THE
ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2015
PARTNERSHIP POST
News from across the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership
INSIDE: Jon’s an LLE – Page 4 | Author visit – Page 5 | Meet the office managers – Page 9
Celebrating the achievements of 2014-15 End of year message from Sir Christopher Stone, Chief Executive, the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership. What a great year for our seven schools! Our student body of 4,200 young people aged 5-18 and our staff complement of 620 have worked together to ensure that this has been an enjoyable, rich and challenging year for all concerned. We have seen our schools flourish. Whilst they have been externally judged, these judgements have only shown us what we knew already: that our schools were being well led by able headteachers and governors and that our staff and students should be proud of their significant achievements.
Sir Chris celebrates Mere Green’s outstanding success Schools have got to provide much more than just excellent results. Whilst important, the development of young people’s character has got to be the priority. Helping, along with parents, young people to fully develop into kind, thoughtful, happy and well-rounded
individuals, eager to play their full part in society, has got to be of equal importance. Thank you for all that you have done, student, parent, governor or teacher, to help us on our journey together.
Outstanding in Education – and the award goes to… Forget the Oscars and the BAFTAs, this year’s hottest ticket in town goes to the ATLP’s ‘Outstanding in Education Awards 2015’. The celebratory event, which takes place at the prestigious New Hall Hotel on 16 July, will be attended by more than 100 guests, including Sir Chris Stone and Andrew Mitchell MP. The awards aim to recognise and celebrate outstanding staff achievements across the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership.
Following the official launch, the ATLP received a high standard of entries, with staff voting for colleagues across all our schools. Shortlisted finalists have been invited to attend the awards, when the overall winners will be revealed. Sir Chris Stone said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by both the volume and the calibre of entries. They represent the excellence all our staff demonstrate every single day. Nominees should feel proud and valued that their hard work
and commitment has been recognised by those around them.
“Good luck to all of the finalists – I look forward to congratulating them at our very first ‘Outstanding in Education Awards’.” We are pleased to announce the awards are being supported by our sponsors:
Action Sport UK, Aspire Sports Ltd., Bailey Garner, Bill Tandy and Company, C24 Ltd., Cofely Workplace Ltd., Datasharp UK Ltd., Frontier Software Plc., Insight UK, MS Electrical Engineers and Contractors Ltd. (MSE), Primary Building Solutions Ltd.
Partnership Post
Edition 3 | Summer 2015
Exceptional progress at Stockland Green
ATLP governors appointed as national leaders
“It is a huge privilege to be given the opportunity to support chairs building and leading the team of governors, working with the headteacher and leading the work of the governing body.”
Two outstanding ATLP chairs of governors have been appointed as national leaders by the government’s National College for Teaching and Leadership. Andrew Staples, of Hill West Primary and Maxine Rowley, of Mere Green Primary, have been made National Leaders of Governance (NLG) due to their exceptional leadership and governance skills. The pair will use their expertise and experience to support chairs of governors at other schools to improve performance. They will also contribute to raising standards in their own schools by providing support and challenge to their headteacher and senior leaders and by developing their governing bodies. Both chairs volunteer their services through a shared desire to ensure that all children have access to excellent education, beginning in primary school.
Andrew’s longstanding career in education, includes 15 years as a teacher. He works developing individual programmes to support teachers, learners and leadership teams in the Midlands. Under his leadership, Hill West achieved Governor Mark, a nationally recognised external verification of quality of governance. Andrew is actively supporting Birmingham Governor Services and schools across the city. Maxine is a senior commissioning manager for primary care, having worked in the NHS for the last 25 years.
Andrew Staples “I feel very humble to be part of a progressive leadership team that has supported Mere Green to achieve Outstanding in a recent Ofsted visit.”
School supporter Jack Dromey MP with headteachers Tracey Peters (left) and Marie George
Maxine Rowley
Top mark: school nets e-safety award Congratulations to Mere Green Primary for being one of only two Birmingham schools to scoop a prestigious 360 E-safety Mark. The school has been awarded the mark by the South West Grid for Learning Trust for demonstrating ‘a high standard of online safety education and awareness for its whole learning community, both on and off site.’ Following a positive review of the school’s e-safety provision, the 2
Trust, which provides the internet connection and other services to schools, found that the Mere Green provides a high level of protection for users of the new technologies.
learning community in owning an outstanding approach to e-Safety. It permeates all we do, and ensures that everyone has an open and mature approach to any IT use.”
Stockland Green School is continuing to make exceptional progress in all areas and has been taken out of Special Measures by Ofsted in record timing of just over a year following just four monitoring visits. The rapid move is the result of a number of key improvements and excellent leadership and management at all levels, which have been judged as ‘good’ by inspectors. The school has been judged as having made substantial improvements in all four key areas: Behaviour and Safety, Leadership and Management, Teaching, and Achievement, while demonstrating there is capacity for further improvement. Ofsted commented that: ‘determined good leadership by the headteachers supported by the skilled direction from the Chief Executive of the Trust is bringing about rapid
school improvement in teaching and achievement’ Inspectors, who have graded Behaviour as ‘good’, were impressed by the school’s culture and ethos of high expectation and aspiration for all. Ofsted noted that ‘students behave well and help make day to day life at school a pleasant experience for all.’
“Inspectors, who have graded Behaviour as ‘good’, were impressed by the school’s culture and ethos...” Joint headteachers, Tracey Peters and Marie George, said school leaders at all levels are clear of their role in securing further improvement: Ofsted agreed,
saying that the school senior leaders: ‘have demonstrated a capacity for improvement by leading the school out of special measures and by putting in place measures that are enabling it to pursue further rapid improvement.’ Headteachers Marie George and Tracey Peters said: “We want to thank our entire learning community who have continued to support and to believe in us. The swift removal of special measures confirms what we have all known – that Stockland Green School is going from strength to strength.” Staff, students and parents have shown support and praise for the school. Jack Dromey MP tweeted: ‘Congratulations to heads Marie George and Tracey Peters on the real progress being made for the young people of Erdington.’
Headteacher Anna Balson said: “Terri Coombs, our IT leader, has been visionary in leading all our 3
Partnership Post
Edition 3 | Summer 2015
Helen heads from Mere Green to Slade
A special report by the Four Oaks Children’s Centre
Staff and pupils at Slade have welcomed new headteacher, Helen Hastilow. An experienced and popular leader, Helen moves across to Slade from fellow ATLP school, Mere Green.
supportive and I already feel like one of the family!”
As part of the ATLP team, Helen is already a familiar face at Slade and she will now transfer her leadership skills across to the school. Helen worked at Mere Green for six years in a number of senior positions, including deputy head. She was part of the team who successfully achieved Mere Green’s Ofsted grading of Outstanding. Helen said:
“Helen is a talented and dedicated leader who has a proven track record of raising attainment levels for children and supporting the professional development of staff.
“I look forward to working with the whole learning community to ensure the school continues to thrive and that each child receives a high quality education. Everybody has been incredibly welcoming and
Data measures success Five Children’s Centres came together in 2012 under the governance of Arthur Terry, where Four Oaks Children’s Centre had been based since 2006. Between them they serve 5033 children under five years of age.
Slade’s chair of governors, Ashley Innis, believes Helen will make a positive contribution to Slade and the wider community.
Since then, Sutton locality has gone from strength to strength. Data measures include both Ofsted grade boundaries and a local authority score card. Training, networking and projects have supported almost all Sutton Coldfield’s 43 Nurseries and Pre Schools in Sutton. The vast majority of these remain at good or outstanding.
“I am impressed with how well she knows our school and her ideas around how we can further improve the excellent learning environment we have created for the children at Slade.”
SEF and action plans are data driven and updated quarterly. Childhood obesity is a national and regional concern that we are addressing through the Startwell Project and close partnership with health colleagues.
Ashley Innis
Helen Hastilow
Executive headteacher’s new leadership role ATLP headteacher Jon Smart is to help raise education standards in other city schools, following his appointment as a Local Leader in Education (LLE) by government executive agency, the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Jon is headteacher of Brookvale Primary, which is among the country’s top schools for Early Years Reading. He is also executive headteacher of both Brookvale and Slade.
Analysis shows that the centres have succeeded in ensuring the attendance of pupils eligible for Early Pupil Premium or two-year-old nursery funding. Data has been
used to ensure planning brought about improved engagement in pockets of deprivation. In all our communities effective family support is an essential part of our service. A strong team manage a busy caseload with the large majority of people’s needs being met. Our annual online survey showed that the vast majority of parents were both satisfied with our services and felt that we had met our goals of promoting good health, child safety and early education. Throughout our journey as an individual centre, and now as a locality, we have sought continuous improvement. Data is only useful if it can be used to make a difference and to drive further improvement.
Celebrating NQTs As this edition of the ‘PP’ goes to print, the ATLP’s NQTs will be busy preparing for an afternoon and evening of celebration as they mark the close of a successful year. The celebratory event will see newly qualified teachers from across all schools come together for activities and dinner. As Part of the NQT induction fortnight, the celebration will also provide an opportunity to welcome the new cohort of NQTs who will start in September. Headteachers, mentors and other staff will also attend the annual event, which is one of the highlights of the ATLP calendar.
Pen pals – ATLP students meet notable author Award-winning author Annabel Pitcher has been inspiring the next generation of writers from Arthur Terry, Brookvale and Coleshill schools. The author visited Arthur Terry to talk to pupils from schools in both the ATLP and Four Oaks, about her book ‘My sister lives on the mantelpiece’. The critically acclaimed book deals with the difficult contemporary issues of both bullying and terrorism and
manages to bring a sense of humour to both subjects. Pupils were impressed to find that Annabel wrote the book in a series of notebooks while travelling the world after university. “We like to encourage all students to read widely, so it’s lovely for them to meet such a successful real life author and be inspired to both read and write and for pleasure.” Librarian Mandy Goode
In addition to leading his own schools, Jon, who is also an Ofsted inspector, will provide one-to-one coaching and mentoring support to other heads to increase leadership capacity and drive forward improvements to improve pupil outcomes. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside other headteachers to raise education standards. Our focus will be on building leadership capacity so that school improvements can be sustained – all of which will have a positive and lasting impact on pupils.” Jon Smart Jon Smart
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Coleshill pupils take note from Annabel
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Partnership Post
Edition 3 | Summer 2015
Silver service! Lunchtime team training on the menu A taste of success: Lunchtime supervisors at Hill West have demonstrated their high standards of service to parents and pupils, by serving up yet another qualification. Following successful courses in first aid, autism, and customer service, NVQ Level 1, lunchtime supervisors have completed an NVQ Level 2 in customer service. Julie Durkin and Jane Thompson, lunchtime assistant learning mentors, said:
“We’ve worked extremely hard and enjoyed it immensely. It just goes to show that at Hill West everyone is always learning.”
Champion! Speedy students race to the podium
Pedal to medal – ATLP’s winning team work Speedy students from Arthur Terry and Mere Green have been teaming up to celebrate their achievements in the Greenpower Educational Trust project. After a successful year of racing their first single- seat Formula 24 electric race car, the Arthur Terry students spent the winter months making improvements to their vehicle and have already started to build another. Not to be outdone, Year 5 and Year 6 students from Mere Green have been busy building their own Formula Goblin cars to participate in the Greenpower Goblin category.
To celebrate their dedication and enthusiasm, students from both schools took a pit stop from the track to receive medals and trophies from ATLP CEO and fellow petrol ‘head’ Sir Christopher Stone. The talented students are now gearing-up for the 2015 racing season.
“The Greenpower project transforms the school lives of all of the students who participate. All of the students can be justifiably proud of their achievements.”
Hill West pupils just keep on giving Kind-hearted pupils at Hill West believe that charity begins both at home and away. The children have raised nearly £4,000 for good causes in the past few months. A bring and buy book sale saw pupils, staff and parents raise £700 to help victims of the Nepal Earthquake.
Teaching assistant Diane Hardeman said: “The response was amazing. We surpassed our original target enabling us to help further: I would like to thank everyone for their generous support.” And if that wasn’t enough,
pupils raised nearly £3,000 participating in a Sports for Champions initiative, with some help from Olympian Rebekah ‘Bex’ Wilson. An impressive 400 children took part in a sponsored circuit event, which raised money to help support
Olympic athletes and for PE equipment for school. PE and school sport lead teacher Amie Hyde said: “It has definitely inspired and motivated the children to keep persevering to reach their goals.”
Dean Batty, Arthur Terry teacher
Wool done to Brookvale knitting club Nimble-fingered children at Brookvale Primary School have been picking up a new hobby - and it’s all been inspired by one boy. The school now has a popular knitting club, thanks to creative pupil, Cyrus Smith. The Year 4 child learnt to knit with his grandma and started bringing in his knitting and completing it in school during break and lunch times. Other children
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followed the pattern and Brookvale’s knitting club took shape. The lunchtime club has 16 sets of knitting. Youngsters who learn to knit help teach their friends the skill and everybody is keen to learn. Cyrus is now knitting and scarf project and his grandma is pleased that she has started such a trend. Cyrus Smith and friends enjoy a good yarn
Book sale raised money for Nepal
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Partnership Post
Edition 3 | Summer 2015
Team work: meet the office managers
Putting the art into Partnership
Artistic staff from three ATLP schools have been brushing up on their CPD skills.
One moment they’re managing a team or supporting the leadership group – the next, they’re feeding a tank of peckish eels (well, somebody needs to ensure Slade’s endangered creatures make it to the Sargasso Sea).
Staff from Brookvale, Slade and Stockland Green teamed up for two art collaboration events, organised by Stockland Green’s deputy head, Rebecca Good and head of art and design, Jo Short. Stockland Green staff provided CPD opportunities to primary schools and shared key strategies and teaching techniques over sessions at Stockland Green and Brookvale. Participants had an opportunity to learn new skills in water colours, clay, printing and other areas, which they then transferred to the classroom – see the ‘supercar pupils’ story below.
Painting a positive picture of CPD
The learning grid: Supercar students It was a fast start to the school day when children and parents at Slade arrived to find a Porsche and Lamborghini parked on the playground.
The supercars were designed to spark the school’s Transport Day, which aimed to help pupils learn more about Birmingham and its links to transport. The Fort’s Bentley Birmingham, had kindly brought along a £200,000 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4. It was joined by a 911 Carrera Porsche, which slick readers may recognise as belonging to a certain ATLP staff member. The children (and staff) had great fun posing with the cars, learning about their design, engines and other interesting facts. Pupils then spent the day getting creative in the classroom and learning more about the city’s transport links.
Brake time for Slade pupils
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Activities were arranged to help pupils continue to develop their art, DT, ICT and literacy skills. Staff also had the opportunity to put into practise the skills they had gleaned during the joint art CPD sessions with Stockland Green. They worked with clay and watercolours used to create exciting learning environments in school.
This is the diverse and never dull role of the school office manager. Their responsibilities cover many different areas, including: implementing and updating policies and procedures; finance and HR, managing staff; and organising whole school events. Quite simply: they keep the wheels turning smoothly in our schools and act as a central point of contact for all staff. Office managers from each ATLP school meet regularly to share ideas and best practice and to work together to ensure that our schools run efficiently – both individually and as a partnership. Alison East, Slade’s senior office manager said:
“Meeting collectively is beneficial on a number of levels. We have started to have representation from the partnership team at our meetings, which has been very useful as they update us on changes, guide us on how to manage processes and are a sounding block for our queries.
other’s skills to complement our own: bouncing ideas off each other, aiming to ensure consistency across the partnership, and taking ideas that have worked in the other schools back to our fantastic teams in school. Along with friendship, tea and cakes!”
“As a group, we get to swap knowledge and use each
The Office Managers (pictured left to right) Yvonne Holder Coleshill
Gel Blackhurst Stockland Green
Alison East Slade
Karen Balla Hill West
Sue Frisby Brookvale
Gerry Lowry Mere Green
Nicky Lawton Arthur Terry
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Partnership Post
Edition 3 | Summer 2015
Focus on: Trust Board and governance
Sir Chris supports school-led system
The Trust Board, known as directors, oversees the strategic direction of the ATLP. They meet on a regular basis to support schools and provide strategic management and leadership.
Respected National Leader of Education and ATLP CEO, Sir Christopher Stone, has been talking about moving schools forward under a school-led system.
Each school retains its own local governing body and headteacher to assist with this. The board is made up of seven trustees (members) and seven chairs of governors (by office).
Sir Chris was talking at the ‘West Midlands School Leaders Annual Conference 2015’. The event, entitled: ‘Great Expectations’ took place at the Chateau Impney, Droitwich Spa.
institution. The high profile event, which championed the school-led system, featured an informative and diverse programme for heads, principals, managers, governors, NLEs and LLEs.
Organised by the Teaching Schools Council and the National College for Teaching and Leadership, the conference attracted more than 300 educational leaders from all key stages and across all styles of
Chris said: “The conference was a wonderful opportunity for system leaders to come together to discuss and share how a school led system could take our schools forward.
Who’s who on the ATLP Trust Board: (For full profiles visit the ATLP website: www.atlp.org.uk) MEMBERS/DIRECTORS
CHAIRS OF GOVERNORS
Tim Sewell, Member/Director and Chair Stewart Davis, Member/Director Vice-Chair Alan Wharton, Member/Director and Chair of the ATLP Audit Committee Andrew Wood, Member/Director and Member of the ATLP Audit Committee Paul Wadsworth, Member/Director and Member of the ATLP Audit Committee Elizabeth Jackson, Member/Director Sarah Dawson, Member/Director and Chair of Governors, Stockland Green School Sir Christopher Stone, Member and CEO
Rhona Barnett, Chair of Governors, Brookvale Primary School Dewi Madoc Jones, Chair of Governors, Coleshill School Sue Burke, Chair of Governors, Arthur Terry School Ashley Innis, Chair of Governors, Slade Primary School Maxine Rowley, Chair of Governors, Mere Green Primary School Andrew Staples, Chair of Governors, Hill West Primary School Tim Sewell
Comprehensive training is key to quality leadership More than 60 representatives from all ATLP schools come together for in-depth trustee and governor training The training is designed to update members on the latest policies and developments; to support them in their work; and to share ideas and best practice with other members, with a view to improving outcomes for all. This year’s learning sessions have included: ‘The Role of the Trust Board’ ‘Finance’ and ‘Governance’ while chair, Tim Sewell, spoke to members about their positive achievements and the challenges ahead. Tim describes the training as “mutually beneficial” as it promotes quality leadership and governance across all schools. He said: “It’s incredibly challenging being a governor in education, with the immense changes taking place. Current and new governors are supported across the ATLP to deliver excellent governance for staff, students and everyone in two ways: 1) training and
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development – extensive training sessions and individual events and 2) a network of mutual support. Local governing bodies (LGBs) lead on lots of initiatives and others benefit from pathfinding activities. Likewise, there are very few issues that we
haven’t experienced across the whole partnership and we can draw on this experience and good practice. This support is central to ensuring LGBs are effective in supporting their learning communities.”
SNAP! Teaching schools team up for summer conference
Secretary of State, Nicky Morgan, has further pledged support for schools helping schools to become better. Teaching Schools are a major part of this strategy and to have all the Teaching Schools in the West Midlands working together was a significant milestone.”
part of the School Reference Group - a group of senior school leaders who work with UCET on the development and implementation of policy in the context of moves towards a schools-led teacher education system and to act as a resource for the teacher education sector and government.
Chris is now also part of the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) which promotes quality in teacher education. Chris is
Children switch on to science
Senior leaders and teachers from nine Midlands schools will come together for a major education conference, headed by Birmingham schools commissioner, Sir Mike Tomlinson. The’ SNAP Teaching Schools’ Conference’ which takes place at Arthur Terry School as the ‘PP’ goes to press, is open to educational professionals at all levels and will feature workshops and presentations by leading educators. The conference is a joint venture between four teaching schools: Sutton Park TSA (Streetly) National Forest Teaching School (John Taylor) Arthur Terry National Teaching School and Plantsbrook. Fellow ATLP schools, Mere Green and Slade will also take part. Keynote speakers are Sir Mike Tomlinson, Birmingham’s education commissioner and the National College of Teaching and Leadership’s John Stephens, the lead for Teaching Schools & School Improvement. The Arthur Terry National Teaching School (ATNTS) works closely with partners to deliver training and leadership opportunities. Cathryn Mortimer, director of the ATNTS, said: “As a group of teaching schools, SNAP can draw on the finest expertise of headteachers, National Leaders of Education and other experienced educators to deliver comprehensive training sessions, which will engage and help teachers to build on their current and future careers, all of which, will have a positive impact on raising education standards in our schools.”
Hill West and Arthur Terry students experience science show
Big bangs and small people made for a positive reaction when Hill West joined five other primary schools and sixth formers for an explosive science show at Arthur Terry. Pupils were treated to animated presentations and scientific experiments by leading chemistry academic, Bristol University’s Professor Tim Harrison. Arthur Terry’s sixth formers also enjoyed a sweet smelling treat when they took part in a presentation on the science of perfume. The event was funded by
the Primary Schools Science Teaching Trust, which also funds on-going curriculum work in science to enhance transition between primary and secondary school, as well as working with staff to develop their science skills. Mrs Sue Bailey, assistant headteacher at Arthur Terry, said: “Tim made the sessions appeal to Year 5 and Year 6 children. Watching their faces as balloons went pop and flames flickered, was wonderful.”
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Partnership Post
Team ATLP are ‘all stars’
The Arthur Terry Allstars line up for the Fun Run
Congratulations to all ATLP staff, students and their families who put their best feet forward for charity in the 13th Great Midlands Fun Run. Teams of enthusiastic runners from across our schools turned out in force to raise funds for charity and even the wet weather didn’t put a dampener on spirits.
ATLP chief executive, Sir Chris Stone, donned his trainers once again for the 7,000 strong run, joined by headteacher Neil Warner.
The annual event is organised by former Arthur Terry head boy, Tracey Spare, who returned to the school accompanied by Jane Sutton, mother of Stephen Sutton, to talk to staff and students ahead of the run. The school has raised an impressive amount for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Fellow Arthur Terry headteacher, Richard Gill, said: “One of us braved the eight-and-a-half mile trek, whilst the other gave support from the side lines and it was really wonderful to see and speak to so many people from our Arthur Terry community.
Francesca’s Feat A huge congratulations to Arthur Terry’s Francesca Percival, who has broken all school records for the Great Midlands Fun Run. The quick-footed HR manager has clocked up the fastest ever time by a female staff member. It was a fantastic feat for Francesca, as she placed 98th woman to cross the finish line and completed the run in a speedy one hour and 12 minutes. This makes her the first runner from Arthur Terry to finish within the first 100 women.
“Well done to Nick Blunt who, we believe, was the first of our ‘Allstars’ team over the line. Our thanks go, of course, to Pat Little for, yet again, fantastic organisation and hard work behind the scenes to ensure the Fun Run operates smoothly.”
Golden girls and boys! Former Olympian visits Stockland Green Stockland Green School students have been taking part in a sporting project, which saw them spend the day with former world indoor 400m champion Daniel Caines. The elite athlete worked with a group of Year 10 students as part of the Sky Sports Living for Sport project which aims to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills. As part of the project, students planned and delivered sports sessions to Year seven and eight students. PE teacher Luke Wiedeman said: “All the students should be exceptionally
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Daniel Caines puts SGS pupils through their paces
proud of themselves, they have worked extremely hard this half term and have become really positive role models to our younger students.”