Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation on the Schools White Paper.

Maggie Swindells briefed the Committee on the White Paper – Your child, your schools, our future – Building a 21^st century schools system.  The main points in the paper included:

      An ambition for every child that their education would prepare them for the challenges of the 21^st century  - all schools would provide excellent teaching and extra help that a child may need, schools would work in partnership, schools would improve with stronger accountability and rapid intervention when needed, schools and school leaders would be supported and there would be a highly skilled and motivated workforce;

      Pupil Guarantee – relating to behaviour and discipline, breadth and balance in the curriculum, sport and cultural activities would be available, the school would promote health and wellbeing;

      Parent Guarantee – assurance that the school will deliver the Pupil Guarantee, Home School Agreements to reflect rights and responsibilities, access to extended services;

      New Guarantees – relating to extra help and support including one to one tuition for pupils falling behind at Key Stage 2 and Year 7, personal tutors for secondary school pupils, compulsory Personal, Social and Health Education;

      Partnership working – wider curriculum and qualification choices, specialist schools, increased efficiency and no duplication, effective membership of the Children’s Trust;

      Every school improving – an annual report cared showing a school’s strengths and weaknesses and improvement priorities, Ofsted inspection, School Improvement Partners to provide a challenge and support role but improvement overall to be the responsibility of schools themselves;

      Transition measures were in place and the responsibilities for Local Authorities included monitoring school performance, having tailored support for local needs, supporting School Improvement Partners to identify suitable providers and packages;

      Every school and school leader supported – school funding would be reformed, buildings and infrastructure would receive investment, greater say for parents, local Authorities would have a key role commissioning services and school places, schools would increasingly review, improve, develop and share emergent and effective classroom practice;

      In every school: delivering a well-led and highly skilled workforce – schools would need the strongest leaders, there would be a well-led and highly skilled children’s workforce, teaching would have higher status making it world class, the role of governing bodies would be strengthened, their would be masters degree qualifications for all teachers and a renewable Licence to Teach (every 5 years), Children’s Workforce would have a joint training and professional development strategy;

      The implications for Cheshire East would include building on good practice, relate to the Council’s Aspire Values (Action, Support, People, Integrity, Recognition, Excellence), new structure and transformation of the service, partnership working.

RESOLVED:  That the presentation be noted and discussed further at a future meeting.