23 March 2016 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

The White Paper: Educational Excellence Everywhere

The White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, which was published on 17 March one day after the Budget, sets out the government’s legislative proposal to require all schools to become academies by 2022. This would be the largest forced structural re-organisation of the education system since the 1944 Education Act.

Currently approximately three quarters of Secondary schools and a quarter of Primary schools in Kent are academies. This leaves 29 Secondary schools, 336 Primary schools and 23 Special schools which are still maintained by KCC. Nationally approximately 75% of schools remain within Local Authority control.

KCC will continue to work with schools to provide advice and guidance on the academy conversion process, and will support and facilitate Kent schools to form multi academy trusts. Single school academy status will become the exception in the future.

Once converted, multi-academy trusts may continue to rely on a range of local authority services, both statutory and traded. Many academies purchase KCC provided services through EduKent. While the local authority’s responsibility for school improvement would be removed by new legislation as schools convert, KCC will retain statutory responsibilities in respect of SEN, other support for vulnerable learners, Admissions, Attendance, Early Years, School Place Planning, 14-19 Skills and Employability and Early Help. The staff currently engaged in delivering these services will continue to do so. The Kent proposal currently being developed, to see these services delivered by a trust or company on a commissioned basis, is designed to relate to the new and rapidly evolving educational landscape.

The White Paper also includes new proposals for qualified teacher status, teacher professional development and leadership training, as well as changes to the Ofsted inspection framework. It is disappointing to read that parents will no longer be members of governing bodies. This proposal, together with the break with local authorities, represents a significant weakening of accountability by schools to their local communities which has been a fundamental feature of our education system since the beginning of the twentieth century.

We will continue to champion good quality education in Kent and support in every way we can improved outcomes for children and young people. There has been a good rate of improvement in the quality and performance of Kent schools, which we want to ensure continues. Currently 85% of schools are judged by Ofsted to be good or better. Of these 68% (400) are LA maintained schools and 32% (191) are academies.

There are 391 LA maintained schools with an Ofsted judgement, of these:

• 86.2% (337 schools) are judged to be good or better
• 12% (47 schools) are judged to be requiring improvement
• 1.8% (7 schools) have been placed in a category of concern

There are 159 academies with an Ofsted judgement, of these:

• 82.4% (131 schools) are judged to be good or better
• 17% (27 schools) are judged to be requiring improvement
• 0.6% (1 school) has been placed in a category of concern

A summary of the White Paper is attached.

The Budget

In the budget last week there was confirmation of the move to fairer funding for schools, with the introduction of a National Funding Formula from 2017-18. Subject to consultation, the government’s aim is for 90% of schools who gain additional funding to receive the full amount they are due by 2020. To enable this to be introduced the government will provide around £500 million of additional core funding to schools on top of the commitment to maintain per pupil funding in cash terms. The government will retain a minimum funding guarantee

Other references to education funding in the budget included a commitment to double the Primary school PE and sport premium from £160 million per year to £320 million per year from September 2017 to help schools support healthier, more active lifestyles. This funding will enable Primary schools to make further improvements to the quality and breadth of PE and sport they offer. There will also be £285 million a year to give 25% of Secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities for pupils, including more sport, and £10 million funding a year to expand breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools starting from September 2017.

I hope you and your staff have a relaxing Easter break.

Patrick Leeson
Corporate Director for Education and Young People's Services