SPEECH

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Motion to the full IW Council, Wednesday, March 19, 2008, proposed by Cllr David Pugh, leader of the council, regarding education reform:

1. That the Council adopts a primary / secondary model for future education organisation on the Island, with the following predominant age ranges:

a. 4-11 primary schools;
b. 11-19 secondary schools.

2. That primary schools are established with a mix of 1 & 2 classes per year group.

3. That secondary schools are established with 11-14 (lower) and 14-19 (upper) sections. All schools will be required to sign up to delivering a diverse Islandwide academic and vocational agenda through the 14-19 consortium.

4. That a more equitable funding regime across the phases is established which will:

a. release funds to support the most vulnerable pupils throughout their education;
b. release funds to support those pupils who may need targeted support for a short period of time.

5. That following this decision on structure, officers will bring to the Cabinet meeting in April a paper outlining the next steps, including the preparations for formal consultation in June and July, ahead of the publication of statutory notices in the autumn.

6. That the submissions made by governing bodies and other partners over recent weeks are reviewed by officers, in the context of this decision on structure. The Cabinet meeting in April will formally request officers to undertake detailed work regarding the distribution of schools, giving consideration to the presumption in favour of the retention of rural schools.

7. That council officers will undertake work to explore the following:

a. how leisure facilities could be co-located with school provision;
b. how all children are able to get to school safely within an acceptable daily travel time;
c. how secondary provision can be tailored to meet the demands of economic development;
d. how Island businesses can be involved in the delivery of 14-19 diplomas;
e. how higher education opportunities could be developed on the Island for young people, in conjunction with the IW College and nearby universities.

8. That council officers will work with professional associations to ensure consistency and continuity for pupils and staff throughout the reorganisation process, and that headteachers in particular are involved in overseeing the change.

9. That all resources realised through the reorganisation will be reinvested in children’s services, and capital receipts will be harnessed alongside maximum draw down of government funding to deliver 21st century learning environments for Island pupils.

Speech to the full IW Council on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, by Cllr David Pugh, leader of the council, regarding education reform:

I am this evening proposing that the Isle of Wight adopts a primary/secondary model for its future education organisation.
Over the past couple of months, we have listened at great length to all the views expressed: the detailed outcomes of the consultation process, the correspondence we have received, and the many conversations held with parents, teachers, governors and parents across the Island.
Having reached the end of this process, I am now convinced that adopting a two-tier school system, and bringing ourselves into line with the rest of the country, will allow us to offer our young people the best possible start in life. We believe that such a structure that will enable us to meet our aims of raising standards, securing high quality leadership in schools, and securing government funds to invest in rebuilding and refurbishing schools.
The decision we make this evening will set the direction for education on our Island for the next few decades. It is therefore vital that we make the right decision, and it is a decision than is sustainable in the long-term.
I know that many members in this Chamber have also considered the complex issues at length, and listened to the public with a truly open mind. And that is why I am hopeful that a majority of members tonight will be able to put the interests of Island children far in front of any political advantage.
Let me spell out why now – after considering all the evidence – I believe that a primary / secondary model will be best for the future of the Island’s education system.
Throughout the consultation period, a consistent message from supporters of primary schools was how successful they are. There is no doubt that this sector gives our young people a good start to their education, and we have listened to the strong support expressed for our primary schools.
And that is why, acknowledging those views, we are proposing a structure that builds on the recognised strengths of our primary sector, giving primary trained teachers the opportunity to teach children for a further two years to the age of 11 – giving this sector complete ownership of Key Stage 2, finishing off in years 5 & 6 what they currently start in years 3 & 4.
Last year, there was considerable concern regarding how the proposal to place all of Key Stage 3 (including year 9) into middle schools would leave pupils with little time to settle into their GCSEs. The view in many quarters was that pupils would be transferring at the worst possible time, just as they were entering the most crucial phase of their education.
We have listened to these concerns, and that is why tonight’s proposal for a two-tier system will transfer children into secondary schools at the age of 11, giving them the full three years of Key Stage 3 in that institution before they enter their 14-19 learning pathways.
And just as the primary model will offer primary trained teachers, this full-through secondary set-up will offer secondary trained teachers the opportunity to teach the full range from 11-19.
I firmly believe that this system will allow us to attract the best primary and secondary teachers to complement the many good staff we already have. And all these staff will be made responsible for full key stage delivery. Full responsibility will also mean full accountability for the outcomes of examinations at these key stages. And all of this can only be good for the quality of education we offer our young people.
These are the broad arguments in favour of a primary / secondary model; and I’m sure that my colleagues may wish to speak further on the merits of this system. I would now like to address some of the particular points in our motion, which respond to the concerns expressed by the public.
Under paragraph 1, I am proposing that secondary schools are established with an 11-19 age range. There was concern expressed during recent weeks that 11-16 schools would not necessarily attract the best teachers and offer the widest range of facilities, and therefore we are now proposing that all secondary schools offer post-16 education; although to make this viable and also ensure pupils have access to the widest curriculum, all schools will be required to sign up to delivering a diverse Islandwide academic and vocational agenda through the 14-19 consortium, as per paragraph 3. No longer will schools be able to work in isolation and fail to offer young people the range of learning opportunities that they are entitled to. The post-16 offer will also be in collaboration with the IW College.
We have listened to the public concern over the proposed size of three-form entry primary schools, and that is why in paragraph 2 we are proposing that all primary schools are established as either 1 or 2 form entries.
The minimum of one-form entry will ensure that all schools are of sufficient size to provide single-age teaching – which is particularly important as they are being extended to the age of 11. This will regrettably still mean the closure of some primary schools, particularly the micro ones – not least because such schools would not be able to provide single-age teaching in each year group from ages 4 to 11, and in some cases the sites may not be suitable for expansion to take the two extra year groups. And I would also like to make clear our view that these sites should have pre-schools co-located with primary provision wherever possible.
This restriction to one and two form entries will allow a larger number of primary schools to continue than has been proposed, and the net reduction from the existing 46 will not be so great as first anticipated. However we are likely to still use many of our middle schools site for primary provision, so this will have an impact on the continuance of some existing primary school buildings.
I would also like to respond to some of the real concerns expressed about the potential size of the proposed secondary schools. We recognise that the establishment of 11-19 secondaries will create a wide age range of pupils, with a large number of pupils in total. That is why I am proposing in paragraph 3 that these schools be established in 11-14 (lower) and 14-19 (upper) sections, whilst remaining under the same governance and management structures. Wherever possible these should be on the same site – and pupils and teachers would transition between the two sections. This will provide pupils with a gradual introduction to the older learning environment, reducing the impact of a larger school, whilst not impeding flexible stage-not-age learning from the age of 11 onwards, giving gifted pupils the opportunity to start 14-19 courses early.
In paragraph 6, we are asking officers to review the representations made by governing bodies over recent weeks, and consider how a mix of one and two-form entries would be modelled in 4-11 primary schools across the Island, giving particular consideration to the presumption in favour of retaining rural schools. This recognises the fact that 88 er cent of questionnaire respondents felt that retaining schools within local communities was fairly important or very important. However this still has to be considered within the context of our commitment to a minimum of one-form entry and creating schools of a sufficient size to provide single-age teaching.
We appreciate that many parents will want to know about the future of individual schools as soon as possible, and may have wanted to receive such information as part of the decision this evening. However, we cannot combine this decision on overall structure with the detailed work required on the distribution of schools. That work is to follow, and there will be much more consultation with the public to make sure we get those decisions right. However, we will move as quickly as possible, and at the Cabinet meeting in April we will publish more details of what happens next, with reference to particular governing body representations.
I would like to use this opportunity to place on record our recognition of the considerable efforts that have put in by supporters of individual schools across the Island. The detailed submissions from many governing bodies, along with lengthy petitions collected by parents, have demonstrated how strongly many people feel about particular schools – and we know from speaking to many campaigners that this consultation has galvanised parental interest in education, which is no bad thing. We hope that this increased Islandwide awareness and involvement in education will continue as we move beyond tonight’s decision.
The rest of the motion speaks for itself. My colleagues will cover many of the points outlined in paragraph 7, which ask officers to explore a number of key areas we wish to tie in with education reform.
In paragraph 8 we emphasis the need for officers to work with the unions to ensure consistency and continuity for pupils and staff throughout the process – not least because we recognise that the change to our school system must be managed not just for the benefit of future pupils, but most importantly for those within it at the moment. Their education must be enhanced as the change takes place. I am determined that the council puts all the necessary resources in to achieve this – using the skills of many of our existing headteachers to manage change, and learning best practice from other local authorities too.
Finally, we wish to make clear in paragraph 9 that all resources realised through the organisation are reinvested in children’s services, and capital receipts will be harnessed alongside maximum draw down of government funding to deliver 21st century learning environments for Island pupils.
And, so I am proud that this council is finally on the verge of making a historic decision to move our education system forward; ending years of uncertainty and putting the interests of Island children far in front of any political advantage. We are proposing a structure which was endorsed by 69% of respondents in our recent consultation. Over 3100 questionnaire responses were received – almost 6 times the response we received to last year’s consultation on option one – an option which has been roundly rejected in this consultation. Whilst this view from the public is not binding on council this evening, it gives us an unambiguous steer of the changes the public wish to see happen.
And that is why I am not ashamed of moving away from my previous, much quoted, support for the three-tier system. For those of us who were educated within it, we often have fond memories of a structure – including middle schools – which has served the Island for 38 years. But that is not reason enough to keep it – if there is a better structure that will allow us to raise standards more effectively in the future. I now believe that there is. We must be prepared to put political dogma and sentimentality aside in the interests of doing what is best for Island children.
I am confident that this chamber tonight will embrace this proposal to change to a primary / secondary model and show that the Isle of Wight Council can make the first big step on the road to offering all of our young people the best possible start in life.

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