School effectiveness research

The CfBT have released a literature review into school effectiveness.

Findings:
- Schools account for between 5-18% difference in student attainment. However, teachers account for a larger proportion.
- Social and affective measures are interdependently linked to attainment and vice versa
- Feeling part of the school community is likely to have a positive effect on pupils, which poses problems for those groups which typically do not feel part of the school community
- Schools matter most for the underprivileged or under achieving students and effective or ineffective schools are especially effective or ineffective for these students

There are nine processes for effective schools:
1. Processes of effective leadership
2. Processes of effective teaching
3. Developing and maintaining a pervasive focus on learning
4. Producing a positive school culture
5. Creating high and appropriate expectations for all
6. Emphasising student responsibilities and rights
7. Monitoring progress at all levels
8. Developing staff skills at the school site
9. Involving parents in productive and appropriate ways

Whereas the ineffective school is found to have a lack of vision, unfocused leadership, dysfunctional staff relationships and ineffective classroom practice.

The report also has recommendations for schools serving disadvantaged communities (with a recommendation that they receive additional resources) and school improvement strategies.

Investigation into school partnerships

A year long study by the ASCL into school partnerships has found:

- There is a strong intellectual case for collaboration
- Lateral learning helps to spread ideas
- Collaborations can bring economies of scale, widen curriculum choice and ensure the broader welfare of students through working with other agencies
- Collaborations improve teaching and learning as well as the organisations leadership and management
- Outcome and opportunities for students are increased in line with the partnership's objectives

However, the author also noted that the benefits of partnership working are not evenly distributed and not always straight forward to assess.

They found the main barrier to partnership working is insufficient funding followed by transport, excessive meetings and the lack of a common timetable. There were also barriers around a conflicting inspection regime and the nature of local authority engagement. Whereas clarity of purpose, funding and a flexible model of working were seen as assisting the partnership to flourish.

Most partnerships involve at least six schools, with most schools being in 2 or 3 partnership initiatives. The main motivation behind partnership working is the drive to raise student attainment. 60% of partnerships are less than 3 years old and 90% of partnerships spend less than £100,000 on management and administration.

The report also highlights learning from the Private sector, federations, ICT, the 14-19 pathfinders and the extended schools services.

Impact of Extended Schools and Children's Centres

Ofsted have reviewed 30 Children's Centres and 32 Schools across 54 Local Authorities to find:

- over 75% of those examined provided good or better service overall
- All those examined integrated education and child care effectively
- Both extended schools and children's centres need to better reach new parents and children
- Strategic guidance from the local authority assisted the children's centre and extended school, however there was no assessment of whether the centre was providing value for money as monitoring was weak
- Those using the centres found them to be beneficial and take up was best when consideration was given to transport and integrating health service provision
- Uncertainties around the finances of multi-agency partners threatened services and staffing especially in children's centres

For Children's Centres:
- In 23 (of the 30 examined) children's centres children were seen to be making at least good progress in sessions observed, however, none of the centres monitored the long term progress of children
- There was a positive link between the senior staff having qualifications in education and the children's attitude towards learning and their enjoyment of learning

For extended schools:
- 13 (of the 32 examined) provided the full core offer
- All schools examined provided a varied menu of activities but they also found it difficult to offer year round care or to support families in finding provision
- A positive impact on the child's achievement and personal development was evident, this was greatest for the most vulnerable children
- The most effective are those which integrated the extended school into the whole school improvement plan
- There was some radical thinking in the application of multi-agency working

Best Practice in Post-16 Vocational courses

Ofsted have released five papers examining effective provision of post-16 vocational teaching and learning. The research was gathered by conducting over 100 visits to colleges which provided courses in business, administration and law; science; engineering and manufacturing technologies; construction; planning and the built environment; and agriculture, horticulture and animal care.

The best providers are those which:
- Have subject specialists, who have considerable experience in industry, technology and the relevant vocation
- Have strong links to local employers and business, this often results in sponsorship and/or donations
- Conduct continuous assessment of the students to ensure they are on the right track, have appropriate individual targets and swiftly identified and supported those at risk of falling behind
- Had good leadership and management

Some providers tailored the provision by offering learning on business premises.

However, weaknesses in the use of ICT was found.

Leading for social inclusion

The NCSL have released a paper on effective leadership for social inclusion in which they find mixed results on how useful current leadership is in assisting social inclusion.

Amongst the recommendations:

- For policy they suggest changes to how schools are measured and reported on; extra curricula freedoms; reduction in conflicting policies.
- For practice there needs to be a strong vision around social inclusion which is translated into appropriate structures. A variety of staff motivation techniques are needed and effective leader selection is important.
- For leadership development the authors believe that leadership motivation skills are more important than leadership structures; training for leadership when under pressure is crucial as are context and succession.

Diversity in Primary schools

The Primary Review have recently released a useful thought-piece on diversity. The authors believe that the current constructions on diversity conceal as much as they reveal and mislead as much as guide. They advocate a new construction.