Issue - meetings

Education Excellence Policy

Meeting: 10/11/2015 - Cabinet (Item 110)

110 Education Excellence Policy pdf icon PDF 351 KB

[Report of the Deputy Chief Executive. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families.] Cabinet approval will be sought on  this policy which aims to set down how we will fulfil a range of roles and responsibilities, compliant with legislation.  This forms part of the core relationship between the Council and schools, and with Academies and Free Schools.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced the report which set out the policy for how the Council will work with all schools in the borough both in a statutory and non statutory setting. The policy further outlined how the Council will not only support schools to ensure their pupils reach their potential, but also how it will support Haringey’s family of schools to support each other.  Cllr Waters emphasised that championing excellence and supporting school improvement was key to delivering the borough’s ambitious aim to ensure all children and young people are able to access an outstanding education in Haringey, leading to employment and greater opportunities for young people.

 

With the changing educational landscape now including a diverse range of schools in the borough it was also a good time for a policy to set out the expectation and responsibilities of both the Council and Schools for safeguarding which this policy also did.

 

Following a vote of Cabinet Members  -

 

RESOLVED

 

To adopt the Education Excellence Policy which sets out the statutory role of the authority and lies at the core of the  relationship between the Council and schools, academies, academy sponsors, multi-academy trusts, free schools  the Council’s Diocesan partners, the Department for Education (DfE) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) on our improvement agenda.

 

To note:

 

·              the diverse and changing education landscape;

·              the legislation setting out the statutory role of local authorities;

·              the non-statutory and statutory interventions to support school improvement.

 

 

Alternative options considered

A school improvement strategy was considered.  Following guidance last year this was superseded by an Education Excellence Policy which was written to set down the shape of our relationship with schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, free schools, the DfE and the GLA. 

 

Recognition is given to new legislation being developed this year – the Education and Adoption Bill- which will bring about enforced academisation for schools judged by Ofsted as requiring improvement, those in special measures and also for schools considered by the Secretary of State as “coasting”.

 

 

Reasons for decision

In a diverse education landscape with changing roles and responsibilities for the Council it is important to recognise the role of ‘champion’ and define the relationship with schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, free schools.  Our role is now of influence, commissioning, brokering and acting as a constructive partner.

 

To achieve our vision and create a world class system the way forward is to develop partnership, collaborative models and effective networks where schools work together to spread best practice and help all schools become good or better schools.