Agenda item

(To receive a report from Tim Culpin, Head of School Improvement, which invites the Committee to discuss and accept the continued support to the collaborative partnerships project)

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director of Children's Services, which invited the Committee to consider and comment on supporting the Collaborative Partnerships Project.

The Committee was advised by the Head of School Improvement that in 2011, Lincolnshire County Council had launched the Small Schools Collaborative Partnership Project, which was aimed at encouraging primary schools with less than 200 pupils to work together.  The partnership was to help support small rural schools.

In January 2012, Lincolnshire County Council had proposed a collaborative partnership scheme.  Details of the scheme were shown on page 22 of the agenda.

It was reported that research had shown that school partnerships helped increase educational standards and encouraged the best use of resources through sharing best practice and improving efficiencies through economies of scale.

Schools had been receptive to the aims of the proposal but argued that the scheme was too rigid.  Also, the Department for Education's (DfE) changes to the rules concerning Local Authority funding formulae made it impossible for the Council to target funding for partnerships.  As a result of the concerns raised the scheme was revised.  Full details of the revised scheme were shown on page 23 of the agenda.

By January 2014, it was reported that there were 40 active partnerships across Lincolnshire and that was generally considered to be successful.  The schools involved in the Collaborative Partnership Project had made good progress.  The Committee was advised that the results of a survey sent to all partnerships had been very positive. 62% of local partnerships responded with 96% reporting improvement as a result of partnership working, and with 90% seeing financial benefits, particularly via joint Continuing Professional Development (CPD). 

Some of the activities which partnerships had found most beneficial were:-

·         Head teachers sharing their schools data with other schools;

·         Joint learning walks, 'drop – ins' and lesson observations in each other's schools;

·         Joint professional development;

·         Monitoring and moderation across schools;

·         Schools within a partnership scheduling and running shared INSETs and common training days;

·         SENCOs undertaking joint training and coordinating their work;

·         Special events; and

·         School business management, procurement etc.

It was highlighted that head teachers had commented that they were feeling less isolated and were now able to share their concerns and problems with other head teachers.  Detailed within the report were specific comments from head teachers.

It was reported although the project had been successful there were still a number of challenges to overcome.  At the moment there was several projects being undertaken to help more things forward.  One of these was 'Delivering Effective Feedback through Digital Technology", which aimed to improve outcomes for pupils, particularly those eligible for Pupil Premium and to enhance the skills of teachers to use digital technology to support the giving of feedback and providing opportunities for peer review.  The Committee noted that as part of this project, there had been liaison with Professor Steve Higgins from Durham University, who had a particular interest in this type of work.  Other projects included developing Leadership through Performance Management; and Developing Peer Review within Partnerships of Schools.

The Committee was advised that CfBT was funding a National Small Rural Schools Research Project led by Robert Hill who was an adviser to the Government.  The study highlighted the current challenges facing small rural primary schools and the scope for different forms of partnership as a response to these challenges.  The project would provide a commentary on the national context supported by a major case study based on the experience of the schools supported in Lincolnshire.  It was agreed that a copy of the report from the study would be circulated to the Committee once it was completed. 

In conclusion, the Committee were advised that in order to ensure Lincolnshire's many small schools do not suffer as a result of these changes, the Collaborative Partnership Project needed to continue to be developed further. 

During discussion, the Committee made particular reference to the following issues:-

·         That a strategy was needed to get all schools to participate in collaborative working.  It was highlighted that it was important to get governors on board as some had reluctance to partnership working because of the anxiety of academy status.  One member suggested that governors should be invited to attend any future collaborative workshops, and that examples of collaborative working should be shared with governors to encourage then to take part in the project.  Officers agreed to look into inviting governors to the conference for 2014;

·         The Committee was advised that partnership working had been trialled recently two schools had participating in a combined event involving a maths trial and a visit  to a castle, this event had drawn in lots of children all working together.  It was highlighted that similar working methods had taken place in the 1980's and that this had worked very well and was fully supported by Lincolnshire County Council.  The scheme had given teachers the opportunity to up skill, and gain experience in another school.  It was highlighted that this was why officers wanted to extend the offer to larger primary schools, so that the smaller rural schools could benefit from sharing staff resources.  A suggestion was made as to whether the principle of sharing and up skilling teaching staff could be promoted.  It was highlighted that this was happening, but that there was more that could be offered to ensure that no school gets left behind;

·         Money incentive – Members were advised that in the first year there had been a money incentive, but due to changes in funding, the Local Authority was not able to protect funding for partnerships.  The Council therefore increased the block allocation to all primary schools, so that no funding was lost.  Officers confirmed that it was difficult to incentivise, but that head teachers were encouraged to use the funding for collaborative working;

·         Collaborative working - Some members highlighted that it was encouraging to hear that collaborative partnerships were working, and that numerous benefits had been identified as a result of the partnerships.  Some examples of partnership working were shared with the Committee, one of which was that one primary school had closed, as its premises were being as a polling station.  As a result, the pupils had gone across the road to another school, which had accommodated the pupils from both schools working side by side for the day;

·         Offer to larger primary schools - Officers advised that larger primary schools would also be invited to take part in the project, and that it was also hoped to extend collaborative working to secondary schools in the future;

·         Training for Clerks to Governors – It was reported that there was a need for more training for clerks to governors to ensure that they are kept up to date with legislation changes.  Provision also needed to be made for refresher training as and when the need arose.  The Committee was advised that training was offered to clerks to governors.  Officers agreed to look in to the issue further to see what could be improved;

·         In-house training courses for teachers - One member enquired as to whether the Council still ran subject based courses.  The Committee was advised that courses were still part of the offer, but at the moment there was reluctance for Head teachers and teachers to come out of school, therefore a lot of training was taking place within schools.  It was highlighted that training in schools was essential and invaluable in the development of teachers;

·         Communication – It was highlighted that in order for schools to be encouraged to participate, it was felt that the concept needed to be communicated better to the schools in the first instance.  A suggestion was made of possibly using a newsletter as a communication tool.  The Committee was advised that there was currently a newsletter for the project.  The project was also promoted at Head teachers' briefings and the annual conference.  However, officers agreed to reflect and see what could be improved.  Officers also highlighted that as part of transforming how the Council worked with schools, they would also look at communicating to schools in a more collaborative way; and

·         Transportation between schools - The Committee was advised that most schools that worked in partnership were within a 15 mile radius.  However, if transport was needed then it was up to the individual school to pay for transport costs out of their own budget.  The Committee was advised that brokerage had stopped, as smaller schools were no able to take on the liability.

The Committee was advised that in East Lindsey, as a result of one the Head teacher's connections, 20 schools were now involved in a project with Professor Higgins, who was doing a watching brief and collecting data to see how effective the partnership was working in East Lindsey.

In conclusion, it was agreed that officers would look into inviting governors to attend the annual conference, and that members of the Committee would be given the opportunity to attend, if they so wished.  Furthermore, officers agreed to look into training for Clerks to Governors, continue working on trying to get larger primary schools and secondary schools involved in the Collaborative Working Project and that progress on the project would be reported back to a future meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED

            That the report be noted and that continued support be given to the            collaborative partnerships project.