This week we have a jam packed update highlighting new guidance from the Department for Education on promoting British values, revisions to the 20 Key Questions for School Governing bodies,  a new campaign to encourage more foreign exchange trips, a series of free national careers roadshows for Governors and new guidance on the purchase, installation and maintenance of defibrillators in schools.

NEW DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION GUIDANCE ON PROMOTING BRITISH VALUES
The Department for Education issued a press release yesterday regarding new guidance on promoting British values in schools.

The guidance aims to help schools understand their responsibilities in this area. Until now schools have been required to ‘respect’ these values, but as a result of changes brought in earlier this year all schools must now have a clear strategy for embedding these values and show how their work with pupils has been effective in doing so.

REVISED 20 KEY QUESTIONS FOR SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Education Governance and Leadership is holding its next meeting on 8 December 2014 in the Houses of Parliament. The discussion will be centred on Neil Carmichael MP’s new bill for school governor appointments which is due to have its second reading in the House of Commons in January 2015. His bill is designed to address the changing role of school governing boards, their greater autonomy and responsibilities.

The Group will also be considering an update to the 20 key questions for school governing bodies which has been updated by the National Governors’ Association and the Wellcome Trust as part of the new Framework for Governance: A flexible guide to strategic planning which is due to be launched soon.

NEW CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE MORE FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRIPS BETWEEN SCHOOLS
This week, the British Council has launched a new campaign designed to encourage school foreign exchange trips. Its aim is to allow more children to learn about foreign countries and gain vital language skills.  In conjunction with this the British Council has published a survey into the take-up of foreign exchange programmes. The findings reveal that only 39% of secondary schools currently run foreign exchange trips. This is despite the fact that, of all the foreign exchange students consulted in the survey, 62% outlined that the experience had made them pursue a language degree. Responses from the 450 schools taking part suggested that health and safety fears, and a reluctance to take pupils out of school in term time, were the main deterrents for schools considering running an exchange programme.

FREE NATIONAL CAREERS ROADSHOWS FOR GOVERNORS
The National Careers Service, in partnership with national charity Career Academies UK, is launching a series of six roadshows called Let’s Do Business across the UK in 2015.  The first event is scheduled for 15 January 2015 in Liverpool with  other venues to include Birmingham, Teesside, London and Manchester.  The events will provide an opportunity for Headteachers and Governors to meet with employers who are keen to engage with them and their students.

The roadshows will support schools to understand what opportunities are available to work with local and national businesses, as well as what services are offered by the National Careers Service and their contract partners. They will also hear from teachers and businesses who are already engaged through the Career Academy programme, about how an employer engagement programme can be incorporated into the curriculum and budget, and how it can be embedded within the school to support students across all year groups.

The Roadshows are free for governors to attend and for more information contact Karen Marriott, Career Academies UK, at karen.marriott@careeracademies.org.uk.

AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILATORS IN SCHOOLS
The Department for Education has announced it has negotiated a substantial discount for schools when buying defibrillators and published a new guide covering the purchase, installation and maintenance of them. Children die every week of sudden cardiac arrest, often due to previously undiagnosed heart conditions, and this scheme and guidance is intended to help prevent such tragic incidents by giving schools access to tools and information.

Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation supports the announcement and is also offering free cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training kits to all secondary schools.

Schools wishing to purchase a defibrillator through this programme are able to do so by contacting NHS Supply Chain by emailing medicaldevices@supplychain.nhs.uk or telephoning 0113 385 4858.

This week we have an update on the Great North Maths hub and highlight the announcement of increased pupil premium funding in primary schools for 2015/16 and new action from the Department for Education on supporting pupils’ mental health.

UPDATE ON THE GREAT NORTH MATHS HUB
Back in July the Learning Trust was confirmed as one of 32 schools and academy trusts leading new Maths hubs across England funded by the Department for Education, and co-ordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.

Two primary school teachers from Shanghai have now arrived in North Tyneside for a three week period teaching maths at Benton Dene Primary School. The exchange is part of a project to help English primary school teachers understand and implement some of the key elements of Shanghai maths teaching that have proved so effective in helping school pupils in Shanghai reach levels of attainment far ahead of their counterparts in England and the rest of the world.

INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR THE PUPIL PREMIUM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR 2015/16
Primary schools will receive £1,320 for every pupil who has been registered for free school meals at any time in the last six years.  Announcing the funding, Schools Minister David Laws said:

“We have already made significant progress towards closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. This additional funding will ensure teachers continue to have the resources they need to give all pupils the best possible start at school, regardless of their background.”

CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION MINISTER OUTLINES NEW ACTIONS TO SUPPORT PUPILS’ MENTAL HEALTH
On 20 November Childcare Education Minister Sam Gyimah indicated mental health was at the centre of a new vision for schools  as 1 in 10 children had a diagnosable mental health disorder, and the new plans aimed to help make sure young people got vital support when they needed it.

The Government will be working with the PSHE Association to help schools know how to teach pupils about mental health and banish the stigma which can leave young people with mental health problems feeling isolated.  Additionally, for the first time, it will set out a blueprint for schools to use when delivering their counselling services, which will be informed by young people and experts to make sure the advice will meet the needs of the people it is intended to support.

This week we highlight a new national campaign to encourage the study of STEM subjects, the announcement of the new Children’s Commissioner for England and a call for evidence on longer term changes to funding for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE THE STUDY OF STEM SUBJECTS
This week, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan helped launch the Your Life campaign a partnership between some of the country’s leading companies, entrepreneurs and government to encourage the study of STEM subjects. The three-year national drive aims to ‘inspire young people, especially girls, to study maths and physics as a gateway into wide-ranging careers whilst also triggering employers to recruit and retain this talent’.

The Your Life website has case studies, role models and myth busting around the practical application of STEM subjects in the workplace and a competition has also been launched as part of the campaign called Formula 100. The competition aims to encourage innovation and the inventors of the future and is open to 11 to 18 year olds and offers the chance for the best workplace inventions to become a reality.

NEXT CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER FOR ENGLAND
Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children (a national charity which works to support children, young people and families) has been appointed as the next Children’s Commissioner for England. She will take up her post on 1 March 2015 and will replace the current Children’s Commissioner for England, Maggie Atkinson, who has held the post since 2010.

CALL FOR EVIDENCE REGARDING LONGER TERM CHANGES TO FUNDING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SEND
In July, the Minister for Schools, David Laws, announced changes to the distribution of funding for mainstream schools within local authorities’ dedicated schools grant for next year to address some of the unfairness in the current allocations. He acknowledged that there wouldn’t be a completely fair education funding system until the distribution of funding for pupils with high-cost SEND was reformed, and explained that this would be a priority for reform during the next parliament.

The Department for Education has commissioned some research by Isos Partnership to help it move to a better basis for distributing this element of local authority funding in future. Isos is reviewing the available literature and data and will be conducting in depth fieldwork in 13 local authority areas including Newcastle. The research will focus on finding new and improved formula factors for distributing funds relating to SEND from national to local level and from local level to institutions.

The DfE is also inviting other interested parties to help it with its work and to provide answers to some other questions about how it can distribute SEN funding more fairly. The consultation is open until the end of February 2015 and if schools/Governing bodies would like to submit information and/or responses to the questions it can do so using the email address SENfunding.consultation@education.gsi.gov.uk or via post to: SEN Funding Call for Evidence, Department for Education, Infrastructure and Funding Directorate, Sanctuary Buildings (4th floor), Great Smith Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BT.

This week we highlight the call for evidence with regard to the development of a new set of professional standards for Teaching Assistants, new Department for Education guidance on preventing and responding to bullying and confirmation of the proposed revisions to the School Admissions Code and Admissions Timetable.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SET OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS
As reported in the 3 October 2014 Friday Update, teaching professionals, unions, parents and others have been invited by the Department for Education to give their views as part of a nationwide review to create a new set of professional standards for teaching assistants.

The independent review will be supported by a panel of experts with a diverse range of expertise. To help the panel develop the new standards, a call for evidence has been made inviting headteachers, governors, teachers, teaching assistants, union representatives, local authorities, parents and other interested parties to submit their views. Responses will be accepted until 21 November 2014 and can be completed on line at http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations or by downloading a response form which should be completed and sent to: Teaching Assistant Standards Review (John Motley), Department for Education – Ground Floor, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington, DL3 9BG.

The review is expected to report back to the Secretary of State for Education in Spring 2015.

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION ADVICE ON PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO BULLYING
Guidance has been produced to help schools prevent and respond to bullying as part of their overall Behaviour policy. It outlines the Government’s approach to bullying, legal obligations and the powers schools have to tackle bullying, and the principles which underpin the most effective anti-bullying strategies in schools. It also lists further resources through which school staff can access specialist information on the specific issues that they face.

REVISIONS TO THE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CODE
As Governors will remember we outlined the Government’s consultation on proposed revisions to the School Admissions Code in our 5 September 2014 Friday Update. The consultation closed on 29 September and the proposals were broadly welcomed as providing improvements and clarity to the current system of school admissions.

• Priority for children eligible for the pupil or service premium – this change allows schools to give admission priority for all children attracting the pupil premium, the early years pupil premium and the service premium. There will be no requirement for admission authorities to include this priority in their admission arrangements. This will be an option open to schools, who may adopt it if they wish. Admission authorities can use this priority flexibly and do not have to give admission priority to every pupil premium recipient.

• Priority for nursery children eligible for the early years pupil premium, pupil or service premium – this change allows admission authorities of primary schools which have a nursery to give priority in their admission arrangements to disadvantaged children who attend the nursery.

• Changes to the Admissions Timetable – the prescribed period within which admission authorities may consult on their admission arrangements and the minimum length of consultation will be altered; and a number of deadlines relating to the determination and publication of admission arrangements will be brought forward.

• Admission of summer born children – these changes will clarify the provisions around the admission of summer born children outside of their normal age group.

The revised Code was laid before Parliament in October 2014 and, subject to Approval, will come into force in December 2014.

This week we highlight new funding for 3 and 4 year olds from low income families and look at whether the rules on unauthorised absence have been making a difference.

NEW FUNDING TO HELP DISADVANTAGED 3 AND 4 YEARS OLDS
The government set out today information on how schools, nurseries and childminders will be given up to £300 for every 3 and 4 year old from a low-income family to help prevent them falling behind before they have even started school. The early years pupil premium, totalling £50 million, is designed to narrow the attainment gap between young children from low-income families and their peers, setting them on a path to a more successful future.

In a response to an Early Years Pupil Premium and Funding for 2 year olds consultation also published today, the Government has announced that 7 areas will share a £1 million pot to trial the new support ahead of its introduction nationwide next April.

ARE THE NEW RULES ON UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The DfE has published data on authorised and unauthorised school absences across primary and secondary schools. The Government reports that the overall rate of absence has dropped more than a quarter since 2009/10 from 6 to 4.4%.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said: “Missing lessons can be hugely damaging to a pupil’s education, but today’s figures show more pupils than ever before are getting the best preparation for life in modern Britain.”

The DfE said the change in the law last September to Headteachers only granting leave from school in “exceptional circumstances” meant that “thousands” fewer pupils went on term-time holidays.

In the North East the overall absence rate is 4.6%, with seven out of 12 areas being above this. This makes us nationally the region with the highest overall absence rate. The national average for unauthorised absences is 0.9%, our regional average is 1% with seven out of 12 areas being above the national rate.

This week we highlight how Secondary schools can plan for the introduction of the new Progress 8 school performance measure and take a look at newly released data from the Department for Education on the 2014 Phonics Screening Check and Key Stage 1 assessments.

NEW PROGRESS 8 SCHOOL PERFORMANCE MEASURE
The Department for Education has published details of how schools can plan for the introduction of the new Progress 8 school performance measure. Progress 8 will be introduced for all schools in 2016. This means that the performance tables based on 2016 exam results (to be published in late 2016/early 2017) will show the Progress 8 results. Progress 8 will also be used for floor standards from 2016.

Schools will receive ‘shadow data’ showing their Progress 8 score based on 2014 results. This information will not be used for accountability purposes or included in performance tables, but should help schools to consider their curriculum and teaching in light of the accountability reforms.

PHONICS SCREENING CHECK AND KEY STAGE 1 (KS1) ASSESSMENTS
The Department for Education this week released statistical data providing final 2013 and provisional 2014 information on the achievements of pupils in the phonics screening check and teacher assessments at the end of KS1.

The 2014 figures combine information gathered through the school census in January 2014 with the 2014 phonics and Key Stage 1 attainment data. Information is provided at national and local authority level enabling schools to benchmark results against national and local authority attainment.

The phonics screening check was introduced in 2012. It’s a statutory assessment for all children in Year 1 to check whether they have reached the expected standard in phonic decoding. Those pupils who did not meet the standard in Year 1 or who were not tested are re-checked at the end of Year 2.

National curriculum assessments at the end of KS1 are made through teacher assessments to measure pupils’ attainment against the levels set by the national curriculum. The national curriculum standards have been designed so that by the end of KS1, pupils are expected to reach Level 2.

This week we highlight Ofsted’s consultation on radical changes to the inspection framework and a Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (SMCPC)  report into what schools can do to tackle social mobility in England.

OFSTED CONSULTATION ON RADICAL CHANGES TO INSPECTION
This week Ofsted launched an 8 week consultation on proposals for a new inspection framework. Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, said the proposals for reforms would bring about a radically different inspection regime designed to maintain and accelerate improved educational standards in England.

The key proposals are:

1. There will be a new common inspection framework which will standardise the approach to inspections. This will be adapted to suit nurseries, schools and colleges, including the independent schools that Ofsted inspects, making it easier for parents, employers, pupils and learners to compare different providers and make more informed choices.
2. Maintained schools, academies, FE and skills providers that were judged ‘good’ at their latest inspection will be subject to shorter inspections conducted every three years. Inspection arrangements will stay the same for schools judged as ‘outstanding’ (currently exempt from routine inspections unless there are concerns about their performance) and those judged as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’.
3. The intention is to have a grade for overall effectiveness, as well as four graded judgements, which will cover:

• effectiveness of leadership and management
• quality of teaching, learning and assessment
• personal development, behaviour and welfare
• outcomes for children and learners

Schools with sixth forms or early years will continue to receive separate judgements for these areas of provision.

Interestingly, Ofsted has tracked back on its intention to make ‘no-notice’ inspections routine saying that they are reviewing the circumstances in which they should take place. At this time, therefore, they are not consulting on making them standard practice.

TACKLING SOCIAL MOBILITY IN SCHOOLS
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (SMCPC) has published a report into what schools can do to tackle social mobility in England. The report is part of a series looking at what different parts of society can do to improve social mobility and acknowledges that no-one part can do it alone.

SMCPC noted that schools can have an impact, highlighted by the fact that schools with similar intakes get different results. It acknowledged that the reasons why some schools get better results than others are complex. The report sets out five key steps schools can take to improve disadvantaged pupils’ life chances:

Use the pupil premium strategically to improve social mobility – SMSPC found that the most effective schools systematically used data to analyse why, how and where eligible pupils were falling behind, and used this information to target funding towards addressing these barriers.

Build an inclusive culture with high expectations – Governors and senior leaders sending a clear message that they had high expectations of all staff and pupils. This included implementing a “firm and consistent” behaviour policy and not tolerating lower standards for poor children because of the belief they could not do better.

Have an incessant focus on the quality of teaching – the report identified the quality of teaching as perhaps the single most important way schools could improve social mobility.

Use tailored strategies to engage parents – the report recommended that schools had high expectations of parents and did not accept a lack of involvement.

Prepare pupils for all aspects of life, not just for exams – focussing on pupils’ social and emotional development as well as their academic achievement, and ensuring they had access to extra-curricular activities as a key part of the educational experience. It also included providing high quality careers advice.

This week we highlight the DfE’s launch of a review of standards for Teaching Assistants, an Ofsted report on low level disruption in classrooms; the piloting of a new resource for Secondary School governing bodies about Science and Maths education and the release of Key Stage 1 Phonics results.

REVIEW OF STANDARDS FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS
The review aims to replace the current set of standards with a clearer and more concise version which reflects the diversity of the existing schools system.

The review panel will aim to draw up standards which are unequivocal; clear and easy to understand; can be used to assess the performance of teaching assistants; steer the professional development of teaching assistants at all levels; inspire confidence in teaching assistants and ensure that schools use their skills and expertise to best effect and to focus primarily on the key elements of their professional relationship with teachers to ensure that all pupils attain the highest possible standards.

OFSTED REPORT ON LOW LEVEL DISRUPTION IN CLASSROOMS
Low-level disruptive behaviour in classrooms across the country is impeding children’s learning and damaging their life chances, according to an Ofsted report published on 25 September. The report found that pupils were potentially losing up to an hour of learning each day in English schools because of low-level disruption in the classroom – the equivalent of 38 days of teaching lost per year.

Ofsted found the impact of this to be greater in secondary schools than primary schools.

SCIENCE AND MATHS QUESTIONS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL GOVERNORS
Last  academic year, the Wellcome Trust launched a new resource for secondary school governing bodies about Science and Maths education. Questions for Governors is a tool to help governors better understand Science and Maths teaching in their school, by facilitating discussions with the Headteacher and, where appropriate, other school staff. Each question comes with background evidence, benchmarking data, and ideas for improvement.

The National Governors Association is piloting the resource on behalf of the Wellcome Trust to help further develop and improve the Questions.

KEY STAGE 1 PHONICS RESULTS
The Department for Education released the figures for Key Stage 1 (KS1) phonics results on 25 September, demonstrating a continued positive trend in the number of pupils achieving the expected standard. By the end of Year 2, 88% of pupils had achieved phonics proficiency, a 3% increase since 2013. Children with special educational needs had also shown a marked improvement in their scores, with 61% achieving the expected standard by the end of Year 2; an increase of 6% on the previous year.

This week we highlight Ofsted’s announcement of a wave of no-notice inspections, provide a summary of the main points of the new Special Educational Needs system and find out about the levels at which GCSE grades will be set.

OFSTED ANNOUNCES WAVE OF NO-NOTICE INSPECTIONS
Ofsted has announced plans to conduct no-notice inspections of up to 40 schools across England. These no-notice inspections will target schools where there are concerns about rapidly declining standards, safeguarding and behaviour, leadership and governance, and the breadth and balance of the curriculum. They will be carried out under Ofsted’s existing powers. Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of Ofsted, said:

“I’m giving thought to whether Ofsted should move to more routine no-notice inspections as part of our wider education inspection reforms, which we will be consulting on later this year. In the meantime, under our regional structure, inspectors are well placed to use their local knowledge and contacts to identify where these sorts of problems may be taking hold so we can respond swiftly and report publicly on what we find.”

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS CHANGES KICK IN
The main points of the new system that has been introduced from the start of this term are:

• School action and school action plus are abolished.
• Statements are replaced by Education and Health Care (EHC) plans, which cover from birth to age 25. However, existing statements do not disappear overnight but are to be phased out by April 2018.
• Local authorities are responsible for bringing together education, health and social care agencies to assess whether a child needs an EHC plan.
• Local authorities have to publish a Local Offer of the support available for children with SEN.
• Parents or the young person must be consulted over what the plan will provide.
• Parents and young people with an Education and Health Care plan may have the option of controlling its budget.

All schools, including academies, receive an element of SEN Additional Support Funding (ASF). They are expected to provide the first £6000 per annum per pupil with special needs out of this and their regular income. Local authorities continue to be required to fund pupils with a statement or an EHC plan.

THE FUTURE OF GCSE GRADES
Ofqual has announced the levels at which GCSE grades will be set when the new 9–1 range replaces the current A*–G one. Grades 9, 8 and 7 will replace grades A* and A, with only the top 20% of people in this band being graded 9. This will make the top grade harder to achieve, as last year in Maths 4.9% of entrants were awarded an A*, but had the new system applied only 2.9% would have got a grade 9.

The baseline for grade 4 will correspond to the baseline for grade C, and the top third of the C grade will combine with the bottom third of a B grade to constitute grade 5. However, it is this grade 5, not grade 4 that will be regarded as the “expected standard”.

The changes will be implemented for English and Maths in 2017 and other subjects the following year.

This week we highlight the updated version of the Governors’ Handbook,  the revised Ofsted School Inspection Handbook that came into force this month, an updated version of the Department for Education’s Advice on Statutory Policies for Schools, and the announcement of the recruitment of 100 “exceptional school leaders” to support improvement in some of England’s most challenging schools.

NEW GOVERNORS’ HANDBOOK

The Department for Education produced a new edition of the Governors’ Handbook back in May and has now revised it again. A full “Summary of Changes” made in both the May and September editions is given in the appendix. It includes the following additions since May:

• details of what it means for governors to set and safeguard an appropriate school ethos in keeping with fundamental British values
• a new section on appointing a headteacher
• additional text on the importance of appointing new governors with appropriate skills
• updated information on the curriculum
• links to advice on providing free school meals for children in the infant phase
• text on proposed changes to the schools admission code

You will recall that this last point was featured in the 5 September update . The Handbook and its predecessor, the Guide to the Law, have previously confined themselves to current law and practice, as this is currently only a proposal it adds a news element to what has hitherto been a reference work.

REVISED OFSTED SCHOOL INSPECTION HANDBOOK

In July Ofsted published a new edition of the School Inspection Handbook which became operative from the start of this term. It gives inspectors more guidance on the duties and responsibilities of governors (on pages 47–8) and in addition to the points listed in the
previous version about ethos, self-evaluation, performance management, challenge and finance, the new edition includes a requirement that inspectors should consider whether governors:

“ensure that they and the school promote tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), cultures and lifestyles; and support and help, through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain.”

Some key points have been included in the section on governance that had previously been in the subsidiary guidance.  For example, inspectors will expect governing bodies to be transparent and accountable, including in terms of recruitment of staff, governance structures, attendance at meetings, and contact with parents and carers and that they not only provide challenge but “are providing support for an effective headteacher”.

GUIDANCE ON STATUTORY POLICIES FOR SCHOOLS

The Department for Education (DfE) has published advice for school governing bodies to help them understand their statutory obligations and duties. It outlines the policies and other documents school governing bodies and proprietors of independent schools are legally required to hold.

RECRUITMENT OF 100 EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the recruitment of 100 “exceptional school leaders” to support improvement in some of England’s most challenging schools. The initiative, called The Talented Leaders programme, will be run on behalf of the DfE by the Future Leaders Trust, a charity which supports leadership in challenging schools. The first cohort will be deployed in schools in north Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Bradford and Blackpool, with additional areas added in the following months.