+

West Essex Primary Heads Association Conference 20th May 2011

Brave New World

Co-operatives, Mutuals, Chains & Events

Jon O’Connor Associate Adviser Co-op College UK

+Commercial break!

Education Charity

Regional hands on interactive learning gallery for STEM

Wide range of schools workshop & outreach programmes

Located in brand-new Harlow Leisurezone

£10 discount to WEPHA!

Science Alive

www.science-alive.co.uk 01279 413412

+ A rapidly changing landscape 2011-1221000 schools (3500 sec, 17000 primary, 7000 VA)

630 Academies (15% faith)

250 Co-operative Trusts

+Because life is complicated enough

Local authority schools◦ Funding route DFE>LA>school◦ Governance/legal

DFE>LA>GB◦ Support structure

local authority services

Trust schools◦ Funding routeDfE>LA>GB

TPA/Local government pension arrangements can continue

◦ Governance/legal Sponsor Trust Board = company

limited by guarantee Charitable objects= to manage

School(s) GB Ownership of the land held in

Trust

Independent schools City technology colleges

Academies

Funding route DFE>Sponsor>School(s

Direct pension scheme role

Governance/legal

Sponsor Trust Board = company limited by guarantee

Charitable objects = to manage School(s)

Typically 125 year Lease on the land

Maintained schools Non-maintained schools

+A question of TrustWhat Are Trust Schools?

Maintained Primary, Secondary or Special schools

Foundation school with a Trust as the legal entity in place of LA

Formally engaged in partnerships with other schools, FE/HE, businesses, community organisations & charities

What does the Trust actually do

Supports the school’s strategic direction

Appoints some governors – usually a minority

Holds land and building ‘on trust’

Helps shape the long term strategic vision & ethos

+ The trust process

Identify clearly the benefits and activities of the Trust

Identify trust partners, agree the model, agree to consult

Consult and consider responses

Publish a statutory notice

Consider responses and agree (or not) to become a Foundation School and acquire a trust

Co-operative trust model

Engages key stakeholder groups through membership

Forum/Council provides a vehicle for accountability and high level consultation

Trust

Partner 1 Partner 2

Partner 4 Partner 3

Forum or Council

Membership includingParents Staff Learners Community Organisations

Individuals

Governing Body

School 1

Governing Body

School 2

+‘Academisation’

New model academies: The DfE will consider academy orders for maintained schools where:◦ The school’s Ofsted rating is satisfactory or good with outstanding

features.◦ The school formally agrees to work in partnership with a high-

performing school (or schools) that will help drive improvement.◦ The school is a maintained special school rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Old model academies The previous Government’s policy of the academies programme as an

intervention tool for school underperformance will continue The criteria for intervention will be strengthened. The intention is to work with local authorities (LA) to bring about the

conversion (closure and replacement) of existing schools. The definition of ‘under-performing’ is widened to include schools where

there are concerns about capacity to improve or to sustain attainment.

Academy Sponsor

Provide Oversight of

Forms Trust with legal powers to manage

School(s) leadership

Governors(or Directors)

Trustee AppointmentsDFE Funding AgreementLand & asset lease

Basic Academy model

Co-op Academy Trust model

Schools Co-operative

Society

Recommends appointment of Governors to

Report to

Is a member of

Appoints to

Appoints to

Parents & Carers Staff

Learners Community

AlumniSchools Co-operative Society

Members elect to

Trustees

Partner Organisations

Members

Members Forum

Governors(Directors)

+

Co-operative Core Values

A globally shared set of values and commitment to education enshrined in our principles

A rich history of working with schools – and running schools as co-operatives

A shared commitment to raising expectations and achievement

Experience of democratic member engagement in governance

Self help

Self responsibility

Democracy

Equality

Equity

Solidarity

Honesty

Openness

Social responsibility

Caring for others

+Education 1844>1944>2014 1844 The birth of co-operation and self-help organisations

1944 – a fragmented school system in economic crisis A radical Education Act

To build the economic future through investment in people To rationalise provision through strategic planning To ensure consistency of quality To embrace principles of an inclusive society

2014 – a fragmented school system in economic crisis A radical Education Act?

To build the economic future through investment in people To rationalise provision through strategic planning To ensure consistency of quality To embrace principles of an inclusive society

+2014: Brave New World

1000 academies by 2012

Local authority leadership role and commissioning strained

Primary schools need to be looking for solutions by 2013

New brands and networks

Resource constraints

Buyers’ market

Fragmented system

Private sector competition

Quality Assurance issues

Schools system change Support system change

+

A new policy to reinvigorate the public sector

“We will support the

creation and

expansion of mutuals,

co-operatives,

charities and social

enterprises, and

enable these groups

to have a much

greater involvement in

the running of public

services”

May 2010

The Coalition Programme for Government

Co-operative Trusts & AcademiesMutual service providers

A co-operative governance structure

A co-operative ethos

A co-operative responsibility for success

A co-operative pedagogy

Services to support 120<250 (by end of 2011) co-operative schools & academies

Working with a wider model of mutual service provision

Joint procurement across co-operative group

A significant voice in policy debate

+ "We will create a new

presumption – backed

up by new rights for

public service users and

a new system of

independent

adjudication – that

public services should

be open to a range of

providers competing to

offer a better service”

A new policy to reinvigorate the public sector

February 2011

Open Public Services White Paper due May 2011

+Increasing “investor” interest

Service provider companies

Academy chains

Social Enterprises

Interest from UK & overseas Guaranteed profit

possible while working on contracts within public education sector

Culture shift: Customer satisfaction is

critical Performance against

simple criteria is non-negotiable

+LA capacity

Up to 30% in revenue cuts, leading to Reduction in resource and capacity Erosion of experience & expertise Changes in early intervention programmes A diminishing of responsive provision, e.g. SEN

LA response To accept inevitability of change To remodel service provision – education partnership

approach To develop a closer relationship with schools

+Education provider response

Identify key issues for learning provision Sustaining service quality & core staffing standards Managing new responsibilities, reducing capacity Access to prof. advice and learning entitlement Sharing expertise & best practice Accountability at an appropriate level

Optimise funding & resourcing Consider Academy route short and longer term issues Achieve economies of scale (procurement) Maximise efficiency within existing approach

+The big issues:Ethical, Educational, Economic

Core values

Best practice

Sharing of expertise

Sustainability

Accountability

Academy: likely to be short term gains £25k set-up provision Tapering central share Purchasing independence Central services (chains)

Trusts and partnerships £5k set-up costs Purchasing power Shared efficiency

Ethics & Education Economic

+A way forward

What do you want to preserve?

Identify this in terms of

Your educational values The learning community Core services Professional relationships

Identify a vehicle for this Assess realistically in terms

of

Longer term funding Potential for collaboration Equity of partnership Acceptable accountability

Questions Answers

To find out more:

Jon O’Connor 07958 66 34 58 joc@piebiz.netThe Co-operative College www.co-op.ac.uk