Contact: Andrew Seber, County Education Officer (01962 846400) [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The Secretary of State for Education and Skills launched a document entitled `Department of Education and Skills, Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners" on 8 July 2004. The document sets out a strategy which is in many respects close to the aims of the County Council. There are, however, details which differ.

1.2 The annexe to this report to the Education Policy Review Committee is a commentary on the document, based on an analysis of the proposals in relation to County Council policies.

1.3 The strategy document is not a Green or White Paper, and no specific consultation timetable is proposed. It is suggested that the Committee would wish to advise the Executive Member on views.

2 Department of Education and Skills : Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners

2.1 A commentary on the Secretary of State's paper of 8 July 2004 is attached as an annexe.

3 Legal implications

3.1 None, in as much as this report is seeking views and comments. Responsibility for legislative changes will be with Government.

4 Financial implications

4.1 There are no specific financial implications of the recommendations. Government policy will have implications for budgets and their management.

5 Personnel implications

5.1 There are no specific personnel implications of the recommendations. Government policy will have future implications.

6 Impact assessment

6.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

Recommendations

It is recommended that:

1 The commentary on "Department for Education and Skills : Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners" in this report is accepted as a reflection of the County Council's policies.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have 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.

List documents here or type `none'.

Item 7 Executive Summary Appendix 1

Education and childcare are improving

Children and all those who learn are our future. That is why this Government has invested in extra nurseries and childcare places, teachers and schools, books and computers and colleges and universities.

This investment has gone hand in hand with reform and together they are producing results. Fewer children are born into poverty. More children at risk are getting better help and protection.

Our education system is now among the best in the world. Our ten-year olds are the third best readers in the world. There are many more good or excellent schools for parents to choose from, with specialist and inner city schools improving fast. The standard of teaching has never been higher. Many schools now have buildings that are a source of pride not shame.

A record number of students are now going to university. More adults now learn a new skill at_work.

But we still face major challenges

We have opened up opportunity at every stage of life. But we have not yet broken the link between social class and achievement. No society can afford to waste the talent of its children and citizens. So major challenges at_each key phase of life remain:

_ Under 5s - disadvantage starts early in life and children who get a poor start tend to fall further behind as they go through the education system. And despite the improvements we are still not providing enough childcare places in a flexible way that meets parents' needs.

_ School age years - there are still too few excellent secondary schools for parents and pupils. While standards have risen, they are not yet high enough for all. Parents and teachers worry about truancy and bad behaviour.

_ 14-19 year olds - too many pupils drift, become disenchanted with school or get into trouble and drop out at 16. Vocational learning is still seen as second best. And pupils leave school insufficiently prepared for the world of work.

_ The world of work - the UK lags behind other countries in terms of output and skills. A large number of adults lack vital skills in literacy and numeracy. And too often the training system does not give employers the sort of courses and qualifications that suit their business.

Underlying these challenges are more general problems. Children's services and education have been too compartmentalised. Services have not been joined up. Funding has been too_fragmented. Children and learners have not_had their needs addressed in a way that fits_their specific needs. And as various governments have, over the years, tried to make improvements, too many of the changes have been organised in a top down way. The result has been to squeeze innovation and the entrepreneurial flair of good head teachers, nursery managers and college principals out of_the system.

So we have to sustain progress, with new and more radical reforms

Our aim is to secure world-class standards for the great majority of our citizens, particularly in_our schools. We do not accept the fatalist outdated argument that more means worse or_that year on year improvements mean standards are falling.

Five key principles of reform will underpin our drive for a step change in children's services, education and training:

_ Greater personalisation and choice, with the wishes and needs of children, parents and learners centre-stage.

_ Opening up services to new and different providers and ways of delivering services.

_ Freedom and independence for frontline headteachers, governors and managers with clear simple accountabilities and more secure streamlined funding arrangements.

_ A major commitment to staff development with high quality support and training to improve assessment, care and teaching.

_ Partnerships with parents, employers, volunteers and voluntary organisations to maximise the life chances of children, young people and adults.

For the early years, our offer to children and parents is:

_ All parents able to get local one-stop support through Children's Centres that will provide childcare, education, health, employment and parenting support

_ From birth to two, more opportunities and support for parents to stay at home with their children if they want to

_ A flexible system of `educare', that joins up education and childcare and provides 12½ hours free support per week for three and 4_year olds before they go to school, with more choice for parents about when they use it

_ The development of dawn-to-dusk schools, with breakfast childcare and after-school clubs to help parents juggle their busy lives

_ Children's Trusts bringing together all those who provide services for children and families in each local area, and making sure children at risk get proper care, education and protection

Once children reach primary school, our offer to children and parents is:

_ Every child making the best possible progress in reading, writing and maths, with high-quality teachers and support staff in the classroom giving children more tailored learning

_ A wider school curriculum and the choice for every child to learn a foreign language, play music and take part in competitive sport

_ A closer relationship between parents and schools, with better information through a new `school profile' and more family learning

_ More primary schools working together in_networks, supporting each other and challenging failure; and the best heads helping to improve the rest; and poor schools turned around quickly or closed

In secondary education, our central purpose for every pupil over the next five years is to raise the quality of education, teaching and learning, and to widen the range of real choices which are available. We will build on the achievements of the last seven years, to increase freedoms and independence; to accelerate the pace of reform in teaching and learning; and to extend choice and flexibility in the curriculum. Underpinning each of these is sustained and rising investment in schools.

At the heart of our reforms is the development of independent specialist schools in place of the traditional comprehensive - a decisive system-wide advance. We are not creating a new category of schools - rather, giving more independence to all schools within a specialist system.

But we will never return to a system based on_selection of the few and rejection of the many; we will not abandon intervention in failing schools; and we will not cast aside our_ambitious targets for schools to keep on_improving. Independence will be within a_framework of fair admissions, full accountability and strong partnerships that drive improvement.

We will put in place eight key reforms:

1. Guaranteed three-year budgets for every school from 2006, geared to pupil numbers, with every school also guaranteed a minimum per pupil increase each year. A_dedicated Schools Budget, guaranteed by national Government and delivered through Local Authorities, will give headteachers and governors unprecedented financial security and confidence, and the ability to plan for the future.

2. Universal specialist schools - and better specialist schools. Every school will be able to become a specialist school with a mission to_build a centre of curriculum excellence. Specialist schools will be able to take on a second specialism to develop their mission further. High-performing specialist schools will have the chance to become training schools or leaders of partnerships; those without sixth forms will have new opportunities to develop sixth form provision.

3. Freedom for all secondary schools to own their land and buildings, manage their assets, employ their staff, improve their governing bodies, and forge partnerships with outside sponsors and educational foundations. At present one in three schools enjoys some or most of these powers, including aided schools and `foundation' schools. In future all schools - except those which are failing - will have a right to take on all these powers by a simple vote of their governing body, following a brief period of consultation. A strict national requirement for fair admissions will remain; and we will not allow any extension of selection by ability, which denies parents the right to choose.

4. More places in popular schools. There is_no `surplus places rule'. All successful and popular schools may propose to expand. We have introduced dedicated capital funding to encourage this, and rules to allow it in all but exceptional circumstances. We will introduce a_fast-track to expansion so there are more places in popular schools. We will mandate competitions for new schools which will enable parents' groups and others to promote schools, including smaller schools. This will enable successful schools to establish and manage entirely new schools and federations.

5. A `new relationship with schools' to cut the red tape involved in accountability, without cutting schools adrift. Inspection, accountability and intervention to tackle failure are essential for independence to thrive properly. But they need to be of high quality and involve minimal bureaucracy. We will halve the existing inspection burden on schools, without scrapping the expectation that_schools must constantly improve. We will replace the existing system of local authority `link advisers' with a single annual review carried out by a `school improvement partner', usually a serving headteacher from a_successful school. In cases of failure, intervention will follow as necessary. High-performing schools will only undergo the formal review once every three years.

6. 200 academies by 2010 - and more new_schools. We will provide for 200 independently managed academies to be open_or in the pipeline by 2010 in areas with inadequate existing secondary schools. Some will replace under-performing schools; others will be entirely new, particularly in London where there is a demand for new school places. We expect there to be around 60 new_acadamies in London by 2010.

7. Every secondary school to be refurbished or rebuilt to a modern standard over the next 10 to 15 years. The `Building Schools for_the Future' programme, made possible by a_sevenfold increase in the schools capital budget since 1997, will give every school the buildings, facilities and information technology it needs to succeed. It will also drive reform in each locality, including the expansion of popular schools, the closure of failing schools, and the establishment of new schools and sixth forms.

8. `Foundation partnerships' to enable schools to group together to raise standards and to work together to take on wider responsibilities - in areas such as provision for special educational needs or hard-to-place pupils.

This new system of independent specialist schools will be underpinned by a new role for Local Authorities, as champions of parents and pupils, acting as strategic leaders of education in their area.

This reshaped system will drive up quality and choice. But as well as being able to go to a strong independent specialist school, we must make sure that within their school, every pupil has the personalised teaching they need to succeed. Our offer to every secondary pupil is:

_ Excellent teaching based on real knowledge of individual pupils, helping all achieve their potential

_ A broad and rich curriculum with more choice and a wider set of out-of-hours opportunities - including much higher levels of sporting activity, as well as clubs, societies and residential activities

_ Innovative use of leading-edge technology, with state-of-the art facilities for every pupil and teacher

_ Good discipline, with heads having powers to deal with trouble-makers, and a commitment to traditional values of respect and authority

_ A culture of regular attendance in every school, supporting learning but also cutting down crime and anti-social behaviour

_ Schools at the heart of their communities, working closely with parents to support children

When they get to 14, our offer to pupils, parents and employers is:

_ A much wider choice of what and where to study, with high standards in every subject and new sixth forms and sixth form colleges where they are needed

_ Demanding courses for the most able pupils, whether they take academic or vocational options, and Young Apprenticeships that start at 14

_ Closer link between schools and employers, so vocational learning means something in the world of work

_ Extra support for young people leaving care

_ High-quality advice and guidance to help young people make good decisions, and a wide range of things to do and places to go for young people outside school or college

Our skills gap is narrowing but it is still much wider than many other countries. So our offer to individuals and employers is:

_ High quality courses for everyone, and every adult able to get the skills they need for good jobs

_ Free tuition for people learning basic skills, and free tuition and new Adult Learning Grants for adults going for Level 2 qualifications (the equivalent of 5 good GCSEs)

_ Employers in the driving seat, with colleges and training providers who know how to help business and respond to their needs

_ High-quality Further Education, with no funding for poor provision

And for those people who go on to university, our offer to them and to employers is:

_ Access to university for anyone with the potential to benefit

_ Grants for students that need them, an end to up-front fees, and a fair way for graduates to contribute to the cost of their course

_ High-quality courses and teaching, with more flexible opportunities to study

_ Better vocational Foundation Degrees designed with and for employers

_ World-class research that keeps us as a leading-edge nation

_ Good engagement between employers and higher education to boost innovation and skills

This programme is backed by a big increase in resources. Spending on education in England will rise to £58 billion by 2008. At the same time, we will make sure that the money is being spent well. We will improve productivity and slim down the Department for Education and Skills, reducing our central staff by over 1400 - more than 30 per cent - and becoming more strategic about the way we lead the system.

This is an ambitious strategy for education, skills and children's services. It seeks not only to address our historic weaknesses, but also to improve everything we do. It puts a clear focus on children, learners, parents and employers, not just in setting out what we want to offer, but in designing ways of doing it that promote personalisation and choice.

Item 7 Appendix 2

45. An increasing number of Local Authorities are beginning to adopt this kind of approach in working with their schools, and it is something we are keen to support. We will publish proposals later this year.

46. Taken together, we believe these reforms will ensure that the overwhelming majority of parents are able to choose a secondary school offering an excellent standard of education to their children. They build on the sustained progress made by teachers and schools in recent years. They go with the grain of all our reforms, supported by headteachers and school leaders since 1997. And they offer the prospect of England achieving world class standards for the great majority of our young people in the years ahead.

Changing the system to deliver reform

47. We outlined in Chapter 2 the central role Local Authorities will play in Children's Trusts, and the shift of focus towards leading, commissioning and co-ordinating rather than delivering services directly. This new Local Authority role will also support our drive towards increasing independence for schools.

Modernising the Local Authority role in_Education

48. The best Local Authorities have long provided inspirational educational leadership and innovation in their localities, commanding the confidence of parents and schools alike. But some Local Authorities have been too defensive or ineffective in the face of low educational standards and high parental dissatisfaction. We expect Local Authorities to champion the interests of parents and pupils in their localities, particularly where radical change is needed to ensure that every parent has a choice of a good school and no pupil is failed by a poor education. At all levels - under-fives, primary, secondary and post-16 - Local Authorities should recast themselves as the commissioner and quality assurer of educational services, not the direct supplier, a_role which enables them to promote the interests of parents and pupils far more confidently and powerfully than the old days of_the Local Authority as direct manager of the_local schools and colleges.

49. We will make faster progress where Authorities have enthusiastically set an educational vision, worked with employers, further education colleges, headteachers, parents, community leaders and others to get behind the vision, and have then supported and helped their schools to work independently to bring it about. For this, their partnership work with providers of children's services, local Learning and Skills Councils, employers and others with a contribution to make will be critical.

50. As part of their work to provide educational leadership and vision for the schools in their area, they will retain responsibility for important overarching roles, where local co-ordination is essential, including the development of capital strategies for their areas (including Building Schools for the Future), making sure every child has the best possible school place, school transport, and provision for Special Educational Needs.

51. This new role enhances the power of Local_Authorities to develop education as part of their wider vision by making them more powerful and more supportive of the interests of parents and pupils. We believe that this role_for Local Authorities presents real opportunities and will take this forward within the framework of the Government's overall strategy for local government. The introduction of a dedicated Schools Budget will have the same effect, ending the annual wrangle over the quantum of resources for schools between central and local government. With the funding for schools assured, Local Authorities can concentrate fully on their strategic and quality-assuring functions in education. It will also still be open to them to spend more on education locally than the national allocation, where they wish to do so in_support of local schools and parents.

52. Rather than necessarily being the providers of school improvement themselves, we see Local Authorities helping to build up strong independent schools and networks of schools which can drive their own improvement. Through the school improvement partners, they will have an important role in holding schools to account, and retain the lead responsibility to intervene where schools are seriously underperforming.

CASE STUDY:

Knowsley

In Knowsley, collaboration and partnership underpin the authority's approach to reform. By changing the authority's role, they are fostering a genuine partnership of lead professionals, with collective decision making and joint leadership. The authority believes that the way forward for school improvement is for the best schools to lead the system and for the best teachers and heads to provide support and challenge for others.

The authority has one secondary collaborative and three primary collaboratives, involving all schools in the Borough. They have almost halved the numbers in the School Improvement Team and have devolved core funding for school improvement to the collaboratives. Management Support Consultants (mainly ex-headteachers) support schools in the secondary sector and report directly to the collaborative. The authority has also funded, through the collaboratives, lead development headteachers. Colleagues provide professional development opportunities for each other across schools through peer review, secondments, coaching and mentoring. The aims are to_develop common behaviours and a "spiralling up" culture of high expectations and to build capacity within the system to manage and disseminate change.

53. We will continue to use Compacts to underpin partnership between central and local government. But where Local Authorities are struggling to perform effectively, with Ofsted judging their performance to be unsatisfactory, the Government will consider intervention. The_form of intervention will depend upon the extent of the failure and the capacity of the Local Authority to respond to it effectively. Where evidence indicates that the authority is_unlikely to be able to turn around its own performance, or where its attempts to respond have failed to deliver the necessary improvements, we will invite others to compete to take on either their whole role, or parts of it. This might be another Local Authority, a Foundation Partnership of schools (described above), or a private company.

Timetable for Change

Taken together, our reforms mean that:
Now, in 2004:

_ There are 1,950 specialist schools in the system - almost two thirds of all secondary schools

_ 17 Academies will be open by September, transforming the chances of children in our most deprived communities

_ We are trialling the New Relationship with Schools in six Local Authorities

By 2008:

_ All secondary schools that want to be specialist schools will have met the standard, with 95% of secondary schools specialists or Academies

_ 600 schools will have had or be having new or dramatically refurbished buildings through the Building Schools for the Future programme

_ 85 Academies will be operating, with a_further 75 in the pipeline

_ School funding will be secured through a_dedicated Schools Budget

_ There will be a reshaped and refocused role for Local Authorities

_____A New Relationship with schools will be firmly in place

Annexe Item 7

Department of Education and Skills:

Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners

Commentary on the Secretary of State's paper of 8 July 2004

The Secretary of State has set out the Government's education policy for the next five years.

This is not a consultation document but it will be important for the County Council to consider how these policies might affect future educational provision in Hampshire.

The full text of the document is available from:

www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy/

The Education Network has also produced a commentary in the form of a policy briefing on www.ten.info

The strategy

The document extends to more than 100 pages and it is not the intention of this paper to go through all the details.

In the "Foreword", the Secretary of State sets out 11 points to describe his vision for the education service in the form of the intended results of the strategy.

· every child gets the best possible start in life - with integrated services focused on the needs of parents and children, not chopped up according to provider;

· every primary school offers high standards in the basics, but in the context of a broad, rich and enjoyable curriculum;

· every secondary school offers excellent teaching, an exciting curriculum, and a positive and attractive environment;

· all schools are extended schools; community schools; healthy schools; inclusive schools; and enterprising schools (with real links to business).

· at 14 - 19, every young person has a pathway to suit them that fits them for work, further learning, and for life as an adult; and a wide range of activities outside school or college to enjoy and take part in;

· every child and young person who is in difficult circumstances gets the extra support they need without stigma;

· adult learners can all get and build the skills they need for success in employment - because employers are in the lead in designing and delivering training, working with highly responsive colleges;

· our national benefits from a thriving university system that gives excellent teaching to all with the potential to benefit; which provides the nation with world-class research capability; and which works with business to provide the skills the nation most needs and to translate research into innovation effectively.

And where:

· the parts of the system are (and are seen as being) interlinked and interdependent - not just because each builds on the last (with primary schools dependent on effective early years education, secondary schools dependent on primary schools and so on) but in much more creative and dynamic ways - with business involved in designing employability skills education right from 11; with universities designing schemes for students in schools that both help with their outreach and give new experiences to children; with schools and colleges working together to offer routes from 14; with adult learning and childcare delivered together; with children's services and education seen as part of one whole;

· the learner is a partner in learning, not a passive recipient - and this means that (especially as they grow older, leaving compulsory education) they have a stake in and a responsibility for their own learning;

· adult learners, employers and the wider community contribute to the education system and to children's services so that they can get more out of them, and can shape them to meet their needs and the needs of the nation.

These points differ little from the policy aims of the County Council. This reflects the Compact which identifies common aims and was signed by the County Council and DfES in December 2003. At this level, therefore, there is much common ground.

The Executive Summary (attached), Appendix 1, explains policy changes which the Government intends to make. For most of the education service, existing policies are continued. The main focus of attention is on secondary education, which is the focus of "eight key reforms".

The strategy proposes "a reshaped role for local government" as well as the DfES. The role of local authorities is discussed mainly in chapter 4, which also addresses secondary education in most detail. Paragraphs 47 - 53 of chapter 4 "Independent Specialist Schools" specifically address local authorities and are attached as Appendix 2. Although written in the context of secondary education, there would be implications for other aspects of the service.

Modernising the local authority role within education

(Chapter 4, paragraphs 47 - 53. Also Chapter 9, paragraphs 15 - 17)

The role of the local authority in education is described in a number of ways in these and other sections:

- To champion the interests of parents and pupils in their localities;

- At all levels - under fives, primary, secondary and post-16 - local authorities should re-cast themselves as the commissioner and quality assurer of educational services, not the direct supplier;

- set an educational vision, working with others, and then support and help schools to work independently to bring it about;

- provide educational and leadership vision for the schools in their area;

- develop capital strategies for their areas (including Building Schools for the Future);

- make sure every child has the best possible school place;

- school transport;

- provision for special educational needs;

- be more powerful and more supportive of, the interests of parents and pupils;

- concentrate fully on strategic and quality assuring functions;

- help to build up strong independent schools and networks for schools which can drive their own improvement;

- hold schools to account;

- take the lead responsibility to intervene where schools are seriously under-performing.

The County Council already fulfils these roles and recognition of the importance of the local authority is welcome. In order for its effectiveness in these roles to be strengthened, clear and overt support from central government will be essential. It will also be important to ensure that other policies do not prevent the County Council from exercising its responsibilities. The details in chapter 4, therefore, need further consideration.

There are several references to local authorities not being direct suppliers. This statement is made specifically in connection with no longer being the direct manager of local schools and colleges (chapter 4, paragraph 48). Even before the introduction of local management of schools, the County Council expected schools to manage their own affairs and did not make detailed prescriptions for organisation and management. All schools maintained by the County Council already operate on the basis of autonomy as concerning their own internal management and organisation, each governing body having wide responsibilities. All schools:

- make their own budget plans and decide how and where to purchase goods and services;

- are responsible for the appointment, dismissal, discipline and training of staff;

- set policies for curriculum and behaviour, subject to national guidelines and regulations.

The County Council does not, therefore, act as the direct manager of the local schools and colleges, such management being the responsibility of headteachers, principals and governors. For all other services, the County Council takes a Best Value approach, in deciding how to provide services most effectively. The system of business units gives schools choices as to where they buy services such as personnel, property, curricular and financial advice, and in the great majority of cases they purchase County Council services because of their quality and stability.

The overall "reforms" are based on the concept of "independent specialist schools". The County Council has a clear policy on specialist schools. This is based on encouraging all schools to take up specialisms and to offer leadership in the development of the curriculum in their own area of specialism and, importantly, to share this with other schools. In this way, a network of specialist schools is being established. It is unrealistic to envisage pupils attending schools some distance away to access specialisms but there are considerable benefits in moving ideas around the county. The County Council is committed to the provision of comprehensive secondary education in all localities. The County Council's policy specifically excludes support for proposals which would include selection by ability or aptitude. The skills and talents of every child should be developed whatever the specialism of the school, not least because for many children there will only be one, or a very few, secondary schools within reasonable travelling distance. It seems that the Strategy document itself recognises potential dangers of selection in paragraph 9 of chapter 4:

"Our conception of independence is of freedom to achieve for all, not a free-for-all in which more state schools are allowed to ban less able children from applying and turn themselves into elite institutions for the few".

The eight "reforms" need further comment in the context of the leading role envisaged for local authorities.

(i) Guaranteed three year budgets for all schools

(Chapter 4. Paragraphs 11 - 13)

It is proposed to provide guaranteed three year budgets for every school, geared to pupil numbers, with every school also guaranteed a minimum per pupil increase every year.

Financial stability would be welcomed by the County Council, provided that it does not produce new anomalies. The consultation proposed with partners (which must include the County Council and its representatives) will need to cover considerable detail. The guaranteed per pupil funding increase for 2004-05 and 2005-06 was introduced as a short-term response to immediate concerns. It does not, however, provide for the "right balance between stability and the effective targeting of resources" (paragraph 12) nor does it enable local authorities to fulfil their "important and necessary role in reflecting local needs and circumstances" (paragraph 13). There is much to be done to develop the system and to ensure that "there are no adverse effects for the rest of local government". The County Council, through its leading role in national bodies, is contributing actively to advise on funding methods.

(ii) Universal specialist schools - and better specialist schools

(Paragraphs 14 - 20)

The County Council has supported the growth of specialist schools in ways best suited to local needs, as discussed above. Schools have used the programme to develop ideas across the curriculum.

Part of the policy is to encourage successful specialist schools without sixth forms to establish them.

This would need to be interpreted differently in Hampshire from some other parts of the county. Over the past thirty years, the County Council established a very strong range of provision in sixth form, further education and tertiary colleges. Currently about 1,600 students are in school sixth forms compared with more than 20,000 in colleges. Hampshire colleges are amongst the very best in the country, particularly taking into account the wide range of ability for which they make provision. There is no need for a school to believe that it needs to have a sixth form in order to be seen as successful and it would be unfortunate if economy of scale, width of opportunity and concentration of expertise were lost through college provision being affected. (This is developed further in discussion about chapter 6 below).

There would be encouragement for high performing specialist schools to become training schools for new and existing teachers and leading schools working with others.

Whilst this does not present a problem, it is not clear why this should be linked in particular with specialist schools as any school of high quality could perform this role. If all schools become specialist schools, the distinction would disappear anyway. The County Council has encouraged and promoted the development of training schools.

(iii) Freedom for all secondary schools to own their land and buildings, manage their assets, employ their staff, improve their governing bodies, and establish or join charitable foundations to engage with outside partners

(Paragraphs 21 - 24)

This is controversial and at variance with the role of the local authority.

The County Council has strong and positive working relationships with foundation schools, supporting developments in buildings, the curriculum and in applications for specialist status, for example. The distinctions between community and foundation schools are now very small, but there are issues over ownership and admissions arrangements where the County Council would want to promote a more positive role for the whole community.

It is not clear why there are proposals to extend arrangements for individual schools to own their land and buildings. These are assets which belong to the community and, in a democratic society, the elected council would seem to be the obvious body to be accountable for the assets. The fact that foundation schools were given the assets by the Government and that aided schools own the assets for historical reasons, does not mean that it is necessarily in the interests of the community to extend this to other schools. The mechanism for changing ownership would require only a simple vote of the governing body. It appears, from paragraph 22 that there is an intention to remove existing processes of decision-making. The proposal is "to sweep these obstacles away entirely". It appears from this that the views of the democratically elected Council would be regarded as an obstacle and it is extraordinary if this means that it is proposed to sweep away rights of debate and objection. In Hampshire, significant improvements have been achieved through schools and the County Council working together in order to make the best use of assets. When the grant maintained school policy was introduced, the County Council was unhappy that schools which happened to have large and valuable sites would be able to remove them from the ownership of the community, without taking into account the needs of schools in less favoured circumstances. Employing staff, improving governing bodies and raising standards can be done without the school taking ownership away from the community. If the local authority is to commission provision it makes more sense to move in the opposite direction i.e. to strengthen the powers of the local authority to make use of the community's assets for the benefit of the whole community. The local authority is accountable to local people and to national government and so if action needs to be taken to address problems of underperformance or poor decision-making, there is plenty of scope for doing that.

The facility for foundation schools to administer their own admissions arrangements is, again, at variance with the Government's own policy on fair and well co-ordinated admissions arrangements. It does not fit the commissioning concept. Schools belong to the community and those who manage them are "holding in trust" the schools for future generations. Governing bodies are commissioned by the local authority to provide education, funded by significant amounts of public money. If the school has been commissioned to meet the needs of the local children, it does not make sense for the school itself then to decide which children to educate. Admissions should be based on objective criteria and the school should be responsible for the children admitted. Recent moves have, reasonably, been in the direction of local authorities co-ordinating admissions and it is impossible to understand why creating more admissions authorities would help.

It is proposed to change the constitution of governing bodies by encouraging more sponsor governors and for charitable foundations to appoint the majority of the governing body of a school.

It is not clear why this is preferred over the current balanced approach where no group is in the majority and the governing body acts collectively within a framework of accountability to the local, democratically elected council. It is not clear what measures there would be to safeguard sponsors from imposing developments to which the local community might wish to object. A balance of interests on the government body, with overall accountability to the local authority provides more safeguards.

(iv) More places in popular schools

(Paragraphs 25 - 27)

The Government is making capital funding available to support the expansion of popular schools. They are also encouraging promoters to open new schools e.g. the United Church Schools Trust.

As secondary school pupil numbers are declining, the consequence of some schools expanding is that other schools will shrink. In order to maintain standards, this means that extra funding will be needed to support smaller schools or that they should close. As fast track process for expansion is described but there is no mention of something similar for closures. Encouragement for new promoters to open schools raises questions about democratic accountability.

(v) A new relationship with schools to cut the red tape involved in accountability, without cutting schools adrift

(Paragraphs 28 - 33)

The proposal is for review of school performance to take place through the work of a "school improvement partner".

The County Council is closely involved in developing the scheme. Importantly, the school improvement partner would be appointed and managed by the local authority. This will be very important in ensuring accountability to the community through the local authority. (The document, in paragraph 29, states that the relationship between a school and its local authority link adviser, "too often lacks sharpness and professional credibility". This statement is not justified and certainly does not apply to Hampshire, which maintains high professional standards).

Proposals to streamline and improve the Ofsted inspection process are also being piloted in Hampshire and developments appear to be going well. Targets would still be required but, like primary schools, would be more school based. Overall, the New Relationship with Schools is a positive development. For schools to work in an independent but accountable way, the role of the local authority will be essential.

(vi) 200 Academies by 2010 - and more new schools

(Paragraphs 34 - 38)

Again, proposals are all about creating new schools but there is no mention of how to deal with surplus places and schools.

The concept behind the academy is that they would be promoted and managed by independent sponsors, including philanthropic individuals, educational trusts, faith sponsors and companies on a non-profit basis. Most of the development is focused in London and some other urban areas. The proposals do not, however, appear to be limited to such areas. The programme is described as being intended for areas of low educational standards and disadvantage where there are insufficient good school places. Academies are accountable to central government not the local authority and lie outside the remit of the Audit Commission. The Government states that academies have been promoted in co-operation with local education authorities but adds "the Government will not stand by and allow local authorities to sustain failure by refusing to engage with academies where they can meet parental demand for good school places" and will take additional powers if necessary.

This appears to be a further move by the Government to encourage private sector and other sponsors to take over the running of secondary schools. It is not clear why academies are expected to function outside the local authority system. The funding for such schools comes almost entirely from taxation, with the amount being provided by sponsors being relatively small e.g. up to £2m towards initial capital costs from sponsors, as compared with costs of £10m - £20m for building a school and annual running costs of £2m - £4m.

In addition to academies (paragraph 38) there is an intention to make it easier for new promoters to open schools in response to local demand and an expectation that local authorities will close failing schools without delay.

It is not clear why local authorities appear to be expected to deal with failure and other sponsors expected to develop new schools.

The main focus appears to be on areas of poor performance where local authorities are not taking action. The introduction of blanket requirements across the country for the development of schools sponsored by other bodies could disrupt otherwise successful systems. Sponsors may not be content to confine their activity to areas of low standards.

An alternative approach would be to give local authorities greater flexibility and choice over school provision, with the Government providing a menu of options. Accountability of the local authority to the local community and to the national Government would remain to provide overall safeguards. In connection with failing schools, the Government would need to be supportive of local authorities in making difficult decisions and would need to ensure that the funding systems were sufficiently flexible to make it possible to cope with any consequent disruption.

(vii) Every secondary school to be refurbished or rebuilt to a modern standard

(Paragraphs 39 - 43)

This covers the "Building Schools for the Future" scheme which has already been widely publicised.

For Hampshire, resources are not likely to be available until the later parts of the scheme, which runs until 2015. Local authorities are encouraged to be bold in championing the interests of pupils and parents, even if this means radical change (paragraph 43). Until resources are available, it will still be necessary to maintain and develop the secondary school estate and so the Government will need to support the County Council in the meantime.

A commitment to devolving capital to individual schools remains. Local experience is that it is possible to work on this basis but it does limit the scope for dealing with large scale capital work, using the County Council's economy of scale.

(viii) Foundation Partnerships

(Paragraphs 44 - 46)

These proposals encourage high performing specialist schools to work together as "foundation partnerships".

There is, however, no reason to assume that schools have to be foundation schools to do this.

Other proposals in the strategy

Apart from the eight proposals in chapter 4, there are other parts of the strategy which bear on the role of the local authority.

Reference is made to "Every Child Matters" in, for example, chapter 2 on early years. The central role of the local authority is confirmed. It would, however, help if there were specific reference to requirements for all schools to co-operate with the local authority in the provision of children's services.

Proposals for primary schools, covered in chapter 3, are based on existing policies. The role of the local authority remains central to those policies. Networks of primary schools are encouraged and the strategy could give more encouragement to local authorities to lead such networks. Networks of schools are presented as one way of helping schools to be viable even if they become much smaller, such as through sharing bursars; there is, however, no recognition of the significant costs involved in maintaining small schools.

Chapter 5 is about "Personalisation and Choice in Secondary Years".

Paragraph 1 contains a statement which is in line with the Hampshire County Council approach: "Every student should, within their school, have excellent teaching that suits them...helping them reach their full potential". This is how personalisation of learning operates in Hampshire i.e. through comprehensive secondary schools meeting the full range of aptitudes and abilities, the schools working together to share expertise. Specific proposals are generally consistent with many of the County Councils' policies:

(i) Moving from primary to secondary school.

The local authority will co-ordinate admission arrangements. Information about pupils transferring from primary to secondary school would be improved. This is a positive move, but it does have resource implications for local authorities which need staff and IT systems. Increasing the number of admissions authorities (foundation schools) will make this all more complex and costly.

(Proposals in this section for house systems would be regarded by the County Council as a matter for each individual school to decide and its inclusion in a national strategy appears out of place.)

(ii) A new secondary strategy for teaching learning

Development of the Key Stage 3 strategy into secondary strategy covering the whole 11 - 16 stage would be welcomed and would fit closely with the County Council's own approach within its 11 - 19 policies. Support for gifted and talented students, low achieving minority ethnic groups and pupils with special educational needs would be welcomed. Support for looked after children would fit with the County Council's own priority given to the children for whom it has responsibility.

(iii) ICT supporting personalised learning

The County Council has very high quality provision for supporting ICT. It needs the assurance of continued financial support in order to be able to continue that.

(iv) Effective subject teaching

Hampshire's size means that the County Council offers a full range of subject expertise. This could be developed still further, without the need for expansion of national teams.

(v) A richer secondary curriculum

The County Council is keen to develop a range of opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Local work on youth work and support is very effective and could be developed further with the assurance of good resources, which the Government would need to consider in its overall funding of the County Council.

(vi) Improving behaviour and attendance

The County Council is already working on these priority areas. (Stating, in this section, an expectation that every school will have a school uniform is, again, out of kilter with school autonomy in management and this is something best left to the school). It is right to defend teachers from false allegations but it will be equally important to ensure that a balance is struck so that abuse is treated seriously and properly. Collaborative approaches to addressing the issue of disruptive pupils (paragraph 27) would be welcomed and are already part of Hampshire's approach. For all these arrangements, central funding is important and so Government should be flexible in its funding rules which could inhibit work by being too simplistic about delegation and central management. Extended schools are encouraged; these would need to be developed according to the nature of the community i.e. an entirely urban model will not fit the needs of all of Hampshire's communities.

This chapter includes emphasis on the training and development of staff. The Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College development is important in this respect and, again, needs to be recognised and supported by Government. Leadership is, rightly, recognised as important and Hampshire's track record is very good in this respect. Again, support for local work is vital.

Chapter 6: 14 - 19 Education and Training

Most of this chapter supports the co-operative work being developed between the County Council and the Learning & Skills Council to promote collaboration amongst providers to ensure the best possible range of opportunities for local young people. There is, however, one area in which Government policy would be at variance with local circumstances. The main local provision for 16 - 19 year olds is in colleges, which are amongst the best in the country and achieve very high standards. The Government's proposals for successful specialist schools to become foundation schools includes encouragement to establish school sixth forms. Again, the proposals appear to be intended to address areas where there are problems with the extent and quality of provision for this age-group. The proposals are, however, intended to cover the whole country and so it is another example of a policy which is intended to address issues which are quite different locally. Currently, 16 - 19 numbers are rising but they will begin to fall in about five years time. If large numbers of school sixth forms were created, there is a danger that many of them would be very small and that colleges would decline in numbers, reducing the scope of what they offer and losing quality and cost-effectiveness. A more appropriate approach would be to continue to encourage schools and colleges to work together to make good provision across the 14 - 19 age range without creating gaps or duplications.

Chapter 7: Adult Skills

The County Council is working with the Learning and Skills Council in this area. An important issue locally is that the level of funding which is made available for adult learning in Hampshire is low relative to other parts of the country. A better funding system would enable the existing, good quality provision, to be extended.

Chapter 8: Higher Education

The County Council does not have responsibility for higher education but is interested in good provision being made for the community. There is scope for further education colleges to be supported more strongly, particularly to enable people to gain access to higher education more locally.

Chapter 9: Managing the transformation

Much of the strategy encourages inter-dependence and cooperative working, in line with County Council policies. The main areas of concern relate to proposals for secondary schools, which could run counter to the overall strategy and could disrupt and divert the efforts of the County Council to support secondary education. The Strategy states that the local authority should exercise leadership based on a strong educational provision. It should also be the focus for accountability for and to the community. For such responsibility and accountability to be effective, the local authority needs, as the name suggests, to have authority. This is not to suggest that it should be anything other than co-operative, supportive and collaborative in working with a range of partners. Being the body which funds (or in other words commissions) schools it should also be able to hold schools and others to account for the provision they make for the community's children. The County Council is fully supportive of autonomy over day-to-day management, teaching methods, the organisation of the curriculum, staff deployment and other managerial matters. It is, however, difficult to understand how ownership of land and buildings, admission arrangements and, in the case of academies, lack of local accountability, is consistent with such an approach to meeting community needs. Decisions on how to organise provision should be made locally and should be linked with strong local accountability.

As policy statements are translated into legislation and (more likely) regulations, they should take into account the need for local flexibility and leadership.

Again, it is worth emphasising that much of the Strategy supports, and would be supported by, County Council policies and practice. It is, therefore, particularly important to address the specific areas which would present problems locally.

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