Free School application form mainstream FINAL …€¦  · Web viewStamford Free School: Vision and Ethos. CMAT equips, enables and encourages students to achieve their very best

Stamford Free School: Vision and Ethos

CMAT equips, enables and encourages students to achieve their very best and has a strong proven track record of success. The Trust family includes Swavesey Village College situated north-west of Cambridge, Nene Park Academy (NPA), formerly “Orton Longueville School”, in Peterborough, North Cambridge Academy (NCA), formerly “The Manor: A Foundation School”. More recently the Trust has sponsored West Town Primary Academy in Peterborough.

The partnership between the Proposer Group and CMAT brings the best of both aspects of education – local passion to provide an outstanding education with the experience and expertise of local partners. Our vision for Stamford Free School is in direct alignment with that of CMAT as a group and can be summarised as follows:

1. Achievement for all: We will drive up standards further by introducing an academic curriculum founded on breadth and rigour. It will provide appropriate challenge for the calibre of students that SFS will provide for and we will utilise our experience of achieving ‘outstanding’ to achieve excellence. At Post-16 we will run the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma programme; we believe that this world-class qualification is the natural next step for our students.

2. Valuing people: SFS will be a values-based school seeking to promote an educational philosophy based on valuing self, others and the environment.  We believe that this approach will help students to develop holistically, nurturing a secure sense of self and supporting the raising of academic standards.

3. A high quality learning environment: Our students will be educated in an environment which provides as many real-life opportunities as possible. We seek to work closely with Local Area Partners (local business, charity and social enterprise organisations) to ensure that students gain valuable experience of completing real and meaningful tasks at local, national and international levels.

4. The pursuit of excellence: Stamford Free School will be unique in creating a Teaching School framework from the foundations upwards. We will appoint good or outstanding experienced teachers and then provide continual professional development through the Outstanding Teacher Programmes 1 and 2. The IB programme at Post-16 level will also contribute to this pursuit and will provide a unique opportunity in the local area for students to demonstrate excellence within the global environment.

5. Extending the boundaries of learning: Academic and wider development is supported through the PLEDGES approach: Partnership, Leadership, Excellence, Diversity, Giving, Environment, Service. We will further support students by using our freedom as an academy to run a longer school day, typically finishing at 4.30pm (‘Session 6’), to ensure that we are able to provide a ‘parallel curriculum’ that all students partake in – the term ‘extra-curricular’ will cease. Such models have had many years of success in the (fee-paying) independent sector and we now wish to replicate this approach in our school.

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Section D: Education plan – part 2

Subject/other activity (e.g. enrichment)

Hours per week

Man

dato

ry/ Comments

EnglishY7 4

MIn Y7 English is incorporated into Linc2 (see main text). In Y9-11 students will study English Language & Literature

Y8 3Y9-11 4

Maths 4 M

ScienceY7-8 3

MKey Stage 4 Science will be 80% Triple (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) & 20% (Core & Additional)Y9-11 5

PE 2 M

Music Y7-8 1 M

FrenchY7-8 3

MY9-11 5

MandarinY7-8 3

MY9-11 5

Additional literacy Y7-8 3 M

Supported Study Y7-8 1 M

Design Y7-8 3 M Art / D & T / Computing on rotation

Drama Y8 1 M In Y7 Drama is incorporated into Linc2

Hums Y7 5 M Humanities is incorporated into Linc2

IT Y9-11 2 M IT refers to Computer Science

Personal Development

Y9-10 1 MIncorporates Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural dimension

Ex Y11 1 MAn important part of the curriculum used for controlled assessment of students (explained further in main text)

GeographyY8 2 MY9-11 3 V Part of the Guided Choices subjects

HistoryY8 2 MY9-11 3 V Part of the Guided Choices subjects

Business Y9-11 3 VPart of the Guided Choices subjects: interchangeable with Economics (demand led)

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Sport Y9-11 3 VPart of the Guided Choices subjects: refers to GCSE PE

Design and Technology

Y9-11 3 V

Part of the Guided Choices subjects: interchangeable with Graphics, Resistant Materials, Engineering or Product Design (demand led)

Art Y9-11 3 VPart of the Guided Choices subjects: refers to Art & Design or Fine Art (demand led)

Drama Y9-11 3 V Part of the Guided Choices subjects

Music Y9-11 3 V Part of the Guided Choices subjects

Session 6 Y7-8 1 M These will double in number as the school grows in sizeSession 6 Y9-11 2 M

Section D1We propose a curriculum and school life that will provide what local parents desire and will prepare the young people of Stamford for the global market. We recognise the absolute requirement to stretch both the gifted and the talented and our curriculum will provide a balanced approach to progression and will allow students to explore in greater depth than traditional curriculum models.

It is critical that we ensure that this offer is targeted at providing for those for whom an academic curriculum is entirely appropriate but may not be in keeping with the previous experience of their family. We are committed to ensuring we close the gap in achievement and access by means of a robust and rigorous curriculum.

Delivering our vision through our curriculum

The curriculum is where our five values are at their most transparent:

Achievement for all The Free School will be completely comprehensive in intake. Whilst there is a definite theme in our vision of the highest academic standards and a very academic curriculum, we believe we can cater for all abilities and provide the necessary support to ensure that all students reach their potential (as we have demonstrated at Swavesey Village College).

At Post-16 level we will run the International Baccalaureate IB programme. This qualification is widely recognised as providing a broad and yet rigorous curriculum that is excellent preparation for Higher Education.

Values People In the future, the global workforce will be even more competitive. People from all parts of the world will have high standards of literacy and numeracy. They will be

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technologically able and will be well practiced in reason and deduction. The key quality that will differentiate one individual from another will be that of creativity. The ability to create, design and innovate will distil society. Individuals will also need to embrace a culture of enterprise and managed risk-taking.

Our core aim is to prepare our students for the future needs of society. The young people of today will need the ability to adapt quickly to changing environments. They will need to be multi-skilled, technology-literate and disciplined in their actions. They will need to be able to work as part of a team and have the capacity to work in isolation. They will need to be active citizens and will need to contribute to the society in which they live. It is crucial therefore that we instil positive values in young people and teach them to empathise with and recognise the values of all of those in the communities they engage with.

Our curriculum, delivered through the course of our extended day, will promote and develop these essential skills and attributes within our students. More information on this aspect of our curriculum is provided later in this section.

A high quality learning environmentA high-quality curriculum requires a high-quality learning environment. The physical environment needs to enable effective delivery of the curriculum and, like the curriculum, should be dynamic. Flexible spaces and creative approaches to curriculum delivery will help SFS to utilise a variety of teaching methods to ensure the greatest progression for students. We will work with local businesses and organisations to ensure that our students learn in an environment founded on real-life context and need.

Within the learning environment, new technologies will play a vital role in enabling students to become independent learners. Today’s learners are conversant with a multi-platform information-exchange environment. They learn in different ways and their access to information is, by definition, greater than any generation before them. Technology will provide a common platform for media exchange and will be the key driver in the promotion of independent learning.

Technology also enables a more personalised approach to teaching and learning. In taking responsibility for their own learning, learners will finally be able to progress at a rate personal to them. They will be able to learn where they want and when they want – technology does not cease to operate at the end of the school day. A virtual learning environment will act as their record of learning, and will allow different ways of assessing progress and need.

IT will also play a key role in the wider assessment of learners. Strategic use of the management information system (MIS) will provide real-time access to the achievement of learners. Effective (and accurate) tracking and monitoring will, where necessary, allow for early intervention with students and, again, the impact of this will be increased attainment and achievement.

The culture and ethos of the school will also form a key part of the learning environment. The vertical tutor group system will mean a single point of contact for

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both students and their families and our experience indicates that this forms a central part of an environment in which students feel known and cared for. Our values-based education and culture of high expectations will extend throughout SFS with all members of the school community acting as role models, mentors and aides.

Pursuit of Excellence The pursuit of excellence in pushing boundaries underpins our approach to both innovation and continuous improvement. It recognises that there will never be a point at which we can rest believing that we have all the answers: we can always get better. It is also an approach that we aim to develop in every student. Rigorous assessment, clear target setting, aspirational subject choices and challenging mentoring are all representations of this.

Whilst providing a clear framework that enables success in a ‘traditional’ context, a key feature of our curriculum will be that it will be dynamic in its nature, with regular reviews. The world is changing at an ever increasing pace; as educators we need to ensure that our curriculum meets not only the needs of learners, but also of employers – both locally, nationally and internationally.

Our curriculum is founded on a notion of ‘quality rather than quantity’. A strong foundation of core subjects will form the basis, with students then specialising in their chosen subjects at GCSE – but this will be limited to 3 subjects rather than 4. As a consequence, students will be able to spend more time developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of their learning. This will result in our students being able to access the highest grades of A* and A, thus achieving personal excellence.

Extending the boundaries of learningThe very best schools in the country recognise that an outstanding curriculum extends far beyond the limits of a traditional classroom. We believe that achievement is not restricted to the realm of academic qualifications and that those with high self-esteem, confidence, resilience, empathy for and the ability to work with others are the highest achievers (and often the most content) in society.

A key vehicle for the delivery of this element of the curriculum will be the PLEDGES system that has been tried and tested not only at SVC but all of the other secondary schools within the CMAT family. It provides youngsters, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with an opportunity to engage in activities they may otherwise never experience. Sport, the Arts and the outward bound activities provide a basis for much of the system.

Our commitment to this element of the curriculum is demonstrated by virtue of the fact that it is incorporated directly into the curriculum – we do not view it as being optional, or indeed ‘extra’ to the curriculum, but ‘parallel’.

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Values-based Education

Stamford Free School will work within a strong ethical framework – values-based education. This approach is supported throughout many countries and is based on research carried out by Dr Neil Hawkes at Oxford University and validated by Professor Terry Lovatt at Newcastle University, New South Wales, Australia.

Our school will be a values-based school. Values-based schools are successful because they are built on a foundation of good relationships. We will use a values-based approach to change for the better the way children and their families lead their lives. Values-based Education (VbE) is an approach that nourishes and enables learners to flourish, making a difference to the world through who and how they are. Values help to determine the formation of our character. Pupil and family wellbeing will be achieved through a focus on positive relationships and a rich and diverse curriculum

We expect that by the end of our second year we will have achieved the School Quality Mark. The International Values Education Trust’s (IVET) School Value Quality Mark is an independent certification that a school practices VbE effectively. Values-based Education works through:

Values Consciousness: Teachers think more deeply about their teaching and the values that they model both in and outside of the classroom. 

Wellbeing: In thinking about and enacting values, students develop self-worth, empathy and responsible personal behaviour.

Agency: Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently, to make choices and act on them.

Connectedness: Values-based Education (VbE) builds positive and wide-ranging connections between teachers, students and parents. It supports student engagement in learning, improves parent engagement in their children’s learning and allows teachers to develop new relationships with their students, each other and the parents and families in their school community. 

We will use a ten focuses approach (10Fs). It is these ten dimensions that act as a checklist for implementing a values-based education. They are worked on concurrently – not in list order – as the community moves towards being values-based. The areas of focus are:

Focus on environment, atmosphere and routines – ensure the internal and external reflect positive values.

Focus on you – encourage the valuing of wellbeing of self and others Focus on relationships – it is acceptable to have a hierarchy of roles but not of

relationships. Focus on adopting reflective practices – encourage the skill of reflection Focus on an ethical vocabulary – establish and constantly use a common and

shared values language Focus on being a role model for values – implicitly model values and explicitly

foster the modelling of values

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Focus on school assemblies – assemblies and other meetings are important for the conscious transmission of culture

Focus on the school’s curriculum and its leadership – think of values as an integrated curriculum concept – develop values-based leadership.

Focus on community – a values-based school is outward looking, it works with and in the community

Focus on values assessment – monitor the effects of values-based education and evaluate its effectiveness – celebrate its success.

Curriculum Model

To enable students to study their chosen subjects in depth, to explore beyond the confines of the syllabus and to develop a mature appreciation and love of the subject our curriculum is modelled on a three year Key Stage 4. The rationale behind this is simple – it will provide 55% more time in terms of guided learning hours. This will mean that students can develop higher-order thinking skills and gain a deep understanding of a subject and can hence access A* and A grades, providing the right grounding for successful future study. This may involve studying a wider range of topics or texts than specified in the syllabus (e.g. wider range of poetry from a poet), spending longer on and exploring specific elements of the curriculum in more depth or developing study over a series of returns to particular topics to review them in light of further learning (e.g. comparing historical periods).

The school day will initially be structured around 5 one-hour lessons with one “core additional period”, leading to a 26 hour week. The provision of the last lesson of each day (Session 6) will initially support some academic extension and targeted support and also our expectation of students to engage in more traditional activity (Arts and Sport). However, as the school evolves we anticipate Session 6 becoming a normal part of the school curriculum. This will enable us to provide more flexibility within the curriculum and to foster an approach to supported self-study that will encourage the habits that students will need to take into university and beyond. The growth to a “core” 27 hour week in Key Stage 4 is an illustration of this ambition.

The rationale behind the phased introduction of the extended school day is a simple scaling issue. In the first year, it is anticipated that there will be 120 students in Y7. Session 6 would run, but not necessarily throughout the week initially. As the number of children increases over time so would the staff body, and this would allow a more diverse range of activities to become available.

A draft curriculum plan for Stamford Free School is shown on the next page.

The Key Stage 3 and 4 core of Maths (4 lessons), English (4 lessons) and Science (3 lessons at KS3 and 5 at KS4) is larger than has recently been the norm in state schools. We believe that exceptional achievement in these gold standard subjects will provide the basis for the success of both our individual students and our school in general. It will also lay the foundations for successful completion of the IB in our KS5 provision.

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The plan is subject to any changes in the national qualifications framework e.g. reforms to GCSE qualifications. At present, no information exists on the recommended guided learning hours for new courses or permitted combinations and hence our curriculum planning can only be carried out in the current context.

Following the vision set out in Section C, the curriculum is designed with academic excellence in mind. We have reduced the breadth of the curriculum and increased the amount of contact time for both the subjects that students choose (“Guided Choices”) and also the core subjects themselves. This model unashamedly tries to replicate a classic Independent sector model of fewer qualifications but all achieved to the highest standards.

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Year 7 - 120 StudentsClass Pds7A1 26 En 4 Hu 5 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Fr 3 De 3 Mu 1 PD 17A3 26 En 4 Hu 5 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Mn 3 De 3 Mu 1 PD 17A3 26 En 4 Hu 5 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Fr 3 De 3 Mu 1 PD 17A4 26 En 4 Hu 5 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Mn 3 De 3 Mu 1 PD 17A5 Li 3 De 3Commentary

l Linc 2 staffing originates from English and Humanities staffing. Classes paired with specialist from each areal Mn is Mandarin. Language selection after initial assessment in first few weeks of term

l Li is literacy/additional English for those students with the weakest levels of attainment etc.

l De is Art, D&T , ICT on rotation. Extra class given - class size = 20

l PD is Personal Development

Year 8 - 120 StudentsClass Pds8A1 25 En 3 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Fr 3 De 3 Hi 2 Gg 2 Mu 1 PD 1 Dr 18A2 25 En 3 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Mn 3 De 3 Hi 2 Gg 2 Mu 1 PD 1 Dr 18A3 25 En 3 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Fr 3 De 3 Hi 2 Gg 2 Mu 1 PD 1 Dr 18A4 25 En 3 Ma 4 Sc 3 PE 2 Mn 3 De 3 Hi 2 Gg 2 Mu 1 PD 1 Dr 18A5 Li 3 De 3Commentary

l Linc 2 replaced by discrete Geography, History and Drama (to prepare for Key Stage 4)

Year 9 - 120 StudentsClass Pds Anticipated number of groups / subjects offered9A1 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 ML 5 Ad 2 Bu 19A2 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 Gg 2 Dr 1 Sp 19A3 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 Hi 3 Mu 1 Dt 29A4 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3

3 3 33 3 3

Commentaryl 3 option blocks - upto 6 in each block (class size = 20)l Max offer is 18 - anticipate 18l 5 option classes taken for compulsory language (though not a language column) - 80%+ of cohort (cited as ML but could be dual) [E Bacc]l 5 option classes taken for compulsory Geog / History (though not a language column) - 80%+ of cohort [E Bacc]l Sp is non-core PE, i.e. GCSE Sportl From Y9 - Y11: GLH for Option subjects ~216 hrsl Need to consider paired subjects - so Bu could be Business & Economics?

Year 10 - 120 StudentsClass Pds Anticipated number of groups / subjects offered10A1 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 ML 5 Ad 2 Bu 110A2 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 Gg 2 Dr 1 Sp 110A3 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3 Hi 3 Mu 1 Dt 210A4 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 PD 1 3 3 3

3 3 33 3 3

Year 11 - 120 StudentsClass Pds Anticipated number of groups / subjects offered11A1 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 Ex 1 3 3 3 ML 5 Ad 2 Bu 111A2 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 Ex 1 3 3 3 Gg 2 Dr 1 Sp 111A3 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 Ex 1 3 3 3 Hi 3 Mu 1 Dt 211A4 27 En 4 Ma 4 Sc 5 PE 2 It 2 Ex 1 3 3 3

3 3 33 3 3

Commentaryl Ex added, PD removed. Ex is a two-hour session every fortnight. Ex used for 15 assessments throughout the year.

Idea of Ex is to provide high quality information on progress and get students used to the examination environment.Ex would allow two hour mock style paper for En, Ma, Gg/Hi, Langs, Sc every term.Remaining session could be utilised for independent study / options subjects.

Linc 2

X Y Z

X Y Z

X Y Z

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Personal Development (PD) aims to provide a more coherent and efficient approach to religious education, citizenship, and social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) issues. All too often there is considerable overlap between these elements of the curriculum – with little co-ordination. Furthermore, many skills are often re-visited year after year and sometimes even within the same year – e.g. writing a CV. PD aims to eliminate this problem through careful planning of what the students will learn over a four-year period. PD would also be delivered through ‘Enhancement Days’ which would run throughout the year.

The curriculum will provide tailored flexible routes through school. These are created through the combination of a range of courses and sensitive dynamic setting arrangements. The manner in which students are grouped will not always be rigid. For example, we have sometimes used parallel (sometimes single gender) top sets, or a single top set and then three/four “mixed ability” sets in the higher population. We will examine the academic and social profile of cohorts and the requirements of the subject itself to try to establish the arrangements most likely to ensure outstanding learning and achievement. For example, in the same academic year setting methodologies in English and Maths might differ considerably.

The courses on offer will be refined annually to meet the specific and emerging needs of each cohort and also to respond to changes in the qualifications framework. Groupings will be reviewed termly and any necessary changes to classes made. The details contained in the following sub-sections are based on our work on past years’ KS2 achievements and our appreciation of the stated aspirations of our target families.

The content of Key Stage 3 and 4 will be founded on the National Curriculum, with built-in flexibility for staff to develop skills and knowledge that may be a particular area of focus – e.g. a greater emphasis on practical skills in Year 7 Science with a view to improved competence at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

Content of the Curriculum: Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8): Key Features

Year 7 is the key transition year for students and families and is an important year for setting the standard at which children will learn in secondary school, but it can often be disrupted by the changes to expectations and routines that students encounter in their new school.

Many of our systems – houses, separate lunch times – aim to capture the small school feel of primary within the secondary school to provide familiarity and ease students through the process of transition. To ensure all pupils make the best possible start at secondary school we teach to Year 7 a course of 9 lessons each week that covers English, Drama and the Humanities known as Linc2 (Literacy in Culture and Context). This structure enables continuity of planning structures with those encountered in KS2. The Linc2 teacher also provides a “lead teacher” to ensure smooth transition and maintenance of standards. The course features project-based learning and utilises the latest technologies to aid student learning. There is a focus on ensuring that all students make and exceed expected progress in literacy, whilst drawing on the

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specialist knowledge of the team of secondary teachers that deliver and resource this course.  There is also continuity in learning here with primary where students are familiar with a thematic approach to curriculum content.  The cross-curricular approach delivers competence and confidence in each area and establishes good learning habits for the future by setting a high standard for the quality of written communication across all subjects, not just in English.   The course places a clear focus on ensuring literacy and learning skills are developed to enable access and success in later years.   Learning is divided into personal, conceptual, factual and collaborative ‘stations’ using the latest personal device technology and research skills to cultivate active and enquiring learners.

In Year 8, Linc2 will revert to English (3 lessons), Drama (1) and separate History (2) and Geography (2). This is partly in preparation for making KS4 Choices but also to develop a clearer focus on the study of challenging works of literature. Religious Education is incorporated into ‘Personal Development’ (see above) and this becomes a distinct subject in its own right.

Students will set by ability for their lessons in Maths, Science, Languages (see below) and Computer Science. Science homework for one term will be a compulsory CREST award course delivered in Session 6 time. This structured approach to supported study for homework ensures that all students develop good habits and makes it “normal” to complete homework at school from the very start. Maths will follow a traditional curriculum with a relatively seamless ‘spiral’ curriculum between Key Stage 3 and 4.

In Year 7, students will start the year with 3 lessons of French per week as a common language for the first term. After a rigorous assessment of both prior learning and progress in the first 10 weeks a pathway is selected:

1. Take on the study of a second language (Mandarin) (Estimated proportion of the cohort: 50%)

2. Continue with the sole study of French (40%)3. Sacrifice 1 or 2 lessons of French to further enhance basic English / Literacy

skills (10%)

The rationale for this is simple: we value the part that foreign language plays in the development of the whole child – helping them to learn about other cultures, phonics and grammatical structures. Our choice of pathways is based on a recognition that we will have a comprehensive cohort, and for some, the challenge of learning Mandarin Chinese may be excessive and not aligned with their ability. The choice of Mandarin Chinese is in response to the increasing role played by China in the global economy.

An ability to access our curriculum is essential, and for some students, the immediate priority will be to provide additional support in English. Quite simply, there is little point in learning a foreign language when those students do not have a fundamental grasp of English.

For the remaining subjects:

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Music; and Drama (through English): All CMAT Academies have a commitment to developing the Arts and all have (or are working towards) Artsmark Gold and this is something we would aspire to at SFS. We believe that Drama both supplements our verbal literacy programme but also encourages key life skills such as co-operation and empathy which links to one of our core paradigms of “Valuing People” (see Section C) and our commitment to values-based education. Stamford parents have been clear with regard to their “independent school” expectations in these areas and local Arts group “Wildcats” wish to collaborate in developing this provision.

Design: This aims to nurture a sense of creativity in our students and incorporates Product Design, Information Technology, Control (including Multimedia), Art, Graphics and Food. Information Technology (IT) - in our context - includes not only the traditional description of ICT in schools, but also Computer Science and ‘Digital Literacy’. Our students will need to have a full appreciation of how systems are constructed, be able to use software proficiently, design their own software and put this into a context of increased dependency upon IT systems in our working and home lives. The 3 weekly lessons will be taught in one block to allow meaningful “design” challenges to be at the centre of learning.

PE: Both Swavesey and Nene Park Academy also hold a Distinction for the Quality Mark for PE and Sport and this demonstrates CMAT’s experience of (and commitment to) the many benefits that physical activity can bring. Stamford Free School will expect all students to have 2 lessons a week minimum throughout their school lives. The curriculum will be varied in its content and will promote self-esteem, confidence, teamwork, discipline and healthy lifestyles. It will also provide the opportunity for students to try something new and identify aptitude early.

Our Sports Day is an example of this and involves the traditional elite athletics events but also strives to value other skills and willingness to contribute. Examples of this are: triathlon (in the local Hotel Pool, cycle around the local park, run around the school field); sailing relay (dinghies, rafts and other items and a run around the lake); golf; cycling.

All of these will help to underpin the vision for Stamford Free School and in particular the core values of the pursuit of excellence, valuing people and extending the boundaries of learning (see Section C).

Content of the Curriculum: Year 9, 10 and 11 (KS4): Key Features

We will have a three-year KS4 in which the curriculum is made up of a core of subjects: English (4), Maths (4), Science (5), Physical Education (2), IT (1) and Personal Development (1). These will form 67% of the curriculum.

Science alone makes up nearly one fifth of the curriculum, and this increased time in Year 9 has been allocated with the aim of greater numbers achieving Triple Science at the end of Key Stage 4. It is anticipated that all students will be placed on the Triple Science route in Year 9 and that their potential for success will be monitored through

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regular assessments. If deemed necessary, a small proportion of the cohort (20%) would complete GCSE Core & Additional Science.

Students will take GCSE Philosophy & Ethics (stemming from their work in Personal Development) at the end of Year 10. This in turn will make one period available in Year 11 and we propose a new model for assessment (referred to as “Ex” in the curriculum plan shown previously).

In response to the move to a linear curriculum founded on terminal exams, we recognise the need to develop and prepare our students for the challenge of being able to recall and convey their understanding of a subject in a few hours at the end of their study. Certainly, with the trend over past years to modular exams (which we recognise no longer exist), we are mindful that many young people are simply not used to retaining knowledge for long lengths of time and are often not able to fully illustrate their understanding to examiners.

With this in mind, “Ex” would be a two-hour session held every fortnight throughout Year 11. This would equate to around 6/7 sessions in Autumn and Spring term and around 4 sessions in the final term (due to formal examinations). These would be used (via a rota) to assess students by means of a ‘mock’ exam for subjects, with those subjects forming the English Baccalaureate taking priority. An example of what such a rota might look like is provided here:

Week Term 1 Term 2 Term 3

1 English English English

2 Maths Maths Maths

3 Science Science Science

4 Geography / History Guided Choice 3 -

5 Languages Geography / History -

6 Guided Choice 1 Languages -

7 Guided Choice 2 - -In addition to students becoming accustomed to an examination environment, the model would also provide detailed and meaningful summative assessment to both the school and parents on the current attainment level and progress of an individual.

Guided Choices

The remaining 9 periods (33%) form the ‘Guided Choices’ programme. This personalises the provision for each student through a three year KS4 leading to achievement of the best possible grades.

We will offer a range of subjects that will build up Key Stage 3 (note that Business will be the only exception to this). Subjects on offer will be: History, Geography, French, Mandarin, Art & Design, Drama, Music, Business/Economics, Sport, and Design & Technology. ‘Sport’ refers to a GCSE qualification as opposed to the PE found in the core part of the curriculum.

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Flexibility exists within each of these courses,– so for example, Business may incorporate or include Economics and Design & Technology may include Catering, Resistant Materials, Engineering etc. Specific decisions of which courses will be offered will be made in response to a variety of information including: cohort preferences, global/national priorities, and course availability (i.e. given that these changes will be implemented in 2016/17, courses that will be available then may not even exist currently).

The Guided Choices programme is designed to provide informed choices to parents and students that have been carefully tailored (through the effective use of data) to each individual. It is a highly personalised approach that is focused on ensuring the simple mantra of ‘the right students on the right courses’. The choices that students make should: be aligned to their future aspirations, be coherent with one and other and be ones that they are able to succeed in.

By careful analysis of data and information from assessment and staff, each student is provided with a personalised set of ‘Guided Choices’. For some, the degree of flexibility in their choice will be less than others – e.g. some will not have the choice not to study a Language or Geography/History. Indeed, we calculate over 85% of the cohort will be required to select either History or Geography and a Language. This will ensure that the overwhelming proportion of our student population will be able to achieve the ‘English Baccalaureate’ and will also provide them with an excellent preparation for academic study at university and beyond.

The remaining 15% may: already have “home language(s)” and benefit from some support in taking the appropriate qualification(s) but benefit from additional English lessons; struggle with the literacy skills required to succeed in terminal written papers; or have career aspirations/talents better served by an alternative curriculum. Such provision would be bespoke to the needs, aspirations and ability of the individual and could include foundation-level or vocational courses (including work placements).

Once students have made their choices (which will take the list form rather than a ‘Column A, Column B…’ form, three Guided Choices blocks will be created (represented by X, Y, Z in the curriculum plan shown earlier in this document).

CMAT has considerable experience of this process with approximately 95% of all students getting all their first choices and approximately 5% having to re-select one due to clashes. Students who are felt by tutors/teachers to have made poor choices in terms of their ultimate achievement are met individually by the leadership team member with responsibility for curriculum.

The outcome of the process is to have students on courses which they want to study and ones in which they are capable of achieving. Both of these factors create low levels of disruption and high levels of motivation and achievement.

QualificationsAt the time of writing, many qualifications are undergoing considerable review in terms of their content and delivery. In addition to this, new courses are being developed and

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given that the first GCSE qualifications will be sat in 2019/20, qualifications may be available in the future that simply do not exist at the moment. We therefore provide the following list of what qualifications will be available at Stamford Free School with somewhat of a caveat:

GCSE Physics GCSE MathsGCSE Art & Design

GCSE Business

GCSE Biology GCSE English Language & Literature

GCSE Fine Art GCSE Economics

GCSE Chemistry GCSE Graphics GCSE PE

GCSE Core Science

GCSE Philosophy & Ethics

GCSE Resistant Materials

GCSE Drama

GCSE Additional Science

GCSE Computer Science

GCSE Engineering

GCSE Music

GCSE History GCSE MandarinGCSE Product Design

GCSE Geography GCSE French

Note that the courses on the right-hand side of the table (shaded) are part of the Guided Choices programme and as such are subject to demand. Note also that the above table is by no means exhaustive in its content – as mentioned previously, for a small minority of students, a bespoke curriculum (and associated qualifications) will be delivered and these qualifications are not cited here as they will not form part of the general offer. For example, a native Polish speaker at SFS –might gain GCSE Polish but this is not part of the school’s general offer.

Enrichment Activities

The PLEDGES programmeWe believe in an all-round education where every child develops self-confidence, life-skills and leadership experiences and we offer a range of opportunities to develop social, moral, spiritual and cultural qualities. We will facilitate this by using our freedom as an academy to run a longer school day extending to 4.30pm. CMAT have considerable experience in this area having developed the model from ‘the Swavesey Experience’:

“The previous inspection judged the school to be good with outstanding features. However, senior leaders and the governing body were not content for the school to rest on its laurels. Although it was providing a good education for the majority of students, they sharpened the school's focus upon the needs of every child. To this end, they set three very challenging '100%' targets, known as the 'Vital Few'. These were: that every student should achieve a Level 2 qualification; that every student should participate in the wide range of activities that make up the 'Swavesey Experience'; and that the school should be recognised as outstanding in every judgement in its next inspection. All three targets have now been achieved.”

Source: OFSTED report, Swavesey Village College, March 2011

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Our PLEDGES programme reflects our commitment to support the overall development of every student by giving them opportunities and challenges to participate in and to develop new skills and competencies. During their time at the school students are expected to complete the seven Pledges at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Bronze should be completed by the end of Year 8, Silver by the end of Year 10 and Gold by the end of Year 13.

Students sign up for the activities and gather evidence which they then share with their tutor during their mentoring meetings in tutor time to demonstrate that they have met each particular Pledge. The 7 pledges are: Participation, Leadership, Excellence, Diversity, Giving, Environment, Service.

Session 6 Programme & Enhanced Curriculum DaysThe Session 6 programme represents a range of activities that take place after the main school day. As part of the PLEDGES programme we expect all students to commit to the Session 6 programme. Although some activities may be seasonal or cyclical, the opportunities are extensive and ensure that our students are given every chance to extend the boundaries of learning from within the classroom. An example of a typical Year 7 Session 6 programme is shown below.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Science Club (Participation Pledge)

Military Style Self Defence (Participation Pledge)

Boys Football (Excellence Pledge)

Ukulele and Guitar String Orchestra (Participation Pledge)

Table Tennis (Participation Pledge)

English Homework Club (Participation Pledge)

Music Ensemble (Excellence Pledge)

Song Writing (Participation Pledge)

Music Ensemble (Excellence Pledge)

Game Design and Animation (Participation Pledge)

Let’s Get Cooking (Excellence Pledge)

Dodgeball (Participation Pledge)

Musical Theatre Group (Excellence Pledge)

Girls Football (Excellence Pledge)

Indoor Football (Participation Pledge)

Archery Club (Participation Pledge)

Rugby Club (Participation Pledge)

Maths Fun Club (Participation Pledge)

Watersports at Lakeside Leisure (Participation Pledge)

RockBand (Excellence Pledge)

Swimming (Participation Pledge)

Study Session (Excellence Pledge)

The Green Team (Volunteering Pledge)

Dance Fusion (Participation Pledge)

Chamber Orchestra (Excellence Pledge)

In terms of staffing, all members of staff would engage with the above process: teachers, support staff, teaching assistants, volunteers, experts/coaches etc. Many of the activities will be staffed internally and will play to the strengths, interests and skills of our staff. Particularly in the case of Sport, in order to achieve excellence, we will need to call upon the professional coaches. This aspect of the school’s curriculum

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would be a contractual obligation and Session 6 would be included as part of the teaching load of a member of staff.

The curriculum will also be supported through a programme of “Pledges & Futures Days” which can be used to explore aspects of the curriculum in greater detail, extend the boundaries of learning (trips, visitors etc.) and to support students’ personal development. An example of what such days might look like is shown on the next page (taken from Swavesey Village College).

We will provide enrichment opportunities to students in the sixth form, and in particular we will build on the leadership and coaching development which begins pre-16 through the ‘Creativity, Action and Service’ section of the IB. Post-16 students will also be encouraged to participate in the World Challenge. To facilitate raising the money to fund this, we will allocate a central sum of money that they can earn. This can be for paid mentoring of other students, supporting the site team, providing additional cleaning, delivering literature for SFS or any other enterprising suggestions that they may construct.

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Assessing and meeting the needs of all pupils

Inclusion and Special Educational Needs: Student Support ServicesAt SFS we will be utilising an aligned and coherent model for meeting the needs of all pupils. A powerful team of people will provide a complete support service for students – ‘Student Support Services’ (SSS). It should be noted that this model does not diminish the responsibility of a Tutor or House in terms of their key role in student wellbeing and welfare.

The team will utilise specific expertise whilst also strengthening links between the different areas of support and will provide a more aligned and efficient approach to student support. The formation of SSS will greatly aid communication and development and would incorporate effective succession planning within it, thus reducing any vulnerability for the school. The model recognises the inter-relationship

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Yea

r G

roup

Day 1Wed Oct 9th

Day 2Wednesday 27th

November

Day 3Tuesday 4th

February

Day 4Thurs 27th March

Day 5Fri 23rd May

Yea

r 7

Warwick castle visit

Frogs (Maths)Health and Well Being

Gender balance (PE)

Business half day

Anti-bullying workshops

Murder Mystery (Eng) & BBC schools report day (KD)

Virtual Careers IAG

Yea

r 8

Environment day(Geography)

Outdoor education(PE )

Risk taking behaviour Kick Ash PSHE

Black country museum visit (Hums)

Arts day – Music/Art/Drama

Langs rotation

Yea

r 9 Relationships

Science think tank trip (Science)

Pre options and vocational day /Study skills

Futures

Anti-Social Behaviour(Citizenship; Ethics)

Yea

r 10

‘Your choice’Locality ClassroomsHall before/after lunch (road safety) PSHE

English Ethics around Drugs (Citizenship; Ethics)

Design & Enterprise / MFL * New*

Year 10 /11 transition (WEX/Exam prep)

Exam prep/Made training Hall

Paralympic sports

Yea

r 11

English Revision

16+ awareness day – 6th form in/Alumni

Finance (Maths)

Independent learning day(Year 11 Drama)

Exam prep beginsTargeted students Exam prep

Health Ed Update PSHE

between Complex Needs support, which includes Complex Educational, Medical and Social Needs as well as Child Protection issues. There are four basic sections to this team.

The Leadership RoleThis initiative will require strong specialist leadership and high levels of expertise for its development, implementation and management. In terms of personnel, the Student Support Services team will represent a middle-ground between teaching staff and support staff. The Assistant Principal member responsible for Students will need to co-ordinate the activities of the different sections both between themselves and the wider school structure. This individual would also have direct responsibility for any students in the Children Looked After (CLA) group that may be in the school.

A “Caring Professionals” group will be facilitated by the Assistant Principal responsible for this area, with (at least) half-termly meetings in the school to provide an opportunity to share practice and concerns. The Caring Professionals Group reflects this ‘team around the child’ approach supporting the work of House Teams (see section on House structure below). This team needs to develop a single referral process for House Teams to draw upon when supporting the Complex Needs of students and families within their House.

External agenciesOf particular note is that any work with external agencies (e.g. CAMHS, GPs, social workers) from any of teams would have to be disclosed to the Assistant Principal. This is not to say that the liaison itself needs to be done by an individual, just that there need to be clear lines of communication. Linked to this is the notion that House teams could only access Student Support Services via the Assistant Principal. In this sense, the Leadership Team member would act as the ‘gatekeeper’ to the different services on offer and in doing so would be able to ensure an equitable workload for all parties concerned.

Student Counselling ServiceAnother element of the team would be a Student Counselling Service. This would include Senior Tutors (see section on House structure below), Tutors, specialist workers and Cover Supervisors (when they are not otherwise deployed). The word

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Leadership Link

Student Counselling

Service

Learning Support Team

(SENCO lead)

Information, Advice and Guidance

External Agencies

Houses

counselling here is used loosely; this team will focus on removing barriers to learning for individuals. These could range from sensitive issues to do with attendance, self-esteem, and smoking all the way through to simple time-management. As SFS increases size, this team will evolve and grow but in the first instance the most specialist cases would be referred to the most experienced members of the team. This team would meet students throughout the day – removing them from lessons where required. The remit of this team would not extend to sensitive child protection issues, all of which would need to be referred to the designated Child Protection Officer.

Learning Support Team (SENCO led)Another element of student support would be the Learning Support Team led by the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) with a key focus of those students with specific learning difficulties. The SENCO will be a qualified teacher and will have (or be enrolled on) the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination. The SENCO will lead a team of Teaching Assistants (TAs). The team will focus on physical, emotional and cognitive impairments and ensuring students get the support they need to access the curriculum. The SENCO will be responsible for the effective deployment of the TAs and management of all budgets and resources associated with SEN. The majority of Teaching Assistants will be allocated to Houses (explained further later in this document). Locating TAs within House teams allows staff to build upon their own personal skills and training and contribute significantly to the development of differentiated teaching materials and targeted support within a particular curriculum area. House TAs will attend team meetings and registrations and become integrated into the workings of that team.

Each House will have a particular contribution to our provision for those with SEN (Literacy with English, Numeracy with Maths, Emotional and Behavioural with 3 rd

House).

TAs will provide their plans to the SENCO who will then ensure that statutory hours are delivered, and the quality of overall support is not impaired. This would include monitoring and reviewing of statements and individual plans as well as monitoring the progress of students.

The SENCO will also work closely with the Leader for Literacy and Language Development. This will be a TLR role (distinct from the Curriculum Leader for English) with a specialist focus on developing levels of literacy and catering for any EAL students. From the data on surrounding schools, we anticipate a limited number of such students (average within 5 miles is 2%) and see this as an opportunity to provide intensive support where it is required.

We will also employ a “Families and Attendance Officer”. They will work under the Assistant Principal (Students) in providing intensive support for the House Structure with families in difficulty. They will also liaise with other local agencies (Primaries, Local Authority, Health etc.) and provide programmes of wider support.

Information, Advice and Guidance

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The final arm of Student Support Services would be that linked to Information, Advice and Guidance. This section would aim to ensure that all students could make informed and well-educated choices about their future. This could range from issues to do with Year 8 Guided Choices through to apprenticeships or university places. Again, it must be emphasised that this does not abdicate other staff from this role. This individual, would co-ordinate activities throughout the school and need not necessarily generate resources. A key objective would be to broaden horizons and attitudes towards the world of work, further education and higher education. A Senior Tutor will lead on this as their Whole-School Responsibility.

Assessing Pupils’ Needs

Within the first 3 weeks of Year 7 all students will undertake a Cognitive Ability Test (CAT). This will provide a detailed analysis of their raw ability and allow us to screen for specific conditions using the reports provided. In addition to this, the school will analyse data gathered during the Primary Transition (see later section) and this will include attitudinal as well as attainment and progress level data.

From analysis of current data from local primary schools, we expect a disproportionate percentage of our students will be ‘Most Able’ (MA). As demonstrated earlier in this section, our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the more able and will provide opportunity for appropriate challenge and stretch. This will be through high-quality teaching and learning with a clear focus on extending MA students and maintaining appropriate pace throughout lessons to ensure they remain engaged. This will link directly with establishing an outstanding Teaching School (see Section C) and accountability for this aspect of the school would form part of the Teaching and Learning responsibility at Leadership Team level (i.e. Assistant Principal).

The Role of Other Staff: The House System

Central to meeting the needs of students will be a House structure (grouped by subject areas) combined with a vertical tutor-group structure. This tried and tested innovation has proved pivotal in the success of other schools in the CMAT partnership. At its heart is the notion that each and every student is known, valued, supported and cared for. The system creates a strong team and community identity linking in with the curriculum teams. Key principles are:

Focus on the student as an individual. Focus on monitoring personal progress and raising achievement. Focus on effective learning. Focus on consistent high standards across the college. Focus on effective and efficient communication.

Stamford Free School will be divided into three Houses of around 265 students. The Houses provide support and guidance within an environment where the needs of each child are known by his or her Tutor and Senior Tutor (ST) and their individual progress

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is monitored closely. Importantly, the House is the focus of the relationship between the school and families, with siblings placed in the same House.

House TeamsAll members of staff are a member of one of the three Houses. Each House has a Senior Tutor and Curriculum Leader (CL) who will manage the same team of staff in their dual roles as tutor and subject teacher respectively. House meetings will cover all elements of student learning and welfare and as such, the House system eradicates the traditional divide between curriculum and pastoral areas. The Senior Tutor is responsible for the quality of guidance and support provided by tutors within the House whilst the Curriculum Leader is responsible for the learning and teaching that takes place within the subjects in the curriculum area.

Each house will also have a Student Support Advisor (SSA) who will oversee the operational running of the House. The House Office will be the focal point for the House and the SSA will be available at all times during the school day to support the needs of students and parents within that House family.

Key features are:

House teams (‘schools within a school’): Three Houses across different year groups, with a designated non-teaching support team in each House and highly effective liaison with the locality team.

Identity: The strong team identity with staff in the same curriculum and House team, improving communication, accountability and a strong sense of pride.

Integration of students across year groups: This greatly reduces anxiety, disrupts negative peer groupings, creates formal and informal peer support and mentoring and creates a cohesive community.

Siblings are placed in the same House: This streamlines communication with, and support for, all parents, especially looked after students, student carers and families with problems.

Support: The structure provides formal and informal leadership and peer mentoring opportunities for every child.

Effective transition: The system significantly reducing levels of anxiety associated with transition for Year 6 students, removing traditional concerns and stereotypes about older students and a ‘big’ school.

Competition: Inter House competition serves to drive up standards and provides a strong sense of belonging and community.

Tutor groupsPupils entering SFS will all enter one of the House’s 13 tutor groups, with around 20 students in each; these tutor groups are vertical, with a cross-section of students from years 7–11. This creates a structure whereby the student/tutor ratio is 4:1 in any year group – establishing realistic and genuinely personalised support for every student and family at each stage of their schooling.

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The form tutor will play a vital role in providing continuity and cohesion to the student’s experience of school life, guiding and supporting the personal, academic and wider achievement of each individual student within the form. The tutor is also the first point of contact for parents and is the primary link between home and school. A tutor is involved in the process of monitoring, guiding and supporting students’ learning as they progress through the school, as well as helping them to prepare for further education and careers.

Tutor InterviewsAfter publication of termly reports, tutors will conduct a Review Meeting with each student in the form to monitor progress and set agreed targets for improvement. Tutors will also use the interview to discuss extra-curricular achievements and which Pledge(s) the student is working towards. This interview will last for around 15 minutes or so, and tutors will be allocated 1 hour per fortnight for this. The vertical nature of the tutor groups facilitates this – with only 4 students of any particular year group in any form, effective mentoring is possible. During or shortly after the meeting, the tutor will record a brief summary of what was discussed and any agreed targets on the MIS. Senior Tutors are copied into emails home and tutors may wish to keep an (electronic) copy to refer back to in future meetings. Students record their targets and action plans in their planner. Parents will be updated on the outcome of this meeting on a termly basis and tutor interviews, to which parents are invited, will be held after school at least once a year.

Pupil Transition

SFS will develop strong partnerships with primary schools and make extensive use of the best practice from the primary sector to plan and deliver the Year 7 experience. In order to facilitate this, a member of the Leadership Team (with responsibility for Primary Transition) will initiate the programme with an annual “Festival of Learning” at the end of Year 5. The Senior Leader will visit each primary school accompanied by a dedicated Student Support Advisor, Senior Tutor and Linc2 teacher. They will familiarise themselves with Year 6 students and will liaise with the relevant teachers to gather data and information about students including: attainment and progress levels, attitudinal data, any SEN information, specific needs/concerns, sibling links and friendship groups.

This will be supported by open evenings/days and bespoke visits to SFS. After notification of allocation, parents will be invited to attend a ‘welcome evening’ by their respective House where they will have the opportunity to meet the Assistant Principal, Senior Tutor, Student Support Advisor and their Tutor. The SENCO would also liaise with and visit primary schools to ensure that the needs of all students are known and appropriately catered for.

Students from the same family will be placed within the same house to create a family feel. This often means that parents are already familiar with the Senior Tutor and Student Support Advisor before their second (or later) child reaches the school.

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This will be followed by a number of ‘induction days’ where students can familiarise themselves with the school environment, meet their teachers, sample lessons and be introduced to PLEDGES and Session 6. They will also be given an overview of expectations of homework in Year 7.

Once in the school, students will join our family, and the vertical tutor groups will mean that they will know students beyond their year group whom they can call upon for support. When at capacity, SFS will operate at least three lunch times. Year 9 and 11 (and Post-16) will lunch between lessons 3 and 4. Year 7 then have their own lunchtime midway through their lesson 4 – this will provide a delightful environment in which there is plenty of space and seating available. This is particularly beneficial in the first weeks of the year and enables lunch supervisors to get to know new students quickly and inculcate good habits. Finally, Years 8 and 10 will have lunch between lessons 4 and 5.

Within the first few weeks of joining the school, tutors will contact home to inform parents how their child is settling in and to address any concerns that parents may have. This will be followed up by a second meeting early in the second half-term with a focus on explaining more about curriculum, assessment and reporting structures. Again, this will provide an opportunity for parents to verbalise any concerns they may have.

Over one third of the timetable for a Year 7 student will be made up of the Linc2 course (see curriculum section). This approach is centred around project-based learning and will be familiar to students from their primary education. They will have a dedicated teacher for this and this will again ease the transition between Year 6 and Year 7 whilst also ensuring that the dip in achievement that often characterises the start of Year 7 is eliminated and students’ horizons are constantly extended.

Links with primary schools will be further strengthened through effective collaboration including visits to specialist facilities (e.g. Design or Science), members of our staff visiting primary schools to lead on activities associated with Sport and the Arts; and representation of primary partners on the LGB. We further encourage our staff to join the LGB of our partner primaries. In addition to this, SFS will provide specialist staff to work alongside, support and, where required, provide CPD to primary colleagues in areas such as Languages, Science and ICT. This would lead to a greater awareness for both parties in terms of curriculum content, teaching and learning and would enable strong progression across the phases. This partnership would include Year 6 teachers attending the Year 6 induction days – something which would again serve to aid students in their move to SFS.

CMAT has previously successfully engaged with the local Rotary Club to provide 1:1 interviews for students based on careers areas. These interviews act as a focus to raise aspirations and often recruit mentors for students. The twenty minute interviews follow an application process (letter and CV). They are followed by a detailed advice

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and guidance session which reviews both the interview and the application information provided.

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KPI 1: Attainment and ProgressKey Stage 3

By the end of Year 7: 100% of students will have secured L4 in English By the end of Year 9: 95% of students will have secured L5 in English

Key Stage 4

5+ A*-C including English and Maths: 75%+ 30%+ of all grades will be A*-A English Baccalaureate: 70%+ 3+ Levels of Progress for English: 82% 3+ Levels of Progress for Maths: 80% 4+ Levels of Progress for both English and maths: exceed national average by

10% VA score above 1010, Top 25% of schools No significant variation in FSM and LAC VA achievement between KS2&4

(source: RAISEonline) Appropriate curriculum leads to 75% retention into Post-16 by 2020

Key Stage 5 (outcomes for 2022)

80% of students to complete the IB Diploma (i.e. 24 or more points) 25 % to achieve 28 IB points (348 UCAS points) or more (this corresponds to

AAB at A level) Average Point Score per student: 26 IB points (304 UCAS points) 75% of Post-16 students to go to first choice University 40% of Post-16 students to go to a Russell Group University

KPI 2: Teaching and Learning 95% of lessons observed are ‘Good’ or better, with 0% ‘Inadequate’ and 30%+

‘Outstanding’, with triangulation with “independent” Ofsted Inspectors Gain ‘Teaching School’ Status (links to KPI 5)

KPI 3: The Parallel Curriculum All students engage with Pledges: 100% Year 8 Bronze, 80% Year 10 Silver,

60% Year 13 Gold 100% Participate in Session 6 in KS3 All staff make a contribution to enabling students to meet one of their pledges Extra – curricular offer reflects aspirations of parent body and over 350 fixtures

annually (once at capacity) Inter-House Competition. 1 Sporting per half term. Other curriculum areas to

offer 1 per Year Group annually Celebrating Achievement: An average of 600 ‘Curriculum Credits’ awarded per

student. 20% parental involvement.

KPI 4: Wellbeing, attendance and careThe House system is embedded:

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100% of tutors are rated ‘Good’ or better using CMAT Tutor Grading criteria tutor meeting/home contacts: 100% recorded Team around child established Zero Permanent Exclusions and Fixed Term Exclusions will be 4% or lower (as

percentage of student cohort) Attendance (fewer than 5% sessions missed, PA below 6%)

KPI 5: High-quality leadership, high-quality systems Target data (KS3, 4 & 5) available for all students by 2015 start 100% of Senior Leadership and Middle Leadership is rated as good or

outstanding throughout 7 years of development SFS is the school of first choice in its community.

Admission at Y7 has 120+ first choices Transition arrangements rated as 95% good or better in a survey of relevant

primary schools Address weak areas outlined in Parent/Student/Staff Questionnaire on separate

plan within 3 months of first completion School gains ‘Outstanding’ in every key category in first OFSTED inspection

Data: Targets, Assessment, Monitoring & Evaluation Systems

The success of schools in the CMAT family is founded on strong leadership, excellent teaching and learning, and robust systems of assessment and tracking. Stamford Free School will adopt the proven practice relating to all three schools and the sections below provide more information on the CMAT methodology.

The Basic PrincipleKey to tracking performance is a clear appreciation of a student’s potential and their progress towards that goal. In setting targets and monitoring progress we take into account three key elements:

Prior attainment: particularly in KS2 (but increasingly assessments within the school). We also use Fisher Family Trust (FFT) estimates and information gleaned from RAISEonline. In Key Stage 5 we also use ALPS to replicate both of these systems and to provide a clear and swift analysis of the performance of individual students and subjects/teachers against national progress measures.

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Cognitive ability: all students take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) in Year 7. This enables us to screen for a variety of common needs as well as to identify strengths and weaknesses. The CAT tests also provide information on learning styles and particular areas of strength and weakness (e.g. in the case of EAL students some may have strong numeracy but poor literacy).

Teacher assessment: We also take close account of the teacher’s perspective of the student which is gathered through both formative and summative assessments. This element also takes into account any specific needs/context relating to the student.

This triangulation gives us a clear understanding of individual students and enables us to plan to ensure they succeed.

Target settingThe above information is then combined to begin a process which culminates in the setting of a clear ‘Minimum Target Grade’ (MTG) which forms the core of all future discussions. We insist that all students are expected to make 3 Levels of Progress in English and Maths (and equivalent progress across other subjects). We expect cohort targets of at least 10% above National in Maths and English for 4 Levels of Progress to be set as staff identify those students who they perceive (through examining CATs, FFT, current performance etc.) as having the greatest chance of succeeding.

In order to ensure personalised targets, a simple system has been used since 2006. In essence, this involves targets being set across the school as a whole, leading to subject level targets, class level targets and finally student level targets. A key aspect is that information is discussed and tailored at every level and this gives rise to a highly-efficient feedback mechanism that results in meaningful and achievable MTGs being identified for each and every student. Moreover, the input from teachers at subject and classroom level brings an important element of ‘intelligent accountability’ into play.

Once the MTG has been agreed there is one clear benchmark for students, parents, teachers, tutors, the leadership team and Governors.

AssessmentAssessment and testing are fundamental to the process. Each year group undertake rigorous annual examinations. Work is cross-moderated across both subject areas and other CMAT schools to ensure precision, and to share best practice. This time for moderation is built into 2 hours of professional development time every Tuesday and movement between academies is encouraged. This aspect of calling upon expertise from a number of successful schools in the CMAT partnership to assist on ensuring the quality of assessment is very pertinent in the context of SFS and would mean that the school is never working in isolation.

All Schemes of Learning have to demonstrate how they fulfil “Assessment for Learning” and ensure that staff are clearly aware of the progress and achievements of students.

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Another key aspect of our approach are our common marking scheme: “Wow How Now” which places a clear focus on what a student has done well, what they need to do to improve, and how the teacher expects them to demonstrate this. This has had a significant impact in improving the quality of feedback provided to students, making marking a dialogue for improvement. Feedback and Improvement Time (FIT) is provided every time work is returned to enable this to flourish.

Tracking & Reporting Progress to ParentsCMAT have a long-standing relationship with Advanced Learning Systems (previously SERCO), the providers of the Facility/Progresso software package and all CMAT academies use a version of their system as the central Management Information System (MIS). Key CMAT staff have presented on utilising data to maximise student achievement over an extended period and for a range of agencies (Local Authorities, Teaching School, SSAT, Academies Show, Westminster Briefings etc.) and this would provide the base from which all tracking, monitoring and reporting would follow.

Data will either be analysed through the MIS (particularly with reporting services in Progresso), through exported data being interrogated via spreadsheet analysis (utilising pivot tables), or using additional software (e.g. 4-Matrix). This allows cohorts to be analysed quickly in terms of significant groups (e.g. Ever 6, Gender, Ethnicity) to ensure progress is tracked in an efficient manner. This body of work will fall within the remit of the Vice Principal with responsibility for achievement.

Data reports will be provided for students on a termly basis - the graphic below shows a section of a typical reporting cycle. At Key Stage 3 they focus on ‘Current Performance’ (CP); at Key Stage 4 and 5 on ‘Current Performance Predictors’ (CPP). These are compared to both the MTG (Minimum Target Grade) and, in order to identify trends, against previous reports. Also included in this report will be an Attitude to Learning (AtL) score for each subject, which relays information on the engagement,

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behaviour and motivation of each student.

As mentioned in Section D1, Tutors will meet termly with individual students to assess progress and to set targets with students that focus on academic progress, progress towards meeting the Pledges and on areas of weakness with regard to AtL. After the meeting, tutors contact parents to inform them of the outcome of the meeting, to report on progress in general and to indicate how parents may best support their child. The outcomes of the discussions with students and parents are logged on the MIS system for later reference and to provide information on whether or not these targets have been achieved and moreover their impact.

The first reports in each Key Stage are provided to parents at a “meet the tutor” evening. Having someone there to explain what “eduspeak” means has proved very popular with parents and, we believe, improved their ability to support the school. In all years, parents also have the opportunity to meet with all of the teachers involved with the education of their child – this provides detailed subject-level feedback for students and parents.

We believe that the systems that produced such a positive culture at SVC and contributed to the rising standards at NPA and NCA will evolve and develop at SFS whilst supporting our drive for outstanding outcomes for all.

Evaluation & Strategies for SupportSenior Tutors analyse each report and prepare a programme of support for those in their Houses. Curriculum Areas also produce analyses and share these with their Assistant Principal link. This ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ approach to student achievement ensures that no student is left behind.

The success of intervention, quality of current arrangements and assessment, and the progress of disadvantaged students will always be in focus and form an integral part of meetings both at House level and at Middle- and Senior-Leadership level.

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December January February123 Training day: Academy

4 1Y8 Close 5 2 Y9/13IB Close

6 37 4

Y8 Collate/ Y10/Y11 Live 8 Y7 Template Done 5 Y9/13IB Collate

Y8 Change 9 Y11 Subject Evening 6 Y9/13IB Change

10 7 Y7 Tutor Deadline

Y8 Print 11 8 Y9/13IB Print

Y8 Out/ Y10/11 Close 12 9 Y9/13IB Out

13 1014 11

Y10/11 Collate/Y9 Tutor Deadline 15 Y7 Live 12Y10/11 Change 16 Y9/Y13IB Template Done 13

17 Y10 Subject Evening 14Y10/11 Print 18 15Y10/11 Out 19 Y7 Closed 16

20 1721 1822 Y7 Collate 19

Y8 Tutor Deadline 23 Y7 Change 20 Y10/11 Template Done

24 21Training day (in lieu) 25 Y7 Print 22

26 Y7 Out 23 Y13IB Tutor Deadline

27 2428 2529 Y9/13IB Live 26 Y10/11 Live

30 27 Y9 Tutor Deadline

31 28

The system is underpinned through a quality assurance schedule that includes calling a sample of parents to identify the quality of the discussions and meetings with randomly selected students by Senior Tutors to monitor the mentoring provided. A detailed self-evaluation mechanism will also be used to quality assure the standards achieved by both curriculum areas and Houses. This includes specific reference to comparisons of performance against national levels of achievement and the effectiveness of the tracking and intervention strategies used (and their impact).

Stamford Free School recognises the challenge of having specific no benchmarking data (RAISEonline) in the first few years of operation and will utilise the information (national and otherwise) included in the reports of other schools in the CMAT family. Of particular interest will be the RAISEonline information of Swavesey Village College, the cohort of which is not dissimilar to that anticipated at SFS.

The data that emerges from each report cycle together with the data held on self-evaluation, on attendance, behaviour, AtL and completion of Pledges will be shared with the school Senior Leadership Team, the Local Governing Body and, in brief form, the Trust and key actions for improvement identified, developed and implemented.

Monitoring and improving the quality of teaching

In existing CMAT schools, teachers are observed a number of times during the academic year and by a number of people (from both within and outside of the network) including Curriculum Leader, Assistant Principal and Peers. We are also part of a local collaboration in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – the Collaborative Monitoring Project. This provides an external view, both of the individual but also of the quality of teaching and learning across the whole school with every teacher being observed over a two-day period by external observers (trained OFSTED or Senior Leaders from partner schools (both within and beyond Trust).

Senior Tutors also assess the performance of tutors in carrying out their duties. We have developed our own criteria for how we believe a tutor should conduct themselves. This includes reviewing the quality of targets set with students and record keeping and we have created our own system to evaluate and compare the quality of these measures both between different Houses in a school and with other Houses in other CMAT schools.

The on-going analysis of performance data is central to our evaluation of the quality of teaching – outstanding teaching and learning results in outstanding outcomes. Subject- and teacher-level data and information from a dedicated section of subject-level self-evaluation is combined with data pertaining to teacher observations and FRAME reviews (see below) to inform and populate the Blue Sky Performance Management system used in CMAT schools.

We also review different faculties within the school via a review framework (FRAME). Key features of this 360° review are:

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Sections which cover the key categories from the new Ofsted framework (September 2013) and focus on:

Achievement of Students The Quality of Teaching The Quality of Tutoring Behaviour and Safety of Students The Quality of Leadership and Management SMSC, Literacy and Numeracy

A number of observations throughout the faculty Analysis of faculty performance, quality assurance and associated evidence

At the end of the two-day period, a short, concise report will be written by the FRAME team (comprising of an Assistant Principal, a Senior Tutor, a Curriculum Leader and others) to summarise the key findings and outcomes of their findings for their assigned faculty/House. Each key area will be graded according to the Ofsted descriptors (1–4) and the report will list clearly strengths and, where appropriate, areas for development. The final report will also form the basis of discussions with the relevant link Governor for that area.

These will then become a focus for further line-management meetings so that pertinent areas of concern which require improvement are discussed in more detail. Once these discussions have taken place, an action plan may need to be drawn up within a suitable time frame to ensure that timely improvements are implemented as quickly as possible.

SFS provides an opportunity to recruit staff of the highest quality and whilst we hope that this will eliminate the need for serious intervention we are not naïve enough to believe that some teachers will not require support. Linked to this is our unwavering pursuit of excellence – teaching and learning is continuously evolving and we will always strive to improve teaching.

We need to encourage teachers to adopt new approaches to teaching and learning; lessons will feature a range of different activities for different groups of students. Teachers need to be encouraged to experiment and to undertake measured risk. The role of the teacher will continue to evolve and rather than being a ‘keeper of all knowledge’ will be to facilitate and promote enquiry and independent learning. We will engender a move away from staff thinking ‘What will I teach my students tomorrow?’ to ‘What will my students learn tomorrow?’. This shift away from teacher-centred lessons towards learner-led lessons will provide our students with a solid foundation for life-long learning and with the ability to adapt to different environments.

This leads to the need for purposeful Continuous Professional Development (CPD) – and for this reason, we will have an Assistant Principal responsible for both teaching and learning and CPD, thus ensuring an effective symbiosis. At SFS we will have a comprehensive programme of CPD centred around teaching and learning and will drive towards a culture of sharing expertise and a visible passion for learning.

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Whilst some element of their training may also be IT-related, we do not aim for our staff to be expert at all things IT-related; instead we aim for all staff to be at least competent in Microsoft Office. On an almost daily basis, our learners demonstrate their ability to utilise new technologies. The role of the teacher then is to direct, to steer, to facilitate and to enable learning to take place.

From our existing schools, CMAT recognises that an excellent way of initiating this process is for staff to carryout ‘benchmarking’ visits to the most successful schools in the country to observe best practice. In the first instance, we would utilise our link with Swavesey Village College to carry out benchmarking exercises. We would also operate a peer-to-peer support system across the schools at all levels – something that we believe would be paramount in the initial years after opening.

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Full School

a) Senior Leadership Team (SLT) There will be one Principal, one Vice Principal (Achievement and Curriculum) and 3 Assistant Principals (Students; SEN, LAC, Attendance; Staff: Teaching and Learning, CPD, Welfare; Experience: Post-16 and ‘Extending the Boundaries’). Assistants Principals will each be accountable for the performance of a Faculty/House. The work of the SLT will be overseen by the Executive Principal (20% indicative), Trust and Local Governors.

b) Pastoral and curriculum teams 1) The tutor’s role will be focus on student progress within the House structureEvery teacher will be a tutor with the exception of the Senior Tutors and the Principal. Many support staff colleagues will also either be lead or support tutors.

2) Subject areas will be grouped into 3 House TeamsHouse teams will be of a similar size with the capacity to focus on the quality of learning (through sharing and developing good practice) and to implement consistent policies and procedures. The three Houses will be formed from House 1: English and Languages; House 2: Science and Design; and House 3: Maths and Humanities.

Sport and Performing Arts will remain separate reflecting the distinctive role that they play within the life of the academy. It also provides an ideal balancing mechanism to maintain houses of equal size and capacity.

3) Support for House and Faculty TeamsSenior Tutor (ST): will lead the team in supporting and monitoring the personal development and academic progress of each student within the House. Two STs will be employed from the outset. They will teach in their specialist areas.

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Student Support Advisor (SSA): non-teaching support available to support the needs of students, parents and teachers/tutors. All SSAs will also train as first aiders. Initially, 1 SSA will be employed and they will also be asked to cover a number of other roles. This will increase to 2 in Year 3 and 3 in Year 5.

CMAT’s ‘Base formula’ for TLR points

PrinciplesThe ‘Base Formula’ is derived from curriculum time and the number of students taught rather than a simple tally of the number of teachers within a team. The latter can vary enormously depending upon the number of part-timers or teachers with other responsibilities within a team.

Base Curriculum FormulaThe Base Formula is calculated against ‘StudHrs’(‘Student Hours’): the curriculum time x no. of students taught, e.g. Geography Yr 8 : 2hrs x 120 students (cohort) = 240

Within this calculation there are two weighting factors:

1.5 weighting for GCSE / equivalent - external exams. 2 weighting for KS 4 English and Maths; and KS5 subjects

e.g. English Yr 10: 3 hours a week x 120 students(cohort) x 2 (weighting) = 720

Base formula for TLR points  TLR2A TLR2B TLR2C TLR1A TLR1B  £2561 £4268 £5975 £7397 £9672Studxhrs 800 - 1500 1500-2500 2500-3500 3500-4500 > 4500

Additional FactorsThe Trust has identified ‘Additional factors’ that should be recognised and reflected in both job descriptions and TLR points. These factors enable us to recognise the additional leadership responsibilities held by middle managers outside of the timetabled base curriculum formula. They do not presuppose the actual delivery of these additional enrichment opportunities for students, rather they acknowledge the necessary roles played by colleagues in ensuring they take place in line with our vision and values. These additional factors and their weighting are shown below.

Factor Rationale

1. Extra-curriculum / community programmes – Session 6

Accountable for structured, timetabled programmes.

2. External public performances / events / fixtures

Recognising our commitment to providing students with opportunities to perform.

3. Care for students(senior tutors*)

The curriculum formula does not take account of ‘pupil development across the curriculum’.

4. Line Management

When the number of colleagues Line Managed is significantly beyond that indicated by the FTE to deliver the subject e.g. Peripatetic Music

5. Whole School Responsibilities Leadership of key elements of school life

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Inclusion and Special Educational NeedsUnder the remit of a single Assistant Principal, support will include:

Inclusion – covering those who are in Internal Exclusion, a “referral unit” where students may spend all or part of their week, and an “After School School” – when necessary.

TA Support Complex Needs Support

Line management here recognises the inter-relationship between Complex Needs support, which includes Complex Educational, Medical and Social Needs as well as Child Protection issues.

House Teaching Assistants (providing in class and tutor support)To reflect the responsibility of the House teams for the achievement of every student, there will no longer be a central or core SEN provision – all TAs will be full members of a House team, supporting student achievement within that subject and House.

Moving monitoring and intervention strategies into the House area will ensure that the Senior Tutor is fully aware of all strategies being employed with the students within their House. As SA and SA+ classifications may sometimes depend on interventions organised by the ST/SSA it is important that they manage the SEN register for the students in their house.

Core literacy and numeracy support will be the responsibility of the English and Maths teams respectively using enhanced staffing resources, both teaching and TA. House TAs in these core areas will play a key role in targeting and delivering this support.

House TAs will be classroom based under the guidance of the teacher or planning for small groups and therefore will be Level 1. In Maths/English this will often involve taking small groups out of the classroom environment and is therefore Level 2 work.

House TA hours attend team meetings and registrations and become integrated into the workings of that team. The indicative final structure will be:

Position Number Level Est Yr of EmployLead TA Literacy and EAL 1 3 1Lead TA Numeracy 1 3 2Post-16 Centre Manager 1 3 7Lead TA Science 1 2 3Internal Exclusion / Inclusion Officer 1 2 5Maths TA 1 2 3Literacy TA 1 2 2Design TA 1 1 3Arts/Sport TA 1 1 4Humanities TA 1 1 4Lunchtime Supervision 1 1 4

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Student Support Functions: In addition to the previously mentioned SSAs, we will employ a “Families and Attendance Officer”. They will work under the Assistant Principal (Students) in providing intensive support for the House Structure with families in difficulty. They will also liaise with other local agencies (Primaries, Local Authority, Health etc.) and provide programmes of wider support.

The Administrative Team will be kept small. It will consist of a PA to the Principal and 2 Part-time receptionists. These will all be employed from the opening of the school.

The Achievement Team will be the engine room of the school. Their key role will be to support the Leadership Team in ensuring that data, intervention, reports, examinations and developing the timetable. It will contain 2 staff: Achievement Team Leader & Student Data and the Examinations Officer. The Achievement Team Leader will be employed in Year 3. The Examinations Officer will follow in Year 5.

The Business and Resource structure reflects the model deployed at Trust Academies where day-to-day operations remain within the school and high-level elements of financial analysis, tracking and procurement are handled at Trust level. It is essential that all support functions are held accountable for their impact on improving the quality of student learning, achievement and experience.  The Trust model of finance support is based around central delivery of high-level elements and Line Management responsibility for the local team. This is carried out by the Trust Business & Resources Manager who reports directly to the Executive Principal and School Principals. Within school, a Finance Assistant will be employed initially. The School Finance Manager will follow in Year 3. Ultimately, a second Finance Assistant will be employed in Year 5 or 6. 

Site and Cleaning Team: The Trust model of Premises support is based around central line management through the Trust Premises Manager who reports to the Trust Business & Resources Manager who reports directly to the Executive Principal and Principal. Line Management responsibility for the local team is through the Site & Health and Safety Manager who in turn report to the Trust Premises Manager. We will employ a Site Manager initially. This will grow to a point where they have 2 Site Assistants to support.

Cleaning: This will be provided by 3 House cleaners working from 10 until 6 each day (35 min lunch) with 2 Additional Cleaners to cover the Dining/Sports areas.

Cover Supervision: Ultimately a Cover Manager and a Cover Supervisor will be employed. In addition to this, suitable TA staff will be trained to assist with cover on an occasional basis. Cover staff will be used in Inclusion or to support in other agreed areas when not required to do cover. (for example, displays or EAL support)

Initially, Cover will be run by the Principal’s PA. Cover will be provided by the Leadership Team and the L3 TA. In addition, planned absence may be covered by agreed use of other CMAT Cover staff.

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Technicians: 2 Science and 1 Design technician with a Library and Resources Manager. ICT will be led by the Trust IT Manager, initially supported by a Technician, but ultimately by a Network Manager.

Catering: the Trust Business & Resources Manager will explore opportunities with our Trust Catering Supplier, currently Pabulum.

HR: The current Trust preferred supplier is Education Personnel Management Limited. They provide a dedicated team to service all CMAT schools. This is a long-standing and positive relationship and they also undertake Payroll services for the Trust.Section F: Capacity and capability

Section F2Principles:

CMAT Governance comprises:-

A small Trust Board with extensive skills and experience both in education and business. (Currently: 8 Members/Directors and the Executive Principal (Director))

Trust Executive Committees controlling Finance, Audit, Premises and Personnel centrally. All chaired by a Member. Reporting back to the Board. (details below)

This allows LGBs to focus on local achievement and ethos. LGBs are chaired by a Trust Member/Director. A member of the SFS Proposer Group Member will be appointed as a Director of CMAT (Community or Education, depending on expertise) and will Chair the SFS LGB.

An Executive Principal fully accountable to the Members. The Executive Principal provides challenge and support to Core Trust Services and individual Principals. The Executive Principal also Chairs the Executive Leadership group consisting of the Principals, Vice Principals, Business and Resource Manager, and IT Manager.

The CMAT Trust Board

The Members (8) and Directors (up to 7) are appointed by the members of the MAT. The process for Member and Director appointments is set out in the Articles. The maximum number of Directors the trust can have is 15 to ensure that the Board does not become unwieldy and difficult to manage. There are currently 8 Members and 2 Directors. (listed in F3). The Company can have the following Trustees:

up to 8 Community Members/Directors elected. up to 5 Education Members/Directors elected the Executive Principal(s) (Director(s));

The Trust can co-opt additional Directors, if the skills audit reveals a need.

The CMAT Board will determine for SFS:-

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1. Strategic Direction:- Clarity of vision and ethos; Aims and Objectives of the Trust and for each of its academies; Meeting statutory duties.

2. Lines of robust accountability using data to provide challenge and hold leaders to account for teaching,

achievement, behaviour and safety strengthening school leadership, including skills of the MAT and LGBs performance managing the Executive Principal, Principal(s) and Business and

Resource Manager interrogating school self-evaluation and evaluating the LGB’s impact

3. Best use of financial resources and business continuity solvency and effective financial management use of Pupil Premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning management of Health and Safety, Premises and ICT infrastructure risk management

The Trustees have appointed the Executive Principal, and will appoint the Principal and Vice Principal for SFS.

The Trust holds each school to account - challenging and monitoring performance in relation to the achievement of pupils, quality of teaching and learning, behaviour and safety, the quality of leadership and management as well as ensuring financial probity and value for money, and acting as a responsible employer.

The CMAT Board has 5 executive committees which will lead SFS in these areas:-

Personnel Finance Audit Premises Leadership

CMAT Members Chair each of the Executive Committees with the exception of the Leadership (EP – Director). Each committee consists of other Trustees, LGB members or individuals appointed for their expertise (e.g. The Director of Estates for Cambridge University sits on the Premises Committee) and the Executive Principal.

The Chairs of the Executive Committees report directly to the Board. All Trustees receive the minutes and reports from all LGB and Executive Committee meetings and discuss these at full Board meetings.

Finance

Chaired by an experienced former Finance Director from a Multinational Corporation. Serviced by the Executive Principal; Trust Business and Resource Manager and their Deputy. Principals and Academy Finance Managers only attend to discuss specific items by invitation. The Finance committee will interrogate the proposed budget of

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SFS, and propose the final budget to the Board for approval. It establishes annually the methodology for Trust charging for core services. The Committee will meet quarterly and review progress. Any contingency created will only be accessed with the formal approval of the Board. This committee also reviews and maintains the Trust’s financial policies.

The Finance Committee also determines the charging structure for core services. CMAT does not impose a central one size fits all central charge. An analysis of need is undertaken across Trust academies; and costs are allocated accordingly within the staffing structure.

In finalising the reports for the Finance Committee the Business and Resource Manager, SFS Finance Manager, SFS Principal and Executive Principal will meet. The Trust Business and Resource Manager will review progress monthly with the SFS Principal and Finance Manager. The Trust Business and Resource Manager reports to the EP on these meetings.

Premises

The committee is chaired by an accountant with construction industry experience and business management in schools; with representation from the LGBs. The Committee is serviced by the Executive Principal; Trust Business and Resource Manager; Trust Site Manager; Trust IT Manager and Trust Health and Safety Officer. Principals and Academy Site or Network Managers only attend to discuss specific items by invitation. Reports are taken on Site issues, Health and Safety, and Information Communication Technology security and development. The committee reviews and approves (in conjunction with Finance) significant building projects, maintenance and refresh works. The committee also reviews and maintains the Trust’s Risk, Health and Safety, and IT policies.

Personnel

This is chaired by an experienced personnel manager. The Committee is serviced by the Executive Principal; Principals and Executive Vice Principal. The committee administers the Pay and Recruitment policies (including all pay progression decisions); and reviews the deployment of key trust staff. The Committee also receives reports on staff absence; recruitment; quality of teaching and learning; training and development. All Leadership Team appointments of Teaching Staff and Core Trust Services Managers are managed by this committee. The work of the Teaching School is also reviewed here. The committee also reviews and maintains the Trust’s Personnel, Recruitment and Complaints policies.

Audit

This committee chaired by an experienced Senior Manager in the Public Sector. The committee appoints and receives reports from the Trust Auditors (currently MacIntyre Hudson). The Committee is serviced by the CMAT Internal Audit Leader and her team.

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The Committee currently compromises 3 other Members who do not sit on the Finance Committee. An audit of LGB skills is being undertaken to provide 2 additional members of the committee to improve capacity and expertise.

Leadership

Chaired by the Executive Principal. This is a good practice discussion, core service review and strategic development committee (assessment, curriculum, VLE etc.). All Principals and Vice Principals attend alongside the Business and Resource Manager.

The role and constitution of the local governing body

Each LGB is a sub-committee of the main board of CMAT. Each Academy has its own LGB. SFS’s LGB will be established by the Board in accordance with the Articles of Association of CMAT and will be subject to Terms of Reference which detail the responsibilities of the LGB and its relationship with the Board.

The SFS LGB will:

Set strategic priorities and plans Monitor standards and achievement within the academy Ensure Trust policies are implemented Engage with all stakeholders to improve outcomes Support and positively challenge practices within the academy, through the SLT.

The LGB shall:-

ensure that standards of attainment and achievement by the students of the academy are high

take a strategic role in the governance of the academy; act as a critical friend to the academy and to provide support to the Principal and

the staff; monitor and evaluate the work of the academy systematically and regularly in

relation to:

- student performance including different groups of students;

- self-evaluation;

- improving standards (e.g. uniform, behaviour, safety, communication etc.);

contribute to the local community and community cohesion. implement actions required to comply with statutory regulations and Funding

Agreements; implement policies determined by the Board.

Generally:

Each Governor shall act in the best interests of the Academy/Trust at all times. No Governor shall act or omit to act in a way which would be prejudicial to the

interests of the Academy/Trust at any time, including any actions or omissions which might create bad publicity for the Academy/Trust.

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The LGB is appointed by CMAT in such manner as the Board determines. The SFS LGB will initially be made up from the Proposer Group and CMAT employees.

Ultimately, membership of the SFS LGB will comprise not less than 9 and not more than 15:

Up to 9 appointees of the Trust Board (including Chair) Executive Principal The Principal 2 elected parents 2 elected Staff Members (preferably 1 Teacher and 1 Support Staff)

LGB members will undertake a Skills Audit annually.

Proposed Trust appointments are presented to the Board with a rationale that outlines how the appointment will contribute to the LGB, Trust Executive Committees or in some way support the academy in the local community. If a Governor is seeking re-appointment, the Chair will provide a review of their contribution to the Academy/Trust during their previous term. A vote of Trustees is then taken.

The Executive Principal and the SFS Chair of Governors will report on “Achievement” and “Ethos” progress to the Board. A Trust data dashboard provides a high level summary of the current progress of the individual academies and ensures Trust Aims and Objectives are being met. The SFS Principal will be invited to CMAT Board Meetings when required.

New governors will be inducted through meetings with the Principal, Executive Principal, LGB Chair and the Chair of the Executive Committee they join. There is a Member responsible for training. New governors are also provided with access to LA Governor Services Training which is monitored, (currently provided through Cambs and Peterborough LA).

The Board delegate powers over recruitment below the level of Vice Principal, accountability for strategic plans and achievement to the LGB and the Principal. The Board remain legally responsible and accountable for the decisions of the LGB and they keep the delegation under review, and may revoke it at any time.

The SFS LGB will establish 2 sub-committees: “Achievements” and “Ethos” using the Terms of Reference provided by the Trust.

Achievement sub-committee

The “Achievement” sub-committee focuses on progress and outcomes. They design and audit the Link Governor reviews and ensure each Curriculum Area is monitored by a knowledgeable Governor. The Vice Principal and Achievement Team Manager service the committee. The committee reviews reporting and assessment arrangements, target setting; homework monitoring; external data (FFT/RaiseOnline etc.), Provision of IAG; and the academy’s self-evaluation of teaching and learning. This committee plays a key role in ensuring that plans are in place to stretch the more

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able pupils as well as narrow gaps, and is critical in proposing and reviewing the “Pupil Premium” spend for approval by the Full LGB and Finance Executive Committee.

Ethos sub-committee

The “Ethos” sub-committee focuses on behaviour (uniform, use of exclusion, removals etc.) and safety (Safeguarding, Child protection, CiC), the quality of tutoring, the PLEDGES system and community engagement. The Committee is serviced by the relevant Assistant Principals; with the support of the Inclusion Team, SENCO, Senior Tutors and Attendance and Families Officer.

The Stamford LGB Ethos Sub-Committee will play a critical role in developing the “Values-based Education” approach.

Reports from both committees are a central focus of the full LGB. All reports are discussed in weekly 1:1 meetings between the Executive Principal and the individual Academy Principal. The Principal’s report is a more detailed version of the data provided to the Trust Board. It contains pupil attendance, behaviour, Bradford Indicator (Staff Absence), Progress and Achievement measures, pupil recruitment and retention data. The full reports (FFT, RAISE) are provided for all Governors and Trustees to interrogate.

“The majority of members of the governing body are nominated by CMAT. They have a wide range of commercial, professional and educational backgrounds and all are passionate about building an outstanding academy to serve this community. Such expertise has been a critical part of the school improvement secured to date. Governors are very well trained and are fully informed about how the academy is performing. The governing body provides exceptional challenge because of the clarity of information available from a senior management team with a relentless focus on high-quality education for all.” NPA Ofsted November 2013:

Meetings

The Trust Board and LGBs meet termly. The SFS Chair will have monthly 1:1 meetings with the Principal. The Executive Principal and Principal will meet weekly.

Performance Management

The Principal’s performance will be reviewed by the Executive Principal, Trust Personnel Committee Chair and LGB Chair. Appeals would be heard by the Trust Chair and other members. The performance of the Executive Principal is reviewed by the Trust Chair, another Trustee and a senior representative from Educational Personnel Management Ltd.

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School Improvement

The Executive Principal undertakes the role of SIP in each individual academy. The academies are also encouraged to work closely with other local providers. NPA are participating in the Peterborough LA “School to School” Support Headteacher triads work. SVC has arranged “peer review” with both Parkside, Cambridge and Shenley Brook End, Milton Keynes. We believe this will provide an external view of progress, and also challenge our existing models of working. We would expect SFS to engage in a peer review with CMAT partners, Whole Education partners and local schools, as relationships develop.

Intervention

The Trust and each LGB undertake an annual review, looking at:-

The mix of skills, experience, independence and knowledge on each LGB, in the context of any challenges facing the LGB and the Academy.

The Trust’s policy on diversity, including the gender balance, and what progress it has made towards implementing that policy.

The clarity of, and leadership given to, the purpose, direction and values of the Academy.

Succession and development plans. How the LGB works together as a unit, and the tone set by the Chair and the

Principal. Key board relationships, particularly Chair/Principal and Chair/Clerk. The effectiveness of individual governors. The quality of the general information provided on the Academy and its

performance. The quality of papers and presentations to the board. The quality of discussions around individual proposals.

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The process that the Chair uses to ensure sufficient debate for major decisions or contentious issues.

The effectiveness of the Core Trust Functions. The clarity of the decision-making processes and authorities. The processes for identifying and reviewing risks. How the board communicates with, and listens and responds to, staff and other

stakeholders.

The CMAT Board will also review the following topics:-

The LGB’s contribution to Academy performance. Academy strategy and board input. Risk management and mitigation. Board composition, skills and diversity. Board behaviour, relationships and challenge. Induction, development and training. Board and senior management, succession and talent retention. Board meetings, their conduct, focus and priorities. Stakeholder engagement.

Constant monitoring and evaluation will provide evidence of outcomes but should an academy get in to difficulty, the Trust will:-

Take action to remove Governors or appoint new Governors Redeploy the Principal and introduce either the Executive Principal or another

CMAT Principal to lead the academy. Establish an intervention team from other staff within the Trust (Key Curriculum

Leaders; Network, Finance or Site Managers)

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