Agenda item

Decision number:

Decision:

64/2012

The Cabinet agreed that:

(i)                 In partnership with Medway Governors Association, a minimum requirement for Governor training should be agreed so that some courses are compulsory for Governors to attend, either as part of their induction and ongoing development or as a consequence of particular roles and responsibilities.

(ii)               Medway Councillors should be encouraged to demonstrate effective practice in the skills and qualities required for good governance and put themselves forward to act as a local authority representative on at least one governing body, particularly at schools judged to be satisfactory or those of concern.

(iii)             Leadership teams judged as satisfactory or below should be supported to move to at least good through effective local improvement partnerships and accessing, then embedding, national and local best practice.

(iv)             Leadership teams should focus on improving the quality of learning and raising aspirations for all pupils by improving the quality of teaching to consistently good or better. This will translate into Medway pupils making good progress between Key Stage 1 and 2 in both English and mathematics, i.e. above the national median of 87% English and 86% mathematics.

(v)               The outcomes of the Bromley, Bexley, Medway and Kent collaborative group should be used to embed sustained good leadership.

(vi)             Additional targeted funding should be used to commission specialist expertise to improve leadership and management.

(vii)           That a Medway Chartered Teacher Award, which acknowledges what great teachers do in Medway should be explored to make a difference to children’s learning and life chances.

(viii)         That guidance should be issued to schools on brokering external consultancy, which will have impact and be sustainable, including accredited professional development to meet the needs of groups of teachers thus improving quality of provision in schools.

(ix)             That all schools have a recommended synthetic phonics programme that all staff confidently apply, which accelerates pupil learning and progress so that they achieve well in both reading and writing.

(x)               That best practice about effective interventions should be shared between schools including 1:1 tuition for pupils and target 1:1 funding on underachieving groups.

(xi)             That schools must embed best practice in assessment for learning so that all pupils know next steps in their learning and how to achieve them.

(xii)           Schools that have been judged satisfactory for two or more consecutive Ofsted inspections should: -

·        Invite a local authority adviser to be included in Deputy Headteacher, as well as Headteacher, appointments;

·        Implement outcomes of leadership reviews commissioned by the Governing Body;

·        Challenge and remove low expectations;

·        Promote high aspiration for all pupils and engage effectively with parents;

·        Use tracking data effectively so that all pupils make accelerated progress;

·        Embed and sustain strategies and interventions, which are proved to impact on pupil progress.