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The LA role and priorities within an evolving school improvement system
The LA role and priorities within an
evolving school improvement system
Types of school in Gloucestershire
• 247 primary, of which 42 (17%) are academies
and 1 is a free school
• 39 secondary, of which 33 (85%) are academies
• 12 special, of which 3 (25%) are academies
• 4 alternative provision, of which none are
academies and 1 is a free school
Pupils attending good and outstanding schools in
Gloucestershire
Primary
95.5% (National – 89.3%; South West 92.4%)
Secondary
90.6% (National – 82%; South West 88%)
http://www.watchsted.com/tables (04/10/2016)
Gloucestershire’s priorities for schools 2016-17
• Addressing school (and academy) under-
performance and ensuring high standards
• Improving pupil attendance and reducing
exclusions
• Closing the gaps for disadvantaged pupils
The local authority’s role (White Paper)
• Duty to facilitate academisation
• No longer responsible for school improvement
• Not to “run” schools but deliver and strengthen core functions
and be a partner in delivering educational excellence:
- ensuring every child has a school place
- ensuring the needs of vulnerable children are met
- acting as champions for all parents and families
The role of the LA
Universal offer Statutory duties
Broker external
providers of
support Targeted support
Traded services
LA
There are 13 main statutory LA functions relating to schools
Function What it means, in summary
Tackling
underperformance
in maintained
schools
Ensuring sufficient
supply of places in
schools
Other functions
Ensuring that all
pupils can – and
do – attend school
Place planning
Forecast: need for school places
Commission: supply of places from maintained schools and academies (including Free Schools)
Assess need for and distribute: funding for required expansion of maintained schools
Funding schools
Calculate: set local funding formula for maintained schools (which EFA uses to fund Academies)
Distribute: annual revenue funds (including Pupil Premium)
Assess need for and distribute: capital funding, including both new builds and maintenance
Facilitating fair access
Oversee: act as admissions authority to oversee admissions arrangements for maintained schools
Publish: prospectus containing admissions information for all state schools (maintained and Academies)
Administer: admissions process for maintained schools and academies
Administer: appeals process for maintained schools admissions
Enforce: fair access protocols for maintained schools and academies
Ensuring attendance Identify: children not receiving education (including 16-19) and place them in schools / other settings
Enforce: school attendance by issuing penalties and prosecuting parents
Funding school transport Assess need for and distribute: funding for transport costs for eligible pupils (SEN, long-distance)
Co-ordinate and commission: transport arrangements to avoid market failure through fragmentation
Supporting school improvement
Monitor: performance of maintained schools
Intervene: to provide school improvement support to help under-performing maintained schools
Broker: solutions for failing maintained schools
Statutory and regulatory
functions
Discharge: miscellaneous statutory requirements (e.g. employing a DCS, undertaking internal HR functions,
providing CPD to governing bodies, providing information to schools and/or central government)
Asset management Manage: maintained school buildings, resources, capital programme administration and contract management
Central support services Provide or commission: pupil support (e.g. clothing, board and lodging) and extra-curricular facilities and
activities (e.g. music provision, outdoor education centres, sports services)
Premature retirement costs/
redundancy costs
Administer payments for: costs associated with early retirement or redundancy of teachers in maintained schools
for whom the LA is the legal employer
Therapies and other health
related services
Assess need and distribute payments for: therapies and health services for children where this is required for
them to access education in maintained schools and academies
Monitoring national curriculum
assessment
Ensure: that national curriculum tests are conducted appropriately in maintained schools
High needs and alternative
provision
Assess need for and distribute: funding for services required by children with Special Educational Needs
Provide: Comply with requirements of Children and Family Act, including issuing and delivering EHCPs
Provide: Provide specialist services (e.g. PRUs) for children with complex needs unsuitable for mainstream schools
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The role of the LA
Universal offer Statutory duties
Broker external
providers of
support Targeted support
Traded services
LA
Universal offer includes…
• Advice and resources (EPI structure chart and GlosEd website)
• Briefings/events (including - headteachers, chairs, clerks,
EYFS, SENCo clusters, secondary senior leaders)
• Regular newsletters (including – Heads Up, What’s Up Gov,
Leaders of Learning, Closing the Gap, EYFS, Subject
newsletters)
• Education Adviser annual visit (minimum)
• Involvement in Ofsted inspections (maintained schools)
• Assessment and moderation meetings
• New and acting headteacher support programme
www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/article/110274/GlosEd
The role of the LA
Universal offer Statutory duties
Broker external
providers of
support Targeted support
Traded services
LA
Addressing school (and academy) under-
performance and ensuring high standards
Academies
•Local influence
•Referral to DfE or Ofsted
Maintained Schools
•Support for schools causing
concern
•Intervention in schools in
Ofsted categories
The role of the LA
Universal offer Statutory duties
Broker external
providers of
support Targeted support
Traded services
LA
Some traded services include…
• Governor Services
• External adviser for headteacher appraisal
• Subject Leader Network Meetings
• Annual Closing the Gap Conference
• NQT support programme
The role of the LA
Universal offer Statutory duties
Broker external
providers of
support Targeted support
Traded services
LA
Education Performance &
Inclusion
Targeted Support Teams/YST
GlosED directory of providers
Safeguarding and MASH HR & Finance
Schools/Heads & Governors
Healthy Living & Learning & Online
Pupil Survey
Data & Information
SEND
Relationships Partnerships Influence
Admissions
Virtual School
Families First/Early Help
Balcarras Teaching
School Partnership
Odyssey Teaching
School Alliance
Forest Teaching
School Alliance
Cotswold Edge Teaching
Alliance (CETA)
Coney Hill Milestone (CHM)
Teaching School Alliance
Crypt Teaching
School
The Cotswold Teaching
Partnership
Sir Thomas Rich’s
Teaching School
Teaching schools in Gloucestershire
