Jon ColesDirector General
Schools Directorate
Good policy requires three things
Politicalobjective
Deliveryreality
Evidencebase
Evidence-based policymaking
• Not in a vacuum
• Will happen at pace
• Integrate evidence at an early stage of the development process
• So need evidence on emerging issues ready in advance or be in a position to provide it quickly
• Evidence-based delivery of policy
The three key points:• Identifying the strategic requirement for
policy change, drawing on a comprehensive evidence base
• Taking the political context fully into account and anticipates future direction
• Drawing out strengths and weaknesses of the delivery system and managing for continuous improvement
Understanding context
CamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamden IslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslington
Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston upon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thames
WandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambeth
Richmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon Thames
Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith and Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulham
WestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterKensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington and Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelsea
Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham ForestForestForestForestForestForestForestForestForest
RedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridge
Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower HamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamlets
Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and DagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenham
NewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewham
HackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackney
HaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringey
SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark
EalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEaling
HounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslow
LewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewisham
GreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwich
BexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexley
HaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHavering
EnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfield
BarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnet
HarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrow
BrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrent
HillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdon
MertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMerton
CroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydon
SuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSutton
BromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromley
London WardsRank of Index of Multiple Deprivation
1 to 9991,000 to 1,9992,000 to 3,9994,001 to 5,9996,000 and Over
London faces the challenges of all metropolitan areas
London Wards by Rank of Index of Multiple Deprivation
… and the challenges of economic success
110%
115%
120%
125%
130%
135%
Men
Women
Average earnings of men and women - Greater London Relative to GB
Developing options
• Basing options for change on a comprehensive evidence base
• Devising options which incorporate ministerial/political objectives
• Structuring delivery systems to make things work
Gender balance in mixed London secondary schools
Gender Balance in Co-educational Secondary Schools, 2002
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
% of full time boys
Fre
qu
ency
, % Inner London
Outer London
National
The hierarchy of schools …
Getting to a decision
• Ensuring Ministers have robust, evidenced basis for decision-making
• Ensuring the decision is supported by political buy-in
• Providing a thorough assessment of deliverability
Meeting the pan-London Challenges
Keys to Success Schools
Keyboroughs
A single strategy
Making it happen
• Structuring and using lessons learned from evaluation
• Maintaining political legitimacy
• Performance managing delivery of policy effectively
At break in the time series, end of Key Stage 4 attainment was
consistently 0.2ppt above equivalent figures for 15 year olds.
For 5 years running London’s secondary schools have outperformed the national
average in the proportion of students achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and maths. London has reached the level of
the PSA target set for 2011 (53%).
London is now the highest performing region
43.3
45.8
47.9
50.7
54.0
32.433.9
35.136.7
38.539.3
41.042.5
44.0
45.8
48.2
50.7
34.0
35.937.3
38.139.5 39.5
40.4
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
% 5
+ A
* -
C in
cl. E
ng &
Mat
hs
London Maintained schools
15 year olds End of Key Stage 4