Archived decisions

Contact: John Clarke, Assistant County Education Officer, Standards and Improvement Branch, County Office. Tel 01962 846459 or Edna Petrie, National Primary Strategy Manager. Tel 023 92441466

1 Summary

1.1 This report explains the background to the Primary Leadership Programme funded by the DFES. It also sets out the processes gone through, to date, in preparing to implement the programme for schools in Hampshire. The programme will be incorporated into our planned strategies for school improvement and is intended to improve the rates of progress made by pupils in Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics.

2 Context

2.1 The third and final national evaluation report of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies praised the successes of improved teaching of English and mathematics, and the initial rapid rise in standards attained at the end of Key Stage 2. However, the evaluation also suggested there had been some `running out of steam' and that a new approach is required, if further progress is to be made. The report advocated moving to approaches that would embed the improvements, through substantial work with leadership teams in schools and through improving, still further, teachers' subject knowledge.

3 Introduction

3.1 In February 2003, Dr Kevan Collins was appointed to lead the National Primary Strategy (NPS). The Primary Leadership Programme is part of the NPS and is intended to pursue these objectives, with an emphasis on improving pupils' progress in English and mathematics, in the context of the full primary curriculum.

The aims of the Leadership Programme are:

· To strengthen collaborative leadership and responsibility for teaching and learning in primary schools;

· To equip leadership teams with a greater understanding of expectations, standards and effective learning and teaching in English and mathematics;

· To increase expertise, both in identifying where improvements should be made and in taking appropriate steps towards bringing about those improvements;

· To develop and extend the use of management tools to inform effective leadership, and to contribute towards improvements in teaching and learning;

· For participating schools to make significant improvements in Key Stage 2 results, in English and mathematics, over the period 2004 to 2006.

3.2 For the academic year 2003/4, the DfES required all LEAs to invite 20 - 25% of schools with Key Stage 2 pupils to take part in the Primary Leadership Programme. The programme, developed with the support of the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), is focused on strengthening collaborative leadership and responsibility for teaching and learning in primary schools, with a focus on English and mathematics. The implementation of the programme within the school will be directed and managed by a small team of staff. For most schools, this would typically be the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the literacy and mathematics coordinators.

3.3 The programme is intended to support those staff in the school who carry explicit leadership and management responsibility for learning, teaching and achievement in English and mathematics. The programme will provide the school's leadership team with opportunities for out-of-school professional development, and the help of an experienced colleague, a Consultant Leader, to support in-school developments. Access to other experienced consultants will also be built into the programme. The schools will also have the opportunity to visit others schools, to share expertise and good practice.

3.4 Schools with more than 120 pupils will receive the equivalent of 5 days' supply cover for each of the deputy headteacher, literacy coordinator and mathematics coordinator, on the understanding that the headteacher will also take part for five days. Consultant Leaders will be fellow professionals with recent experience as a primary head, and a proven track record in improving standards within their own school. Training and support for their role in the programme will be provided, jointly, by the NCSL and the NPS. Each Consultant Leader will work in collaboration with an allocated group of schools, to support the leadership team in developing further the skills need to meet the outcomes of the programme.

4 Progress with Implementation in Hampshire

4.1 LEAs were required to invite schools to participate in the programme, mainly on the basis of statistical data indicating that pupil progress in English and mathematics needed to be improved. 70 schools with KS2 pupils (23%) have accepted the invitation. The headteachers and governors of those schools have been provided with further information about the programme, and will be attending launch meetings in each area in June. These are intended to ensure that the benefits and expectations of the programme are shared and understood.

4.2 Each LEA was required to appoint a Primary Strategy Manager to have overall responsibility for the Leadership Programme. The Primary Strategy Manager's role is to direct and support the work of Consultant Leaders and work closely with other LEA staff, particularly the English and mathematics line managers, to help to coordinate appropriate support for the school from primary phase inspectors and English and mathematics consultants and inspectors. This role is currently being undertaken by the Acting Senior Inspector/Adviser (Primary).

4.3 A major plank of the programme is the use of serving headteachers as Primary Strategy Consultant Leaders. As this is a significant opportunity for professional development, and could lead to full NCSL Consultant Leader status, all headteachers of schools with Key Stage 2 children were invited to express an interest in working with us on this programme. We received 52 such expressions and, through a process of selection agreed with Primary Standing Committee and the Chair of Primary Headteacher Conference, we have identified 20 excellent people to take on this work. They will attend the three days of national training early in July.

4.4 The lead-in time for the programme, and the actions taken so far, mean that we are well placed to ensure it is ready for full and effective implementation in September 2003.

4.5 The programme will be evaluated, locally, by attached inspectors and by reference to the future performance of the 70 schools. While the establishment of professional learning communities, within each school, will be an important indicator of success, in the final analysis, the programme can only be said to have been successful if progress in the schools improves.

4.6 This is a major development, and something of a departure from previous ways of working. It is as much about building future capacity as about short-term gains. If it is successful in its aims, it will build a professional learning community, in each of the programme schools, that will last beyond the life of the project. It will also create a group of headteachers, across the country, who will have the skills to work effectively in schools other than their own, in the interests of raising standards. The programme is, therefore, fully in line with thinking in Hampshire and deserves to be vigorously pursued.

Recommendation

1. The Panel is asked to note this report and to receive further reports on progress and outcomes.

Section 100D Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None