White Paper – Overview 1

1. White Paper – Overview 1 • Wants every school to become Foundation, Trust/VA or Academy • Both primary and secondary though focus on secondary • Core premise is that if schools have control over their resources, ethos etc they are more likely to improve • Looking to encourage parental choice and engagement • Parents can ask for new schools, • Lack of faith provision • Entrenched inequalities • Promote innovative teaching methods • Dedicated funding for buildings etc to support parent proposals • Parent Councils to be established in Trusts where parent governors in minority • More 6th Forms • Statutory duty on governing bodies to have due regard to views of parents • Parent Councils • Local authority role changes fundamentally from provider to commissioner • No more community schools to be established • Runs competitions for new / replacement schools to be established • Provides local regulation, but appeals go to Schools Commissioner • Employs School Improvement Partners (SIP) to help schools develop • SIP reports to governing body of school and contribute to assessment of Head • Schools Organising Committee abolished (“biased towards the status quo”) • Statutory duty to promote choice, diversity and fair access • LA’s must provide help for parents develop proposals

2. White Paper - Overview 2 • Expansion • Assumption that oversubscribed schools can expand and funds provided to do so (? over primary) • Noted that expansion might undermine ethos • Joint venture or mergers to share best practice • Lot of emphasis on Federations, probably under one Trust • Looking for full range of opportunities • e.g. subjects, extra-curricular • Sharing of best practice • Secondary / Primary federation to help top and bottom of ability range • Reducing costs of administration through shared services procurement etc. • Failing / coasting schools could be forced to federate with good schools • Failing / Coasting Schools • Schools in special measures have 1 year to turn round or be replaced • New powers to remove heads and governing bodies • Parents must be involved • SIP focus on the “coasting” schools / departments • Reducing Bureaucracy • Multi-year budgets • More flexible Ofsted regime, “proportionate” inspection • Single school plan rather than accounting for separate funding streams • Some tailoring of Curriculum and Staff terms and conditions allowed

3. White Paper – Overview 3 • Choice (White paper quotes YouGov - 76% of parents want real choice) • Particular focus on Secondary • Help for parents on how to choose (Choice Advisors) • Local authorities to provide transport for FSM pupils to 3 secondary schools • Selection (up to 10%) based on specialism (not academic ability) • Admissions code of practice must be followed • Clearly admissions policy is a political hot potato • Personalised Learning • Focussed on Key Stage 3 (11-14) • Help those falling back, stretch the high achievers (NAGTY) • More money for deprived areas • Encouragement for setting • Extended schools • Looking for care between 08:00 and 18:00 • Homework clubs, sports, special interest, languages etc etc. • Other sections • Children missing from education (new duty of Local Authorities) • Additional powers to manage discipline • Development of the workforce • Particularly defined career paths for Heads e.g. specialists at turnaround etc • Schools as multi-service outlets for the community

4. Caveats • What actually gets enacted may be different to the white paper, but the direction is clear as it is supported by the opposition • Admissions policy is clearly a major issue for Labour backbenches • What actually happens on the ground will depend on how enthusiastically the changes are embraced by the Local Authority • Some may have to be dragged by the Schools Commissioner • Much of the focus will be on deprived areas and inner cities • Particularly for additional funding

5. So what does it mean? • At one level not much will change immediately • However the impact on other schools will impact VA • There will be pressure to Federate • In time, large multi-school trusts are likely to emerge that will provide services that a single school cannot • Good VA schools might be put under pressure or even mandated to help local failing schools • Particular aspects will be good • Multi-year and hopefully more sensible budgeting • More flexibility • Presumption of being able to expand if good

6. Opportunities • Expansion • It should be easier to raise finance to expand • Yes, need to be wary of dilution of ethos, but there is a balance with economies of scale and sustainability • Home Education • There is a large and active home education community that is likely to become increasingly pressured • VA schools might be able to be funded to provide some services to this community • This could be seen as very innovative, a mix of formal and informal schooling • Key Stage 3 • Lack of local particularly faith provision • Local schools close to being “bog-standard comprehensives” • There is a lack of provision and choice locally • Some parents are concerned about the transition from VA ethos to “bog standard” ethos • What about expanding into what used to be called “middle school” and possibly beyond? • Federation • Is both a threat and an opportunity, it will happen so need to decide what to do.