Elm December 2014

EDUCATION LEADER AND MANAGER

Representing leaders and managers in education P O L I CY

OFSTED OPENS THE DOOR TO DIALOGUE page 6

PROFILE

THE FUTURE OF FURTHER EDUCATION page 14

INSPECTIONS

AIM FOR EXCELLENCE, NOT ‘OUTSTANDING’ page 18

DECEMBER 2014 @ATL_AMiE

F E AT U R E

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WORK

HOW TO MAKE BRITAIN’S ‘BROKEN’ WORKPLACES BETTER page 10

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ELM / DECEMBER 2014

INSIDE 4

Education news including the latest DfE survey

6

Ofsted is keen to talk but will teachers listen?

8

The view from Northern Ireland and Wales

10

The Smith Institute: Making work better

14

FETL chief executive Mark Ravenhall has time out

17 18 20 22

The latest from AMiE

How to handle Ofsted

Get social media smart

Child poverty in Britain

ELM is the magazine from ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD Tel 020 7930 6441 Fax 020 7930 1359 Email report@atl.org.uk or membership@atl.org.uk Website www.atl.org.uk Editor Paul Stanistreet ELM is produced and designed for ATL by Think Publishing, The Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road, London W10 6BL Tel 020 8962 3020 Email info@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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The views expressed in articles in ELM are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect ATL policy.

Official policy statements issued on behalf of ATL are indicated as such. All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of ATL. Cover: Matt Murphy

PETER PENDLE AMiE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Welcome There has been welcome recognition in recent weeks of the problem of teacher workload. In a speech to public-sector workers this autumn, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg drew attention to the unnecessary and unproductive work generated by external accountability pressures.

These pressures, as this issue’s Policy Matters feature (page 6) argues, are contributing to a culture of compliance, with leaders and managers in some schools and colleges effectively acting as internal Ofsted inspectors, investing time in monitoring performance rather than in creating an environment in which teaching and learning can thrive.

Our cover feature on the Smith Institute’s report, Making Work Better, shows that the best – and most productive – workplaces are those in which “a pervasive culture of consultation and engagement prevails”. Yet, in far too many cases, workers are complaining they have too little say over what they do. This will doubtless resonate with school and college leaders and teachers.

As Mark Wright says in his Masterclass article (page 18), the best leaders are those who make the focus of their work the development of “a strong performance culture based on the moral purpose of education” rather than accountability.

We appreciate though how difficult this can be. The new Ofsted guidance on what inspectors do not expect schools to do as part of the inspection process is helpful. The new Common Inspection Framework is also a step in the right direction. But it is not enough. Tinkering with the system will not deliver what we need: a new system of accountability based on collaboration in which higher standards are achieved in an environment of professional respect, appropriate challenge and clear accountability. That is the message of our members – and that is the message we will take to politicians in the run-up to the general election.

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NEED TO KNOW

NEWS IN BRIEF

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST EDUCATION SECTOR NEWS AND ISSUES

HIGHER COLLEGE STATUS

G OV E R N M E N T S U RV E Y

TEACHERS SHARE PAIN ON WORKLOAD A GOVERNMENT survey on teacher workload has been inundated with responses.

More than 21,000 teachers responded to the Department for Education’s ‘Workload Challenge’ in just three days.

Education secretary Nicky Morgan launched the survey in response to teachers’ complaints that they were struggling with “an unnecessary and unsustainable workload”, much of it the result of the pressures of inspection.

The survey asked teachers to report on ‘unnecessary tasks’ that prevent them from teaching and suggest how to reduce them. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said the initiative was a “battle against bureaucracy” and would give teachers the chance to tell Government what would improve their working lives.

He said teachers faced a range of additional non-

teaching work, such as excessive marking, preparing evidence for performance management and writing comments in different colours.

Talks with teacher unions, including ATL, prompted Ofsted to publish a memo dispelling myths about inspection requirements.

Mary Bousted, ATL’s general secretary, welcomed the focus on workload. She said teachers would have “far-reaching and challenging things to say about Ofsted, because it has driven so much unproductive work, and about the pace and nature of education change and the coalition’s reckless approach to qualification and curriculum reform”.

Ideas from the Workload Challenge will be examined by teachers and experts with a view to developing Government plans to reduce teacher workload.

3 MORE INFO Read more about Ofsted and teacher workload in our Policy Matters section on page 6 and in Mark Wright’s Masterclass article on page 18.

Further education colleges should have similar autonomy to universities in awarding higher technical and vocational awards, the Association of Colleges has recommended.

Its report, Breaking the Mould: Creating Higher Education Fit for the Future, calls for higher technical and vocational education in England to be strengthened to help the country compete on a global scale. It calls on Government to allow colleges to have the equivalent of degreeawarding status, and to work in other colleges to make these awards, perhaps through the formation of a technical accreditation council.

3 MORE INFO Download the report at: bit.ly/BreakingtheMould

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

TEACHING ASSISTANT STANDARDS

THE DEPARTMENT for Education (DfE) has begun a review of professional standards for teaching assistants.

The DfE wants to develop standards that will be “unequivocal, clear and easy to understand” and will “inspire confidence in teaching assistants” so that their skills and expertise are fully utilised.

The review will be led by Kate Dethridge, principal of Reading’s Churchend Primary Academy, with support from a panel of teachers and teaching assistants.

Two ATL members, Kathryn Booth and Susan Coates, will be sitting on the panel. It will draw on the views of teaching professionals, unions, parents and other interested parties, and is expected to be published in spring 2015.

E Q UA L I T Y A N D D I V E R S I T Y

FUND TO TACKLE HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING

A fund to find ways to tackle homophobic bullying in schools has been launched by education secretary Nicky Morgan.

Community or non-profit organisations that offer creative ideas to fight homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in England’s playgrounds and classrooms will share the £2 million fund.

Recent law changes have given schools wider powers to tackle homophobic abuse and bullying, while Ofsted now includes attitudes to homosexuality in school inspection guidelines. New research suggests that school-based efforts – including training for teachers and staff, support for victims and special lessons – can be effective.

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NEED TO KNOW

SOCIAL MOBILITY

BRITAIN FACES DIVIDED FUTURE

Higher pay for teachers working in challenging schools and a national parenting campaign to help ensure that all children are ‘school ready’ at age five are among the recommendations of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s second annual State of the Nation report.

The report argues that the UK risks becoming a society “permanently divided” between rich and poor.

It predicts that the number of households in absolute poverty will rise by a third this decade and warns that the target to reduce child poverty by half by 2020 will not be met.

Commission chair Alan Milburn said that only “radical new approaches” would make a difference and accused the three main parties of being “less than frank” on the issue and on the likely impact of future spending cuts.

The report makes a series of recommendations to “ensure there is a social recovery alongside the economic recovery”.

These include higher pay to encourage the best teachers to work in the most challenging schools, all children to be school-ready at age five by 2025, and illiteracy and innumeracy to be ended for primaryschool leavers by 2025.

It also proposes reforming child poverty targets, ending unpaid internships and ensuring that universities recruit from “a broader range of talent”.

L E G I S L AT I O N

LECTURERS IN WALES MUST REGISTER WITH NEW BODY FROM APRIL 2015, all lecturers in further education institutions in Wales will need to register with a new body, the Education

FELTAG GUIDANCE THE SKILLS Funding Agency (SFA) has published guidance on how it will implement the recommendations made by Government in response to the Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG).

The recommendations aim to encourage the further education system to make use of digital technologies to achieve a better blend of online and face-to-face delivery. The SFA has been working with the sector to progress the Government’s commitment to a ‘digital future’ for further education.

The guidance clarifies the use of individualised learner record data and what is expected in terms of online delivery. It invites providers to complete a ‘temperature check’ survey on their level of online provision.

3 MORE INFO Download the guidance at: bit.ly/DeliveringOnlineLearning

Workforce Council, as part of legislation passed in May. Learning and support staff in FE and school will need to register from April 2016.

3 MORE INFO To find out more visit www.gtcw.org.uk/ ewcnews or contact the General Teaching Council for Wales: 029 2046 0099 or information@gtcw.org.uk.

S K I L L S F U N D I N G A G E N CY

NEW SKILLS BOSS IS OLD SCHOOLS BOSS Peter Lauener, chief executive of the Education Funding Agency (EFA), has been appointed head of the Skills Funding Agency, in a move many hope will lead to a more integrated education sector. The schools funding boss took up the new role at the start of November. He will continue as head of the EFA. A Government statement stressed that the two agencies would not be merged. Mr Lauener will have separate accountability for each agency’s budget.

Skills minister Nick Boles said he hoped that the appointment would “help to join up our programme of reform across the education and skills sector”.

Peter Pendle, chief executive of AMiE, said: “We congratulate Peter Lauener on his appointment. Peter is an experienced, respected and long-serving figure in the wider skills sector. His knowledge and openness to collaborative working could very well increase the chances of a more integrated sector.”

R E P AWA R D S

LEADERSHIP REP OF 2015 TIME IS fast running out for nominations for the AMiE outstanding leadership rep award 2015.

If you feel your union rep deserves recognition for the work they do on behalf of AMiE members, please let us know.

To nominate your AMiE rep visit www.atl.org.uk/ repawards. The closing date is Friday 19 December.

FE FUNDING

JANUARY WAIT FOR EFA FUNDING RATE

THE EDUCATION Funding Agency (EFA) has told providers they will have to wait until January to learn how much money they will receive for the 2015-16 academic year. Last December the EFA wrote to

providers of education and training for 16 -to-19-yearolds announcing a cut in funding for 18-year-olds of 17.5%, amounting to a saving of £150 million.

The Government later said that any losses resulting

from the cut would be capped at two per cent. In its latest letter, EFA director for young people Peter Mucklow said that the reduction will still apply in 2015-16 and that no further ‘transitional protection’ will be applied.

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POLICY MATTERS

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB Ofsted’s consultation on inspection is a welcome acknowledgment of the burden it places on teachers and leaders. But will it change anything?

WORDS PAUL STANISTREET

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e’ve known for a long time that Ofsted isn’t working. Teachers and leaders complain of inconsistencies between inspections, even during inspections, and of non-expert inspection of certain subject areas or age groups. They say the system is causing unnecessary stress and anxiety, that it creates a huge amount of extra work – much of it highly complex and bureaucratic and, from a teaching and learning perspective, wholly unproductive – and that Ofsted’s judgements seem, at times, arbitrary.

But perhaps the most telling criticism of all concerns the type of workplace culture the system is helping to create.

In many schools and colleges, external accountability pressures have led leaders and managers to adopt command-andcontrol strategies, with leadership teams effectively acting as internal Ofsted inspectors, investing their time in monitoring and micro-managing teacher performance, rather than in creating a culture in which effective teaching and learning can flourish.

The culture of compliance that has emerged under the pressure of the current accountability system is bad for

teacher morale, bad for professionalism and bad for developing the collaborative, dialogue-based approach the OECD says is the hallmark of successful education systems around the globe.

Culture of mistrust As the Smith Institute’s report on what constitutes good work argues (see page 10), top-down leadership models that leave little scope for colleagues below management level to have a say over their work, or to demonstrate creativity or innovation, are stifling productivity, and leading to a culture of mistrust, skills under-utilisation and anxiety.

This is an issue that concerns workers at all levels, in workplaces across the country, but it will have particular resonance with many in the schools and further education sectors, among teachers, and at all levels of management.

Few education leaders signed up for the job to become production-line overseers.

Most would prefer to mentor and nurture the kind of collaborative, supportive performance culture in which both teachers and learners can thrive.

There are signs that Government and Ofsted are waking up to the issue. The Department for Education has invited teachers to share their concerns about

“THE CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE THAT HAS EMERGED UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS BAD FOR TEACHER MORALE AND BAD FOR PROFESSIONALISM”

workload, and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg highlighted the issue in a high-profile speech. And Ofsted, as well as consulting on a draft Common Inspection Framework, has published a ‘myth-busting’ memo to clarify its position on lesson-grading and the amount of marking and planning it expects. The latter is, in essence, a list of what Ofsted does not require schools to do as part of the inspection process.

This is a positive step, as Mark Wright argues later in this issue (see page 18), not least in that it shifts focus to managers to manage well rather than apply a ‘one-size-fits-all compliance approach to satisfy inspectors’. It will hopefully give management teams more flexibility in leading, and better guidance on what measures it is appropriate to adopt.

Wider recognition that teachers feel pressured into spending too much time on tasks that have nothing to do with teaching and learning is good, if belated, news. ATL members say that workload linked to preparing for inspection is the most significant cause of stress in their working lives. Members of AMiE have shared with us the torrent of unreasonable demands they have to cope with in the name of accountability.

The new guidance will therefore be welcomed by many. However well it reflects the reality on the ground and the pressures at individual institutions, it does at least give colleagues a basis for continuing dialogue, in the staffroom, in the boardroom and through their union – although there may be some resistance

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POLICY MATTERS

among those managers who have used the spectre of inspection as a weapon of enforcement in the workplace.

Members might, for example, use the memo to demonstrate to headteachers that Ofsted does not require data based on 20-minute lesson observations or detailed lesson plans.

ILLUSTRATION: IMAGESOURCE

Professional dialogue The consultation is likely to have a more lasting and definitive impact, however.

It contains some ideas that many will welcome, including an end to the separate grading of individual lessons.

There is also acknowledgement of the role of schools and colleges in developing – as well as educating – young people, and the impact teachers can have on how they approach life and their future social contribution.

Notably, too, the consultation document stresses the importance of increasing professional dialogue. The new inspections, writes Sir Michael Wilshaw in his foreword, ‘will encourage professional dialogue about the key issues, strengths and weaknesses that are most relevant to the individual school or further education provider’.

This will please many, particularly those who feel that headteachers and principals, not Ofsted, should be the lead actors shaping what is taught in schools and colleges, and how.

More professional dialogue in the accountability system is obviously desirable. The replacement of five-yearly full inspections for ‘good’ schools with

three-yearly short inspections – based on what Ofsted’s director of schools, Mike Cladingbowl, calls ‘a robust and professional dialogue with heads, teachers and governors’ – is a step in the right direction. Staff could have more time to devote to teaching and learning, rather than on preparing for inspections.

But the devil will be in the detail, of course, and it remains to be seen whether shorter, more regular inspections will have a meaningful impact on teacher workload – or give leaders and managers more scope to evidence-base their approach.

There is also a question mark over the ‘dialogue’ Ofsted has in mind. Will this be a genuinely ‘professional dialogue’ conducted on a level playing field? Or will it raise the stakes and increase the pressure on management and leadership teams? And will this, in turn, be passed on to teachers and other staff? How these changes are implemented will be critical.

A question of respect There are positives. But it is questionable whether these changes will be enough to reverse what is now an entrenched trend towards compliance rather than collaboration in our schools and colleges.

As Mark Wright argues, the accountability system will remain ‘top-down and data heavy’, and will place still more pressure on leaders and managers – pressure that, experience tells us, is likely to be passed on to colleagues, and have a direct impact on teaching and learning.

We need much more fundamental reform, if we are to maximise the benefit of teaching and learning, and do the best we can for our children and young people. It is largely a question of respect. School and college leaders must be respected for the difficult and important work they do.

And they must, in turn, respect and value their colleagues, by themselves being effective teachers, able to explain their practice to others and openly debate alternatives. Only in that way can we, in the spirit of the Smith Institute report, build excellence on the basis of trust and collaboration, rather than focusing on the latest inspection framework.

As the seemingly unending cycle of change and reform suggests, the current accountability system for schools and colleges is not working. Ofsted requires radical reform, not further tinkering, however well intentioned.

ATL and AMiE’s education manifesto says: “Until school leaders can focus on much wider education outcomes than just those which can be understood by poor-quality Ofsted inspectors, we will not develop the highest-quality education system.”

We hope teachers and leaders will be frank in their response to the Government’s survey. As we know, talk is cheap. It is time teachers and leaders were given the professional respect they deserve, supported by the local, profession-led system of inspection and improvement teachers and leaders tell us they want.

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COMMENT: NORTHERN IRELAND

Apprenticeships at the heart of growth FE HAS A KEY ROLE IN DELIVERING AN AGENDA THAT BOOSTS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SECURES A MORE JOINED UP APPROACH TO EDUCATION POLICY ver the past seven years, Northern Ireland’s six regional further education colleges have supported more than 46,000 apprentices, making a significant contribution to an agenda that is helping drive growth and rebalance the economy. Apprenticeships are a highly effective means of developing the skills employers need, helping ensure a better match of supply and demand.

They give apprentices the opportunity to earn while they learn, gaining useful and marketable skills through on- and off-the-job training. And they give employers the opportunity to address skills gaps and enjoy significant returns on their investment.

The value and importance of apprenticeships over the coming years cannot be overstated, which is why Northern Ireland’s strategy for apprenticeships – launched in June 2014 – is so important. The strategy made a number of significant policy commitments, including a new system for apprenticeships to “enable its application across the full range of occupations and at higher levels”; an all-age offering; a minimum two-year duration; tax incentives for employers; seamless progression routes; and an increased range of professional and technical occupational areas, reflecting the needs of the economy.

Colleges NI, the umbrella body for the FE sector in Northern Ireland, has been lobbying for a more joined-up approach to 14-19 policy, as well as for a structured vocational educational framework which sits alongside other academic routes. The new apprenticeship strategy, with its aim of achieving “parity of esteem” between vocational and academic routes, is clearly a step in the right direction. We are also pleased to see the all-age approach the strategy takes. Education is not something that should suddenly end when employment begins, and a move towards all-age apprenticeships can reinforce this ethos. Some 80 per cent of Northern Ireland’s 2020 workforce has already left post-compulsory education.

The plans for new higher-level apprenticeships are also welcome. It is predicted that 50 per cent of all jobs in Northern Ireland will soon require higher-level or degree qualifications. The extension of apprenticeship pathways up to degree and post-graduate level is therefore significant. The development of apprenticeships at all levels and across a fuller range of occupations will also help address the long tail of educational underachievement here. Almost a third (29 per cent) of Northern Ireland’s working-age population left compulsory education with no formal qualifications.

It is our sector that picks up the pieces.

As a number of skills competitions, at local and national levels, have demonstrated, apprentices have a lot to offer, and our colleges are punching above their weight – supplying 11 of the 17 apprentices from Northern Ireland who are in the UK squad for WorldSkills 2015.

It is clear the further education sector will be a key delivery partner in the new apprenticeship landscape, which will be critical in securing our economic success. Skills competitions are one way to raise the standards of training, promote skills, enhance business performance and showcase what an apprenticeship can offer. At the same time, Colleges NI will continue to lobby to ensure high-quality provision is supported, creating opportunities for people of all ages across the region, and that budget cuts do not affect the sector’s ability to underpin the economic growth of Northern Ireland’s economy.

COLUMNIST GERRY CAMPBELL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, COLLEGES NI

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COMMENT: WALES

Developing the leaders of the future FUNDING PRESSURES AND CONSTANT REFORM ARE DRIVING LEADERS AND POTENTIAL LEADERS OUT OF FURTHER EDUCATION IN WALES

COLUMNIST LESLEY TIPPING IS PRESIDENT OF AMiE AND CURRICULUM DIRECTOR OF GRWP LLANDRILLO MENAI, ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLEGE GROUPS IN THE UK

F

urther education has long been undervalued in Wales, as it has in the rest of the UK. However, the sector has worked hard over the last 20 years to win a deserved reputation for its adaptability and diversity, as well as for its ability to respond to the needs of local communities while meeting national priorities. What’s more, it does all of this to the highest quality, as Estyn recognises, delivering value for money and supporting local and national policy directives.

Managers at all levels in FE in Wales have juggled time and resources to deliver whatever has been asked of them, whether it is the new 14–16 vocational qualifications, progression to higher education, or part-time adult and community learning, to name just a few. The sector has also played an important role in delivering apprenticeships, and the literacy and numeracy agenda. The work is astonishingly diverse.

“ IT IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT

MANAGERS WHO WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLES AND ENJOY THEIR WORK.”

Alongside this, FE managers have dealt with funding reform, changes to the Estyn inspection framework, the introduction of the Welsh Baccalaureate, and other Government initiatives, not to mention funding reductions and college mergers.

Like others in the sector, I have engaged with each initiative and tried to make the best of it.

However, there comes a point when we must pause for reflection and ask where exactly this cycle of reform is taking us – and what impact is it having on leadership in the sector.

It’s clear that FE is flexible and adaptable. But finite resources can only be stretched so far. The constant pressure to change, while delivering the same – or more – with less, will eventually mean a reduction in the quality of provision. With yet more funding cuts on the way, many in the sector are asking not whether they can deliver national ambitions on literacy, numeracy and vocational skills, but simply whether their institutions can survive.

With all these pressures on managers in the sector it is little wonder many are getting out.

It is becoming more and more difficult to recruit managers who will be effective in their roles and enjoy their work. Lecturers often say to managers, “I would not want your job for the world!”

The role is so diverse. Many of our managers have strong teaching backgrounds, with excellent professional profiles. Does this profile make them good managers? The answer, usually, is no. A manager needs a different set of skills and capabilities that many new managers simply don’t possess.

We need to nurture our teachers and other staff, and identify potential managers not by assessing them as teachers but by noting when they demonstrate the skills managers need. We must mentor and support these people to develop their management skills in order to prepare them for the job in hand.

Unless we recognise the need to develop and nurture the next generation of FE leaders in Wales, and relax the cycle of continual reform that is driving many from the sector, we risk a future of decline in our sector. FE may go back to being the poor relation of Welsh education.

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The Smith Institute’s new report offers a compelling vision for making the

T

here is something wrong in the world of work. Too many of the UK’s workplaces are characterised by low pay, job insecurity and poor management.

Workers complain of a lack of say in the key decisions affecting them, distrust of management and widening wage inequality. Their contributions, they say, are neither valued nor respected, overlooked by managers who favour a top-down approach, which instils fear and anxiety rather than encouraging creativity and trust. And, while there are some very good employers out there – employers who involve and invest in their workforce – the gap

between the best and the rest is getting wider, with worrying consequences for both the economy and society.

These are among the key findings of Making Work Better, a new report from the Smith Institute, written by Ed Sweeney, former chair of ACAS. The 100-page report, the result of a ninemonth inquiry, reflects evidence drawn from employees, employers, employers’ organisations, trade unions, public agencies and professional bodies, and makes 44 recommendations to Government for improving Britain’s ailing workplaces. It will resonate with many in the schools and further education sectors, particularly those concerned about the culture of compliance that now characterises many of our workplaces, abetted by an inflexible system of accountability that

puts pressure on managers to adopt a rigid command-and-control approach.

The report paints a troubling picture of an economy in which the majority of workplaces are ‘broken’ and underperforming. In some respects, it is a familiar story. We know low pay is an increasingly acute problem in the UK. Some five million people are paid below the living wage. Employment is on the up, but too many new jobs are low-paid and insecure, with outsourcing and zero-hours contracts on the rise. Wages are falling in real terms and 1.3 million people are working part-time because they cannot find full-time work. As the report notes, the UK is fast becoming a low-wage economy.

But the report also sheds light on the often devastating impact these changes are having on employees. Many workers

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WORDS PAUL STANISTREET

ILLUSTRATION MATT MURPHY

UK’s ‘broken’ workplaces healthier, happier and more collaborative places say they feel under-valued, disengaged and overworked. Their skills and talents, they say, are under-utilised. They feel insecure and anxious about work. They do not trust their employers. In many workplaces, the report says: “A big gap has opened up… between what workers want and expect from their employer and what they experience in their day-to-day working lives.”

“We found that people were feeling angry, hard done by and frustrated. And not just by wage inequality,” explains Paul Hackett, director of the Smith Institute. “People raised concerns about unfair treatment at work, poor skills utilisation, in-work poverty and job insecurity. They talked about wanting more of a voice at work, about being more involved.” And these sentiments are not merely the preserve of low-skilled and

low-paid workers. The inquiry found that worries about job status and job security were just as pronounced among skilled workers, and were increasing in workplaces in every part of the country.

Broken workplaces The “long tail of broken workplaces”, the report argues, is holding back recovery and undermining national competitiveness. Productivity – the main driver of both growth and improved living standards – is 30 per cent higher in France, Germany and the USA than in the UK, and is four per cent lower than in the first quarter of 2008, its pre-recession peak. If this phenomenon continues, the report says, we will see “continued weak wage growth, intensifying the experience of the squeeze on living standards for those on median to low incomes”.

Changing this demands not merely more jobs, but more good jobs. Good work means more productive work.

More productive economies give their employees greater protection and a bigger say in how they organise their work.

The inquiry also found that developed countries with better productivity records “have more high-skilled employment and less unskilled employment”, citing research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, which shows that a third of UK workers are overqualified for their job. This, the report argues, needs to change.

“It is evident that we have a productivity problem,” Hackett says.

“It is well documented and business is open about acknowledging it. What is less well-acknowledged is that the problem has roots in the workplace.

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F E AT U R E

There is no quick fix for that. But it won’t be achieved by developing ‘low-road’ industries and services. The big challenge for UK plc is how we can move to more high-value jobs, with growth based on quality employment and fair pay. A lot of jobs have been created but they are often low-paid, insecure jobs.”

But good work is not only about achieving economic benefits, as Ed Sweeney notes in his foreword to the report: “Good work makes a big difference to people’s lives, not just materially but also in defining who we are and how we relate to others. Making work better is as much about our health and well-being as it is about our national prosperity.”

Work “shapes our sense of worth and belonging, and defines our communities”, the report says, citing Oxford research fellow Ruth Yeoman’s evidence that “negative values at work foster a sense of meaninglessness and generate social bads, such as physical and mental ill-health, increased risk of poverty, stunted life trajectories and social unrest”.

And, of course, while bad work can make life intolerable for individuals, it also has a negative impact on employers, increasing levels of staff turnover and sickness absence, with obvious negative implications for productivity and performance.

Workplace citizenship It is this message that informs the report’s proposals on workplace citizenship. One of the themes to emerge from the inquiry was “the widening imbalance of power in the workplace between the employer and employee”, most evident “in the lack of opportunities for employees to influence the decisions that affect their working lives”.

Success at work – and making successful workplaces – depends, in large part, on employees having a say over their work. This is evidently true in education. As research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development shows, successful education systems are characterised by collaborative rather than compliant workplaces. Such models promote dialogue, mutual respect and a sense of professional agency. Top-down models of work, on the other hand, in which creativity is, by and large, the prerogative of management, stunt innovation and productivity, create a culture of mistrust, under-utilisation of skills and anxiety.

FROM COMPLIANCE TO COLLABORATION: THE CHALLENGES FOR SCHOOL AND FE LEADERS To be successful, leaders must take their colleagues with them. How can we cultivate workplace citizenship in a climate of accountability that instils fear and anxiety at the top? And how can we manage without passing it on to others?

Command-and-control may work in a crisis, but it doesn’t make long-term sense.

What can we do to prevent a culture of permanent crisis? What does success in leadership look like? Is it about excellence or being ‘outstanding’? Or are the two the same?

Ofsted wants to talk – but what kind of conversation would be useful, and how can we ensure that this doesn’t constitute yet another pressure on overstretched managers?

How can we build the resilience of school and college managers? What can AMiE do to help? We want to hear from you.

Please share your thoughts with Mark Wright, AMiE’s assistant director (leadership and management): mwright@amie.atl.org.uk

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F E AT U R E

The report argues for “a pervasive culture of consultation and engagement” in the workplace, with a shift in power relationships reflected in fair rewards and greater job security.

It calls on Government and social partners to “promote the idea of ‘workplace citizenship’ as part of the solution to improving productivity

culture of cooperation and consultation in Britain’s workplaces. But, of course, creating better workplaces – making work better – depends also on the decisions and creativity of individual employers and employees, as well as trade unions. As Hackett acknowledges, leaders and managers have a huge role to play in creating a working culture that

“SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION SYSTEMS ARE CHARACTERISED

BY COLLABORATIVE RATHER THAN COMPLIANT WORKPLACES.” and tackling the problems of shorttermism at work”.

This will be welcomed by those school and college leaders who have understood that good leadership is about absorbing external pressures and instead focusing on what should always be the key concern – teaching and learning.

This can be challenging, of course, particularly given the huge additional pressure placed on leaders by the current dysfunctional inspection regime.

But it is critical leaders do not focus a disproportionate amount of attention on monitoring performance, at the expense of effective teaching and learning.

As Hackett notes, “People want to be more involved; they want more working as a team and to contribute more to innovation in the workplace, which academics tell us is critical in improving productivity and performance. If we’re not treated right in a shop we expect our money back. We constantly demand a better and more respectful relationship as consumers. Why not at work? Wouldn’t we be more productive if we did?”

The report makes a number of recommendations to Government to support this, including the creation of partnership funds to “encourage collaboration and a culture of consultation between employers and unions” and greater investment in management training “so managers can manage their staff fairly and effectively”.

It also urges Government to reform the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills so it has “a clearer remit to promote workforce development and good employment relations”.

The report’s 44 recommendations are aimed at Government which, it urges, should take the lead in developing a

generates trust, nourishes staff well-being and underpins improved organisational performance. “We ask some big questions of leadership and management. Why is this culture so pervasive? How can we develop a new culture? But things can be done.

Managers and decision-makers can have a bearing on this. They can make work better for their workers. But it isn’t easy and there are cost pressures in it.”

As the report notes, many workplaces are already making a difference, in all sorts of ways, in many sectors of the economy – and this is true, of course, in parts of our own sector. The inquiry gives examples of firms that have gone beyond the rhetoric of “our staff are our greatest asset” to develop explicit social goals and a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility. These employers have realised that effective organisations tend also to be happy and healthy places in which to work. However, the gap between the best employers and the rest appears to be growing, particularly in parts of the economy where low-paid, insecure work is becoming the norm.

Narrowing this gap is at the heart of the Smith Institute’s recommendations.

The urgency is clear but the task at hand is extremely challenging, as the UK’s poor performance on productivity, wage inequality and employment protection indicates. Turning the tide will take political commitment and the support of employers, workers and unions. As Hackett argues, the agenda reaches beyond politics and the pre-election scramble for influence “to all those in work”. Failure to address it is likely to see inequality and poverty continue to grow, while Britain’s productivity falls further behind that of its competitors.

WHAT MAKES FOR GOOD WORK? Making Work Better found seven factors to be particularly important to good work: p

SAFE AND SECURE A good workplace should feel safe and comfortable, with the employees given clear and achievable objectives.

p

AUTONOMY AND CHOICE Wherever possible, employers should allow for flexibility.

Employees need to feel in control and want a degree of discretion over their work.

p

EFFORT AND REWARD A person’s efforts should be reflected in the rewards they receive – a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. Reward structures should be open and transparent.

p

SKILLS TRAINING Opportunities to utilise and develop skills influence the quality of employment, making work satisfying and valued.

p

FAIRNESS AND TRUST Being treated fairly is a basic right at work. Behaving in an open, honest and inclusive way is key to building trust.

p

RELATIONSHIPS Work is a social activity, so maintaining good relationships builds trust and helps people respond to the challenges they face.

p

VOICE Employees have a right to be heard and the right to associate with colleagues to express their views.

3 MORE INFORMATION The full text of Making Work Better: An Agenda for Government can be found at tinyurl.com/oru99e9

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PROFILE

Further education leaders need time and space to think if they are to build the future of the sector, says FETL chief executive Mark Ravenhall WORDS PAUL STANISTREET

F

urther education is, in a way, a victim of its own success, says Mark Ravenhall, chief executive of the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL), the new think tank that aims to develop leadership thinking and leadership of thinking in the FE sector.

FE is noted for its adaptability, and its agility in responding to the changing needs of individuals and employers.

But that very agility – FE’s ability to ‘get things done’ – has, at times, been at the cost of longer-term strategic thinking.

“Those strengths and that reputation are really important,” Ravenhall says.

“But it is also important to take time out from that and think hard about what you are doing, so you can do those things better and get the recognition you deserve.” The comparative lack of research into what works in FE has left the sector “under-researched, under-modelled, under-conceptualised and, therefore, not understood”, he argues.

“If you compare FE with schools and universities, where there is a strong and consistent body of research on practice, leadership, curriculum and so on, then you can see that FE misses out, not only in terms of its visibility and profile but also, arguably, in terms of funding.”

FETL was launched to change this. Its vision is of an FE sector that is valued and respected not only for innovating constantly to meet the needs of learners, communities and employers, but also for its long-term planning and willingness to share ideas generously.

Ravenhall, who, in a previous role as director of policy and impact at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, led the secretariat of the

Sharp inquiry into the role of colleges in their communities, has the job of ensuring the trustees’ vision is realised. He heads a small team responsible for distributing FETL’s fiveyear £5.5 million budget to develop FE in the UK. This money is being spent in three main ways: to support a university chair in FE leadership at the Institute of Education; to offer fellowships enabling people working in FE and skills to pursue a research interest; and to provide research grants for organisations to develop the evidence base in FE. A strong research base, Ravenhall thinks, is essential, not only in raising the profile of FE and skills, but also in enabling the sector to respond to a fast-changing funding environment, characterised, in recent years, by budgetary cuts.

Money talk Funding, of course, looms large in the thinking of most FE leaders, and uncertainty about future arrangements is probably the most pressing challenge leaders raise with him, Ravenhall says.

“In the run-up to the general election, there is not much detail and some degree of uncertainty. We know the Government has considered moving more funding through loans, and that’s something learning providers have to think hard about. It would mean wholesale changes to the way providers work. I know some colleges are already developing new overarching strategies and other large organisations are considering federations or mergers.

“All these aspects need thinking through in a variety of ways. As well as major changes to funding, there is the continual squeeze on funding, there are changes to regulation – the recent Ofsted consultation is indicative of that – and these all have implications for leadership. People are talking to us about a lot of things. They have a lot of research ideas and a lot of concerns.

“There is a lot of great practice out there, but often people don’t have the opportunity to talk about it, to explore it, to write it up, so that others benefit from it. We want to make sure some of these great ideas see the light of day and are respected.”

One of the key roles of leadership, he says, is “to think the unthinkable, to imagine different futures, different scenarios, and model them. What will the world look like in 2016, 2017 or 2018?

How will that affect learners and employers and their aspirations? How does further education respond to that world? These are the key concerns of leadership, or they should be.

“We believe FE needs to make a contribution to the life and economy of the UK. Part of the role of research is articulating that, explaining it and adding evidence. The other part is being

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PROFILE

prepared for that future – or, more accurately, helping build that future.

Rather than just respond to policy change, we need to help shape the environment FE works in.”

Baroness Sharp’s 2010 report on colleges in their communities, A Dynamic Nucleus, which Ravenhall helped shape, called for colleges to develop more entrepreneurial approaches to leadership, and for Government to grant them the autonomy they needed. It also noted the leadership challenge for FE went beyond colleges.

“The interesting thing about that review was that it didn’t just focus on colleges,” Ravenhall says. “It argued that there were leadership challenges for intermediary bodies, for unions, for sector membership organisations, as well as for Government and its agencies. All face a similar leadership challenge.”

Ravenhall is keen to stress that education is a collective endeavour and that leadership – and leadership of

“AT FETL WE ARE LESS FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THAN ON THE LEADERSHIP OF THINKING.” MARK RAVENHALL

thinking – in FE is a collective concern.

That is one of the reasons FETL wants to engage as much of the sector as possible in developing innovative thinking and in collecting evidence of its positive impact. The focus is on dialogue, rather than imposing FETL’s ideas on the sector.

Applications for the first round of fellowships (which ended in October) were drawn from all parts of the sector, including colleges, training providers, sixth form colleges, adult and community learning, third-sector providers and trade unions. Shortlisted ideas included fostering a creative culture in FE, leadership in an uncertain world, the impact of leadership styles on outreach, evidence-based management and attitudes to risk and

COMMON GOAL

P R O F I L E C O M M E N TA RY

WORDS MARK WRIGHT

AMiE welcomes the introduction of Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL) to the further education and skills sector. The challenges it identifies are not unique to the sector but do need to be addressed quickly if the FE and skills jewel is not to be tarnished by a lack of strategic foresight during the changes to come.

It is right to champion a collaborative approach when increasing budget pressures must prompt greater joint working and reduce unhelpful silo working, an inefficiency we can ill afford. Inclusiveness and transparent communication will be key to focusing resources on leadership capacity and avoiding duplication.

As Mark Ravenhall says: “Leadership – and leadership of thinking – in FE is a collective concern.”

Leadership is most effective when decisions are based on an understanding of the reality on the ground, so it is timely that FETL is initiating this type of research and collaborative evidence-finding. We all have a piece of the puzzle, so it makes sense to adopt an inclusive approach, and work more closely to understand where the sector is and where it needs to go if it is

to maintain its reputation for adaptability and responsiveness.

Thinking ahead is an essential part of good leadership and research will help at a time when scenario planning is particularly challenging, given the lack of clarity in some areas, not least in funding.

It is ironic that the FE and skills sector should embrace a sector-wide approach to strategic thinking when the schools sector, which used to be strong in this area, seems increasingly driven by the inefficiencies and lack of foresight that can result from greater fragmentation.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership is no longer able to offer the thought leadership the sector now lacks, although there is a legacy from its school leadership days from which FETL can no doubt benefit.

Mark Wright is assistant director (leadership and management), AMiE

diversification in sixth form colleges.

Partnership with learning providers, sector membership bodies, unions, local authorities and others, is critical, Ravenhall explains. One important relationship will be with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), another relatively new player tasked with raising standards in teaching, leadership and workforce development within the education and training sector.

“We don’t want to duplicate what ETF is doing,” he thinks. “We have regular conversations with it, and with other bodies. There are a lot of partners in the field but we have a unique position. The ETF has a broad remit that includes leadership development of all kinds. We are less focused on leadership skills development than on the leadership of thinking.

“Ultimately, we want the service that employers and individuals get from the FE and skills system to be better.

Our way to achieve that is through enhancing leadership thinking and the leadership of thinking.”

FETL is in the process of developing formal criteria for short-term and long-term success, and has already commissioned an impact review to report within its first two years.

Ravenhall’s immediate concern is to ensure the Trust’s offer engages people, including leaders at various levels in different types of organisation, and that they have confidence in the process. Awareness “counts for almost nothing. It’s much more important that people are able to work with us effectively and that we add value to their work.”

The ultimate aim is to have “an FE system in the UK that is confident and has a well-deserved parity of esteem with other parts of the education sector, and that people know what it is, what it’s for and how brilliant it is at what it does.”

3 MORE INFORMATION Details of FETL’s grant programme and the second round of fellowships can be found on its website: www.fetl.org.uk.

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RESOURCES/CONTACTS

IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING Leading to Outstanding Teaching and Learning

T

his new AMiE publication is an excellent resource for anyone engaged in improving teaching and learning – the raison d’etre of our sector.

Members tell us this area is pivotal to their ongoing success. But it can also cause problems when staff performance fails to meet expectations. This booklet is designed to support members with advice on what makes a good head of department, robust quality-assurance systems and tried-and-tested processes to improve performance. It suggests 10 priorities to transform departments and boost student outcomes.

LEADERS AND MANAGERS CAN IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING BY INFLUENCING THEIR STAFF’S MOTIVATION, COMMITMENT AND CAPACITY

Leaders and managers can improve teaching and learning by influencing their staff’s motivation, commitment and capacity. The booklet aims to inspire staff with the confidence needed to perform at their optimum level and offers tips, techniques and approaches based on the latest goodpractice research.

CPD COURSES AMiE is offering four new leadership CPD programmes, aimed primarily at middle leaders and those aspiring to this level. They focus on: • creating a high-performing team • getting the next five per cent performance improvement • leading others • managing performance through critical conversations.

The programmes have been designed with Pivotal Training and Development – a top provider of leadership training – and will help middle leaders boost their capacity and support them in understanding the key features of high-quality leadership that make a difference.

FURTHER DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE AT AMIE.ATL.ORG.UK/CPD.ASP

LEADERSHIP COURSES AMiE has a UK-wide network of elected representatives and members of staff who can help you with your queries.

For more information on your regional contact and their contact details, please see amie.atl.org.uk/aboutamie/your-union/contact-us.asp Here is a selection of course names and dates: MANAGING PERFORMANCE THROUGH CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS

Birmingham 16 January 2015

York 11 December 2014

York 5 March 2015

Birmingham 10 March 2015

Bristol 3 July 2015

Bristol 9 June 2015

GETTING THE NEXT FIVE PER CENT

LEADING OTHERS Birmingham 28 January 2015 London 14 May 2015 Manchester 01 July 2015 York 20 May 2015

CREATING A HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM London 5 February 2015 Manchester 7 May 2015 Birmingham 25 June 2015

For more information on these courses and to book, please see amie.atl.org.uk/join-in/cpd/overview.asp

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ABOUT AMiE We are the only union to represent managers and leaders across the entire education sector, providing: • help, advice and support: a confidential helpline, online guidance and a network of professional and experienced regional officers to support you in your role as both an employee, and as a manager or leader • excellent personal and professional development: accredited training and development opportunities for you in your role as a manager or leader • a voice in the education debate: an opportunity to influence policy and get involved in issues that affect you • publications and resources: a range of free publications focused on contemporary leadership issues • more for your membership: discounts and rewards for you and your family on a range of products and services.

And with 50% off your first year’s membership*, there’s never been a better time to join AMiE. Join online at www.amie.atl.org.uk/join or call 0845 057 7000 (local call).

Let AMiE take you further.

WHO CAN JOIN? Colleges: AMiE welcomes managers at all levels in FE colleges, sixth form colleges and adult education providers.

Schools: We warmly invite school headteachers (including those in academies), deputy headteachers, assistant headteachers, acting headteachers, bursars and business managers to join AMiE. We also have many members in national organisations, training organisations and other areas of the education sector, including HE.

CONTACTING AMiE AMiE 35 The Point, Market Harborough Leicestershire. LE16 7QU Tel: 01858 461110 Fax: 01858 461366 www.amie.atl.org.uk National helpline Tel: 01858 464171 Email: helpline@amie.atl.org.uk David Green Assistant director of AMiE (employment services) Tel: 01858 411540 Mobile: 07711 929043 Email: dgreen@amie.atl.org.uk Mark Wright Assistant director of AMiE (leadership and management) Tel: 020 7782 1530 Mobile: 07436 805330 Email: mwright@amie.atl.org.uk For membership queries, please contact the membership department on 020 7782 1602 or email: membership@atl.org.uk. *TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY, VISIT WWW.AMIE.ATL.ORG.UK FOR FULL SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS, MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY AND FURTHER INFORMATION.

20/11/2014 17:17

MASTERCLASS

WHEN THE OFSTED INSPECTOR CALLS The best leaders aim for excellence, not ‘outstanding’ grades WORDS MARK WRIGHT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AMiE (LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT)

Y

ou would be hard-pressed to find a better example of the tail wagging the dog than the disproportionate impact Ofsted inspections have on schools and colleges in England.

What should be the unremitting focus for the sector – teaching and learning – is, all too often, put to one side as attention shifts from the learners to the inspectors. This tends to be forgotten when Ofsted takes credit for raising standards. But the significant amount of staff time spent anticipating the needs of future inspections tells us there is a problem with the accountability system.

The question is how do you get the ‘devil off your back’ so you can focus your organisation on what’s most important?

The best response is for leaders to have done everything they can to minimise the impact of inspection, focusing their organisation on excellence in teaching and learning without reference to Ofsted.

The best leaders absorb the pressure they may feel about the prospect of an inspection without transferring it to their staff. They develop a strong performance culture based on the moral purpose of education to do the best for learners, with a transparent and supportive performance management system to deal with any instances of underperformance. And they use language that avoids giving the impression it is all about Ofsted – using ‘outstanding’ sparingly and recognising the talent and achievements of their learners rather than the needs of the regulator as the focus of the organisation. The latter ought to be the by-product of the former.

The ‘devil’ metaphor is apt. Some leaders report that their relief at being graded ‘outstanding’ is diminished when they realise they have unwittingly

made a pact with the devil by hitching their wagon to the Ofsted train. There is a sense of always looking over your shoulder. The fear of losing the grading keeps everyone in a perpetual state of anxiety. If getting to ‘outstanding’ was a herculean task, then staying there can keep everyone running at full tilt, often squeezing the life out of teaching staff along the way. Yet some leaders even find themselves becoming advocates of the Ofsted approach. It’s easy to lose perspective once your organisation has attained that magical – and career enhancing – ‘outstanding’ grade!

It takes strong leadership to succeed in spite of the system, to focus on excellence in terms of learner needs, rather than engaging unduly in the carrot-and-stick game of inspection ratings. It’s about ensuring your vision means something – that it’s not platitudinous but, rather, a meaningful perspective others feel

important. Staff well-being and outlook is not something to only address once the ideal inspection grade is in the bag. It ought to be a central plank of any sustainable strategy for improved performance in the first instance (see AMiE’s Well-being: Leading and Managing a Well Workplace for tips on developing an effective strategy to boost staff well-being and performance at the same time).

Rolling back Ofsted requirements The view that the current Ofsted model is not fit for purpose has grown over the past year. The message to Ofsted is clear: we need change, not more of the same.

There are signs the regulator is coming round to the view that it could be better to lead with a verbal velvet glove rather than a data-directed jackboot, and it needs to focus more on offering a hand of support rather than a corrective boot up

“IT TAKES STRONG LEADERSHIP TO SUCCEED IN SPITE OF THE SYSTEM, RATHER THAN ENGAGE UNDULY IN THE GAME OF INSPECTION RATINGS.” encouraged to share and develop.

And there is evidence that making teaching and learning the focus of all you do breeds success – success all too easily stymied by the inspection survival processes, so often a source of demoralisation and an unwelcome distraction from the all-important game of teaching and learning. Healthy Teachers, Higher Marks?, this summer’s report from The Work Foundation and Teacher Support Network, highlighted the eight percentage point difference in grades attained simply by ensuring the well-being of teaching staff. This is

the backside. We know that an essential condition for learning is to feel safe and supported. The same goes for schools and colleges in their dealings with the regulator. We need a learning-andimprovement focus, with punitive methods used only when patently necessary. It is time to move away from a model of regulation that celebrates the degree to which it is, to quote chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw, “feared”.

While not endorsing our preferred model of accountability based on collaboration and support, which would leave the regulator with a quality-

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assurance role, Ofsted at least seems to be moving in the right direction. The recent clarification of the requirements of Ofsted inspections, intended “to dispel myths that can result in unnecessary workloads in schools”, has been welcomed, even if, privately, some managers will regret the removal of the comfort blanket they have woven from excessive lesson planning, deep marking and inspection-specific work.

The message from Ofsted is that managers need to be proportionate and ensure that their own management information needs do not impact negatively on teaching capacity. This is good news – it places the onus on managers to manage well rather than deploy a one-size-fits-all compliance approach to satisfy inspectors. Naturally, to counter internal variability, leaders and managers need to measure performance.

But this should be done in a balanced way to prevent it damaging the learning process. Account should be taken of GETTING THE DEVIL the experience and OFF YOUR BACK ability of teaching Getting graded staff. In other ‘outstanding’ often feels like a pact with the devil words, managers 1

“FACING THE INSPECTION PROCESS MUST START WITH SELF MANAGEMENT, REFRAMING THE ANXIETIES THAT SERVE ONLY TO DRAIN YOU.” should take a rational approach to internal performance-monitoring rather than being driven by the perceived external threat posed by the accountability system.

Common inspection framework Ofsted’s proposal for a new common inspection framework highlights a role for professional dialogue in the accountability system. This is something we have long argued for, though it remains to be seen what kind of conversation Ofsted has in mind. Will it be a genuinely professional dialogue on a level playing field? Does it come with a risk of the increased pressure being put on leaders and managers being transferred to the rest of the staff? As ever, the devil will lurk in the detail, or interpretation of the detail. Hopefully, replacing full inspections for ‘good’ schools with a three-yearly ‘conversation’

will provide leaders with a chance to evidence-base their approach. However, the stakes remain high and it will add to the pressure on leaders who need to excel in these critical conversations. Ofsted has made it clear it wants to reduce the time between inspections of ‘good’ schools. It also wants to spend more time dealing with schools it has judged to need improvement or which have been put into ‘special measures’. Those in schools or colleges judged ‘good’ know only too well that they are only one poor inspection away from a much more hands-on approach.

Are the changes an improvement? Yes. Do they constitute an effective form of accountability? No. It will still be top-down and data-heavy, and place yet more pressure on leaders and managers.

The changes give greater prominence to the role of leadership and management.

As pragmatists, leaders and managers will want to play the new game as effectively as possible. You will need to ensure you maintain a proportionate but comprehensive suite of performance measures. This will underpin expert conversations and your understanding about what is happening, the external context in which it is happening, and what action or resource is devoted to improving teaching and learning. It provides you with an opportunity to soak up the pressure without dispersing it, unhelpfully, across your organisation.

Facing the inspection process must start with self-management, reframing the anxieties that serve only to drain you and trouble those you work with. Get the devil off your back by letting go of what is beyond your control and, instead, focus on growing excellence in those around you.

Many thanks to those who shared their views on the Ofsted proposals. Please get in touch to discuss how the changes to the inspection process are likely to impact on you. You can contact me at mwright@amie.atl.org.uk.

3 MORE INFORMATION Healthy Teachers, Higher Marks?, a joint report from The Work Foundation and Teacher support Network, can be downloaded from: tinyurl.com/pbtdlnw

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ADVICE

School and college staff have always had to model appropriate behaviour, even outside the classroom – that goes for social media too

PHOTO: IMAGESOURCE

WORDS DAVID GREEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AMiE (EMPLOYMENT SERVICES)

Some rather unfortunate photographs and some derogatory comments about a teacher have been circulated on Facebook by pupils and, it appears, by at least one member of staff. This has caused considerable embarrassment and some very bad feeling between certain staff members.

The photographs show the teacher in a drunken, somewhat undignified state.

A number of comments have been made on Facebook that I consider derogatory and disrespectful. I am also concerned about the damage to the school’s reputation as a result of the incident.

Luckily, there have been (so far) no parental complaints, and the chair of governors is being fairly reasonable. I am in the process of investigating staff involvement through our disciplinary procedure, but I also want to ensure we never have a repeat of this unfortunate situation. I would appreciate any advice you can provide.

I am very sorry to hear about the problems you have been having.

Unfortunately, as the popularity of social media has grown, we have seen more and more instances of members being compromised, either as a result of their own actions or because of others.

There are two fundamental principles that should be embedded in the social media policies of any school or college.

First, they should reflect the fact that you simply cannot say whatever you like on social media. Staff in schools have always had to model appropriate behaviour, even outside the learning environment – and social networking is no different.

Second, they should acknowledge that nothing posted on social media is ever private. Once a posting is visible to others, they can then copy it and pass it on to whoever they like.

I would advise you to develop or review your social media policy with these two points in mind. A clear and robust policy can set standards for good practice, offering clear guidelines regarding appropriate online activity, as well as on the use of school and private socialnetworking accounts, confidentiality, and staying within the laws of defamation and copyright. The policy should contain a procedure for reporting and investigating misuse, and set out appropriate disciplinary penalties.

You mention that the images were shared by pupils on Facebook. This suggests either that the teacher was ‘friends’ with one or more pupils on

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ADVICE

USING SOCIAL MEDIA SAFELY ON FACEBOOK, YOU CAN ENSURE THAT NOTHING IS POSTED ON YOUR TIMELINE WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, INCLUDING PHOTOS TAKEN

BY OTHERS Facebook, or that the privacy level of their account was not set sufficiently high. Either way, we advise strongly against using personal social media accounts to communicate with pupils.

If you work in education, it is always a good idea to set the highest level of privacy on your social media accounts in order to maintain some degree of control over what is posted and who sees it. For example, on Facebook, you can ensure that nothing is posted on your timeline without your permission, including photos taken by others to which you have been ‘tagged’ (meaning users can link to your profile from the image). The box (right) sets out some specific advice to members on the safe use of social media.

Getting pupils and parents to buy in to your social media policy can be tricky. Some schools have found it helpful to involve them in the development of the policy, asking pupils, for example, to draw up a list of dos and don’ts that can provide a basis for safer social networking. This process itself can also be a useful way to raise awareness of cyber-bullying and how to report it.

Clearly, social networking has become an increasingly key issue in schools and colleges.

3 MORE INFORMATION Further advice can be found in our leaflet Safer Social Networking (ER13) – available to members on the AMiE website – and in the ATL factsheets, Cyberbullying (ADV13) and Social networking sites: how to protect yourself on the internet (ADV42), both of which are also available from the ATL website.

AMiE RECOMMENDS MEMBERS TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO ENSURE SAFER USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA • Follow the school or college’s official social networking policy.

• Do not add learners as friends or contacts in your own social media accounts.

• Always maintain professional boundaries. Do not engage in discussion with learners online, unless through official school or college accounts.

• Think about the potential risks (for example, to professional boundaries) of adding parents to your private social media accounts. Some organisations say such contact should only be through official school or college accounts.

• Take care when posting comments or uploading photographs of yourself.

Anything that someone else deems inappropriate may land you in trouble.

• Never post anything that is offensive or aggressive, even if you are very angry or upset. It can easily be taken out of context.

• If you are tagged to something on Facebook that you consider inappropriate, use the ‘remove tag’ feature to un-tag yourself (refer to the Facebook help centre for more details).

• Avoid accepting ‘friend requests’ from people you do not really know.

Simply being someone’s ‘friend’ on Facebook does not mean they should be given automatic access to all your personal information.

• Review your profile information on Facebook and other sites to ensure it is appropriate as it may be accessed by others, such as colleagues, learners, parents, potential employers and even local journalists.

• Check your privacy and security settings, and avoid using information that might be stolen to access your online bank account.

• If you do intend to rant about education, politics or life in general, consider doing so anonymously, such as through a networking account or blog site that cannot be attributed to you. Ensure nothing you post identifies you, or your school or college.

• Do not make false representations, breach copyright or upload confidential information.

DECEMBER 2014 | ELM 21

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FINAL WORD

A

usterity will remain – whatever the outcome of the next election. Both Labour and the Conservatives are signed up to reducing the structural deficit. The only difference between them is timescale – how quickly they intend to balance the books.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which funds FE colleges, has seen a massive cut in its budget during the lifetime of this parliament. The coalition planned 25% cuts in FE over its term of office and is predicting further cuts of 20% to the adult skills budget alone. Professor Ewart Keep has projected that cuts to the sector in 2010-18 will total 43%, leaving the sector’s primary offer of vocational education and training with diminished provision. For staff there has been no increase in funding for pay rises since 2010. These cuts have had implications for staff, with a two per cent reduction in the teaching workforce. This is why Professor Keep exhorts stakeholders to focus on the question: what happens when the money runs out?

The Department for Education (DfE), which funds schools, has not been subject to the stringent FE cuts.

Its funding – £53.5 billion in 2014 – has been ring-fenced and schools, while not feeling flush, have been able, largely, to maintain a steady state. However, all that will change after the election. The government has announced that the DfE budget will no longer be ring-fenced, and this decision will have enormous consequences. The Association of Colleges (AoC) has calculated that the DfE will face a budget shortfall after 2015 – from £600 million in 2015-16 to £4.6 billion in 2018-19 – mainly because the pupil population continues to rise. Even more worrying is the AoC’s belief that this enormous deficit is a conservative estimate because it has not included the fact the rising pupil population will be concentrated in secondary schools (which receive higher per-pupil funding than primary schools), nor the costs associated with introducing a new national curriculum or ensuring everyone reaches GCSE standard in maths and English by age 18.

The bad news for schools is put into perspective when considered in conjunction with the most recent report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, led by former Labour minister Alan Milburn. The report sets out a key challenge to whichever party wins the next election: how to prevent Britain becoming a permanently divided society and ensure there is a social recovery alongside the economic one. The report’s analysis of the incidence and extent of child poverty in Britain is shocking. One in six children live in relative poverty.

These children are likely to live in families where one of their parents is working, but not earning enough to meet the family’s needs. Children from these families are less likely to be ‘school ready’, and far less likely to achieve their potential throughout their school career.

The Commission argues that if the next government is going to reduce child poverty, then all sections of society must

ANALYSIS OF CHILD POVERTY IN BRITAIN IS SHOCKING M A RY B O U ST E D, AT L G E N E R A L S E C R E TA RY

work together: “A new national effort will be required on the part of employers, schools, colleges, universities, parents and charities if child poverty is to become a thing of the past and social mobility is to become Britain’s motif for the future.”

Education remains, however, firmly within the Commission’s headlights and, over the course of the next government, schools will be given a range of targets to support poorer children’s educational achievement. Among the goals set by the Commission are that all schools should have raising standards and closing the attainment gap as their twin core objectives, working collaboratively with other schools. The Commission set an ambitious target that half of all children eligible for free school meals should be getting five good GCSEs by 2020, and two thirds by 2025. Schools should, the Commission states, “be preparing children for the world beyond school by providing character development, high-quality careers advice, extra curricular activity, work experience and employer engagement”, with Ofsted assessing schools’ efforts.

FE provision is also targeted by the commissioners, who advocate that by 2020 half of all workplaces with more than 10 staff should be providing quality apprenticeship opportunities for young people. They expect the further education commissioner to close FE and apprenticeship providers that cannot improve their standards. By 2020 they argue that the government should have halved the number of underperforming colleges and apprenticeship training providers.

The Commission issues a stark warning: 2020 could mark a watershed between an era in which for decades there have been rising living standards shared by all, and a future where rising living standards bypass the poorest in society – the UK would become a permanently divided nation.

Which brings me back to the funding issue. It is absolutely right for the Commission to require schools and FE colleges to play a leading role in raising the achievement of disadvantaged children. However, how they will achieve the Commission’s aims while coping with a massive funding deficit is a question that no one, including politicians, has yet answered.

22 ELM | DECEMBER 2014

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