This School Improvement Partnership with Northern Education was a model partnership with a number of distinctive characteristics.

A Partnership Characterised By:

• Careful and structured development of the partnership – building teamwork based on open and frank discussions. • Clear understanding of client needs. • Local Authority openness about characteristics of schools, ongoing development of LA structures and proposals for reorganisation of schools. • Clarity of understanding of expectations of the Local Authority to preserve and develop good working relationships with schools. Good consultation with schools to ensure acceptability of Northern Education and allocated SIPs. • Good fit between the SIP team, the LA School Effectiveness and Improvement Teams and other agencies working in the schools. • High quality leadership and management skills of the Northern Education team co-ordinator and the LA Lead Officer ( who is Head of Standards and the SIP Manager). Excellent channels of communication for SIP team, maintaining regular flow of information and direction. Well structured team meetings. • Available back up support from Senior Associates of the Company – nominated Senior Associate to have dedicated time to support the project.

Development of the Partnership

• Step 1: April 06: NE Lincs shortfall in recruitment of SIPs. Northern Education commissioned to recruit Team Leader Co-ordinator plus 2 SIPs to add to 2 already recruited. • Step 2: May 06: Northern Education recruited from list of Associates, provisional upon agreement of contract. • Step 3: May 06: Induction training of selected Team Co-ordinator by Northern Education Senior Associate. • Step 4: June 06: Senior Associate (Contract Management) and Senior Associate (Recruitment and Performance Management) met with LA Lead Officer – negotiation of contract terms, submission of CVs of Associate SIPs to be circulated to head teachers for approval and deployment, discussion of quality assurance and performance management arrangements. • Step 5: June 06: Contract agreed. 1) Meeting between the LA Lead Officer, the Northern Education Team Co-ordinator and the supporting Senior Associate. Established protocols of reporting, flow of information and data through the LA’s systems; quality assurance and performance management arrangements; characteristics of schools and proposed allocation of SIPs. 2) Same day meeting of Secondary Head Teachers with Team Co-ordinator and supporting Senior Associate facilitated by LA Lead Officer. Very positive response reflecting careful attention to consultation and school preferences by the Local Authority. • Step 6: July 06 Full team meeting chaired by Team Co-ordinator with inputs from Senior Associate (Contract Manager), the nominated Support Senior Associate and the LA Lead Officer. Agenda: Outline programme for SIP visits, protocols for Notes of Visit, allocation of schools and contact with head teachers, characteristics of schools; developing the partnership. • Step 7: July 06: Each SIP to make first contact with school to arrange September visit.

Delivery of the Partnership

• Very clear direction given by partnership of the Team Co-ordinator and the LA Lead Officer for agenda for each term’s school visits.
• Formats, framework and associated guidance for Notes of Visit and for Annual reports to Governors discussed and agreed to provide professional flexibility within a consistent framework. • Satisfactory data provided for school performance reviews, school target setting and the Head Teacher Review process. • Regular meetings and contact between Team Co-ordinator and the LA Lead Officer – SIPs invited to School Effectiveness and School Improvement team meetings. • Sustained quality assurance measures – monitoring of school Notes of Visit by Team Co-ordinator and LA Lead Officer. • Arrangements made well in advance in March for Annual Performance Review to be carried out in July jointly between Northern Education and the LA. • Meticulous flow of information from the team Co-ordinator to the Senior Associate supporting the project and other relevant senior associates. • Overview and feed-back meetings between Northern Education Managing Director, nominated Support Senior Associate, the LA Lead Officer and the Director for Learning.

National Strategies Regional Co-ordinator’s comments – a selection

• Although the SIP function is provided through a contract with Northern Education, the LA SIP Manager plays a crucial and active part in ensuring the effective management of the process. • A clear agenda for SIP engagement with schools ensures that the LA is provided with key management information whilst at the same time respecting the principles of the NrWS. Good communication with LA Officers means that they are able to ensure that specific issues of importance are raised in individual schools. • There is a good level of consistency across reports. SIPs write mature reports which provide a commentary and evaluation rather than a repetition of information contained elsewhere.
• Head teachers are very pleased with the quality of SIP reports; they feel they are accurate, evaluative and challenging. • Brokerage of support is good – the SIP manager is well placed to ensure coherence between the work of the SIPs and others supporting schools. • SIPs reports clearly identify support needs and these are scrutinised to influence deployment.
• Advice to governors on head teacher performance is good. • Very good leadership and management of the programme have ensured that SIPS are an important part of the local strategy for school improvement. There is a clear vision for their role and excellent alignment between their work and others involved in school improvement. Head Teachers are confident in the process and there is evidence that the SIPs are having a positive impact on provision.