Children’s Services Directorate
Primary Schools’ Provider Arm (SPA)
Overview - What the PSPA will be able to offer to Primary Schools
The role of the PSPA for primary will be to provide bespoke solutions to school
improvement issues. The PSPA will ensure that effective school-to-school support and
collaboration both within Salford and across the region, use of NLEs and LLEs within and
beyond Salford and the use of specialist leaders in education are tailored to meet a
school’s specific needs. The School Improvement Officer will be the key facilitator in
ensuring that these various streams of support will effectively support a school on its
improvement journey.
The offer aims to help each school achieve the ambitions of their school development
plans and targets set both within the plan and within the Self Evaluation Document. As the
needs of schools vary considerably, so do the services offered through the Primary School
Provider Arm. We therefore offer a flexible rather than a fixed service, with each school
being able to negotiate the nature of support required with a school improvement officer.
The range of services on offer from this team is outlined below. The list of the services
offered to schools it is not a comprehensive or definitive list. Discussion between schools
and the team may lead to areas of support being highlighted which are not listed below.
The Primary Schools’ Provider Arm will offer to broker and/or provide effective support in:
(i) Teaching and Learning
(ii) Leadership and Management
(iii) Pupil Attainment
(iv) SEN and Inclusion
(v) Behaviour
The Primary SPA can offer the following:
1.
2.
Support for Headteacher performance management - £250
Support for headteacher performance management + one visit - £750
Support for vulnerable schools
Schools which are deemed to be vulnerable through the local authority Schools Causing
Concern policy will receive intervention/support free of charge.
Quality Assurance
The Primary Schools’ Provider Arm will ensure that all offers of support have been quality
assured.
The Responsibilities of the School
In order to fulfil their role effectively, the school improvement service will require from the
school:



A copy of the school development/improvement plan
Through discussion with the relevant school improvement officer, Headteacher (and
Chair of Governors where appropriate) a clear indication of the nature of support
required through the core traded service offer
A commitment to maintain the widest possible circulation of information about the
professional
development opportunities available to all members of staff and,
where appropriate, governors.
"We are committed to delivering the highest possible standards for our SLA”.
All work will be quality assured but we recognise that things sometimes go wrong. In the
first instance please discuss this with the Service Contact who should be able to deal with
your concerns.
However, if you are still concerned you can make a formal complaint to:
Ms Diana Dawson, Unity House, Chorley Road, Swinton, M27 5AW
School Improvement Services Contacts
Principal School Improvement Officer: Paul Ford
paul.ford@salford.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 778 0178
School Improvement Officer: Lois Furness
Lois.furness@salford.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 778 0125
School Improvement Officer: Vicky Ross
Victoria.ross@salford.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 778 0176
School Improvement Officer: Melvyn Hemmings
mphassociates851@gmail.com
The School Improvement Officers are based in Children’s Services Directorate,
Children's Services Directorate, Salford City Council
2nd Floor Unity House, Salford Civic Centre, Chorley Road
Swinton, M27 5AW