St. Paul’s Church of England Primary School
Hampton Dene Road | Hereford | HR1 1UX
01432 273784 | www.stpaulsprimary.com | admin@st-pauls.hereford.sch.uk
Headteacher: Andrew Teale BSc(Hons) PGCE
28th January 2014
Report on Educational Systems Leadership Work
History
1. Our headteacher became a Local Leader of Education early in 2012. Initially this
led to School Improvement Partner work in local schools including Headteacher
Appraisal.
2. In July 2012 we were asked to develop an informal partnership with a local
vulnerable school. St Thomas Cantilupe CE Primary School and Playgroup (STC).
3. In 2012 the headteacher at St Paul’s became a member of the Diocesan Board of
Education and The Diocese of Hereford Education Trust Board in support of Church
Schools in the Hereford Diocese who were to become academies.
4. The then headteacher of STC, did not return after the 2012 Summer break and St
Paul’s became more seriously involved in planning discussions with the Local and
Authority and the Hereford Diocese, about the school’s future.
5. When inspected on 27th September 2012 STC was put into Special Measures. The
Special Measures report was published 28th November 2012.
6. The Local Authority and Diocese took the decision to remove the Governing Body of
STC and an Interim Executive Board was put into place, which included a National
Leader of Education, Director of an Outstanding Nursery and a senior governor from
St Paul’s Governing Body.
7.
In January 2013 an Executive Headship structure was established between St
Pauls and St Thomas Cantilupe Primary School.
8.
Since January 2013 the two schools have worked more and more closely together
and the partnership continues to exist at many levels. Partnerships across each
year groups were formed and teachers began to plan together and meet regularly.
9.
Shared trips and visits have been arranged and in Dec 2013 180 Y5 and 6 children
from St Paul’s rested at STC during their journey back to school after a service in
Hereford Cathedral.
10.
The St Paul’s tracking system was introduced at STC and senior leaders from St
Pauls worked at STC and vice versa.
Report on Educational Systems Leadership Work- Jan 2014 1
11.
A new leadership structure was established at STC with an experienced deputy
head and two new assistant heads.
12.
St Pauls supported STC on its improvement journey through three Section 8
Monitoring Inspections from OfSTED, a Nursery School OfSTED, as well as a
National Society Church School Inspection since January 2013.
13. The monitoring inspection in September 2013 became a Section 5 inspection and
STC was given judgments of ‘Good’ in all areas.
14. The ‘Good’ OfSTED Report for STC was published on 16th October 2013, just over 10
months after the publication of the Special Measures report.
15. The quality of Leadership, including governance and the partnership with St
Pauls was recognised as a key factor in the rapid improvement journey.
16. Quote from STC OfSTED Report October 2013:
“Through the executive headteacher, the school has established strong links at all
levels with its partner school, leading to joint ways of working and training…
Teachers are benefiting from opportunities to share examples of best practice
in this and the partner school.”
17. STC became a Sponsored Academy in January 2014, having received its Academy
Order in October 2013. It is now part of a newly-formed, Multi-Academy Trust
called the Bishop Anthony Education Trust, sponsored by the Hereford Diocese.
18. The headteacher of St Paul’s is a Director of Activate Education Ltd which is a nonprofit making organisation, running an extensive CPD programme, tailored to the
needs of primary schools across Herefordshire. There are currently 30 primary
schools from across Herefordshire who work with this group and more that 60
course are being offered in 2013-14.
19. Since 2012, the headteacher of St Paul’s is a Governor of a successful local
independent school (Hereford Cathedral School) and sits on the Education
Committee and is Chair of the Health and Safety Committee.
20. As an extension of the work with Activate Education, St Paul’s now operates as the
lead school with a training hub for PGCE students from Worcester University. We
coordinate placements across a group of 5 local schools.
21. St Paul's now has 3 moderators who work for the Local Authority, visiting other
primary schools examining children’s work with practitioners to quality assure the
levelling process.
22. The headteacher sits on School Improvement Partnership Groups, which
included the Local Authority, Diocese, Teaching School Alliance and Federations of
Schools and Academies.
23. Headteacher became a SIAS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools) Inspector in
2011. He has carried out inspections in Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Report on Educational Systems Leadership Work- Jan 2014 2
Impact at St Paul’s CE Primary School
1. The formal partnership with St Thomas Cantilupe CE Primary and Nursery School
(STC) and resulting experiences have begin a significant factor in moving St Pauls
Forward since January 2013
2. The opportunities for staff to work together at all levels has provided powerful CPD
and has encouraged reflective practise among teachers, support staff, caretakers
and office staff.
3. Staff at St Paul’s have assumed greater responsibilities and middle, as well as senior,
leadership teams have strengthened as a result.
4. We appointed an additional Assistant Head at St Pauls in the Summer 2013 and now
have 5 Assistant Headteachers (two are part-time). This would have been more
difficult without the partnership.
5. The Deputy Headteacher at St Paul’s has worked in both schools and, in the absence
of the Headteacher, has high levels of autonomy and is consequently very effective
and is well prepared to advance to a headship position in the future.
6. The combined pupil number of 600 pupils St Pauls and STC, enable us to excerpt
greater influence on the development of education systems locally.
7. Leadership and management including governors at St Pauls has been given rich
CPD experiences, including 3 HMI inspections, and close involvement with the work
of the Interim Executive Board over 12 months, which have shaped and augmented
their own leadership capacity.
8. One of the governors at St Pauls is now a member of the Multi-Academiy Trust
Board and influences the development of the Diocesan support strategy for church
schools.
9. Our partnership with Hereford Cathedral School (HCS), though informal, is also
strong. Headteachers from both schools have conducted shared lesson observations
of Maths and English Teaching and learned from each other the raise the quality of
teaching and learning in both schools.
10. St Paul’s pupils have opportunities to take part in orchestral concerts and G&T
projects with HCS and a Spanish Club was offered at St Paul’s delivered by a 6th form
student from HCS.
11. Recently, HCS went through it’s Independent School Inspection(ISI) and the
Headteacher from St Paul’s was able to study this different school inspection
process first hand helping in the consideration of priorities at St Paul’s.
12. The increased roll for St Paul’s in training student teachers provides and source of
fresh ideas and enthusiastic trainees as well as a further opportunity for reflective
practice for established teachers.
Report on Educational Systems Leadership Work- Jan 2014 3
13. Church School Inspection work has helped St Paul’s to continue to develop in it’s
distinctive Christian character and has informed the Worship and Prayer Life,
Leadership and Management and Religious Education at St Paul’s.
14. Teachers at St Pauls have access to a wide range of high quality, appropriate
CPD in support, workshops and seminars. They also have readily available
opportunity to visit other schools and work with practitioners operating in
differing catchment areas. As a result of this, along with dedication and hard
work, teachers at St Pauls typically meet appraisal targets and secure
required achievement levels for pupils in their teaching groups through
outstanding work in the classroom.
Report on Educational Systems Leadership Work- Jan 2014 4