EducationEye, March 2015

FUTUREOUR EDUCATION VISION: VOTE FOR CHILDREN’S

EducationEYEAspect group of Prospect – the professional voice in children’s and young people’s services

www.prospect.org.uk/aspect_group • Issue 1, March 2015

Prospect • EducationEye – March 2015

2 NATIONAL SECRETARY

WELCOME TO EducationEye, which replaces Improvement as the new termly journal for members of Prospect’s Aspect group. We hope you enjoy it. Any comments, feedback or letters would be welcome!

The forthcoming general election will be crucially important to Prospect members who work in many different sectors. For those who work in education, who have children at school or are simply concerned about growing inequality in accessing excellent education, the outcome will be crucial.

Prospect is proud of its political independence but that does not mean that we will not carefully scrutinise the policies of each political party and, where we disagree (or agree), provide evidence to support our assessment of these manifesto commitments.

The Aspect group of Prospect has been involved in producing a general election briefing on education and young people’s services – see pages 13-15. This, and ten other briefings covering aviation, the civil service, defence, employment rights, energy, heritage, the labour market, pensions, science and telecoms, can be found on Prospect’s election microsite at http://ge2015.prospect.org.uk

Since the first free school opened in 2011 we have seen an imbalance in the provision of school places, with an abundance of vacancies in areas where these schools have been allowed to open without public consultation and free from local authority control. Meanwhile, the rule that any new school has to be a free school, even in areas with a squeeze on places, has created an impasse in some areas.

Supporters argue that free schools offer choice and quality and David Cameron recently announced that an incoming Conservative government would pledge to open 500 more by 2020.

However, several high-profile cases where free schools have failed within a short period of opening, and the Commons public accounts committee’s concerns over the management and governance in some free schools, have left huge question marks over the government’s claims.

Labour, meanwhile, has pledged to cancel the free schools programme should it win the next election, arguing that it diverts resources away from creating extra places where there is the greatest shortage and is leading to a huge increase in the number of primary schools where children are taught in classes of more than 30.

TUC research shows that while academy chains and free schools are legally categorised as free schools, many behave like businesses. While the current rules forbid academy sponsors from profiting directly from setting up schools, many have found ways to profit indirectly, leading to the conclusion that the drive for more free schools is not being led by parents, but driven by academy sponsors.

Recent high-profile examples have demonstrated the vulnerability of an education system where a school is accountable directly to the secretary of state.

Those of you who work in school improvement know only too well that the most successful systems of education benefit from a robust middle tier, where children and parents, rather than profit, are at the heart of education policy.

Philippa ChildsProspect national secretary

EducationEye magazine Editor: Penny Vevers

✆ 020 7902 6606 email: penny.vevers@ prospect.org.uk

www.prospect.org.uk/aspect_group

Published by: Prospect New Prospect House 8 Leake Street London SE1 7NN ✆ 020 7902 6600 Fax: 020 7902 6667

Printers: College Hill Press

Design and origination: Amanda Evans

Advertising: Century One Publishing Ltd Alban Row 27–31 Verulam Road St Albans AL3 4DG

✆ 01727 893894 email: ollie@ centuryonepublishing.uk

Change of name, address or employment details: Membership Department ✆ 01932 577007 email: membership@ prospect.org.uk

Acceptance of advertise-ments does not imply recommend ation on the part of the union. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Prospect.

General election: children come first

“The rule that any new school has to be a free school, even in areas with a squeeze on places, has created an impasse in some areas”


3

Help and adviceASPECT GROUP REGIONAL AND SPECIALIST OFFICERSNational Secretary [email protected]

East Midlands, East of England & West Midlands [email protected]

South East of England & London [email protected]

West of England, Wales & West Midlands [email protected]

North of England, Scotland & Northern Ireland [email protected]

Aspect Group of Prospect International House, Turner Way, Wakefield WF2 8EFTel: 01924 207890Fax: 01924 [email protected]

www.prospect.org.uk/ aspect_group

CONTENTS

17

INSIDE4 PAY: A report on the recent

Soulbury officers’ pay negotiations

5 NEWS: Childcare and uniform costs; revised DfE disqualification guidance

6 NEWS: New Northern Ireland education authority; Wales curriculum

7 GOING FULL CIRCLE: The work of school governors is soaring as the education system fragments, increasing the need for greater Ofsted and local authority involvement

10 MINISTERS URGED TO RETHINK BASELINE TESTING: New tests for children within weeks of starting reception will not necessarily provide a rounded picture of their knowledge, understanding and abilities

11 WANT TO GO INDEPENDENT?: Details of an Aspect group training course for those facing redundancy or who would like to become a freelance consultant

13 TIME TO ENGAGE: Prospect’s vision for education, plus a comment from group president Sean Maguire in the run-up to the general election

17 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: Three years ago the government introduced a school-led route into teacher training. But admission figures and word on the ground suggest the policy is stalling

20 BRIEFING: Reviews of recent research papers

23 ‘CLOSE ARTS AND CREATIVITY DIVIDE’: Arts and creativity are being squeezed out of schools, particularly for low-income families

24 CALL TO TRANSFORM CAREERS TEACHING: Every school should have a high-quality, trained careers leader

Cover pic: Stefano Cagnoni

ASPECT GROUP EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (GEC) 2014-2016

Sean Maguire President

Esther Pick-up Keller Vice-president

Peter Mcalister Northern Ireland

Niki Elliot Council member

Susie Hall Council member

Paul Watson Scotland

Thomas Doherty Council member

Vinod Hallan Council member

Fran Stoddart Council member

Sandra Simmons Council member

Council vacancy Wales

Teresa Johnston Council member

Michael Wooler Council member

23

10 7

13

EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROFESSIONALS (EIP) SOULBURY PAY SCALES

Spine point Salary from 1 Sept 2013 Salary from 1 March

2015 (2.2% increase)1 32,677 33,3962 33,847 34,5933 34,952 35,7214 36,071 36,8645 37,185 38,0046 38,299 39,1417 39,470 40,3388 40,594* 41,487*9 41,906 42,82810 43,075 44,02211 44,230 45,20412 45,348 46,34713 46,614** 47,640**14 47,742 48,79215 48,988 50,06716 50,116 51,21917 51,246 52,37418 52,355 53,50819 53,499 54,67520 54,090*** 55,281***21 55,226 56,44222 56,215 57,45323 57,305 58,56624 58,282 59,56525 59,328 60,63326 60,346 61,67427 61,389 62,73928 62,445 63,81929 63,505 64,90230 64,563 65,98231 65,611 67,05332 66,676 68,14233 67,742 69,23134 68,833 70,34735 69,920 71,45736 71,040 72,60337 72,141 73,72838 73,254 74,86539 74,352 75,98740 75,449 77,10941 76,553 78,23742 77,654 79,36243 78,755 80,48744 79,862 81,61845 80,966 82,74646 82,070 83,87747 83,180 85,01148 84,280**** 86,133****49 85,384**** 87,261****50 86,488**** 88,392****

Notes: Salary scales to consist of not more than four consecutive points, based on the duties and responsibilities attaching to posts and the need to recruit and motivate staff. *normal minimum point for EIP undertaking the full range of duties at this level. **normal minimum point for senior EIP undertaking the full range of duties at this level. ***normal minimum point for leading EIP undertaking the full range of duties at this level. ****extension to range to accommodate structured professional assessments.


4 NEWS

AGREEMENT HAS finally been reached with the Local Government Association on pay for the Soulbury grades in local authorities.

It has not been an easy journey and the Aspect Group of Prospect was involved in protracted discussions with the LGA in an attempt to resolve the issues raised by the trade unions in the 2014 pay claim.

Members may be aware that a number of other settlements affecting local government have been negotiated that involve a longer-term deal covering two years.

It therefore came as little surprise that the LGA proposed a similar settlement for Soulbury grades.

The agreement provides for increases to be applied from 1 March 2015 (ie not backdated to 1 September 2014) and will cover an 18-month period up until 31 August 2016.

The trade unions’ claim was for a substantial increase on all Soulbury pay scale points.

The employers’ side responded that the financial position in local government continued to be challenging.

After consulting local authorities, the employers had agreed on an offer which in their view balanced the desire to provide a fair increase for all staff within their limits of affordability.

The final agreement was reached after several meetings. It will ensure that all pay points on the officers’ pay scales will increase by 2.2% from 1 March 2015. The increases will also be applied to London area and fringe payments.

This is in line with settlements

reached for other groups of local authority employees.

The unions also called for a specific car user scheme within the Soulbury agreement, which reflects the real costs of vehicle usage.

The employers responded that the application of the car user allowance is a matter for local determination, based on the policies of individual local authorities.

In reality we know that local authorities are increasingly withdrawing the option of the essential car users’ allowance and relying on occasional users’ rates, with little or no meaningful consultation with the staff who are most affected.

Two further areas included in the claim were about specific

guidance for employers on job evaluation of Soulbury roles and the assessment criteria and application of SPA points.

It has been agreed that joint secretarial discussions will take place on a without prejudice basis on both these subjects and we will keep members informed of developments.

During negotiations the trade unions emphasised the low morale of staff in the Soulbury grades and the challenges in recruiting and retaining them.

In conclusion, the employers’ side said it wanted to place on record thanks for the commitment and significant role that Soulbury officers play in helping to maintain and improve local authorities’ education and children’s services in relation to school improvement, educational psychology services and managing the youth service.

Unions finalise deal on Soulbury officers’ pay

STEFANO

CAGN

ON

I

National secretary Philippa Childs reports on the recent negotiations with the employers’ side

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES Childhood – Where is the nurture?Thursday 29 October 2015, The Abbey Centre,34 Great Smith Street,London SW1 3BU

Parents face 27% rise in childcare costs and struggle with uniformsTHE COST of a part-time nursery place for a child under two has increased by an inflation-busting 33% over the course of this parliament, the Family and Childcare Trust said in February.

In its 14th annual childcare costs survey, the charity revealed that part-time places for under-twos now cost more than £6,000 a year, averaging at £115.45 a week across Britain. This represents a rise of 5.1% in just a year.

All childcare for under-fives has risen by at least 27%, the trust calculated.

Parents in the East Midlands saw the steepest rises, with part-time nursery care for the under-twos costing an average of £118.82 a week, up by 26% since 2014.

Meanwhile the cost of school uniforms has become a constant source of anxiety for many parents, the Children’s Society said in February.

Families are forking out an average £251 per year for each child at a state primary school and £316 for a child at a state secondary.

■ Childcare costs survey: bit.ly/FCT_childcare

■ Uniform costs: bit.ly/CS_uniform ■ The uniform survey supports the

work of the Children’s Commission on Poverty, whose investigation last year exposed the hidden costs of school in the state sector – see bit.ly/CS_poverty

ASP

ECT

SEM

INA

R

The Aspect group is hosting this professional seminar to debate current issues surrounding early childhood provision in the UK. This major event will bring together leading professionals and practitioners in the field.It will include professional input on:

● wellbeing ● the importance of nurture ● understanding child development ● school readiness

● the characteristics of effective learning.There will also be a political panel debate.Speakers include Camila Batmanghelidjh

CBE, chief executive, Kids Company (pictured right) and Sue Robb, head of early years, 4 Children (left).➥ Price: Prospect members £79; non-members £99. Two or more delegates from the same setting receive a 10% discount. To register your interest, email [email protected] or tel 01924 207890.

DfE revises guidance on relatives’ convictions THE DEPARTMENT for Education has revised statutory guidance on the application of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009.

The change in February came after a successful legal challenge by the National Union of Teachers over previous DfE advice – see bit.ly/surreyNUT_comment

The National Association of Head Teachers described the original measures as “disproportionate” – bit.ly/NAHT_disqual

The revised guidance states:

● in a school setting, only staff providing early years provision during school hours and those providing later years provision outside school hours fall within the scope of the Childcare Act

● it is not necessary for schools to ask staff to complete a self-declaration form. They may use other, less intrusive means to determine whether a member of staff is, or may be, disqualified by association

● employers should avoid asking for “unrelated or spent convictions of household members”.

Staff will now be able to remain in school while any waiver application is being considered.

See the new guidance at bit.ly/DfE_disqual

KATY MCD

ON

NELL/G

ETTY IMAG

ES


5NEWS


6 NEWS

PROSPECT’S ASPECT group has been preparing for the launch of Northern Ireland’s new education authority next month, replacing the current five education and library boards.

The union has held several meetings with NI Department of Education officials and the education authority implementation team to ensure members’ terms, conditions and rights are protected on transfer into the new organisation.

Further meetings are planned to iron out potential issues or difficulties, particularly in the area of vacancy control and acting-up positions. Staff in acting-up positions will continue to fulfil that role where the need still exists.

The Aspect group is negotiating to get as many of these posts as possible confirmed as permanent before transfer.

All staff employed by the education and library boards will transfer to the new authority on 1 April, on exactly the same basis as they were employed previously.

TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) will apply at the point of transfer.

For now, officers on additional responsibility posts and honoraria will continue to receive them.

Current management arrangements in each education and library board will continue to apply.

Each chief executive will act as a sub-regional coordinator.

Focus on digital literacy in WalesThe Welsh government has unveiled a major independent report that aims to raise standards and radically change how and what pupils learn at school.

Its author, Professor Graham Donaldson, wants computer programming and IT in all classes to be as important as literacy and numeracy.

Proposals from the former chief inspector of schools include:

● six areas of learning to combine core and non-core subjects

● the replacement of key stages,

which currently apply from infant school to GCSEs.

The report says pupils’ learning should be more seamless as they progress, with better working between primary and secondary schools.

“Digital competency” should be embedded in school life.

As well as improving computer science as a subject, all pupils should be equipped with the ability to programme and code computers, says Professor Donaldson.

■ See full report at: bit.ly/wales_curr

Impact on jobsThe number of senior management posts across the education authority – from assistant senior education officer level and above – will be reduced from 52 to 22 over the next two years. Many Aspect group members are in this category.

At middle management and supervisory level, 20 posts will go.

A voluntary severance scheme will operate for senior and middle management posts. Supervisory role reductions are expected via natural wastage – eg retirement and not filling vacancies.

There may be an increase in lower-level posts, particularly at clerical levels, to reverse a decline in recent years caused by cost reductions.

Where new senior posts (at tier 2 and 3) are advertised internally, there will be no impediment for officers currently acting up to apply for higher posts.

Agreement is being sought for officers leaving under the voluntary severance scheme to do so at current salary levels, irrespective of whether the post is substantive or not.

PensionsAll employees will be eligible to become part of the local government

pension scheme for Northern Ireland, administered by NILGOSC.

Union representationA joint negotiating council will continue, with fewer management representatives, reflecting the move to a single authority. Trade union representation will be unchanged.

A proposed structure for the new authority has been sent to unions for consultation, with many similarities to the previous five directorates. The Aspect group will respond.

Prospect full-time negotiator Clive Scoggins, who is leading talks with the DE and education authority implementation team, said: “I and your lay officers and representatives will seek to ensure the best possible terms and conditions for members.

“We aim to maximise career opportunities in the education sector, and school support and development services in particular.”

April launch for single NI education authority

GETTY IM

AGES

SCHOOL GOVERNORS who take their responsibilities seriously are making a big commitment.

The government sets grand objectives. Governors are tasked with ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction. More prosaically, they are charged with holding head teachers to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and overseeing the finances.

Ministers emphasise the importance of making sure a school’s money is well spent – a laudable objective in itself. This reflects the changing school governance terrain, where centralised government oversight is now twinned with the notional independence of the individual school; often cast adrift from the secure moorings

traditionally provided by local authorities.

Recruiting and retaining school governors is traditionally beset by problems of continuity, quality and expertise, of divided loyalties and the vagaries of local politics.

The term of office is four years. Not surprisingly, well-off areas have less trouble in recruiting governors, as do successful schools. Schools with poor Ofsted grades find it harder.

But it is not easy for any school. Research in 2012 shows that in

schools serving disadvantaged areas, more than eight out of ten report difficulties in recruiting governors. Even in relatively advantaged areas, 62% of schools had trouble recruiting.

Governance and expertiseSchools exist within what the late educationalist and academic Ted Wragg described as a “local ecology” – an intergenerational network of parents and pupils and their links to the local authority and community. This is the case whether they


7SCHOOL GOVERNORS

GETTY IM

AGES

As the work of school governors soars in a fragmenting education system, the need for Ofsted and local authority involvement is becoming more apparent, argues Nick Wright

“Governing boards are crucial to the success of our schools. Setting strategic direction is one of their core functions, but recent research shows that many find this challenging” schools minister lord nash

GOING FULL CIRCLE

are maintained, local authority schools, free schools or academies, whether they stand alone or as part of a chain.

In the best of circumstances, active governance complements the archipelago of expertise that binds school improvement professionals with heads, teachers and families.

Everybody pays tribute to effective partnership working between heads and governors. In every real-life situation this entails a continuous negotiation between school leadership teams – whether “charismatically” directed or genuinely collective – and the governing body.

The language deployed in these discussions can be charged with an undercurrent of anxiety about the authority and autonomy of the head, the power and reach of the governors and the balance of responsibility.

These anxieties have been heightened by a market mentality from ministers, which assumed that schools could be allowed to fail in the manner of an inefficient business enterprise. Thankfully this has been muted since the departure of former education secretary Michael Gove.

Schools are not businesses and governors are not company directors.

Ofsted’s roleSchool governance has improved greatly in the last decades. Governors are more directly accountable, with

the Ofsted framework powerfully contributing to the challenges they face.

This is reflected in the increased prestige and heightened activity of bodies like the National Governors Association and in the greater priority – though constrained as always by limited resources – assigned to governor services in local councils.

In today’s more challenging conditions it is important to maintain a sense of balance about the relative impacts of the different factors that condition children’s learning.

The internal stresses produced within schools by the arrival of an inspection team are well documented – not least by teacher unions.

But however much the Ofsted regime needs recalibrating, the political drive for accountability has contributed powerfully to a new mindset about attainment.

So it is chastening to politicians, over-ambitious governors and heads to grasp the truth – that children’s home environment, their parents’ social status and other factors rooted in social class exert a more powerful effect on attainment than the school itself.

Nevertheless what goes on at school does have the power to

overcome, or at least mitigate, the effects on life chances of other factors. It makes the quality of school leadership critically important.

Personal experiencePersonal experience as a school governor and parent in a succession of headship appointments was a chastening experience.

We had the task of replacing a long-standing head teacher, who was deeply rooted in a multi-racial inner city locality, popular with staff and parents, and had a distinctive leadership style.

A succession of reconstituted appointment panels found it impossible to agree over a parade of hopeful applicants.

It was clear that the governors simply did not have the range of experience, levels of mutual confidence or unity of purpose to make a well-founded decision.

We invited an experienced local education authority advisor to intervene and offer advice, and this enabled us to look again at the changing school intake, consult again with teachers and parents and settle on a new head.

He was quieter and less “charismatic” than his predecessor,


8 SCHOOL GOVERNORS

“There can be no doubt that as the structural fragmentation of the system of publicly funded schools in England has accelerated since 2010, so the

profile of governance has risen” andy kent, chair of the national coordinators of governor services

‘A child’s home environment exerts a powerful effect on their attainment at school, with those from poorer areas at a disadvantage’

but more grounded in developmental theory and innovative practice, more able to reach out to a growing intake of black and ethnic-minority pupils and better able to lead and inspire.

This was just one experience. But it does illustrate that schools are not autarchies and that governors need to take a broad view.

LeadershipHolding the head to account for the performance of the school and the attainment of its pupils may seem simple, but the reality is fraught with complexity.

Governors are not expected to maintain an overall grasp of the whole range of performance indicators.

This is difficult enough for a full-time professional team. But they are expected to take a lead.

The range of indicators is very wide and includes evaluating evidence to demonstrate the proportion of pupils making expected progress; levels of attainment and the quality of teaching and staff morale.

Governors are expected to keep track of resource allocation and pupil wellbeing and behaviour.

The effectiveness of the school’s communication with parents

and its relationship with the local community must be evaluated.

Governors must also take into account the future aspirations of pupils; the range of opportunities for them to experience and enhance success; and the adequacy of the school’s preparation for the next stage of education.

School improvementThe renewed emphasis by Ofsted on local authority school improvement services has refocused attention on the relationship between LAs and governors.

The attention given to schools involved in the so-called Trojan Horse controversy gave this extra salience.

Much controversy was generated by the heightened activity of some governors and governing bodies, and their active involvement in staff selection and curriculum direction – normally a praiseworthy development.

Generally, professionals working in school governor services are positive about the local authority’s challenges and intervention.

Ofsted has marked a new direction in opinion and policy with its interest in the effectiveness of how local authorities collect data and how councils use this in their strategic direction and intervention in schools.

If Ofsted expects local authorities to stay on top of data and be prepared to identify troubled schools on a proactive basis, this assumes a more engaged relationship with governing bodies.

That must be reflected in their composition and, eventually, a modified relationship with both maintained schools and local free schools and academies.

This area is, however, politically problematic. Some local authorities speculate that differences in emphasis between Ofsted and the Department for Education on their

role in relation to academies is leading to a policy clash.

The DfE has invested much in the new regional education commissioners, while Ofsted assumes that local authorities have a more active relationship with academies.

Ofsted is interested in how well local authorities know the schools in their areas; their impact on school improvement; and how engaged they are with school governance structures.

The regulator’s focus on the local authority role in school improvement and governance was bound to create a dynamic that runs counter to the priority assigned by ministerial diktat to the autonomy of schools.

It may well be equally disruptive to the assumptions that some heads (and academy chains) hold about their freedom to act.

Despite the fragmentation of the school system – and school governors’ widened range of responsibilities – attention seems to be refocusing on the local authority role in mobilising resources and deploying professional expertise.

Some might see this as reinventing the wheel, but perhaps that is a good thing.

Nick Wright is the former editor of Improvement magazine, EducationEye’s predecessor

FAMILY OR SCHOOL: bit.ly/fam_review

THE STATE OF SCHOOL GOVERNANCE: bit.ly/school_govs

GOVERNORS’ TOOLKIT: bit.ly/gov_framework

GOVERNOR SERVICES AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: bit.ly/ncogs


9SCHOOL GOVERNORS

GETTY IM

AGES

“I believe there is already a middle tier in England’s education system – and that is the local authority. Your responsibilities are still enshrined in statute and they haven’t gone away. The question is, are you taking those

responsibilities seriously and are you stepping up to the plate, or have you already thrown in the towel?” sir michael wilshaw hm chief inspector of schools, july 2014 speech to the association of directors of children’s services annual conference


10 EARLY YEARS NEWS

THE BEST interests of children will not be served by government plans to introduce baseline test schemes in primary schools, two early education organisations warned in February.

They were commenting after the Department for Education unveiled its approved list of six providers of the new baseline assessment schemes.

The stated rationale for introducing them is so that schools can show how much progress children have made by the time they leave primary school.

Pilots will start from this September, with the schemes rolled out nationally from September 2016. Children will be assessed within six weeks of starting reception class.

The British Association for Early Childhood Education (Early Education) and the Association for Professional Development in Early Years (TACTYC) have called for the existing Early Years Foundation Stage profile to be retained as the measure of children’s progress at the end of their reception year. They say the current process:

● is founded on an understanding of how young children learn and develop

● provides a balanced, age-appropriate and holistic measure of progress at the

end of the Foundation Stage, which fully reflects children’s abilities and incorporates feedback from parents and teachers/practitioners

● is a crucial source of longitudinal national data on this age group.

Both organisations have launched a joint petition calling for a government rethink – see bit.ly/base_petition

High-profile signatories so far include Cathy Nutbrown, head of the University of Sheffield’s school of education and the author of the 2012 government-commissioned review of early education and childcare qualifications.

She said: “Baseline assessment was introduced in the late 1990s and scrapped a few years later, because it was not effective.

“This is a deeply flawed process and not a reliable way to learn about young children’s learning and development. Assessment through ongoing observation and working with young children is the best way to support their learning.”

Early Education chief executive Beatrice Merrick said it was wrong to pressure school leaders into adopting assessment practices in their schools

Ministers urged to rethink baseline testingNew tests for children within weeks of starting reception will not necessarily provide a rounded picture of their knowledge, understanding and abilities, early years experts are warning

THE DEPARTMENT for Education announced the final list of providers in January (see box).

While opposing the change in principle, Early Education and TACTYC have reviewed the six approved schemes, on the grounds that many head teachers will feel pressured to introduce one, though for now it is optional.

They looked at the strengths and weaknesses of all six against the principles of good assessment practice in the EYFS.

While believing that none would be able to fully reflect the principles of the EYFS assessment, the model produced by Early Excellence scored better than the others on a number of criteria.

It is based “as closely as possible on EYFS principles, and would be consistent with ongoing appropriate pedagogical practice”, the reviewers said.

that were not in the best interests of children. She said: “Accountability of schools is an important principle, but the proposed baseline assessment tests are not a sound, effective or valuable means of showing how schools meet the needs of their children.”

Jane Payler, Chair of TACTYC, said the overriding concern must be to ensure excellent quality early years provision for young children around the time of school entry.

“Any measures of accountability that threaten such provision must be resisted,” she added.

Baseline check providers

SEE: www.early-education.org.uk/news/baseline-assessment-guidance

APPROVED PROVIDERSCentre for Evaluation & Monitoring, Durham University (CEM) www.cem.org

Early Excellence www.earlyexcellence.com

GL Assessment www.gl-assessment.co.uk/baseline

Hodder Education www.hoddereducation.co.uk/baseline

National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) www.nfer.ac.uk

Speech Link www.receptionbaseline.co.uk

GETTY IM

AGES

GETTY IM

AGES

■ Experts are wary of too much measuring at a young age

GETTY IM

AGES

THE ASPECT group of Prospect supports many professionals every year through its highly-regarded course for those considering setting up on their own.

The union also delivers tailored in-house courses on request.

In the current economic climate, things to consider include:

● the professional context for independent consultancy

● marketing your unique contribution

● gaining credibility from new skills and approaches to effective consultancy

● the practicalities of setting up a new business, including record-keeping and financing an office

● quality assurance, accounts, tax,

insurance, professional indemnity, contracting and invoicing.

Support is offered in two ways:

● the popular national course held at venues around the UK

● a bespoke in-house course for groups of colleagues working within a local authority or on short-term contracts coming to an end.

National course dates: ● 10 June 2015 – Birmingham ● 14 October 2015 – London

Courses run from 9am-4.30pm. Cost: £245 + VAT for Aspect group members; £295 + VAT for non-

members. The costs for bespoke in-house courses are negotiable.

The programmes are overseen by successful independent associate John Pearce.

■ For more details, or to book your place on a course, please contact Cheryl Crossley on 01924 207890 or email [email protected]

Are you facing redundancy or thinking about becoming a freelance consultant? If you would like to be your own boss this is the course for you

■ Above, a Prospect course offering advice to members facing redundancy

PAUL M

ARRIOTT PH

OTO

GRAPH

Y

Want to go independent?


11CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

tel: 0161 865 3355 • www.earlyyearsresources.co.uk

Language,Communicationand PSHEDevelopment

Order your FREE catalogue today or visit us online

Over 1000NEWproducts

CHEEKYMONKEY

ER459

Each £13.95PUPPET

MONSTEREYFS STICKERGH419Each £34.95

PACK

LITTLEFRIENDSWOODEN PUZZLEER567Each £9.95

Visit us onlinefor exclusiveOFFERS

For all your Curricularneeds shop with

Early Years Resources®

Creative steps ad FP feb 3 2015:Layout 3 24/2/15 10:55 Page 1

NATIO

NAL TRU

ST

FIND YOUR MP, CANDIDATESHouse of Commons

● bit.ly/commons_your_mp ● www.theyworkforyou.com

Northern Ireland Assembly ● bit.ly/ni_mlas

Scottish Parliament ● bit.ly/scot_msps

Wales Assembly ● bit.ly/wales_ams

TIME TO Prospect • EducationEye – M

arch 201513GENERAL ELECTION 2015

As the election looms, Prospect is encouraging members to contact their local MPs and candidates to press them on key policies, including education

IN THE run-up to the general election, Prospect is encouraging members to get in touch with their local MPs and candidates to ask for their views on policies affecting jobs, rights at work and the sectors they work in.

Prospect is not affiliated to any political party and does not advise members on how to vote, but we do want politicians to know about the issues affecting your workplaces.

Branches and individuals can approach their local candidates or use the Prospect Pledge campaign as a springboard.

The union has sent questions covering issues that affect all members to the government and main opposition parties – the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal

Democrats, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and the governing parties in Northern Ireland.

Election micrositeProspect’s election microsite is at ge2015.prospect.org.uk

As replies from the different parties come in, we will publish them in the “answers” area.

Briefings by the union on a range of issues that matter to members are also available on the site. Branches can use them for local and national campaigning and they will be sent to relevant parliamentary spokespeople.

Overleaf we reproduce the union’s education briefing and Aspect group sector president Sean Maguire offers his perspective.

ENGAGE

THE NEXT government should ensure access for all to a good, free state education that is democratically accountable, child-centred and not driven by profit.

Prospect’s Aspect group was involved, with other education unions, in developing the TUC’s Education Not For Sale campaign. We support the call for commitments from all political parties that:

● no school should be run for profit, either directly or indirectly and that this should be enshrined in legislation

● all publicly-funded education institutions should be democratically accountable to their local communities, with a key strategic role for local authorities

● all pupils at publicly-funded schools should be taught by fully qualified teachers and all schools must adhere to an agreed national curriculum.

Government education policy should focus on raising standards, tackling disadvantage and inequality and narrowing the achievement gap. It should safeguard state education as a public service.

Since 2010 government policies have taken education in the opposite direction, creating a democratic deficit in the way schools are governed. The number of children living in poverty has increased, placing even more pressure on schools.

The Children’s Commissioner has identified an 11% cut in capital expenditure for schools between 2010-15. School-building programmes, early years provision, special education needs support and many other services have been affected by cuts.

Teachers face heavier workloads and their national pay structure has been dismantled and performance pay imposed.

Options for children and young people have narrowed, with music, arts, drama and vocational qualifications sidelined and financial support for poorer students entering education after 16 removed.

These changes have impacted on the work of thousands of professionals in education, children’s services and social care, represented by the Aspect group of Prospect.

Among them are school improvement professionals; directors and managers of children’s services; education welfare officers; youth and community service officers; early years professionals; Ofsted inspectors; parent partnership staff; and self-employed consultants.

Academies and free schoolsThe academies and free schools programme – based on the idea that a free market will produce the best results – is fragmenting the education system. Maintained schools face constant pressure to convert to academy status and ultimately become part of a chain of academies. Such chains are subject to a lighter inspection regime.

The Education Act 2011 means that if a local authority thinks a new school is needed, it must seek proposals to establish an academy/free school. These schools are accountable to no one but the Secretary of State.

In January 2015 the Commons education select committee claimed that the academies programme had introduced healthy competition. But it stated: “Current evidence does not prove that academies raise standards overall or for disadvantaged children.”

The committee called on the Department for Education to be more open about how it runs the programme and to give Ofsted full powers to inspect academy chains.

While academy chains are legally categorised as charities, TUC research shows that many behave like businesses. Current rules forbid academy sponsors from profiting directly from running schools, but companies have found ways

to make profits indirectly.The first free schools – independent

schools with state funding – were opened in 2011. People wanting to start a free school are not required to consult local communities, local authorities or parents. Free schools set their own pay and conditions for staff and can employ unqualified individuals as teachers.

They undermine the ability of local authorities to plan school places and give advantages and resources to individual schools at the expense of others.

In May 2014 Parliament’s public accounts committee found that standards of financial management and governance in some free schools were “clearly not up to scratch”.

School improvement School improvement officers, as part of the “middle tier” of local management of education, advise and mentor schools and colleges to produce successfully educated pupils of all abilities.

Since 2010, government education policies have:

● deregulated and commercialised the school improvement function. Buying in improvement expertise has become a matter of choice for individual schools and because of budget cuts, many cannot afford to commission such advice and support

● undermined the ability of school improvement officers to combine

QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATESWhere does your party stand on legislation to prevent schools being run for profit?

Do you support the principle that schools should be accountable to their local communities and that local authorities should have a key strategic role?

Do you agree that all teachers should be qualified and that a national curriculum should be the basis for all pupils’ education?


14 GENERAL ELECTION 2015

Education and children’s services: our vision


the delivery of central government policies with democratic community-based initiatives to produce improvement for all pupils in all schools

● focused too much on narrow academic standards and targets at the expense of a vocational and more rounded education.

The current fragmented school system and marginalisation of local authorities frustrates school improvement and schools risk falling through the gaps.

A successful middle tier must share a moral purpose with pupils, parents and communities that has pupil achievement and school improvement for all at its core.

It must be adequately funded so communities can exercise an appropriate level of democratic oversight of schools and to enable it to facilitate parental engagement and choice. It must plan and build long-term capacity in the education system and promote collaboration and school-to-school support

InspectionInspection is essential to school improvement. But when divorced from a co-operative and integrated approach, the inspection regime may be perceived as intimidatory and coercive.

Inspection should also focus on chains or families of schools and academies and local area school

groups that collaborate as learning partnerships.

Early yearsEducation in the early years of life determines children’s futures. Professionals working in this sector should be valued and recognised.

Spending per child on early education and childcare and Sure Start services fell by a quarter between the financial years 2009-10 and 2012-13. There are now 720 fewer Sure Start centres than there were in 2010 to give family and health advice to parents of pre-school children.

Prospect members work in a variety of settings from private nurseries to large children’s centres and as early-years inspectors and lecturers.

Prospect calls on all political parties to:

● support a specialist qualification route that includes graduate staff qualified to work in the early years phase (birth to seven), with a clear pay and career structure and a statutory requirement to participate in continuous professional development

● work towards universal high quality integrated education, health and care, recognising that safety and wellbeing are central to every aspect of children’s learning, health and development.

● strengthen the entitlement for children in early years to access play and daily outdoor experiences.

EVERY CHILD REALLY DOES MATTER

Schools are facing a major battle to get back on track after years of ideologically driven attacks, says Aspect group president Sean Maguire

Education professionals can only watch bemused as politicians with little knowledge or experience of education pontificate about raising standards, accountability, failing academies and testing youngsters continually – as if you really can fatten a pig by weighing it!

Post-election, we will be left with a monumental struggle to put our schools back on an even keel and ensure school finance is equitably distributed.

The evidence shows that at the time of the last election, standards in our schools were rising year on year. Failing schools were being challenged to improve and the quality of school infrastructure was better than for the last 50 years. What has happened since?

The school building programme was drastically cut just when the construction industry needed a stimulus and schools needed to move into 21st-century facilities.

On the back of a misplaced ideology, nearly all secondary schools have left the control, or safe haven, of local authority involvement. Many free schools and academies are struggling to maintain standards and no longer have the back up and support they once relied on to help them improve.

We have example after example of failure by governors appointed by faceless sponsors to use the finance given to these schools in a proper manner.

Currently oversight of most post-primary schools in England is under the direct control of the education secretary. While school commissioners have some role, there is no local input whatsoever.

The Aspect group of Prospect has highlighted the need for a system-wide service to improve schools and raise standards. Our national standards for school improvement professionals stress:

● our education system must be fit for purpose ● our schools must be staffed by well-qualified and

dedicated teachers ● our children and young people must receive a

high-quality educational experience leading to high achievement.

The message has been heard by some political hopefuls, who believe in the concept of supported school autonomy within a family of education institutions that can engage in mutual support.

System-wide improvement requires national strategies, with regional and local delivery across whole groups of schools, rather than simply focusing on single schools, cherry-picking in some areas, while refusing to properly fund and support schools in others.

Let us not forget, every child really does matter!

GETTY


15GENERAL ELECTION 2015



Now I’ve got my free Canine Care Card, I have complete peace of mind. It guaranteesthat Dogs Trust will love and look after my dog if I pass away first. Dogs Trust is theUK’s largest dog welfare charity with 20 rehoming centres nationwide andthey never put down a healthy dog.

Apply now for your FREE Canine Care Card.

Call: 020 7837 0006or email: [email protected] quote “112714” or complete the coupon below.This service is currently only available for residents of the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands & the Isle of Man.

Yes I’d like to apply for my free Canine Care CardMr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other

Address

Postcode

Email 112714

Please send this coupon to:Freepost RTJA-SRXG-AZUL, Dogs Trust, Clarissa Baldwin House, 17 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7RQNo stamp required. Reg. Charity Nos: 227523 & SC037843. All information will be treated as strictly confidential. www.dogstrust.org.uk

When I’m not here to love him, I know that Dogs Trust will be.

If the worst happens, I knowthat Dogs Trust will care for him.

EducationEye_297x210_20150324_9 24/02/2015 11:42 Page 1

HAS MICHAEL Gove’s ideological approach to the training of future teachers quietly met the same demise as the former education secretary himself?

Is the unpopularity of the Gove-ite approach forcing a u-turn by the coalition?

Or is it the practical problems on the ground – in particular the risk that it might be helping fuel a looming teacher recruitment crisis – that are behind the apparent backtracking?

Sources are reporting that we may be seeing a subtle, behind-the-scenes coalition volte-face on teacher education policy.

This is one of many areas where the former education secretary sought to remodel the profession during his four years at the helm, which ended last July.

The vehicle for Gove’s approach to teacher education in England was School Direct, a policy launched in 2012 that was billed as putting

schools, rather than universities, in control of training new teaching recruits.

Rather than would-be teachers applying to a university to start a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, which would then put them through a mix of theoretical lectures and school placements, School Direct sees them applying directly to schools.

The school arranges the student’s on-the-job training, usually also going into partnership with a university, which will help provide lectures.

Crucially, the school, or group of schools, taking part in the new system sets its own recruitment requirements according to its perceived future teacher needs.

It then applies to the government for the funding of training places based on this, rather than seeking to recruit teachers once they emerge from university.

At the outset of School Direct, Gove

said that schools taking on trainees would be expected to offer them jobs at the end of their training.

Launching School Direct in 2012, Gove described it as part of a “revolution” in teacher education. By the end of this parliament, more than half of all trainees would enter the profession through school rather than university-led provision.

At the same time, he said, universities would be put under pressure to ensure that they were providing the best possible courses for teacher trainees. In fact, only providers rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted would be guaranteed funding for the next two years at current levels – see bit.ly/Gove_TDlaunch

This may all seem quite technical, even apolitical.

But the underpinning ideological drive was clear: Gove wanted to reduce the influence of university education departments over what went on in schools.

In an article in the Daily Mail,

GETTY IM

AGES

at the end of the tunnel?Three years ago, in a bid to thwart the influence of university education departments, the government introduced a school-led route into teacher training. But admission figures and word on the ground suggest the policy is stalling, reports Warwick Mansell

LIGHT


17TEACHER TRAINING

he notoriously described some departments as housing “enemies of promise” and being hotbeds of Marxism – see bit.ly/gove_Marxism

Market forcesA new school-led system would also appear to be closer to a market mechanism, with schools choosing how many new teachers they wanted, rather than the state deciding how many to train and then allocating training places via universities – the dominant characteristic of the regime Gove inherited.

Accordingly, the Department for Education pushed forward the expansion of School Direct at seemingly breakneck pace in the years 2012-14.

Launched as a pilot in 2012-13 with only 910 places, the following year it was thrown open to nearly 10,000 trainees, and then to 15,000 in 2014-15.

The scheme was also promoted enthusiastically by the National College for Teaching and Leadership, the government agency that oversees recruitment to the profession through both the School Direct and the traditional university route.

Led by Charlie Taylor, a former special school head teacher recruited by Gove, the NCTL published a business plan for 2014-15, which contained only one mention of the word “university” in its 13 pages covering plans for teacher education.

The NCTL was also criticised in 2013 for emailing prospective trainees who had already applied for a university-led PGCE course to ask if they would consider trying School Direct instead – see bit.ly/guardian_NCTL

Meanwhile, in May 2014, Gove set up a review of teacher education under a head teacher, Sir Andrew Carter, who was known to be sceptical about university-led provision.

Then, in setting out its funding plans for the sector for 2015-16, the government seemed to underpin its preference for school-led provision by rapidly expanding the number of funded places available through School Direct – through approving most of the places asked for by schools – but slightly reducing the number of university places receiving funding.

Even Ofsted-outstanding rated Cambridge University reported its primary PGCE numbers had been cut by nearly 30%, though the university said it usually received four to six applications per place – see bit.ly/guard_slowdown

Feeling the pressure on their sector, universities frequently complained that the well-established system of teacher supply was being needlessly destabilised, as higher education providers with many years of experience of training teachers seemingly faced uncertain futures.

They were unhappy with the government policy of only approving “outstanding” provision, though there was no such stipulation for School Direct provision, which is not inspected directly by Ofsted.

Many warned that higher education vice-chancellors would view teacher education work as too risky and pull out of the sector.

Last year two PGCE providers did pull out – Bath and the Open University – even though they had been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted at the time.

Even last autumn, after Gove’s departure, one well-placed university-based source told me that, behind the scenes, Charlie Taylor was still pushing forward an “ideological” approach to teacher education that favoured School Direct.

Universities were still facing great pressure over their training place allocations – in the face of opposition from the more pragmatic schools minister, David Laws. Taylor, I was told, was winning the argument at that time.

However, this seems to have now changed. Perhaps the pivotal moment was the release, in November, of official DfE statistics showing that, while the capped university-led sector had filled nine out of 10 training places made available by the government for 2014-15, School Direct had done much less well, recruiting just 61% of its DfE allocation.

Overall, the number of trainees actually starting out on teacher education courses fell slightly, from

■ There has been a 36% drop in the numbers training as science teachers

32,779 in 2013-14 to 32,543 this year. This was despite the government

increasing its allocation to providers – the number of places it is willing to fund – from 38,900 to 41,071.

The academic year 2014-15 also saw some seemingly serious reductions in the number of trainees for key subjects.

For example, 37% fewer people have embarked on training to become secondary English teachers since 2009. In science, the corresponding drop is 36% and in maths, 11%. In 2014-15, design and technology only recruited 17% of the numbers embarking on its courses five years ago.

Overall, the secondary sector only recruited 91% of the number of trainees the government calculated it needed in 2014-15, while in primary education, which is about to experience a pupil population boom, there was a 7% shortfall.

The government can point to a slight rise in the proportion of new entrants into teaching having an upper second-class degree or better. But commentators say the

overall recruitment numbers are not good.

John Howson, a research fellow at Oxford University’s Faculty of Education and a respected authority on teacher recruitment, wrote after the publication of the latest figures

“School Direct is not… the most stable, secure and reliable model for turning the concept of a school-led system into reality”


18 TEACHER TRAINING

of a possible teacher supply crisis coming this year – see bit.ly/teach_supply

Chris Husbands, director of the University of London’s Institute of Education, blogged that the government’s teacher supply model was failing – see bit.ly/husbands_supply

It would be foolish to try to pin all the blame on School Direct’s under-recruitment this academic year.

The general health of the economy is a key factor in teacher supply, as education tends to be popular with new recruits during growth slowdowns, and less so when GDP is picking up, as now.

However, the data show the risks of a hard-line approach that has sought to limit trainee numbers in university-led provision – which has managed to fill most of its places – in favour of School Direct, which has done less well on that measure.

Position changeIn February, the same source who raised concerns about last autumn’s overly ideological approach to teacher education said the DfE position had now changed dramatically.

“There seems to be a completely different atmosphere now. Civil servants say the secretary of state [Nicky Morgan] is comfortable with the idea of universities in teacher education. The Carter review turned into a benign damp squib.

“And there is sufficient concern

about the system as it stands not producing enough teachers to have produced a change of course.”

Indeed, in early February, Charlie Taylor surprised MPs on the all-party Commons education select committee by revealing that extra training places were to be made available for the coming academic year in subjects short of teachers in secondary education.

These would be given to providers who asked for them, but, crucially, only to universities running conventional courses, rather than School Direct. This magazine has seen the NCTL letter to providers, which makes this policy clear.

It suggests a pragmatic attempt to fill vacancies where they can be filled, rather than seeking to limit the numbers in the university sector.Again, it is possible to wonder why the government seems to have changed course.

According to another well-placed university source, who has worked with civil servants and spoken in favour of School Direct in the past: “There is a serious and growing concern [at the DfE] around teacher supply failings…

“I think there’s a recognition that the… vehicle of School Direct is not proving to be the most stable, secure and reliable model for turning the concept of a school-led system into reality.”

The source said School Direct was based on schools being able to plan to

employ teachers at the end of their course. But in reality, they often found it difficult to plan that far ahead.

Also, schools often found it hard to commit the resources necessary to support work on the recruitment and training of teachers when they had to concentrate on the “day job”.

The natural way forward was for schools to group together to provide the administrative infrastructure to support a teacher education function. But these would take time to build.

Finally, while many older career changers liked the model of being based in school, younger graduates, who still make up most new entrants to teaching, were comfortable with returning to a university base, and perhaps liked the greater stability of being trained by an institution with many years’ experience in the sector.

Even-handed Gove’s replacement Nicky Morgan has an apparent desire to be less ideological than her predecessor, so it seems relatively easy for the DfE to have rowed back on prioritising School Direct at the expense of universities, in favour of something more even-handed and practical.

For all Gove’s zeal, the recruitment numbers are telling. This academic year, 9,232 recruits started out on School Direct, of the 32,156 embarking on teacher training as a whole, meaning his 2012 pledge that more than half of recruits would come through school-led provision has fallen short of reality.

The Conservatives appear to have embarked on a more pragmatic approach, and Labour has not indicated any plans for a dramatic change of course.

It seems as if a post-election government will continue with School Direct, but perhaps with a realistic wish to be flexible about using whatever route it can to ensure teacher supply.

Does this mean we are seeing a return to sanity with regard to teacher education policy? It certainly seems closer.

Warwick Mansell is a freelance education journalist


19TEACHER TRAINING

Advancing ambitions: The role of career guidance in supporting social mobility

■ A.G. Watts, Jesse Matheson, Tristram Hooley: The University of Derby and The Sutton Trust (October 2014) Download: www.suttontrust.com/researcharchive/advancing-ambitions/

THE AUTHORS ANALYSED data from more than 800 schools and sixth-form colleges to examine the impact of good quality careers advice on access to university and exam results. They compared schools which have received a “quality award” for their career guidance with those that did not.

Career guidance supports indi-viduals in planning their future lives, learning and work. It contrib-utes to social mobility by helping people know about opportunities outside their current networks.

Between 1948 and 2000 the Youth Employment Service (later the Careers Service) worked effec-tively with schools and helped many young people.

The service was weakened in 2000 when it became Connexions, and in 2011 the responsibility (with-out the funding) for careers guid-ance was transferred to schools.

The report addresses: ● What has happened to career guidance since 2000? It has changed for the worse in terms

of quality and quantity. It is patchy; while some schools offer good provision, others do not.

● Does the career guidance Quality Award make any difference? By the best current measures, yes; but more systematic research is needed to confirm this.

● What does good career guidance look like? There is much consen-sus about this.Career guidance is best under-

stood as a broad range of activities, including lessons as part of the curriculum, employer engagement and work experience, as well as one-to-one advice and guidance.

It needs to be integrated into a school’s activities and underpinned by senior leaders’ commitment.

Students should start thinking about their careers early (in years 7 or 8) and be supported in devel-oping ideas through a progressive learning and support programme.

Ideally they need access to good quality information and resources, delivered by trained professionals

in partnership with stakeholders such as employers.

Eight benchmarks developed by a Gatsby study influenced this report, say the authors, and have been endorsed by its findings – bit.ly/gatsby_career

The report makes ten recommen-dations, in broadly three groups:

● strengthen and resource the National Career Service, and its counterpart in schools; improve on-line technologies; and ensure Ofsted inspects it

● strengthen and codify statutory guidance, drawing on the Gatsby benchmarks

● establish robust methods of monitoring and evaluating provi-sion and publish the results.The report notes that passing

responsibility for career guidance to schools affects its quality and consistency.

Individuals and employers need an effective service. At present whether they get it or not depends on where they live.

REVIEWS

Progress matters in primary too ■ Chris Thoung, James Kempton and Harriet Davison

Centre Forum (January 2015) Download: www.centreforum.org/assets/pubs/progress-matters.pdf

THIS NEW REPORT from the CentreForum think tank discusses the government’s 2016 proposals for primary school accountability and notes that two means of meas-urement are proposed: pupil attain-ment and pupil progress. Research evidence is presented to support measuring pupil progress as the fairest and most effective means of holding schools to account.

The report starts from the gov-ernment’s two declared goals for the education system, namely:

● to secure the best outcomes for all, not just some, pupils

● to close the gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and the rest.Given these aspirations and

noting that government policy is to

give schools increased autonomy in what and how they teach, the focus inevitably shifts to methods of measuring how well different primary schools have taught the children in the four or seven years they have had them.

The government’s proposals major on attainment: 85% of pupils must have reached Level 4 by the time they leave primary school. The


20 BRIEFING

Early years literature review ■ Tony Bertram and Chris Pascal

Centre for Research in Early Childhood and British Association for Early Childhood Education (2014) Download: www.early-education.org.uk/early-years-literature-review

THIS PAPER SETS out the results of a review by the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, which studied the evidence base for evaluating the impact of early years initiatives on social care, health and educa-tion; and on social and economic disadvantage and underachieve-ment, in the UK and internationally.

The review: ● summarises and evaluates recent research relating to good practice in early years across social care, health and education

● summarises key interventions and actions and recent evidence on what has worked

● identifies strategies to meas-ure effectiveness and value for money

● highlights key findings to inform further action.The review has produced evi-

dence of increasing child poverty, reduced social mobility and grow-ing inequality, particularly in early childhood. These are all key factors in early years under-achievement.

It points to the potential for doing something about it via “an array” of early childhood policy schemes. Three areas for action are:

● maternal health, health-related behaviours and child health

● parenting ● early education and care.We now know a lot about what

works, with little doubt that programmes for low income and ethnic minority children “can con-tribute importantly to combating educational and health disadvan-tages, but only if certain criteria are met”.

Evaluation evidence suggests: “Early starting, intensive, multi-sys-temic approaches that include centre-based education and the involvement of trained profession-als as a core activity are superior, with impressive long-term results and very favourable cost benefit ratios.” (EACEA 2009:38)

The problem is that many initi-atives are not good enough, and others, by being short term or tem-

porary, are vulnerable to changing economic circumstances.

Evidence supports schemes that: ● break down the barriers between schools and early years provision outside school

● focus on helping children to learn

● engage parents and give them the tools to be teachers

● give children’s centres a role that could be fundamental if clarified

● understand the similarities between what teaching and health professionals offer

● clarify the similarities between schools and other early years providers.The report’s 30 recommenda-

tions are grouped under three headings: systemic, structural and process.

The report’s focus on helping children learn will be welcomed by early years teachers, as will the appeal for better inter-professional collaboration.

REVIEWS

report examines this in the light of the government’s declared goals, and concludes:

● it is highly ambitious: today only 10% of schools reach this

● setting a high fail rate does not benefit all pupils

● encouraging schools to focus on pupils on the Level 3/4 bor-derline shortchanges both high and low attainers

● it holds schools to account for circumstances beyond their control

● it enables pupils with high

attainment on entry to coast.The alternative measure, based

on progress, is closer to delivering the government’s two goals, and is fairer because:

● all pupils contribute to the school’s score

● it excludes circumstances beyond the school’s control (disadvantage, low attainment on entry)

● on the government’s current proposals, most schools will be relying on progress as a meas-ure anyway.

The snag is that an accounta-bility measure based on progress depends on a reliable baseline assessment on a child’s entry to school. Currently, there isn’t one. Moreover the payback would be a long time coming: data would only be reliable four (or seven) years after the first secure base-line test.

The report concludes that, despite reservations expressed by some practitioners:

● pupil progress is the fairest and most effective accountability measure and should therefore

be adopted by government as its principal measure for prima-ry schools.

● to support pupil progress as the principal headline accountabil-ity measure the government should provide clear, defensible evidence that the baseline assessment which underpins it is valid, fair and reliable.The report gives a clear account

of the intentions underlying the government’s policies.

It presents detailed evidence to support its carefully argued conclusion.


21BRIEFING

“Accurate, evidence-based judgements are given. Time spent talking to and working with individual children gives a mass of information and strengthens relationships.”

Mathematics - achievements such as counting, number recognition, addition and shape recognition are assessed through child-friendly one-to-one activities using physical resources.Literacy - one-to-one tasks assess early literacy skills, such as letter recognition, story sequencing, and writing their own name.Communication and Language - practitioner records overall judgements based on observations of individual pupil’s achievements for example, listening with attention, recounting events that have happened to them or following instructions.Foundations of learning (optional) - observational checklist that provides a fully rounded picture of each child, including key aspects of physical development, personal, social and emotional development and characteristics of effective learning.

What does the assessment cover?

• Practical, child-friendly and with physical resources.

• The assessment is in the hands of the teacher who knows the child best.

• Mixture of tasks and observation checklists to assess. communication, language, literacy and numeracy.

• Optional module gives a holistic picture of the child.

• Ability to record key judgements about each child’s development and attainment.

• Online administration instructions (paper documents are also available).

• Mapped to Early Years Outcomes.• Standardised with a nationally

representative sample of approximately 3000 children in over 500 schools.

Visit www.nfer.ac.uk/ba2 to find out more

“Well-organised and simple to use. Children enjoyed contact with teacher – not at all worried by assessment process.”

Key benefits

What schools thinkWe gained feedback from over 500 schools during our trialling process• 85% of teachers said

that the assessment approach ensured most children completed tasks that were appropriate to their level of development.

• 80% of teachers said most children were able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they bring to school.

• 92% of teachers rated the child-friendly physical resources as very important.

• 79% of teachers rated the optional Foundations of Learning module as very important.

DfE Approved SupplierOrder by 30th April for use in September 2015

A4 Single Page Baseline Ad Feb v2.indd 1 23/02/2015 12:58

ARTS AND creativity are being squeezed out of schools, particularly for low-income families, a report from the University of Warwick warned in February.

It was compiled by a university-led commission, which involved cultural leaders and academic experts.

The authors identified a significant decline in the number of state schools in England offering arts subjects taught by specialist teachers.

Since 2010 the number of arts teachers has fallen by up to 11%. Design and technology has 11% fewer teachers and hours of teaching; drama 8% fewer teachers and 4% fewer hours taught (including from non-specialists).

There are 4% fewer art and design teachers, with a 6% cut in teaching hours.

Commission chair Vikki Heywood urged the government and cultural and creative industries “to take a united and coherent approach that guarantees equal access for everyone to a rich cultural education and the opportunity to live a creative life”.

Children born into low-income families with low levels of educational qualifications are the least likely to:

● be employed and succeed in the cultural and creative industries

● engage with and appreciate the arts and heritage in the curriculum

● experience culture as part of their home education.

The recommendations included: ● Ofsted should not designate a

school as “outstanding” without evidence of an excellent cultural and creative education

● Ofsted and the Department for Education should support an Arts Council England target of 50% of schools gaining an ArtsMark award

● the government should provide an arts and culture pupil premium to match the £45m PE/sport premium.

The report was backed by many high-profile arts figures. Broadcaster Melvyn Bragg said: “We are riding on past investment in the creative

economy and urgently need to re-direct our energies so that the next generation can be as acceleratingly successful as the last one was.”

Director Sir Richard Eyre said the “choice” of going to the theatre, opera or an art gallery did not exist for many people, adding: “It should be the duty of any government to bridge this divide, by embracing the departments of culture and of education and investing in the audiences of the future as well as the artists.”

■ See bit.ly/wc_culture

■ Above, children enjoying a drama class

GETTY IM

AGES

‘Close arts and creativity divide’

CONCERNS OVER SCHOOLS ARMY RESOURCETHE GOVERNMENT was accused in March of a politically-driven attempt to promote recruitment into the armed forces and “military values” in schools.

The Quakers and human rights group ForcesWatch, objected to the 58-page British Armed Forces Learning Resource produced in September 2014 by the office of prime minister David Cameron.

The document was

endorsed and promoted to all schools by the Department for Education, with its aim “to educate children about the work of the UK armed forces”. It was framed as a history, English and citizenship resource for children and teenagers from as young as five years old.

The critics accused the government of overblown rhetoric to promote the military in classrooms,

glorifying “military values” and sanitising war.

Owen Everett from ForcesWatch said: “We consider that the document amounts to political interference in children’s education and that the Department for Education is failing in its legal duty under the 1996 Education Act to safeguard education from politicisation.”

■ See: bit.ly/FW_military

Learning Resource 2014

The British Armed Forces


23CURRICULUM


24 CAREERS

EVERY SCHOOL should have a high-quality, trained careers leader, the organisation Teach First said in March.

It was launching a report, Careers Education in the Classroom, which calls for a coordinated effort across society to provide the extra guidance needed to put teachers at the heart of careers education in schools and prepare pupils for work in the 21st century.

Without this, careers education will remain fragmented and ineffective, undermining economic growth and hitting poorer children hardest, the charity warned.

It pointed to new analysis showing that poorer children are already five times more likely to be not in employment, education or training (NEET) compared to their wealthier peers after the age of 16.

Teach First has launched a pilot middle leadership programme designed to address the problem.

It wants policymakers to: ● support a high-quality and trained

careers leader in every school ● oversee the delivery of career and

employability plans ● manage links with employers,

universities and independent career advisers

● ensure that employability is built into school life and classroom curricula.

Teach First’s Jude Heaton said: “There is a pressing need for careers and employability education to be improved in this country with acute moral and economic implications for all

STEFANO

CAGN

ON

I

Call to transform careers teachingof us – particularly those from poorer backgrounds.”

Teachers were a crucial part of the careers puzzle, but could not do it alone, he added.

“The long-term systemic change necessary requires efforts from policymakers, employers and the rest of civil society. It is time for all of us to act.”

Russell Hobby, National Association of Head Teachers general secretary, agreed that teachers must have more time and guidance to help deliver careers education in schools.

“While good practice in the provision of careers education already exists in many schools, there is a long way still to go to ensure that every teacher has the resources they need to support their pupils and equip them for work in the modern world,” he said.

Christine Blower, National Union of Teachers general secretary, said her union had campaigned for the proper reinstatement of careers education information, advice and guidance for many years, which should not only be confined to the secondary school phase.

“This necessitates funding for professional development and resources for teachers in all schools, particularly in light of schools’ responsibilities for careers education, and advice,” she said.

■ The report, also welcomed by the Conservative, Labour and LibDem education spokespeople, is available from bit.ly/tf _careers

JOBS SNAPSHOT The Aspect group has traditionally published a sample of current school improvement jobs being advertised, in order to give members a snapshot of the sort of jobs available and at what pay scales. Advertised as we went to press were:

■ Job 1 – Co-Operative Academies Trust

West of Pennines/East of Pennines School improvement managers two posts at 0.6 FTE £65k FTE

■ Job 2 – Services for Education

Senior adviser, school support service S4E salary range £57,331-£61,138

■ Heaton – ‘we need efforts from policymakers, employers and the rest of civil society’

Data Protection N

oticeA

ll your personal information w

ill be held by Prospect and treated as confidential, w

ith appropriate security. By joining Prospect, you agree to our processing this inform

ation, including sensitive personal information

such as trade union mem

bership, for the following

purposes.It w

ill be used for a range of union-based activities related to the running of Prospect, including the m

aintenance of records, assisting with injury claim

s, ballots, personal cases, collective bargaining, prom

oting equal opportunities etc and other benefits for m

embers

as required in our ‘notification’ to the Information

Com

missioner under the term

s of the Data Protection

Act 1998. For individuals enquiring about m

embership,

or previous mem

bers, the information w

ill be held for a reasonable period for the above purposes.

It will be available to our em

ployees and approved representatives at headquarters and regional offices and

other organisations associated with Prospect, including

service providers. Where, occasionally, Prospect uses

the services of such organisations, they are contractually obliged to process your data in a secure and confidential m

anner under our strict instructions.From

time to tim

e, we m

ay wish to use the

information for analysis or m

arketing purposes. This m

ay benefit you as Prospect can use mem

bers’ collective strength to negotiate attractive term

s for the provision of additional m

ember benefits (such as

holidays, insurance etc.) and to contact you with details

of those of particular interest. If you do not wish to

be contacted in this way, please indicate by ticking the

box on the form overleaf. Please understand that this

will preclude you from

receiving details of any of these benefits and offers in future. If you are not sure, you can alw

ays notify us of your opt-out at a later date.U

nder the Data Protection A

ct 1998, you also

have the right to ask for a copy of your information

(for which w

e make a sm

all charge) and to request correction of any incorrect inform

ation held. Please w

rite to the Prospect mem

bership department at the

address below.

Please note that, in order to make sure w

e follow

your instructions correctly and to improve our service

to you through staff training, we m

ay monitor or record

comm

unications.This statem

ent complies w

ith the provisions of the D

ata Protection Act 1998.

Further Information

If you require further information you can:

• w

rite to Prospect, Flaxman H

ouse, G

ogmore Lane, C

hertsey, Surrey KT16 9JS•

call us on 01932 577007 • fax us on 01932 567707•

email us on m

embership@

prospect.org.uk

More m

embers m

eans greater influence Recruit a colleague…

Mem

ber recruit m

ember in

educa

tion

If you have any queries about this initiative, please contact organisation@

prospect.org.uk

Published by Prospect 2015N

ew Prospect H

ouse, 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NN

t 020 7902 6600 f 020 7902 6667 e [email protected] w

ww

.prospect.org.uk Printed by College H

ill Press

Inst

ruct

ion

to y

our B

ank

or

Build

ing

Soci

ety

to p

ay b

y D

irect

Deb

it

UN

IO

N

FO

R

PR

OF

ES

SI

ON

AL

S

Surn

ame

Fo

rena

me(

s)

Title

Initi

als

G

ende

r M

F

D

ate

of B

irth

Hom

e ad

dres

s

Po

stco

de

Hom

e em

ail

Wor

k em

ail

Hom

e ph

one

Wor

k ph

one

Empl

oyer

Job

title

Sa

lary

Wor

kpla

ce a

ddre

ss

Po

stco

de

Hom

e ad

dres

s is n

orm

ally

use

d fo

r cor

resp

onde

nce.

P

leas

e tic

k th

is bo

x if

you

pref

er u

s to

use

your

wor

k ad

dres

s. P

leas

e tic

k th

is bo

x if

you

do n

ot w

ant y

our d

etai

ls pa

ssed

to o

rgan

isatio

ns o

ffer

ing

addi

tiona

l ser

vice

s who

are

ass

ocia

ted

with

Pro

spec

t.

Recr

uite

d by

Nam

e M

emb

No.

Ince

ntiv

e op

tion

If th

e re

crui

ter c

anno

t rem

embe

r the

ir m

embe

rshi

p nu

mbe

r the

y ca

n ca

ll th

e m

embe

rshi

p de

part

men

t on

0193

2 57

7007

Uni

on m

embe

rshi

p –

Are

you/

have

you

bee

n a

mem

ber o

f any

oth

er tr

ade

unio

n(s)

with

in th

e la

st tw

o ye

ars?

Ye

s N

o

If ‘Ye

s’ pl

ease

stat

e m

ost r

ecen

t

I dec

lare

that

to th

e be

st o

f my

know

ledg

e th

e an

swer

s her

e ar

e co

rrec

t. I a

gree

to a

bide

by

the

rule

s of P

rosp

ect a

nd h

ave

read

the

Dat

a Pr

otec

tion

Not

ice

over

leaf

.

Sign

atur

e D

ate

Pros

pect

will

not

usu

ally

pro

vide

per

sona

l ass

istan

ce in

resp

ect o

f any

mat

ter a

risin

g be

fore

an

appl

icat

ion

for

mem

bers

hip.

Lega

l adv

ice

and

assis

tanc

e is

offe

red

at th

e di

scre

tion

of th

e un

ion.

Bank

s or B

uild

ing

Soci

etie

s may

not

acc

ept D

irect

Deb

it In

stru

ctio

ns fo

r som

e ty

pes o

f acc

ount

.

Nam

e an

d fu

ll po

stal

add

ress

of y

our B

ank

or B

uild

ing

Soci

ety

To: T

he M

anag

er

Bank

or B

uild

ing

Soci

ety

Addr

ess

Po

stco

de

Nam

e(s)

of A

ccou

nt H

olde

r(s)

Bran

ch S

ort C

ode

Bank

or B

uild

ing

Soci

ety

Acco

unt N

umbe

r

Serv

ice

Use

r Num

ber

97

40

39

Refe

renc

e (fo

r offi

cial u

se o

nly)

Inst

ruct

ion

to y

our B

ank

or B

uild

ing

Soci

ety

Plea

se p

ay P

rosp

ect D

irect

Deb

its fr

om th

e ac

coun

t det

aile

d in

this

in

stru

ctio

n su

bjec

t to

the

safe

guar

ds a

ssur

ed b

y th

e D

irect

Deb

it G

uara

ntee

. I u

nder

stan

d th

at th

is in

stru

ctio

n m

ay re

mai

n w

ith P

rosp

ect a

nd, i

f so,

will

be

pas

sed

elec

tron

ical

ly to

my

Bank

/Bui

ldin

g So

ciet

y.

Sign

atur

e(s)

Dat

e

EDUCATION

Plea

se fi

ll in

the

who

le fo

rm a

nd se

nd it

to:

Pros

pect

, Fre

epos

t RTH

G-U

RYE-

ASKU

, Fla

xman

Hou

se, G

ogm

ore

Lane

, Che

rtse

y, K

T16

9JS

Plea

se fi

ll in

the

who

le fo

rm a

nd s

end

it to

: Pro

spec

t, Fr

eepo

st R

THG

-URY

E-AS

KU, F

laxm

an H

ouse

, Gog

mor

e La

ne, C

hert

sey,

KT16

9JS

10 re

ason

s why

you

r col

leag

ues

shou

ld jo

in P

rosp

ect

Pros

pect

is th

e un

ion

of ch

oice

for m

ore

than

116,

000

prof

essio

nal w

orke

rs.

Stre

ngth

in n

umbe

rs e

nabl

es u

s to

be a

forc

e fo

r fai

rnes

s in

the

wor

kpla

ce b

y:1

repr

esen

ting

you

to yo

ur e

mpl

oyer

2 w

orki

ng to

secu

re fa

ir pe

nsio

ns fo

r all

3 ne

gotia

ting

your

pay

and

cond

ition

s4

prot

ectin

g yo

ur h

ealth

and

safe

ty5

prom

otin

g eq

ualit

y at

wor

k6

impr

ovin

g ca

reer

opp

ortu

nitie

s7

cam

paig

ning

for a

ll ou

r mem

bers

8 or

gani

sing

natio

nally

and

loca

lly9

trai

ning

your

repr

esen

tativ

es10

pr

ovid

ing

lega

l sup

port

and

a w

ide

rang

e of

pro

duct

s and

fina

ncia

l ser

vice

s.

Mem

ber r

ecru

it M

embe

r

One

of t

he m

ain

thin

gs e

very

Pro

spec

t mem

ber c

an d

o is

recr

uit m

ore

mem

bers

. O

rgan

ised

wor

kpla

ces w

ith a

hig

h de

nsity

of u

nion

mem

bers

mea

n th

at P

rosp

ect h

as

muc

h gr

eate

r infl

uenc

e w

ith lo

cal m

anag

emen

t and

em

ploy

ers.

Pros

pect

is ru

nnin

g a

‘Mem

ber r

ecru

it M

embe

r’ ca

mpa

ign.

For

eve

ry co

lleag

ue th

at yo

u re

crui

t, yo

u ca

n ch

oose

one

of t

he fo

llow

ing:

Opt

ion

A £1

0 ‘Lo

ve2s

hop’

gift

vou

cher

Ask

your

colle

ague

to

com

plet

e an

d re

turn

the

form

op

posi

te. P

leas

e re

mem

ber t

o fil

l in

the

‘Rec

ruite

d by

’ se

ctio

n an

d sp

ecify

yo

ur in

cent

ive

optio

n.

Opt

ion

B £1

0 vo

uche

r fro

m M

arks

& S

penc

erO

ptio

n C

£10

dona

tion

to P

rosp

ect’s

ben

evol

ent f

und

whi

ch is

us

ed to

hel

p m

embe

rs in

fina

ncia

l diffi

culty

Opt

ion

D £1

0 do

natio

n to

Pro

spec

t’s O

xfam

fund

Opt

ion

EN

o in

cent

ive

requ

ired

Opt

ion

F£1

0 do

natio

n to

‘Hel

p fo

r Her

oes’

Colle

ague

s can

join

onl

ine

at w

ww

.pro

spec

t.org

.uk/

join

us, b

ut p

leas

e as

k th

em to

co

mpl

ete

the

‘recr

uite

d by

’ sec

tion

so th

at yo

u ca

n re

ceiv

e yo

ur in

cent

ive.

LIGHTHOUSEFINANCIAL ADVICE

Making your money work harderThe FCA does not regulate all forms of tax planning. The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you could get back less than you have paid in. LighthouseFinancial Advice Limited, trading as Lighthouse Financial Advice, is an appointed representative of Lighthouse Advisory Services Limited which is authorised and regulatedby the Financial Conduct Authority. Lighthouse Advisory Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Group plc. Registered in England No. 04795080.Registered Office: 26 Throgmorton Street, London, EC2N 2AN.

www.lighthousefa.co.uk/prospect

Time to sort out your financesbut unsure where to start?

Our advisers can help youachieve your financial goals

You work hard for your money but is your money working hard for you? Maybe you know you shouldbe doing something about your finances but don’t know who to turn to for advice you can trust. Yetthe sooner you take action, the more likely you are to achieve your financial goals.

Complimentary, no obligation consultationAs a member of Prospect, you are entitled to a no obligation complimentary consultation withLighthouse Financial Advice, Prospect’s endorsed provider of financial advice. One of ourprofessional advisers will talk to you to find out whether you could benefit from advice onissues such as:

✔ building up a nest-egg tax-efficiently, for yourself or for your childrenor grandchildren

✔ boosting your pension provision, so you will be able to enjoy acomfortable retirement

✔ protecting your family’s income, so they have enough money if the worst happens

✔ accessing your pension and getting the best possible income in retirement

✔ passing on your wealth to your loved ones in a tax-efficient way

✔ other aspects of financial planning.

They have the knowledge and expertise to provide you with practical, affordable advice that is easy to understand and can improveyour financial situation. To arrange your complimentary, no obligation consultation contact us on:

Call 08000 85 85 90 or [email protected]

Changesto pensions

Are you 55 or older? Will yoube retiring soon?

If so, do you understand how thechanges announced in this year’s

Budget about accessing yourpension and generating retirement

income affect you? If you have savings in defined

contribution schemes whynot talk to us to discuss

your options?

V1 2014-06-09

ProspectMagazineAd 2014-06-09_Layout 1 03/09/2014 15:34 Page 1

EducationEye, March 2015

Documents