HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EDUCATION CABINET PANEL

TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2007 AT 2.00 PM

/ Agenda item
3
CAPITAL STRATEGY – BUILDING SCHOOLS UPDATE AND STRATEGY FOR CHANGE PART 2

Report of the Director of ChildrenSchools & Families

[Author: Lindsay Martin, Head of School Planning and BSF Programme Director

Tel :01992 556718]

Executive Member:David Lloyd (Education)

1.Purpose of Report

This report sets out to update the Panel on Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and, in particular, the draft Strategy for Change Part 2 document.

2.Summary

The next stage in the approval process for Hertfordshire’s BSF programme is the submission of a Strategy for Change Part 2 document to Partnership for Schools (PfS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on 5 October. A draft of the document is attached for consideration at Appendix 2.

3.Conclusion

Panel is asked to consider the document and make comments as appropriate.

4.Background

4.1The BSF programme in Hertfordshire over the next 10 to 12 years will consist of seven sequential geographical procurement areas of some £150 million each, in the following order:

  • Stevenage (in 2008/09)
  • East Central Area (Hertford, Ware, WelwynGarden City, Hatfield and Potters Bar)
  • Western Area (Hemel Hemstead and rest of Dacorum B C)
  • Eastern Area (Bishop’s Stortford down to Broxbourne)
  • Northern Area (North Herts District Council, excluding Stevenage, but including Buntingford)
  • Southern Area (Watford and south-west Herts)
  • Western Area (St Albans and surrounding area)

These are shown on the following map:

4.2There is likely to be a gap between this capital funding and the cost of the building works actually undertaken because the BSF programme is funded nationally on the assumption that there is a relatively heterogeneous mix of buildingsrequiring 50% new build, 35% major refurbishment/remodeling and 15% minor refurbishment. In Stevenage there is a homogeneous set of buildings which requires more rebuild and major work than the national figures allow for.

4.3There are three stages to the approval process and these are set out below:

4.4The County Council has received approval for the first of these, the Strategy for Change Part 1. It is required to submit Part 2 on 5 October and the Outline Business Case on 7 March. If these are agreed the County Council is permitted to proceed to the procurement of a private sector partner for a joint venture Local Education Partnership (LEP) which will undertake the procurement of the building work, ICT and facilities management. The relationship of the LEP to the County Council is set out below:

4.5This process is likely to take at least 18 months which means that construction work will not begin until late 2009. Subsequent waves of funding across the County are likely to be as follows:

AREA / Likely year of funding
East Central Area (Hertford, Ware, WelwynGarden City, Hatfield and Potters Bar) / 2011
Western Area (Hemel Hemstead and rest of Dacorum B C area) / 2012 or 2013
Eastern Area (A10 corridor Bishop’s Stortford down to Broxbourne) / One of 2014 to 2016
Northern Area (North Herts District Council, excluding Stevenage, but including Buntingford) / 2017
Southern Area (Watford and south-west Herts) / 2018
Western Area (St Albans and surrounding area) / 2019
  1. Strategy for Change Part 2

The County Council received formal approval for its Strategy for Change Part 1 document in a letter from DCSF on 7 August. A copy is attached as Appendix 1. As may be seen it contained a number of issues which needed to be addressed in the Strategy for Change Part 2 document. These have been taken into account in the drafting of the document which is attached as Appendix 2.

5.2Panel is asked to note the condition which is attached to the approval and which is the last bullet point in the letter. An explanation is being sought for the target year 2010 as the logic of this date is not clear. For example it is not clear how the trust will have had an opportunity to raise standards by then. Even assuming that the trust will be formed in, say, 2008 before the building improvements funded by BSF are carried out, its ability to raise standards will surely be largely dependent on those building improvements (why, otherwise, link the establishment of a trust to the BSF project in the first place). These building improvements will only start to be delivered in 2010, and many of them will be later. The DCSF has been asked to provide a rationale for this date, or to suggest a more appropriate one.

5.3Panel is asked to consider this document and comment as appropriate.

070918 Education Cabinet Panel

Item 3 – Update on Building Schools for the Future

1

APPENDIX 1 / Len Lucas
Schools Capital Division
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT

Ms Caroline Tapster
Chief Executive
Hertfordshire County Council
County Hall
Pegs Lane
Hertford
SG13 8DQ / Direct line: 0207 925 5494
7 August 2007

Dear Caroline

Building Schools For The Future (BSF) Strategy For Change Part 1

I am pleased to confirm that Ministers have approved the Strategy for Change (SfC) Part 1 for Hertfordshire’s BSF wave 4 project. The overall evaluation of this document by the DCFS and PfS was positive with some examples of good practice.

The authority demonstrates through its SfC Part 1, a good understanding of its key educational challenges and objectives for innovation and transformation in Stevenage. The submission is particularly strong in its proposals for the integration of children’s services in and around schools, which was graded 1. There is also evidence of clear project ownership, demonstrating that robust project governance and management arrangements are in place. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with PfS and us to develop this document.

Following our review of the Hertfordshire SfC Part 1, we are content that the majority of requirements have been met. In order to build upon the progress you have made to date and ensure that your project realises the ambitions that we all share for improved pupil achievement, there are some areas where further action is required.

The issues outlined below will need to be addressed in SfC Part 2:

  • The LSC needs to provide written confirmation at SfC Part 2 that it agrees and supports the proposed expansion of sixth form places in schools.
  • The local authority needs to present a clear picture as to how choice and diversity will be addressed county-wide and how the Stevenage proposal fits into this.
  • SfC Part 2 should be much clearer about the composition, structure and purpose of the Trust. In particular, how it will exert influence over curriculum pathways, partnership working between schools, intervention strategies and strategic leadership
  • The strategy should set out how change management will be resourced at LA and school level; what the training programme will be; how it will be delivered; how specific training and support will be determined and delivered.
  • Specific and detailed targets for individual schools should be developed, including amongst others targets for attendance, exclusions and underachieving groups. LA to establish measurable KPI’s, in relation to the range of educational outcomes for children and young people encompassed in the vision and the strategy. KPI’s need to demonstrate how BSF investment will impact on performance and add value to existing strategies for addressing underperformance and/or providing robust challenge to schools.
  • SfC Part 2 to demonstrate how ICT will enable curriculum enhancement; personalised learning; facilitate data exchange between other agencies to achieve early intervention; support leadership management and new forms of teaching and/or learning.
  • While the SfC Part 1 document was required to be no longer than 12 pages, the LA submission extended to 23 pages overall, including the chart and annexes. We have provided a flexible approach, however we will require that future submissions are kept within the required length.
  • DCSF approval is conditional upon: the local authority reconsidering the establishment of Academies in Stevenage if the proposed Trust does not succeed in raising standards at all of the schools above the threshold of 30% of pupils obtaining five grade A*-C GCSE’s, with maths and English, by September2010.

We do not consider these issues warrant delaying the implementation of your proposals, but they must be addressed by the time the SfC part 2 is submitted. The SfC Part 2 document should be with PfS colleagues by 5 October 2007 and the outline business case by 7 March 2008.

As you move forward towards finalising your BSF Strategy for Change, it will be important to continue to be in close contact with your PfS project director and to resolve in discussion with the Office of the Schools Commissioner any outstanding issues regarding diversity, choice and fair access in your secondary estate.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely

Len Lucas

Schools Capital Division

APPENDIX 2

Hertfordshire Strategy for Change Part 2

Section 1 - Meeting challenges and key objectives

  1. Where is the LA now in terms of educational outcomes, diversity of provision, fair access and choice?

1.1. The LA is in discussion with the Office of the Schools Commissioner about increasing, through BSF, the choice of types of school in Hertfordshire and is exploring with governing bodies the creation of Trust schools in a town-wide Trust. This would be a governor-led development. Trusts are specialist in nature and schools would decide which specialism the trust holds. The specialism will determine partner schools.

  1. What added value will BSF investment provide to local educational outcomes?

2.1. The educational transformation through BSF will improve educational outcomes across a range of measures. Young people will stay far more engaged in education post-14 because of the quality of the learning environment, the range of learning and teaching options, the creative use of ICT as a learning tool, the choice of learning pathways and the significant increase in vocational options. This will result in: improved behaviour and attendance; higher results at GCSE and A level; fewer exclusions; less teenage pregnancies; lower NEET figures. These factors in combination of integrated services built around the child and their family through children’s centres and extended schools will also have a significant impact on narrowing the achievement gap between our most vulnerable groups and all children.

  1. How does the authority propose to ensure choice, diversity and access for all parents and pupils in local schools?

3.1. Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) committed some years ago to review school provision where there was a mismatch between supply and demand for places. A programme of reviews, including that in Stevenage, was planned over several years. The Stevenage review is timed to integrate with the BSF funding stream.

3.2. The area review has followed HCC protocols and comprises:

  • stakeholder consultation on issues leading to a long list of options:
  • evaluation of options against four key tests resulting in a shortlist:
  • public consultation on the shortlist options;
  • Cabinet decision on whether to publish statutory notices where necessary;
  • statutory notice period and final decision.

3.3. The Stevenageconsultation closed in August and Cabinet will make decisions in October. Final post-statutory notice decisions will be made in January 2008.

3.4. The following options were consulted upon:

  • 8 form entry mainstream schools to meet the demand for school places in light of the changing demographic pattern in the town:
  • 9 or10 form entry schools should any site prove not to be viable;
  • co-location of special school provision with mainstream schools.

3.5. These options address the match of supply and demand, provide better for parental preferences and ensure sufficient places for the next ten years.

3.6. The education vision for Stevenage developed in partnership with stakeholders, aims to provide a learner entitlement to a wide choice of courses, including the new diplomas. This would be offered jointly by the schools and NorthHertfordshireCollege and would include an agreed pattern of specialisms.

3.7. The schools will provide a full range of extended services (see section 40) and will be supported to engage with external partners.

3.8. A reference group formed from a cross-section of stakeholders reports directly to the BSF Board and consultation and discussions have been held with:

  • the PCT about a ‘super surgery’ co-located with a secondary school;
  • a number of sports bodies to consider the range and location of sports facilities to ensure that all schools have core facilities and that specialist facilities (for example a swimming pool) are provided across the trust;
  • the LSC and NorthHertsCollege aboutcollaborative arrangements for vocational provision including some college provision on school sites;
  • the Diocesan authorities;
  • arts organisations to explore student involvement in the design process, works of art in the new buildings and grounds and arts and culture in the extended school offer.

4 How will the authority ensure robust challenge to schools?

4.1. The Hertfordshire Learning Partnership sets out the framework for monitoring, challenge, support and, where necessary, intervention (MCSI) in schools. This framework has been drawn up in partnership with schools and other stakeholders.

4.2. At the core of the MCSI process is the School Improvement Partner (SIP) who supports and challenges the school leadership and governors through a focus upon the schools own self-evaluation and the outcomes for the students. Particular attention is paid to the achievement of vulnerable groups such as those with learning difficulties and disabilities and from black and minority ethnic groups. Currently a priority is raising the achievement of white working class boys and improving results in English and mathematics. Challenge is based on robust data and knowledge of the school and there is an expectation of year-on-year improvement.

4.3. In Stevenage there is a common SIP across the schools that has a good knowledge of the locality and its challenges. This SIP is aware of the need for the schools to maintain a sharp focus on school improvement during a time of major change.

4.4. The area SIP is also responsible for liaison with the local 14-19 collaborative group. The collaborative group will be encouraged to set highly challenging targets that reflect the transformational nature of BSF, and consider the advantages of system leadership approaches, to provide support during the process of change.

4.5. The SIPs also has responsibility for brokering and co-ordinating support for the schools, particularly from the national strategy. Co-ordination of this support ensures it aligns with school priorities and has maximum impact on improvement.

4.6. A key role for the Area SIP Manager will be to monitor and provide support to any school that closes during the school review and BSF programme. Careful monitoring of staffing, student progress, budget and leadership will be maintained to ensure there is no detriment to student progress.

5 How will the LA deliver personalised learning?

5.1. The LA will support schools in developing flexible approaches to learning that meet the individual needs of learners. We put the child at the centre of all that we do and expect that all should achieve high standards irrespective of personal circumstances or background, in particular, underachieving groups such as black minority students and looked after children.

5.2. The LA pathfinder status ensured a planned programme of specialist schools covering a wide range variety of specialisms across Hertfordshire and inStevenage. Currently these include: Business & Enterprise; Engineering; Science & Arts; Sports; and Technology. As schools are redesignated the LA will support them to gain second specialisms that increase the range of options across the town. At 11-16, the range of specialism will support greater curriculum choice and at 14 - 16, the model facilitates joint timetabling across schools and the college (for example, the Increased Flexibility Programmes).

5.3. The North Herts Strategic Area Partnership Group (SAPG) and the nationally acclaimed Stevenage 14-19 consortium provide good opportunities for Key Stage 4 and 5 learners through:

  • pathways to foundation and full degrees at the University of Hertfordshire;
  • access to employers and extensive employer engagement;
  • collaboration through community provision and extended school activities;
  • access to vocational staff development activities;
  • use of industry standard resources and specialist facilities.

5.4. To strengthen the current provision the SAPG was successful in its applications for all five diplomas. Applications for further diplomas will be made to ensure increasing diversity of choice for all learners.

5.5. The co-location of special and mainstream schools will strengthen specialist outreach work and also provide wider opportunities to the special school students.

5.6. Assessment for learning that includes the use of data to set and review personal targets will be a key feature of the schools. The LA will support this through training, consultancy and help with the use of data such as Fisher Family Trust and Raiseonline to challenge underachievement and to set individual challenging targets.

5.7. Secure managed e-systems will be provided that enable learner data to be shared across the Stevenage Partnership and within the wider SAPG.The authority will also support the innovative approaches to learning including the use of ICT.

5.8 Feedback and ideas from students and familieswill be used to improve choice and achievement and provide a curriculum which motivates and engages all. The LA school improvement services will also support Stevenage schools to implement the new secondary curriculumso that the local offer is fit for the future.

5.9 The ICT support teams (encompassing curriculum and administration functions) will help to develop inStevenage schools an ICT infrastructure that enables: learners and their families to access effective teaching and learning programs across all institutions; personalised approaches to learning; appropriate community access and also provides a high quality management information system.