SFL205 - Restructure the School Improvement Team – Primary

Overview

Outline of Proposal

The School Improvement Team offers challenge and support to all schools in the Rochdale Borough in order to improve educational provision and raise standards for all learners as well as fulfilling the statutory duty of intervention where there is serious underperformance. From 1 September 2012, all secondary schools will be members of The Pioneer Trust in partnership with the council.  The Trust, rather than the council, will provide universal functions of challenge and support to bring about school improvement in its member schools.  It is intended to develop a similar model for primary schools.  Consequently, the School Improvement Team’s function will be to maintain an overview of performance in all schools and intervene where there is concern in mainstream schools. This will require a reduction in strategic management capacity, a smaller intervention team and a reduction in admin support.

General Impact

With the establishment of the Pioneer Trust within the Secondary schools and the intention to develop similar models with Primary schools, the focus for school improvement will change. Schools will become increasingly self sufficient and independent in dealing with their school improvement and professional development resulting in school improvement work focusing on an overview, statutory functions, individual school issues as they arise and specific intervention work. There is no evidence of any negative impact on individual children.

Impact on Service Users

The proposal reflects the government emphasis on increasing autonomy in schools. It enables schools to source their own support and school development solutions. 

The indicative saving for this proposal is £225,000.

We have undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment to identify likely or actual effects on people with protected characteristics. The Equality Impact Assessment will be reviewed and updated as required, taking account of consultation feedback.

You can find the full proposal document and Equality Impact Assessment below in the related documents section.