Haringey Schools BulletinAlthough not specifically aimed at those governing, it is a useful introduction to how the new 9 to 1 system will align with the old system and gives a breakdown of when each GCSE subject will be reformed.
Ensuring clarity of vision and strategic direction is one of the three core functions of governing boards. To assist governors and trustees in their strategic role, NGA and Wellcome have published Being Strategic: a guide for governing boards.
Being Strategic offers a robust annual cycle for creating, monitoring and reviewing strategy. It provides advice, poses questions for governing boards on each stage of the cycle, and supports school leaders in taking a broad and long-term perspective.
To access a pdf version of the new guidance, click here.
The government has published its response (external link) to the consultation it carried out into proposals for changes to free school meals and early year pupil premium eligibility under universal credit.
The government has decided to press ahead with its plan to alter free school meal and early year pupil premium eligibility by introducing a £7,400 annual net earned income threshold. This will “typically equate to an overall household income of between £18,000 and £24,000 once benefits income is taken into account”. Families will need to earn below this in order to be eligible. This threshold will be fully introduced once universal credit’s roll out has been completed, currently estimated to occur in 2022. Until then, all existing claimants will be protected; the new threshold will be used to determine the eligibility of new claimants from April 2018. Following universal credit’s rollout, all existing free school meal recipients will retain eligibility until the end of their phase of schooling.
The changes have been justified as they will lead to an estimated 50,000 more children becoming eligible for free school meals. The changes will not alter the enrolment mechanisms for free school meals, so parents will still need to apply.
This is relevant for governing boards, as they have a duty to ensure that their school is using pupil premium funding to raise the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its careers guidance for further education and sixth form colleges.
This guidance incorporates the Gatsby Benchmarks into the careers strategy for post-16 providers. This means that colleges and sixth forms should provide:
Acknowledging that this had previously been a problem, Sir David said, “My plan going forward is that we will now bring that to an end … there is no point in having two bodies both working at school level because the downward pressure that creates on the system is I think part of the workload challenge.”
He went on to say that visits to individual schools would be carried out in only two circumstances: either because RSCs want to learn about good practice or because they question the validity of what they have been told about the school.
Sir David said that both he and the Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, are aware of the risk of duplication and are working together to address it.
Watch the full debate on the Institute of Education website (external link). Sir David’s comments are 59 minutes in.
Sir David Carter (National Schools Commissioner) writes about governors and trustees in the latest Times Education Supplement.
Sir David defines governors and trustees as the “unsung heroes of the education system” and goes on to say that “effective governance lies at the heart of school improvement.”
Throughout the article he provides views on what effective governance looks like, including recruitment being based on the right skills, knowledge and experience; the need for continual reassessment of the expertise and capacity of the board and the importance of the ongoing development of governors and trustees.
Sir David also emphasises the importance of accountability in “establishing strong working relationships, particularly between executive leaders, heads and their boards”, specifying how the board should be improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged learners by asking challenging questions and using data. Also explored is the need for a clear vision that is “determined at board level and co-constructed with executive leaders” and which connects with “the daily experience of children.”
Finally, the need for induction training for new governors and trustees is stressed. Any schools wishing for support in these areas should contact Governance Services at school.governors@haringey.gov.uk
Read the full article here (external link)
The guidance states that “when a school meets the coasting definition, RSCs will engage with the school, and, where appropriate, the school’s trust, local authorities and dioceses, to consider the measures already in place to improve the school’s academic standards, and decide whether additional support is needed, prior to any letters being sent to the school”. The RSC will also look at the “wider context” of the school, performance data and other relevant information (such as improvement plans and the ability of the school to implement these plans effectively). RSCs can then take a range of actions, ranging from no further action to formal action. The guidance emphasises that formal action for coasting schools will occur only in exceptional cases and, most commonly, “the RSC will look to work collaboratively with school leaders to bring about improvement” using a range of support mechanisms.
You can access the video here (external link)
Haringey’s HR Business Partner will be issuing a Model GDPR Policy, a Model Privacy Notice and a Model DPIA template for schools to adopt.
Haringey’s not-for-profit, schools-led school improvement company, Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) is developing rapidly. In November, Cabinet agreed to commission its ongoing statutory and strategic functions through HEP and to support its development with a £600K investment. Shortly before Christmas, HEP was registered at Companies House.
We will shortly be writing to each school governing body in Haringey asking them to sign up to HEP. You will receive a brochure outlining HEP’s core offer and traded service, a FAQs document and the legal terms and conditions which the school will need to confirm its agreement with in order to become a HEP member.
If you have any queries or want to discuss this further, please contact James Page: james.page@haringey.gov.uk
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its model privacy notices, often issued by schools and local authorities to parents, pupils and staff in relation to data collection. The privacy notices have been enhanced to be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which comes into force in May 2018. The DfE highlights that these models are simply a recommendation; schools and local authorities are free to review and amend the wording to reflect their individual circumstances.
For further information on the DfE’s privacy notice model documents, visit the government’s website (external link)