Achievement Team

Hertfordshire

School Improvement Partner (Secondary)

Handbook 2015 – 16

Herts for Learning

01438 844855

CONTENTS

Page
Section 1 / Roles, relationships and responsibilities / 2
1.1 / The role of the School Improvement Partner
1.2 / The role of Herts for Learning Ltd
1.3 / The relationship with Ofsted inspectors
1.4 / The responsibilities of the School Improvement Partner
1.5 / Responsibilities of schools
1.6 / Responsibilities of the HIP manager
Section 2 / Information and communication / 4
2.1 / Administration
2.2 / Structure for the HIP programme
2.3 / Contact details
Section 3 / Accountability and support / 5
3.1 / Where a School Improvement Partner has concerns
3.2 / Complaints procedure

Appendices

  1. Headteacher performance management form

  1. Standards visit form

  1. JARV form
  2. Progress Review form

  1. Keeping in touch form

  1. Data and pupil progress form
  2. HIP claim form

Section one: Roles, responsibilities and relationships

1.1The role of the Hertfordshire Improvement Partner (HIP)

A HIPacts as a critical professional friend to the school, helping its leadership to evaluate performance, identify priorities for improvement and plan effective change. The role is to support the building of the school’s capacity to improve the attainment of pupils and to achieve other key outcomes for pupils that have a bearing on achievement. The HIPacts for the local authority and is the main (but not the only) conduit for local authority communication with the school.

The guiding principles for the work of Hertfordshire’s HIPs are:

  • A respect for the school's autonomy to plan its development, starting from the school's self-evaluation and the needs of the community, especially the pupils;
  • A focus on pupil progress and achievement and the many factors that influence it, including pupil well being, extended services and parental involvement;
  • A structure of professional challenge and support, so that the headteacher feels that practice is improved by interaction with the HIP and there is evidence of impact;
  • An evidence-based assessment of the school's performance and its strategies for improving teaching and learning;
  • Adherence to Hertfordshire’s Strategy for School Improvement 2014-17, which includes the Code of Practice on Local Authority-School Relations.

Each maintained schoolwill be allocated a minimum of three days of support each academic year. These days will be divided into a number of visits, including:

  1. Standards visit

Review of school’s systems for data collection, data analysis and data use in including the tracking of current pupil progress. Validation of the school’s own self-evaluation of current standards, and agreeing the schools ‘category of school effectiveness’ (in confidence with the school).

  1. Headteacher appraisal

To support the governing body, as the external adviser, in carrying out the appraisal of the headteacher.

Each of these visits should be completed in the autumn term, but may be completed in one extended visit, by agreement with the school.

Where appropriate, specific schools will be allocated additional days where they have been identified as causing concern. These days will be allocated on an individual basis by the Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools, following discussions with the identified schools.

These schools will also be supported through an action group and support plan, as described in the new Hertfordshire’s Strategy for School Improvement 2014-17.

1.2 The role of Herts for Learning Ltd (HfL)

HfL is responsible for:

  • Commissioning, deploying and contracting individual HIPs
  • Performance management of HIPs
  • Induction and professional development of HIPs

HfL will ensure that the performance of its Hertfordshire improvement partners is continually evaluated and reviewed. Immediate action will be taken to improve anyweaknesses in service and performance identified through ongoing quality assurance processes.

1.3The School Improvement Partner and Ofsted inspectors

  • HIPs’ reports may routinely be requested byinspection teams
  • HIPs may be inspectors of schools. However, they must neither inspect nor be involved in any way in the inspection of schools in which they are HIPs.

HIPs can, if appropriate and requested, attend Ofsted feedback following an inspection. Feedbackmay also be attended by the District School Effectiveness Adviser, (DSEA), or the Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special.

1.4Responsibilities of the School Improvement Partner

  • Providing professional challenge and support
  • Regular reporting to the local authority, headteacher and chair of governors (CoGB) as agreed with the local authority
  • Drawing up a package of additional support as required. HIPs should declare any interest with regard to providers of support and must not broker any support that will benefit them financially or any company associated or linked to them. Should they cease to work with a school they should not subsequently seek to provide support to the school for which they are paid.
  • If appropriate, giving advice to the nominated governors on the headteacher’s performance management objectives and the school’s performance management systems
  • Attending at least two HIP support days in Hertfordshire
  • Keeping up to date with the latest developments in education
  • Attending any agreed CPD events at HfL, as appropriate

1.5Responsibilities of schools

  • Working proactively with the HIP to raise standards of attainment and achievement
  • Sharing data and information with the HIP
  • Where appropriate, taking account of the advice and guidance with regard to the performance management of the headteacher
  • Providing feedback to the local authority on the effectiveness of the HIP

1.6Responsibilities of the Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools

  • Quality assurance of the work of Hertfordshire Improvement Partners
  • Coordination of the information about brokering to appropriate HfL/LA teams
  • Attendance at Ofsted feedback as required

Section two: Information and communication

2.2Administration

Administrators for the HIP programme are Ruth Brown and Kelly King contact details below.

2.3Structure for the HIP programme

The Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools is David Kilgallon.

2.4Contact details

Role (s) / e-mail / Telephone
Administrators /
/ 01438 844855
01438 844826
Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools / / 01438 844881

Secondary School HIPS

Stephen Lavender
Kay Leach
Paul Wilson
David Kilgallon

Secondary School Hertfordshire Improvement Partner Handbook 2015/16

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Section Three: HIP accountability and support

3.1Where a Hertfordshire Improvement Partner has concerns

There may be circumstances in which a HIP has concerns about the capacity of the school to improve and cannot secure agreement on action through professional dialogue with the headteacher and the governors. In such cases the role of the HIP, having made concerns explicit with the headteacher, is to alert the Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools so that alternative action can be considered.

Triggers for concern include:

  • An adverse Ofsted report
  • The school not recognising significant underperformance
  • The school lacking the leadership capacity to improve
  • The school being at risk of an adverse Ofsted report

The HIP is responsible for giving HfL a judgement on whether the school is causing concern and what action is needed. This must be reflected in the school’s HIP documentation. In most cases, the HIP’s judgement and the school’s will be similar, and the school's own leadership team will be able to lead its own improvement, deploying external support as needed, from any appropriate source. Where the HIP’s advice is that the school’s own actions will not enable it to improve (which could occur not only in failing or near-failing schools, but also in successful but underperforming schools) this advice may prompt HfL to advise the LA to use its statutory intervention powers.

The LA has published the Hertfordshire’s Strategy for School Improvement 2014-17 following consultation with its schools, in which the criteria for levels of engagement are set out. Intervention is in inverse proportion to a school’s success and its capacity to improve itself. In all cases, clear lines of communication between the HIP and the rest of HfL and the LA’s organisation are essential.

3.2Complaints procedure

If a school has concern about the performance or conduct of the HIP these should be initially raised and discussed with the HIP. If the concern still remains, the school should raise the matter, in writing, with the Strategic Lead – Secondary and Special Schools. The matter will then be dealt with in-line with HfL policy.

Secondary School Hertfordshire Improvement Partner Handbook 2015/16

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