WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2005

1

• WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2005
• HEADS AND GOVERNORS BRIEFING
• WITH THE
• DIRECTOR OF
• CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

2
TONIGHTS AGENDA

• Welcome and Introduction
• John Harris, Director of CSF
• The Children Act 2004 - What it Means for Schools
• Moira Swann, Deputy Director for Social Care and
  Prevention
• A New Relationship with Schools
• Justin Donovan, Deputy Director and
• Gill Jones, Head of Standards and School
  Effectiveness
• Budget - 2005/06
• Lesley Brockington, Deputy Director
• Upcoming Issues

3

• WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
• John Harris
• Director of CSF

4

• THE CHILDREN ACT 2004
• WHAT IT MEANS FOR SCHOOLS
• Moira Swann
• Deputy Director
• Social Care and Prevention

5
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Every Child Matters
• Every Child Matters - Next Steps
• Every Child Matters - Change for Children
• - Schools
• - Youth Justice
• National Service Framework
• Childrens Services

6
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Radical agenda for change
• Principles underpinning the changes
• - Supporting parents and carers
• - Early intervention and effective protection
• - Accountability (local/national/
  inspection)
• - Integration and co-ordination
• - Workforce reform

7
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Provides legislative framework to deliver changes
  -
• Childrens Commissioner
• Improved integrated planning, commissioning and
  delivery
• Responsibility of agencies to safeguard children
  promote their welfare (not schools - Section
  175 2002 Act)

8
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Provides legislative framework to deliver changes
  -
• Statutory Safeguarding Boards
• Database and sharing of information
• Director of Childrens Services/Lead Member
• Integrated inspection framework
• Duty to promote education of LAC (Looked After
  Children)

9
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Issues for Schools
• Collective responsibility for five outcomes
• Working together/processes
• Services around the child
• Childrens Centres
• Extended Schools

10
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Issues for Schools Contd
• Childrens Trust
• Schools role in partnerships
• Pilot project
• Improved achievement for
• Hard to place children
• LAC

11
CHILDREN ACT 2004

• Next Steps
• Collaboration Schools/LA
• Development of extended services
• 10 year strategy for children
• National workforce remodelling

12

• A NEW RELATIONSHIP FOR SCHOOLS
• Justin Donovan
• Deputy Director
• Learning and School Effectiveness
• Gill Jones
• Head of Standards and School Effectiveness

13
A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOLS
A simplified approach to school improvement

• Removal of the bidding culture.
• School improvement funding rationalised.
• Reduction in bureaucratic processes.
• Single data set for school improvement.
• Inspections based on self-evaluation.
• Reduced staffing within DfES.
• Single conversation to reduce the clutter
  surrounding school improvement.

14
THE SINGLE CONVERSATION
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THE SINGLE CONVERSATION
School Improvement Partners

• Secondary schools - Serving headsor experienced
  heads working asconsultants.
• Primary schools - trials in place.
• Supported by a brisk but nationally accredited
  training programme.
• Accountable to the LEA or to the Childrens Trust
  in the future.

16
INSPECTION PROCESS - SEPTEMBER 2005

• Little or no notice - once every three years.
• One to two days - fewer inspectors.
• HMI to lead secondary inspections and some
  primaries.
• Based on school self evaluation.
• New grading system.
• More discussions with children and young people.
• Focus on the Every Child Matters outcomes.

17
SCHOOL SELF EVALUATION FORM

• Demonstrate the schools use of parental,pupil
  and other stakeholders views.
• Describe the context of the school andcover
  compliance with statutory duties.
• Summarise the schools self evaluation, the
  process followed by the school and grades
  allocated by the school against the Common
  Inspection Framework.
• Contain sufficient information for the inspection
  team to focus the inspection.

18
INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

• New four point scale.
• New categories of schools causing concern
• - special measures remains
• - notice to improve replaces serious weaknesses,
  underachieving and inadequate sixth forms.
• Judgement about the category depends on the
  schools capacity to improve.

19
SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS

• Training for heads and senior leaders.
• Training for governors.
• Guidance on the self evaluation form.
• Guidance and documentation available on the
  Ofsted website.
• Ofsted conferences and briefings for heads.

www.ofsted.gov.uk/ofsteddirect
20

• BUDGET 2005/06
• Lesley Brockington
• Deputy Director
• Commissioning, Performance and Resources

21
SCHOOLS BUDGET 2005/6

• Passporting
• Minimum Funding Guarantee
• Standstill budget
• possible headroom of 0.4m
• dependant upon Section 28 exemptions to MFG -
  1.8m

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S28 Exemptions to the Minimum Funding Guarantee -
Applications made to S o S.

• 3 cash protection .7m
• Amalgamation funding .2m
• Closing special units .4m
• Doubled up economic deprivation .1m
• Large pupil number increases from
  reorganisations .1m
• 2004/5 MFG protections .3m

23
TEACHER PAY REFORM GRANT

• Allocation to Hertfordshire 16.999m
• no longer a specific grant
• has to be passported into the schools budget
• consultation will take place with Schools Forum
  on method of allocation to schools

24
TARGETED TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT GRANT ALLOCATED IN
2004/5

• 7.8m total
• 2.0m historic deficits - 11 schools
• 2.4m 2004/5 deficits - 53 schools
• 2.6m General allocations
• .8m to be allocated as part of 2005/6 plan

25
TARGETED TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT GRANT 2005/6

• 3.9m for 2005/6
• plus 816k unallocated from 2004/5
• Draft plan
• Reorganisations 210k
• Schools with falling rolls 1,530k
• Other deficits 250k
• Training 50k
• General allocations 2,716k

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CLOSEDOWN OF ACCOUNTS 2004/05

• Council have to approve Accounts by 31 July 2005
• Option 1 - Schools close accounts at 31 March
• school returns by 29 April
• Option 2 - Schools close accounts at 28 February
  and accrue March expenditure and income
• school returns by 15 April

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OPTION 2 - AGREED WITH DISTRICT AUDITOR

• Outcome
• Letter to schools advising of change - early
  January
• Detailed guidance to schools by early February
• Relax the requirement for Quarter 3 returns
• Defer the Annual Budget Return to 31 May
• 2005/6 - close another month earlier

28
EDUCATION BILL

• Three Year Budgets
• Accounting Period
• Powers for School Forum
• Consultation on Three Year Funding

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UPCOMING ISSUES

• Consultation arrangements
• Annual Report on School Standards
• Growth and Change - Implementation Stage
• Freedom of Information Act

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FEEDBACK

• We would very much welcome your comments on this
  briefing.
• Please feel free to complete the evaluation
  questionnaire available in your papers and leave
  it in the tray as you leave tonight.

31
CYCLE OF NEXT MEETINGS

• Wednesday 20 April 2005
• Thursday 21 April 2005
• Monday 25 April 2005
• Tuesday 26 April 2005