New Relationship with Schools Policy

This Research Brief presents the summative findings from the national evaluation of the New Relationship with Schools (NRwS) policy.

The policy, announced in 2004, was recognition of the need to streamline and improve the relationship between the then Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Local Authorities (LAs) and schools; ensure closer alignment of national and local priorities; and address ‘bureaucracy’ as an ongoing area of concern at both the primary and secondary phases of education.

Key points:
- The evaluation demonstrates that a number of the strands of NRwS, both independently and collectively, have supported a move towards the intelligent accountability framework envisaged when the policy was first announced. There is also evidence that these developments are contributing to improvements in quality and standards for some schools and LA areas, particularly in the secondary sector.
- The outcomes achieved place LAs and schools in a good position to respond to some of the challenges set out in the recently published Children’s Plan, including those associated with preventative school support, challenge for coasting schools, improving attainment for specific groups and engaging parent’s in their child’s learning.
- There is a need for continued efforts at national level to work towards more coherent
policy development and delivery across all ECM services and ensure schools have the capacity and necessary support to respond to the significant developments currently affecting the sector. There is also the potential for greater value to be achieved from addressing some aspects of consistency and effectiveness associated with school self-evaluation, data availability and the School Improvement Partner (SIP) programme.