Agenda item

To consider a report by the Senior Challenge Advisor GwE (copy attached) to provide information regarding the support and challenge presented to schools identified as requiring increased support and intervention in order to ensure positive outcomes for learners.

10.55 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.

 

The Head of Education introduced GwE’s Head of Standards and the Senior Challenge Advisor to present their report on the effectiveness of current support offered to schools within Denbighshire identified as requiring additional support and intervention.

 

Members were advised that GwE during the initial period since its establishment had, in line with the Service Level Agreement (SLA), focussed on the primary sector in Denbighshire, as at that time there were more schools in the amber or red category within the primary sector in the county.  This had paid dividend as there were no longer any primary schools categorised as red and fewer categorised as amber in the County.  However, there were more primary schools now in the yellow category and two high schools in the red category, which was a cause for concern.  Consequently, the focus of the new SLA would be on the provision of intervention and support to the secondary education sector.  In response to Members’ questions GwE officials:

·         Confirmed that it was anticipated that one high school would, in the near future, move from the red category to the amber category, as the implementation of the actions in the Estyn Action Plan progressed;

·         Advised that despite GwE’s future focus being on the secondary sector the primary sector should not suffer, as the primary sector’s challenge advisors would still be working with primary schools;

·         Informed the Committee that, as part of GwE’s service planning, they were looking at building capacity and resilience within the organisation to meet future demand, for example teachers and head teachers from outside of Denbighshire and recently retired teachers/headteachers, with a proven track record, being commissioned to come in and challenge schools on various aspects of their work;

·         Informed members that GwE would also be developing an upskilling programme with a view to supporting and developing future headteachers and managers;

·         Confirmed that for the above to be successful there was a need to build a high level of mutual trust between the organisation, teachers and school staff, and governing bodies;

·         Advised that a new software tracking system was scheduled to “go live” the following week which should help the local authority and GwE identify any slippages early enough to enable appropriate intervention action to be taken and mitigate the risk of poor results and unsatisfactory outcomes for learners;

·         Reassured the Committee that GwE was not complacent and could not afford to let schools in the yellow and green categories slip;

·         Advised that for a school to be successful there was a need to strike the appropriate balance between support and accountability for the staff and governing body.

·         Emphasised that GwE expected to be rigorously challenged by each local authority’s Lead Member for Education and the WG on the value for money aspect of its work.

 

With respect to the high level of absenteeism, the Head of Education advised that the Council had undertaken a lot of work in this area.  The restructure of the Educational Social Work (ESW) Team would also support work on reducing absenteeism.  However, the majority of cases of absenteeism were with the parents’ consent i.e. withdrawing pupils from schools to go on holiday.  Denbighshire had recently issued its first Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for absenteeism.

 

Members voiced their concerns on:

·         The number of teachers currently applying for headteacher training and headteacher posts;

·         The number of very good teachers who were leaving the teaching profession to go and work for GwE and other education organisations;

·         The potential for a school to be successful or unsuccessful dependent upon the quality of its headteacher and school leadership team and the potential risk caused to a school’s success if its’ successful headteacher/teacher was seconded by GwE to challenge/support “failing schools”.  Staff were under enough stress already without having additional expectations placed on them;

·         The support available to governing bodies when they were appointing staff, particularly headteachers; and

·         The support available to headteachers to cover their work when they attended training;

·         The amount of financial and human resources available to GwE for it to undertake its work effectively; and

·         On the long-term outlook for Rhyl High School based on its disappointing results in 2015.

 

Council Officers advised:

·         That some of the top performing schools in England did not receive any support from local authorities, schools in Denbighshire should also aspire for a culture of non-dependency;

·         That there was a need to appoint the right people to lead schools, by widening the field to attract the elite candidates, a good headteacher with high aspirations would lead to better outcomes for all and a culture of non-dependency;

·         That they had real concerns on the long-term outcomes for one high school; and

·         The accountability of governing bodies for appointing staff and for school performance.

 

Following an in-depth discussion, the Committee:

 

RESOLVED subject to the Committee’s observations –

 

(i)            To receive information provided on the support and challenge provided to identified schools, and acknowledge that the support provided to the primary sector had realised positive outcomes;

(ii)          Recommended the need to strike an appropriate balance between support, challenge and accountability to schools and school governing bodies;

(iii)         Recommended that appropriate training is provided to school governors to enable them to fulfil and sustain their challenge role;

(iv)         That a report be presented to the Committee at its January 2016 meeting on the roles and responsibilities of school governing bodies;

(v)          That the report on “Verified External Examinations and Teacher Assessments” scheduled for presentation to the Committee in January 2016 include the results of the joint GwE/Denbighshire analysis of the county’s pupils’ underachievement in 2015; and

(vi)         That the Managing Director of GwE be invited to January 2016 meeting.