Towards a Policy for Small Schools: Strengthening and Supporting - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Towards a Policy for Small Schools: Strengthening and Supporting Small Schools 26 th June 2019

Community National Schools Established in 2008 • Publicly-managed, multidenominational primary schools • Currently 14 schools • 9 newly established – were ‘small schools’ for first number of years • 4 divested/reconfigured schools – 3 of which are ‘small schools’ with 4 or less • mainstream classroom teachers September 2019 • At least 9 additional schools – 4 newly established and 5 reconfigured – all ‘small’ • schools

Reconfigured Schools 1. Principal’s role in successfully leading the reconfiguration of a school Rebranding the school • Promoting the school under a new ethos • Redeveloping all school policies in line with the ethos of the school • Managing the change process with existing staff, parents, children and community • Integrating into the governance structures/systems of the new patron • Proposed Solution - 2 principal release days per week for principal in Year 1 of school reopening under new patron 2. Ensuring the meaningful reconfiguration of the school All staff members will need to engage in intensive CPD to ensure the ethos/patron’s • programme of new patron are implemented on top of all normal school activity Proposed Solution – School permitted to close for 4 days over Year 1 and 2 after reconfiguration to allow for whole-school CPD, planning opportunities etc.

Newly-Established Schools 1. Staffing Schedule: 15 pupils needed for P+1 teacher– difficulty in getting 15 with late appointment of principal • Staffing schedule – excess of 5 on appointment figure for developing schools • Proposed Solution - 1. Reconsider the patronage competition process and ensure the new patron can appoint principal before Christmas the year prior to the school opening so they can begin in January 2. Remove the need for +5 pupils on appointment figures on staffing schedule for developing schools 2. Running of building costs: Temporary accommodation – can have higher rates for energy. New builds are large schools, small numbers – large • bills with small grants based on pupil numbers Proposed Solution - • Funding for running of school building taken on a case by case basis looking at the building and not on enrolment-based

Newly-Established Schools 4. Workload of teaching principal in start- up school: Establishing a school from scratch – huge amount of promotional work – website development, • public meetings, meeting parents and children, policy development and consultation with parents etc. Teaching in a multi-grade settings – planning, resourcing, leader of teaching and learning across • school Developing and implementing innovative projects for students and to attract parents • Proposed Solution - 2 principal release days per week for principals in newly-established schools until (if) the • principal is made an administrative principal