Creating a Free School Chain
Rachel Wolf
Director
New Schools Network
The Landscape
•
Academy chains have been growing for some
time
•
Chains of independent schools already exist
•
The first Free School groups are beginning to
make further applications
•
Many groups aim to build chains over time
Key Things to consider
• What are the core things that bind the chain together?
• What autonomy will schools within the chain have?
• How will you balance a consistent model with
independence for frontline teachers?
• What new skills and people will you need?
• What are the practical benefits and obstacles?
• Is this actually right for you?
NSN Support
NSN is looking at how we can support groups who want to
build chains
We will send out more information as we develop new
resources
Contact tomphilpott@newschoolsnetwork.org if you would
like to discuss this in more detail
Developing a Federation Around
Learning and Leadership
David Carter
Executive Principal
Cabot Learning Federation
The Cabot
Learning
Federation
• CLF Academies in 2012
–
–
–
–
–
–
John Cabot Academy joined in Sept 2007
Bristol Brunel Academy joined in Sept 2007
Bristol Metropolitan Academy joined in Sept 2009
Hans Price Academy in Weston super Mare from April 2011
King’s Oak Academy in South Glos from September 2011
Bath Community Academy opening in September 2012
The Cabot Learning
Federation
• Primary Academies from Sept 2012
• 2 are Sponsored Academies and 2 are
Convertors
–
–
–
–
Hillfields Primary School- Minerva Primary Academy
Oldbury Court Primary School- Frome Vale Academy
Summerhill Junior School- Summerhill Academy
Begbrook Primary School- Begbrook Primary Academy
Benefits of
working in a
Federation
• The sum of the parts is greater than the individual
components
– Friendly competition
• Principals lead across the Federation
• School Centred school improvement
• Single trust streamlines central services to create
more capacity for learning
• Staff Training
• Greater choice & Opportunity for students
“Collaboration for
Outstanding
Achievement”
• Objective 1-To support all of our Academies on their
journey to sustained Outstanding performance through
partnership, support and collaboration
• Objective 2-To develop, support and train our staff so
that they can be inspirational leaders, outstanding
teachers, and excellent supporters of student learning
• Objective 3-To lead a sustainable future for the Cabot
Learning Federation so that outstanding performance
can be secured for future generations of students in our
Academies
Why Federation?
The “So What”
Question
• What must the structure achieve?
– Improved Outcomes for Children
– Improved Support and Development for Staff
– Improved Cohesion for Parents
– Improved status of Education for the
Community
– Improved understanding in the Business
Sector
CLF Leadership
Structure
David Carter-Exec Principal
CLF
Strategic
Leadership
Team
CLF
Central
Support
Team
CLF
Education
Cabot Learning Federation Principals &
Director of Finance
Head of HR +
3 HR Assts
Head of Finance
+ 3 Finance Assts
PR and Comms,
E learning and
EP PA
AST English, Maths & Science, Leader of Training and
Development, Primary Federation Team Leader
Developing Teaching
& Learning
• Main Focus
– To identify and share the best practice in teaching
and learning across the four schools
• Case Studies
– To design and support school “swaps” & exchanges
– To move teachers from Satisfactory to Good
– To move teachers from Good to Outstanding
• CLF target is 80% of observations show good or better
– To enable, where appropriate, teachers and support
staff to visit and work alongside colleagues from the
other Academies
Leadership and
Succession Planning
Hub
• Leadership Development
Programmes
– Emerging Leaders
– Middle Leaders
– Emerging Senior Leaders
• Make connections for
staff visits to schools
across the UK and
Overseas
– Boston USA and Finland
– CLF Study Tours when at
least 1 Academy has
INSET Day
• Coaching and Mentoring
– NQT and PCGE across
CLF
– Appointment Directory
– Alumni
• Student Parliament
Leadership Development
Programme
• Senior Leaders on
secondment
Student
Development
• CLF Vi Form Campus on
3 Academy Sites
• Student Parliament
– MP from each Year
Group in Each
Academy
• CLF Combination Sports
Teams
– Rugby, Football (Boys
and Girls), Netball,
Hockey and Cricket
• CLF Arts Showcase
– Dance Company
– Theatre in Education
VI Form BTEC Perf
Arts
– CLF Arts team at
Edinburgh Festival
• “Teachers of the Future”
• Gifted and Talented
– Year 9 Technology
– University Visits-Y10
and Y12
– Summer School
The Cabot Learning Federation
(CLF) Governance Model
Cabot Learning Federation
Board of Trustees - sponsored by
Rolls Royce PLC and the
University of the West of England.
(15 members)
Each academy has an
academy council made up
of 13 members-7 are
appointed by sponsors and
6 represent the community
Achievement and
Teaching Sub
Committee
Leadership, Curriculum
& Behaviour Sub
Committee
Chairs of Academy
Council Sub Committee
Finance and General
Purpose Sub
Committee
How a Secondary Orientated
federation can add value to a
cluster of Primary Academies
What is the Vision?
• Outstanding 4-19 Education for every
child who attends a CLF Academy
– From September 2012 a parent has the
choice of a CLF Academy from Reception
Class to Post 16 and with our University links
to the age of 21
Improving Capacity, Changing
Cultures, Building Resilience
Improving the
Quality of
teaching &
learning
5 Core
Strands
Improving the
quality & Impact
of Leadership &
Governance
Improving the
quality of
Transition in a 4
to 19 Federation
Improving the
Quality and
range of SEN and
Welfare
Provision
Improving the
Quality and
Impact of
Finance and HR
Management
The Role of the Executive PrincipalHow does it work? How does it
compare with single School
Leadership?
What does an
Executive
Principal do?
• The Core Role
– Coach and Mentor new
Heads and SLT
– Deliver the CLF Leadership
programmes
– QA the quality of education
– Lead learning reviews
across both schools
– Talent Spot and
Succession Plan
– Income generation
– Report to the CLF Board
– Observe lessons and share
best practice with SLT
– Assemblies
– Unions, DFE, Press and
Media, NCSL, EFA
Partnership for Schools
– Federation Strategic Plans
– Relationship with Sponsors
– Facilitate teacher
exchanges
The Implications &
Advantages of
running more than
one School
• Brand Identity
• Accelerates schools
improvement as the
staff talent pool is
greater
– One contract-One
workforce
• Economies and
Efficiencies of Scale
• Creation of a central
team for Finance and
HR
• Executive Leadership
• Collective
Responsibility for all
students
• The key…
– Sharing Practice
– Creating New Practice
Patricia Sowter
Executive Headteacher
Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust
Organisational Structure
PRIMARY ACADEMIES
CUCKOO
HALL
WOODPECKER
HALL
SECONDARY
KINGFISHER
HALL
HERON
HALL
Cuckoo Hall Primary:
One of the first primary academy converters
• Became a Primary Academy September 2010
• An outstanding school – turned around from special measures
• Autonomy and freedoms to improve education for children
• Over-subscribed and high demand from parents
From Primary School to Academy…
… A seamless transition for pupils (and parents)
The Context
• A very large school: over 800 pupils
• Over 50% EAL
• Over 35% FSM
• An area with very high levels of deprivation
Key Ingredients For Success
• Strong, focussed leadership
• A relentless focus on literacy and mathematics
• Robust systems and structures
• Excellent teaching
• High expectations for ALL children’s learning
• A stimulating and wide-reaching curriculum
• Strong partnership and communication with parents
The Way Forward
• Work with governors to define our own future
and take control of our own destiny
• Taking our vision further
• The opening of our first Free School
Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy
• Opened September 2011 in temporary accommodation
• A shared vision, but a separate school
• Deployment of existing expertise to ensure success
• High demand and over-subscribed
• Moved to permanent site September 2012
From Vision to Reality:
Artist’s impression
From Vision to Reality:
Artist’s impression
The completed school
Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust
• An over-arching Trust for governance
• Consistency
• Quality
• Effective deployment of resources
Kingfisher Hall Primary Academy
• Opened September 2012 in temporary accommodation
• Another ‘sister’ school within CHAT
• Already fully subscribed
• Will move to permanent site September 2013
Heron Hall Academy:
A Secondary “all-through” school
• A long-held vision for our children to transfer to excellent
secondary education
• Demand from parents
• Successful proposal: will open for 90 pupils in September 2013
• Building to 6 or 8 form of entry by September 2018
Making It Happen
• Never losing sight of the overall vision
• Taking opportunities where possible
• Responding to parental demand
• “Creative thinking”
(i.e. accommodation, deployment of resources and expertise)
Sustainability and Future Planning
• Capacity-building
• Governance
• Leadership structure
• Business management
• Operational functions
Building Capacity
• Developing our own leaders:
• Mentoring & Coaching
• Opportunities across the schools
• Appointment and induction of new teachers
and teaching assistants
• Training our own teachers
• Operational Teams:
• Business & Finance
• Marketing & Project Management
• Human Resources
The Future:
An exciting partnership
with Buckingham University
• Training teachers with outstanding practitioners
• Apprenticeship model
• Sharing expertise across the primary and secondary sector
We can ALL succeed!
Thank
You
Thank You