Agenda item

(oral report)

GwE’s Managing Director explained the background of the following presentation, noting that there were high expectations on GwE’s teams which had led to developing the development programme for Challenge Advisers.

 

GwE’s Assistant Director (Support and Brokerage) explained that practitioners / headteachers placed emphasis on staff development to ensure quality and standards, and that GwE had a responsibility to develop its own staff.

 

A presentation was given by GwE’s Assistant Director (Standards), who noted that the Challenge Adviser’s role was changing in order to develop and formalise a programme which would focus on national standards. He provided further detail on developments to date:

 

·         Developing coaching and mentoring

·         Sharing effective practice and lessons learned

·         Workshops focusing on key skills e.g. how to work effectively with underachieving schools

·         Statutory safeguarding training for each Challenge Adviser

·         Presentations on effective practice by colleagues from other consortia e.g. effective techniques

·         Providing opportunities to share good practice between the hubs for Challenge Advisers working with secondary schools in the red and amber categories

·         Train the trainers for two Challenge Advisers working with the primary sector

·         Developing Challenge Advisers’ knowledge, understanding and skills to the level required to satisfy the national standards

·         Improving quality

·         Framework – ensure that Challenge Advisers work with schools / senior leaders / governors

·         Ensuring a robust self-evaluation and improvement plan

·         Arranging effective support and intervention

·         Developing school leaders

·         Focus on the quality and outcomes of teaching and learning

·         Termly formal meetings for monitoring and evaluating improvements

 

Members’ attention was drawn to the fact that the programme is currently under development and being piloted for the secondary sector, with the hope of expanding the programme to the primary sector. Individuals within GwE’s team are encouraged to develop their own staff.

 

It was further reported that advertisements for new Challenge Advisers had recently appeared in the press and following appointments an induction programme will be developed for them.

 

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions, and the following main points were highlighted:

 

(i)            No mention was made to how Challenge Advisers would keep in contact with the local authorities, who are ultimately responsible for the standards of teaching and learning

 

In response, GwE’s Managing Director noted that a meeting was to be held on 15 March 2016 where extended discussions on the above matter would take place.

 

 

(ii)           Current inconsistencies in terms of quality were perhaps not necessarily related to training but rather more to do with organisation.

 

In response, it was explained that GwE had specific duties to provide a development programme as well as to manage the performance of individuals. It was noted that processes would have to intertwine and current inconsistencies were acknowledged, but this was identified as a matter for collaboration.

 

(i)            In response to an enquiry with regards to training and collaboration with other consortia, GwE’s Assistant Director for Standards explained that the intention was to provide a national package for sharing expertise.

 

 

(ii)           The test for the development programmes will be how to measure their impact and their influence on individual schools, groups of schools, and summer examination results.

 

In response, it was acknowledged that these were long term developments and that it would prove difficult to measure their impact on this year’s summer results.

 

(iii)          GwE’s Assistant Director for Standards added that strengths needed to be disseminated across the schools, and that the above programme should successfully raise standards and ensure improvements for individuals. In response to a further enquiry with regards to Challenge Advisers’ failure to achieve in accordance with the expected standards, it was noted that guidance on capability procedures would be provided from the host authority.

 

 

(iv)          There is a tendency to focus on schools in the red / amber categories and it needs to be ensured that schools in the green and yellow categories are not disregarded.

 

It was decided to:      Accept, note and thank for the presentation.