What do schools receive?
Schools are able to purchase additional days. For details see the drop down menu (click here)
The school improvement team, which includes some commissioned consultants, provides a range of services which are free to BTS schools.
The BTS offer consists of three areas:
1. School improvement advisors (SIAs) and senior school improvement advisors (SSIAs).
A SIA or SSIA will provide support and challenge through visits and remote support. The number of SIA/SSIA days allocated to a school is dependent on the service level agreement. Schools are able to purchase additional days through the new school improvement website. Improvement advisor (IA) activity is likely to include: Initial discussion between IA and headteacher
Remote work and preparation
Further conversation between headteacher, chair of governors and SIA Colleagues will consider the pre-COVID-19 strengthens and areas of development of the school. They may wish to discuss whether the importance of specific pre-COVID-19 school priorities has increased, decreased or stayed the same. For instance, what level of significance is now placed on increasing the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils, or enhancing the history curriculum? In answering such questions, the connectivity between the schools’ pre-COVID-19 priorities, the schools’ actions during partial closure, and the recovery needs of pupils will be explored. Colleagues will agree the focus of the improvement advisor’s work for the year. School recovery planning and IA support may include:
Improvement advisor activity may also include:
|
Support with complaints being managed under the school’s procedure, or complaints to Ofsted. For example, if a parent or carer complains to Ofsted, Ofsted will contact the local authority. A SSIA will then liaise with the headteacher and provide a written response to Ofsted.
2. School improvement team
The school improvement team, which includes some commissioned consultants, provide a range of services which are free to BTS schools.
- Behaviour and attendance services include:
- Facilitating specialist leaders of education (SLE) to provide coaching for staff to even more effectively manage challenging behaviour and enhance learners’ attitudes.
- Conducting behaviour and attitudes audits for schools to help identify specific areas and strategies for improvement.
- Delivering training sessions for school staff and governors regarding behaviour and attendance.
- Conducting attendance audits for schools to help identify specific areas and strategies for improvement.
- Supporting schools to monitor and increase the attendance of pupils and groups of pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils.
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) services include:
- Support with conducting Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS) and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) audits and providing ongoing assistance to enhance areas identified as improvable.
- Support with conducting audits of the effectiveness of promoting early reading and ongoing assistance to enhance areas identified as improvable.
- Advice and guidance to enable the physical environment, including outdoor areas, to drive strong pupil progress and development.
- Training for early years staff and leaders.
- Assistance with using progress data and information to help children improve their learning and develop well.
- Strengthening provision for two and three-year-olds.
- Support with effective use of ACE (Achieving Continuous Excellence in the EYs). ACE is a quality improvement tool which incorporates Ofsted indicators. Leaders report it helps them identify priorities to move practice forward.
- Completion of safeguarding audits and follow-up support as required.
- Advice and guidance to ensure pupils gain strong phonics knowledge and skills and can read with fluency and comprehensions at least appropriate to their age.
- Key stage 1 and key stage 2 writing moderation training for headteachers, school leaders and classroom practitioners at a reduced cost BTS schools.
- Facilitating and leading professional study groups (PSGs). For example, early years staff share ideas and good practice at half termly PSGs.
Management of data packages. For example, Fisher Family Trust
3. Commissioned school support
The Local Authority analyses the performance of all schools collectively, responds to national policy change, and maintains a dialogue with school leaders about school’s needs. In response, targeted projects are commissioned to enhance outcomes for learners.
- SSIAs compose and submit various bids. For example, to the education improvement strategic group (EISG). The services and support stemming from this funding is available to all schools. For example, in 2019 schools benefitted from the Inclusion Expert (primary and secondary) and Spirals of Enquiry (primary).
BTS income is used to commission further services, which BTS schools access free of charge. For instance, a significant proportion of training delivered by the Diamond Teaching School Alliance will continue to be free for BTS schools from April 2020.