Compact with DfES

This Compact is an agreement between Hampshire County Council (as LEA) and the Department for Education and Skills to work in partnership to achieve better outcomes for children and young people.

We share a vision of a comprehensive and inclusive education system in which every learner:

- is given appropriate support to access education fully

- is accorded equal worth and protected from harm

- enjoys learning

- is equipped with the values, knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to live life to the full.

We can achieve this through a focus on the learner, a balanced and creative curriculum and a commitment to use the community's resources for education in the best possible way. Schools and other education providers will be encouraged and supported to use their facilities in ways which best serve their local population and which encourage communities as a whole to value education.

Hampshire County Council and the DfES share responsibility to work together across all the areas in the agenda for 2003/4 as set out in the Statement of Intent. We recognise that attention needs to be given to action in all those priority areas and that there is other important work not listed here or in the priority areas. Existing work such as the primary and KS3 strategies is assumed as the baseline. However, we agree that for 2003/4 we will concentrate our partnership and collaborative working on the seven key areas outlined below.

A Pupil performance

1 Raising standards at KS2 and KS3

Outcomes

1) Improvements to literacy and numeracy - EDP targets

2) Year on year improvement in L2B - L4+ - EDP target

3) Year on year improvement L4+ - L5+ - EDP target

LEA contribution

1) In line with EDP2 principles, set the expectation of 2 levels of progress between KS1 and KS2, one of which is in Yr2 - Yr4.

2) Use results of school-based Year 4 assessments to target support and validate and share best practice

3) Provide coherent training to targeted schools and staff

4) Identify, ,with schools individual pupils from KS1 who will need support to attain L4+ at KS2

5) Explore with regional directors the scope for flexible deployment of consultant resources to support pupils and schools.

6) Identify individuals and groups of pupils at Yr5/6 in KS2 who need to be offered support through the transition to KS3.

7) Implement the KS3 strategy

DfES contribution

1) Explore with Hampshire opportunities for the flexible deployment of Regional Directors' resources to build capacity in the teaching workforce throughout KS2 and KS3

2) Support target setting that gives attention to the current Year 3 (4 years in advance) alongside Year 5

3) Through the consultants, encourage teachers to enhance their use of off-the-shelf plans with professional judgement and initiative.

4) Support Hampshire's approach in seeking two levels of progress for every child throughout KS2, focussing on progress data rather than raw scores.

5) With the regional directors engage in dialogue to establish new ways to meet the needs of schools that may be deprived, or otherwise at a disadvantage, but which don't slot neatly into the EAZ or other schemes.

6) Ensure timely communication by Regional Directors of data requirements and key dates for submission

7) Give thought to grouping like LEAs together for strategy support - large LEAs have opportunities and needs which differ from those which are small and urban

8) Add value to LEA work by sharing best practice and new initiatives between LEAs and facilitating contact.

9) Provide opportunities to be part of major research exercises and use the outcomes of research findings more readily in setting the direction of the strategies

2 Expand opportunities for those aged 14 -19 to access education that suits their learning styles

Outcomes

1) All schools to offer vocational qualifications - EDP target + cabinet priority

2) GCSE results - EDP, corporate strategy, LPSA

3) Connexions targets (link to cabinet priorities)

4) Reduction in NEETS (link to cabinet priorities)

5) Reductions in absence and exclusion at KS4

LEA contribution

1) Strategies: 14-19; extended schools; specialist schools

2) Leadership and support to schools

3) Provide positive activities and support for young people through the Youth Service

4) Develop and strengthen the link between schools and Connexions

5) Targeted work on absence and exclusion, linking absence and exclusion to curriculum and pedagogic focus

6) Establish an effective working partnership on 14 -19 matters with the with LSC and FE colleges to enhance the development of alternative provision

7) Maximise the flexible use of ICT

8) Develop further opportunities for 14-16 workbased learning

9) Offer advice and support for vocational education

10) Support to schools with accelerated learning programmes

11) EAZ-cluster: planning at KS2-3 and 14-19

DfES contribution

1) Clear guidance and direction to resource distribution for 14 -16s via LSC where there is LEA/LSC interaction - eg excluded pupils in colleges.

2) Full support for the Transforming Youth Work agenda

3) Funding strategy for skills (craft) centres - we need capital for these - and the LSC can't fund them.

4) Clarify funding for vocational courses 14-19

5) Clarity of policy on the optimal size of 6th forms.

6) Attendance consultant support

7) Supplying examples of good practice - particularly the 14-19 Pathfinder work

8) Excellence cluster funding and other extra funding streams.

9) Discussions this term with DfES on 14 -19 strategy development, building links with the new LEA officer for this area

3 Inclusion, and the school in the community

Outcomes

1) EDP targets for Exclusions, Reintegration rates and attendance (also corporate strategy targets)

2) Behaviour - behaviour support plan and EDP targets

3) Changes in policy, practice and organisation in response to the green paper and subsequent legislation.

LEA contribution

1) Prepare new inclusion policy

2) Rights and responsibilities initiative

3) Citizenship and race equality

4) Extended schools - policy and support to schools

5) Review of EOTAS function and work with Education centres

6) LPSA funding and work with target schools

7) Continue to expand family learning, parenting, literacy and numeracy initiatives

8) Continue to develop the role of the parent development team

9) Raise the profile of Youth Service active involvement in schools and the wider community

10) Provide effective guidance to help sustain good practice in study support

11) Continue support to schools on workforce reform

12) Develop the quality of early education, expand targeted childcare provision and expand the development of children's centres.

13) Support for the SE federation of secondary schools - spread good practice.

14) Continue to prioritise work with looked after children in liaison with social services.

15) Develop policy and practice in reponse to the green paper and subsequent legislation

DfES contribution

1) Review exclusions guidance so that LEAs have some authority to challenge schools on their exclusions, and schools have a greater responsibility towards retaining, rather than excluding, pupils.

2) Review the blanket requirement for full time provision for all pupils 15 days after exclusion - to allow professional judgement to assess whether this suits a particular pupil.

3) Confirm the security of Early Years and SEN funding.to allow confident appointment of full time staff.

4) Arrange for research and policy officers to work alongside us in SEN/Inclusion activities.

5) Continue Sure Start initiative and funding

6) Provide funding for parent development activites

7) Incorporate inclusion measures in school evaluation

8) Links with parents, including learning mentor model and wider excellence cluster development

9) Offer backup for workforce reform, including recognition of the size of the county and the differentiated resource needed between LEAs to support this.

10) Reinforce Green Paper messages on the school place in the community

11) Release embargoed press releases to LEAs at the same time as to the press, to enable better information provision and response.

12) Provide positive support for creative learning opportunities in the wider curriculum

13) Provide support for Hampshire's `Rights, Respect, Responsibilities' project - as a national pilot

14) Offer advice and support on the development of the federation of secondary schools

15) Advise other government departments on the balance of aspiration and achievability on the LPSA and other targets.

4 Meeting individual needs (SEN)

Outcomes

1) A fair and transparent system for deploying resources to meet special educational needs in schools and preschool settings

2) Effective inclusive education

3) More efficient use of public resources

LEA contribution

1) SEN policy

2) Review of SEN mainstream funding mechanism

3) Investigation into reasons for SEN statements

4) Piloting alternatives to SEN statements

5) Developing a community based approach to meeting individual needs.

DfES contribution

1) Review of statutory assessment procedures:

2) pilot a common assessment framework across the children's service area (green paper issue);

3) consider the impact on school admissions and levels of requests for statements of parents' preference for a school thorough a statements carrying so much weight.

4) review the functions and costs of the SEN and disability tribunal - particularly its role in making out-county/independent school placements

5) ensure maintained and non-maintained schools have sufficient funds to meet Ofsted requirements and teacher threshold payments. The considerable recent rises in costs in these areas have been passed on to customers - increasing payments by about 20%

B School performance

5 Work with schools needing support

Outcomes

1) No schools in special measures and no more than 5 per year serious weakness - EDP target (and CPA appraisal criteria) ) -

2) Improvements in progress in years 3 and 4 and from L2B to L4+

3) Work with weaker departments in secondary schools will result in an improved subject residual for each department of at least 0.5.

LEA contribution

1) Effective LEA intervention in coasting schools

2) Effective LEA intervention in schools showing signs of serious weakness

3) Effective LEA targeting of KS3departments where weaknesses are showing

4) Effective intervention in schools where part of the pupil population is failing to make adequate progress

5) Effective intervention is weaker secondary subject departments.

6) Effective use and co-ordination of support services such as Youth, Connexions, EWS, EOTAS and social workers

DfES contribution

1) Amend the Code of Practice to clarify the LEA role in intervention in schools

2) Encourage use of VA data and the P.A.T system to ensure intervention is closely targeted to achieve progress e.g. underperforming groups of pupils, underachieving departments or schools.

3) Focus support through the national strategies on targeting underachievement.

4) Establish a national expectation that effective schools will share their practice in the interests of the whole community

5) Continue support for teacher recruitment and support Hampshire's need to use flexibility in funding so as to target those areas of the county where recruitment is most severe

6) Promote and support the role of Governor Services to ensure effective governance in all schools.

6 Developing professional capacity

Outcomes

1) The best professional development for school and LEA staff in the country.

LEA contribution

1) Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College and CPD, including partnerships to establish and promote best practice Development of HTLC

2) Ensuring all schools are fully briefed

3) IIP for all Education staff

4) Support to schools on workforce reform

5) Succession planning and short term placements across schools

DfES contribution

1) Ensure a balance between national and local recruitment, induction, CPD and leadership programmes and their delivery to best meet local needs.

2) Offer differential support for workforce reform in large LEAs to recognise costs relating to the scale of the project.

7 School reorganisations

Targets for performance in this area

1) Maintain surplus places < 10% at primary and secondary

2) Other School Organisation Plan targets?

LEA contribution

1) School Organisation Plan

2) Consultation on closures and reorganisations

3) Link between school improvement/pupil performance and school reorganisations

4) Learning difficulties school policy and special school policy

DfES contribution

1) Funding and capital resources

2) Explore opportunities to increase the flexibility of resource use by LEAs

3) Ensure access to accurate and relevant advice and guidance on procedures, regulations and requirements for making changes to the organisation of schools.

4) Clarify the government stance on surplus places in the face of falling primary numbers

Generally

Sharing of good practice, new initiatives etc , especially between LEAs

Timetabling and early warning of initiatives, press releases etc, including sharing of embargoed press releases.

Flexibility of resource use through discussions between regional directors and the LEA

Glossary

EDP Education development plan

L2B Level 2B (SATS grading)

KS Key Stage

EAZ Education Action Zone

NEETS 16 -19 year olds Not in Education, Employment or Training

LSC Learning and Skills Council

FE Further Education

EOTAS Education other than at school

LPSA Local public service agreement

SE South East

SEN Special Educational Needs

Green Paper Every Child Matter

CPA Corporate Performance Assessment

EWS Education Welfare Service

VA Value Added

PAT Pupil assessment and tracking

CPD Continuous professional development

HTLC Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College