APPENDIX 4
Memorandum submitted by Staffordshire
Local Education Authority (T4)
STANDARDS FUND 509 THE SMALL SCHOOL FUND
BACKGROUND
1. Following a review of education provision
and organisation, a major school closure programme took place
in the 1980's. Staffordshire's remaining rural schools are considered
essential to their community.
2. Staffordshire's policy is to review schools
with less than 25 pupils. There are no proposals to close small
rural schools. The LEA is currently undertaking a phased review
of education provision and organisation in each District.
LEA FINANCE AND
SUPPORT FOR
SMALL SCHOOLS
3. The LEA's funding formula provides significant
additional finance for small schools with less than 50 pupils.
4. The LEA's own small school fund replaces
the 1986 DfE Grant to support small school collaboration. The
fund, now £76,000, continues to sustain and extend collaborative
arrangements and cluster activities. The fund currently supports
66 schools with less than 100 pupils, organised in 17 clusters.
5. Clusters are allocated funds through
an agreed formula consisting of a base budget and a banding system,
weighted in favour of the smaller schools, as follows:
6. Clusters nominate co-ordinators to manage
cluster budgets and co-ordinate cluster activities. Co-ordinators
meet each term. The LEA Inspector or Adviser for Small Schools
chairs meetings. A separate committee organises the annual conference.
7. Cluster Development plans focus on leadership
and management; curriculum and staff development; pupils shared
and enrichment activities; governors, parents and the community.
8. The fund also supports development projects,
pilot initiatives and attendance at the LEA Primary and Small
School Conferences.
TSF 33/36—2000-01 and SF 509 The Small
School Fund—2000-02 and 2002-03
9. Extracts from 2001-02 Standards Fund
Document
"The Secretary of State intends to use the
Standards Fund to support small schools, both to provide extra
funding from which they can meet proportionally higher administrative
and other costs, and also to encourage the development of innovative
approaches to collaboration to raise standards and reduce burdens.
The two predecessor grants, (TSF 33 and TSF 36), will be merged
in a new schools fund which will enable both objectives to be
met, and allowing greater flexibility at local level (including
in the definition of thresholds for flexibility). LEAs and schools
will be encouraged to develop consortium approaches with schools
in neighbouring LEAs where relevant, and to share successful ideas
via the website." Paragraph 26 (Page 8)
"This fund, which merges the two predecessor
Standard Fund grants supporting small schools, will be allocated
to LEAs by a formula based on the number of schools with no more
than 200 pupils on roll (primary and secondary) or 600 pupils
(secondary), and an allowance for nursery school and PRUs. LEAs
may retain up to 2.5% (subject to a maximum of £15,000) to
fund their own costs in developing innovative projects and evaluating
and disseminating good practice. The balance should be devolved
to schools in two parts. The first (at least 75% of devolved funds)
is to support the proportionately higher cost to small schools
of administrative staff, supply cover and other support for teachers.
The second is intended to enable LEAs to develop with their small
schools a programme of innovative approaches to joint working
targeted at improving educational standards and improving efficiency
of management and administration". Paragraph 10 (Page 25)
10. The LEA regards innovation, collaboration
and networking as essential to achieving sustainable, lasting
change. Encouraging clusters of schools and groups of headteachers
and teachers to work and learn together towards shared goals,
effectively improves provision for all pupils and raises overall
standards.
11. In the financial year 2000-01 the LEA
elected to further support small schools by participating in the
matched funding arrangements of TSF Grants 33 and 36 and subsequently
SF 509 the Small School Fund.
12. Current matched funding for administrative
support and collaborative initiatives is £1,640,000.
13. Funds are devolved within the prescribed
criteria. Establishments include Pupil
Referral Units, Special, First, Primary and Middle
Schools. The administrative element, £1,219,000, is distributed
equally, with the exception of PRU's. The element for collaborative
initiatives, £406,020, is distributed through a banded formula
weighted in favour of the smaller schools, as follows:
14. The LEA retains £14,700, permitted
within the criteria.
15. Retained funding enables the LEA to
sustain two very significant initiatives. The first is the appointment
of an experienced small school headteacher as Small School Adviser.
The second is the release of £36,000 from the LEA's small
school fund to finance a wide range of developments. These include
pilot initiatives, networking, CPD activities, the Small School
Conference and part funding of the appointment of the Adviser
for Small Schools.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
16. The following performance indicators
were included within the LEA's Education Development Plan to support
small schools.
Collaborative activities:
— the LEA continues to provide additional
funding for small schools;
— the LEA appoints a seconded headteacher
as Adviser for Small Schools;
— schools are aware of opportunities
and good practice within collaboration;
— support for small school clusters
continues;
— cluster budgets are agreed through
consultation;
— cluster co-ordinators administer
cluster budgets, co-ordinate cluster activity and submit development
plans;
— collaborative activities support
leadership and management, joint planning, curriculum support,
extension and enrichment activities and new initiatives;
— termly meetings of cluster co-ordinators
are well attended;
— minutes and cluster reports are distributed;
— activities and expenditure are monitored;
and
— SATs data indicates pupil attainment
in small schools compares favourably with all schools.
Conferences:
— headteachers are consulted;
— a conference working group is established;
— conference objectives support management
and attainment in small schools;
— conference is well attended; and
— evaluations are analysed, inform
contributors and future planning.
17. The above, together with examples of
activities and initiatives contained within the following sections,
relate to the role of the adviser for small schools, pilot projects,
networking and conferences. Together with the summary, these reflect
both the range of LEA support, and good practice.
THE ROLE
OF THE
SMALL SCHOOLS
ADVISER
18. The post of full-time Small School Adviser
was established in January 2001. The Adviser is based within the
LEA's CPD team.
19. The role is to support and extend collaborative
and innovative practice within existing small school clusters,
and to share, encourage and develop good practice within the 194
schools receiving matched funding through the Standards Fund.
The developing role of the small school adviser
includes:
— termly meetings with the Cluster
Co-ordinators of 17 small school clusters;
— monitoring and evaluating Cluster
Development plans and SF 509 Action plans;
— regular school visits for support
and development activities;
— initiation of innovative pilot projects;
— providing opportunities for county
and country-wide networking;
— developing closer links with LEA
"statistical neighbours" and input at conferences;
— involvement in National College for
School Leadership initiatives for small schools;
— establishment of the Staffordshire
small school web site;
— planning the annual Staffordshire
Small School Conference;
— ensuring local and national initiatives
are offered appropriately to small school headteachers; and
— offering key ideas, values, vision
for the future which can make effective impact on small school
provision.
SUPPORT FOR
SMALL SCHOOL
CLUSTERS
20. For the smallest schools, with less
than 100 pupils, SF 509 funding is essential for effective collaboration.
Only in exceptional circumstances do these schools vire funding
to balance their budgets. For example, to maintain staffing.
21. SF 509 has enabled more funding to be
directed towards strategic developments focussing on the quality
of leadership and management, and teaching and learning.
22. Opportunities for pupils to extend and
enrich their learning remain a strong element in cluster collaboration.
23. The most successful initiatives are
those where small school clusters have combined LEA and SF 509
funding. Initiatives include joint appointments of specialist
teachers in ICT and art, and supply teachers to release co-ordinators
to fulfil their roles within a cluster.
PILOT PROJECTS
24. Pilot projects are funded through the
LEA's small school fund. The current allocation is £14,000
for specific innovative, collaborative projects including:
— appointment of a joint bursar for
a cluster to seek out and bid for grants and sponsorship to offer
an enhanced curriculum and lighten the workload;
— appointment of a joint PDC for a
cluster to build professional development into the Cluster development
plan as a natural part of the self review and performance management
cycle;
— development of common mixed age planning
formats, linked to a Beacon School project, and available through
the small school web site;
— planning and providing professional
development for aspiring acting headteachers in small schools;
— planning and providing subject leadership
training for a group of small schools;
— developing projects with First and
Middle schools to support pupil transfer;
— facilitating a new arts curriculum
project for the small feeder schools of a High School with Specialist
Arts Status;
— developing cluster activities for
Gifted and Talented pupils;
— strengthening aspects of "confederation"
within clusters;
— advising and supporting the successful
bid for the "Network Learning Community" by ten small
schools in two clusters from the north and south of the Staffordshire.
This national project, using ICT as a vehicle, aims to initiate
effective, innovative, creative leadership at all levels, and
to raise standards and enhance learning opportunities by working
and learning together. The project attracts £50,000 for three
years. Funding is matched by the schools.
NETWORKING
25. The LEA small school fund provides £4,000
to fully fund networking opportunities offered to small school
staff. Networking enables the sharing of best practice and informs
cluster and individual school future developments. Staff are invited
to attend specific networking sessions in nominated schools across
Staffordshire. Each term the Networking Officer designs a programme.
26. One example is the opportunity provided
for teachers to observe the use of an interactive whiteboard in
a Beacon School. The Beacon School supported a small school to
purchase and install a whiteboard. This will be used to support
teacher development within and beyond the cluster, enabling others
in small schools to recognise the latest ICT developments and
the financial implications.
27. Networking is effectively established
with the East Midlands Advisory Small School Group and the LEA's
statistical neighbours. Regular meetings and conferences have
allowed innovation to be shared much more widely. Networking and
collaboration between schools across the Counties is also developing.
THE PRIMARY
AND SMALL
SCHOOL CONFERENCES
27. The LEA's small school fund provides
£8,000 to support Primary and Small School Conferences.
28. The fund finances the organisation of
the Small School Conference and the attendance Headteachers of
schools with fewer than 100 pupils. The conference is now extended
to all schools under 200 pupils receiving SF 509. All delegates
pay a conference fee.
29. Each small school cluster attending
the residential Primary Conference funds a representative Headteacher.
SUMMARY
31. The LEA has combined its own small school
fund with the SF 509 Small School Fund. This has enabled the LEA
to:
— appoint an Adviser for Small Schools;
— sustain and develop established small
school cluster activity;
— establish new clusters;
— share good practice through collaboration
and conferences;
— establish and finance development
groups and pilot initiatives; and
— extend networking between LEA schools
and other LEAs including statistical neighbours.
32. Monitoring of SF 509 indicates that
out of 194 schools, 150, (78%), have action plans for collaborative
activities.
33. Section 10 Ofsted Inspection Reports
confirm effective collaborative activity.
34. Data analysis indicates small school
KS1 and KS2 SATs results compare favourably with LEA schools.
35. Headteachers recognise the valuable
impact and opportunity provided through the combination of LEA
funding and SF 509 matched funding. Funding is seen as a key element.
36. Effective and creative leadership is
vital to the success of innovative collaborative initiatives.
The role of the Small School Adviser is essential to sustaining,
developing, and extending good practice.
13 January 2003
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