UPDATE NO 460 02 July 2021

New publications from the upon programme at The Staff College

Jo Davidson, upon Programme Director, The Staff College writes

“We have published two new research reports on the recruitment, progression and retention of skilled leaders into Children’s Services, including AD and DCS roles.

“For further information or discussion please contact upon@thestaffcollege.uk.

“Pushing at an Open Door explores the challenges and opportunities for enabling leaders from the education sector to transfer to local government roles.

“Breaking Through the Mistrust explores the challenges and opportunities for ensuring black leaders are able to progress into senior roles and thrive.  This explores the mismatch between the perceptions and realities of white leaders compared to those of black leaders.

“The recommendations in both reports are designed to provoke change in recruitment practices to improve the succession planning in children’s and other services.  The reports are relevant for leaders and managers involved in recruitment decisions, within Children’s Services, HR functions, senior leadership teams and elected members. 

“More advice and tools to support change in relation to the findings of the Breaking Through the Mistrust report are available from our Leading in Colour publication, and look out for sessions to explore further changes which local areas can make to the development opportunities for leaders.”

Behaviour management strategies, in-school units and managed moves – DfE consultation closes 10 August 2021

DfE opened this consultation on 29 Jun 2021, and it closes on 10 Aug 2021. They say,

“We’re seeking views to understand how schools utilise their behaviour strategies to manage common behavioural challenges.

“The government is committed to improving behaviour and discipline in schools for all children and young people. The government has committed to revising the non-statutory guidance on behaviour and discipline in schools and the statutory guidance on suspensions and permanent exclusions

“For further information contact 0114 212 0263 cfe.behaviour@education.gov.uk“

National professional qualifications (NPQs) reforms

On 1 July 2021, DfE published National professional qualifications (NPQs) reforms

From autumn 2021, a reformed suite of NPQs will be available for teachers and leaders who want to develop their knowledge and skills in school leadership and specialist areas of teaching practice.

If you are interested in a particular NPQ programme, your first step will be to contact your local teaching school hub. To find your local teaching school hub click here.

As part of the government’s long-term education recovery plan, £184 million of new funding for NPQs was announced on 2 June 2021 to be spent over the course of this parliament. Some of this support is restricted to schools “the top 30th percentile in relation to pupils on pupil premium as of the end of the previous academic year“.

These reforms include:

• reforming the 3 existing NPQs in senior leadership, headship and executive leadership
• replacing the current NPQ in middle leadership with 3 new NPQs for teachers and leaders who want to develop their expertise in specialist areas of teaching practice

Liberty Protection Safeguards – funding announced by DHSC on 25 June 2021

On 25 June 2021, DHSC announced new funding for support for national training and readiness for the implementation of LPS. The Local Government programme will be led by the LGA and ADASS, in partnership with the DHSC and DfE.

Hilary Paxton at LGA has more details, and the settlement of how best to support adults and childrens services in the south east has not yet been resolved.

Future dates for network meetings

Lead Members Group: Friday 3 December 2021. More information from Alison Michalska (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Tuesday 13 July 2021. More information from Alastair Lee (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: Tuesday 13 July 2021. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: Friday 17 September – 10.00am. More information from Chris Owen (contact details below)

AD Safeguarding: Friday 10 September 2021. More information from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: More information from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

Fostering Network: 10.30am 19 July 2021. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SEND SE19: 20 July 2021 12:00 – 13:30 (LAs). More information from Tracey Maytas (contact details below)

Government Targets – overuse can lead to gaming says IfG report

On 16 June 2021, the Institute for Government published Using targets to improve public services.

The IfG says “Government targets in public services may do more harm than good.

“The government has added new targets to existing ones across key public services such as the NHS, schools and the police, which it hopes will improve performance in those services hit by the Covid-crisis.

“But this report reveals the way that targets have been used for easy wins, have ignored important issues and manipulated data. For example, the government’s target to process 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by 30 April 2020 was only achieved by encouraging testing of low-priority cases and reclassifying what counted as a test.”

The full report is here

Left behind: white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds from HoC Education Select Committee

On 22 June 22 the House of Commons Education Select Committee published The forgotten: how white working-class pupils have been let down, and how to change it

A summary of the key issues is here: it explains “Our Committee is dedicated to supporting left-behind groups. As a first step, we have looked at why disadvantaged White pupils are being let down, and how the Department can do more support them.

“The white working class are by far the largest group of disadvantaged pupils

“There were around 982,950 White pupils eligible for free school meals in 2020, compared to 139,720 Asian students as the next largest group. Specifically, we looked at White British pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). FSM-eligibility is currently the most pragmatic way to evaluate disadvantage, and is frequently used as a proxy for ‘working class’.

“Disadvantaged white pupils fall behind their peers at every stage of education. This is how FSM-eligible White British pupils performed in 2019:

• only 53% met the expected standard at early years Development Goals
• only 17.7% achieved a strong pass in English and Maths
• 16% started higher education at age 19″

New School population and SEND data from DfE

The secondary and primary school applications and offers data reveals a 5.1% drop in primary numbers for 2021/22. The reduction is ascribed to higher than usual late applications due to covid-19 (which are not included in the stats), reducing birthrate and migration out of the UK post-Brexit

The Schools, pupils and their characteristics data from January 2021 census show a continuing increase in numbers eligible for FSM (13.6% in 2018 to 20.8% in 2021)

The Special educational needs in England data for 2020-21 reveals a 10% rise in EHCPs compared to the previous year (up from 3.3% to 3.7% in England) 

VSH role extension to children with a social worker

On 16 June 2021 DfE published Promoting the education of children with a social worker Virtual School Head role extension

There is a 22-page guidance document and confirmation of s31 grant ranging from £100k for the smallest authorities to £170k for the largest

SMF publish Fostering the future – Helping local authorities to fulfil their legal duties

On 25 June 2021 the Social Market Foundation published Fostering the future – Helping local authorities to fulfil their legal duties. 

It explores current and future challenges surrounding the provision of appropriate foster care placements that meet the needs of some of society’s most vulnerable children.

It makes 5 key recommendations:

1. A nationally coordinated assessment of effective capacity
2. A national strategy for increasing effective capacity
3. Provide local authorities with more support to meet their duties and improve accountability
4. A national register for foster carers 
5. Adopting regional commissioning 

The full report is here

Ofsted publish Childrens Social Care Questionnaires 2021

On 18 June 2021 Ofsted published Childrens Social Care Questionnaires 2021. 

Responses from 7,011 children and young people show that 95% of children and young people said they felt well cared for always or most of the time; and 96% said they felt safe where they lived always or most of the time.