Leadership Focus janfeb 16

LEADERSHIP F O C U S Spending Review implications P.10 The magazine for NAHT members January/Feburary 2016 • £5

Issue #72

SBM Standards introduced P.12 NAHT pledge on assessment P.34

The recruitment issue Where have all the candidates gone?

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EDITORIAL WE N A T I O N A L P R E S I D E N T

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he Education and Adoption Bill will conclude its journey through Parliament TONY DRAPER this month. This is the legislation that underpins the government’s desire to ‘make local authorities running schools a thing of the past’, turning every school in England into an academy.

In doing this, ministers are going against the views of many experts in education. There is solid evidence NAHT wants to see schools working together in cooperatives, that academisation does not automatically guarantee higher federations, trusts and multi-academy trusts: different standards. Academies can be great schools but a great school structures where partners hold each other to account and can doesn’t have to be an academy. work collaboratively on school improvement. This will be even Parents also want and deserve a say. Some 97 per cent of PTA more important in the future, which we know will see increased UK members have said that they want their voice heard if a recruitment challenges (pages 7 and 26) and reduced budgets. school is thinking about converting. The government’s plans are Also on the radar for 2016 is assessment. We need you to totally at odds with both public and expert opinion. respond to our assessment pledge (page 34). Please take time to School leaders and policy makers have a shared goal: high complete and return the form, whatever your view. standards of education for all pupils in all schools. But when we Finally, the NAHT’s chosen charity this year is the Youth disagree about the way this can be achieved, it is the children Sport Trust and I’m raising money for it by running the London that will pay the price. The government must now change its Marathon this year. If you’d like to chip in a few quid, you can approach and use the expertise that is being offered, instead of find out how on page 15. Happy New Year. dismissing it as an obstacle to improvement.

WELCOME

ON THE FRONT FOOT

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation: 28,060 (July 2014-June 2015)

ASSOCIATION AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES NAHT 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333 Editorial board: Tony Draper, Lesley Gannon, Nicky Gillhespy, Magnus Gorham, Chris Harrison, Russell Hobby, Kim Johnson, Gail Larkin, Christine Milburn, Stephen Watkins and Paul Whiteman @nahtnews @LFmagNAHT

EDITORIAL TEAM Managing editor: Steve Smethurst Assistant editor: Rebecca Grant Designer: Adrian Taylor Senior picture editor: Claire Echavarry Production manager: Jane Easterman Cover image: Getty Columnist illustrations: Lyndon Hayes Printed by: Wyndeham Peterborough

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Advertisement sales: Joe Elliott-Walker Sales director: Jason Grant Leadership Focus is published on behalf of NAHT by Redactive Publishing Limited, 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP www.redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6200 Email: naht@redactive.co.uk

ISSN: 1472–6181 © Copyright 2016 NAHT All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, neither the publisher nor NAHT can accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since compilation, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection with information in this publication. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the publishers.

The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or NAHT.

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CONTENTS

EN

EWS

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Chain reaction Fuel shortages caused by blockades in Nepal have resulted in the closure of many schools

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Recruitment struggles Nearly 80 per cent of schools had trouble filling staff vacancies in 2015, a NAHT survey has revealed

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Education bill Education experts argue that the bill fails to address important issues for schools, including funding, recruitment and pupil places Ofsted annual report Chief inspector reveals that 1.4m more pupils are now in ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools

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FEATURES

26 Where have the candidates gone?

Despite all their best efforts, schools simply cannot find staff of the right calibre to fill roles. What’s gone wrong, asks Susan Young

34 Pledge your support New assessment proposals are failing to tick the right boxes. But Rebecca Grant reports that NAHT is working to ensure the system is fit for purpose

19 Rona Tutt’s column Judging by their current policies, the NAHT past president believes the DfE may be living on a different planet 21 Russell Hobby’s column The general secretary says member feedback is giving NAHT a strong voice that the government is finding hard to ignore 22 Best of the blogs The bloggers address some tough questions, including: ‘What’s education all about?’ And ‘What exactly does “coasting” mean?’

Inspiring Leadership School leaders are urged to book their place at this popular event

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Spending review Government plans fail to recognise severe pressures on school budgets, says NAHT’s general secretary

44 Emotional wellbeing Charity Place2Be is working in schools to reduce the stigma associated with mental health

14 NAHT news An Education Show 2016 preview and an appeal from Tony Draper who’s going to marathon lengths to support NAHT’s charity partner

16 NAHT partners The Education Broker offers tips on choosing the right insurance deal, and NAHT’s personal finances team say the new year is the perfect time for a financial health check 17 Legal update NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas explores the tricky issue of publicinterest disclosures

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12 Blueprint for business managers A new set of professional standards takes into account the varied nature of the school business manager role

IEWS

32 How to find a recruitment partner With more schools turning to the professionals to find new staff, Eteach offers a guide to ensure you find the right recruiter for your needs

38 Stand up and be counted As NAHT prepares to welcome a new round of national officers in May, Joy Persaud catches up with the incoming vice president and national treasurer

10 Pressure points Following the government’s spending review, Caroline Roberts takes an in-depth look at the impact the new measures will have on school budgets

EV

46 Nature and nurture A trip outside the classrooms doesn’t just broaden pupils’ minds, it can be reinvigorating for school staff too

43 10 minutes with... ...Julie Simpson, NAHT National Executive member for the south west

48 Up for the challenge With months to go until the Rio games, Youth Sport Trust’s Chris Ellis says now’s the perfect time to get pupils interested in Paralympic sport

50 Susan Young’s column How turning a narrowboat into a classroom has instilled a ‘can-do’ attitude in challenging pupils at one Birmingham school

LEADERSHIP F O C U S

25 NAHT courses The 2016 training programme offers plenty of new opportunities

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NEWS FOCUS

NEWS • RECRUITMENT • LEAGUE TABLES • EDUCATION AND ADOPTION BILL • EDUCATION SHOW • INSPIRING LEADERSHIP

WE N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D O F E D U C A T I O N

STUDENT PROTESTS

Chain reaction BORDER BLOCKADES IN NEPAL ARE PREVENTING CHILDREN FROM ATTENDING SCHOOL, SO THEY MADE A POLITICAL PROTEST OF THEIR OWN

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Thousands of Nepalese students united in late November to form a 27km human chain to show solidarity against the border blockade that has sprung up in their country.

The middle hills and Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, have suffered fuel and cooking-gas shortages after a general strike in the south had the effect of blocking supplies from India – Nepal’s largest trading partner – some two months earlier.

Many in Nepal have accused India of supporting the protest (over political

representation), a charge New Delhi denies. India claims it cannot allow trucks to enter Nepal while conditions are unsafe.

In a video message sent to the BBC, several students who took part in the protest said the fuel shortages are having a severe impact on the country’s infrastructure.

This includes the closure of many schools.

“Due to the blockade, we have not been able to attend school properly,” said one student. Another added: “I’m a student, and all I want to do is study.”

PHOTOGRAPH: REUTERS

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Schools feel ‘pressured’ to convert

Widespread academisation fears HCSS Education surveyed more than 100 schools in England and found that more than 80 per cent feel there is pressure to convert to academy status.

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Despite the pressure, almost 60 per cent of those questioned revealed their schools did not wish to go through academisation

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Majority of schools are struggling to recruit Stay up to date with Nearly 80 per cent of members reported problems with recruiting the latest association staff at their school last year, an NAHT survey has revealed. news on Twitter The findings, published towards the end of last year, indicate that schools are facing increasing difficulties in fulfilling vacancies.

Nearly 60 per cent of respondents reported a ‘struggle’ filling vacancies and 20 per cent said they were unable to recruit at all.

The situation was worse for those seeking candidates for SENCos and roles with teaching and learning responsibilities, with just 14 per cent reporting being able to recruit with ease for these roles. In just over half of the cases where recruitment was an issue, the main reason was a lack of suitable applicants.

More than 2,100 school leaders took part in the survey, which was carried out between October and November last year.

NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby (pictured) said: “As well as concern about the number of applicants, our research has shown that schools are struggling to recruit people with the right kind of skills. There needs to be more investment in the professional development of teachers, both at a school and at a national and regional level.

“There is market failure in the development of senior leaders, especially head teachers, as the school that benefits from their professional development is often not the school that pays for it.

This makes a strong case for some centralised funding of leadership development programmes.

“The recruitment crisis has created a growing role for teacher recruitment and supply agencies, adding cost and complexity to teacher recruitment for schools. NAHT will be working with agencies and schools to address the issues involved.”

@NAHTnews

Recruitment feature, page 25

Recruitment partners, page 32

League tables highlight rising standards Overall standards improved in English primary schools last year, the latest league tables revealed.

Data published by the DfE in December showed that there are now 90,000 more primary school leavers meeting the standards in the core subjects than there were five years ago.

It was also noted that 94 per cent of pupils made at least two levels of progress in writing.

NAHT welcomed the latest figures, calling them “further evidence of rising standards in primary schools” and “a testament to the hard work of school leaders, teachers and pupils”.

However, the association’s general secretary Russell Hobby warned that “a period of stability is needed to secure these gains.”

He added: “We should think carefully before risking this sustained and impressive improvement with further changes. Schools are not against tests and assessment; just the way that the simplified outcomes from these high stakes tests and assessments are used to classify schools and direct interventions.”

Assessment feature, page 34

PHOTOGRAPH: TEMPEST

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When asked what their main concern was about the conversion process, 65 per cent felt staff may be nervous or wary of the change

Call for Education Bill overhaul NAHT has united with other teacher unions and education groups to voice its opposition to the Education and Adoption Bill.

In a joint letter to the Daily Telegraph, concern was expressed about a number of issues relating to the bill.

Among these is the worry that the bill removes the right of stakeholders to have a say in important decisions made about a school, such as selecting an academy sponsor.

They would also like to see a new clause added to the bill, which will place a statutory duty on the secretary of state to have ultimate responsibility for providing enough school places for the growing number of children entering education, and that there are enough high-quality teaching staff to teach them.

NAHT president, Tony Draper said: “There are serious and significant challenges facing our school system today, including funding, recruitment and pupil places. As written, the bill addresses none of these challenges. That is why we need a new clause that makes the government accountable for the basics.”

He added: “The government is slowly beginning to realise what the real issues are, but there’s a danger that the bill will make it through Parliament before ministers have fully woken up.”

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LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE WE Countdown to

Inspiring Leadership OFSTED ANNUAL REPORT

Gains being put at risk Sir Ken Robinson speaking at last year’s conference

The popular Inspiring Leadership Conference is set to return to Birmingham’s ICC again this June.

The three-day annual event, hosted jointly by NAHT, CfBT and ASCL, aims to inspire, empower and energise school leaders.

Now in its third year, the 2016 conference promises to be bigger and better than last year, which was deemed a ‘runaway success’; feedback from the 1,500 delegates in attendance confirmed that the event programme exceeded their expectations.

The event will again feature a host of inspirational speakers – among the highlights from last year were talks by strategist Alastair Campbell and education expert Sir Ken Robinson (pictured above).

The conference also provides plenty of opportunity for school leaders to network and trade ideas with their peers through a variety of workshops and masterclasses. In addition, they have the chance to browse the latest technology, products and services at the exhibition stands.

Speaking about why past events have become such a success, NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said: “The Inspiring Leadership conference has been taken over, if you like, by the profession,” He added: “The atmosphere, the buzz, the sense of energy and optimism that was associated with the event was palpable and that is a really important part of what we have to offer.”

The 2016 Inspiring Leadership Conference takes place 15-17 June at the ICC, Birmingham. Lunch will provided on each of the three days, and there is an optional conference dinner for delegates on the second night.

To book your place, or to find out more information and updates on this year’s programme, visit www.inspiringleadership.org

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Schools have shown ‘ongoing improvement’ in the standard of education being delivered over the past year, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw (pictured) has noted in his latest annual report.

In the report, published in December, Sir Michael also revealed that there are around 1.4 million more children in ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools than there were five years ago.

NAHT welcomed the news, but added that improving standards are “in spite of”, rather than “because of” government policy.

The association’s general secretary, Russell Hobby, said: “At a time when many schools face incredible pressure, they should be given credit for the fact that there are more children in good

and outstanding schools than ever.”

He added: “It is worrying that upheaval in the secondary sector is far from over and substantial change is now happening in primary, particularly with regard to assessment. The government should look closely at its plans for primary education.

The gains made here will be put at risk if they don’t.”

Review bridges standards gap Assessment arrangements for those working below the national curriculum standards have been addressed in a new report.

The Rochford Review issued a statement outlining its interim recommendations. Among these is the introduction of an additional standard to help assess progress of pupils working below the standard of statutory tests at key stages one and two.

NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said the recommendations: “provide a welcome structure for assessing those students who fall between the P scales and the standards set in the national curriculum”.

However, he added: “This is only the start of the task.

We now need to look in more detail at the P scales themselves in the spring.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: AKIN FALOPE

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NAHT’S SEND CONFERENCE 2016 This year’s event, which will focus on promoting wellbeing for children, young people and staff, will take place 10-11 March at the The Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire.

Visit www.naht.org.uk/send2016 to register

Many pupils lack required reading skills

No cut for mainstream school budgets, but times are still tough The government’s comprehensive spending review offered a ‘reasonable’ deal for education finances compared with other services, said NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby, but it failed to recognise that schools’ costs are rising faster than inflation.

Although the mainstream school budget will remain at its current level, cuts to local authority budgets and other grants will put pressure on school funds.

In a statement following the review, Mr Hobby said: “The government is fond of the statistic that there are over a million more children being taught in ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools. This is down to the hard work of teachers and school leaders. For this improvement to continue, sufficient funding is essential.”

He added: “We are concerned about further cuts to local authority services – a fixation with ever-greater autonomy will not help build capacity and sustain improvement. The claim that removing the role of local authorities will save £600m on the Education Services Grant looks uncertain: these support services must come from somewhere and forced academisation is a costly, disruptive business.”

Mr Hobby also welcomed the government’s promise to introduce a fairer funding formula by 2017 and said that NAHT will work closely with them on this issue. “Finding a fair formula that is an improvement on the current system will be a challenge. It must not be a cover for cuts, nor should it be rushed in, in case it damages school funding to a fatal degree. But it is necessary and we will continue to work together with the government to find a solution.”

Spending review in depth, page 10

PUPIL WELLBEING MENTAL HEALTH FUNDS BOOST More than 250 schools are set to benefit from a £3m government grant to improve mental health services.

The money will fund pilot schemes in 22 areas across England, which will help children and young people gain better access to local specialist mental health provision and ensure that support is consistent across services.

NAHT has ‘warmly welcomed’ the announcement. General secretary Russell Hobby said: “For too long children’s mental health has not received the attention it deserves; this helps to start to address that.

“NAHT has consistently campaigned on mental health, after our members overwhelmingly called for this to be a key

priority for us this year. Mental health plays a fundamental role in children’s success and poor mental health is a significant barrier to learning.”

He added: “Time needs to be spent in schools to ensure all children develop an understanding and awareness of good mental health.”

Schools can also raise awareness of pupils’ emotional wellbeing by taking part in Children’s Mental Health Week, which runs from 8-14 February (see link below).

www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk

Children are joining primary schools without adequate language skills to begin their learning journey, a new poll has revealed.

Out of 500 primary teachers who took part in Save the Children’s reading survey, 75 per cent said they have seen children arrive in primary school who are unable to speak in full sentences. And 78 per cent of those questioned were concerned that, despite their best efforts in the classroom, these children may never catch up to their peers.

Reacting to the poll results, NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said: “The survey’s findings that three out of four teachers have seen children arriving in reception who struggle to speak in full sentences is, disappointingly, echoed by our own members’ experiences.”

He also called for greater investment in early years education. “We know from experience that investing in early years pays off in future years, with children more engaged, more confident readers and more able to readily access other challenges that the curriculum throws at them.”

Save the Children and NAHT are part of the Read On Get On coalition that’s working to ensure that, by 2025, every child is a confident reader by age 11.

Wellbeing feature, page 44 readongeton.org.uk

PHOTOGRAPH: PA

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SPENDING REVIEW

While the Spending Review wasn’t disastrous for education, many aspects are worrying school leaders, reports Caroline Roberts

ON THE SURFACE, THE SPENDING review published by the government in November seemed reasonable news for education. The mainstream school budget is retained at the same level per pupil; there’s an extra £1bn of funding to provide more free childcare for working parents; and there’s a commitment to introduce a fairer funding formula by 2017.

But dig a little deeper and the content is more worrying. School funding is not increasing at a time when school costs continue to rise. The education services grant (ESG) is to be slashed by £600m and local authority budgets continue to be threatened, leaving schools to provide wider services, such as mental health support for children, themselves. And parents must now work 16 hours a week rather than eight to be eligible for free childcare, meaning that fewer families will benefit.

In reality, keeping spending steady on a per pupil basis represents a cut and schools are going to be under increased pressure, says Valentine Mulholland, an NAHT policy adviser.

She adds: “The cut in the ESG came as a surprise and will have a huge impact for our academy members, with per pupil funding more than halved.”

Ultimately, the move threatens the autonomy of small, standalone academies such as Great Dalby Primary School in Leicestershire, says its head Andrew Raistrick. “I think it’s all part of the government agenda for everybody to be part of multi-academy trusts. They’ll be the new local authorities.” But, overall, he believes it may not be a bad thing. “Trusts will be able to procure services on economies of scale. It will be handing education back to education professionals and creating a schoolled system. I think we’ll have to become part of a trust at some

Pressure points

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point, but we still want to be in a position to shape learning in our own school.”

The ongoing attack on local authorities will have an impact on maintained schools, which are already having to subsidise or pay for a variety of services, such as speech therapy and counselling.

Stuart McLaughlin, principal of The Brittons Academy, an 11-16 school in Rainham, Essex, says: “This used to be a full service extended school and we have families who need a lot of support, but we’re finding it difficult to offer the activities and services that we used to. We haven’t got spare money for home-school support workers. It’s going to have an impact on children’s learning in the long run. The sad thing is that it’s the most vulnerable members of the community that are being hit hardest.”

There’s better news on the early years front. “We were pleased to see the retention of funding for universal infant free school meals as this was under threat,” says Valentine. However, she warns that

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WE What does the spending review

mean for recruitment and retention?

There’s no doubt that there is a huge staffing crisis in schools, as demonstrated

by NAHT’s recent recruitment survey, and spending cuts will only make the situation worse. Valentine Mulholland says: “A big crisis point this year is around the fact that National Insurance (NI) and pension costs are going up by 5.8 per cent and that will be the case every year going forward.” And the teacher shortage means that hard-pressed schools will find it increasingly difficult to fund the salaries to attract and keep quality staff.

At The Brittons Academy, 80 per cent of the budget goes on staffing and, says principal Stuart McLaughlin, “The increased cost of pensions and NI means we are struggling to balance our budget and we know we are looking at redundancies for next September, primarily among teaching staff. This will mean we might have slightly bigger class sizes and we’ll have no spare capacity in our staffing. We try to offer a more appropriate curriculum for some of our students with high levels of need but won’t be able to do that any more, so they’ll be back in mainstream classes.”

Teacher shortages and rising staff costs are also having an impact at Cheam Fields Primary. “We’ve struggled to find staff this year and we’ve never had that problem before,” says school business manager Nicky Gillhespy. “To keep hold of decent staff we’re going to have to start paying more.” But the school will resist the temptation to cut support staff. “As soon as a school is short of money that’s often the first reaction, but it’s a false economy, and the knock-on effect on the teachers they’re working with, and on the children, is enormous.”

the exact budget for free childcare is yet to be confirmed and, if it does not rise, many schools will be unable to continue to offer their current level of free hours as they are subsidising it from the wider school budget. “We’re disappointed by the increase in the threshold to 16 hours and we would like to see the offer extended to parents who are in full time education as it’s all about improving life chances for children and their families.”

NAHT welcomes the government’s commitment to developing a fairer funding formula, says Valentine. “The ongoing cut in funding makes it even more important that allocation is fair and transparent, so that everyone knows what the principles are and they are able to plan at least three years ahead. We’re looking forward to the call for evidence early in 2016. We want to see more funding go directly to schools rather than through local authorities. At the moment there are two levels where transparency doesn’t exist: the basis on which local authorities get the money and the basis on which they decide how it’s allocated within their area.”

Nicky Gillhespy, school business manager at Cheam Fields Primary in Surrey, agrees. “Why should it be a postcode lottery?

If the funding is allocated fairly on a per pupil basis, with some element for local needs, we’ll all know where we stand and we can plan for the future. We’re a maintained school and we often don’t find out what our budget will be until the middle of February. If we had a formula that was clear and transparent then we could make a close estimate of what it’s going to be.” And she believes that it needs to happen sooner rather than later. “Why should the

IMAGE: PA

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children in poorly funded areas miss out? These children only get one chance to be at school, why should they have to wait while it gets sorted out?”

There are similar concerns in other parts of the UK. Recent research by NAHT Cymru found that the basic per-pupil funding differed by £1,100 between the highest and lowest funded authorities, says policy director, Rob Williams. “There needs to be an element within the national formula that allows for specific local context, but the age-weighted per-pupil spend should be the same across the whole of Wales, although it would need to be introduced as a graduated change. The way into this could be the planned reorganisation of local authorities – it’s an opportune time for a look at the national funding formula.”

In Northern Ireland, where less than half of the education budget goes directly to schools, the main driver of a manifesto to be launched on 14 January is the concept of graduated resourced autonomy. Helena Macormac, NAHT (Northern Ireland) policy director, explains: “In the current economic climate, additional responsibilities are being conferred on school leaders but without the necessary extra resources. We’re calling for a comprehensive review of funding as we believe those closest to the children are better placed to respond to their needs than those in centralised government. When schools are ready to take on additional responsibilities then funds should be given to them.”

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PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

A blueprint for school business management The association has been instrumental in shaping new professional standards, reports NAHT policy adviser Valentine Mulholland A NEW SET OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR school business management has been published. Created with NAHT involvement, the standards establish a clear blueprint for effective school and academy business management, setting out the levels at which professionals working in this area should operate, and the specialist technical knowledge they require.

This new set of standards, produced by the National Association for School Business Management (NASBM), replaces the previous National College competency framework. As well as describing effective practice, the standards provide guidance for recruitment, performance management and career development activities. They can be used by both school business managers (SBMs) and head teachers as their employers.

They set out the six main professional disciplines of school business management that are required in any school: • Finance • Leading support services • Human resources • Procurement • Infrastructure (including premises, asset management and ICT) • Marketing.

Each is broken down into their detailed elements and the role described for four tiers of school business management activity: from a member of support staff supporting school business management operating at tier one to the most experienced school business leader

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operating across a number of schools or academies at tier four.

The standards are also supported by six principal behaviours required to be effective in the profession, setting out that SBMs need to be: • Collaborative in their practice • Skilled negotiators • Effective decision makers • Resilient • Change catalysts • Not afraid to challenge professionally.

Development of the standards has been very much practitioner-led and NAHT’s SBM Committee has also been closely involved, reflecting NAHT’s agenda of the profession taking control of standards. The standards are thorough and designed to help SBM members work towards their professional development objectives and, as a result, are relatively long and detailed. Keen to see their adoption in schools, NAHT urged NASBM to develop a shorter, more ‘user friendly’ summary and this is now available.

The skills and knowledge described in the standards are so extensive that it is clear that no individual SBM could ever deliver against all of them. This is very different to

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WE Soundbites Stephen Morales Chief executive of the National Association of School Business Management (NASBM)

EE “This framework for SBM professional standards will be helpful for both schools and SBMs. These standards go to show how far the SBM professional role has changed over the past five years, with SBMs working as senior leaders accountable for school business management, leaving heads free to focus on teaching and learning” Russell Hobby, NAHT general secretary

“Recent reforms to the education system have seen individual schools face additional responsibilities and complex operational and fiscal challenges. It is therefore essential that schools are run as efficiently and effectively as possible. Having appropriately trained, skilled and experienced professionals is essential if schools and academies are to continue to thrive in this new education landscape.”

Andrew Mellor Head teacher of St Nicholas Church of England Primary School in Blackpool “SBMs play a key role in the success of schools and lead the drive for efficiency which creates further capacity for improving teaching and learning.

The full value of SBMs is yet to be realised by many schools, but these standards are key in allowing schools to make the most of this valuable resource while supporting SBMs to develop and hone their skills to create a structured but bespoke professional development pathway. The fact that the NAHT business managers group has contributed to these excellent standards demonstrates NAHT’s commitment to their school business manager members.”

Lesley Osborne Business manager at Bradfields Academy in Kent

the teachers’ standards that schools are used to working with that set out a mandatory baseline for all teachers.

NASBM standards are not mandatory and, due to the variety of SBM roles in each setting, cannot establish a baseline of expected performance. They instead provide a framework for professional development for any SBM, based on their particular role.

They allow head teachers to assess how school business management is delivered in their schools by their whole leadership and support teams, and how they might want to recruit or develop individuals to fill any gaps.

IMAGE: UNP

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“As a reference point for SBMs I think it’s a great resource and it will prove a valuable tool for professional development not only in my own role but also for the wider support staff team.

My only concern is that the document is quite substantial and I think this may put off some head teachers from reading it, so I’m pleased to see that there’s a much shorter summary document, which will be more useful for heads to use.”

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NAHT NEWS AND INFORMATION

Education Show 2016 to explore the importance of STEM subjects The Education Show is the recognised education and learning community platform, offering an opportunity for growth and success with access to the entire education landscape. The show will return to the NEC in Birmingham from 17-19 March.

Following consultation with educators, the Education Show 2016 sees a wide-ranging programme of continuing professional development (CPD) content covering leadership themes, practical guidance and inspirational advice. A partnership with the Teacher Development Trust sees the non-profit organisation play an instrumental role in developing the CPD content programme for the Education Show in line with the new standards for professional learning. Speakers range from policy makers and school leaders to classroom teachers and inspirational thought-leaders. The Education Show’s CPD programme is peer-led and free to all practitioners, to ensure teachers get as much out of the event as possible.

For leadership teams the event’s specialist conference, the School Leaders Summit, is developed to offer an environment where leaders can learn, network and share ideas. The programme of case studies, panel debates and networking opportunities will provide leaders with insight, advice and vital collaborative links.

Enhancing literacy, STEM and the impact of technology The central feature of the 2016 event focuses on teaching innovatively to improve literacy skills across all subjects.

Visitors will be inspired by the practical and engaging content.

In addition to the show’s focus on literacy, a new maths and science theatre will immerse educators in teaching techniques and effective learning strategies through seminars, workshops and demonstrations. This sits alongside the event’s partnership

with the Big Bang Fair, the largest celebration of STEM for young people in the UK, which also takes place at the NEC Birmingham, from 16-19 March. The Big Bang Fair provides a combination of exciting theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits, as well as careers information from STEM professionals. This year, both shows will be coming together to bring classroom learning to life, showcasing how the STEM subjects help prepare students for life beyond education.

According to BESA’s ICT in UK State Schools research, over half of schools in the UK anticipated that more than 50 per cent of teaching time will incorporate ICT by 2015 and this growth is still continuing. The event’s dedicated Learning Through Technology zone has been developed to address the growing importance of technology in learning, with a range of resources and expert advice available for anyone seeking support in this area.

Practicalities To help visitors plan their route around the show, the British Educational Supplier’s Association (BESA) will be on hand at the BESA Show Information Point. The association’s knowledge and experience will help visitors plan their time at the event and ensure they get as much out of it as possible.

Nasen, meanwhile, will once again provide the event’s SEN Information point, offering visitors specialist advice on how to meet the needs of SEN pupils.

NAHT will be at the Education Show from 17-19 March at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information or to register, please visit: www.education-show.com.

You can follow @EducationShow on Twitter for further news and updates, or join #EdShowChat every last week of the month.

14 LEADERSHIP FOCUS l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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21/12/2015 11:23

Marathon effort in support of NAHT’s official charity partner At no point in my life would I ever have thought I’d be running the London Marathon, writes NAHT National President Tony Draper (pictured). Even though I have a background in sport, I always hated running.

Then, last July, I met with Youth Sport Trust (YST)’s inspirational chief executive Ali Oliver, to discuss how it could work with NAHT as our official charity partner.

She asked me: “Why don’t you run the London Marathon?”

I replied: “Because I’m fat, old and knackered.”

However, Ali was persistent. She said the YST would provide a training schedule and ensure I was well supported.

It got me thinking…

It has been surprisingly brilliant. My early runs were hard, but I’ve lost more than a stone and a half in weight and really enjoy pounding the streets and cutting down my minutes per mile.

So many people have been so supportive; family, friends and my staff at school. I’ve always been determined to do my utmost to support the professional development of teachers in PE and sport and if I can raise funds to do this through busting myself in this endeavour then I’m happy to do so. Government may not care about developing your staff to deliver high-quality PE, but I do.

It hasn’t been without its challenges. A few weeks ago, after running my fastest mile yet, I felt a pain in my hip that I knew I couldn’t run off. It meant I had to pull out of the Milton Keynes half-marathon – but by the time you read this, I will have resumed full training and be raring to go. Please support me and my running mate, Paul Whiteman, NAHT’s director of representation and advice, in raising funds for YST by running the London Marathon on April 24. You can donate via the link below. www.justgiving.com/NAHT-TonyandPaul

‘Another interesting article…’

Dear editor, Thanks for another excellent, interesting article (High needs, unfair funding, LF Nov/ Dec 2015). Steve Hollingshurst is right, it’s a vicious circle.

If local authority (LA) special schools aren’t given the provision, the ‘independents’ will keeping getting placements, which drains the LA budget so they can’t put what’s needed into LA schools.

I only ever felt I could take a role at Chailey Heritage school (Complexity and the curriculum, LF Sept/Oct 2015) because it was ‘nonaggressive’ in its relationship with the LA. I would never take a child who isn’t complex enough to really need us, or from a LA school which did have good enough provision.

Simon Yates Head teacher, Chailey Heritage School

2015: a year of helping school leaders locally and nationally NAHT is proud of all it has achieved for school leaders over the past year. Below are just some of the ways we represented your interests in 2015: • Stopped the return of no-notice Ofsted inspections; • Blocked dozens of unjustified forced conversions into academy status; • Secured a commitment to retain universal infant free school meals (UIFSM); • Persuaded the government to properly review funding for 30 hours free childcare a week; • Achieved an independent review panel for Ofsted complaints; • Persuaded the government to abandon a dangerous model parental complaints policy; • Secured the eventual publication of performance descriptors; • Helped to place a fair funding formula on the agenda; • Supported the creation of a College of Teaching; • Ensured that progress rather than attainment is used as

a measure of school performance, having persuaded Ofsted to look beyond raw data; • Encouraged the government to consider widening the definition of EBacc subjects and to engage in discussion over year seven re-sits; • Gained parity for special schools regarding inspection notice periods and initial teacher training; • Launched our own alternative inspection model – Instead – with hundreds of schools registering interest; • Involved more than 100 schools in our Aspire project to help them become better protected from the threat of takeover; • Established a charity with partners to take on the ownership of our profession’s leadership qualifications.

If you would like to find out more about any of our campaigning or lobbying please get in touch. info@naht.org.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2016 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 15

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21/12/2015 11:23

MEMBER BENEFITS

PARTNERS WE M E S S A G E F R O M A S C H O O L P A R T N E R What to ask when buying staff absence insurance The differences in cover are only small, aren’t they?

A slight difference between policy wordings may be hard for the inexperienced eye to detect, but it can be the difference between having a claim paid or not. Always compare the full policy wording, not just quotes and key facts.

All policies have exclusions, but when are they applied?

Most policies provide 12 months’ cover, with renewal offered annually. Establish whether exclusions are applied when you first buy the policy or are reapplied at renewal too.

When making a claim, will you need to ‘bother’ the absent person?

Ask whether the insurers will rely on information from the school or will write to the person’s doctor. If the latter, seek approval from all insured staff before buying.

Maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave – is it worth insuring?

Establish what your financial loss would be if someone did take leave. Then ask: How much and when will the claim be paid? Does the person have to return to work?

This is not an exhaustive list. Email info@theeducationbroker.co.uk or call 0808 168 2549 and we can help you understand the staff absence insurance options open to you.

WE M E S S A G E F R O M A M E M B E R P A R T N E R Another year has passed – are your finances fit for your future?

January is traditionally a time for good intentions, such as gaining a stronger grip on your finances. Yet sticking to your new year’s resolutions can prove difficult once the hustle and bustle of working life takes over again. If you’re not careful, the year could fly by just as quickly as the last one, with your finances neglected.

We know you care about your financial future, so why not speak to our trusted and recommended partner for help making suitable plans?

NAHT Personal Financial Services is provided by Skipton Financial Services Limited.

They have been providing advice to our members for the best part of a decade and you can also benefit from their expert opinion, a review of your current plans and recommendations personalised to your situation.

Simply call 0800 012 1248 quoting ‘LFJan16’.

Your capital is at risk so you may get back less than you originally invested.

The value of any investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise.

Service and quality are important to us. That’s why some of our calls are recorded and monitored. Calls are free from a BT landline, costs from other networks and mobiles may vary. Lines open 9am-7pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am-5pm on Friday. Skipton Financial Services Limited has chosen to offer Restricted financial advice. Registered Office: The Bailey, Harrogate Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 1DN. Registered in England, Number 2061788. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under register number 100013. Should you take advice from SFS, NAHT will receive a fee for the introduction.

16

WE NAHT

partner contacts NAHT is committed to negotiating a wide range of high quality, value-added benefits and services for its members. If you have any comments on the services provided by our affinity partners, contact marketing@naht.org.uk

SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS NAHT ASSURE HR, payroll, property, health and safety 0845 519 7001 Email: helpdesk@nahtassure.co.uk www.nahtassure.co.uk Online DBS checking 0845 519 7001 www.nahtassure.co.uk/online-dbs ETEACH Online staff recruitment 0845 226 1906 Email: info@eteach.com www.eteach.com GL ASSESSMENT Pupil assessment 0845 602 1937 www.gl-assessment.co.uk GL PERFORMANCE Kirkland Rowell Surveys 0191 270 8270 www.kirkland-rowell.com THE EDUCATION BROKER Staff absence insurance 0845 600 5762 www.theeducationbroker.co.uk

SERVICES FOR MEMBERS ROCK Travel insurance 0844 482 3390 www.nahttravelinsurance.co.uk AVIVA Home, contents and motor insurance 0800 046 6389 www.fromyourassociation.co.uk/NAHT CS HEALTHCARE Private medical insurance 0800 917 4325 (use code 147) www.cshealthcare.co.uk GRAYBROOK INSURANCE BROKERS Professional indemnity and public liability cover 01245 321 185 Email: enquiry@graybrook.co.uk www.graybrook.co.uk/naht-members MBNA Credit card services 0800 028 2440 www.mbna.co.uk SKIPTON FINANCIAL SERVICES Financial planning 0800 012 1248 Email: sfsnaht@skipton.co.uk www.skiptonfs-naht.co.uk

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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21/12/2015 11:23

NEWS FOCUS

LEGAL UPDATE

Public-interest disclosures Employees making ‘public interest disclosures’ about their employers have been protected by legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since 1998, writes NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas.

It is unlawful to subject an employee to a detriment and it is automatically unfair to dismiss an employee for making a protected disclosure. Also, the statutory ‘cap’ on compensation for unfair dismissal does not apply if the dismissal is for making a protected disclosure.

There are five categories of disclosure.

It is the following two that most commonly arise in school settings: 1. That a criminal offence has been committed, is being committed, or is likely to be committed.

2. That a person has failed, is failing, or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which they are subject.

There are a number of qualifications. The disclosure must be information. The distinction between information and an allegation can be illustrated by the following entirely hypothetical example: “The Ofsted inspector was biased and knew nothing about primary education,” is an allegation rather than information and a person making such an allegation is unlikely to be protected by the whistleblowing legislation.

On the other hand, “Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector sent an email to his colleague inspector saying the school was to be failed because the local authority wants it to convert to an academy,” is information. The more specific the disclosure is, the more likely it is to be information rather than merely an allegation.

Disclosures relating to, for example, a safeguarding incident or financial impropriety could fall into either of the above categories. A disclosure relating to administration of tests is likely to be covered by the second category.

However, merely including a piece of information does not confer protection: the whistleblower must have a ‘reasonable belief’ in the information, although protection is not lost merely because the information turns out to be incorrect.

Disclosures should normally be made to the employer, but there are provisions in the legislation that mean disclosures

PHOTOGRAPH: PLAINPICTURE

17 Law.indd 17

to other people or organisations may also be protected.

In addition, to be successful in a claim to an employment tribunal, the employee must show that the detriment to which they were subjected, or their dismissal, was because of the protected disclosure.

In England and Wales, in June 2013, the legislation was amended so that the whistleblower must also have a ‘reasonable belief’ that the disclosure was in the public interest. The legislation has not been amended in Northern Ireland.

This was potentially a significant change.

The second category had been widely interpreted by the courts to include a disclosure by an employee that his employer had failed to comply with the employee’s own contract of employment (the ‘legal obligation’ being the obligations under the contract of employment).

So, what might previously have been grounds for a grievance or, in extreme cases, constructive dismissal, became potential claims for whistleblowing. This was not the intention of the legislators and as a result the ‘public interest’ requirement was introduced in June 2013.

This does not mean a disclosure of information relating to a breach of the employee’s contract will never be protected, but there must be a wider public interest. An employment appeal tribunal (EAT) has since ruled that 100 senior managers was a large enough number for the public interest test to be satisfied.

A second ruling (currently being appealed) stated a complaint that the distribution of overtime was being dealt with unfairly, which affected the employee making the disclosure and three other drivers, could ‘in principle’ be in the public interest.

In the meantime, therefore, an employee who makes a disclosure about a breach (or alleged breach) of his own employment contract may be protected by the whistleblowing legislation if the issue affects other workers as well.

If you need professional advice, call 0300 30 30 333

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 17

21/12/2015 11:24

Over 280 school policies available to download

Every school policy you’ll ever need A typical school policy has to refer to and take account of many pieces of legislation, and perhaps several government guidance documents. It is not surprising then that a very large number of school leaders have had enough of spending their time working on school policies. Which is why they subscribe to Policies for Schools.

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To subscribe to Policies for Schools go to: www.policiesforschools.co.uk Teachers Resource Centre Ltd Telephone: 01600 891506 Website: www.policiesforschools.co.uk Email: sales@policiesforschools.co.uk

LFO.01.16.018.indd 18

21/12/2015 14:26

OPINION

VIEWS IN EDUCATION • RONA TUTT • RUSSELL HOBBY • BEST OF THE BLOGS

WE V I E W F R O M A P A S T P R E S I D E N T

S

cientists may be arguing about whether or not parallel universes exist, but RONA TUTT the evidence continues to mount that one can be found within the walls of the DfE. We can only hope that 2016 will prove a reality check and those who organise education will develop the same mindset as those who deliver it.

This would mean the government IS THE DFE LIVING ON A DIFFERENT moving away from a notion that young people respond to tougher tests by PLANET TO SCHOOL LEADERS? ITS becoming more clever and enthusiastic POLICIES WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT IS about learning. It would also involve accepting that it is not the fault of heads However, the parameters they were given mean they cannot that teachers are reluctant to enter the profession or stay in it, tackle the main problem of politicians interfering in education. and nor are heads to blame for a system of accountability that It is this churn of constant change that creates an unacceptable makes it hard to find enough people to lead schools. workload, driving people out of teaching or putting them off Getting rid of levels seemed to indicate light was dawning on entering the profession in the first place (see page 26). those who thought they were a good idea in the first place.

Heads are often blamed for not encouraging others to follow Disappointingly, the descriptions being introduced for the end in their footsteps and, of course, it can be a wonderful job. But it of key stage results suggest that the next development may not wasn’t heads who set up a system where half the week is spent be much more enlightened than the last. waiting for ‘that’ phone call and a system where you are only Likewise, when schools are crying out for a reduction in reckoned to be as good as your last Ofsted. testing and more time to teach a balanced curriculum, a reception Currently, a slight dip in results is treated as a warning sign of baseline is being introduced, and in such a convoluted way that falling standards, rather than a natural consequence of every many schools found the one they had spent a long time choosing cohort being different from the last. In a speech last November, was not on the final list. Meanwhile, at the other end of the age Nicky Morgan said she wanted to “slay the soft bigotry of low range, comes the move to funnel all students into the same exam. expectations”, referring, presumably, to all those teachers she The Consultation on Implementing the English Baccalaureate seems to meet – but I have rarely encountered – who make reported recently: “We propose the EBacc becomes the default excuses for their pupils’ lack of progress because they come option for all pupils, but that schools should be able to determine from the wrong side of the tracks or are on the SEN register. the small minority of pupils for whom taking the whole EBacc is There is a way to raise expectations, but it isn’t through testing not appropriate.” children until the pips squeak or putting pressure on heads until It doesn’t seem to occur to anyone at the DfE that there may be they can take no more. It is by trusting the professionals to know some pupils for whom none of the EBacc is appropriate. Towards what they are doing and letting them get on with it. If the DfE the end of last year, Nicky Morgan made a speech about the could achieve this in 2016, we might revise our particularly low National Teaching Service, whereby a squad of 1,500 elite expectations of it. teachers will be parachuted into ‘underperforming’ schools – defined as those that fail to persuade enough pupils to gain the requisite number of GCSEs, regardless of whether or not it’s the Rona Tutt is a retired head right exam for them. teacher and a The secretary of state, quite rightly, highlighted workload as a past president of NAHT problem and established three review groups to look at the issue.

VIEWPOINT •

PARALLEL UNIVERSE

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21/12/2015 11:25

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LFO.01.16.020.indd 20

14/12/2015 12:37

OPINION

EE “This will be the year when most schools reflect on their participation in collaboration with others”

W

elcome to 2016.

With a British astronaut circling RUSSELL HOBBY the Earth in the International Space Station it certainly feels like the future has arrived. I hope the Christmas break let you recharge your batteries and think about your school’s future, because there are both challenges and opportunities.

Recruitment will be a challenge.

DATA GATHERING HAS A VITAL More than 2,000 of you responded ROLE TO PLAY IN INFLUENCING to our recent survey (see pages 7 and GOVERNMENT POLICY 26) and, thanks to your input, we’ve been able to put together an accurate to work with key partners like NAHT to develop more nuanced picture of teacher shortages and requirements. Collecting this approaches to measuring recruitment. Their January census is data in November is the best measure of the challenges you not giving us the true picture. face. The DfE favours a January survey but, by this time, you’ve But enough with the challenges! What about the opportunities? already filled the gaps. It’s because you have to make things In 2016 you could choose to participate in Instead, our peer work and you do make things work. Too often, poor planning review system. Around 500 schools have put their names on by government is disguised by effective firefighting in schools. the list. Or you could get involved in Aspire. Schools in the pilot I was able to take our analysis of the survey data to the project improved on average at twice the national rate, at a Education Select Committee in Westminster in December. fraction of the cost or the pain of some other interventions.

Backing up our arguments with evidence is a crucial part of what we do; so thank you for completing the survey. Please look Universal academisation? out for other surveys that are coming up, on pupil wellbeing This will also be the year when most schools reflect on their and on new headship. When we have your input, ministers and participation in collaboration with others. The government is policy makers listen more attentively and we achieve more. mulling over universal academisation. Perhaps in some ways this would be a relief. Every school in the country could become Our voice is being heard an academy tomorrow and absolutely nothing would change Your responses to September’s childcare survey have resulted in terms of performance. At least we’d stop talking about it. in a commitment from government to take your concerns Academisation is less important than collaboration and this seriously. The data we gathered from you in October about can take many forms. As local services decline, budgets get school budgets made a real impact in the DfE and the tighter and recruitment harder, working with a strong group of Treasury. Our Breaking Point report was widely quoted in the local schools will become essential. media and many politicians are now repeating our mantra The opportunity here is to create or choose a group that that education should no longer be seen as a cost but as an matches your vision and ethics, rather than wait to be forced essential investment. When that happens, you know that we into one that doesn’t. It’s your values that determine what are having an effect on public opinion. happens, not the name on the gates.

Although the recruitment situation in secondary is more acute we’d also like to see the government reconsider its recent decision to reduce the investment in primary sector initial Russell Hobby teacher training and review its assumptions about the numbers is NAHT general secretary of new primary teachers that are needed. The DfE also needs

VIEWPOINT •

SURVEYING THE SCENE

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21/12/2015 11:25

BEST OF THE

BLOGS Finding the right answers to the big question Susan Young Teachers can finally have their say in the ultimate question about education: ‘What’s it all for?’, thanks to the Commons’ Education Committee’s enquiry into the purpose of education in England.

But, as Susan Young notes in a recent blog entry: “You might argue this debate is over 20 years too late, as the National Curriculum (and the ‘simple paper and pencil tests’ which were meant to evaluate it) were created at the request of then prime minister Margaret Thatcher, with tweaks and accompanying work done by various government quangos and arms’-length bodies. Various additions have been nailed on since then, to serve all sorts of different purposes, whether citizenship, British values or PSHE. Nobody’s gone

‘Macho’ warning notices are a sign of the times Warwick Mansell After stumbling across a ‘pre-termination’ warning notice that was sent to an academy chain late last year, education journalist Warwick Mansell found himself wincing at what he describes as “another small example of England’s often brutal educationmanagement apparatus”.

He explains: “Academy sceptics and critics might leap on this as further evidence that, in the words of a cliché that long ago entered the realm of banality because it is so obvious from the evidence, ‘academy status is no panacea’. But what struck me most was the tone of the message.

“The whole notion of a pre-termination warning, with academy chains told they need to improve a school’s results or face losing academy status, has a kind of

back to the drawing board to ask what it’s all for, perhaps even since the Butler education act in 1944. Knowledge or skills? Facts or understanding? Why are these political debates rather than something more nuanced?”

As late in the day as it may be, Susan encourages school leaders to make their voices heard in this enquiry before it’s too late – the deadline is 25 January.

“If you wonder why there’s more emphasis on traditional pen and paper exams to measure achievement in an age when employers value teamwork and communication, or why vocational education still seems to be regarded as the poor relation, this is an opportunity to say so.”

Susan signs off by telling members how they can comment on the enquiry. More details can be found by reading her full blog entry at the link below.

www.naht.org.uk/susan-young

macho ‘you have 20 seconds to comply’ ring about it, redolent of the late 1980s sci-fi hit Robocop.

He continues: “All of this seems of a piece with how England’s system for school oversight now operates: decision-making takes place largely behind closed doors, against the seemingly heroic and staggering assumption that policy makers always take decisions in the public interest and thus no public scrutiny is required.

“I fear that until a politician in power is brave enough to depart from this stance in favour of saying: ‘we want to create schools that truly are going to be the best places to work for our most talented and committed teachers; and we know many schools face serious challenges and we genuinely want to do all we can to help them improve,’ the underlying conditions will not change.”

VIEWS IN EDUCATION • HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE EDUCATION ENQUIRY • PRE-TERMINATION WARNINGS • ALL THE LATEST SEND DEVELOPMENTS

Is the future looking bright for SEND provision?

Rona Tutt Ofsted’s annual report was top of the agenda in Rona’s recent SEND blog post. She was pleased to note that the report, published at the beginning of December, contains more promising information relating to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities than it has done in previous years.

“Some of us were disappointed last year to find special schools not receiving a mention despite the high percentage being judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’,” she writes.

“So, it was an improvement to see that the full facts and figures are being provided this time, along with the information that: ‘Just under half of pupils with statements/EHC plans attend special schools’.”

Rona’s blog also provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments, including the recent publication of the Rochford Review into assessment arrangements for pupils working below national curriculum standards. She also offers a summary of how SEND was covered at recent education events.

In addition, she uses the opportunity to look forward to what developments 2016 will bring, including a preview of what NAHT’s SEND committee has in store for this year’s Special Schools, Specialist and Alternative Provision Conference in March (see page 9).

“In addition to the exciting range of keynote speakers and seminar leaders, an additional feature will be a number of fringe events that will take place at the start of the conference.

“Since registration opened, places have been filling up fast, so if you haven’t already done so, do check out the programme and join us for this highlight of the SEND calendar at www.naht.org.uk/trainingcourses.”

www.naht.org.uk/warwick-mansell www.naht.org.uk/rona-tutt

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21/12/2015 11:25

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Measuring pupil progress with new NFER Tests The National Foundation for Educational Research has many years’ experience in developing assessments. Our latest assessments are a new suite of NFER Tests for use at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. Following the success of NFER Tests Suite 1, Suite 2 summer is now available to pre-order for delivery from February 2016 with an additional autumn suite available to pre-order from January 2016.

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Test outcomes As with all NFER Tests, the results include age-standardised scores based on large and representative national samples. From June 2016, standardised scores will also be available, allowing teachers to show progress over time.

A new feature of Suite 2 tests is the statistical linking between tests. This will enable schools to record progress in achieving national curriculum expectations now that national curriculum levels have been abolished. Linking will be available for the reading, maths, and grammar and punctuation tests. It will work in two ways: • firstly within each year group, a test taken in the first half of the school year will be linked to the paired test in the second half of the school year. For example, if a pupil takes the autumn reading test in September of Year 3 and the paired summer test in May of Year 3, using the standardised scores it will be possible to see the extent of the progress made by the pupil.

• secondly there is year on year linking. For example, the standardised score on the reading test at the end of Year 3 can be compared to the score on the nefits Key be reading test taken at the end of Year 4. to the aligned y ll u F • You can find out more about statistical linking between tests by visiting tional new na m www.nfer.ac.uk/linking curriculu d with d dar ise ils • Stan 0 0 pup over 45 e new taught th rriculum l cu nationa s, d s c o re dardise n a t S ed • ndardis a g e - s t a d ag e an s c o re s tion expecta d relate Includes: Reading, mathematics, es Standardised prior to the outcom grammar & punctuation* punctuation for introduction of the 2014 Years 3, 4 & 5 national curriculum and Pre-order Pre order now for delivery from provided tests for the old Spelling tests curriculum, supporting February 2016 for Years 3, 4 & primary schools as they *Grammar Grammar and punctuation available for delivery 5 are available transition to assessing from September 2016 to order for without levels delivery from February 2016.

Three matched tests for use Includes: Grammar & punctuation, across summer NFER Analysis and reading, mathematics for and autumn Marking Service Years 3, 4 & 5 2016 available for Suite 2 Autumn and Summer tests used summer. together can provide a measurement of Independent marking and progress within year groups and year on year analysis of NFER tests Coming soon for pre-order and Order now for marking delivery from Autumn 2016 in May 2016

Suite 2

Suite 1

Summer Tests

Autumn Tests

For more information on NFER Tests and to pre-order Suite 2 summer please visit www.nfer.ac.uk/nt9 LFO.01.16.024.indd 24

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What’s new in NAHT training?

An at-a-glance guide to NAHT’s specially developed training courses to help your continuing professional development FEATURED COURSES

OTHER COURSES

The new inspection framework: understanding, preparing and managing NEW This new course is designed to bring leaders up to date with Ofsted’s new common inspection framework, which was released in September 2015. Participants will have the opportunity to examine each aspect of the new inspection in relation to their own school; checking the readiness of staff, the accuracy of self-evaluations, the quality of strategic planning and reflect on the impact of current provision on the outcomes for pupils.

Manchester, 4 February Birmingham, 1 March London, 16 March

London, 1 February NEW Suspicious, scared and sad: supporting pupils with mental health needs

Working longer: present and future options NEW With the pension age rising, this half-day seminar has been designed to help you make informed choices and consider your options throughout your career. Participants can explore options for work/life balance, including job-sharing, flexible working and working longer. There will also be an overview and update on the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Manchester, 12 February London, 4 March NAHT’s assessment framework: good practice in a world without levels – emerging practice and implementation NEW This builds on an earlier course and provides details of emerging good practice developed under NAHT’s assessment framework.

London, 16 March Manchester, 22 April Recruitment and retention within the teaching profession NEW Schools in all phases of education are finding the recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders to be problematic (see page 26).

This one-day course will look at ways in which the profession can attract high-quality teachers and leaders, and retain them to provide outstanding learning opportunities for all pupils. You will examine how the culture of a school, its reputation and brand can attract high-quality candidates.

London, 22 March Manchester, 23 March London, 26 April Birmingham, 28 April

London, 3 February Schools financial value standards Manchester, 11 February NEW Working with cost centres London, 25 February NEW Ofsted and the SENCo: the new framework and expectations

London, 26 February Improving school achievement through effective self-evaluation Birmingham, 26 February Appraisal and difficult conversations London, 3 March NEW The SENCo as a strategic leader London, 3 March NEW Improving progress: avoiding ‘coasting’ London, 8 March Budget setting in difficult times London, 10 March NEW Improving quality and standards in the early years

Manchester, 15 March Pupil premium: making and costing the case London, 23 March Embedding the SEND reforms: keeping on the right side of Ofsted and the law

To book your place on any of these courses, or to find out more, visit www.naht.org.uk/trainingcourses

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RECRUITMENT

EE “Posts where schools were unable to recruit were most commonly on the upper pay scale, for middle leaders and those including a special educational needs allowance.

Leadership roles also posed a challenge” 26

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Where have all the applicants

gone?

Susan Young reports on a recruitment conundrum. The DfE’s statistics suggest everything is rosy, but an NAHT survey insists 80 per cent of vacancies are problematic WHEN ONE OF ALISON Coppitters’ teachers got a promotion at another school last year, the Kent school leader didn’t anticipate having too many problems in replacing her.

Two recruitment attempts later, the four-class primary did find a new teacher – a Dubliner, hired through a supply agency. While Alison is delighted with her teacher, she’s astonished that her school, Sedley’s Church of England Primary, was unable to find someone through the usual recruitment channels – and horrified at the costs of having to pay supply rates for two terms.

“Once teachers come to me they rarely move on, which is lovely, but last summer one did leave. I advertised for a newly qualified teacher (NQT), or someone who was recently qualified, because my staff stay a long time and all end up on the upper pay scale.

“The first time we advertised we had four responses, all from upper-pay-scale teachers that we couldn’t afford. We

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readvertised locally and didn’t get any applicants at all. We’re not in a category, we’re not in a remote area – we’re 15 minutes from the M25. I was absolutely desperate so in the end I contacted various recruitment agencies.”

Alison is not alone in her experience: NAHT’s own recruitment and retention survey, run for the second time last autumn, showed a worsening picture in many areas, with academies and local authority schools equally affected. Almost half of schools responding to the survey had used recruitment agencies, nearly 70 per cent of which had done so because they couldn’t fill vacancies locally. As a result, recruitment costs average £3,000 per vacancy, but can rise to £10,000.

Headline findings are that almost 80 per cent of recruitment is problematic, almost 60 per cent of respondents filled vacancies after a struggle and 20 per cent didn’t recruit at all.

Posts where schools were unable to recruit were most commonly on the upper pay scale, for middle leaders and those including a special educational needs allowance. Leadership roles also posed a challenge. Schools had problems recruiting a head in 72 per cent of cases, deputy head/vice principal in 64 per cent of cases, and assistant heads in 63 per cent of cases. Problem areas were maths, English, general science and special needs.

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RECRUITMENT WE An ‘absolutely dire’ situation

English and maths cause concern “We’ve got adverts out for an additional maths teacher and English W Desperate times teacher. It’s very difficult,” says Peter Harrison, head of Gowerton School NAHT policy adviser Valentine in Swansea. “We re-ran the English advert for someone to start in the New Mulholland, who was responsible for the Year and only had two applications. We’re even struggling to fill learning survey, says the situation appeared to be coach positions. The situation regarding English and maths teachers is much worse than last year. A thousand of absolutely dire because the people aren’t there. the 2,130 responses were sent in one night “There are situations where people are on supply and, the minute you alone to NAHT HQ. approach them, another head teacher offers them a full-time post. We are The top three reasons – of many – given concerned as a school, because the headship is being advertised in January by heads for recruitment difficulties were and the word on the street is that other schools are drawing as few as eight local shortages of teachers, lack of quality people for these posts. I am retiring and my governors are really concerned teachers in their area, and numbers with succession planning,” he says. leaving the profession. However, official Peter says some of the pressures are coming from the introduction of two DfE statistics do not reflect the severity new exam papers in maths and English, leading to schools needing more of the situation and Valentine believes the teachers, as well as a requirement for pupils to meet standards in these situation is more about quality than quantity. and three other subjects at GCSE, which puts more pressure on staff.

The timing of the DfE census in November means heads have had to “I’ve been in the profession for 39 years and it has changed with regard put teachers in front of children by any to pressure on individual teachers to be accountable in a way it never available means, whether by making was before. We’re fortunate that we’re a good school and don’t lose many classes larger or, sometimes, by hiring teachers but we’re struggling to get what we need.” less-than-optimum teachers, thus Budget cuts of something like 16 per cent over three years are causing masking their problems. problems, with class sizes rising from 28 to 34, “which we never had in Valentine says: “The accountability the past – that’s another six books to mark for every class so workload regime is so stringent that leaders don’t is increasing,” he says. feel they can take a chance on teachers Peter thinks not enough teachers are being trained and more are dropping who aren’t good or outstanding from day out during their early years in the profession, and that being a “career one. They don’t feel able to take somebody deputy” is a much more attractive job with the pressure on heads. who has a lot of potential but needs good “There’s no such thing as a ‘bad year’ any more, that concept has gone,” professional development. There is so he says, adding that a “significant number” of heads have gone before much change in the sector that continuing action was taken. professional development (CPD) tends to “The pressure is relentless. If maths results dip, the whole school results focus on compliance training. The whole dip and it’s similar for English. All the pressure comes down to individual sector is fighting for the top teachers and members of staff. People think: ‘Do I really want this?’”

I think that accounts for the difference between our data and the DfE’s,” she says.

Valentine is also concerned about the “massive” reduction in bursaries this is actually an option, nor is it an option for leadership posts. for trainee primary teachers, the problems for schools deemed Agencies are becoming more important (see page 32) and to be ‘requiring improvement’ in attracting candidates and bringing their own difficulties. “You get gazumping, where the funding problems that mean not all schools can offer schools think they’ve got somebody lined up for September competitive salaries.

“Where some schools can offer M4 and others only M2 on the and two weeks later there’s a phone call to say they have something better and the school is left in the lurch. There’s some teachers’ pay scale; where some can get a recruitment agency to questionable practice with recruitment agencies and half our headhunt and others can’t – that’s the problem. members said they were using them when they had failed to “Wealthier schools have more ability to procure in what’s recruit in a previous round.” a difficult market. For example, a school leader in Surrey has While the DfE’s line is that there is an adequate supply of reported that if you don’t pay a recruitment and retention teachers, the Select Committee on Education is sufficiently allowance you’re not going to be able to recruit anyone.” concerned to be running an enquiry on the subject. It is talking While these allowances can be useful to attract or keep a to union and governors’ leaders as well as those responsible for member of staff when it would be tricky to simply use a higher different forms of training. Martin Thompson, executive director pay grade, it does depend on the school’s funding on whether

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WE Why the grass isn’t

greener in the Valleys of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, and James NobleRogers, executive director, Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, both agreed there was a crisis in some areas.

NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby, addressing the committee, pointed out that the schools in most challenging circumstances had the least Russell Hobby addresses the Education time and capacity to be creative Select Committee in December in addressing staffing issues, adding: “School leaders have the right to expect some of the basics to be supplied to them by the system: enough money to do it and enough teachers to recruit.”

He pointed out that part of the difficulty is that there is no “shared view” of the problem: that governors and school leaders are saying one thing and government data another. “Both sides are being sincere in their presentation of this, it’s just that the vacancy data is the wrong measure to be looking at. By November, head teachers have filled in the gaps but not in a way that they would wish to have filled them… they may reduce the numbers of classes and increase class size so they don’t have a vacancy any more. I don’t think the DfE is sampling in the right way at the right time. For recruitment into leadership positions, looking at the number of times a school has to readvertise is one of the best indicators of the challenge there. Something like 25 per cent of secondaries and a high 30 per cent of primaries have to readvertise at least another time,” he said.

Education minister Nick Gibb, also giving evidence, agreed that he’d heard similar stories as he visited schools around the country. “There is an issue of concern and there is a political will to deal with these challenges,” he said.

Outlining the government’s bursaries and other means to attract trainees, he pointed out that teacher numbers hit an all-time high of 454,900 in 2015, 5,200 more than in 2014 and 13,000 more than in 2010, and also with record numbers of returners.

“The idea that there is some view prevailing that teaching is not a profession that people want to join is simply not true,” he said.

As ever, the situation on the ground appears to be more complex and multifaceted than the broader-brush enquiry evidence suggests, with school leaders in different areas of England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, describing a variety of difficulties, including increased accountability, changes to the curriculum, inequitable funding, the cost of living and the way in which inspection judgments can label a whole area.

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Problems with recruitment and retention are far from being a uniquely English problem.

In Wales, NAHT Cymru policy director Rob Williams talks of heads with degrees in maths or physics finding themselves back in front of classes because they cannot recruit enough teachers; long-standing problems recruiting bilingual staff for education in the Welsh language; and difficulties recruiting head teachers. A third of recruitment processes for head teachers had to be repeated – some up to four times – and since September 2014 half of such advertisements attracted five or fewer applicants. “You are talking about quite a problem there in terms of quality,” he says.

Rob, himself a head until recently, says reasons include that the role is “not what it used to be” and a group of deputy heads for whom the NPQH was not available, thus making it harder for them to progress. Another phenomenon is what he describes as “bed-blocking” deputy heads who, having worked alongside the head, may understandably prefer to stay in the classroom – but by remaining in post, make it harder for others to progress.

Ironically, Welsh schools are simultaneously having to make redundancies to meet funding problems – and having difficulties hiring essential staff. All of this means class sizes are rising, with increased flexibility given in foundation-phase pupil-teacher ratios.

Wales has its own fair funding issues, he adds, with differences in per pupil spending of £1,100 per child between Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly.

And adding to the problems for some schools, like in England, is that some seem more attractive employment prospects than others, because of a categorisation system identifying those that need more support or funding, which is increasingly used as a league table.

Much is at stake, says Rob: the Welsh government’s Successful Futures project to transform teaching and learning in Wales has now got three sets of pioneer schools – and it is the profession which has to steer it and make it work. “There’s a real danger that, because of things like the budget, the perception of the profession and the recruitment issues, good intentions in terms of teaching and learning and the curriculum and assessment won’t come to fruition.”

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RECRUITMENT WE The NAHT report

key recommendations: 1. We urge the government to reconsider its recent decision to reduce Blackpool head Andy Mellor sees W the investment in primary sector initial teacher training, and review recruitment problems in the town’s its modelling assumptions about the numbers of new primary schools as a result of local factors. While teachers needed. his school – currently officially ‘requiring 2. The DfE needs to work with NAHT and other key partners to improvement’ (but with excellent data understand the scale of the problem and develop strategies to and awaiting Ofsted reinspection any address it. day) has no trouble with applicants for mainscale posts, he says nearby schools 3. There needs to be more investment in the professional development are having more difficulty. In February of teachers, both at a school and at a national and regional level.

2015, Ofsted warned half of the pupils in 4. There also needs to be ongoing funding to support teaching school the town’s secondary schools were being alliances to deliver low-cost CPD, mentoring and coaching that is educated in provision that is “not good delivered by experienced practitioners. enough” and that attempts by the council 5. NAHT Edge will undertake work with its middle leadership to improve standards were insufficient. members to understand the issues and develop strategies to “Schools in Blackpool can’t take a address them. chance on people who might have 6. NAHT will work with ASCL, the DfE and the trade associations potential in the future, and those that representing supply agencies to improve schools’ experiences are in ‘special measures’ can’t take newly of such agencies. qualified teachers (NQTs) anyway,” says Andy, head of St Nicholas Primary School.

“We’re quite fortunate that our data is on the rise – I’ve appointed NQTs and have a philosophy that we’ll grow our own. My senior leaders are people I appointed 10 years ago who’ve risen through the ranks.

“The town is put down so often that people in Lancashire think: ‘You’re not going to catch me working in a Blackpool school.’ And what if you do move from a good school to work in Blackpool because you think it’s your mission to make things better? And what if that school goes into ‘requires improvement’ or ‘special measures’? Why put yourself in that position?” he asks.

Adding to Blackpool’s recruitment problems are its status as a seaside town struggling to get by on tourism and its coastal geography, which means staff can only be recruited from a 180-degree radius, says Andy. There is an argument, he suggests, that schools in circumstances such as Blackpool’s should be supported to offer more remuneration for good candidates.

EE “Schools in Blackpool can’t take a chance on people who might have potential in the future…

The town is put down so often that people in Lancashire think: ‘You’re not going to catch me working in a Blackpool school” 30

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WE Recruitment a major

concern for NAHT(NI) NAHT (Northern Ireland) policy In Sheffield, secondary head Jane director Helena Macormac Willis sees a similar picture. As head describes growing evidence that of Notre Dame High School, an recruiting heads is becoming more outstanding secondary, a teaching problematic for schools, including school that offers school-centred the most successful. A large primary initial teacher training, she’s in a good school, which would once have position to recruit her own staff – but attracted up to 30 applicants for a hears first-hand of others’ difficulties. headship in 2000 would now get a She sees particular problems ‘handful’, with a second recruiting surrounding funding, the attractiveness round necessary. “This has become a of some areas and the knock-on effects major concern and we are raising it of curriculum and accountability at senior official level with DENI and changes.

Helena Macormac: NAHT(NI) undertook its also at ministerial level,” she says. own survey to look at underlying problems “I’ve worked as a head in Barnsley, NAHT (Northern Ireland) undertook and people don’t want to come and its own survey to look at the underlying problems. work for you because of the area you’re in,” she says, adding A quarter reported ‘unmanageable’ levels of stress that the cumulative effect of ‘naming and shaming’ of certain in the job, with half saying this had a major impact towns and areas by Ofsted does not improve matters. On on their health. Causes of stress were led by too top of that, there’s funding disparities, which mean the much administration and paperwork, followed by average secondary basic per pupil entitlement can be £4,000 budgetary constraints, long working hours and a less per head in Sheffield or Barnsley than in the London poor work work-life balance. borough of Hackney.

“If the funding wasn’t so skewed you could make class sizes Job satisfaction was decreasing for half of the smaller in these areas and make it more attractive – making respondents, who also reported low levels of them bigger at the moment is the only way you can work with interest in key leadership roles in their schools your funding, and so that adds to the pressure and makes it through their perception of too much work and not unattractive to teach in a secondary here with between 28 and enough support. Heads were also concerned about 30 to a class. a lack of investment in CPD, less support for heads, “Even if you got £500 more per pupil with 1,400 pupils, what and a pay scale that does not incentivise taking on could you do with that?” Sixth-form funding is also a problem, additional responsibilities. she says, with classes now a similar size as lower down in the school but a “huge” marking load for teachers compared with what pupils might do in year seven, for example.

The curriculum is also piling on the pressure, says Jane. She sees problems in recruiting “the usuals” – chemistry, physics, modern languages – plus computer science, RE and geography, Conor Heaven, a middle leader at Limes Farm Infant “which is like gold dust”. Moreover, the accountability and Nursery School in Essex, and a member of framework for English and maths – and a bigger maths NAHT Edge’s advisory council, says there can be curriculum – means that not only is the pressure on these staff reluctance to move up the leadership ladder. He “fell but more of them are needed for the latter subject. Even with into” being a maths subject leader because he was bursaries, she says, people are not interested because of the good at the subject. This, he says, is a more common perceived pressure and the hours. approach in primaries than secondaries where She is also concerned about the effect of the EBacc crowding promotion tends to be more formal. out other subjects, and thus precluding pupils from taking them at A level and degree level, and difficulties for schools leaders “A lot of teachers just want to teach. They don’t who take in children from other schools to the detriment of want to be part of the group who are accountable their league table position. for what’s going on in the school. There’s definitely She concludes: “In terms of advertising it’s how you nervousness and a bit of fear in stepping up from make the vocation more attractive rather than spinning out class teacher to middle leader,” he says, adding negative messages about how we’re all coasting and don’t care. that primary teachers will also be balancing such And they’ve got to sort the funding formula out.” responsibilities on top of their teaching.

WE Many teachers

‘just want to teach’

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RECRUITMENT

IT’S ONLY RECENTLY THAT THE use of recruitment partners has stopped being the preserve of big companies. Such are the demands of school recruitment that the education recruitment industry has seen a rapid evolution.

The days of a simple paper or online advert are long gone and school leaders need to source quality candidates from a number of channels at a much greater pace.

Successful recruitment depends on having multiple channels to reach candidates, an effective attraction process, identifying suitable routes to market and presenting the school’s brand in the most attractive way possible.

This last point matters. Candidate expectations are evolving rapidly.

Schools need to adapt their approach to establish themselves as employers who will develop their employees.

But before even looking at recruitment partners you need to identify: • Why are you looking to recruit for this position?

• What job are you trying to fill?

• What are your expectations of the ideal candidate?

• What are the short/medium/long-term objectives for the position?

• What are the short/medium/long-term objectives for recruiting for your school?

Once you have identified exactly what you are looking for, you are then ready to go through the following steps to choose your recruitment partner…

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How to… appoint a recruitment partner

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WE Step 2

WE Step 6

Do they have a strong candidate database?

Most recruitment companies have a pool of candidates. Upon receiving a job description they will assess their database and send over as many matches as they can find.

• You need a partner who recognises quality over quantity.

• Each candidate should be relevant and of good enough quality to interview.

• You shouldn’t have to waste any of your time sorting through inappropriate candidates.

Do they practice what they preach?

• Look at their mission statement: Do they subscribe to rigorous codes of practice and standardisation?

• Does the company believe in professional qualifications and developing their own staff ? Making sure they have a knowledgeable team will provide you with a better customer experience and better candidates.

• Look at the consultants and who is leading the company. Are the people in charge knowledgeable?

WE Step 3 Communication A key aspect of a great recruitment partnership is communication. It is important that a recruiter is able to develop relationships effectively to ensure they fully understand your needs and how the school operates.

Do they provide: • A specialist account manager?

• Regular updates on your job posting?

• A detailed understanding of what you are searching for?

WE Step 4

WE Step 1 Ensure they are specialists in the area you’re recruiting in • Make sure that they have a great understanding of education. Do they have a department focused on education or specialise in education recruitment?

• Do they cover all areas of education?

Are they specialists in just one section or do they cover recruitment for all levels of education?

• How long have they been recruiting in the education sector?

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Check their screening process • Does the recruitment partner focus on quality and not quantity with potential teachers?

• Do they check the candidates’ references?

• Do they vet their candidates fully?

WE Step 5 Are they reliable? Are they tried and tested?

• Do you know the company’s background?

• Do they have testimonials to back themselves up?

• How many schools do they work with?

• How many jobs did they claim to fill last year?

• What is their offer-to-placement ratio?

• Are their response times good?

WE Step 7 Speak to an expert Make sure you speak to a consultant at the company, as this will give you a good idea of how much the company understands your school’s needs.

• Make sure the consultant is up to date on any employment laws that affects your school.

• Did they ask you lots of questions to determine the skills you require and gain a full understanding of what you need?

• Did they have the ability to listen or are they just trying to sell you their company. One of the most important traits of a successful recruiter is the ability to listen.

WE Step 8 What services do they offer?

Does your recruitment partner offer you a range of different plans to help solve any hard to fill or leadership jobs? Do their plans offer a long-term recruitment strategy for your school? Or do they only offer a short-term fix?

This article has been supplied by Eteach, a commercial partner of NAHT. Turn to page 16 for details of other partnerships. www.eteach.com info@eteach.com 0845 226 1906

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ASSESSMENT

Pledge your support NAHT’s pledge on assessment needs your backing if it is to ensure the new government’s measures are fit for purpose in England. By Rebecca Grant “EDUCATION REFORM IN THE UK USUALLY FALLS short. It fails to reach every student and every teacher in every school; it achieves compliance more than enthusiasm; its implementation is flawed. Eventually, the noise overwhelms the signal and the pendulum swings back to another vision.

This is counter-productive – sticking with it, seeing it through, doing a few things well: these are the only secrets to success.”

These words are taken from NAHT’s manifesto, Owning what is ours, written in the run-up the general election and several months before the new National Curriculum was introduced into classrooms. Eighteen months on, it seems that assessment reform is at risk of going the same way as so many others before it. This is a genuine shame as the move away from levels and towards more pupil-focused standards for measuring progress was met with real enthusiasm by school leaders.

When NAHT’s Assessment Commission published its final report into assessment without levels in autumn 2015, NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby commented: “Teachers have been waiting for this report for some time. Too long.

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Is there a need for a ‘stable, coherent, valid and proportionate approach’ to assessment?

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EE “The government is constantly tinkering – changing plans mid-year and replacing initiatives that have barely begun”

The report makes six sensible and clear recommendations, which send a clear message to schools and to government about ‘life after levels’.

However, as is often the case, the future direction is still far from clear. With interim assessment measures in place, and the news that formal tests are to be implemented at the end of the summer term, NAHT members are growing increasingly concerned that this could be another reform that ‘falls short’.

“We were hoping for a solution that works for everyone, until the government did a u-turn,” says Amanda Hulme, chair of NAHT’s Assessment and Accountability Group (AAG). “The plan was to work together and then suddenly the announcement came that they were bringing in all of these measures, so we were not impressed.”

Towards the end of last year, the AAG submitted a briefing paper to NAHT’s National Executive, outlining the main issues arising from the proposed assessment measures. A primary concern, says Amanda, was that there will be no uniform system to measure standards. “Now we are being expected to work on our own system and that is a challenge for schools. Our biggest difficulty is going to be measuring the progress of our children with special educational needs,” (see page 36).

NAHT has already introduced measures to help members put their own systems in place by working with Frog Education to produce exemplification materials (see LF, Nov/Dec 2015).

Amanda also suggests schools work with others in their area to moderate work. This is what her school, Claypool Primary in Bolton, has been doing and it helps create, for example, “a clear picture of what the standard of writing at year four should be”.

Another school that is taking this approach is Twin Sails Infants in Poole. Head teacher Damian Hewitt says working in a cluster with nine other local schools has provided a ‘lifeline’ in these challenging times.

“I like the new approach to assessment,” he says. “But it does concern us that there still seems to be a lack of national clarity and we have to find our way as individual schools or as groups of schools. What we have done, out of necessity, E

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ASSESSMENT WE Assessment update:

what’s happening elsewhere?

W is to look at assessment as a group, to try to get a bit more strength and depth and, basically, to feel a bit happier about the journey we are on.”

Damian also has concerns about another issue that the AAG brought up in its paper to the National Executive – the news that formal tests will be brought in at the end of the summer term. “It goes against the whole ‘assessment without levels’ plan to some degree,” he says.

He’s quick to add that he is not against the idea of testing, as long as it is done in the pupils’ best interests.

“If we are going to have to do formal testing, it needs to be done in good faith and in the right way, so it doesn’t narrow the curriculum and schools don’t just become about coaching children to perform well in a one-off test.”

What do you think?

Amanda urges members to look at NAHT’s pledge on assessment, which is available to sign online (see link below).

The pledge – a statement of NAHT’s position – highlights all the main issues the association feels need to be addressed.

The main bone of contention is that the government is constantly tinkering – changing plans mid-year and replacing initiatives that have barely begun – which distracts schools from high quality teaching and learning and drives good people from the profession.

Recent examples include a flawed reception baseline; externally reported tests for seven year olds, arithmetic screening checks, re-sits of Sats on arrival at secondary, overriding the Progress 8 measure and constant late notice changes to GCSEs. The pledge states: “I support NAHT’s request for a stable, coherent, valid and proportionate approach to assessment created in dialogue with the profession and parents; a principled and well-planned approach that could raise standards for all and support the appropriate use of testing.”

Amanda explains that, by signing, members don’t necessarily have to be concerned about all of the issues listed. The most important thing is to gauge members’ opinions on the subject.

If you do not agree and do not pledge your support, that’s equally important feedback.

Amanda says: “From conversations we are having, everyone is concerned about it, but we need to know for sure. If we go to the government and say we have 300 members who support us, it’s not that significant. If we say 10,000 people have signed the pledge, it gives us much better leverage in terms of negotiation.”

Therefore it is vitally important we hear your views on this critical issue; visit the assessment pledge page below and let us know what you think.

NAHT Assessment pledge: naht.org.uk/pledge

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Special educational needs and disability When the old National Curriculum was thrown out and levels were abandoned, it seemed SEND had been entirely forgotten about. The ‘P’ levels system, used to assess those with special needs, no longer fed into a mainstream assessment model.

NAHT Special Schools’ representative, Tony Newman explains: “The P levels were left adrift, sitting on their own. There was clearly a gap that had developed between the new standards they had brought in and the top of the P levels.”

But NAHT is pleased to report that this oversight is being addressed. The recent Rochford Review, which was set up specifically to look into assessment arrangement for those working below curriculum standards, has made recommendations for an additional standard which will ‘bridge the gap’.

This is a victory for the association, which Tony says was prominent in pushing for the gap between the two systems to be closed. “It’s a bit late in the day, but I think the issue has been that nobody has really known what was going on. Our pupils have been in limbo for the past 18 months, so at least something positive is happening and we are moving forward now.”

The next step, says Tony, is reviewing the P levels system in its entirety so it better matches the new standards.

“The issue is that with pupils in special schools working at the P levels, it’s always been less clear what Ofsted’s expectations are,” he explains.

“That’s been something NAHT has been very prominent in talking to Ofsted about – what exactly is outstanding progress for a youngster working at these very early levels – because we’ve not had the same national benchmarks.”

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Wales

Northern Ireland

Changes to assessment in Wales are being implemented as part of a radical overhaul of the entire Welsh schools system, and the future of assessment fell under the spotlight last February when Professor Graham Donaldson’s report into the country’s curriculum and assessment arrangements was published.

The future of assessment in Northern Ireland is looking more positive. As LF went to press, teaching unions were about to agree to suspend plans for industrial action following successful dialogue with the education minister.

NAHT Cymru has broadly welcomed Prof Donaldson’s report – according to NAHT Cymru’s policy director Rob Williams, NAHT input helped shape many of the 68 recommendations he made – but it has also raised some concerns.

A primary issue for school leaders in Wales the Welsh government’s proposals for measuring pupil progress in schools without including any element of the value-added by the teaching and learning.

NAHT strongly believes that teacher assessment is paramount and each cohort that passes through should be treated on an individual basis. The association also believes that the proposed testing for year two pupils is not currently fit for purpose.

However, NAHT Cymru is confident that it can help achieve workable solutions for these issues.

Its plan for early 2016 is to launch an education manifesto, similar to that published by NAHT in England in 2014.

It has also been working hard to build good relationships with ministers and other political parties, as well as the media, to ensure members’ opinions are being heard.

Among those who have been taking an active role in this campaigning is Abertillery Primary head, Dean Taylor (pictured), a past president of NAHT Cymru. He feels that school leaders in Wales view assessment as ‘a changing landscape’.

“Heads do not think the current system is fit for purpose. It is very muddled and it doesn’t really help children in terms of their learning,” he says.

“As we move forward with the new curriculum, following on from the Donaldson report, there is an opportunity for us to help shape the landscape and make assessment fit for purpose.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY / TEMPEST

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NAHT (Northern Ireland) was not among those considering industrial action, but has welcomed the news. “We feel that the minister has listened carefully to the unions’ concerns about workload and bureaucracy and so on, and we feel that he has moved quite a long way to try and accommodate that,” says Harry Greer, NAHT (Northern Ireland) president (pictured).

It has now been agreed that all teacher assessment data will be submitted anonymously to the Department of Education, there will be no comparisons between schools and parents will receive information only about their own children.

Harry explains: “The main problem was that there was no effective moderation before. There are no objective tests, just teacher judgement. What happened was some schools, reacting under pressure, tended to inflate the assessment levels for the children, which then skewed the Northern Ireland average. That then made people think that some schools were not attaining very well. Thankfully, that is all gone now.”

Moderation within schools is also changing. Instead of submitting ‘artificially contrived’ pieces of pupil’s work along with supporting documents, schools will only need to submit one portfolio featuring examples of existing work, thus producing more accurate material for moderation purposes and also significantly cutting down teachers’ workload. The minister is encouraging voluntary clusters of schools to help build teachers’ continuing professional development and confidence in the moderation process.

He adds that while the new systems may not be perfect – some NAHT members are not happy about Northern Ireland’s ‘levels of progression’ system – the association is ‘broadly supportive’ of what the minister has proposed for the future of assessment.

‘NAHT (Northern Ireland) played a very significant role in brokering a deal on this and in trying to bring the teacher unions to a position where they put their concerns on the table and in pressing the minister to actually address them.”

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NATIONAL OFFICERS Vice-president elect Colm Davis proposed a motion on pupil wellbeing at annual conference in 2015

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Stand up and be counted Two school leaders are stepping into major NAHT roles in May. Colm Davis takes up the vice presidency and Judith Stott becomes the national treasurer.

Joy Persaud finds out more NAHT’S CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT, KIM JOHNSON, principal at Bradfields Academy in Chatham, Kent, will take up the role of national president at annual conference in May. In some ways, it will come as a relief. The vice presidency is “very demanding” he says. Mainly this is because incumbents still have their own school to run, which remains their primary role and responsibility.

As head of a special school, preparations have had to be communicated clearly. “My students tell me that they are proud that I will be a president but say they will miss me. I have made sure that my interactions have reassured them I am still there for them and I will be back after working away. Their complex SEN, in particular their autism, means they need to know of the change ahead and that I still care for them.”

When he became vice president, Kim recalls current NAHT president Tony Draper telling him that the biggest test would

PHOTOGRAPHY: TEMPEST

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be to say ‘no’ sometimes, to ensure that he achieved a balance between NAHT responsibilities, his school and life outside work.

It’s been good advice. Kim juggles meetings, events and activities for NAHT – including at the Houses of Commons and Lords, plus regular attendance at Ofsted’s offices. He takes a lead role in research activities with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists as well as the neuroscience group, whereby neuroscientists and SEN head teachers work together to marry ongoing research on how the brain works with outcomes and future strategies for students with special educational needs.

“And, yes, there are things I have had to decline,” admits Kim. “It is important to say, though, that I have enjoyed everything NAHT has asked of me. Often it requires some catch up time in my academy of a weekend or late into an evening. But I am keen to do my very best and let nobody down, so I do the extra hours out of choice.”

It’s into this hotbed of expectation that Kim’s successor as NAHT vice president will enter, complete with the extra logistical challenge of travelling from Northern Ireland.

Colm Davis, principal of Tor Bank School in Belfast, sees his forthcoming role – and his eventual presidency – as channels that will allow him to make differences in education that will E manifest in a thriving competitive culture.

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NATIONAL OFFICERS

W He believes the principles of Unicef ’s ‘Rights Respecting Schools’, which support schools across the UK to entrench children’s human rights in their ethos and culture, should be firmly embedded into the foundations of all NAHT thinking, policies and practice. He wants these to be encapsulated around the NAHT strap line as a reminder that children come first.

Colm explains: “Although it is true that we have been mandated by our membership to campaign, challenge and communicate, none of us will get any personal gratification doing this unless our actions improve the quality and standards of education for the children within the schools we serve.

“When we consult and discuss sensitive issues such as challenging behaviours, expulsions and suspensions, I believe that the rights of the child to a properly resourced schooling environment to meet his or her needs has to be a core focus.

“Also, the welfare and wellbeing of the school leader and school staff must also be of prime consideration to enable schools to support those children, with healthy and enthusiastic staff fully equipped to meet the needs of such challenging children effectively.

“To allow this to happen, budget cuts must stop immediately and schools should be funded appropriately to enable school leaders to provide for the needs of staff, children and themselves. The notion of ‘accountability’ has to be synonymous with the words ‘children come first’.”

Another priority for Colm is “embedding the equality agenda” within the fabric of NAHT thinking. He tells LF that NAHT must always be seen to be an open and transparent professional organisation in which all countries, sectors, religions, people and opinions are treated fairly and equitably.

“Likewise,” he adds, “we have to dedicate more resources to recruiting our secondary colleagues and to their continuing professional development needs while gaining a more enhanced understanding of the secondary system at all levels within the organisation – including the executive.”

Like the vice president and president who precede him, Colm welcomes and embraces the more vibrant and more dynamic NAHT headquarters approach following the recent reorganisation and reconstruction.

“It means we are focused on being a slicker, more effective, more productive and more efficient organisation, but I realise

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Annual conference 2015: national treasurer Stephen Watkins (second left) and vice president Kim Johnson (third left) share the stage with former education minister David Laws (left)

that the child-focused approach to policy making must continue to remain at the forefront of all NAHT thinking and campaigning. Political activists and other would-be, and often self-interested, stakeholders must be reminded of this on every occasion, which is something I will do in my roles for NAHT.”

A national treasure Also taking on a significant new role at NAHT in May 2016 is Judith Stott, principal at Old Trafford Community School, Manchester, who will become the new national treasurer.

Judith takes over from Stephen Watkins, who will retire from the profession in August. He sees it as a dual role, as it involves working closely with general secretary Russell Hobby and the senior leadership team, attending strategy meetings and participating in NAHT’s decision making.

“The treasurer role entails being responsible for the finances of the association,” Stephen says. “It involves working very closely with the finance team at headquarters. I have to present the annual accounts at the AGM. I give updates about the financial state of the association at each National Executive committee meeting. I see my role as the person who asks the difficult questions about all aspects of the finances.”

Stephen, head teacher at Mill Field Primary School in Leeds, also chairs the finance and personnel committee, which means he is closely involved with the appointment of staff to the association. Additionally, as treasurer, he is the chair of the pension trustees, which is a “huge responsibility, making decisions that affect the pensions of the employees”.

Stephen reflects: “The most challenging part of the role is to make decisions that affect other people’s pensions. I have to stay up to date with the financial state of the association. It is also challenging when I have to respond to executive members, and all members, when spending has occurred that is not in

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WE Could you take an

official role for NAHT? Robust governance is critical to the smooth running of NAHT. As a membership organisation, having the right people and practices in place means all members can have a say in policy matters and have a chance to get involved.

line with the financial regulations of the association.

“However, this is balanced by making Magnus Gorham, director of democracy and governance at NAHT, decisions that move the association explains: “It’s important that members have a stake – or the stake forward and improve the services – in making decisions. And therefore we have to make sure that offered to members.” we have the right processes in place to ensure the will of members Judith says the role appeals to her is paramount. ‘inner geek’, adding that she enjoys working with systems and structures, “That then leads to: ‘How do we judge what the views of members and has an ability to take a long view are and what ability do we have to be sure we are reflecting these on matters. views?’ Obviously, we have a democratic structure in place to do She says: “I’m ready to ask difficult that and we can improve the flow of information up and down that questions when needed and tenacious structure, so the decisions that come up to head office reflect the enough to make sure I get answers. I’m will of members.” happy to spend money, but not to waste He explains that, with 29,000 members from diverse schools, one of it, and I’m prepared to take difficult the most pressing challenges is understanding and capturing their decisions and follow them through.” views. Surveys are an oft-used tool, as are visits to regions by the She is well aware of the importance of general secretary and the rest of the presidential team. the role. “It isn’t just about balancing the Members of NAHT’s National Executive committee must attend four books and ending the year within budget three-day meetings each year, plus the annual conference, which – important though that is. The budget together means a minimum of 14 days, plus any local commitments, is not an end in itself but a means to an as well as their role on school senior leadership teams. end. It’s not just about spreadsheets; it’s “We’d like more people to be involved, if only to share out the work about delivery and accountability. on the basis that it becomes less time-consuming in every branch in Judith regards NAHT as a source of every region with extra people to do the work,” says Magnus. “It’s a great ideas, advice and support – factors perennial problem, but we clearly do have a fair number of people that enable its reputation to grow. “But who do a lot of work on behalf of NAHT. So, that’s not to minimise ideas are not enough,” she warns. “We the work that those people do.” need to make sure we deliver, translating our vision and ideas into practice. We Magnus says the qualities that are essential to someone becoming a must get this right; our members expect regional or national representative are largely the same attributes and deserve it. I see the treasurer’s that make a top-class school leader. role as key in crossing the bridge from “They need an ability to listen,” he says, “plus good negotiation skills, visions to putting ideas into practice.” leadership skills in terms of leading groups of people and very good By way of example, Judith cites the organisational skills.” regional review (see LF, Nov/Dec 2015).

“The implementation of the review To find your local branch and get involved, visit is an exciting opportunity, but also www.naht.org.uk/mybranch a significant challenge. As treasurer, I would see my role as ensuring that the good intentions in the review document are implemented in a way that delivers. The revised role for In many cases this is at the cost of their personal lives and, the regions, and regional treasurers in particular, will need sometimes, even their wellbeing. careful planning, training and support.”

“There is one story that stands out of a primary head in the Such devotion and enthusiasm are undeniably prerequisites south east who talked of how everyone in her school thought for those who work regionally and nationally on NAHT matters, she was hyperactive and ‘bonkers’. What she really meant but Kim is keen to stress his admiration for the men and women when pressed was that they were all in awe of how much she who strive to run schools as well as they can, day in, day out. worked to make her school successful for her pupils – and a He says: “So far, I have only been further impressed by the great place to work for her staff. That is a fine person and an passion and commitment of colleagues working hard in their outstanding head teacher in my view. Such quality is often schools and academies to enrich the lives of their pupils. missed by those that judge school leaders.”

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41

21/12/2015 13:02

Quote NAHT-Leader for free setup on new business quotes

Free set up

Track Homework in a Fraction of the Time How SLT and parents now save time at Holy Cross

+RO\ &URVV &DWKROLF +LJK 6FKRRO +RO\ &URVV LV D &DWKROLF +LJK 6FKRRO HVWDEOLVKHG E\ WKH &DWKROLF &RPPXQLW\ RI WKH &KRUOH\ 'HDQHU\ XQGHU WKH WUXVWHHVKLS RI WKH /LYHUSRRO $UFKGLRFHVH :H ZRUN LQ SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK SDULVKHV DQG parents to provide the best possible education for our \RXQJ SHRSOH EHWZHHQ WKH DJHV RI :H EHOLHYH LQ WKH SXUVXLW RI H[FHOOHQFH QRW RQO\ LQ DFDGHPLF VWXGLHV EXW LQ all that has to do with life.

Assistant Headteacher, *UHJ /LQGOH\ȇV &XVWRPHU 6XFFHVV 6WRU\ My name is Greg Lindley and I am an Assistant Headteacher at Holy Cross Catholic High School in Chorley. At Holy Cross we strive to develop resilient, independent learners who take an active interest in their own learning. The setting of homework, and in particular, the introduction of the online software, Show My Homework (SMHW), has helped to promote these characteristics in our pupils.

Prior to SMHW we were experiencing the same issues with homework - pupils across both key stages were inconsistently using their homework diaries, and we often IRXQG WKDW SXSLOV ZHUH QRW ZULWLQJ GRZQ VXÉ?FLHQW GHWDLOV in order for them to complete homework to a high quality.

7KHUH ZHUH DOVR QXPHURXV H[DPSOHV RI KRPHZRUN EHLQJ lost and pupils who had been absent from school being

“Monitoring the quality and quantity of homework set across the school was once an arduous and time consuming task which I can now perform in literally minutes.� unable to access homework that had been set whilst they were away. SMHW solves all of these problems.

The software is very easy to use and the SMHW team were extremely helpful during its implementation. Within a FRXSOH RI ZHHNV RI ODXQFKLQJ DOO VWDÎ? ZHUH XVLQJ 60+: WR set their homework. Collaboration amongst colleagues has DOVR LQFUHDVHG ZLWK PHPEHUV RI VWDÎ? IUHTXHQWO\ VKDULQJ resources that they have uploaded to the site.

Monitoring the quality and quantity of homework set across the school was once an arduous and time consuming task.

8VLQJ WKLV V\VWHP Ζ DP DEOH WR SHUIRUP VXFK D WDVN LQ OLWHUDOO\ PLQXWHV 2XU SDUHQWV DUH DOVR YHU\ FRPSOLPHQWDU\ RQ KRZ XVHIXO WKH V\VWHP LV IRU PRQLWRULQJ WKH KRPHZRUN that their child has received, and the deadlines that have been set.

I ZRXOG VWURQJO\ UHFRPPHQG WKLV SURGXFW WR DQRWKHU school and am very pleased with the positive impact it has had here at Holy Cross.

Greg Lindley Assistant Headteacher Holy Cross Catholic High School

www.showmyhomework.co.uk LFO.01.16.042.indd 42

help@showmyhomework.co.uk

Phone: 020 7197 9550 14/12/2015 12:40

INTERVIEW

10 MINUTES With…

Julie Simpson, Executive principal, St Barnabas Multi-Academy Trust, Corrnwall

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Compassionate, feisty, impatient, thankful, creative.

profile of our profession and get our voice heard at the highest levels.

Tell us about being principal of a multi-academy trust Having overall responsibility for six schools is a very different role to that of the traditional head teacher. I make it a priority to spend time in every school each month so that I have regular discussions with the children and staff. I try to be available and approachable at all times and work alongside heads of schools to support them with school improvement.

I see it as my responsibility to develop potential leaders in each school. The role of head of school is a great stepping stone to full headship as it gives excellent teachers in small schools the opportunity to become familiar with the role of teaching and learning lead. They can also use the opportunity to build strong relationships with parents and families and begin to deploy staff with support and guidance.

I have been very mindful of the role small schools play in their local communities and each of our schools in the trust has maintained its unique identity while streamlining costs and procedures for greater efficiency in the face of severe budgetary pressures.

What issues are affecting members in the South West?

My region is facing similar concerns to all other regions. We have a large number of small schools in rural areas, which brings its own difficulties. Collaboration is one topic of discussion for school leaders of small schools who are actively seeking ways to address budget restrictions while remaining true to their ethos and values.

What is your NAHT involvement?

As a member of NAHT’s Cornwall and Isles of Scilly branch, I have held the position of vice president and president and I am currently the ‘minutes’ secretary.

I have been a National Executive member for the South West since May 2015 and have attended three National Executive meetings. The role is key to effective communication between head office and the regions. I have joined at a time of regional change, which is helpful for me as we are developing the new structure together.

So far, I have travelled all over the country, but then I usually face a four- or five-hour journey to attend regional events and meetings across the South West.

However, the benefits of attending the meetings far outweigh the distance. I have a far greater understanding of the impact and outcomes of NAHT policy and activity than I ever did before. I have a huge amount of respect for the head office team who work tirelessly on our behalf to raise the

If you had to pick one key concern?

Children’s emotional and mental wellbeing. This is a national issue that is very important to me as a school leader. Mental illness is not restricted to any social category – it affects children and young people across the country. Mental health is deteriorating rapidly and children affected are getting younger and younger. I feel strongly that we must identify children at risk as early as possible so that we can prevent their condition escalating to a critical state.

I proposed a motion on this at annual conference, which is progressing well behind the scenes. The government has announced that an extra £3m will be provided to improve mental health services in schools and NAHT has consistently campaigned on mental health since members called for this to be a key priority. This is just one example of how influential NAHT is in government policy and decision-making.

Finally, who’s that in the photo with you?

That’s my nine-year old grandson. It’s his future I’m fighting for too.

WE National Executive The overall governance, management and control of NAHT rests with the National Executive. There are 33 members, representing electoral districts, each made up by amalgams of branches. Joining these 33 are the national treasurer and representatives from secondary, special, deputy and assistant heads and school business managers.

To find your local branch and get involved, visit www.naht.org.uk/mybranch

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WELLBEING

The art of building resilience School participation in Children’s Mental Health Week will be crucial, says Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be 44

WHAT IMAGE DOES THE TERM ‘MENTAL HEALTH’ conjure up? For some it may still be images of stark psychiatric wards. But mental health is something we all have and, just like physical health, it must be nurtured and cared for.

That is why almost a year ago, Place2Be – a children’s mental health charity that works with schools – launched the UK’s first Children’s Mental Health Week, to address the stigma and raise awareness, particularly among parents, that it’s important to talk to children about their mental health.

This year, in partnership with NAHT, it aims to raise awareness of the crucial role of schools when it comes to supporting emotional wellbeing and building pupils’ resilience.

The need Official data shows that three children in every classroom aged between five and 15 have a diagnosable mental health issue – and many more may have lower-level issues that still mean they need extra support in order to fully engage with learning.

Plus, of course, all of us can be affected by life’s knocks whatever our age – whether it’s the death of a loved one, family breakdown, the loss of a job or even failing a test. Grief, loss

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WE Get involved

and change have a profound impact on our mental health and, in practice, this means that every member of school staff, from school leaders to playground supervisors, are dealing with pupils’ changing mental health needs on a daily basis.

Around half of adult mental health disorders begin before the age of 14 and there is a lot of evidence showing that, by intervening early and supporting children before problems worsen, many of these disorders could have been prevented.

Building resilience When we talk about ‘resilience’ in the context of emotional and mental health, we’re referring to our ability to cope in the face of adversity, trauma or stress. Resilience isn’t something you either have or you don’t – it’s innate within all of us – but it requires time and effort to develop.

Sadly, school leaders know all too well that childhood isn’t always the idyllic, carefree time we would like it to be. Children face a range of circumstances that they may find distressing, from bullying and the pressure of exams at school, to witnessing domestic violence or substance misuse at home.

As professionals who work with children, it’s not always within our power to change their circumstances or ‘fix’ things.

But we can teach children to become more equipped to cope with life’s challenges, which in turn will allow them to focus on learning and enjoy the many benefits that education provides.

The role of schools Teachers and school staff are well placed to support this by helping pupils identify and understand their emotions, and fostering an environment that allows for open conversations about feelings. Supporting pupils to find their own solutions to problems and praising them when they do so are also useful ways to get pupils thinking about the coping strategies they know and use, even if they are not always aware of them.

It’s important to remember that members of staff are role models for the pupils they interact with, so helping children to understand that their teacher also has to draw on their resilience to get through difficult things in life can be a very positive example. Teachers can talk to pupils about the options

PHOTOGRAPH: PLACE2BE

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Children’s Mental Health Week 2016 is from 8-14 February. Schools can download free resources around building resilience, including assembly plans, and tips for parents and teachers at the link below www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk

for coping with stress and refer to appropriate instances when they have personally used them, which will help reduce stigma.

Counselling and mental health support is relatively wellestablished in UK secondary schools, but can also be hugely beneficial for younger children. Place2Be counsellors and therapists work with children as young as four or five years old, using art and play to allow them to explore their thoughts and feelings in a way that is most comfortable for them Paul Harris, executive head at Curwen Primary School in East London, is clear about the need in primary schools like his: “A high proportion of our pupils are identified as living in deprivation. Many of their parents increasingly have to work longer hours to make ends meet, and are able to spend less time with their children. Our local area has high levels of crime, drugs and poor housing facilities.

“You have to be in the right frame of mind to learn. If there are barriers to that, for instance what you might be dealing with at home, it will have an impact. As a school, we’re not necessarily able to solve the problem, but we can give pupils the tools to be more resilient and cope with the situation.”

Curwen is one of more than 250 primary and secondary schools that work with Place2Be in taking a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health. A dedicated in-school counsellor leads a team who provide targeted support for pupils, families and staff alike, teaching skills that can last a lifetime.

Paul adds: “We’ve endeavoured to create a school environment where parents and children can come to discuss their needs.

We have a ‘Place2Talk’ service, which is open to all pupils at lunchtimes and gives them the opportunity to discuss a range of issues that they might not have raised with their teacher.

Whether it’s not getting on with someone in the playground, or feeling upset by something they’ve seen on the news, it gives them that space to talk and empowers them to make their own decisions about what action to take and how to move forward.”

Helping children to articulate their emotions and find solutions is a crucial part of building resilience. Across all the primary schools that Place2Be works with, on average around a third of pupils will refer themselves to the Place2Talk lunchtime service over the course of a school year. It not only serves to destigmatise the notion of getting help, but can also be an important way to identify serious issues affecting pupils that may not have otherwise come to light.

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OUTDOOR LEARNING

Nature & nurture

Topping up the resilience tank – how residential trips to outdoor education centres make a difference.

By David Harvey

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WORKLOADS ARE HIGHER THAN ever and demands on teachers are causing unprecedented numbers to leave teaching: why would anyone want to organise and run a residential trip?

Evidence from the recent Learning Away project (see links below) points to many benefits for the young people who attend. Social skills, self-confidence, self-awareness, team working, curriculum enhancement and understanding risk are all possible outcomes. Some children who struggle with social interactions can have transformative experiences away from their normal school environment and these, in turn, can have a huge effect on how they interact with others when back at school.

Whether it is an outdoor-focused visit to a residential centre to develop personal and social skills, boost GCSE grades or simply to broaden horizons, plenty of support exists to help teachers organise and make the most of their trip.

The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) has developed its national guidance for taking groups out of school, advice that is readily accessible through its website (see links).

The OEAP also provides ‘visit leader’ training, and there are a host of resources available through the Learning Away website to help get the most from a residential.

But there is another side to residentials that often gets missed and that is the effect on the staff who put the effort into running them. The Learning Away evaluation report (Evidencing the impact of brilliant residentials) highlighted the positive development of relationships between teachers and children, the effects of which will be felt back at school. What is less obvious is the opportunity for continuing professional development that exists when teachers bring groups away.

Well-planned, delivered and evaluated courses, such as those offered by AHOEC ‘gold standard’ centres, will provide opportunities for teaching and support staff to develop their own skills as well as being able to engage with different ways of teaching. Many outdoor education sessions will see children being pushed and encouraged to step outside their comfort zones and the same opportunities often exist for the accompanying staff. The focus might be on the children with the emphasis on them understanding the potential for taking the lessons back to the classroom, but the same can also be true for the staff.

Appreciating that some children can be capable of far more than was previously thought, and knowing when to take a step back and allow children to come up with their own solutions to problems, can sometimes only happen when the centre staff quietly engineer a situation to stop the teacher being involved.

Going back to school armed with that knowledge can have a

PHOTOGRAPHY: AHOEC

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huge impact on what is possible. The Learning Away project also found that residentials gave teachers time to reflect on their practice and that, for some, their teaching became more experimental and flexible; they were more willing and confident to take risks and try new methods. And while the focus is usually on the outcomes for the children, a residential provides opportunities for the teacher’s ‘resilience tank’ to be topped up too.

Inspiration comes in many forms and the environment has a big effect. There is plenty of evidence to show that engagement with wild spaces has a positive effect on wellbeing and that is true for children and adults alike.

There is an increasing body of research that supports the restorative power of nature; many schools now successfully use Forest Schools as a way of addressing behaviour issues, for example.

Outdoor education centres are often situated in inspiring landscapes, a fact not lost on the children visiting them. A quiet early morning walk down to the lake can do wonders for the soul.

Are the hours or organisation and effort worth it? From my perspective as the head of an outdoor education centre I see repeated examples of young people achieving and growing as a result of both the social aspects of the residential and the activities themselves. I am also privileged to see the effect that those achievements have on the staff and the journeys that many of them, as well as the children, have gone on.

In the words of one secondary school teacher: “Working with other staff on Duke of Edinburgh residentials meant I got to know other staff in the school. I’ve got to know colleagues from other departments whose names I didn’t even know before. The residentials were hard work, but there was a pay-off in terms of my relationship with students – I had particular difficulties with two students in the classroom but after a weekend away there was a subtle shift and their behaviour in lessons has improved.

The freedom from bells and rigid routines and from the constant pressure of data gathering and triple marking, the opportunities for meaningful conversations with colleagues instead of a brief harassed hello in a corridor, the shared experience with other staff, the growth of relationships with students – these are all reasons to go. The residential is a beacon in the school year for students and staff alike.” ahoec.org oeapng.info learningaway.org.uk David Harvey is head of residential provision at the Brathay Trust and was national chair of the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres (AHOEC) from 2012-2015.

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NAHT CHARITY PARTNER

Up for the challenge THE 2012 OLYMPICS RAISED THE PROFILE OF INCLUSIVE SPORT, BUT WE STILL NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED, SAYS YOUTH SPORT TRUST’S CHRIS ELLIS It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost four years since the Olympic and Paralympic Games took place on British soil. It provided a huge opportunity, not only to get excited about watching the competition, but to learn about different sports, countries and cultures.

London 2012 did a great job at raising the profile of Paralympic sport and athletes. By doing this it also raised the profile of more inclusive activities.

The Paralympics significantly changed perceptions and attitudes of what can be possible – giving young people confidence to believe in themselves.

As I sat in a sports hall filled with excitable students from Liverpool, I was reminded of my first job out of university, as a 20 year old in Hampshire – a job that really changed my perception of inclusion.

I had been given the task of setting up a neighbourhood challenge in the area that I was working in. Quite a few local neighbourhoods didn’t integrate well, causing some social tension. The end result was an evening where people from those neighbourhoods came together and participated in a variety of different sports. It was a huge success and it proved to me that sport can bring people of all ages, abilities and disabilities together. It showed it can really break down barriers.

This struck a chord and, to this day,

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I have a key role in our inclusion programmes to ensure sport can have a positive impact on all young people.

But back to Liverpool. We were at Northcote Primary School in Walton to launch a new free sport initiative: Sainsbury’s Active Kids Paralympic Challenge. It aims to raise awareness of Paralympic sport ahead of Rio 2016 and

get more young people involved in inclusive sport.

The partnership between Sainsbury’s, ParalympicsGB and the Youth Sport Trust provides young people with an opportunity to take part in four inclusive sports; athletics, boccia, goalball and sitting volleyball. With the help of two sporting heroes – England footballer

PHOTOGRAPHY: YST

21/12/2015 12:55

Jonnie Peacock (left) and Daniel Sturridge (right) introduce pupils to Paralympic sports

Daniel Sturridge and Paralympic sprinter Jonnie Peacock – students from Northcote and Claremount tried activities that are part of the initiative.

The aim is to increase awareness and challenge perceptions of disability among young people. The sports challenges will hopefully encourage them to be more active through exciting inclusive sports challenges designed to engage both disabled and non-disabled young people.

A web-based resource offers teachers access to free online resources to help them, as well as introductory equipment packs for the four sports.

Schools also get the opportunity to win incredible prizes, including a trip to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The time schools invest in meeting the challenges can be converted into kilometres travelled on the Get Set Road

to Rio app. The school that travels the farthest can win the chance to travel to Rio next year.

Other prizes include an inclusive school playground makeover, ParalympicsGB Athlete school visits and signed kit and Youth Sport Trust Athlete Mentor visits. If you are interested, you can register at the link below.

I hope this initiative drives excitement in the lead up to Rio 2016 and good luck to the all schools taking part – you could be cheering on Team GB in sunny Rio.

The Youth Sport Trust is proud to be the current NAHT Charity of the Year and is working closely with the association to offer NAHT members resources and support, which help schools maximise the positive impact of physical education and school sport on young people’s wellbeing and achievement. www.youthsporttrust.org

Visit www.activekidsparalympic challenge.co.uk to register.

You can find out more about the challenge and other school sport programmes at the Youth Sport Trust’s 2016 conference on 3 March at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. www.youthsporttrust.org/eventsawardsevents/2016-conference.aspx

Chris Ellis is programme manager of the Inclusive Sport Programme at the Youth Sport Trust

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WE T E L L U S A B O U T Y O U R S C H O O L We’d love to share your stories with LF re a d e rs . Ema il Su s a n E educationhack@gmail.com

FINALLY… T

his is a big year for one Birmingham primary: its new classroom will be launched after five years of planning, negotiation and good old-fashioned hard work.

It’s probably a good time to mention that the new classroom is a canal boat, craned into position in the playground, and that Topcliffe Primary School’s pupils – many of whom have autism, or speech and language special needs – have been fully involved in the many stages of what head teacher Dickon Taylor calls a ‘mad’ project.

But then, this is an extraordinary school, underpinned by two crucial factors. One is Topcliffe’s status as a one-form entry primary plus a 65-pupil resource base, the largest in the country. Resourcebase pupils have statements for autism or speech and language difficulties, and were often excluded from other primaries or are on a managed move.

The other is that Dickon and his executive head, Ian Lowe, are constantly innovating to engage pupils. “We challenge each other – no idea is a silly idea. No plan is a bad plan – it just needs rethinking or there’s a logistical issue. We’re about raising aspirations, the can-do attitude, the I-want-to attitude,” says Dickon. He’s all about that attitude himself. He met Lowe as a senior teacher seconded to the city’s learning and assessment service: shortly after, an application form for the deputy post was thrust into his hand. “I thought why not? Why think I can’t do something – why not do it?” he says.

The canal boat idea was born after the pair heard a presentation about using the whole of the school as a learning environment, not just classrooms. Dismissing trains and buses, they came up with the idea of a canal boat in homage to Birmingham’s heritage. “I got in touch with the Canal and River Trust, who thought I was a nut,” Dickon says.

The school began building links with the Trust, and also with Enabling Enterprise which, Dickon says, was rather surprised when he turned down its project to get the children to make cookies and reinvest the profits, and asked if instead it could help the school to get a canal boat. “They basically said ‘You’ve lost it,’” he laughs.

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SUSAN YOUNG

PUSH THE BOAT OUT A few conversations later, Enabling Enterprise helped a group of year six children polish their pitching skills with the help of a French bank in Canary Wharf. “It was like Dragon’s Den,” recalls Dickon. Armed with their pitch, the children went to the Canal and River Trust, who promised to put them in touch with AB Tuckey, a firm that salvages and transports narrowboats. The company gave them a choice of three, and though pricier than Dickon had originally thought – being priced at £18,000 – the children negotiated brilliantly, eventually getting it for half the amount.

“They chose the boat and shook on it. They impressed AB Tuckey’s boss so much he delivered it for free,” says Dickon.

The children are involved at every step, whether it’s meeting contractors, organising sleepers for the boat to rest on, or discussing the installation of a lock gate. Throughout, they’ve used and learned maths, literacy and much more.

Not all the negotiations bore fruit: one aim was to show that enterprise is about working hard and facing adversity. “There were 30-odd times when children thought negotiations went well and they were disappointed,” says Dickon.

The boat has now been fitted out and discussions are ongoing about creating a classroom with screens and vibrating seats, so children can ‘experience’ rowing a Viking longboat, for example. It will also be used for parents’ meetings and hired out for conferences to slowly recoup some of their expenditure.

Taylor says: “The children were involved in all of it: they had the same journey as people on Grand Designs. This gives them confidence and resilience.

They’ve learned that nothing comes for free: you have to work for everything.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

PHOTOGRAPH: TOPCLIFFE PRIMARY SCHOOL

21/12/2015 13:03

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