclusions/attendance

Working under guidance Delivering learning ● pastoral support ● learning mentors ● behaviour support ● exclusions, attendance Working under guidance ● specific support in technical/specialist area ● preparation/maintenance of resources/equipment ● implementing specific work programmes including assessment ● demonstrations/operation of specialist equipment

Working under an agreed system of supervision/management Delivering learning Specialist knowledge resource ● lead planning cycle under supervision ● delivering lessons to groups/whole class ● management of other staff

NVQ 4 Specialism/higher level TA MGT responsibility

Working under guidance Delivering learning ● involved in whole planning cycle ● implement work programmes ● evaluation and record keeping ● cover supervisor ● specialist SEN/subject/other support

NVQ 3 Specialist knowledge/skills

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Source: National Joint Council for Local Government Services (2003)

Table 4.1 National vocational qualification

Administration and organisation

Curriculum resource support

TA Behaviour/ guidance/ support

TA supporting and delivering learning

Equivalent

Expected skill level

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FOUNDATION DEGREES Since 2000, foundation degrees have been developed by HEIs as a route into higher education for work-based non-traditional students. In the context of remodelling, a foundation degree provides an opportunity for people who are working with young people or children in an educational/childcare setting to develop their professional understanding, knowledge and key skills while still working. The DfES introduced Sector Endorsed Awards for Early Years in 2001. The principal aims are to widen access into higher education by placing value on participants’ experience and by enabling them to acquire knowledge and understanding related to roles in which they are currently employed through developing their ability to engage in reading, reflection, debate and enquiry. A related aim is to enhance the career prospects for those who work with children and young people by providing the basis for an alternative route into teaching or other careers involving such work with children and young people that will enable participants to continue working. There are four entry requirements: ●

to be employed for at least 20 paid or voluntary hours in work with children and young people with a supporting letter from the applicant’s employer/supervisor

●

to have been in the post, or a similar post, for two years

●

to have a GCSE (General Certificate of Seconday Education) at grade C (or equivalent) in English language

●

normally to have, or be expected to obtain, an A level (or equivalent), but, if not, to take an orientation course that will include study skills that encourage an ability to engage in discussion and debate and the use of oral and written English.

On completion of the orientation course the successful entrant can start the foundation degree. With past higher education qualifications, credits can be awarded within the period of five years prior to entry to use for exemption from part of Level 1 of the foundation degree. NVQ Level 3 and any Level 3 City and Guilds courses may be used as entry qualifications, though they cannot be used as credit exemption from the actual foundation degree. A foundation degree generally will consist of about 12 courses consisting of 30 hours’ tuition time, as well as specified tasks, activities at the workplace and independent study. Each course will be assessed using a variety of methods such as short presentations, reflections on observations or tasks carried out in the workplace, short essays, etc. Students will be given support in carrying out these assessments as it is recognised that, for some people, formal study may not have been undertaken for some time. Once the foundation degree has been completed successfully, practitioners have several options: ●

enhanced professional awareness in the current post with increased chances of promotion

●

appointment to a school as a Registered Teacher (RT), including participation in RT programme and study to complete the degree for which the following qualifications are required: – the foundation degree – mathematics, English and science GCSE passes – be employed by a school as an unqualified teacher in charge of a class.

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●

completion of the degree programme through part-time study

●

post-graduate training, e.g. graduate teacher scheme, modular post-graduate route for which the following qualifications are required: – a degree – mathematics, English and science GCSE passes – be employed by a school as an unqualified teacher in charge of a class.

QUALIFIED TEACHER STATUS (QTS) QTS is a requirement for all those who teach in a maintained school and it represents the national professional qualification in the framework of standards and qualifications for teachers. QTS is awarded after satisfactory completion of a course of Initial Teaching Training (ITT), either concurrently with or after the award of a first degree at a UK university or HEI with degree-awarding powers, or a qualification recognised to be equivalent to a UK degree. Within the national standards framework for teachers, the TTA has produced regulations for all NQTs (TTA, 2002), the main focus of which is knowledge of, and ability to teach, the national curriculum. In addition, NQTs need to have achieved professional competence in planning, teaching and class management skills. A range of opportunities exist leading to the award of QTS. Currently 30 programmes are available which are followed full-time or part-time; see Table 4.2. Students can train for primary courses according to age range: primary (3–11 and 5–11), primary/secondary (7–14), secondary (11–18) and secondary/post-compulsory (14–19). Successful completion by a trainee of a course or programme of ITT, including employment-based provision, requires him or her to achieve all the QTS standards, and courses must involve the assessment of all trainees against all the standards specified for the award. In order for trainees to achieve QTS, they need to meet the national professional standards. In the context of remodelling and workforce reform, the TTA has produced guidance on professional standards for QTS and requirements for ITT that relate to specific professional standards in working with support staff: S1.6

They understand the contribution that support staff and other professionals make to teaching and learning.

S3.1.3

They select and prepare resources, and plan for their safe and effective organisation, taking account of pupils’ interests and their language and cultural backgrounds, with the help of support staff where appropriate.

S3.1.4

They take part in, and contribute to, teaching teams as appropriate to the school. Where applicable, they plan for the deployment of additional adults who support pupils’ learning.

S3.1.5

As relevant to the age range they are trained to teach, they are able to plan opportunities for pupils to learn out-of-school contexts, such as school visits, museums, theatres, field-work, and employment-based settings, with the help of other staff where appropriate.

S3.3.8

They organise and manage the physical teaching space, tools, materials, texts and other resources safely and effectively with the help of support staff where appropriate.

S3.3.13 They work collaboratively with specialist teachers and other colleagues and, with the help of an experienced teacher as appropriate, manage the work of teaching assistants or other adults to enhance pupils’ learning. Source: TTA (2002) Remodelling Schools Manual: Workforce Reform by Sonia Blandford Published by Pearson Education © Pearson Education Limited 2006

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No.

Qualification

Duration

Type of course

FT/PT

1

BA (QTS)

3 yrs

Under-graduate PRIMARY

FT

2

PGCE

1 yr

Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

3

PGCE

1 yr

Post-graduate PRIMARY

FT

4

PGCE

2 yrs

Post-graduate PRIMARY

FT

5

BA Progression Route

2 yrs

Under-graduate PRIMARY

PT

6

PGCE Modular

Flexible

Post-graduate PRIMARY

PT

7

PGCE Modular

Flexible

Post-graduate PRIMARY

PT

8

PGCE 7–14

1 yr

Post-graduate PRIMARY/SECONDARY

FT

9

GTP Primary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate PRIMARY

FT

10

GTP Secondary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

11

RTP Primary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate PRIMARY

FT

12

RTP Secondary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

13

OTT Primary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate PRIMARY

FT

14

OTT Secondary

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

15

Teach First

1 yr

EBR Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

16

Foundation Degree CHS

2 yrs

EBR Under-graduate PRIMARY

PT

17

Foundation Degree CYS with subject specialism

2 yrs

EBR Under-graduate EARLY YEARS

PT

18

BA (Hons) CYS Year 3

4 terms

EBR Under-graduate PRIMARY

PT

19

BA (Hons) CYS with EY Year 3

4 terms

EBR Under-graduate EARLY YEARS

PT

20

PGCE

1 yr

Post-graduate POST-COMPULSORY

FT

21

PGCE

2 yrs

Post-graduate POST-COMPULSORY

PT

22

PGCE 14–19

1 yr

Post-graduate SECONDARY/ POST-COMPULSORY

FT

23

BA (Prof. Studies)

3 yrs

Under-graduate PRIMARY

PT

24

Cert Ed

2 yrs

Under-graduate POST-COMPULSORY

PT

25

Associate Tutor

1 yr

Post-graduate POST-COMPULSORY

PT

26

BA (Post Compulsory)

2 yrs 1 term

Under-graduate POST-COMPULSORY

FT

27

GT Plus

1 yr

Post-graduate SECONDARY

FT

28

Undergraduate (Maths/Science)

1 yr

Under-graduate SECONDARY

FT

29

Student Associate Scheme

Flexible

Under-graduate PRIMARY/SECONDARY

PT

30

School-centred Initial Teaching Training

2 yrs

Under-graduate PRIMARY

PT

Notes BA = Bachelor of Arts Cert Ed = Certificate in Education CHS = Childhood Studies CYS = Child and Youth Studies EY = Early Years GT = Graduate Trainee

GTP = Graduate Trainee Programme OTT = Overseas Trained Teacher PGCE = Post-graduate Certificate in Education QTS = Qualified Teacher Status RTP = Registered Teacher Programme

Table 4.2 Routes into teaching

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CAREER ENTRY PROFILES For teachers, Career Entry Profiles (CEPs) were introduced in 1999 for students achieving QTS. The document is used as part of the basis for professional development as a NQT in the school. Professional tutors responsible for students in training in the schools are making increasing use of the CEP for professional development. Similar systems are being introduced into other areas of practice within the remodelling process, for example HLTAs.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) Traditionally teachers have continued their professional development through awardbearing courses. Career advancement has been associated with further scholastic and practitioner activity in an HEI set within the context of professional expertise. The majority of HEIs in England and Wales providing teacher education within schools of education offer master’s courses for practising teachers and the wider workforce which develop students’ knowledge and understanding of education theory and research, and thus inform practice. Some courses may focus on education management while others focus on specialist subject areas and are available full-time or part-time at most HEIs. Having successfully completed a master’s course, teachers can continue with an academic education to doctorate level. There are currently two distinct approaches for educationalists: the traditional PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and the EdD (Doctor of Education). The former requires independent study towards the completion of a thesis which makes an original contribution to the knowledge of the field studied. The EdD is a modularised taught course offered by approximately 40 universities to senior education, health and social professionals.

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4.1 Induction of new staff

147

4.2 Self-review prompt sheet

149

4.3 School workforce and learning

150

4.4 Target setting

151

4.5 Planning INSET

152

4.6 Selecting an course/programme

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Workshop 4.1

INDUCTION OF NEW STAFF Use this checklist to assess your school’s practice in terms of induction of new staff with special reference to NQTs:

Schools need to:

YES/NO

●

avoid placing NQTs and support staff in posts that present unusual problems of discipline or require special teaching techniques without special support

●

establish guidance and training for those involved in interviewing and appointing new staff and for those assuming responsibilities as professional tutors or mentors

●

ensure that all teaching staff can demonstrate as necessary their proficiency in teaching classes of a size normal for the school and subject in a post that is closely related to the age group and subject for which they have been trained

●

set up induction programmes that make differentiated provision, based on an analysis of individual need, to support new staff members who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience

●

determine their respective responsibilities for the induction training each is expected to provide, and its timing

●

set up monitoring and evaluation procedures that can identify good practice and make possible its dissemination.

Furthermore, schools will need to: ●

pay particular attention to the impact of workforce reform on their relationships, so that there are no gaps in their responsibilities for the appointment and induction of staff

●

maintain monitoring and reporting procedures which ensure that LEAs are aware of and are able to adequately support all staff

●

agree what professional skills need to be acquired by the end of their first year of teaching in part to help plan their support

●

look carefully at the provision of training for new staff to ensure that it is most efficiently and effectively provided.

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YES/NO

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More specifically, the following should be made available to a new member of staff: ●

the opportunity to visit the school to meet the headteacher, the head of department where appropriate and fellow members of staff

●

information from the school in the form of a staff handbook or similar document giving useful facts about the school’s curriculum organisation and management, staff structure, staff training and development policy, discipline, extra-curricular activities, relationships with the local community, and other relevant information

●

adequate notice of the timetable to be taught/supported

●

all curricular documents, including statutory documents relating to the national curriculum, relevant to the subjects he or she will teach/support

●

information about equipment and other resources available for use, including information technology

●

information about support and supervision provided by the school and, in the case of LEA-maintained schools, any additional support provided by the LEA.

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Workshop 4.2

SELF-REVIEW PROMPT SHEET The following prompt sheet enables you to detail your effectiveness and to determine your development needs. The key is to be honest when completing the form and then to discuss the outcomes with a colleague.

Self-review prompt sheet Date: Lesson/task:

Lesson plan/task list (include all details):

Targets:

Record of time taken:

Comment/analysis:

Action points:

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Workshop 4.3

SCHOOL WORKFORCE AND LEARNING The following questionnaire focuses on the understanding of support staff as to their role; it examines the relationship between process and outcomes and would be very useful for support teams at the start of a meeting to determine individual and team development.

Rate the following statements on a 1–5 scale (1 = agreement) 1 My job is to complete a number of tasks. 2 What the pupils learn in schools is determined by teachers. 3 Essentially, I have no role in developing activities in the classroom. 4 I have to decide on my own practice. 5 It’s up to me to decide on whether I achieve the targets set by my manager. 6 I have to be in charge of all elements of my own practice. 7 The function of support staff is to provide support as determined by teachers. 8 If the team does not function, this will not impact on learning within the school. 9 The main task of teachers is to get through a lot of material. 10 I must look for the right answers.

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Workshop 4.4

TARGET SETTING Discuss the following with your team and agree protocols for target setting. Target setting is a critical part of the performance review process. A target is a statement of intent agreed by two or more people which refers to a desired state of affairs to be achieved in the future. In most circumstances it will concern a change resulting in an improvement of some kind. Therefore targets should: ●

aim to facilitate the teacher’s own professional development

●

be agreed in the context of the school’s development plan and organisational goals

●

be feasible and realistic in the light of available resources

●

include some agreed performance which will help to illustrate the extent to which the target is being achieved

●

be few in number

●

include some indication of the support the appraisee will require/receive in order to achieve the target (the appraiser should accept responsibility for ensuring that support is provided)

●

be reviewed in the follow-up meetings and modified as necessary.

Checklist How to present agreed targets Agreed targets should be: ●

stated clearly

●

linked to an action plan

●

few in number

●

challenging but attainable

●

monitored and reviewed

●

connected to: raising standards, classroom/management strategies, school performance, and career/professional development.

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Workshop 4.5

PLANNING INSET Key issues for consideration in planning and preparing INSET. Develop the following as a plan for planning an INSET on remodelling: ●

The school workforce need an approach that is supportive in order to feel confident that its contribution will be respected and valued. It should be given the opportunity to reflect individually and in groups on the material presented during training. Relevant information should be circulated in advance to enable the workforce to consider its position in relation to important policies, procedures and practices.

●

The presentation of the material should be varied and interesting. A lot of printed words will generate little response from staff with busy professional lives. Relevant information should be presented in a succinct, accessible style. Long lists or meaningless prose will not be appreciated as staff will need to engage with key issues in an informed way. The workforce needs to know and understand the essential points that relate to its practice in order to make a judgement.

●

INSET should focus on remodelling issues that will lead to a change of practice. Staff need to feel confident that they are working with colleagues they trust if they are to be open about such an emotive subject. INSET coordinators need to plan their groups with care, not allowing dominant individuals to lead or intimidate others. All staff should be committed to an open, honest approach to discussing individual and whole-school problems. The use of case studies will enable staff to share concern about a particular problem. All discussions should be solution-oriented.

●

The frequency of INSET days will influence the quality of the programme and subsequent outcomes. Isolated days that are scheduled in a random manner throughout the year will not promote active, all-inclusive debates. Time needs to be invested in building a positive, supportive atmosphere among staff. Given the restrictions of the school day, whole days of training followed by twilight sessions may provide the most appropriate structure. INSET teams would have to consider this aspect of organisation in their planning.

●

The venue is also important. It is sometimes beneficial to use an off-site venue to generate an atmosphere in which teachers can feel confident. When INSET is school-based, the careful selection of rooms, chairs, tables and display equipment is important. The room should be large enough to accommodate the group, without being too large. Chairs should be comfortable and tables should be provided. Display equipment (video, overhead projector and flipcharts) should be visible to all. Technical equipment should be checked before the session.

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Workshop 4.6

SELECTING A COURSE/PROGRAMME There are many programmes offered by HEIs and other agencies that serve the school workforce. The selection of a course or programme should not be taken lightly by either the member of staff or the line manager. Prior to selection, consider the following: 1 Why are you studying? Professional or personal development? Both? 2 Where are you able to study? Locally or at a distance? 3 What is your preferred mode of study? Alone or in a classroom? 4 Will you require tutor support? What type of learner are you? Are the tutors able to provide the appropriate level of support? 5 Who will fund the study? 6 Are you prepared to self-fund? 7 Do you want to progress in the workplace? Will studying enhance your career prospects? 8 Do you have the space to study at home? Are conditions conducive to study? 9 Will you have the support of your family? 10 How will you communicate with other learners/students? 11 Others …

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Summary

The remodelling of schools emphasises the need for all stakeholders to understand the management of fiscal, material, human and time resources as determined by government policies and legislation. The first principle in the management of resources in schools is value for money. Value for money performance is generally expressed in terms of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which resources are used. The key to delivering value for money in a school is strong leadership and good management. The reality is the effectiveness of planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluating outcome. Ultimately, it is the schools in partnership with their LEAs through the Schools Forum that ensure spending is targeted to match the available income. Working in schools can be both challenging and stimulating, and induction for all staff members is vital if they are to fulfil their roles in the remodelled school. In any profession, the transition from training to the workplace or into a new role generates certain tensions; employees need to know that the contributions they make are valued, and employers need to ensure that their staff have the appropriate training. Effective induction ensures that anyone new to a role or to the school feels supported and confident, ready to join an effective team, and willing to contribute to their own and the school’s development. Mentoring is a term which continues to be used in several different contexts in education. It will differ according to need, and includes enhancing the mentee’s skills and professional development, helping to develop a set of educational values, consulting to help the mentee clarify goals and ways of implementing them, helping to establish a set of personal and professional standards, and networking and sponsoring by providing opportunities for the mentee to meet other professionals. The purpose of performance management (or review) is to motivate and develop individuals. The primary purpose of the review process is performance enhancement. To this end, a staff performance and management review scheme should be a process that is open and based on the mutual understanding by all staff of its context, purpose, procedures, criteria and outcomes. Performance management needs to be set in the context of other initiatives to raise standards in schools. Professional development is a critical factor in the effective leadership and management of the workforce and can occur in a variety of forms. Within the framework of providing workforce reform, self-development and staff development are prerequisites for effective and improving management, teaching and schools. Professional development encompasses practitioner, training, education and support activities, to be experienced by teachers, team leaders and senior leadership team. The following section considers how to lead the remodelling process.

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Section 5

LEADING REMODELLING

22 Change

158

23 Leading teams

168

24 Work/life balance

174

Workshop materials

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Summary

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Introduction

The importance of leadership in developing and implementing the remodelling process and workforce reform has been raised in all strategic, policy and supporting government documents. This section focuses on the understanding and practice of managing change and leading teams. In May 2005, the TTA published its draft plans for support staff training, of which the forward explains that schools are changing at a fast pace; they are becoming more complex organisations with work of support staff becoming more varied and demanding: There is an increasing emphasis on building the whole school team – leadership, teachers, and support staff – so that, working together, everyone can make a more powerful contribution to the overall objective of raising standards. Schools do more than raise standards. They have an essential role to play in achieving the five outcomes set out in the Government’s wider agenda for children. Increasingly they will work with other services and with families to ensure children’s well-being and enable them to achieve their full potential. That role will place them at the heart of their wider communities – providing extended services such as childcare, adult learning and health and community services. Source: TTA (2005)

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Chapter 22

CHANGE

Change means different things to different people depending on where they are placed in relationship to the change; cultural factors will also contribute to the change process. This chapter focuses on change by exploring the mechanisms that underpin the management of change. The NRT ‘tried and tested’ approach to managing change in school will also be considered. As Dame Pat Collarbone commented: Workforce remodelling is about enabling teachers to deliver even better education for pupils than they do at present. It’s putting in place new ways of working that enable people to have a better work/life balance. It not only focuses teachers on teaching and learning but it also opens a new world of opportunities for staff other than teachers … Remodelling is about forming fresh working relationships, about getting the whole system geared up to working in new ways. Source: Hoare (2005)

Collarbone further advises (Hoare, 2005) that we don’t want to fall into the trap of creating more work for ourselves. It’s really an opportunity to say how we might work more effectively with the child as the focus. Remodelling will encourage further changes; each school is now responsible for a self-directed approach in partnership with other agencies. This will involve the whole school community in equipping itself for change. The wider workforce and wider network is intended to provide additional support as required. The aim? To raise achievement in order to achieve improved results. Change is a theme which remains constant in all areas of educational practice and children’s services. Schools are at the centre of these changes as they embrace and respond to social, technical, environmental, educational and political (ideological) changes that are the make-up of the society in which we live. Remodelling provides the challenge and opportunity for schools to set their own agenda. Given the scope of the change, the remodelling process will include the community within and beyond the school gates. Schools are not alone, but are part of a wide network of support involving LEAs and the NRT, GTC(E), CWDC and NCSL. The NRT suggests that, for schools intending to engage with the remodelling process, they might expect: ● teaching and learning is the main focus ● the workforce is involved in making decisions

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Change · 22

● tasks and activities are undertaken by the appropriate people within flexible working patterns ● managing change is a normal part of school life ● the school shares experiences and learning with other schools ● the work/life balance is acceptable to the whole workforce ● all workforce and other stakeholders are aware of the direction of the school.

Source: www.remodelling.org

Remodelling will impact upon the school community as a whole; it is axiomatic that remodelling should have a positive impact on learners. The positive outcomes of remodelling might include raising achievement, partnership, increased interest and/or motivation of staff and pupils, improved learner social skills and behaviour, attendance and punctuality.

WHY CHANGE? Since the introduction of Every Child Matters, the government has recognised that local leadership, dynamism and ownership are vital if change is to succeed. A shared programme is intended to lead to improved outcomes for all children and young people (DfES, 2005a). The analysis of local priorities, secured through more integrated front-line delivery processes, strategy and governance, will ensure that everyone delivering services for children and young people will have an important role to play in working towards the five outcomes. This includes those working in childcare settings, schools, health services, social care, youth services, the police and criminal justice system, and culture, sports and play organisations. Other measures to support the change process include: ●

a concerted attack on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucratic processes, including through the establishment of the IRU, with a practitioners’ panel including a senior school administrator

●

recruitment of new managers from outside education who can contribute effectively to schools’ leadership teams

●

additional resources and support from a national ‘change management’ programme to help delivery of the reforms.

The Children Act 2004 gives a clear focus and new status to children’s services. Its implementation is part of a wider process of change, focused on outcomes and taken forward by local change programmes in 150 local authority areas set within a national framework. Improved outcomes for all children and young people depend on the action taken in the 150 local change programmes. This will be driven by an analysis of local priorities, and secured through more integrated front-line delivery, processes, strategy and governance. Local change programmes will be stronger if set within a supportive national framework.

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CHANGE ON CHANGE Since the 1960s there has been a continuous series of changes to the education system. Following Callaghan’s Ruskin College speech in 1976, education has become more accountable for the way in which it serves society. The reason for change is that education has to respond to other circumstances that happen in society. Schools, as organisations, need to develop, mature and adjust to both internal and external changes. Drucker states that: All institutions live and perform in two time periods, that of today and that of tomorrow. Tomorrow is being made today, irrevocably in most cases. Managers therefore have to manage both today – the fundamentals – and tomorrow. In turbulent times, managers cannot assume that tomorrow will be an extension of today. On the contrary they must manage for change; change both as an opportunity and as a threat. Source: Drucker (1980)

Change is important and complex but change can be unsettling, threatening and unpredictable. It also an opportunity for creativity and learning. Before implementing change it is important to consider whether the change is necessary. For remodelling, change provides for individuals the following opportunities: ●

acquire/practise new skills

●

increased job satisfaction

●

improved working practices

●

opportunities to work with new people

●

better use of time and skills

●

increased responsibility

●

increased reward

●

increased efficiency.

Remodelling is a mixture of top-down, bottom-up and expert changes, each of which is discussed below.

Top-down change This is when someone in a position of authority introduces change with a clear statement by the decision-maker, followed by action and dissemination. Leadership, collaboration and a willingness to take (not make) decisions will make the difference between poor and excellent practice. A top-down model will allow changes to be made quickly, efficiently and with authority.

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Change · 22

Bottom-up change A consequence of collaborative management is a bottom-up approach to the management of change. Remodelling has the potential to be bottom-up. This approach involves team leaders when the need is to address a problem which remains unclear to those not involved and a school-specific solution is required. A disadvantage to this approach is that it is time consuming to plan and implement, as there is a need for consultation and agreement. Most phases of remodelling will require involvement of all staff, especially those involved in the classroom.

Expert change It is clear that remodelling will require the use of external agencies and experts. The expert could be a member of the senior leadership team or external agent such as an LEA remodelling adviser. The expert approach may offer a quick and cost-effective means of bringing about change. However, the introduction of an expert could mean loss of influence and control so the school will need to ensure that the change process is managed by the CMT so that it can be evaluated in terms of impact.

BARRIERS TO CHANGE Change can take place at different levels, which need to be identifiable. The level of change will impact on those who are involved in the process of change. Factors influencing change may also create barriers to change. What will change involve? Table 5.1 outlines generic factors.

Factor

Result

Technical

Change in process, e.g. transfer of 24 tasks to support staff

Social

Changes to beliefs and values, creation of a group, e.g. introduction of extended day and staff

Power

Changes in leadership at macro and micro levels, e.g. CMTs

Financial

Change in funding mechanism, e.g. standards grant

Personnel

Change in status, e.g. increased responsibility

Physical

Change in school, e.g. available facilities and the sharing of accommodation/classrooms with support staff

Table 5.1 Generic factors in the change process

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In this context, some staff will be enthusiastic, while others may view remodelling with fear or as a threat. As with other aspects of the school, staff reaction to change will reflect the culture of the school. Oldroyd and Hall identify that settings where staff response was poor should be considered as part of the remodelling process: ● morale is low ● change agents are not respected ● there is a track record of failed innovation ● risk-taking is discouraged ● leaders are inflexible in their attitudes ● there is little outside support …

… staff will be less motivated to support change strategies which ● are unaccompanied by practical training and support … ● do not adapt to developing circumstances ● do not recognise local needs ● offer no sense of collective ‘ownership’ ● do not build a ‘critical mass’ for change.

Neither will they commit themselves to innovations which: ● are not seen as beneficial ● cannot be clearly understood ● are at odds with their professional beliefs ● are inadequately resourced.

Source: Oldroyd and Hall (1990)

Readers might reflect on their own attitude towards change. Generally, people who have a sense of commitment and are in charge of their lives will see change as an opportunity. Those who are uncomfortable with their role will view change as a threat. Every school will have a combination of people who view change on a continuum from threat to opportunity, while some may be threatened not by the change but by the change process. Resistance to change can be a major restraining force though it can be overcome with understanding. Resistance may be due to self-interest, misunderstanding, different assessments of the situation or a low tolerance for change. Van der Westhuizen (1996) identifies the resistance factors from his survey of all school principals in secondary schools in the Free State Province of South Africa. These are grouped in response to the key areas of change in the context of the remodelling process in Table 5.2. The government’s intention is that all schools have the necessary structures and tools to successfully implement change and be supportive through training, listening and providing

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Change · 22

time during busy periods. Support is most effective when fear and anxiety lie at the heart of resistance but this can be time-consuming and does not always produce positive results. Major resistance can be costly and is therefore best avoided. Negotiation can be a relatively easy way to avoid major resistance. However, team leaders must be sure of the parameters

Workforce reform ●

fear that change will cause a loss in job security

●

the loss of established customs which provide security

●

a disruption of the status quo (existing practices) that provides satisfaction

●

fear that change will not succeed

●

a low tolerance for change

●

the lack of resources to facilitate change

●

insufficient evaluation of the progress of the change

●

the lack of a positive climate for change

●

poor performance motivation

●

the lack of support from the management team of the school during the change process

●

weak strategies for managing resistance to change

●

the absence of participative decision-making

Extended schools ●

the perception that change is not regarded as an improvement

●

increased work pressure

●

the lack of creative power

●

authoritarian leadership

●

the lack of courage to take risks

●

unclear role definitions

●

wrong timing for the implementation of change

●

previous experience reveals no need for change

●

application of the wrong strategy for change

●

a high level of organisational conflict

●

insufficient communication between the school principal and staff

●

staff distrust in the management team of the school

Every Child Matters ●

fear of the unknown

●

the absence of a need to change

●

an inability to handle uncertainty during the change process

●

an irreconcilability of cultural characteristics with the proposed change

●

a workforce that does not understand the aims/purpose of the change

●

doubt about own abilities

Table 5.2 Remodelling: barriers to change Source: adapted from Van der Westhuizen (1996)

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in which they are working to avoid a negative outcome. In order to choose an effective change strategy, CMTs will need to : ●

identify the level of complexity and time needed

●

identify resistance and analyse why there is resistance

●

select the method of overcoming resistance

●

take account of its own attitude towards the change.

The choice of strategy adopted will be dependent on the pace of change, level of resistance, level of status of the initiator, amount of information required, key players and time available. Schools should not ignore these factors. A common mistake is to move too quickly and involve too few people. Forcing change will have too many negative side effects. Equally, knowing and understanding change strategies will only go part way to facilitating the change process. As with all aspects of management, interpersonal skills are critical to successful and effective management of change.

NATIONAL REMODELLING TEAM APPROACH TO CHANGE To guide schools in their remodelling, the NRT is promoting a change process based on the techniques and experience gained in business and education and tried successfully with pilot schools. CMTs and collaboration are two of five key elements that the NRT is recommending for successful remodelling. The NRT recognises that schools are not all the same and that every school is in a position to create a change in environment that suits it. The following extract outlines the NRT stages for the remodelling process as adapted from business models. Schools need to use the remodelling process to help identify and agree where change is necessary, facilitate a vision of the future which is shared across whole school communities and create plans for change in an atmosphere of serious consensus. It is important to remember that remodelling schools apply a generic process with the aim of producing unique outcomes. The Mobilise Stage – Schools recognise the need for change. School representatives attend remodelling training events organised on a local or regional basis by LEAs working individually or collaboratively. At these events schools are introduced to the remodelling process and to the tools and techniques which remodelling deploys. Key to the success of remodelling is that the nature, scope and goals of remodelling are effectively communicated to school communities. The Discover Stage – Once the school has been mobilised and an inclusive change team has been formed the remodelling process begins to focus on uncovering the issues around workload and other school priorities. The Discover Stage involves identifying and acknowledging what works well within a school as well as recognising issues and challenges which the change process should aim to address. This often involves holding workshops with staff members to discover why some elements of school practice are more successful than others. Throughout the change process it is important that the work of the school change team is transparent and that there are good channels of communication which allow the team to feedback to the whole school.

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The Deepen Stage – When the school change team acquires a greater understanding of the scale and scope of the change issues. Teams use the remodelling tools and techniques to help identify the root causes of issues and understand which staff members are most affected. The Develop Stage – The school change team uses problem solving techniques to develop strategies and solutions to address the issues identified at previous stages. Although learning from other schools can be of vital assistance, remodelling allows schools to develop plans which are ‘made-to-measure’, and which will be effective and sustainable. The Deliver Stage – When plans are confirmed and start to be implemented. It is essential that there is a continuing review process which ensures that as change happens it meets the original goals identified at earlier stages and moves the school towards the shared vision of the future. There may be a need for solutions to be modified as they are put into practice. Source: www.remodelling.org

Case study 22.1 Manage change The NRT website www.remodelling.org contains several case studies on how various schools have coped with the remodelling process. The following case study is one reflecting creative interpretation of the changes resulting from workforce reform at Whittingham C of E First School. In our remodelling journey, we have been able to look deep down and reassess the core purpose of our jobs – that is to provide excellence in teaching and learning and raise the standards of pupil achievement in all that we do. This focus has been of prime importance to the school, which has launched itself into the true spirit of the remodelling process. Once staff understood the concept of workforce reform, they embraced it wholeheartedly. This was most evident in the formation of the Change Team – every member of staff wanted to be involved. The school has grown quite substantially over the last few years from four members of staff to 15. With greater numbers in the Change Team, there are now also more dynamics at work. There is a greater emphasis on making sure we all have the time to meet.

▼

Getting it right in remodelling At the ‘Deepen’ stage – where we really looked into the emotional and political issues involved in the process – we realised that we really had to get it right if remodelling was to work. That meant being comfortable talking about our issues. What came out of that was really useful since it highlighted particular areas concerning time management – all issues were personal to each member of staff but many commonalities were drawn up at this stage. Since we were all together, we could prioritise this and look at individual workloads. Our workforce reform adviser gave us the idea for the picture frame exercise: this is where you have picture frame boxes one inside the other and each one has a different level of task. Staff were asked to identify what tasks they always found time to do in the centre frame, tasks sometime addressed in the next frame and so on. Then we reflected on what our role really should be and soon arrows and rubbings out were appearing all over the picture! This proved to be a really useful and empowering exercise, enabling us to really examine what the core purpose of our jobs should be.

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Being inventive about cover and PPA We have to be very inventive when it comes to providing time for cover and for PPA. This has involved a mixture of getting funds that pay for cover, being creative with the timetable and taking on additional part-time teaching staff. Lead teaching by subject specialists within school, supported by two TAs with three small year groups has proven a really successful way of addressing PPA time – while ensuring that the pupil continues to receive a consistent level of learning. At the beginning of the session, the subject leader teacher will introduce the learning objectives for the two classes and will then leave to take his or her PPA time. The two classes will then continue to be taught by the remaining teacher with two TAs in support, having already been briefed on the key objectives and lesson plan. At the end of the session, the lead teacher will come back to go through the learning objectives and assess what has been achieved. As a teaching head, I was class-based every morning. By increasing my class-share teacher’s hours and changing our working week, parents are now beginning to perceive the class as my responsibility on a Monday and Friday and my share teacher’s during the rest of the week. This frees me up at the beginning and end of the day on those occasions to deal with any issues arising. Good at innovation Class responsibility is one of the major workload issues for teaching heads – being well-planned, prepared and flexible are all ‘musts’; however leading by example is also easy, because if I ask a member of staff to do something, I also have to do it! In small schools, we have to be good at innovation – that means sharing the planning, making sure we’ve covered the curriculum and so on. I am particularly pleased with how parents perceive us and the amazing support they give to their children’s learning, both in and out of school. Remodelling has certainly taken longer than we expected, but we feel that now we are getting somewhere. I think that one of the main hurdles was getting over to the teachers the fact that they could come out of the classroom and take their PPA time. We could only achieve this by guaranteeing high quality supervision in the classroom. The staff’s attitude and understanding has been a really big enabler of the change process. It helps that they all care for each other in the first place, but we also have a very high level of support staff. We viewed the starting point as not getting rid of the 24 tasks but to look at our support staff and see how they could help, first acknowledging the re-organisation of their timetables. A positive experience Everyone values everyone else’s position in the school. We now do half-term training – termed buddy training – where Key Stage 2 staff team up with Early Years teachers and get to appreciate and understand other staff members’ jobs. It’s always difficult getting everyone together, but by utilising post-entry training funds, we are all able to go to a country house hotel twice a year to focus on School Improvement Plan issues. Remodelling has been a very positive experience in our school. We have everyone on board – staff, parents and governors are involved at all stages. It does make you look hard at the way you do things. As our remodelling adviser once said: “Take a risk – think outside the box.”

Having read Case study 22.1, what can you do to improve your school and relationships with members of the school and local community?

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To do

Action

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Chapter 23

LEADING TEAMS

Teams that will be able to facilitate change in an exciting, meaningful and sustainable way need to have vision and understanding that are inclusive in approach and outcome. There are as many definitions of leadership in the management literature as there are leadership and management theorists. This chapter focuses on defining leadership for change. Holmes (1993) suggests that if you followed all the advice from the available literature on school leadership you would become a very confused and ineffective leader. Thirty-four years earlier, the academic industrialist, Bennis, commented: Of all the hazy and confounding areas in social psychology, leadership theory undoubtedly contends for top nomination … The lack of consensus in this whole area of leadership cannot be blamed on a reluctance by social scientists to engage in empirical research on projects related to these topics … The problems involved in developing a coherent leadership theory are certainly not new … As McGregor points out ‘The eagerness with which new ideas in this field are received, and the extent to which many of them become fads, are indications of the dissatisfaction with the status quo in organisational theory.’ Source: Bennis (1959)

While it is not appropriate to analyse theory in depth, it is appropriate to consider what is relevant to practice. Theorists define leaders as those within an organisation having power, control and influence. How this applies in practice is that leaders do things and managers get others to do things. How this is achieved is dependent on the leadership style adopted, which is often influenced by previous experience of managing and leading, personal qualities and characteristics, the levels of influence from other agencies and the function or task. White and Lippitt (1983) defined three approaches to leadership: ●

autocratic: leader makes all decisions

●

democratic: team makes all decisions

●

laissez-faire: team works on its own and leader participates when necessary.

In the majority of situations, particularly in leading CMTs, it is preferable and advisable to adopt a democratic style of management. It is self-evident that a laissez-faire approach would also be applicable to CMTs. Teachers will be autonomous within their classrooms; however, the management of professionals requires collegiality and not always leadership.

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TEAM LEADERSHIP Understanding the purpose of leadership within the school context is fundamental to the success of the remodelled school. Generally, school leaders develop aims and objectives that identify the purpose and direction of the school. The shared development of vision and mission statements determines key objectives and policies, which will provide a framework for education that is specifically suited to each school as a learning community as it approaches remodelling and adoption of workforce reform. Leadership as an activity is central to the success of schools. In order to achieve desired success, leadership teams need to collaborate among themselves and with others. Caldwell and Spinks (1988) developed a model of collaborative school management as a process which identified six phases in the leadership of a school. The six key phases are goal setting, policy-making, curriculum planning, resource provision, implementation of learning programme and evaluation. Spinks (1990) commented that these phases relate to where the school is going and why, how it is going to get there and then checking very carefully to see if and when it arrived. School leadership is about getting things done within the framework of practice determined by the school as a community, organisation and the available resources. As a community, each school is self-centred, self-reliant and culturally ‘different’ from any other school – one that reflects its own environment and community. The culture and context of schools is changing. Changes to the curriculum and the devolution of responsibilities from LEAs to schools prompted a shift in styles. As Knutton and Ireson (1995) described, schools have long since changed:

From:

To:

fixed roles

flexible roles

individual responsibility

shared responsibility

autocratic

collaborative

control

release

power

empowerment

EFFECTIVE TEAMS In the context of remodelling process, team leaders will need to be adaptable, the emphasis being on flexibility, sharing, collaboration and empowerment. Effective team leadership will produce effective teams and an effective school. As professionals, the workforce will value effective teamwork which is characterised as: ● clear objectives and goals – according to task ● openness and confrontation – dependent on effective communication and interpersonal relationships ● support and trust – requiring active listening and understanding

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● cooperation and conflict – working together, sharing and developing ideas in a democratic and

creative manner ● sound procedures – enable everyone to contribute to decision-making ● appropriate leadership – knowing and understanding team members, their beliefs and values ● regular review – monitoring and evaluating in a rigorous manner ● individual development – enabling individuals to develop strengths, involving appraisal and staff

development ● sound inter-group relations – a commitment to pupils through openness and trust.

Source: Oldroyd and Hall (1990)

Successful teamwork depends on a clearly defined set of aims and objectives, the personalities of team members and the team leader. Tuckman (1965) defined the stages of team development as: Forming:

The team is not a team but a set of individuals. The focus is on the team purposes, composition, leadership and life-span. Individuals are concerned with establishing their personal identities in the team and making some individual impression.

Storming:

Having reached a consensus on the team’s purpose, conflict arises as assumptions are challenged. Personal agendas are revealed and some interpersonal hostility may be generated. Successful handling enables the team to reach fresh agreement on purpose, procedures and norms.

Norming:

The team seeks to establish its norm and practices: when and how it should work. As working procedures are established there will be a communication of feelings, mutual support and sense of team identity.

Performing: Solutions to problems emerge; the team is mature and productive. Individuals and team are relaxed and confident. A most positive model of effective teams is provided by Caldwell and Spinks (1988). In brief, those teams that come together most effectively were able to demonstrate each of the following: ● information is readily available to all concerned ● policies and learning activities for students are clearly linked together ● it is easy for participants to see the relevance of their work to … meet pupils needs ● participants gain satisfaction and develop commitment … ● most of the operations already exist in the school – policies, plans, [resources] … ● … teams co-operate to benefit each other rather than to compete for resources ● the overall process is clear and easily understood ● there is in-built flexibility within programmes to respond immediately to new or emerging student needs.

Source: Caldwell and Spinks (1988)

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Perhaps the most important element of team leadership is the ability to motivate others. A workforce which is motivated and committed to educational excellence creates an environment that motivates pupils. Leaders who know and understand this will enable the school workforce to develop professionally. A team leader will serve as a role model to his or her team members and will inspire others to achieve high standards and work towards fulfilment of the school’s aims. Clearly, motivation is more than satisfaction; it also requires knowledge and understanding of what is expected. The most important aspect is sharing a goal which is highly valued by the team.

Decision-making Team leaders need to be able to identify which participatory style is applicable to any specific task or situation. The remodelling process engages the school community and workforce with opportunities to participate in decision-making. A confident leader will encourage participation that has meaning and relevance to daily practice through the following: Consultation: team members are invited to suggest ideas; decision-making remains the responsibility of the team leader Consent: team members, as a group, can veto any decision made by the team leader Consensus: team members are consulted, followed by whole team involvement in decision-making through majority vote.

Delegation Both being led and leading will require delegation. For example, in the workforce reform process, delegation will enhance the quality of the classroom teacher and his or her support staff. Teachers can save time by delegating tasks to support staff. It is worth noting that reluctant and poor delegation is often worse than no delegation at all. There are several factors which need to be considered in the delegation process: ●

quality of the result – will the outcome be good enough?

●

the ability of the individual – how capable is the individual of completing the task?

●

your relationship – will you be able to coach the individual or leave him or her to the task? Either could cause problems

●

time – have your staff members the time to complete the task?

It is essential that any delegated work is clearly understood. When delegating, staff might retain control over the work delegated, whether by instruction or participation. The Industrial Society (1982) provides the following advice, which is appropriate in the context of workforce reform; staff might consider that to make a job breakdown: ●

what do I do now? why do I do it? should I keep it, and why?

●

to whom could I give the job now? who else should I be training to do it, and how?

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Recognise tasks that it cannot be delegated, such as: ●

matters essential to your overall control

●

discipline over subordinate’s own colleagues

●

confidential, security and policy matters restricted to your own level.

Prepare delegation plan indicating in detail: ●

tasks to be allocated to subordinate

●

additional authority and resources needed

●

additional training/experience needed.

Instruct/coach the team member: ●

ensure the team member understands the limits of the delegation

●

advise all connected personnel of the delegation

●

give the team member confidence by putting trust in him or her

●

institute occasional spot checks to test effectiveness, but always with the team member’s knowledge

●

appraise progress and set standards and targets progressively together

●

revise your own and the team member’s job descriptions when transfer of task is finally accomplished.

Case study 22.2 Change management teams The following case study is taken from the NRT website (www.remodelling.org). The LEA remodelling adviser for Buckinghamshire, Steve Edgar, writes about the deployment of remodelling consultants as a team to support schools in remodelling: ●

supporting schools in implementing the contractual change

●

increasing capacity to meet remodelling targets

●

creating a team of remodelling consultants

●

evaluation of remodelling events

●

delivery of school PPA training

●

sharing expertise across the LEA.

I was appointed initially as a Senior Adviser within the School Improvement Service in January 2003 and assumed responsibility for remodelling, alongside my other responsibilities, after a few months in post. Throughout 2003–4 the number of colleagues supporting remodelling within Buckinghamshire was very small. A small number of Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs) with expertise in ‘Working with Support Staff’ had been appointed in the LEA in early 2003 and the schools where a number of these ASTs taught, featured within the group of schools who were the first to remodel.

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These ASTs provided effective links between teachers and support staff in their schools, they had capacity to support change, including where appropriate [the] School Change Team … The key role of the central team has clearly changed over a very short period. The role has moved from direct delivery to co-ordination, the challenge will be the need to ensure consistency and quality and to ensure that the wider programme is monitored and the quality continuously improves … It is too early to have completed an evaluation as to the overall benefits and concerns of working with this extended team. The immediate challenge is maintaining a consistent approach given the size of the team and developing effective strategies to monitor activities during very busy weeks. One surprising early observation has been the reaction of some headteachers when their tranche leader turns out to be a headteacher from a different school. Learning from others is however a central process within networked learning communities and perhaps in years to come, the remodelling process will be shown to have been instrumental in leading the way here as well.

Having read Case study 22.2, what can you do to develop teams within and beyond your school? To do

Action

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Chapter 24

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Workforce reform and the remodelling process are, in part, the government’s response to the issue of teachers’ work/life balance. This contrasts with the view that teaching offers a flexible lifestyle with early afternoons and long holidays. The reality is that teaching is distinct; parents’ evenings, trips and meetings are activities that take place in addition to the PPA activities that form the generic composite of a teacher’s working life. Workforce reform provides an opportunity for change in addressing both the teaching and nonteaching hours while raising pupil attainment and achieving a realistic balance of work and leisure. The sceptics within the profession might find this difficult to believe but it is for all to embrace. This chapter details the advice presented by government agencies and experts on work/life balance and stress management.

IMPACT OF FLEXIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS The government’s aim is that everyone should have more choice and control over their working lives. Flexible working opportunities benefit everyone: employers, employees and their families. Many employers agree that it makes good business sense to provide flexible working opportunities for their employees so that they can retain skilled staff, reduce recruitment costs and raise staff morale, while reacting to changing market conditions more effectively. Various Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) surveys have shown that flexible working conditions make a positive impact on management (71%), employee relations, employee motivation and commitment (69%), and labour turnover (54%), while almost half reported improvements in productivity, absenteeism and recruitment (DTI, 2005). Many of the same workplaces reported financial performance that was better than that of similar workplaces in the same industry. Since 2000 the DTI has promoted the growth of flexible working opportunities in the UK by demonstrating the business case for work/life balance. Best practice on work/life balance and flexible working can be found at the DTI website (www.dti.gov.uk/bestpractice/people). Details of the research into the impact of work/life balance and flexible working covering both employer and employee perspectives can be found at www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar. Teachers, like other employees, have a right to balance their work and home lives. NUT legal services assistant secretary, Amanda Brown, explains how teachers can enjoy flexibility at work:

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The Government’s intention of improving the nation’s work–life balance has resulted in a number of initiatives to improve matters by requiring employers to justify rigid working patterns. Job sharing has become more popular, and time off for family emergencies and crises has become a statutory right. But how easy is it for teachers to make use of these rights? … Schools themselves have always expected teachers to work with some flexibility. Parents’ evenings and other meetings outside the normal school day will be required and voluntary activities encouraged. Some part time teachers find their working hours, and pay, adjusted year after year according to timetable requirements … The union still receives many calls for help from members arguing for a job share arrangement or changes to their pattern of work … The same approach applies to other requests for flexibility. All too often school managements fail to think creatively about how they can arrange matters … A common argument we face is that pupils, especially in primary classes, will be disadvantaged by having two teachers rather than one. In fact there are many advantages to job sharing. Pupils receive a range of teaching experiences and are provided with role models of co-operation. A weak pastoral relationship can be strengthened with two teachers responsible for a class. Ofsted concluded in a 1994 research report that the quality of part time teachers’, including job sharers’, work was ‘significantly above the national average’. It has commented favourably on the benefits of job sharing, including the quality of education and the progress made by pupils taught by job sharers. Source: Brown (2005)

From the NRT website (www.remodelling.org) the following extract by Catherine M Lee, a senior manager with Worklife Support (an organisation that supports the Well-Being programme for school staff) and Regional Consultant for Scotland and the North of England, looks at how remodelling can improve a teacher’s work/life balance. What is work/life balance? The phrase was coined to describe working practices which differed from the traditional and were associated with a number of business and social benefits. These included working from home to increase productivity and tapping into new labour markets, for example, parents with school age children. However, once the framework of the traditional working day had been challenged, the definition of work/life balance moved beyond considerations of time and place to other aspects of work – employees organising their own ways of doing things, being assessed by achievement rather than hours worked, wearing more casual clothes and so on. Some of these aspects have as much to do with how people feel about what they are doing as what, where and how they do it. Work/life balance has become a very sophisticated concept now, encompassing how people experience paid work in relation to the other bits of their lives. A good work/life balance feels right. It supports your health. It’s where the demands and pressures on you feel like challenges not stress, your work is supporting your personal goals in life and the rewards are right for you. Your individual work/life balance is likely to change over time and won’t be the same as anyone else’s ideal balance. Understanding your current work/life balance Here’s a common scenario to consider. You are asked at short notice to do a piece of work with a tight deadline and you accept immediately. Why? You choose to maintain your usual standard of work. Why? (It’s useful to think in terms of reward, rather than negative consequences.)

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A small note of caution – when we examine our sub-conscious motives, we are of course seeking to understand things we have not previously understood. Usually it’s a great deal of fun, but occasionally slightly disconcerting truths emerge. People have become aware that their career choice was based on parental approval for example, or realised the underlying reason for working extremely long hours was an unwillingness to face up to a failing relationship at home. Be sensible about using resources available to you – a trusted confidant, your Employee Assistance Programme, Teacher Support Line or Occupational Health should be able to provide support if you need it. Thinking about changing your work/life balance? If you are thinking about any type of change in your life, it’s useful to be clear about why and which bits you’d like to change, what strategies are available and how much effort it’s likely to take. There are two circumstances when you really should change your work/life balance: ● Most importantly, if your work is making you ill ● If you experience frequent and/or serious work-related fatigue or stress. Both can contribute to ill-

health and increased probability of accidents However, the overall aims of remodelling are to increase the effectiveness of schools. So in this context it’s worth emphasising that work/life balance can affect professional effectiveness. The early experiments in changed working practices indicated that people function best when they have a good balance between their work and non-work lives. It follows that we are not working at our best if we don’t have a good work/life balance. And it certainly feels intuitive to suggest that it would be difficult to excel professionally in the long-term if you work in an unsustainable manner. Assessing which bits of your work/life balance you’d like to change is relatively straightforward. If you have a reasonably clear idea of the components of your work/life balance, and their psychological underpinnings, it’s a question of making your judgements – is there anything which is missing from your life which you feel you want to include? Where are the areas of imbalance – of time, of pressure, of satisfaction, of anything? Or you may choose to look at your work/life balance in relation to life goals: How are my current activities supporting me to move towards the place I would like to be, to become the person I would like to be at the end of my life, and so on? And finally, your understanding of your motives and rewards will guide you in devising strategies which will move you towards your new objective(s). How much effort will your strategy take? Is it worth the effort? Engineering change at school level The process at an organisational level involves considering how your work/life balance needs fit in with those of your colleagues and how these needs can be met within the operational requirements of the school. Only the initial planning of work/life balance is personal. Most aspects will need to be discussed with colleagues, so you need to use a means of communication that will enable the individual or group to respond. A really useful workshop to have with colleagues might focus on where the personal/ professional boundaries in your school lie (this for the headteacher too!). All employers should be willing to consider new ways of working simply because their employees work best when they are enabled to have a good balance between different components of their lives. In addition, schools have a clear expectation that work/life balance will be part of remodelling and they have a process which supports this.

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Is a good work/life balance for staff attainable within the demands of the education system? Certainly a lot of changes that support school staff have been or are being put in place. But the simple provision of support is not sufficient, because work/life balance is primarily about your attitudes to work and the emotions that surround it. Each individual has to put in a certain amount of effort themselves to take advantage of the opportunity being offered. For that reason, and to paraphrase Henry Ford, whether you think you can get there or whether you think you can’t, you’re probably right. Source: www.remodelling.org

Having read the advice of Catherine Lee, what can you do to improve your work/life balance?

To do

Action

STRESS Increasingly school staff are responding to changes within the workplace at a personal level. This is evidenced by a high incidence of stress-related illness in schools. All school staff are exposed to many challenges in their working life. Many are constantly challenged within the workplace. However, challenges are on a continuum from excitement to excessive tiredness, as shown in Fig. 5.1.

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NEW TASK

STRESS

Excitement

Energy loss

Excessive tiredness

Fig. 5.1 Stress levels

Individuals should know their energy levels. If a challenge cannot be met and creates energy loss, inevitably stress will occur. The consequences of stress can be debilitating. Stress can be exhibited in many ways, e.g. irritability, tiredness, excessive drinking or depression. Team leaders should be aware of stress in the workplace; it is important to identify and support those who find work stressful. It is also important to acknowledge personal stress levels. Stress can be overcome if the imbalances that exist are redressed, e.g. increase low energy levels. All staff must look after their own welfare and remain in control. Control may also mean evaluating how you use your time, ensuring that no single activity makes excessive demands on your time. The following levels are described by Lifeskills Associates: ● Optimum Level – When all staff are at their optimum level they are likely to be alert and self-

confident. In practice, they will think and respond quickly, perform well, feel well and be enthusiastic, interested and involved in the task which they will carry out in an energetic, easy manner. ● Overstressed – If overstressed, they are likely to have feelings of anxiety and mental confusion. In this

condition they will not think effectively or solve problems clearly or objectively. They will forget instructions, and be inclined to panic. Physically, there will be symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, excessive perspiration, churning stomach and indigestion. In addition coordination will be impaired and reflexes slowed. ● Understressed – If understressed, they are likely to experience a lack of interest or enthusiasm for the

task. They can have feelings of futility or depression and believe that nothing matters any more – even a simple job can seem a huge task. They will be bored and lacking in energy. To them the world will look drab and grey and it will be hard to summon up energy to start new jobs or create fresh interests. Source: Lifeskills Associates (1995)

Emma Burstall (1996) highlights the following causes of stress in teachers: Work

Life

●

Lack of time to do the job

●

Worries about own children

●

Lack of parental support

●

Worries about elderly parents

●

Lack of resources

●

Lack of time with family

●

National curriculum/irrelevant paperwork

●

Untidiness of others

●

Rate of change

●

Family illnesses

●

Lack of LEA support

●

Housework

●

Poor status of profession

●

Guilt over not meeting all family’s demand

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●

Staff relationships

●

In-laws

●

Government interference

●

Having to take work home

●

Pressure of meetings

●

Lack of private space

Having identified the causes, the current workforce reform attempts to address some of these issues. Brown and Ralph (1995) offer the following advice: 1 Examining beliefs and expectations – are these realistic and achievable? Is there a need to set more attainable goals? 2 Time management – can time be used more effectively? Techniques such as prioritisation, delegation, objective setting can be considered. 3 Assertion – learning how to communicate more confidently at all levels and to deal positively with conflict. 4 Communication – looking at patterns of interpersonal communication and self-presentation skills. 5 Relaxation techniques of all kinds, such as physical exercise, meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, and collection of bio-data. 6 Support networks – it is important to build and maintain support networks of family, friends and colleagues, both within and outside schools.

The following advice (adapted from Blandford, 2003), that a stressed teacher will be less effective than a relaxed one, should be considered: it’s the end of term, teachers are tired and just at the time when they need a break they find they have 101 reports to finish and schemes of work to prepare and their partner has invited the family to stay for a few days over Christmas. In addition, they are about to hit the bad parenting list as they have left it too late to purchase the latest Disney toy. Teachers are justified in being stressed about stress; teaching is stressful, as the medical profession and car insurance companies will testify. The reality of teaching is that marking does not disappear, lessons need to be prepared and families also require a fair share of our time. What is the antidote to a busy professional life? Perhaps the Disney film Finding Nemo can provide an answer; a key character is Crush the turtle. Turtles live for up to 150 years and they have quite a life: swimming, relaxing, enjoying the company of fellow turtles and generally chilling out. Teachers have much to learn from this lifestyle. The bonus of a longer life is motivation for change in itself. There are also professional considerations; a healthy relaxed teacher is an effective teacher. If that Monday morning feeling continues through to Friday, a teacher might be suffering from stress. Positive attitudes in the classroom are often based on how the teacher and students are feeling. A litmus test is to count the number of times you lose concentration during the day. In the same way that teachers notice problems in pupils when they lose concentration, the technique can apply to teachers. For those feeling stressed, it is important to accept that this is not a personal problem or weakness. Be fair to yourself and try to recognise the symptoms.

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When Nemo’s father Marlin and his companion Dory are travelling through the southern ocean they ignore good advice and encounter jellyfish that sting them so the outcome is pain and disillusionment. Marlin and Dory lose control, and Crush and his friends have to come to their rescue, diverting briefly from being carried by the current towards the warmer waters in the north. How many times do teachers behave in a similar fashion, ignoring good advice? It is quite something not to feel pressured by others, to enjoy getting on with people, including those we teach. Doctors tell us to exercise, go for a walk, drink in moderation and eat the right foods. In a busy schedule, not taking a break, grabbing a sandwich lunch and drinking more than the odd glass of wine might seem appropriate. Recognise that the obvious route might prove to be the most painful when it could be far more enjoyable just to ‘go with the flow’. Teaching is not about seeking perfection. The new primary strategy tells us excellence can only be achieved through enjoyment for the pupil and the teacher. All staff need to give themselves a healthy dose of ‘me-time’.

Practitioner questions As experts in the classroom, teachers work alongside a plethora of para-professionals and multi-agency professionals. This level of support for the learner is changing the professional landscape in schools. The teacher is now the leading professional whose time is committed to the learner thus diminishing the number of utilitarian tasks. Consider: 1 Do you have the support you need to focus on the learners in your classroom? 2 How can teamwork raise attainment? 3 What professional development activities do you engage in weekly, half-termly, termly, annually? 4 Are you a self-managed networker who learns from others? 5 What qualifications have you gained, or do you plan to begin studying, for post-initial training? 6 What will be the next profession-related book you will read? 7 Have you addressed your work/life balance? 8 How relaxed are you at the start of the week/term?

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Workshop materials

5.1 Positive reasons for working as a team

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5.2 Creating a change management team development plan

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5.3 Guidance on implementing remodelling strategies

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Workshop 5.1

POSITIVE REASONS FOR WORKING AS A TEAM This exercise could be whole-school- or team-based. It aims to establish positive reasons for working as a team and could form part of an INSET day, either whole-school- or team-based. The exercise could be facilitated by a senior leader with training experience (Armstrong et al.,1993a; 1993b). Working as a team Aims:

To establish positive reasons for working as a team To identify the qualities most needed to work successfully as a team To establish strengths and weaknesses within school teams so that negative attitudes can be reduced

Time:

45 mins

Stage 1 (10 mins) Working in pairs, brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams. Complete the following grid.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Stage 2 (10 mins) In pairs, select from the following list ten qualities you most appreciate in colleagues when working in a team as part of a new wider workforce. List the qualities in rank order.

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Qualities for team work

Order

Loyalty to leader Stubbornness Determination Ambition Desire to be liked Courage Ability to work hard Creativity and imagination Sense of humour Popularity Punctuality Confidence Dependability Desire to lead Enthusiasm Ability to initiate Eagerness to try new things Good organisation Single-mindedness Willingness to listen Willingness to share Social skills Common sense Intelligence Patience

Stage 3 (10 mins) Discuss your findings with the group. Stage 4 (15 mins) Identify areas for development: list the strengths and weaknesses of teams at the school.

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Workshop 5.2

CREATING A CHANGE MANAGEMENT TEAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN The following exercise could be used with different teams within the school as part of the remodelling process. It aims to review and examine team aims, their implementation and resourcing needs. This exercise could form part of an INSET day. The exercise could be facilitated by a school leader with team-building experience. Team development plan Aims:

To examine team aims To examine teaching and learning styles/differentiation To identify areas of weakness in resourcing

Time:

1 hour and 30 mins

Stage 1 Brainstorm the context that you are working in teams. Consider all factors inside and beyond the school and write these up on a flipchart. Stage 2 Divide into two groups. Look at the school aims. How do the team aims reflect those of the school? Write on a flipchart what the aims should be – how can you implement these aims? Stage 3 Share your ideas with your team. Stage 4 Working individually, describe how you organise your teaching/tasks. Compare notes with a colleague. Stage 5 In a team, discuss successful strategies for raising achievement through planning/completing tasks/teaching and learning styles. List, ready for presentation. Stage 6 Reflect on the tasks completed today – how can you take responsibility for remodelling? List, ready for presentation. Presentation in the main hall (or suitable room)

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Workshop 5.3

GUIDANCE ON IMPLEMENTING REMODELLING STRATEGIES Do you and your team have the knowledge and understanding to develop strategies that will be inclusive and raise achievement? If not, why, and how can this be rectified?

AIM – Raising achievement: developing an remodelling strategy Objectives: ●

The remodelling strategy will be published and become the basis of practice for all staff.

Y/N

●

Training in remodelling strategies will be made available to all staff and disseminated.

Y/N

AIM – Raising achievement: improving management Objectives: ●

A new and wider forum for discussion of learning and teaching and other remodelling issues will have been established.

Y/N

●

Members of change management team will be linked to all areas in order to provide a clear line of communication, monitor standards and offer support.

Y/N

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A revised pattern of meetings will be introduced, increasing the number of task groups and increasing the number of whole-staff, subject and year team meetings to discuss remodelling developments.

Y/N

●

Guidance from the National Remodelling Team will be used as a benchmark for the development of in-service training, planning and communication.

Y/N

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Summary

Change is a theme in all areas of educational practice and children’s services. Schools are involved in these changes as they embrace and respond to social, technical, environmental, educational and political (ideological) changes in the society in which we live. Positive outcomes of remodelling and workforce reform might include raising achievement, partnership, increased interest and/or motivation of staff and pupils, improved learner social skills and behaviour, attendance and punctuality. Change can be unsettling, threatening and unpredictable. Introducing change can also be an opportunity for creativity and learning. Some staff will be enthusiastic, while others may view remodelling with fear or as a threat. As with other aspects of the school, staff reaction to change will reflect the culture of the school. Resistance to change can be a major restraining force, though it can be overcome with understanding. The NRT recognises that schools are not all the same and that each school is in a position to create a change environment that suits them. Remodelling helps schools tailor plans for change that are made to measure. The importance of leadership in developing and implementing the remodelling process and workforce reform has been raised in all strategic, policy and supporting government documents. Teams that will be able to facilitate change in an exciting, meaningful and sustainable way need to be teams with vision and understanding and which are inclusive. There are many definitions of leadership in management literature. In the majority of situations particularly in leading change management teams, it is preferable to adopt a democratic style of management. Teachers will be autonomous within their classrooms; however, the management of professionals requires collegiality. School leadership is about getting things done within the framework of practice determined by the school as a community and organisation. Successful teamwork depends on a clearly defined set of aims and objectives, the personalities of team members and the team manager. Both being led and leading will also require delegation. Teachers can save time by delegating tasks to support staff. It is essential that any delegated work is clearly understood. The government’s aim is that everyone should have more choice and control over their working lives as, ultimately, flexible working opportunities benefit everyone: employers, employees and their families.

The following section considers how to monitor and review remodelling.

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Section 6

REMODELLING FOR LEARNING

25 Learning and teaching

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26 Planning, monitoring and evaluating

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27 Where next?

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Workshop materials

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Summary

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Introduction

The nature of learning and teaching is changing – teachers are being encouraged to design a curriculum and create teams that meet the individual needs of the learner with the context of national requirements. Individual learning places the teacher at the centre of not a single model but 20 to 30 models of learning, depending on the size of the class. To devise a curriculum that responds to individual learning needs requires detailed knowledge of the subject matter and a clear understanding of the pedagogy required. Here there is an opportunity to lose the familiar structure of the curriculum and learning environment that takes the learner through repeated patterns. Learning does not happen in isolation; the environment has a major impact on individuals engaged in either activity. Within remodelling, through the five outcomes of Every Child Matters, where schools can be re-engineered to accommodate the broader, more varied curriculum that accommodates the academic, social and vocational needs of individuals, there is every opportunity that the learner will achieve. The social element of schools that prepares learners for society remains a constant through the changes that challenge our thoughts. Schools can provide the opportunities for people to interact. Irrespective of curriculum content or style of delivery, there is an ethical, values-led purpose to education. As schools move into the next dimension of curriculum development, remodelling, the importance of retaining the integrity and professional standing of the school workforce remains central to all our endeavours. Individual learning and development plans, where the learner is guided by mentors, is a practice which has been implemented by many schools. Workforce reform has provided the resource for teachers to work in partnership with a learning mentor in identifying and responding to the learning needs of the individual. Supported by technology and a flexible curriculum delivered in a modular timetable, learners are encouraged to develop in a way that meets their needs (Blandford et al., 1991). Social interaction with peers takes place in group work and through the extended curriculum. Such scenarios are commonplace in pathfinder and early adopter schools and can also be found among the learning networks commissioned and monitored by LEAs and children trusts.

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Questions to consider 1 How does your school respond to the needs of the individual learner? 2 Do you have a flexible curriculum and timetable? 3 How are vocational and academic needs identified and met? 4 Is the school workforce trained to respond to these changes?

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Chapter 25

LEARNING AND TEACHING

What happens in school should enhance the capacities and motivation of pupils to learn. If this happens, pupils succeed and are initiated in lifelong learning for their own development in the workplace and community. The characteristics of effective learning are to encourage pupils to be: ●

questioning and challenging

●

making connections and seeing relationships

●

envisaging what might be

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exploring ideas and keeping options open

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reflecting critically on ideas, actions and outcomes.

At the same time, Senge et al. (2000) advise that the five disciplines which are essential to a learning organisation such as schools are: ●

team learning – transforming collective thinking, learning to mobilise energies and actions to achieve common goals

●

shared visions – establishing a mutual purpose

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mental models – using reflection and enquiry skills to develop awareness of individual and team attitudes and perceptions

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personal mastery – articulating your personal vision

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system thinking – increased understanding of interdependency and change.

David Milliband stated at the North of England Conference (January 2003) that, for young people in the twenty-first century, teaching needs to serve three functions: the transmission of knowledge for a world built on information; the broadening of horizons in a country still scarred by disadvantage; and learning how to learn in preparation for a lifetime of change. This chapter focuses on two elements of learning and teaching critical to the success of a remodelled school, the curriculum and individualised learning.

THE CURRICULUM A well-planned curriculum with relevant activities will be challenging, rewarding and appropriate to pupils’ ability and intellectual development. A pupil will not be engaged if

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the curriculum is demeaning or devaluing. A teacher and learning team will be skilled leaders of a unique environment and conductors of learning. It is fundamental that teachers and support staff should have the ability to plan, select and arrange activities. Planning appropriate activities for pupils is the central skill of teaching. When considering the appropriateness of the curriculum, it is important for the teaching and learning team to be able to predict pupils’ responses and pace of work, and teachers need to be consistent in the specific expectations of their pupils. Within the curriculum framework a teacher and learning team will be alert to the content of other subjects and the extended curriculum and be able to differentiate when necessary. The style of school leadership, curriculum and pupil behaviour all have a direct relationship on pupil learning; teachers should think in terms of the whole curriculum and work closely with other schools for mutual support. The successful management of the curriculum – planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation – are vital for ensuring a positive response from all pupils. Clearly, the school workforce should be committed to teaching and learning and take the education of all pupils seriously. The essential ingredients of the curriculum, schemes of work and teaching styles are all relevant to a remodelled school. In a remodelled school, the management of the curriculum will be negotiated. Teaching and learning teams should not feel pressured into teaching material that they are uncomfortable with. All participants in the classroom should have a shared understanding of the purpose of each lesson. Pupils need to be excited by the curriculum, and it is essential that teachers do not become bored by a repetitive curriculum that lacks direction and cohesion. A creative approach to teaching should be tempered by the need for pupils to learn. Pupils need to be stimulated by the curriculum and not just learn to sit still. Successive lessons involving similar activities will contribute to behaviour problems. Curriculum problems in content or delivery need to be managed collaboratively; curriculum planners need to understand that there are pupils who do not learn as expected and that they need special interventions. The meaning and application of support will need to be understood by teachers in order that they become effective curriculum tools to aid pupils with identified learning and/or behavioural problems. Methods for motivating pupils, remediation and special support need to be developed, implemented, monitored and evaluated. Collaboration is the key to curriculum management. The Elton Report (DES, 1989) had a major impact on curriculum planning, for example the lengths of lunch, morning and afternoon breaks and movement between lessons are now considered when planning the structure of the school day and the timetable. Curriculum content should also be considered; a pupil who is expected to carry to school PE kit and food for technology on the same day as his or her double bass is going to have problems. In all schools, bottlenecks can occur in narrow corridors or stairwells, while badly placed queues can lead to behaviour problems. In some cases, physical aggression is a problem that can be avoided by improved timetabling. A possible means of timetabling is the introduction of a modular curriculum suitable for both primary and secondary schools. This system of curriculum planning was first

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Learning and teaching · 25

introduced to England and Wales by the curriculum team of a small girls’ comprehensive school in an urban area of London. Much of what follows is described in Modular Curriculum published by the Centre for the Study of Comprehensive Schools (Blandford et al., 1991). In this context, a module is a short course that is spread over nine weeks and lasts for 45 hours. In KS4 and KS5 (also applicable to KS2 and KS3), pupils select two different modular courses during each nine-week block. It is possible for pupils to complete 16 modules during a two-year programme. All modules culminate in some form of recorded assessment and the unit credits produced are an integral part of the school’s profiling system. The new school year timetable begins in May for Year 9–13 pupils, thus allowing two modules to be completed in the summer term. This provides Year 7 teachers with the opportunity to develop and maintain links with feeder schools, critical to effective transition between KS2 and KS3. A module is a self-contained course in its own right. Modules of several types can be considered: ●

A single, self-contained unit which is a complete nine-week autonomous course – this type of unit does not lead on directly to other modules. Despite being a self-contained unit, the assessment is formative, providing part of the basis for decisions about the pupil’s future learning needs.

●

A complementary module linked to examination subjects – this would allow pupils to develop their skills where appropriate.

●

Related sequential modules for those courses that require pupils to complete modules in a particular order.

●

Cluster modules – independent modules that can be taken in any order, but come together to form a complete examination course.

There are many advantages to a modular curriculum, as the following KS4 summary indicates: ●

By dividing up the courses into modules and by offering only two modules at one time, pupils wanting four GCSEs out of the module system are never taught their full range of courses at any one time. They are always two subjects light. The school has moved from ‘drip feed’ teaching, where pupils get constant small doses, over two years, to an approach where they receive four concentrated doses, often with breaks. Initially, one concern was over the amount of knowledge that the pupil may forget between cluster or sequential modules. While it was important to produce a modular structure that minimised large time gaps between related modules (rather than fragment the learning process) it appeared that such short courses could enhance it.

●

Many syllabuses offered an above minimum level of coursework as counting towards part or all of the examination process. Coursework could be evenly spread over the period of the GCSE course by building it into the final assessment of each module, thereby avoiding some of the coursework pressures on pupils that were seen to build up in the second year of GCSE.

●

With a modular approach, the starting and ending points of a GCSE course were flexible. Courses could start at any of four points during the year and could be completed in a

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minimum time of 36 weeks. This flexibility is one of the system’s strengths. Year 10 pupils could be entered for examinations at any of three points within the final two years, or could delay entry until the sixth year, without having to repeat a complete GCSE course. If pupils were not satisfied with their grades, many would take the opportunity to improve them. Pupils finding modules difficult could repeat them later, in order to strengthen their chances of gaining good grades. ●

Pupils not ready for a particular course could delay entry to it. The possibility exists for courses to be left and taken up again later if there are factors working against the pupil’s successful completion of the module, for example peer group pressures or staff/pupil relations. Pupils would not be left to experience inappropriate courses, as is often the case within the option system. They could change at the end of the module and still pick up a complete GCSE course. New pupils entering the school in Years 10/11 could select a course more appropriate to their needs and were not left with a mismatch of courses, as normally happens with such transfers.

●

Long pupil or staff illnesses could be catered for, in the case of the former by building in repeat modules so that whole sections of courses are not lost, and with the latter by redirecting pupils from within a module (emptying it) and placing it back in the structure at a later date. Because of the intensity of the learning, pupils do not have as many subjects to work on at any one time as under the old system. It was soon realised that many pupils would not have large gaps between modules, and that the starting and ending points of most GCSE courses could be less far apart than in the two-year option scheme.

●

The intensity of the learning and the short-term goals of the nine-week modules were seen as powerful motivating factors. It was considered important to enter pupils for a GCSE examination as close to the end of their final module as was possible, and to consider running some related modules ‘end on’, should a time gap be considered detrimental to learning.

●

There was some concern over the maturity of some pupils who might complete a course early. It was felt that some pupils completing courses by Year 10 might be disadvantaged compared with those completing the same courses over two academic years. This factor is very difficult to gauge, because pupils within any one year differ greatly and it is further complicated by the maturity levels of the same pupil appearing to differ between subjects. To offset this, it must be remembered that, as the modular groups are identical, the level of learning is the same and all groups contain pupils from several different year cohorts. This latter factor tends to bring wider experience to groups than may have previously been the case.

If, however, a subject teacher feels that a pupil would be better taking additional modules the next academic year, the system will cater for it. In addition, it could be argued that for some pupils to take examinations at the end of Year 11 is too late. Demotivation and dissatisfaction with school can prevent many pupils from achieving their full potential. Any system which offers early entry must benefit these pupils. As research found:

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Teachers found that a partially modular curriculum could lead to the avoidance of many of the organisational and administrative limitations of a traditional curriculum. Cost-effective in terms of resourcing and staffing, it is flexible and allows a greater degree of choice to pupils and parents than a limited option system. It requires a detailed analysis of syllabuses as well as a review of teaching styles. Short courses lend themselves to the introduction of a profiling system culminating in a record of achievement. It provides a means by which the educational benefits of vocational courses can be shared by a greater proportion of the school. Source: Blandford et al. (1991)

Many advantages of a modular curriculum are also transferable to KS2 and KS3. Curriculum coordinators in all phases of education should consider the impact of an inappropriate curriculum and the possibility of changing to a modular structure.

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLANS The remodelling process (workforce reform, Extended Schools and Every Child Matters) also requires schools to create individual learning plans for all pupils. Since the 1960s, classroom practice has been influenced by the child-centred theories of Piaget, Montessori and Frobel. These emphasise a need for teachers to reflect on classroom organisation and approaches to learning and teaching. Solity provides a useful summary: The classroom is then geared to stimulate children, to encourage interest and of their learning to be based on their experiences. The teacher is a facilitator, promoting learning and acting as the child’s guide in the learning process. Source: Solity (1992)

The initial question is how these plans will make education more responsive to an individual child or how to deliver personalised learning. The answer is having high expectations of all children so that staff can build on the knowledge, interests and aptitudes of every child while involving children in their own learning through shared objectives and feedback. This process helps children to become confident learners and enables children to develop the skills they will need beyond school, setting learning situations and providing resources. Individual learning embraces every aspect of school life including ICT, curriculum choice, organisation and timetabling, assessment arrangements and relationships with the local community. Involving learners in the planning of their study or learning objectives is not a new strategy. The benefits to learners range from ownership of targets to more accurate judgements and, hence, assessment of their own performance. To achieve this kind of learner involvement pre-supposes an encouraging relationship between teacher and learner. Developing good learning relationships is fundamental to effective teaching. Moreover, learning behaviours are integrated components of the classroom rather than fragmented attributes of the child (Cornwall and Tod, 1998). The social context of the classroom has long been researched and the importance of wider influences on learners’ behaviour should

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not be ignored. Case study research suggests that the quality of the relationship between classroom staff and learner is very significant (Cline, 1992). Further research (Tod et al., 2004) suggests that children are more likely to develop positive attitudes and behaviours when they experience positive relationships with their teachers. Active learning of the kind that is to be encouraged, if learners are to be motivated and take responsibility for their own achievements, asks learners to be self-motivated and collaborate with others to construct their knowledge. Moll and Whitmore (1998) describe the classroom staff’s roles as guide and supporter, active participant in learning, evaluator and facilitator. All of these activities are part of the relationship between teacher and learner but there are many less definable or measurable facets to the relationship, such as the ability to encourage the learner or providing responsive instruction. Castelijns (1996) states that responsive instruction is typified by teachers and classroom support staff showing that they are available for support and instruction, and willing to take the learner’s perspective on work problems and support the learner’s competencies, so challenging the pupil to be active and responsible in choosing, planning, executing and evaluating the activity and its outcomes. Classroom organisation concerns more than furniture arrangement, displays of pupils’ work and the use and choice of equipment. It includes consideration of pupil groupings and the use of other adults, whether teachers, teaching assistants or other helpers. Decisions about classroom organisation need to support interactivity; all classroom staff need to be conscious of the impact of different social settings on effective learning. The following practical suggestions in creating inclusive classrooms are taken from Cheminais (2004): ● A welcoming, friendly, supportive and emotionally literate classroom climate is of prime importance,

where pupils and staff feel secure, are able to share feelings and ask questions. ● Teachers and TAs must have high expectations, making these clear to pupils, and incorporating the

learning cycle structure in all lessons. This entails establishing a positive mind-set and readiness for learning, connecting pupils’ previous learning to new learning, giving pupils the ‘big picture’, sharing the lesson objectives and expected outcomes with pupils. ● Providing opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning, e.g. describing the different ways they

tackled a problem, asking open questions to prompt alternative solutions and approaches, and ensuring that pupils work in a variety of ways. ● Encouraging pupils to assess their own learning and that of their peers sensitively and constructively

– classroom staff commenting on pupils’ work, indicating clearly what each pupil needs to do in order to improve … ● TAs being empowered to utilise their strengths; being clear about their role in relation to the

effectiveness of their … support strategies, in consolidating and extending pupils’ learning. TAs who can differentiate ‘on the spot’, using both hi-tech and lo-tech aids, are a powerful learning resource.

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Practitioner questions Classroom staff should consider the following questions: 1 What do you understand by the term ‘inclusive teaching and learning’? 2 Are you already experienced in working with pupils with a range of abilities? 3 Do you feel comfortable with the type of reflective practice required to support all pupils? 4 What skills do you already have? What skills do you feel lacking in? 5 How can you guide learners as individuals within your classroom? 6 Is there a sense of progression for all learners? 7 Is your curriculum flexible?

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Chapter 26

PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATING

The remodelling process does not have a natural beginning, middle and end. As with many other educational initiatives, it will be implemented alongside both existing and new plans. These are subject to the strategic and operational cycles that are practised by LEAs, schools and other agencies. This chapter examines the function of planning in the remodelling process leading to the creation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a policy for change. When planning the remodelling process, each school might begin by considering local, institutional and individual needs. An effective and improving school will have established policies relating to the leadership and management of learning, people and resources. A strategy is a broad statement that relates the overall approach and direction towards the achievement of a vision and/or mission. Developing and maintaining a strategy involves establishing a framework within which an operational plan can take place. Strategic planning is long-term planning that takes into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and external factors such as government directives. Planning will be critical to the effective management and implementation of the remodelling process, as illustrated in Fig. 6.1. Planning involves identifying the objectives which are to be achieved in sufficiently detailed and precise terms to enable others to identify whether they have been achieved which can then be actioned with specification of the activities required to meet the

Organisational aims and objectives Organisational analysis

Evaluation

REMODELLING: – Workforce reform – Extended Schools – Every Child Matters

Planning

Implementation Budgeting

Fig. 6.1 The planning cycle

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objectives, the resources needed – what and who will be required to achieve the objectives – and an indication of the timescale.

STRATEGIC PLANNING A strategic plan is an expression of how an organisation intends to achieve its aims and objectives in a deliverable form for a period beyond the current school or financial year. To secure effective management of the school it should be used as a working document for all staff and governors to establish commonly shared and accepted aims and objectives. It will contain a practical and deliverable mission statement to define the essential purpose of the school. The plan will consider where does the school realistically want to be and how does it realistically aim to get there. Its purpose will be fulfilled only if it is closely aligned and linked to the school’s educational improvement plan. A deliverable strategic plan, i.e. SIP, ought to encompass all the activities of the school. Strategic, or long-term, planning takes into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the school as an organisation and external factors such as government directives. School managers have a critical role in articulating organisational goals. These goals will reflect personal values as determined by vision and mission. Preparing a SIP should provide the framework for all activities that relate to the remodelling process as shown in Fig. 6.2.

Vision, missions and values

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

WHY?

School’s budget Aims or goals

WHAT?

REMODELLING

Programme budgeting

Objectives WHERE?

Income and expenditure Targets and day-to-day activities

OPERATIONAL PLAN

Fig. 6.2 School improvement/remodelling

The format of the strategic plan will depend upon the individual needs and circumstances of the school. Ideally the plan should cover a period of three to five years and is reviewed and modified on an annual rolling basis so that a medium-term planning horizon can be maintained. It should be a coherent and comprehensive document showing the relationship between financial and academic years. Schools should develop their own planning cycle and timetable which allows for:

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●

a review of past activities, aims and objectives – did we get it right?

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definition or redefinition of aims and objectives – are the aims still relevant?

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development of the plan and associated budgets – how do we go forward?

●

implementation, monitoring and review – how do we make the plan work and keep it on course?

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feedback into the next planning cycle – what worked successfully, and what can we improve?

School improvement plan Planning may involve going around in circles as various combinations of objectives, actions and resources are considered, while ensuring that all elements are included. In successful schools, SIPs focus on strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning and thereby raise pupils’ levels of achievement. Successful schools often display: ●

a shared vision and high expectation about pupil achievement

●

an agreement on effective teaching practices and their impact on pupil achievement

●

agreed and acknowledged arrangements to ensure the school is managed effectively and efficiently

●

a strategy to develop, monitor and review curriculum and associated learning and teaching policies and schemes of work

●

a coherent approach to monitoring and evaluation, assessing pupils’ progress and recording and reporting their achievements.

Developing and maintaining a strategy involves establishing a framework within which an operational plan can be developed (Blandford, 1997a). SIPs are also an important tool for managing change as they ensure that: ●

barriers are removed so that all pupils have an equal opportunity

●

strategies for managing the curriculum, organisation and staffing make the best possible use of resources to improve pupils’ learning and promote inclusion and achievement

●

collective thinking is clarified so that there is a shared purpose in the school, and a consistent interpretation by all staff and governors

●

competing priorities for the improvement of the school are ranked in a rational way, so that change is evolutionary and innovation overload is avoided

●

CPD of staff is related to the needs revealed by the plan

●

continuity is ensured when keep people leave or change role.

Vision and mission Vision statements represent the values and ethos of the school community and serve to direct the school’s population towards a common purpose. Identifying shared values is central to generating a vision for the school. Based on past and present practice, visions

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should reflect what is good within the school. A genuinely good school with characteristics of openness and trust, and shared values and beliefs, will be an effective school. An example of good practice is given in Fig. 6.3, where the vision (the what) is stated within the inner circle and the mission statement (the why) is presented in the outer circle. The operational objectives (the how) are presented on the outer rim of the outer circle.

By identifying and nurturing talent

By promoting values and achievements

By welcoming parents and visitors

By fostering a love of learning

By teaching vital skills and knowledge

Acquiring technological capability

To enable all pupils and staff to make the most of their mental and physical abilities

To forge links with the local community

By working in partnership with other schools, agencies and the community

By working with pupils to maintain a safe and happy environment

By pursuing high academic standards

To enrich the lives of all pupils and staff

To prepare pupils and staff for a changing world

Enabling progression to further and higher education Working in partnership with local business and the voluntary sector

To encourage personal development

Learning about the world of work By valuing all individuals, cultures, beliefs and backgrounds

By encouraging moral and spiritual development

By developing a sense of responsibility and the ability to make decisions

Fig. 6.3 School vision and mission statements Source: adapted from Blandford (1997a, Fig. 3.6)

Leadership questions Review of the SIP for your school should consider the following questions: 1 Did you get it right? How do you go forward? 2 Are the aims still relevant? 3 How do you make the plan work and keep it on course? 4 What worked successfully, and how can you improve the SIP? 5 How does the plan match the budget?

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Preparing a remodelling strategy The process of developing and implementing a strategy will involve collaborative decisionmaking that is critical to the success of any strategy, and time must be allocated for this. In practice, decisions may be above the mandate of individual staff or working groups, but their participation will increase the likelihood of successful implementation of a remodelling policy. The planning, implementation and evaluation of remodelling should take account of the school’s strategic plan, priorities and available resources, as shown in Fig. 6.4. A remodelling strategy will include details of: ●

remodelling targets related to school improvement targets

●

individual needs, as identified by the performance review process

●

training opportunities through in-school activities, whole-school INSET, LEA courses, national initiatives and accreditation and award-bearing courses

●

resources available from the standards fund, within the school, funding agencies and external bids.

A remodelling strategy will relate to the SIP while reviewing the specific needs of all staff. It will detail what is required for staff development, teaching and learning styles, elements of learning attitudes and areas of experience. The model will also indicate the need for training and development to be relevant, balanced, broad, differentiated and reflected in the SIP. Specifically, school leaders will reflect on what choices are available within the context of remodelling, identifying what is required to improve performance and when this will be done.

ASK:

Why is remodelling the new priority?

PLAN: A strategy for your school

MANAGE:

IMPLEMENT:

Development and ownership of the strategy

Using the strategy to influence plans

Fig. 6.4 Developing a remodelling strategy

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As with SIPs, a remodelling strategy will reflect the values and beliefs of the school community. It should relate to the development of pupils. Schools complement and extend the functions of the home and wider community by helping to prepare all pupils to live in society. Pupils need to learn the obligations that go with membership of a group and a community. Pupils also need to become aware of their own identity as individuals and of the importance of taking account of the feelings and wishes of others.

Checklist Remodelling strategy A remodelling strategy will be: ● broad ● differentiated ● relevant ● balanced. Staff will be trained to deliver: ● subjects/support ● elements of learning ● areas of experience ● working relationships with internal and external agencies. Staff will have the opportunity to develop skills in: ● communication ● observation ● study ● problem-solving ● literacy ● numeracy. Staff will have an understanding of: ● equal opportunities ● economic awareness ● health ● education ● environmental education ● health and safety ● information technology ● social services ● health. Staff will have the opportunity to develop: ● teaching styles ● learning styles ● team work ● resource management ● extended schools.

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OPERATIONAL PLANNING Operational planning is about tasks and targets and relates directly to the role of staff, leaders and managers: who does what, when and how. It is concerned with making things happen in the short term, e.g. how to run a department or team over a period. Operational planning is detailed. It aims to achieve a particular set of objectives within a given time. The planning, implementation and evaluation of professional development programmes at school should take account of the school’s strategic plan, priorities and available resources. The Management Charter Initiative (MCI) Standards (Isaac, 1995) provide a useful framework on the purpose of plans which is to: ●

Manage policy:

– review, develop and present school aims, policies and objectives – develop supportive relationships with pupils, staff, parents, governors and the community

●

Manage learning:

– review, develop and implement means for supporting pupils’ learning

●

Manage people:

– recruit and select teaching and non-teaching staff – develop teams, individuals and self to enhance performance – plan, allocate and evaluate work carried out by teams, individuals and self – create, maintain and enhance effective working relationships

●

Manage resources: – secure effective resource allocation – monitor and control use of resources.

Each layer of the remodelling process requires operational planning with defined targets: who does what, when and how. It provides the details that turn strategies into actions and aims to achieve a particular set of objectives within a given time. The process of developing a school’s operational plan should be collaborative. Table 6.1 identifies the eight stages involved in operational planning.

Leadership and practitioner questions Using Table 6.1 as a template, answer the following questions to assess the school’s planning process: 1 What are you aiming to achieve? 2 What are the courses of action available? 3 Which one will best achieve your objectives? 4 What is required to implement your objectives? 5 What is the best order? 6 What resources are required? 7 Who will do what and when?

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Objectives

Stage 1

Define the objectives

What are you aiming to achieve?

Stage 2

Generate and evaluate

What are the courses of action

objectives/actions

available? Which one will best achieve your objectives?

Actions

Stage 3

Identify the actions

What is required to implement your objectives?

Stage 4

Sequence the actions

What is the best order?

Resources

Stage 5

Identify the resources

What resources are required?

Review

Stage 6

Review the plan

Will it work? If not, return to Stage 2 or 3.

Preparation

Stage 7

Prepare plans and

Who will do what and when?

schedules Audit

Stage 8

Monitor and evaluate

Re-plan if necessary.

Table 6.1 Operational planning stages Source: Blandford (1997a, Table 7.1)

The process of planning is often more important than the plan. In terms of the innovation itself, an action plan might address a range of questions, including who will benefit from a remodelled workforce: pupils or colleagues? What will the costs be for those affected? Will additional resources be required to monitor the additional resources? It is also worth considering: is the change easy to communicate to those concerned and will they see its purpose? If this is not agreed, will it be possible to adapt what is intended to suit specific circumstances? Whose support will be needed? Will key people have a sense of ownership of the change? Given the opportunities that exist with the remodelled workforce, it is time for all involved to train their own staff.

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW Monitoring is an essential stage in strategic and operational planning. Having implemented a strategy, appropriate staff will need to monitor its progress. If plans are not monitored, it will not be possible to determine whether their objectives have been achieved. Monitoring will also enable SLTs and CMTs to obtain the best results from the available resources. The process of monitoring enables SLTs and CMTs to work towards agreed objectives. Figure 6.5 illustrates the process of monitoring a plan’s progress. It is made easier if objectives are clear and practical and agreed by all members of the team.

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Implement

Monitor the match

Adjust

Plan

Target

Fig. 6.5 Development planning feedback loop Source: Hargreaves (1995)

Monitoring will also provide the basis for evaluating practice. SLTs and CMTs will be able to measure and compare their performance against agreed criteria by providing an insight into the strengths and weaknesses of continuing with the remodelling process. Most significantly, monitoring will provide a framework in which staff can reflect on their own practice, an outcome of which is enhanced job satisfaction. Monitoring is an ongoing activity and is integral to teaching and learning. It should not be left to the end of the year. In the process of planning education, the questions a school leader needs to ask are: who is monitoring what, in which ways and with what effectiveness? Who is responsible for adjusting what, in which ways, when and with what effectiveness?

Leadership questions 1 Who monitors the remodelling plan in action? 2 Do you have a change management team? 3 How is the monitoring carried out? 4 How are the governors and wider workforce kept informed? 5 How is the evaluation carried out? 6 Who prepares the final report?

The SLT and CMT will need to assess the relationship between individual needs (performance targets) and school aims (school improvement plan). Resources will need to be allocated appropriately and plans monitored according to the most beneficial use of internal and external expertise. The SLTs and CMTs will also need to monitor development opportunities available from LEA and further government initiatives.

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Checklist Monitoring remodelling ●

Performance – targets

●

School improvement plan

●

Remodelling strategy

●

Resources – funding arrangements

●

Internal expertise

●

External agents

●

LEA initiatives

●

Government initiatives.

SELF-EVALUATION The Ofsted (2002) Handbook states that self-evaluation provides the key to improvement and effective change and is characterised by openness and consultation that is a regular part of the good school’s working life in which everyone is encouraged to participate. Highquality self-evaluation provides the governors, headteacher and school workforce with knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and an understanding of the challenges it faces, so that appropriate priorities for development and improvement are set. Whereas monitoring is an ongoing process and a means of checking progress, evaluation is an overall check on whether objectives are achieved within the planned timetable. Evaluation should be a collaborative process. The desire to achieve success is motivation; evaluation should focus on success in addition to identifying areas that require improvement. In practice, external and internal accountability are central to educational and management practice in schools. The performance management of the school workforce is a key factor in the evaluation process. The introduction of job descriptions and workforce reform will give all staff greater role definition by which they can evaluate their contribution to the school community. In addition, governing bodies are required to manage the implementation and evaluation of their own policies. Evaluation is a component of development planning and an essential prerequisite to preparing any subsequent plan. Evaluation is a collaborative exercise involving asking questions, gathering information and forming conclusions in order to make recommendations.

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Leadership questions 1 Do all members of the community have a shared understanding of the vision of the school? 2 How does the vision inform practice? 3 How does the vision facilitate change? 4 Does the vision have a life beyond 2010? 5 Where will the school be in 2025?

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Chapter 27

WHERE NEXT?

This chapter considers the experiences of those schools that have embarked on the remodelling process. These provide a useful reference point when you consider where next. In 2004, the NRT surveyed 200 schools about the schools’ progress with remodelling, through a short online questionnaire – 127 schools responded, which were representative of 38 LEAs. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with headteachers, teachers, members of support staff, governors and pupils. The survey found that the remodelling process was having a positive impact on the provision of learning opportunities for children and young people. The following findings were received from completed questionnaires: ● the National Agreement is being implemented effectively and on time ● teachers are experiencing an improvement in work/life balance ● support staff are enjoying higher levels of job satisfaction and morale, as a result of workforce

remodelling ● a team approach to the implementation of the remodelling agenda and the National Agreement is

being used ● a representative School Change Team is helping to address the rational, political and emotional

aspects of change effectively ● whilst LEAs are the most popular source of support for workforce reform, resources offered by unions,

professional associations and NRT are also valued ● financial planning issues were mentioned by 30% of the schools ● teaching staff sometimes find it difficult to relinquish doing displays, classes for PPA and exam

invigilation ● sorting out appropriate pay and conditions for support staff is a top priority ● schools are careful to avoid support staff being overloaded ● headteachers, teachers, parents and governors are being involved in ensuring maintenance of standards

during ‘teacher release’ time e.g. when specialist coaches and TAs are teaching/covering classes ● finding physical space for teachers to use for PPA can be difficult.

Source: NRT (2004d)

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Each of the above statements reflects real issues experienced by early adopter and pathfinder schools. When planning the next step for your school, contextual issues (local and individual factors) will also need to be considered. The following case study (Blandford and Graham–Matheson, 2005) illustrates effective implementation of the remodelling process.

Case study 27.1 Implementation of remodelling Penketh High School in Warrington is one of approximately 180 schools to be designated ‘early adopter’ status for its workforce remodelling. Under the leadership of Barry Fishwick, the school implemented a wide range of imaginative solutions that help free-up teachers’ time and improve the efficiency of the school. The work began with a meeting with union representatives where the list of 24 tasks to be transferred from teachers was discussed. From this meeting it emerged that the school managers were doing what they could to move towards the target, but that teaching staff were not always using the school’s eight learning resource assistants (LRAs) effectively. These members of staff work either 32.5 or 16.25 hours per week and are assigned to a faculty or departmental area. The system is currently under review and should be expanded in the new financial year. The school has now provided six SEN teaching assistants. A new structure for this team is in place whereby each person becomes an ‘expert’ in a particular area and cascades this to colleagues. The SENCO is also now a LRA, with the equivalent of two management points, who is aided by dedicated administrative support. Other novel staffing arrangements are now easing the burden on teaching staff, including the following: ●

The posts of examinations officer and librarian are filled by LRAs, with ICT primary delivery and a literacy programme delivered by LRA teams.

●

Three learning mentors (that will eventually increase to at least five) take on an increasing workload that is currently being done by the head of year. They also take lunchtime detentions.

●

The KS3 assessment and tracking role is carried out by an ex-science technician, and there are five exam invigilators organised by the school’s exam consultant, who also arranges exam timetabling.

●

There is a dedicated reprographics department with a full-time manager and a part-time assistant.

●

The rota cover lists are done by support staff on the computer.

●

Consultants work with the school in a number of areas, including support arts provision and the school’s specialist bid, and taking on the coordination of the work experience visits.

There is an emphasis on support in the classroom. A colleague was appointed who is a teacher but will support and help drive the philosophy, supporting areas such as resourcing, administrative backup and office space. The school has also worked to reduce stress levels among teaching staff, with an alternative therapy programme headed up by a specialist worker. There is also an embryonic human resource department in place. The school’s involvement in the Investment in Excellence courses helped raise levels of self-esteem and

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Where next? · 27

was a significant investment for the school; students have successfully participated in a junior version of the course. The school has appointed a dedicated professional development manager, with the time to do a high-quality job, improving the effectiveness of all staff who are employed by the school or who come into the institution as part of its ITT programme. For the past two years, a community development manager has been charged with providing activities in the evening and holidays for the community, mainly in the areas of sport and recreation. In addition, this has also spun off to provide many coaching and other sporting opportunities for the children in school. Finally, the school has worked in partnership with its feeder primary schools to enhance curriculum opportunities and respond to their staffing needs, helping them to move towards guaranteed PPA time for their teachers in 2005.

Having read the case study, what can you do to implement remodelling and workforce reform within and beyond your school?

To do

Action

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Workshop materials

6.1 Questionnaire to be completed in preparation for workforce reform

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6.2 Workforce reform phase 1 checklist

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6.3 Remodelling questionnaire

216

6.4 Evaluation of learning and teaching

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Section 6 · Workshop materials

Workshop 6.1

QUESTIONNAIRE TO BE COMPLETED IN PREPARATION FOR WORKFORCE REFORM Circulate during a meeting and discuss the outcomes. Please answer as honestly and constructively as possible. ABOUT ASSESSMENT 1

Do you need more or fewer data about pupil performance?

Y/N

2

Do you want to carry on with the current report system?

Y/N

3

Do you want to continue with the present number of parents’ evenings?

Y/N

4

Do you feel confident about setting meaningful targets for pupils?

Y/N

5

Any further comments?

Y/N

ABOUT CONSULTATION 6

Do you believe our school is an open school?

Y/N

7

Do you feel as though you get to know what is going on?

Y/N

8

Do you feel that I take notice of what people say?

Y/N

9

Do you feel as though you can influence what happens in the school?

Y/N

How can we improve communications in the school?

Y/N

10

ABOUT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Can you list three aspects of your performance as a teacher that you feel it would be fair to look at in order to reflect on how effective you are in the classroom? For example, pupil progress, professional development, personal development, teaching style, use of ICT, etc. A B C ABOUT THE SCHOOL DAY: Please make sure that your answers will ensure a minimum of 25 hours of classroom time for pupils plus registration, break, etc. 11

What time would you like to start in the morning?

12

How long would you like registration to be?

13

How long should a lesson be?

14

How long do you want for lunch?

15

What time do you want to finish?

Comments

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Section 6 · Workshop materials

ABOUT THE SCHOOL What is good?

What needs to be different?

About the future What should our priority be for the future?

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Section 6 · Workshop materials

Workshop 6.2

WORKFORCE REFORM PHASE 1 CHECKLIST Team leaders to circulate to staff prior to individual meetings.

THE 24 TASKS

STILL DOING IT? YES

1

Collecting money

2

Chasing absences

3

Bulk photocopying

4

Copy typing

5

Producing standard letters

6

Producing class lists

7

Record keeping and filing

8

Classroom display

9

Analysing attendance figures

10

Processing examination figures

11

Collating pupil reports

12

Administering work experience

13

Administering examinations

14

Administering teacher cover

15

ICT trouble shooting and minor repairs

16

Commissioning new ICT equipment

17

Ordering supplies and equipment

18

Stocktaking

19

Cataloguing, preparing, issuing and maintaining equipment and materials

20

Minuting meetings

21

Coordinating and submitting bids

22

Seeking and giving personnel advice

23

Managing pupil data

24

Inputting pupil data

NO

If the answer to any of the above is ‘yes’, could you please elaborate below: a)

Why are you still doing the task(s)?

b)

What do we have to do to make sure you stop doing it?

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Workshop 6.3

REMODELLING QUESTIONNAIRE Purpose: To sample your thoughts on the school – what is good, what needs to be better, how do you feel about being here, how stressed are you, what should our main targets be, etc. Know about remodelling and participate actively in the process. What would improve your teaching and the children’s learning? How could we impact upon it?

SCHOOL DAY (include length of lesson, start times, etc.) ENVIRONMENT

CLASSROOMS

EQUIPMENT

SUPPORT STAFF/ TEACHING STAFF (What is needed?) WHOLE-SCHOOL STAFFING STRUCTURES ANY OTHER?

IS THERE ANYTHING PARTICULARLY GOOD AT THE MOMENT?

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Workshop 6.4

EVALUATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING Purpose: To consider what sort of information is required for the evaluation of learning and teaching. Time: 1 hour. Materials: flipchart with prepared headings and a pen for each group. Groupings: initial 15 minutes are spent working individually. Then move into groups of three to six to negotiate common lists of questions or statements. In a small school, this can be done as a whole staff. In a larger primary school, each group should include teachers from Key Stages 1 and 2. In secondary schools, groups should be made up from staff of different departments/faculties and different pastoral teams. Each group will need to appoint a ‘scribe’ and someone to feed back to the whole staff in the next exercise. The lists of agreed questions or statements should be written on a flipchart sheet for feedback. It is suggested that the following headings are used for both group flipcharts and the master flipchart. Information needed to inform evaluation ●

In relation to the organisation of the learning environment, make a list of questions or statements designed to elicit how stimulating, encouraging and supportive of learning (including independent learning) an area or classroom is.

●

In relation to the management of learning, make a list of questions or statements designed to elicit how well-matched learning opportunities are to the needs of all children and the range of supportive techniques used to enable pupils’ learning.

●

In relation to pupils’ responses to opportunities for learning, make a list of questions or statements designed to indicate the level of pupil involvement in learning activities (depth and extent of involvement).

●

In relation to the effectiveness of pupils’ learning, make a list of questions or statements which will elicit whether learning outcomes match planned intentions, whether thinking/skills/competencies have been developed and whether pupils are aware of/help to monitor their own progress.

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Learning environment

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Management of learning

Pupils’ responses

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Section 6 · Workshop materials

Workshop 6.5

ACTION PLANS The following exercise (Heale et al., 1993) could be used with the school workforce during training day. The aim of the exercise is to produce a whole-school action plan for developing remodelling practice. This could be facilitated by a member of staff with expertise in this area. Purpose: to produce a whole-school action plan through which each member of staff commits himor herself to evaluating practice. Materials: flipchart and pens. Grouping: for small schools, this exercise can be done with the whole workforce. In larger primaries, groups should be organised according to Key Stages. In secondary schools, groups should be organised according to departments or faculties. Time: 45 minutes. Headings for the whole-school plan are suggested as follows – Model A for primary schools and Model B for secondary schools – and will need to be written up on the master flipchart.

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Section 6 · Remodelling for learning

Action Plan: MODEL A This school proposes to adopt the following model for remodelling: Teacher

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Supported by

Proposed purpose

Proposed focus

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Section 6 · Workshop materials

Action Plan: MODEL B Section/department/faculty/year/subject/Key Stage plans allow for the following different models to suit circumstances and personnel. The following headings are suggested: Section/faculty/department/year/subject/Key Stage This section/faculty/department proposes to adopt the following model for remodelling: Teacher

Supported by

Proposed purpose

Proposed focus

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Summary

If schools are to be effective and efficient in the planning and implementation of remodelling, finance management has to be planned. Planning may involve ‘going around in circles’ as the workforce considers the various combinations of objectives, actions and resources which will provide the way forward. In successful schools, the SIP focuses on strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning and thereby raise pupil achievements. All schools are different; there is no single blueprint for a successful school. Knowing the direction of the school or college as expressed in its vision will enable future practice and frame the wider workforce to participate with a shared sense of purpose. Inevitably, remodelling leads to the restructuring of schools. It is the community and the school workforce that should feel empowered to develop and implement remodelling.

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Postscript

In the context of legislation, schools do need to change. Rather than feeling that this is imposed change, take ownership and consider the following case studies:

KINGFISHER PRIMARY SCHOOL, DONCASTER The following quotations are taken from an article in The Guardian based on an interview with the headteacher (Arnot, 2005): ● Not to change isn’t an option. ● We’ve had ten meetings of the school change team. Each has lasted two hours and the caretaker had

to persuade them to go home. Now we’re planning how to give the teachers their 10% preparation time. ● There are some things that only teachers can do, but there will never be enough teachers to deliver

everything in schools. ● I think children respond to working with a variety of adults. For years, they have been handed over to

swimming instructors who are not qualified teachers. We have a US basketball coach who works very well with our kids, and I look forward to the day when one PE lesson a week is taught by an aerobics instructor.

WESTHOUGHTON HIGH SCHOOL, BOLTON The following quotations are taken from an article in The Guardian based on an interview with the headteacher (Nightingale, 2005): ● It’s a happy head who can report to governors that £65,000 has been reclaimed in the school budget

without disposing of a chunk of the teaching staff … where reorganisation of support workers has cut spending on supply teachers … Four learning supervisors, part of the new curriculum support team, provide staff cover, which means less disruption for students and more time for teachers to plan, prepare or do training. ● The important thing is that the quality of cover has improved. Students are getting a better learning

experience and they work better. And staff sickness, in particular stress-related absence, is down. ● A lot of people’s roles have been modified but we have been very open about the process, consulting

with staff and giving them ownership of the changes. I foresee a narrowing of the gap between the number of teachers and support staff in schools beyond 2006.

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Postscript

KINGSDOWN HIGH SCHOOL, WIGAN The following quotations are taken from an article in The Guardian based on an interview with the head of English who has the assistance of an HLTA (Nightingale, 2005): ● The assistant was a teaching assistant before moving into the higher post and she worked on literacy

with pupils who were struggling. In year 7 we’ve now allied literacy to humanities and she’s delivering that and bringing to it everything she learned in the classroom. For me it’s been valuable because she has the experience. ● We have remodelled Key Stage 3 English and moved to a more skills-based curriculum, focusing less

on content. I’ve had more time to concentrate on it and I’ve definitely had more time for leadership, looking at how to make us better. ● Before, we entered 40 pupils out of the year for GCSE English literature and 30% of them achieved

A–C. Last time, we entered the whole year and half of them got A–C.

DOWDALES SECONDARY SCHOOL, DALTON-IN-FURNESS, CUMBRIA The following quotations are taken from an article in The Guardian based on an interview with an HLTA (Nightingale, 2005): ● Being a classroom assistant fitted in with my family commitments at the time but the more I got

involved with the school and the system, I decided I wanted to progress. There’s such a need for this kind of support and I feel I’ve found my niche. ● It’s very much a place where everybody knows everybody, and the school is part of that. Generations

of families have come here. I feel, as I think everyone does, that it’s important to understand what goes on in school and to contribute to it in some way if you can.

ALEXANDRA PRIMARY SCHOOL, LONDON The following quotations are taken from an article in The Guardian based on an interview with a site manager (Nightingale, 2005): ● Remodelling has redefined the workload and hours. Now starts at 7.00 am, rather than 5.00 am,

and tasks such as unlocking buildings are delegated to an assistant. ● It’s a matter of saving time and dispensing with mundane things so I can concentrate on organising

contractors or liaising with the governors. The extra time means you can do the big things which keep the building looking good. There’s a pride in that.

Finally, the following diagram produced by the NRT illustrates regional development in remodelling. Where is your LEA in this process?

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Key contact

Success stories

Key contact

Key contacts

Success stories

Key contacts

Success stories

Key contacts

Success stories

LEA 11

LEA 12

LEA 6

LEA 5

LEA 4

LEA 7

LEA 8

LEA 9

2,500 schools 900,000 pupils

LEA 3

LEA 2

LEA 1

LEA 13 Contact 19

School change team minutes are included in all governor meeting papers

School improvement advisers and HR sections have been fully involved in the project

Contact 18

Contact 17

WFR forum set up and working well in developing positive relationships with unions and professional associations

Smaller schools are actively involved

Contact 11

The LEA has developed high-quality training and support for the work and career development of support staff

LEA version of WAMG has been successfully set up wth all staff unions and professional associations

120 training seminars have been provided to colleagues from 250 schools, central services and pupil referral units (PRUs)

Contact 13

Contact 12

Evaluation feed back from training events has been very positive

It has successfully negotiated support staff job profiles, grading structures, personal performance and development schemes

Contact 10

Contact 9

Support staff training is under way, HLTA training beginning in the autumn term

Cross-functional working – there are close links between the School Improvement service and HR

Positive response to LEA’s approach – the majority of schools were briefed early in the project

Effective local south partnership in place

Key contacts

Success stories

Contact 14

Strong participation in the Well-Being project

The quality and extent of support staff CPD opportunities

Level of engagement of schools in the remodelling process

The LEA is designated as an HLTA training provider and has prepared training for cover supervisors and HLTAs

Key contact

Success stories

Contact 16

Contact 15

Piloting of self-evaluation process in school has been carried out

HLTA training programme and induction programme for support staff have been prepared

Effective local WAMG in place

Key contact

Success stories

Key contacts

Success stories

LEA 10

Key contacts

Success stories

Training well under way. By the end of the academic year 2003–4 the majority of schools will be on board

Effective remodelling forum in place

Key contacts

Success stories

Positive approaches from a large number of schools, with a truly representative range of schools involved

Effective local WAMG in place

Key contact

Success stories

Remodelling Schools Manual: Workforce Reform by Sonia Blandford Published by Pearson Education © Pearson Education Limited 2006

Regional success in support of remodelling

Effective local WAMG in place

Contact 8

Working with 10/11 advisers on remodelling, combining the facilitation of events with supporting individual schools. The advisers are linked to clusters – they deliver the events and follow them up

Inter-departmental working. A group has been established with representatives from HR, School Improvement Service, governors, etc.

Developing a website and diagnostic tool to analyse work/life balance and well-being

Effective local social partnership in place

Contact 7

Contact 6

Local Unison unit has won a national award for working with support staff and workforce reform

The LEA is trying to ‘join up’ support for schools through integrated strategies

Working together within the LEA – the collective approach has been particularly successful. The leadership at all levels in the authority is fully committed to the agenda. All link inpsectors take on a remodelling ‘champion’ role in respect of their schools

Effective local WAMG in place

Contact 5

There is a stong commitment from senior management to remodelling which is reflected in a well coordinated and effective approach across the authority

A website was established early in the project and has been very successful

Response to the remodelling training events has been very positive. There has been high-quality support from consultant leaders

Effective local WAMG in place

Contact 4

Use of baseline assessment – in association with a university

Secodary achools are positively engaged and have addressed leadership and management time which had been largely neglected before Success stories

Effective local WAMG in place

Contact 3

Strong commitment and participation of the council

Strong links with external partners, staff unions and professional associations, schools and governors

Has been designated a ‘Beacon’ for workforce reform

Change in culture – in schools and in the LEA. There is a high level of engagement and cooperation across the LEA. Remodelling activities have been well coordinated with other LEA initiatives

Source: NRT (2005)

Key contacts

Success stories

Effective local remodelling steering group in place

Contact 2

Contact 1

The LEA is designated as an HLTA training provider. High-quality support staff training is well established in the LEA

A comprehensive intranet has been well established and a regular support staff newsletter is published

The team is building up a lot of experience, having alsready led over 200 schools through the process. Appointment of a secondary head to support the LEA

This is a small authority with strong partenrships. There is a strong sense of collaborations across the LEA

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Index

academies 12, 34–7 accountability 112 Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs) 172–3 after-school provision 47, 49 Armstrong, L. 182 Arnot, C. 223 Arnott, M.A. 112 assessment of pupils 20 attainment levels, raising 30–1, 47, 53 attendance and behaviour 17 Barber, M. 19 Behaviour and Educational Support Team (BEST) 64–5 behaviour management programmes 136 Bennis, W. 168 Billsberry, J. 117 Bishop, Stephen 111 Blackburn, N. 115 Bolam, R. 133 Brown, A. 174–5 Brown, M. 179 budgets 12, 198 bursar see finance managers Burstall, E. 178–9 businesses, local 53, 54 Caldwell, B.J. 169, 170 Career Entry Profiles 145 career progression 80, 153 career framework 78 routes into teaching 28, 29, 143, 144 support staff 88, 92, 93, 105 see also qualifications Carr, W. 134 Castelijns, J. 196

change 19, 158–66, 186 barriers to 161–4 bottom-up 161 case study 165–6 expert 161 generic factors 161 local programmes 159 management 14, 76 measures supporting 159 opportunities provided by 160 ownership of 30 reasons for 159, 160 resistance to 162–3, 186 stages of 164–5 top-down 160 change management team (CMT) 15, 97, 161, 164, 205–6 case study 172–3 development plan 184 experiences of 24–5 leadership approach 168, 186 Cheminais, R. 196 childcare 5, 50, 51, 53, 61 wraparound 48, 49 Children Act (2002) 8, 9, 12 Children Act (2004) 6, 58, 61, 105, 159 provisions of 77–8 children’s centres 54, 57, 76 children’s commissioner 77 children’s trusts 11, 57, 58, 61–2, 114 classes, responsibility for 94 classroom organisation 196 Cline, T. 196 closed door policy 45 collaboration 14 between schools 23, 38 leadership 27–8, 186

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Index

Collarbone, P. 158

disadvantaged areas, good practice 47

Common Assessment Framework 6, 9, 140

Drucker, P.F. 160

aims of 66–7

Duarte, S.J. 59

Common Core of Skills and Knowledge 6, 9, 10, 139–40

early adopter and pathfinder schools 10,

six areas of expertise 11, 139 community of learners 41–72 underpinning principles 43 community relationships 9, 36 patterns of interaction 45 community schools 53–6

24–5, 76, 112, 189 results of remodelling 209–10 Edgar, Steve 172–3 Education Act (2002) 5, 6, 110 Education Welfare Officer (EWO) 65 educational psychology service 64

case study 55–6

enrichment activities 52

key elements of 53

environment, creating positive 44

partners of 54

equal opportunities 128

services offered 54 Connexions service 58, 62 consistent financial reporting (CFP) 115–16 continuing professional development 17, 80, 145 identifying needs 125–6 and performance review 129, 130 see also professional development contractual changes 20–2, 79–80, 95 Cornwall, J. 195 cover reform 14, 15, 82–3 resourcing 21

ethos 36, 43, 44, 200 evaluation 205–8, 217–18 Every Child Matters 5, 6, 7, 13, 17, 76–7 barriers to change 163 Change for Children in Schools 9, 11, 50 Children’s Workforce Strategy 5, 6, 9, 10, 38, 138 five outcomes 8, 41, 66, 189 inter-agency collaboration 27–8 Next Steps 77 origins 38 exam results 17

Craig, I. 21 cultural change 7, 9, 13, 17, 38, 72 and community schools 53–4, 55

expectations of pupils, high 195, 196, 200 extended schools 5, 6, 13, 17, 48–52, 70–1

culture of school 43, 44, 72

barriers to change 163

curriculum 35, 191–5

baseline key indicators 70

collaborative management of 192

characteristics of 7–8, 48–9

holistic 48

code of practice 50–1

modular 192–5

DfES Prospectus 49

advantages of 193–5 CWDC 10, 11, 78, 140

and extended services 57–60 leadership and management 51–2, 72 as learning communities 41

databases of information 78

and Ofsted 8

delegation 21, 171–2, 186

parental involvement 72

DfES 5, 10, 27

and training 51, 72

website 14

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extra-curricular activities 47, 52

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facilities, school 49, 60, 72

role of 92, 94, 103–4

family support 49, 53, 54, 61, 72

training programmes 92, 105

finance managers 14, 88, 97–9 job profile 99

Hoare, S. 32, 111 Holmes, G. 168

financial management 222

hours, teachers’ 14, 23

Fishwick, Barry 210 Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners 5, 49, 77

inclusive classrooms 196 individual learning plans 195–6

flexible working 174–5, 186 foundation degrees 142–3, 144

induction 124–7, 147–8, 154 checklists 124–5, 147–8

foundation partnerships 12

information sharing 66

Friedman, Y. 45

INSET 137, 152

funding 12, 16, 88, 110–16

whole-school 136

community schools 53

inspection, Ofsted 61, 62, 78

extended schools 48, 49

instructors 86

HLTAs 95

invigilation 21

remodelling experiences 25

Ireson, G. 169

sources of 110–11

Isaac, J. 204

Gibson, S. 43

job analysis 136

good practice 47, 51

job descriptions 21, 118–20, 207

extended schools 50–1

job profiles

governors 7, 14–15, 81

finance manager 99

Graham-Matheson, L. 19, 24

support staff 95, 105

GTC(E) 15, 138–9

job satisfaction 7, 206

Guaspari, R. 59

job sharing 175

Gunter, H. 23, 89

Jones, R. 97

Hall, V. 162

Kahn, R.L. 45

Hargreaves, D.H. 206

Katz, D. 45

Hassett, B. 111

Keates, Chris 96

headteachers 23, 90, 96–9

Kemmis, S. 134

dedicated time 21, 105

knowledge society 31

implications of reform 96–7

Knutton, S. 169

NPQH 11 Heale, P. 219

Lawlor, H. 131

health and safety 52

leadership 11, 23, 26–8, 38, 90, 157

health services 11, 50, 51, 60, 65

approaches to 168

Healthy School scheme 28, 54

collegiate 27–8, 186

Hituv, M. 46

and decision-making 171

HLTAs 22, 31, 92–5

and delegation 171–2

and implementation of PPA 84, 86, 105

in effective schools 47

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leadership continued extended schools 72 time allocation for 15 and value for money 113–14 learners, adult 31, 32 learning 80, 191, 196 cycle 196 environment 131–2 and modular curriculum 194 learning assistants 31 learning organisations 131–2 essential disciplines 191 Lee, C.M. 175–7

phases of 14–15 teachers’ hours 23 national curriculum 30–1 National Remodelling Team 5, 6 extended schools pilot 51 stages of change 164–5 website 14 needs, assessment of 66, 67, 72 newly-qualified teachers 124, 143, 145 Nightingale, J. 223–4 NJC (National Joint Council) 79, 80, 81 Noy, B. 46 NVQs 140–1

legislation and policies 5–12 lifelong learning 49, 50, 54, 58 Lippitt, R. 168 local authorities 11, 67, 79, 114 Children’s Trusts 11, 61–2 Developing a 10-year Vision 77 guidance from 15, 81 partnerships with 61–7, 72 points of contact with 63 responsibilities 77, 78, 111 looked after children 65, 78 McCall, C. 131 management accounting 97–8 management of workforce 17 Martin, J. 109 mentoring 125, 126–7, 154, 189 Milliband, David 191 mission statement 200–1 Moll, L.C. 196 monitoring 14, 205–7 morale 17, 23, 174, 209 multi-agency teams 6, 10, 11, 27–8, 58, 61, 62, 72, 76 music centres, community 57, 59 National Agreement 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 81 and HLTAs 92

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Oldroyd, D. 162 open door policy 45 operational planning 204–5 Ormston, M. 126 ownership of change 30 paperwork reduction 14, 23 parental involvement 45, 50, 53, 60 benefits of 46 and extended schools 49, 72 partnerships 10, 12, 15, 52, 61–7, 70–1 code of practice 50–1 with community services 62–3 need for 27–8 with other schools 23, 38 as role of support staff 85 Pathfinder Project 26–7, 58, 136 pathfinder schools see early adopter Pendlebury, M. 97 performance management 17, 128–30, 154 appraisal 95, 105, 136 and evaluation 207 performance review 128, 129, 154 checklists 128, 130 targets 129, 130 planning 198, 204–5 monitoring and evaluating 198–208 workshop materials 219–21

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planning cycle 198, 199–200 police checks 63, 90 Poster, C. 43, 53 PPA 14, 17, 19, 22, 83–6, 209 implementation stages 84–6 NRT Toolkit 112 phased reform 15 strategies for achieving 84, 86 practice 17, 19 reasons for changing 19–20 professional development 10, 32, 154 aspects of 133 GTC on purpose of 132–3 opportunities 131–3 policy and practice 131–7 resourcing 134–5 self-development 133–4 whole-school INSET 136 qualifications 11, 78 framework 10, 138–45 routes into teaching 28, 29, 143, 144 qualified teacher status 22, 143, 144 Ralph, S. 179 Rawlings, J. 126 Raywid, M.A. 46 recruitment 17, 28–9, 52, 78, 117–23 advertisements 120 job analysis 118–19 person specification 120 process of 117–20 references 121 selection interview 121–2 referrals between agencies 49, 66, 67 reflective practice 17, 80, 125, 133, 206 regional development in remodelling 225 regional networks 66 Registered Teacher (RT) 142 remodelling 7, 19, 20, 26–32 advantages and disadvantages 24–5 case studies 210–11, 223–4

changes in practice 17 checklist for 17 defined 3, 13 developing a strategy 202–3 discretionary implementation 13 enhancing practice 3–4 experiences of 24–5 factors impacting on success 3 focus of 13 impact on individuals 3 impact on practice 19 implementing strategies 185 leadership and management 26–8 legislation and policies 5–12 outcomes of 23, 158–9, 186, 211 personnel involved 16 phases 14–15 reasons for 19–20 strategic challenges 10–11, 38 survey of progress 209–11 workshop materials 216 resource management 154 benchmarking 115 leadership and management 113–14 value for money performance 112–13 resources 17, 23, 107–54 retention of staff 17, 20, 29, 78 rewards and incentives for pupils 47 safeguarding children 61, 77 Sandwell Department for Education 50–1, 70 school improvement plan (SIP) 136, 199, 200, 222 monitoring 206 and sports 60 School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (DfES) 13, 22, 81, 89 and HLTAs 92 schools as multi-dimensional community 42–3 as resource for community 53, 54

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secondary schools 12

teachers 81–7

Sector Skills Council 139–40

new role 16, 31, 82, 191

self-evaluation 50–1, 133–4, 135, 207–8

shortage of 10, 12, 20

SEN children, services for 48, 65

teaching assistants (TAs) 80, 81, 88–91, 196

SENCOs 63, 65, 85

case study 91

Senge, P. 133, 134, 191

tasks of 102

Shaw, M. 126

workshop materials 101–4

SLTs 205–6

teams 27–8, 168–73, 182–3, 184

social inclusion 55

effective 169–71

social services 11, 50, 51, 58, 140

stages of development 170

partnerships with 62, 65

10 Year Strategy for Childcare 5, 51

Solity, J. 195

Thomas, H. 26, 27, 109, 136

specialist schools 12, 54

Time for Standards 27, 83, 84, 89–90, 112

specialist staff 86

Todd, J. 195, 196

Spinks, J.M. 169, 170

trade unions 15, 38, 81

sports centres 57, 60

training 11, 15, 16, 17, 29–30

staff development see professional development

and extended schools 51, 72 for support staff 88, 89

stakeholders 17, 51

Training and Development Agency for

Standards Fund 110, 135

Schools 138

standards, raising 50

Tuckman, B.W. 170

Stern, Isaac 59

Twigg, Stephen 50

strategic planning 198, 199–203 stress 177–80

unqualified staff 22, 85

Success Against the Odds (NCE) 47 supervision of support staff 81, 90, 94

value for money 112–13, 115, 154

support staff 79, 88, 89–90, 150

values, shared 47, 49

career progression 22, 92, 93

vision, shared 20, 200–1, 222

deployment of 13, 79, 85–6

voluntary agencies 54, 58, 62, 63, 65

integration checklist 123 new roles for 13, 14, 16, 21, 81 ’specified work’ 90

WAMG 5, 15, 16, 48 guidance 20–1, 81, 82–3

supporting PPA 84–6, 89–90

Westhuizen, P.C. van der 162, 163

three categories of 80

White, R. 168

training 21, 92

Whitmore, K.F. 196 work/life balance 14, 20, 21, 23, 82, 159,

targets 42, 151, 195, 206 task allocation 20–1, 22, 23, 82, 85 Teach First 28

workshop materials 34 workforce reform 3, 19, 73–105

Teacher Training Agency 6, 15, 138, 157 2005 training framework 10

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174–80, 209

aims of 9, 10 as aspect of remodelling 13, 17

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workforce reform continued

workshop materials

barriers to change 163

action plans 219–21

challenges and opportunities 16

courses for study 153

description of 38

evaluation 217–18

legislation and policy 6–7, 76–7

extended schools 70–1

resourcing 12

induction 147–8

seven-point plan 14

INSET planning 152

underpinning principles 10, 38

plan for academy school 34–7

and valuing staff 16

remodelling 185, 216

workshop materials 213–14, 215

self-review 149

workforce, wider 4, 13, 23, 78–80

target setting 151

challenges and opportunities 79–80

teaching assistants 101–4

current difficulties 78

teamwork 182–3, 184

proposed reforms 78–9

workforce 150, 213–14, 215

recruiting additional staff 29 workload 5, 7, 13, 16, 17, 20–1, 27

youth services 49, 50, 58

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