News and guidance

Working on your behalf to influence government policy

ASCL Director of Policy Julie McCulloch reflects on party conference season and the run-up to the general election.

Ah, autumn. Season of mists, mellow fruitfulness and ministers setting out their stalls at party conferences. As usual, ASCL attended the conferences – hosting our own fringe events, speaking on panels and meeting with MPs, councillors, advisers and other organisations. 

Wherever possible, we aimed to focus these discussions on the priorities in our own manifesto for the upcoming general election (www.ascl.org.uk/manifesto) – most likely to take place next autumn – which General Secretary Geoff Barton has talked about in his article on page 4. We were heartened by how much these proposals appeared to resonate with many of the people we spoke to. Our key messages – about the recruitment and retention crisis, the widening disadvantage gap and the ever-expanding expectations on schools and colleges – are cutting through. 

The proof, of course, is in the pudding. To what extent are the major parties picking up on these priorities and including them in their own emerging plans for government? 

In truth, the picture is varied. Below, I set out some thoughts on our policy ‘wins’ last year with the government and the opposition, some of the biggest challenges to achieving these and some key pieces of work the policy team will be undertaking this year. 

Achievements with the current government 

The last twelve months haven’t been the easiest of periods in which to influence government policy. The ministerial merry-go-round this time last year was somewhat farcical, with our welcome letters in some cases barely landing on minsters’ desks before they were reshuffled into a different role. Even once we had a more stable ministerial team in place, their ability to enact significant change was stymied by their position in a government mired in economic crisis, with an ever-diminishing amount of time before they have to go to the polls. 

Nevertheless, we succeeded in maintaining cordial and constructive relationships with ministers, advisers and civil servants, and managed to achieve a number of important policy wins. Chief among these, of course, was the successful resolution of the industrial dispute, and the resulting pay increases for teachers and leaders. But we also achieved, among other things, the following:

• an additional £4.6 billion for schools over two years in last year’s Autumn Statement; this is far from enough – and we know it’s being spent several times over – but it was certainly better than the alternative at the time, which we thought might be a reduction in the overall education budget
• some of the short-term reforms we called for in our paper, ‘ The Future of Inspection’ (www.ascl.org.uk/futureofinspection), including returning more quickly to schools that fail inspections on safeguarding alone, and improvements to the complaints process
• the fall of the Schools Bill, including the incredibly prescriptive proposed new ‘academy standards’
• some mitigations to 2023 exams, particularly the grading ‘safety net’ that ensured that, overall, grades didn’t fall below 2019 levels 

It’s fair to say, though, that the flagship policies announced at the Conservative Party conference have done little to convince us that the government recognises – and is prepared to act upon – the three key challenges in our manifesto. The Prime Minister’s proposed new Advanced British Standard qualification is an interesting idea, but not one that is remotely going to address the most pressing problems facing our education system. And the Secretary of State’s big announcement of some updated non-statutory guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools, is hardly the stuff of revolution. 

Achievements with Labour 

It’s probably inevitable that a party in opposition, which the polls indicate is increasingly likely to form the next government, will be more receptive to new ideas than one coming towards the end of a long and difficult term of office. This certainly feels the case at the moment. While we’re not convinced by every idea being put forward, we’re increasingly pleased by the extent to which ASCL’s priorities and proposals are being reflected in Labour's policies. These include:

• an increasing recognition of the scale of the recruitment and retention challenge, and the inclusion in the party's ‘opportunity mission’ of a number of interesting – if so far fairly small-scale – proposals to address this (tinyurl.com/ytyvncm2)
• a major reform of inspection, including a commitment to implement some of the key longer-term recommendations in our paper on ‘ The Future of Inspection’ – most notably replacing headline grades with ‘report cards’
• a commitment to a full review of curriculum and assessment – after which all state schools would be required to teach the National Curriculum (both of which were key proposals in our Blueprint for a Fairer Education System www.ascl.org.uk/blueprint)
• a commitment to ‘pause and review’ the current government’s plans to defund applied general qualifications 

Labour’s biggest challenge will be its determination to enact change without increasing the current public service spending envelope. Some of its proposed changes will cost very little money, but it’s hard to see how the party can really address recruitment and retention, or the state of school and college buildings or our woefully underfunded special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, without increased spending. 

ASCL’s role 

The role of the ASCL policy team is to hold policymakers to account for the promises they make, and – now more than ever – to help them to develop plans that will genuinely lead to the changes we most need. We’ll be spending the coming months adding more flesh to the bones of some of the key proposals in our manifesto, including what an accountability dashboard/school report card might look like in practice, an update to our work a few years ago on the true cost of education (www.ascl.org.uk/truecost) and what changes school and college leaders want to see on curriculum and assessment (and what they’d like any incoming government to leave well alone). 

We’ve started to work on all of these projects with ASCL Council (www.ascl.org.uk/council) in order to provide the next government, of whatever colour, with ready-to-implement plans for how to deliver them. This is where ASCL can make the biggest difference – by drawing on the expertise of our members to inform constructive, non-partisan engagement with policymakers. This approach has never been more important.

Julie McCulloch
ASCL Director of Policy
@juliecmcculloch

ASCL's profile in the media has remained high in recent months having being quoted on a wide range of issues

The education story that has generated the most media interest so far this term is undoubtedly reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Although RAAC is something that has, to a greater or lesser extent, been known about for some time, the story broke with some ferocity at the end of August when changing DfE guidance forced some school buildings to close with immediate effect. General Secretary Geoff Barton, Director of Policy Julie McCulloch and Funding Specialist Julia Harnden conducted dozens of media interviews with local and national broadcasters in the days that followed, using information from members to help explain the situation and what needs to be done to solve it. 

Aside from RAAC, attendance is an issue that has featured heavily in the media this term. Geoff Barton tackled this issue in a blog for SecEd (tinyurl.com/mrcy9k6n) where he made the case for a government review into the reasons for high absence rates, alongside a commitment to follow the evidence with funded support. ASCL’s team of specialists also contribute towards SecEd’s Best Practice feature, offering guidance for secondary teachers and leaders. Curriculum, Assessment and Inspection Specialist Tom Middlehurst’s latest article (tinyurl.com/4txt9wwc) explains how to support student democracy in the build up to the general election.

Here’s the latest information from our colleagues across the nation. ASCL is proud to represent school and college leaders from all over the UK – to find out more, see www.ascl.org.uk/uk

In making my Leader magazine debut, I first want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Robert Wilson, who retired at the end of August. Robert is respected across the sector and his relationships were pivotal to ensuring ASCL Northern Ireland’s voice was heard at the highest level, not least in influencing policy throughout the pandemic. He has left ASCL Northern Ireland in an excellent position to take the next steps forward. 

Second, I want to introduce myself. Hailing from County Down, I moved to the North East after school, studying at Newcastle and Durham universities. I initially taught music and progressed through various roles, ending up as director in a large 3–19 Northumberland academy. Eventually, the lure of home led me to pursue my passion for assessment with the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA), Northern Ireland’s awarding organisation. I spent eight years there, most recently with responsibility for standards and assessment development. 

I’ve now been Director of ASCL Northern Ireland for just over two months. In that time, I’ve met with and listened to members, supported members in challenging situations and initiated relationships with the key players in education in Northern Ireland. Being part of the ASCL Leadership Group means that Northern Ireland members’ voices are heard equally alongside the rest of the UK. We will learn a lot from colleagues across the jurisdictions and we will also bring much to the table. 

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with some exceptional leaders, but I think I will always remember most keenly the influence of my first ‘boss’. Paula Williams was headteacher of Whitburn Church of England (CofE) Academy, South Tyneside, and she believed in ‘excellence for all’. She pursued this in all she did as a leader – a simple, inclusive and powerful challenge that became the motto of that school. 

The theme of the ASCL Northern Ireland Conference (www.ascl.org.uk/niconf) this year is ‘Transformational Leadership’, and if ever there was a time when this was required, it is undoubtedly now. My aim in my role will be to pursue ‘excellence for all’ – as I speak for our members and act on behalf of children and young people.

John Trueman
ASCL Northern Ireland Director
@ASCLNI

As political debates rage across the border about how to turn voters around, our children and young people must be thinking, “What’s all this got to do with me?” I would guess that once the electioneering starts in Wales, it will be no different. 

Our children are too important for political vanity projects that do nothing to address the core issues facing us today – issues of poverty, poor housing, weak attendance and an exam system built on punishing mistakes rather than acknowledging learning. We cannot sanction an education system that serves only those who have support structures and the wherewithal to attend schools or colleges. Surely any civilised society must value its weakest and most vulnerable? And the corollary to that is that the profession, in delivering for these young people, also must be valued. 

We hear of visions, values, a national mission and excellence from government circles. Fine words and unimpeachable sentiments are of little practical use where funding is slashed, and learners are voting with their feet and not attending school. In Wales, the percentage of persistent absence for secondary school learners is three times that of pre-pandemic figures. Nearly 36% of persistent non-attenders are eligible for free school meals. This is clearly a national crisis. 

The attainment gap is already widening, and we simply cannot afford to allow our most vulnerable to slip further away from realising their potential. 

Schools must be free, and have the resource, to deliver on the needs of their learners by offering exciting and engaging learning. Too often, leaders find themselves looking over their shoulders at the agents of accountability or at the impossible funding settlement that restricts choices. Short-term government announcements that barely scratch the surface of the problems faced are simply vacuous. 

As author and educationalist, Roy Blatchford, advises, “The successful future of our schools is one in which governments meddle less, and trust more.”

Eithne Hughes
Director of ASCL Cymru
@ASCLCymru

It is my great honour and privilege to succeed Jim Thewliss as General Secretary of School Leaders Scotland (SLS). After more than 40 years of being a teacher, including 14 years as a headteacher, the challenge of taking on this role is both stimulating and exciting. I started my career in Mitcham, South London, where I taught modern languages and then in Aberfeldy in the heart of Scotland, Ontario, Dundee and in Dumbarton. Having been a member of SLS for more than 25 years and president of the association when the pandemic started, I come with a wealth of experience to the post and look forward to taking SLS forward successfully. 

Jim left the association in robust good health: membership has doubled in ten years, and our finances are very healthy. Our professional learning programme has been resuscitated and our new National Officer, David Barnett, is continuing to support our members in the style to which they had been accustomed under his predecessor Neil Shaw. Our profile and influence in the political world, thanks to Jim’s efforts, have never been more significant; educationally, our opinion is actively sought, and no decisions are taken on education in Scotland without the government consulting SLS at the earliest stage, and throughout. Since I took over in September, SLS has been involved in two meetings with Cabinet Secretary Jenny Gilruth, and a third SLS meeting with her is planned for November. 

Scottish education is at a major crossroads. With the Muir, Hayward and Withers reports (read my TES article on this: tinyurl.com/yv6ht7jr) and the National Discussion on Education (tinyurl.com/bddx448m), we are facing a plethora of decisions on which future path to pursue for the benefit of all children and young people in Scotland, as well as for the staff who teach and support them. The process going forward needs focus, simplicity, courage and strong and bold leadership on the part of everyone involved in Scottish education.

Graham Hutton
General Secretary, School Leaders Scotland
@LeadersScotland

ASCL is pleased to introduce Teacher Tapp’s School Surveys as a new Premier Partner. School Surveys makes it easy for schools and trusts to find out what staff, pupils and parents really think. 

You can create a survey in three minutes, using Teacher Tapp’s expertly crafted questions and see how your school compares to national benchmarks. School Surveys includes hundreds of road-tested questions, allowing you to pinpoint issues and identify ways to address them. Staff survey topics include behaviour, wellbeing, workload, safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). You can find out what behavioural challenges staff experienced last lesson, how long they’re spending marking and what makes lesson planning difficult. Questions are benchmarked to recent, nationally representative responses from staff in similar schools. 

The service is flexible and easy to use. School Surveys creates a crystal-clear report for you as soon as the survey closes. The Education Alliance Multi-Academy Trust described working with Teacher Tapp as “A great experience. The customer service has been brilliant, the surveys have been efficient, easy to use and staff have found them easily accessible. The way the results are presented is really effective and has allowed SLT to really identify how staff are feeling in the work place.”

• For more information visit teachertapp.co.uk/school-surveys

The ASCL Benevolent Fund (ABF) is an important element in the Association’s policy of providing protection and care for all members, past and present, and their dependants. 

While most members, active and in post, are unlikely to need help, a serious accident, redundancy, chronic illness or disability can change the situation quite traumatically. Whether it is a short-term financial crisis or a long-term problem, the fund stands ready to help. If you know someone who may benefit from the fund or if you think you would benefit yourself, please call 0116 299 1122 or find out more at www.ascl.org.uk/benevolentfund

The DfE has recently published the Estates Competency Framework (tinyurl.com/2b5rz6p3) – a highly timely tool aimed to assist anyone involved with the management of education estates. Effective estate management of education sites is a key factor in promoting an environment that encourages high-quality learning. 

The framework provides guidance to education institutions in meeting their requirements and obligations to maintain safe amenities and facilities in line with good estate management for schools (GEMS) principles – all the more important in light of the recent reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) issues that many schools have faced. The framework sets out the skills, knowledge and expertise required to successfully manage education estates well. It covers a wide range of technical competencies required within the education sector. This includes strategic planning, asset management, compliance and sustainability. It has been developed in close collaboration with the education sector, as well as professional bodies and construction experts. 

This approach aims to ensure that individuals working in estate management within school trusts and other educational institutions, have the necessary skills and competencies to fulfil their responsibility effectively – crucial factors in maximising the overall success of their educational establishment. 

FURTHER READING

Turn to page 29 to check out ASCL Business Leadership Specialist, Emma Harrison's article on the challenges and wider implications associated with a deteriorating school estate.

Responding to the developing situation around reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in school buildings, the risk protection arrangement (RPA) has published frequently asked questions (tinyurl.com/2s3ntz9c) with guidance on availability of coverage. 

The guidance restates that previously given position that the RPA will not cover the cost of works to investigate or replace RAAC, but confirms that the DfE has committed to funding capital mitigation works once the presence of RAAC is confirmed. It goes on to state that there is no requirement to notify the RPA of any RAAC works undertaken, however if mitigation works exceed £250,000 in value, members will need to obtain commercial insurance for their works or ensure that their contractor is suitably insured with the member as a named party. 

If RPA members do suffer incidents of collapse, causing damage to property or injury to anyone present, they are directed to contact claims handlers to determine the extent to which cover will apply. The RPA’s dedicated claims portal is at www.rpaclaimforms.co.uk

Take a look at our member benefits portal – a one-stop-shop for all the partner benefits that you can receive as an ASCL member. Our Premier Partners and Preferred Suppliers offer a range of products and services for you and your school, college or trust. Many of our partners offer exclusive discounts for ASCL members. From personal financial planning and new cars to curriculum resources and performance management tools, our new portal provides information on partner benefits plus limited-time special offers.

• To find out more and to take a look at the latest offers, visit www.ascl.org.uk/PartnerBenefits

ASCL is committed to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) among school, college and trust leaders, and in our own organisation. Our Leaders’ Networks, focused on ethnic diversity, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender plus (LGBT+) and women leaders, offer a safe space for members in these groups to support and empower one another, and to raise awareness of issues particularly affecting these groups. Please visit their individual pages via the links below to find out more:

• ASCL Ethnic Diversity Network (www.ascl.org.uk/EDNetwork)
• ASCL LGBT+ Leaders’ Network (www.ascl.org.uk/LGBTLeaders)
• ASCL Women Leaders’ Network (www.ascl.org.uk/womenleaders) 

To join any of our leaders’ networks and for an invitation to the next meeting, please email CorporateAdmin@ascl.org.uk indicating the network/s you would like to join.

As well as publishing Leader magazine, we also issue a twice-weekly briefing and several key email newsletters to keep members up to date with all the latest information from the world of education. These include specific newsletters that cater for ASCL’s wide variety of members:

• Business Matters
• Post-16 News
• Primary Focus
• SEND & Inclusion News
• Trust Leadership
• Independent Sector News
• Cymru News
• Northern Ireland News 

To subscribe to any of these newsletters and other communications, log in to your ‘MyASCL’ account (www.ascl.org.uk/login), select ‘Preferences’ and select the newsletters you would like to receive. You can see previous issues of all the newsletters on our website at www.ascl.org.uk/newsletters

There has been a significant rise in the number and complexity of complaints schools and trusts receive from parents. More and more parents are also seeking to fast-track or escalate complaints via external agencies such as local authorities, local MPs and Ofsted. 

School leaders should be reassured that despite this, Ofsted’s involvement in parental complaints remains low compared to the volume of complaints received. Ofsted received 14,900 complaints about schools this year (tinyurl.com/nhkruasd), yet only 16% qualified for investigation, the majority raising whole-school issues and most involving safeguarding matters. Ofsted carried out immediate inspections in only 76 cases (less than 1%) and referred individual safeguarding matters to the relevant local authorities. 

Despite this, where complaints do qualify, it can be frustrating for schools when there is a lack of transparency on action taken, timescales and so on. The Academies Regulatory and Commissioning Review, published in March 2023 (tinyurl.com/bdxf75br), identified the issue of parents submitting their complaint to multiple agencies, including Ofsted. To address this, in the short term, the DfE has committed to updating the GOV.UK page on complaints to clarify: 

• which organisations should be engaged at different stages
• what is in scope for different organisations
• the ways in which complaints data informs key processes and its limits 

The department has also committed, by autumn 2023, to introduce a revised data sharing agreement with Ofsted, to support better information sharing around safeguarding and reduce duplication/overlap. 

While these changes are welcomed, they won’t necessarily stop parents from involving Ofsted and may not address concerns around transparency of Ofsted’s investigations into qualifying complaints.

Academy leaders will want to get themselves up to speed with the latest edition of the Academy Trust Handbook, effective from 1 September 2023 (see tinyurl.com/3tuk4eus). 

The new handbook seeks to bring greater transparency to governance by linking the handbook’s section on roles and responsibilities to the DfE’s July 2023 publication on Commissioning High-Quality Trusts (tinyurl.com/ye28nspv) and the Trust Quality Descriptors (tinyurl.com/2p8urshe).

Those academy trusts looking to merge and grow their organisations will need to review, strengthen and improve their governance arrangements. Many academy trusts haven’t reviewed their existing governance arrangements for some time, perhaps in some instances since the academy trust was first established and the governance frameworks in place don’t mirror what happens in practice or are no longer ‘fit for purpose’. 

This emphasis on governance ties in with another of the main changes of the handbook, which sets out that the board of trustees should have sufficient financial knowledge to hold the executive to account (para 1.25). No further detail is provided on what constitutes ‘sufficient financial knowledge’, but boards are reminded of the DfE Competency Framework for Governance (tinyurl.com/mpjpx93u). 

The attention to having an effective board means now is the time for academy trusts to focus on governance, particularly relevant for academy trusts that are planning to develop and grow their organisation over the next few years.

If you’ve changed role or employer or if you’ve changed your home address, email or phone number, please take a few moments to let us know. 

It’s vital that we know about any changes to your personal contact details or employment. You can do this easily by logging into your MyASCL account (www.ascl.org.uk/login). Ensuring that we have your most up-to-date details will enable us to help you quicker should you need to contact us for support. It will also enable us to ensure that you receive all your member benefits.

ASCL, in conjunction with our Premier Partner BlueSky Education (www.ascl.org.uk/BlueSky), has created new support for school and trust leaders with changing approaches to performance management and appraisal. 

Created by Louise Hatswell, ASCL Conditions of Employment: Pay Specialist and Denise Inwood, CEO of BlueSky and former school leader, this new information and guidance explores the latest research and considerations and will be followed up by further guidance focused on the practical implications and outcomes. 

Changing approaches to performance management and appraisal 

PART 1 Exploring the research and considerations for improving outcomes 

PART 2 Policies, procedures and processes

• Download the guidance at www.ascl.org.uk/performancemanagement