Memorandum submitted by Margaret-Anne
Barnett, School Diversity Division, DfES (DP 57)
BACKGROUND
1. The Diversity Pathfinders project was
established late in 2002 as a result of feedback from consultations
on the Government's Green Paper, Schools Achieving Success.
The then Secretary of State, Estelle Morris, met with head teachers
and LEAs from around the country in early 2002 and a number of
issues were raised about the potential impact of the Government's
diversity agenda, and in particular the proposed expansion of
the specialist schools programme.
2. The following reference to a proposed
pathfinder initiative appeared in section 5.35 of the White Paper:
"We want to move quickly to develop and demonstrate the benefits
of greater secondary specialisation and diversity. We will therefore
establish a small number of areas to act as pathfinders for the
policy, so that their experiences can inform the policy as it
develops".
THE SELECTION
PROCESS
3. The Government wanted a small, diverse
group of LEAs that already had plans in place to trial innovative
approaches to diversity and collaboration, could begin quickly
and would not need significant support to get underway. It was
intended to be a relatively low cost way to learn about the benefits
of different approaches to specialisation and collaboration that
could go on to inform future policy development.
4. Eleven LEAs were invited to submit proposals.
They were LEAs that:
— had a good track record;
— were innovative in their approach
to school diversity;
— had good Ofsted reports;
— were from different parts of the
country;
— were a mix of rural and urban;
— had demonstrated good change management
strategies in the past; and
— were already implementing strategies
to develop the specialist school model.
5. In July/August 2001, 13 LEAs submitted
proposals to be Diversity Pathfinders (DP). Two were unsolicited.
At the end of September 2001 the Secretary of State gave approval
for six LEAs to be Diversity Pathfinders. Each LEA's project plan
addressed particular local needs and also focused on one or more
of the following Diversity Pathfinders policy aims:
— develop collaborative, strategic
ways to increase the number of specialist schools and the range
of specialisms in the LEA;
— work with schools, the community
and local businesses to ensure that local secondary schools meet
local needs, eg equipping students who wish to continue to live
and work in their local community with the knowledge and skills
they need to do so;
— develop effective strategies to enable
secondary schools to operate in a more collaborative way, sharing
experiences, programmes of learning, professional development
and models of good practice.
6. The Pathfinder LEAs are expected to demonstrate
how an area-wide, collaborative way of working increases the diversity
of secondary provision in an LEA, while supporting individual
schools to work to their strengths. By encouraging schools to
move from a "culture of independence to one of interdependence",
we expect a greater potential for individual schools to contribute
to raising standards across all schools in an authority. The development
of these "learning communities" will, for example, enable
students to attend their local schools yet benefit from specialist
courses offered by other schools (for example, through e-learning
and shared professional development of teachers). The broad aims
and the progress the Diversity Pathfinder LEAs have made to date
are summarised below.
CORNWALL
7. There are 31 secondary schools in Cornwall,
including 12 specialist schools and five secondary Beacon schools.
The aim is for every secondary school to become a specialist school,
with a more co-ordinated approach to making bids for specialist
status, supported by the LEA. Specialist and non-specialist secondary
school leaders have met to discuss how they will group schools
together to achieve a broad range of specialisms and to share
good practice.
8. The DP project in Cornwall has three
main aims:
— to achieve diversity with cohesion
across Cornwall's schools;
— to create learning networks across
Cornwall and beyond; and
— to enhance learning opportunities
through an enriched educational experience.
9. The project also has a broader aim of
being part of the economic regeneration of the area.
10. Although the County has only 31 secondary
schools, geographically these are widely spread and this makes
for particular problems with sharing expertise. However, head
teachers have met and committed themselves to participation in
the project. Much of the sharing will be done through the medium
of ICT.
11. The project is currently co-ordinated
by a secondary head teacher who is seconded to work on the project
for one day per week. The project is still in its early stages.
A management infrastructure is currently being established which
will include the main stakeholders in the LEA, schools, business
and industry leaders and the wider community. The initiative in
Cornwall is already proving to be a powerful catalyst for change.
An education trust is being established called "Talented
Cornwall" which aims to support innovation across Cornish
schools and colleges, and link the public and private sectors.
It is expected that this will attract significant private sector
funding and support into local education in the County.
PORTSMOUTH
12. All 10 of the secondary schools, the
two special schools, two pupil referral units and the sixth form
college in Portsmouth are part of the DP project. The aim of the
project is to create a "learning community", wherein
schools see themselves as responsible for the education of all
Portsmouth children, not just those within their own establishments.
The DP project is seen as a way of bringing together a number
of initiatives currently underway in the City—an Excellence
Cluster, a Transport Pathfinder, and a co-operative and co-ordinated
approach to seeking specialist school status. Fundamental to the
notion of developing the learning community would be support for
schools in building their area of specialism. The aim is for all
schools in Portsmouth to become specialist schools. There are
currently two specialist schools, with further bids underway.
13. Portsmouth established a number of co-operative
strategies to share subject expertise across schools. There is
also an innovative arrangement with a sixth-form college which
will support the delivery of the KS4 curriculum at one of the
secondary schools currently facing challenging circumstances.
14. The City of Portsmouth Girls School
is a Training school, and is taking responsibility for a significant
amount of in-service training for the LEA, from entry to headship.
This activity will become self-funding.
15. The schools are working with two consultants
from Sussex University, Dr Michael Fielding and Dr Ian Cunningham,
who will act as "critical friends" to help them develop
and implement their concept of the learning community.
16. The management group for the DP project
includes the head teachers of all the education institutions in
the partnership, the Director of the Training School and the LEA
Secondary Adviser. A head teacher acts as Chair and is seconded
for one day a fortnight to co-ordinate the project in partnership
with the LEA Secondary Adviser. A new post of KS4 adviser and
Project Co-ordinator has been identified and a post of Adviser
for schools facing challenging circumstances has been established.
This post-holder will also develop links with the Training school
and the University of Sussex. A third full-time equivalent post
has been established for a project worker to work on "Building
Learning Communities". A reciprocal post has been created
by the University of Sussex.
NEWHAM
17. All 15 secondary schools in Newham are
part of the DP project. A new school, due to open in September
2004, will also join the project. Currently there are five specialist
schools in the borough, but the aim of the LEA is that all schools
will become specialist in a phased programme which ensures that
the range of specialisms is covered. Bids have been submitted
by a further two schools. There is a target to have nine specialist
schools by 2005.
18. The secondary heads form the steering
group for the project. Support at LEA level is provided by a management
team which includes the current Excellence in Cities (EiC) and
Employment Action Zones (EAZ) co-ordinators. The work of the DP
project is helping parallel developments in sharing effective
practice across primary schools in the EiC and EAZ partnerships.
19. The project has two main strands: one
is to set up a "Network of Effective Practice" and the
other is to promote `Cultural Harmony'. Thus, one strand is focused
on teachers by creating a learning community of heads and teachers,
and the other on students by encouraging the participation and
empowerment of all students. The driving force behind the DP project
is school improvement. The aim is for schools to share their expertise
and effective practices, making good use of schools specialisms.
20. The Newham Network of Effective Practice
is to include a website database which contains examples of effective
practice which schools are willing to share. The heads are in
control of this database and have employed a consultant to clarify
the effective practice that each school has nominated and to ensure
the quality of what the database contains. The protocols for this
work have been agreed by the heads. A mapping of all existing
partnerships and networks between schools and with the School
Improvement Support Service has been undertaken. Work on tracking
inter-school collaboration is already underway in order to share
information and to use the learning from this early collaborative
practice when developing guidance and training.
21. Links are being established between
Newham schools and secondary schools in West Sussex, Portsmouth
and Hertfordshire. By March 2003 all Newham secondary schools
would have had experience of such links with a school in another
LEA.
22. The Cultural Harmony strand of the project
is still in an early stage of development and will be more active
in 2003. Newham students will be involved in a research project
to identify how ethnic and cultural diversity is supported and
embraced and how effective practices can be developed and shared
across schools.
HERTFORDSHIRE
23. Hertfordshire is organising its DP project
in a way that involves all of its secondary, primary and special
schools. The project builds on the existing 16-19 County Strategy
which promotes collaborative working between schools and FE Colleges.
Almost half the County's secondary schools have developed a range
of shared post-16 provision which allows students access to a
wide variety of learning opportunities. There are 76 secondary
schools in the County, all of them with sixth forms and they include
17 specialist schools. The aspiration is for all secondary schools
that wish to do so become specialist.
24. Secondary schools have organised themselves
into collaborative networks, involving primary and special schools.
There are now 12 of these clusters across the county, most of
them with either a head teacher or deputy leading the collaboration.
The cluster leads have a key role to play in liaising regularly
with the other schools and colleges and in disseminating good
practice in teaching and learning, bid writing, fund raising and
successful collaboration. Further clusters are in the planning
stages.
25. Good practice is established and disseminated
in a variety of ways. Twenty- eight curriculum network meetings
have been held across the County this term covering each specialism.
These meetings have been led by the advisory service and Advanced
Skills Teachers and attended by subject leaders. A website has
been launched that will facilitate the sharing of good practice
at local and county-wide level. This currently contains information
on curriculum network meetings, case studies on good classroom
practice, and the bidding intentions of schools seeking specialist
status. The website is co-ordinated by the LEA and will eventually
feed into the Technology Colleges Trust's national and international
networks. Good practice and information is also disseminated by
the publication of a twice termly update which is sent to all
secondary, primary and special schools. A survey of existing specialist
schools' links with primary schools has been completed and published
both in the update and on the website.
26. An example of such clusters is the Stevenage
Collaboration Group which has set itself the task of transforming
Stevenage into a "specialist town", one in which every
school is a specialist school and every specialism is included.
Its aims include transforming "the experiences of students
and their teachers in terms of flexible access to specialisms,
teaching and learning expertise and facilities" and developing
"education and business partnerships to promote the town
as an innovative and enterprising learning community with a thriving
knowledge based economy". A key aspect of its strategy is
to draw together and enhance existing cross phase (primary/secondary)
collaboration and other partnerships, including that with the
local college.
BIRMINGHAM
27. Birmingham's pathfinder is focused on
the creation of "collegiate academies", described as
a group of schools that act together to create a "commonwealth"
for the benefit of students and staff. Three collegiates are at
different stages of development in Birmingham. The one that is
at a most advanced stage and is being supported by the Diversity
Pathfinders Project is the Oaks Collegiate Academy which consists
of six secondary schools, including a special school and two specialist
schools. All plan to be specialist in time.
28. The Academy has a Board, made up of
all the head teachers and a full-time Collegiate Co-ordinator
who took up post at the beginning of September 2002. It also employs
collegiate-based Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs). The ASTs now
in post are using outreach time across the collegiate to improve
the skills of teachers in maths and ICT. The Academy is committed
to the principles and vision for collegiates as developed by Professor
Tim Brighouse (who was the CEO for Birmingham up until September
2002). These include common closure days and off-timetable days,
broad band connectivity to enable video conferencing, collegiate
days for common activities and themes, establishment of a group
of link governors, and a budget contribution from schools of a
half to one per cent. Potential benefits perceived by the LEA
and head teachers concerned include: opportunities to share approaches,
resources and practice; widening the range of courses at age 14;
broader opportunities for continuing professional development;
extending e-learning; establishing a collegiate intranet; maintaining
individual school identities and development of specialisms, within
and complementing a collective identity.
29. The Board has been meeting regularly
for some months and the Collegiate formally commenced at the beginning
of the autumn term 2002. As well as DfES funding the Collegiate
has additional financial support, which includes private charitable
funding for the ASTs. A programme of activities and key initiatives
are underway. The strategic focus in these early days of the Collegiate
is on:
— a Collegiate intranet; and
MIDDLESBROUGH
30. At the end of the current academic year
there will be nine secondary schools in Middlesbrough. Two of
these will be city academies, one is a City Technology College
and all of the remaining six are either specialist schools or
are in the process of applying to become specialist schools.
31. The Diversity Pathfinder project is,
therefore, set against an environment of significant change.
32. Middlesbrough has developed an operational
link with Birmingham to share good practice in the development
of collegiate working. A Gatsby-funded project is being run in
tandem with the Diversity Pathfinder project to encourage innovative
ways to recruit and develop science, maths and IT teaching in
schools. There have been two joint seminars with Birmingham and
Middlesbrough head teachers where good practice has been exchanged.
33. Links are well established between the
existing schools in Middlesbrough and there is a clear acceptance
that together they provide a holistic education service for the
children of the town. The Excellence Challenge Board has been
a helpful platform in developing movement towards a collegiate
approach to learning. A clear feature of the Leadership Incentive
Grant proposals will be a collegiate approach to leadership where
strengths will be identified to facilitate an agreed way forward.
Within the town, a degree of pairing has developed and this is
seen as a first step towards collegiate activity. Within the EAZ,
collegiate practices are well established and these are being
shared through the town. This has led to a joint Personal Development
day with all schools participating.
34. The project management has undergone
some change during the current academic year. Both the Corporate
Director of Education and the Excellence in Cities Co-ordinator
have left the Authority (the EiC Co-ordinator having operational
responsibility for the Diversity Pathfinder project). The new
Corporate Director has asked the Head of Lifelong Learning to
take over project management responsibility from December 2002.
The Co-ordinator's post is about to be filled.
35. Middlesbrough is also an Extended Schools
Pathfinder. This project concentrates on two primary schools and
a special school in an attempt to develop a collegiate approach
to community activity serving a specific neighbourhood. It is
felt that there is a considerable element of "joining up"
of the philosophy of provision within the collegiate way forward,
resulting from the involvement of the Diversity Pathfinder project.
36. Since the Diversity Pathfinder commenced,
the following activities have been developed within the project:
— Further Education College providing
courses for collegiate take up
— Learning Mentors across schools sharing
specialisms being co-ordinated via existing EiC arrangements
— Learning and Skills Council / Local
Strategic Partnership project developed collegiately serving children
in five Wards who attend two schools
— A common network for disaffected
children serving all schools
— The Council's 14-19 Policy has an
agreed aim for collegiate working
— Individual schools prospectuses advertise
the collegiate commitment
FUNDING
37. The amount of money given to each project
varies and is determined by the aim and depth of the project objectives.
The intention is that the projects are low cost so that effective
strategies demonstrated by the Pathfinder LEAs are replicable
and affordable. Costs range from a total over three years of £263k
for Middlesbrough to £490k for Hertfordshire.
EVALUATION
38. All projects include on-going LEA evaluation
to determine the extent to which Diversity Pathfinders can influence
school improvement through greater collaboration and specialisation.
A national research project has been commissioned from the Institute
of Education, University of London and the Open University to
evaluate the outcomes of the initiative as a whole. This commenced
in April 2002.
The aims of the evaluation
39. The general aims of the evaluation are
as follows:
— To evaluate the effectiveness of
the DP projects in terms of their:
— (a) impacts on diversity
and collaboration;
— (b) educational effects;
— (c) differential effects
(impacting on inclusion);
— (d) effects on schools"
use of resources;
— (e) overall cost effectiveness;
and
— (f) own specific aims and
objectives.
— To suggest conclusions and lessons
for future policy and practice with respect to collaboration and
diversity.
— The final report is due in October
2005.
METHODOLOGY
40. The research design combines qualitative
and quantitative research methods to assess the impact on student
outcomes and educational opportunities and effects, the responses
of students and schools to the experience of collaboration, and
the processes and costs involved in forging and continuing collaboration
and in enhancing diversity. One or more of collaborating groups
of schools in each of the six LEAs will be studied.
41. Quantitative and qualitative data will
be collected from DfES, LEA and school sources (including student
surveys) on students' intermediate and final outcomes (exam results,
curriculum diversity, satisfaction with school and participation
in post-16 education), financial and time costs of collaboration,
and other relevant data. Interview and observation data will be
collected on the extent of DP schools' collaboration in professional
development, sharing staff, courses and specialist equipment,
use of ICT, and on factors promoting or hindering school collaboration.
Each LEA or DP area will be treated as a case-study.
CONCLUSION
42. The Diversity Pathfinder project has
been running now for almost a year, and will be funded until the
end of March 2005. Early indications are that the project has
been a powerful catalyst for collaboration in the pathfinder LEAs.
The depth of the collaboration, ie the degree to which collaboration
between schools genuinely challenges poor performance and confronts
issues such as social inclusion, varies across the pathfinders.
Unsurprisingly it appears to be strongest in areas where the schools
are not competing for students. Head teachers across the pathfinders
are unanimous in their view that partnerships work best when the
schools involved are in the partnerships as equals; not necessarily
in terms of absolute school performance, but in the sense that
each is seen as having something to contribute. There is a real
enthusiasm from many heads and teachers about the project's focus
on greater collaboration and the opportunity this gives the schools
to share responsibility for meeting the diverse needs of students
and to greatly improve the degree to which teachers learn together
and share best practice.
January 2003
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