Believing in the futures of all our children Supporting education in schools, beyond schools In

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Believing in the futures of all our
childrenSupporting education in schools, beyond
schoolsIn Bucks, beyond Bucks, for Bucks

• The Future Landscape
• Challenges/Opportunities

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Welcome

• Amanda Picillo
• CEO, Buckinghamshire Learning Trust
• apicillo_at_learningtrust.net

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• Purpose of today

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Starting Premise

• We have an opportunity to strengthen our already
  strong position.
• We have the ability together to co-create our
  future destiny.
• The LA will eventually have no direct capacity to
  work with schools.
• We already have a vehicle that operates services.

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Key Time

• Opportunity
• Take control
• Reflect
• Innovate
• Create

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Local/National Landscape

• It is more difficult for us to directly influence
  the national landscape.
• We do have an opportunity to protect, shape,
  enhance and improve our local landscape.

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Top Down Approaches

• Rarely take the profession with them.
• Diversity across the system.
• The detail cannot be dictated.
• Degree of voluntarism.
• Compelling vision based on strong principles.

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• Michael Fullan
• Voluntary but inevitable
• As soon as we resort to compulsion, we lose the
  pull factor and we are left with just the push.

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Reality cannot be dictated
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The profession leading the change

• Ask the right questions.
• Authentic leadership with a moral purpose.
• Strong values/principles/commitment to collective
  accountability.
• Leadership that looks outwards.
• New strategies to suit the local context.
• Honest and meaningful dialogue.
• Difficult decisions and conversations.

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Leaders make the weather

• Leadership and management of change.
• Leaders are best placed to shape the future.
• Position of strength for the future.
• Continue to improve/sustain high quality.

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Collective Moral Purpose/Vision

• To create a local school system that is cohesive
  and effective within a framework that embraces
  autonomy, encourages excellence in leadership,
  facilitates collaboration and achieves the best
  possible learning outcomes for all children in
  Buckinghamshire.
• No school or school leader should be isolated.
• To provide high quality services, leadership
  challenge and CPD that supports a County culture
  of high aspiration and expectation.
• To maintain and strengthen collaboration between
  schools and ensure an oversight of local and
  national priorities.
• To champion the Buckinghamshire Young People.

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Question

• Can we all (or the vast majority of us) aspire to
  being part of this as whole, out of an ambition
  that we could create a model that enables to move
  forward as a Buckinghamshire community whilst
  promoting autonomy and embracing different local
  solutions?

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The Power of Collaboration

• I cannot do this alone
• Shared responsibility and response

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The Local Landscape and Trust Support

• Kate Rumboll
• Director of Education Standards,
• Buckinghamshire Learning Trust
• krumboll_at_learningtrust.net
• Paul Scaife
• Interim Director of Finance Governance,
• Buckinghamshire Learning Trust
• c-pscaife_at_learningtrust.net

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What does the Trust believe?

• Isolation leaves schools vulnerable.
• Collaboration with others needs to ensure that
  each child or student is a powerful learner and
  that adults are given the opportunity to learn as
  teachers and leaders.
• To build successful hard edged collaborations
  great leadership is needed, underpinned with
  moral purpose.

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What does the Trust believe?

• This needs to be based on values, principles and
  a commitment to collective accountability. It
  will require all of us to look outward to other
  schools and partners.
• The Trust is a key partner in the future
  landscape. Our mission is to continue to work
  with leaders to secure great outcomes for
  children and young people. We remain committed to
  supporting the family of Buckinghamshire schools
  staying together.

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What does the Trust believe?

• However, the strategy recognises the importance
  of the autonomy of leaders.
• We believe that the strongest model has the Trust
  as the glue across the landscape with an overview
  of priorities, because all schools/settings
  continue to engage at some level. This vision
  underpins our future strategy and work.

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What does the Trust believe?

• We want to support you, but for us to do that you
  need to support us and get behind the model that
  the Trust is the vehicle to hold the community of
  schools together in Buckinghamshire.
• The question that you need to ask yourself is,
  what would Buckinghamshire look like without a
  vehicle for services to schools?

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How is BLT Funded?
Reducing contract with BLT - statutory duties of
BCC
BCC
BLT
School Improvement
Specialist Teaching Services
Early Years
Workforce Development
Governors
Schools Financial Management Service
Purchase of services from BLT
Statutory responsibility for schools delegate
school budgets
Schools
Delivery of contracted and traded services
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What does the Trust believe?

• It is our view that if your intention is to
  become a MAT, a group of schools collaborating or
  a single school, that you can still be involved.

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Where do you currently sit on the following
continuum?
2. Ready to explore working informally as part of
a cluster
4. Already working as a MAT looking to sponsor
others

• 3.
• Ready to explore joining or leading a local MAT

1. Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships
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Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships

• A Trust colleague will work with schools to
  support a range of tasks, initially this will be
  through geographical groups. This might include
• facilitating the sharing of good practice and
  innovation
• opportunities for leadership training and
  development

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Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships (2)

• facilitating joint projects driven by outcomes
• facilitated learning walks, work scrutinies
  moderation
• joint training
• an opportunity to attend a breakfast meeting run
  by the Trust to focus on school improvement.

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Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships (3)

• All liaison groups will be invited to a meeting
  in the autumn term to consider how partnerships
  can be strengthened and to co-create a
  partnership charter to drive the work of their
  group moving forward.

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Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships (4)

• In addition, the Trust will offer breakfast
  briefings on a range of areas identified from
  county wide information and from you as leaders.
  This will provide a menu of choices for you to
  attend as appropriate, depending on the needs of
  your school. This might cover phonics, KS3,
  transition, disadvantaged pupils, writing,
  reading, middle leaders etc. The Trust will
  support collaboration.

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Ready to develop even stronger collaborative
partnerships (5)

• All collaboration will come about as a result of
  purpose. It will be explicitly driven by the need
  to improve opportunities/provision for pupils and
  students and develop teachers and leaders.
• http//lutonfutures.co.uk/

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Ready to explore working informally as part of a
cluster

• The Trust can help you
• broker a partner/s
• provide a funded visit to help you draw up an
  action plan
• provide a cluster lead to facilitate the group,
  broker training, advice and support from the
  Trust, work with governors. (This work will be
  charged as a package, identified after the first
  visit).

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• How could you move from current partnerships to
  clusters?

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Ready to explore joining or leading a local MAT

• An initial conversation (funded by the Trust)
  with members of the Future Landscape team to
  identify next steps.
• Support from HR, Finance, Legal to support
  applications (This work would be charged for
  suggested packages will be drawn up as part of
  the initial next steps visit if requested by the
  leaders).

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Co-designing a MAT with the BLT

• The Trust is looking to sponsor a Bucks MAT. We
  are currently seeking legal advice but it is our
  intention to work with 10-12 schools that are
  interested in co-creating a founding MAT. The
  group needs to be made up of aspirational leaders
  and governors who will be ready by September to
  be involved in preparatory work and planning.

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Co-designing a MAT with the BLT

• Expressions of interest will be asked for as a
  follow up to this meeting. Details will be sent
  by email to you as headteacher and to chair of
  governors.

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Next steps/actions required

• Go back and talk to your governing body.
• Decide where you are on the continuum and
  indicate on the form that will be emailed to
  headteachers and chairs of governors following
  this meeting. Complete the questionnaire. We need
  to strategically plan for the support that you
  will require.
• Decide whether you would like the Trust to
  facilitate a conversation with the governing body
  in the Autumn term.

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Developing Powerful Partnerships/Cluster Working

• Sir Robin Bosher
• June 2016

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• Effective School partnerships and collaboration
  for school improvement a review of the evidence
• DfE Research Report - October 2015
• Dr Paul Armstrong

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Conditions for powerful partnerships

• Strong, committed leadership across all partner
  schools.
• Clear planning and strategising of priorities.
• Development of trust and respect.
• Openness to sharing and critiquing practice.
• Collaboration from staff at all levels.
• Sensitivity to local context.
• No excuse culture.
• Peer to peer support.

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Characteristics of successfulpartnerships

• Building on previous relationships.
• Agreeing to a model for challenge and support.
• Building a culture of openness.
• Improving trust and clear communication.
• Adapting leadership styles.
• Clarity to the strategic priorities that frame
  the joint activity.
• Clear aims to the partnership, putting students
  first.

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Characteristics of successful partnerships (2)

• Clarity and agreement on the leadership of the
  partnership.
• Agreement on the funding commitments.
• Determining the KPIs and establishing a rigorous
  model of evaluation and review.
• Commitment and support of all stakeholders.

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What are the barriers?

• Threats to school autonomy.
• Perceived power imbalances.
• Resources, workload, time and funding.
• Agreeing shared outcomes and common goals.
• Competing in the same market place.
• Pace of the collaborative process.
• Agreement to the quality assurance model.

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Sustainability considerations

• Establishing sustainable relationships and
  systems.
• Establishing cost effective and sustainable
  activity, targeting funds on strategic
  priorities.
• Ensuring the partnership is a constructive
  response to local need.
• A commitment to a time period.
• How long is long term?

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Closing Remarks

• Ask the right question with enthusiasm how can
  my school best collaborate so that pupils,
  students, teachers and leaders can become the
  most powerful learners?

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• Coffee Break

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Why?

• A strong moral purpose and an aspiration to
  improve the quality of teaching and learning as
  key drivers for adopting a MAT model. It enables
  you to build on existing partnerships, work
  collaboratively and support schools to improve
  attainment. The MAT model formulises and builds
  upon what already exists.
• The MAT model allows you to capitalise on
• sharing best practice
• economic benefits, such as centralised services
• the ability to focus funds where they are most
  needed
• increased and flexible staffing resources
• the opportunity to establish succession planning
  programmes and, in doing so, retain good staff
  who might otherwise move on including
  headteachers
• Working strongly with others and avoiding
  isolation.

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Securing the Vision Case Study
Education Trust Vision High quality educational
provision for all at the heart of our local
community. Ensuring the equality of
opportunities for all.
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Values and Beliefs

• Underpinning the vision must be a commitment to
  the key outcomes of aiming to be achieved.
• Through our actions and behaviours we will strive
  to develop children who
• respect themselves and the community
• are polite, calm, caring, honest, trustworthy and
  helpful
• are responsible, independent and supportive of
  each other
• are tolerant, open minded and not prejudiced
• are determined and have a strong work ethic
• are thoughtful and have the ability to listen
• have good communication skills
• offer themselves as good role models for younger
  pupils
• can demonstrate strong self-belief, confidence
  and have high aspirations
• can work together in groups and, as they develop,
  can begin to lead others.

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Unique but a shared collective commitment and
expectations
Leading by example
Valued
Exciting Curriculum
Governance
Positive Behaviour
Outstanding Teaching
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What impact will this have on staff and pupils

• Greater CPD opportunities for all staff across
  the Trust schools.
• More career progression and opportunities for all
  staff.
• Termly trust events where larger groups of
  professionals can work and learn together.
• The opportunity to trade services across the
  trust will generate income for the best resources
  for all staff and pupils.
• High profile position in the educational arena,
  ensures you will receive the best and most up to
  date training and information.
• Staff and Pupils belong to a group dedicated to
  providing the best education for all children.
• Pupils have access to the best resources and
  staff across a number of sites.
• Pupils have the opportunity to work with other
  pupils in the community developing a great sense
  of community cohesion which will be positive as
  pupils transfer to secondary.
• Pupils feel part of a larger organisation working
  towards a common goal.

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Advantages of being part of the Trust

• Support at all levels to maintain outstanding
  status
• Less pressure on Head as some responsibilities
  will be supported or covered by the Trust.
• Pooled financial resource for School improvement
  support from external challenge partner on a
  regular basis. Support for teaching and learning
  and pupil progress from other leaders and
  practitioners.
• Agendas for GB meetings. GB meetings less policy
  driven and more focussed on learning and pupils.
  The board deal with policy
• Specialist teachers for MFL and PE and music if
  required.
• Opportunities for pupils to work across the
  trust/sites.
• Training and staff development organised across
  the trust. Opportunities for collaborative
  learning and sharing of resources.
• Assessment support and challenge with pupil
  progress meetings.
• Monthly Head meetings to discuss current
  issues/strategies.
• Strong recruitment for teachers and leaders
  within the Trust structure.

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Leading the MAT

• Greater responsibility and accountability
• Pressure on the day to day operational running of
  the School as well as running the MAT
• Financial implications
• HR and larger staffing issues
• Lack of capacity /pressure on capacity to support
  others
• Impact on standards within the founding school
  due to other demands
• Different skill set needed to run a MAT. More
  strategic and less involved in School life.

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My Reflection

• Exciting and progressive
• GB found the transition difficult
• External school imp quality assurance is
  essential.
• Impact on capacity is huge and firm plans need to
  be in place from the beginning.
• It is essential both the Trust and Schools
  considering joining understand the vision and how
  they will contribute towards it.
• Clear due diligence procedures need to be
  followed when engaging with a potential School.
  The board need to consider the impact of risk to
  the existing Schools.
• Geographical clusters work best, distance can
  hinder quality and impact.
• Quality not Quantity!
• My role changed beyond recognition
• I totally under estimated the amount of support
  needed to get to the MAT point and the
  operational support needed for this.

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Becoming a MAT

• Who will be in your MAT?
• What will your ethos and values be?
• Will you project manage the process yourself or
  commission in support?
• Understand your new responsibilities?
• Do you have the right skill base in school to
  support these new responsibilities?

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Next steps/actions required

• Go back and talk to your governing body.
• Decide where you are on the continuum and
  indicate on the form that will be emailed to
  headteachers and chairs of governors following
  this meeting. Complete the questionnaire. We need
  to strategically plan for the support that you
  will require.
• Decide whether you would like the Trust to
  facilitate a conversation with the governing body
  in the Autumn term.

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• The 9 Characteristics that Underpin a Successful
  Single and Multi Academy Trust

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Characteristic 1

• A well communicated strategic vision that moves
  from implementation to impact
• Leaders lead at pace but use the strategic plan
  as a touchstone.
• Every strategy is mapped against its impact on
  outcome for children.
• Every academy contributes to the MAT vision and
  the MAT vision supports the development of the
  academy.

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Characteristic 2

• There is a clear accountability framework for the
  performance of all staff in the trust
• The CEO and the Chair of Board is accountable to
  the RSC.
• The CEO is accountable to their board for
  standards.
• The Principals are accountable to the CEO for all
  standards in their schools.
• The academy staff are accountable to the
  Principal and the CEO for classroom standards and
  student outcomes.

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Characteristic 3

• There are clear QA systems in place to improve
  consistency and performance
• The trust has started to explore the consistent
  features that develop common practice.
• Common systems and implementation enables the
  strongest structures to be used across all
  schools.

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Characteristic 4

• Clear delegated framework for Governance at trust
  and Local Governing Body level
• Strong understanding of the different roles of
  members and directors.
• Board tests the trust strategy.
• Board holds the CEO to account for outcomes.
• Board decides what authority to delegate to LGB.
• LGB are guardians of standards in their academy
  and not the traditional governor.

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Characteristic 5

• There is a trust-wide school improvement strategy
  that recognises the best practice from its
  schools needs to form the basis of improvement
  more widely
• The Executive Leadership of the trust is adept at
  monitoring performance and quick to provide
  support.
• Leaders can transmit the best practice between
  the schools.
• Right balance between measuring the impact and
  proving the outcomes.
• Best practitioners work across the trust to
  improve standards.

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Characteristic 6

• There is a systematic programme of
  school-to-school support, targeted at the needs
  of individual academies
• Strong evidence that the best teachers and
  leaders create impact beyond their home school.
• Core development for staff exists across the
  trust for PGCE, NQT and Leadership Development.
• Collaboration is led by leaders and teachers with
  little co-ordination needed by the Executive Team.

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Characteristic 7

• Skilled management of the trust risk indicators
• Awareness that risk exists and that it drives
  action and accountability.
• Quality systems that are outcome driven and not
  process led.
• Leaders can horizon scan to anticipate change and
  challenge.
• The trust risk register is live and owned by key
  leaders with authority to calculate risk.

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Characteristic 8

• A planned approach to succession for all of the
  key roles in the trust
• The CEO.
• The Chair of Board.
• Directors of FD, HR IT.
• Sponsors, Members and Directors.
• Principals and Vice Principals.

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Characteristic 9

• Commitment to making a contribution to local,
  regional and national system leadership
• Building strong partnerships beyond the MAT to
  work with schools who might never be formal
  partners.
• Enabling academies to maintain their own networks
  that are unique to them.
• Contributing to school-to-school support beyond
  the MAT.
• Mentoring and supporting new MATS.

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• Closing Remarks