Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

1. That the establishment of the new school-led partnership for improvement in Surrey known as the Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE) be approved.

2. That the Council’s participation as a member of SAfE with two officers of the Council to be appointed to the board of directors of the company be endorsed.

3. That the commission SAfE lead and manage Surrey’s school improvement strategy for an initial three years, from September 2019 to 2022 was agreed.

4. That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director for Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning, to agree, as appropriate, to SAfE being contracted for further council commissions over the next three years was agreed.

5. That the Council act as the ‘supervising authority’ for SAfE was agreed.

Reason for Decision:

Surrey County Council outsourced its school improvement services over 15 years ago. Through the contract, Babcock 4S was engaged to undertake all 11 council duties relating to school standards and the quality assurance of all maintained schools, 14 compliance checking duties and five relating to the curriculum. This contract came to an end in March 2019, and these duties are currently being undertaken by council officers on a short-term basis.  However, this is not consistent with the developing schools-led system and partnership approach underpinning our work with children and families.

Over recent years, Surrey schools have built a system of improvement using local practitioners and teaching schools.  The recommendations in this report would extend the breadth and depth of that schools-led system so it can accelerate improvement in the outcomes for children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable, in Surrey schools.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee]

Cabinet considered a report that sought approval for the Council to be a partner in a new, not-for-profit company, which was to be called the Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE).  This was a partnership – between schools, both maintained schools and academies, the Surrey Teaching Schools Network (STSN) and the Council – to continue to improve the quality of education in Surrey.  The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning explained how this proposal was an innovative idea driven by schools for schools.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the establishment of the new school-led partnership for improvement in Surrey known as the Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE) be approved.

2.    That the Council’s participation as a member of SAfE with two officers of the Council to be appointed to the board of directors of the company be endorsed.

3.    That the commission SAfE lead and manage Surrey’s school improvement strategy for an initial three years, from September 2019 to 2022 was agreed.

4.    That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director for Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning, to agree, as appropriate, to SAfE being contracted for further council commissions over the next three years was agreed.

5.    That the Council act as the ‘supervising authority’ for SAfE was agreed.

Reason for Decision:

Surrey County Council outsourced its school improvement services over 15 years ago. Through the contract, Babcock 4S was engaged to undertake all 11 council duties relating to school standards and the quality assurance of all maintained schools, 14 compliance checking duties and five relating to the curriculum. This contract came to an end in March 2019, and these duties are currently being undertaken by council officers on a short-term basis.  However, this is not consistent with the developing schools-led system and partnership approach underpinning our work with children and families.

Over recent years, Surrey schools have built a system of improvement using local practitioners and teaching schools.  The recommendations in this report would extend the breadth and depth of that schools-led system so it can accelerate improvement in the outcomes for children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable, in Surrey schools.

The decision was unanimous.

[Mr Colin Kemp declared a personal interest in that he was a director at Surrey Training School Networks until last year but he took no part in the negotiations.]