Agenda item

Report of the Head of Legal and Governance

John Edwards, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for the East Midlands and the Humber, introduced a report on his role in contributing towards achieving the City’s ambitions for having all schools rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the RSC works in schools and academies across 17 Local Authorities in the East Midlands;

(b)  RSCs are senior Civil Service positions which were introduced to ensure appropriate oversight of academies in the UK; 

(c)  they work with academies and free schools that are underperforming and aim to pair them with a successful Multi-Academy Trust (MAT);

(d)  they take decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education regarding underperforming schools and academies, but only when a school or academy has received an inadequate Ofsted report;

(e)  each commissioner is supported by a Headteacher Board made up of headteachers and sector leader (4 elected and 3 appointed) who advise them on decisions taken on behalf of the Secretary of State;

(f)  RSCs work with various education partners, such as Local Authorities, Dioceses and Ofsted;

(g)  there are around 1300 academies in the East Midlands and the Humber. Approximately 950 of them voluntarily converted to academies or started as academies, and approximately 350 were brought into the structures. 48% of schools in the East Midlands are academies now. A third of these academies are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in the East Midlands;

(h)  92.5% of converted academies are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. 58% of the sponsored academies are ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. There are 4 single academy trusts in the city (2 primaries, 1 secondary and 1 alternative provision);

(i)  some trusts have a wide spread across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire;

(j)  the RSC for the East Midlands is currently supporting academies and schools with the open consultation on Ofsted education inspection framework, with particular focus being on the curriculum and educational experience;

(k)  RSCs work closely with the Education Funds Agency, who work with trusts to secure their finances and make sure their governance is secure. They also support the development of favourable learning and teaching environments;

(l)  RSCs also support the Early Career Framework which promotes teacher training and long-term careers in education;

(m)they also encourage and support best practice in MATs.

The Committee’s questions were responded to as follows:

(n)  permanent exclusions have been a significant concern for schools in Nottingham, but they declined slightly in 2016/17 (the data for 2017/18 is not available yet). There are concerns on the impact of permanent exclusions on wider education services;

(o)  there is support for headteachers from the government to exclude pupils if warranted, although headteachers have various legal requirements to meet before they can proceed with an exclusion;

(p)  former Children’s Minister and MP Edward Timpson has been hired by the government to review how schools use exclusions, what kind of children get excluded and find best practice for reducing exclusions;

(q)  spikes in exclusions come from new exclusion policies. Data gathered on exclusions has shown that as schools reach into difficult times; exclusions go up. When improvements begin; exclusions peak, then decline;

(r)  the characteristics identified in addressing underperformance in schools and academies are as follows;

·  outstanding leadership;

·  clear expectations and freedom for principals to make key decisions;

·  staff retention;

·  a clear vision for the school/academy/MAT;

·  affordable curriculum;

·  behaviour expectations;

·  leadership dedication and drive;

·  working with local community partners.

(s)  the main mechanism used by the Department of Education and Local Authorities for creating new schools is the Free School Presumption Route. Each local authority receives basic need funding for identifying an area in need of a new school, and then a MAT or another sponsor builds the school. NCC weren’t successful in previous applications for building new schools. They have made land available, but there isn’t the money in the Council’s budget to build new schools.

RESOLVED to thank the Regional Schools’ Commissioner for the East Midlands and the Humber for presenting his report, and to note the information.