PUTTING SCHOOLS AT THE PUTTING SCHOOLS AT THE HEART OF NEIGHBOURHOOD HEART OF NEIGHBOURHOOD REVITALISATION: REVITALISATION: A STRATEGY FOR A STRATEGY FOR STANDARDS and and GROWTH GROWTH STANDARDS or Opening a debate on the Transformation of schools
The transformation of our educational system is clearly at the heart of the new Education Bill. The challenge is great, necessary and possible. The opportunity to create a new comprehensive ideal that reflects the diversity of our society is one that can capture the imagination of the profession and society. This challenge also has great moral depth to it because it addresses directly the learning needs of our students, the professional growth of our teachers and enhances the role of the school as an agent of social change.
The emphasis on transformation is key - reform strategies can no longer take only an incremental approach to change. The raising of standards of learning and attainment for all of our students now needs to be seen within a whole school or systems context and to impact on structures, classroom practice, the work culture of the school and relationships with the community.
• Schools exist in increasingly complex and turbulent environments. • Schools need to ‘turn towards the danger’ • Schools adapt external change for internal purpose. • Schools should use external standards to clarify, integrate and raise their own expectations. • Schools engage in policy implementation through a process of selecting and integrating innovations through their focus on teaching and learning.
Going for growth vs managing decline • Engaging with transformation opportunity vs doing what we have • always done Believing in young people as they might become vs dismissing • them as they are BUT… Education is the key to the future of the city. • The key: to inclusion • to confidence • to image • to employability • to a better future •
To raise standards through: • Improved leadership and management and teaching and learning But also through: • Increasing the diversity of school provision, and • Promoting good social inclusion
What have we achieved in 2 years? What have we achieved in 2 years? School performance indicators all trending upwards • High energy Headteacher and teacher commitment and • loyalty to the City and standards agenda Significant individual school achievement • The first Partnership Board in the country and unique SDSA • Swiftly modernised education structures • Excellence in Cities status • 6 Beacon schools and 5 Specialist school (and plans for 11) • 2 City Learning Centres • A ICT Leicester Learning Grid • 3 EAZs • Strong Council leadership • …and more •
Which has: • Been broadly successful in aligning the supply of school places with demand • But could never accurately predict the exact pattern of demand for places across the City
• Set out an exciting motivating vision for a continued standards agenda • Put schools and learning at the heart of the Revitalising Neighbourhoods agenda • Maximise the opportunity for external investment into our schools • Provide a mission for schools and education beyond targets
because…notwithstanding our many achievements: • Standards are below our statistical neighbours • Inequalities between schools are still too varied • Ranges in achievement are still unacceptable • All schools must be schools parents want… and especially at secondary transfer (rightly or wrongly) they are not
We can continue to engage with Transformation Agenda • Seek opportunities to support transformation • Extend our commitment to interdependence and • transformation and Work with Neighbourhood Revitalisation strategies • Build on our hard won achievements and successes •
Almost certainly: • More specialist schools • More beacon schools • More training schools • More networked learning communities of schools • More out of school learning • More virtual learning
…there exists the possibility of new types of school in the city • Faith school(s)…CofE and Muslim • A City Academy …and • a Key Stage 3 school
Immediately possible is: • A 3-19 City Academy in the south • A Federated 3-14 school in the west And with a potential capital investment of: • Up to £20 million for a school in the south • Up to £7 million for a school in the west
Because… Two of our most disadvantaged communities with no secondary • school A chance to invest in people where investment is greatly needed • An opportunity to build on achievement and success– Rolleston • A possibility of resisting and reversing migration out of the city • A strategic opportunity for the city…remember - £50 m since 1997 • And because: In the south, Newry Junior School and Southfields Infants want to • amalgamate And in the west, Queensmead Infants and Juniors want to • amalgamate
For Eyres Monsell and Saffron we would win: • A brand new resource rich school in the heart of a disadvantaged area • A potentially high achieving school for disadvantaged children • The first 3-19yrs all age school in the country • Integrated family support and community based learning • A good school in the City and not just across the border
For Braunstone we would win: The first federated 3-14 school in the country • Schools with leisure facilities possibly second to none • A strategic response to community ambition and pupil need • An opportunity for New college community engagement • A strategic response to learning failure and urban migration • An innovative school where it is needed and not just across the • border
We are seeking your engagement with a transformation and diversity debate • By debating the extension of the current diversification and transformation strategy • By debating the idea of two new schools …And in so doing ‘turning to face the danger’
• Loss of funding – SSA and capital receipt • Pupil loss in other schools • Small schools cost more • Possible loss of jobs in losing schools • The possible loss of democratic control • Possible demotivating effect of even more change
New schools where schools were closed • A transformation of the ‘comprehensive’ school • The ‘privatisation’ of schools • The preference for a single sex faith school • Standards are higher in neighbouring county schools • Out of city parental choice may not be reversed • Another secondary review • Perception that existing schools are under performing • …And demographic data will never allow for exact science
A 10-20yr vision for the city. A real investment • in community revitalisation And two new schools that will provide: • State of the art education in the heart of disadvantaged communities • Innovative age ranges and management structures • A creative new strategy for long term and sustained raising of • standards A bold strategy for inward investment in the city and for the most • needy A high achieving education provision capable of meeting • disadvantaged learning need A richly resourced community and family resource • An attractive choice for parents and an alternative to leaving the City •
The emphasis on transformation is key - reform strategies can no longer take only an incremental approach to change. The raising of standards of learning and attainment for all of our students now needs to be seen within a whole school or systems context and to impact on structures, classroom practice, the work culture of the school and relationships with the community.
PUTTING SCHOOLS AT THE PUTTING SCHOOLS AT THE HEART OF NEIGHBOURHOOD HEART OF NEIGHBOURHOOD REVITALISATION: REVITALISATION: A STRATEGY FOR A STRATEGY FOR STANDARDS and and GROWTH GROWTH STANDARDS or Opening a debate on the Transformation of schools
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