wednesbury learning community
TRANSCRIPT
Wednesbury Learning Community
The Wednesbury Learning
Community Trust Information for staff and governors of all Wednesbury
Schools and Partner Organisations
Dear Colleague
The primary and secondary schools in Wednesbury have the opportunity to set up a Co‐operative Learning Trust in partnership with the local community and Sandwell local authority.
This leaflet has been written to introduce the idea to you, and to provide you with some initial information before a formal consultation takes place.
Existing Partnership
Wednesbury schools have worked closely together for some time. From 1999 – 2004 they were known as Wednesbury Education Action Zone. Since 2005 they have worked as Wednesbury Learning Community. During that time, overall results at local schools have improved considerably, and opportunities for pupils and staff have significantly increased.
New Proposal
The Wednesbury schools now wish to take a further step forward and become a joint Trust – The Wednesbury Learning Community Trust. Last year, at the request of schools, the Wednesbury Learning Community applied to the Government for permission to consult on this proposal, and that permission has now been granted.
You don’t need to do anything at this point.
The consultation process won’t begin until after Easter, and there will be plenty of opportunity during the 6 weeks’ consultation for you to make your views known.
However, you may feel that you would like to find out more about what is involved.
If you are a governor, you will have an opportunity to meet with fellow governors
If you are a member of staff, teaching or non‐teaching, you will have an opportunity to raise questions and discuss any issues at a staff meeting.
If you are a potential partner, a trades union representative, a local councillor or M.P., there will be an opportunity to speak to the Learning Community Director, Kevin Jeffery, who will be happy to arrange meetings in the run‐up to the consultation.
Contact details:
You can contact Kevin Jeffery or Sharon Daniels at the
Wednesbury Learning Community office :
Phone: 0121 505 4082 or Mobile 07775 922825
E‐mail: [email protected]
The consultation would be open to everyone who might be affected by the proposed change: pupils,
parents, staff, governors, potential partners, the wider community.
You will be able to respond in writing – questionnaires will be sent to all local schools, partner organisations, and will be available in public places and on line.
You will be able to attend meetings in school and public meetings at local venues. There will be people during the consultation period that you can ask to speak to, e.g. Local Authority, Co‐operative College, Wednesbury Learning Community who will answer your questions and take note of your views. This is a genuine consultation. Governors for each school will take account of feedback before making a decision on whether or not to proceed with the idea.
Some Wednesbury schools already have Trust or
foundation status, or are involved in the National Challenge: Wood Green High School, Wodensborough CTC and Manor Foundation.
Other schools are denominational schools which already have foundation status: St Mary’s RC, St John’s CofE, Stuart Bathurst RC.
These schools would continue to be members of Wednesbury Learning Community, and would be associate members of the Trust. However, as close partners within Wednesbury Learning Community, they would still be consulted on Trust proposals.
The remaining schools – Albert Pritchard/Wood Green Junior Federation, Harvills Hawthorn, Holyhead, Mesty Croft, Moorlands, Old Park, Park Hill, Tameside, and The Priory – are all eligible to become full members of the proposed Trust.
How can people
become involved?
Which local schools
are involved?
What do I need
to do now?
Stay the Same
Each school would continue to teach the
National Curriculum, receive funding
through the local authority, follow the
School Admissions Code and receive periodic visits from
Ofsted. They would also remain part of the local authority
family of schools.
Each school’s governing body would continue to be responsible for running their school.
Teachers would automatically continue to be employed on the same terms and conditions and we would make sure that this was also true for non‐teaching staff.
If we became a Trust,
what would stay the
same and what would
change?
The chief reasons for
change have to be
improving quality and raising standards.
We think that, by working more closely together, we can help all schools to be more successful, however good they are already.
We also think that there are a number of costs we can share, to free up more money for work with pupils.
Schools within the Learning Community already benefit from working together and Joint Trust status will increase co‐operation between schools for the benefit of staff and students.
The model we have chosen is a Co‐operative Trust, which is based on co‐operative principles and values. This would help us to involve staff and students more in the running of their school, and to work more closely with parents and the local community.
Trust status will help us to establish long‐term partnerships with key partners who would help increase resources and opportunities for staff and pupils.
All political parties are talking of reducing the role of the local authority, and giving schools greater individual independence. We feel that we will be better able to serve the local community by working together to raise standards, increase opportunities and provide greater social cohesion.
Process Timescale
Governing bodies agree to go through a
consultation
March 2010
The consultation runs for about 6 weeks May / June 2010
Governing bodies to consider responses July 2010
Governors draw up revised Trust proposals September 2010
Another consultation on revised proposals October 2010
Governors make a final decision on Trust December 2010
The Trust is set up Early 2011
Change
Each school’s governing body would employ staff not the local authority;
School assets (grounds and buildings) would be held by the Trust rather than the local authority;
The Trust can appoint additional governors to support and strengthen each school’s governing body.
The Trust will set up a Members Forum to represent the views of all members of the Trust including parents and the local community.
If so much is going to
stay the same, why
change?
A Trust School is a local authority maintained school which is supported by a charitable trust. Trusts can be set up by individual schools or groups of schools, and usually involve collaboration with a particular partner.
Wednesbury schools are interested in the Co‐operative Trust model, which would link schools to the Co‐operative Movement, and involve adopting co‐operative values. There are currently some 200 schools nationally that are members of Co‐operative Trusts, a concept approved by all main political parties.
What process would we
need to go through?
What is a
Trust?