people have aspirations and achieve their ambitions through education, training and lifelong...

People have aspirations and achieve their ambitions through education, training and lifelong learning Essex County Council Commissioning Strategy 2014-2018 Version: 8 Date: 30.09.14 Author: Chris Kiernan Approved by: Cllr Gooding Next Review: Annually Contact: Chris Kiernan [email protected]

Version Control Version numberDateAuthorComment & nature of update 121/02/14Nicola ParkInitial draft for sharing with TC and RG 212/03/14Nicola ParkDraft for sharing with development groups 328/03/14Nicola Park Draft reflecting comments received from development groups and further developed data slides 411/04/14Nicola Park Draft reflecting comments received from SLT and Finance 522/04/14Nicola Park Draft reflecting further comments for consideration at CCB meeting on 30/04/14 613/05/14Nicola Park Draft reflecting comments from CCB meeting on 30/04/14 for presentation to SCB and PLT on 19/05/14 723/06/14Nicola Park Draft for public consultation reflecting amendments made by PC and HR on employability and skills indicators 830/09/14Nicola Park Final draft reflecting outcomes of public consultation, further changes on employability and skills indicators from PC and updates to finance slides Strategy development (1/3) 2

Strategy development (2/3)3 Roles and responsibilities Lead commissioner(s):Chris Kiernan Interim Director for Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning Paul Bird Director for Commissioning Transport and Infrastructure Supporting Commissioner(s):Graham Ranby Head of Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (Planning and Provision) Annemarie Blackshaw Head of Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (SEN/AEN Provider Services) Clare Kershaw Head of Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (Schools) Stavroulla Yiannou Head of Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (Early Years) Michael OBrien Head Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (Youth Services) Peter Cook - Head of Commissioning Education and Lifelong Learning (Skills) Pippa Shukla Lead Strategic Commissioner - Pupil and School Intelligence Jason Fergus Head of Active Essex Jane Gardener Head of Commissioning Growing Essex Communities Dominic Collins Head of Commissioning Growing Essex Future Development Sheila Norris - Director for Integrated Commissioning & Vulnerable People Lead member:Cllr Gooding Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning Officers: Lisa Wilson Commissioning Support Manager Nicola Park Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor (People)

Strategy development (3/3)4 Process The development of this Strategy has been based on a set of Turning the Curve reports for each indicator group produced in January 2014. The process for development was agreed with the Lead Commissioner and has involved: detailed discussions with the Lead Commissioner and all associated Tier 4 Commissioners, early and ongoing engagement with Cllr Gooding and a number of workshops focused on specific indicators involving commissioners and operational teams. The content of the Strategy is fully reflective of the outputs of these engagements. Throughout the process there has been involvement of a variety of support functions from Strategy, Transformation and Commissioning Support. Performance and Business Intelligence, Information Services and Finance have also been directly engaged. The Strategy has been subject to a number of quality assurance processes based on the agreed quality expectations. The Strategy has been subject to a period of public consultation and this version is reflective of an analysis of comments made during that process. The Strategy will be subject to on-going review and revision to ensure it remains up to date and relevant. An Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) has been completed for this Strategy which identifies at a high level the potential impact of the outlined activities on different equalities groups. Individual EqIAs will be completed as required for each individual aspect of the work included. As this Strategy is a high level document it does not include a detailed examination of how the identified issues reflect any particular equality group. There is however a commitment throughout all indicators to ensure that the work outlined appropriately accounts for the requirements of various vulnerable and other groups. The specific requirements of these groups in accessing the outlined provision will be considered during the more detailed work of implementation. There are a number of actions throughout the Strategy about the improvement of data collection and analysis this work will include ensuring we have the data available to help us better understand the needs of our residents from all equalities groups and how we can best meet these. How this Strategy will be implemented This Strategy is a high level document covering strategic actions related to a number of different services within Essex County Council and partner agencies. It sets out a programme of work which is intended to be implemented over a four year period. As such it is not intended to provide full detail about precisely how and when actions will be implemented or how this will be resourced. On completion this document will be translated into a more detailed work plan which will define the specific commissioning and other activity required to implement the actions these plans will be aligned to available resource and inform future resource planning. These work plans will further influence the development of individual team and service plans and will also identify dependencies with the work of other agencies. It is recognised that activity required to implement this Strategy can also be found outlined within existing partnership and other high level plans and strategies, for example the Children and Young Peoples Plan this activity and the links with the Strategy will be identified and reflected in the work plan. The Council is committed to on-going consultation with relevant partners and partnerships, including, for example, the Local Childrens Partnerships, in implementing this Strategy and to co-designing responses to the identified issues. It recognises the contribution that partners can make and the positive work that is already being undertaken which this Strategy can draw on and further promote.

Why is this outcome important to Essex and Essex County Council? People have aspirations and achieve their ambitions through education, training and lifelong-learning 5 Essex County Council is responsible for ensuring that Essex residents have high ambitions for what they want to achieve and for enabling them to achieve these ambitions. It does this through working with partners to influence the provision of, and supporting residents with access to, a range of opportunities linked to education and lifelong learning from birth and throughout the rest of their lives. These opportunities encompass: high quality early years provision; world class education in schools, further and higher education institutions; a diversity of training and other support focused on employability and skills; the availability of other learning and development opportunities recreational and otherwise intended to enrich life generally. We want all children to achieve the best start in life that they can during their early years so that when they begin school they enjoy learning and have a strong foundation for high achievement throughout the rest of their lives. Good levels of educational attainment are important to us as they are an important driver of economic growth. People who have higher levels of attainment are also more likely to have longer, safer and healthier lives. We want to drive out inequality in attainment across Essex to ensure that we become amongst the best in the country overall. We also want to foster a culture of lifelong learning so that people of all ages have a thirst for learning in all its guises. In a constantly changing global economy it is important that Essex has a highly skilled and adaptable workforce which reflects the needs of the local economy and local communities. Residents will need, and want, to be able to continue to develop and add skills throughout their lives. We want to support residents to achieve their ambitions through a comprehensive range of world class provision which is delivered through a simplified, localised and cost effective education and skills system.

Summary 6 This Commissioning Strategy is intended to shape our activities and behaviour over the next four years, making clear how we will use capacity within ECC, across partners and amongst current/new providers, to make progress towards the Outcome. The big issues we face that this strategy seeks to address are: School performance is not good enough Beyond schools, quality of data is poor Too few people have sufficient levels of literacy and numeracy The number of NEETs have reduced but further work needs to continue The strategy encapsulates actions that will seek to turn the curve in these areas. The headline actions being proposed to address the issues are: A transformation of how services to and for schools are provided, this will include consideration of the role of Essex Education Services The commissioning of a new data system to support one vision of the child a single record A data focused approach to targeted interventions in education and lifelong learning A whole Essex approach with partners to maximise the skills levels for literacy and numeracy Work with schools and colleges to ensure early identification of young people at risk of disengagement and becoming NEET and to ensure robust transition plans are established A review of how adult and community learning is provided in Essex The Strategy recognises that any proposed actions must be aligned to available resources and that resources are likely to be reduced as the Council seeks to close the current budget gap for 2015/16 and 2016/17. There are clear examples within the strategy (in bold) where actions are expected to deliver services at reduced cost (for example Education Services to and for Schools) and also a clear indication (annotated by **) of which agreed indicators / actions are a higher priority than others. This prioritisation will be used to support future resource allocation. Further more detailed work in respect of this will follow in future iterations and also via the development of the corporate commissioning workplan which will identify the detail of how the Strategy will be delivered. The activities outlined will need to be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they remain affordable as budgets change. In terms of prioritisation of indicators the Council believes that indicators 1,2 and 4 (numbers of good and outstanding schools, children achieving at school and NEET) should be prioritised for action and resources over others. This is on the basis that turning the curve against these indicators has the largest potential to have a positive impact on the other indicators for this strategy and beyond, and, to improve residents life chances. These are also the indicators where we have the greatest direct role and responsibility and therefore greatest potential to enact change through our own agency; our ability to influence a turn in the curve against other indicators is less as our principal means of doing so is through influencing the actions of others. This prioritisation should not be taken to imply that the Council holds action against other indicators as less important or that action will not be taken against these; it is however likely to be different in nature.

Links to other outcomes (1/3) 7. People in Essex enjoy good health and wellbeing People in Essex have a healthy life expectancy, Reduced differential in life expectancy across different areas of Essex, Prevalence of healthy lifestyles, Percentage of Essex residents who consider themselves to be in good health, Life satisfaction rates, Percentage of children achieving at school, Percentage of working age people in employment, Percentage of families living in safe and suitable housing, Percentage of households living in fuel poverty, Prevalence of mental health disorders among children and adults, Teenage pregnancy rates Children in Essex get the best start in life Percentage of children ready for school, Percentage of children achieving a good level of development by the age of five, Percentage of families living in temporary accommodation, Percentage of children living in non-working households There are important dependencies between activity to improve performance in schools and the need to ensure that children entering Essex schools do so with a good level of development and are ready to achieve. Schools need to ensure that children enter primary education with an accurate baseline assessment and that early support has been obtained for children identified as having needs within early years settings. There is a need to further develop the engagement of primary school heads with early years settings, and of early years settings in the education partnerships and federations in their local areas. Early years settings and services also have an important role to play in working with parents to improve aspiration and in providing them with access to / facilitating their access to training and support, including through the provision of childcare. Work related to families living in temporary accommodation and children living in non-working households is being taken forward through the development of a Child Poverty Strategy. Research shows there are important links between child poverty and educational attainment. There are also clear links between child poverty and the work covered within this Strategy related to increasing employment and skills there are particular links between poverty and maternal employment and early years and childcare settings can have an important influence on this. Participation in high quality education, the attainment of basic and higher level skills, the development of high aspirations and of a love of learning have an important role to play in promoting good health and wellbeing for our residents. This is due to the impact of these things on residents in their own right and also because of their impact on enabling them to obtain well paid, fulfilling and sustainable employment. Engagement in learning can have a particular transformative role in respect of the well-being of identified target groups, such as those with mental health disorders and physical ill health. Schools and other education institutions have particular responsibilities in promoting healthy eating, engagement in physical activity and safe sexual activity in young people. There is additionally clear evidence that engaging in volunteering has the potential to improve both mental and physical wellbeing of volunteers and as many of those who volunteer do so in sports and sports related activities this volunteering further promotes the wellbeing of those engaged in the activities themselves. The lack of good health and wellbeing can be an important barrier to engagement in education which can affect both children and young people and adults. Improving rates of participation, engagement and positive outcomes in education (particularly amongst certain groups) is therefore highly dependent on activity within the health and wellbeing strategy. This Strategy recognises that there are important links between it and the other corporate commissioning strategies, in particular those for Children in Essex get the best start in life, People in Essex enjoy good health and wellbeing and Sustainable economic growth for Essex communities and businesses. There are dependencies both to and from the actions identified in this strategy and in others; there are also some duplicated actions and actions sitting within this strategy which will also contribute to the achievement of other outcomes and vice versa. This Strategy should therefore be read in conjunction with those created for the other outcomes. The key links are described below.

Links to other outcomes (2/3) 8. People in Essex live in safe communities and are protected from harm Level of crime in Essex, Number of children subject to protection plans, Number of children in care, Rate of anti-social behaviour in Essex, Number of people killed or seriously injured on Essex roads, Percentage of residents who feel that Essex roads are safe, Hospital admissions caused by injuries to children and young people, Hospital admissions caused by injuries to adults, Incidents of domestic abuse, Percentage of residents who feel safe Schools and other education institutions have an important role to play in respect of safeguarding children and young people both by contributing to the early identification of problems and seeking / providing appropriate early help solutions for these and through the engagement of schools with other agencies when there are more serious concerns appropriately identifying and reporting issues and participating in child protection core groups etc. The important role of schools in identifying and monitoring domestic violence in households has been increasingly recognised in national and local serious case reviews. Education institutions also have a role to play in educating young people in respect of risk taking behaviours and reducing instances of this and also about safe and respectful relationships. The levels of working age adults in employment will have an impact on levels of crime and the perception of residents of their safety within communities. Sustainable economic growth for Essex communities and businesses Job growth in a) key locations and b) key sectors, Percentage of working age people in employment, Median earnings, Number of bus and / or community transport journeys, Increased connectivity and journey time reliability on priority route network, Coverage of superfast broadband services, Supply of fit for purpose business premises, Sustainable business start-up rates, Percentage of Essex businesses who think they can recruit suitable people, Business rates growth, Housing growth in key locations The achievement of children within our education system and the work we can do with adults to improve skills levels has a key impact on the ability of our economy to prosper as a result of the availability of a skilled and work-ready workforce. It is vital that we foster the development of links between businesses and educational institutions at all levels to ensure that provision meets the needs of business and enables them to fill skills gaps. Education has a key role in encouraging residents to achieve sustainable and better paid jobs and in facilitating them into these. Businesses need to be involved in developing new education provision both at the further / higher end and in terms of academy sponsorship. The link between this indicator and that related to economic growth is of principal importance and activity across the two should be read in this context. An important shared theme across them is the promotion of high aspiration. This strategy is essentially about ensuring that Essex residents have high aspirations and ambitions about what they want to achieve in life and that these aspirations and ambitions are developed on the basis of an informed consideration of potential options. The development of this through the actions in the education strategy will underpin the successful achievement of indicators related to economic growth. Specific stand alone activity related to aspiration is also required under economic growth strategy for example that linked to encouraging residents to have the ambition to start their own businesses and encouraging those already with businesses to further grow them. It is also important that the economic growth strategy delivers the jobs and diversity of employment opportunities for residents with ambitions to be in employment, and particularly in high skilled employment, for residents to move into. Aspiration and ambition across either strategy cannot be raised by Essex County Council operating in isolation and will involve us influencing the actions of a range of other stakeholders and partners so that they share in this and align their own strategic intentions and allocation of resources with ours. Further consideration is required about how this activity can best be coordinated and used to maximum effect.

Links to other outcomes (3/3) 9 People in Essex experience a high quality and sustainable environment Residual waste volumes, Cost of energy to households, Preventable flooding incidents, Level of pollution, Condition of roads and footways, Access to valuable open spaces, Perception of the quality of the environment in Essexs cities, town and villages Engagement in education and lifelong learning can have an important contribution to enabling people to enhance their independence; this applies both to residents who may experience issues impacting on their independence in adult life and to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Activity to increase the independence of adults of working age who wish to seek employment and are able to work will have an important contribution to indicators in this and other strategies about working age adults in employment and NEET. It is recognised that whereas the indicator related to volunteering sits within the education and lifelong learning outcome, volunteers will have a key contribution in supporting people to be independent and their role in respect of this will be further developed via activity initiated in response to the Who Will Care? Commission. Engagement in volunteering promotes peoples health and wellbeing and can also help them retain and regain their independence, often acting as a pathway to employment. Lack of independence can be an important barrier preventing both children and young people and adults in engaging in education and so it is recognised that helping people to address this can have an important contribution to improving rates of participation and the outcomes from this. The engagement of learners and volunteers with the environment has a number of potential benefits particularly when targeted towards key target groups. There are good links between Essex outdoor facilities and schools and the incorporation of the outdoors into curriculum has the potential to enrich this and provide children with experiences which they may not access normally. There is potential for the Council to further influence schools in respect of their use of these facilities by promoting the resources that are available and encouraging new thinking about how to access them in terms of costs of transport etc. There are also a number of programmes aimed at engaging NEETs in environmental projects and further utilisation and development of these should be considered as part of the development of the provision available for NEET young people. There are also strong links between the environment and volunteering with many environment projects relying on the input of volunteers further consideration could be given corporately to how volunteers could be directed towards such projects and the use of volunteers considered during the commissioning process for them. People in Essex can live independently and exercise control Proportion of people who live independently, Percentage of people who regain or increase their level of independence following hospital admissions, Access to end of life care in their preferred placement of choice, Number of children and adults who receive social care support, Number of people with personal budgets

Rates of volunteering: Throughout the course of the development of these strategies it has been identified that there are some indicators which, although they are situated under one particular outcome, are relevant to all. One such indicator is rates of volunteering. This is appropriately situated under the Education and Lifelong Learning outcome due to volunteering being identified as an activity in which people engage which contributes to their lifelong learning; there are also important links between volunteering and employment as volunteering has the potential to increase skills levels and can be used as a pathway to work. Volunteering is however an important tool in the achievement of many of the other outcomes and the use and value of volunteers and the development of civil society has already been considered and is being further so under work related to Community Budgets and the Who Will Care commission. These are primarily related to outcomes on safe communities and living independently. The activity outlined in this strategy should not therefore by taken to represent the totality of the organisations commissioning intentions in this area and are primarily representative of volunteering activity which is more explicitly geared towards young people, those requiring to enhance their skills level s and those seeking to volunteer to contribute to their lifelong learning. There are some actions related to the engagement of Essex County Council employees in volunteering which are included here as a result of the potential of this activity to contribute to their learning and development and also some other corporate actions which are not explicitly related to this outcome and which have the potential to contribute in a cross cutting manner against all seven outcomes. Similar cross cutting activity has also been identified in respect of housing, poverty and safeguarding. Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 became law in 2012 and has been applicable from January 2013. The Act places a duty on public bodies to consider social value in commissioning and procurement activity and applies to the provision of services, the provision of services together with the purchase or hire of goods, or the carrying out of works. The Act states that the authority must consider: a) how what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant area, and b)how, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with a view to securing that improvement It also requires that local authorities must consider whether to undertake consultation in making these decisions and in essence outlines an expectation that there should be consultation with stakeholders to better understand social value and improve service specifications. This is a cross cutting theme in that it should be applied to commissioning decisions made in respect of all of the strategic intentions outlined in this strategy. It however also has specific relevance to indicator 8) rates of volunteering, as it encourages commissioners to consider when commissioning / establishing new services the potential there is in communities to deliver these themselves either through the voluntary or community sector or through other forms of civic actions, both utilising the skills of volunteers. Commissioners can clearly influence the development of the VCS, civic society and volunteering through the commissioning decisions they make and this may well be to the benefit of the area in focus. Cross cutting indicators and themes (1/2) 10

Early intervention and prevention: This is a key theme running throughout all seven strategies and specifically applies to a number of aspects of the Education and Lifelong Learning Strategy. Early Intervention is about ensuring access to early help for people at the place and point of need with the purpose of preventing escalation, and about targeted early activity for particular groups and individuals. Early can mean either or both: early in life and early in the development of a problem. Interventions can be universal or targeted. Adopting the principle of early intervention in all that we do will ensure that all people born, growing up and living in Essex will be supported to have the best start in life and develop, live, work and age well. For people it: Delivers improved outcomes; Builds resilience, capacity and independence; Prevents problems developing ; Protects people who are at risk from developing problems; Reduces the severity of problems that have already emerged; Avoids recurrence of problems For our system it: Reduces social cost Reduces financial burden Targets help and activity where most effective Early intervention should be an explicit consideration in all commissioning decisions. The successful achievement of many aspects of this strategy is dependent on effective universal and targeted activity in early years, and the successful achievement of indicators in other strategies, particularly economic growth, are dependent on effective actions being taken to address problems while children are still in education which may impact on their future health and wellbeing and productivity. There are explicit links with activity outlined in respect of children with special educational needs and disabilities and also other vulnerable groups, including actions linked to safeguarding. An explicit reasoning behind many of the actions outlined in respect of the improvement of data systems and functions, for example regarding school performance, is to enable better early identification of arising problems so that these can be tackled prior to their escalation and them needing more costly interventions at a later stage. Achieving effective early intervention should over the long term assist the Council with closing its identified funding gap. Cross cutting indicators and themes (2/2) 11

GroupAgreed indicators (and groups) A1) Percentage of children attending a good school ** Common to A and B 2) Percentage of children achieving at school ** (measured at Foundation, KS2 and KS4) 3) Rates of literacy and numeracy at all ages 4) Percentage of young people aged 16-19 not in education, employment & training ** B 5) Percentage of adults participating in lifelong learning 6) Percentage of working age people in employment 7) Percentage of people participating in further education/higher education/vocational learning C8) Rates of volunteering Indicators 12 These indicators are those through which progress will be tracked towards the achievement of the outcome. These indicators do not seek to measure the effectiveness of particular services, programmes or agencies. Rather, they seek to quantify the key changes the Council should expect to see as the outcome is achieved. All indicators have been selected based on the extent to which they a) say something of central importance about the outcome, b) are common sense and communicate with a broad range of audiences, and c) are based on data that is accurate, reliable, consistent and available on a regular and timely basis.

No.IndicatorThe curve 1Percentage of children attending a good school Increase the percentage of schools rated good and outstanding Increase the percentage of children attending a good and outstanding school Aim for 100% schools judged good or outstanding and 100% of children attending a good or outstanding school by 2018. Increase the percentage of new places commissioned in good or outstanding schools from 77% in 2012 towards a target of 100% in 2018 2Percentage of children achieving at school measured at Foundation, KS2 and KS4, including analysis of the gap for Children in Care To improve performance so that Essex is in the top quartile compared to other local authorities by 2018 (for Foundation, KS2 and KS4) 3Rates of literacy and numeracy at all ages Increase in skills levels of Essex residents compared to England averages 4Percentage of young people not in employment, education or training Maintain the positive reduction in NEET figures in accordance with identified service targets Maintain and continue to improve low levels of unknown figures Increase the numbers of young people accessing good quality youth services 5Percentage of adults participating in lifelong learning Increase the overall percentage of residents engaged in lifelong learning. 6Percentage of working age people in employment Increase the number of residents in employment against baseline position 7Percentage of people participating in further education/higher education/vocational learning Increase levels of participation against baseline position Increase in skills levels of Essex residents compared to England averages 8Rates of volunteering Increase the number of people who state that they regularly volunteer against baseline position Increase the numbers of young people engaged in positive activities For all indicators attention will be paid to disparities in outcomes between different geographical areas and equality and diversity / vulnerable groups. In all cases actions will aim to improve the performance of the lowest attaining areas / groups by raising their performance towards the level of the highest. The curve we wish to turn 13 For all indicators a desired performance curve has been identified. In many case there is not sufficient data or easily analysable data to enable us to adequate plot predicted future performance against a desired curve and therefore at this stage this has only be plotted for indicator 1. Where required this has been identified as an issue with an associated action against each relevant indicator. The ability to do this is also impacted by changes to definitions and frameworks meaning there is a lack of comparable historical data this is a particular issue in respect of school attainment.

The work outlined in this Strategy will be lead by Education and Lifelong Learning Commissioners sitting within the People Commissioning Directorate. The key areas of responsibility within the remit of these commissioners are: providing leadership to the education and skills sector in Essex and commissioning work to: drive up standards in under performing schools, improve access to education and educational outcomes for all children and young people and adults (particularly those vulnerable to educational and social exclusion) and improve the likelihood of employment. This includes: commissioning sufficient high quality early years and childcare provision ensuring high quality school places commissioning support, advice and professional development for headteachers and school staff commissioning school governor recruitment and training commissioning 14-19 curriculum development and progression routes post-16, including apprenticeships commissioning attendance and behaviour services, including provision for young people not attending school commissioning support for children and young people with statements of special or additional educational need commissioning infrastructure for maintained schools facilitating community-led youth services commissioning adult and community learning Commissioning and influence: The key organisations through which education and lifelong learning are delivered to residents are: early years settings, schools (including academies and free schools), further and higher education institutions and vocational training providers. There is limited direct delivery by Essex County Council and the relationship between the Council and these organisations is mainly one of a commissioning and influence. This is reflected in the actions selected for this strategy. Our relationships are stronger and more direct within the early years and schools sector than they are with other providers (for example further and higher education institutions and vocational trainers) however even here and particularly in relation to schools the nature of our impact is changing due to the increased autonomy within the sector. Overall this impacts our ability to influence the development of provision and also to track outcomes particularly for some indicators. A key priority area for influence based on the importance of getting things right in this sector to enable positive progress against other indicators and also due to the amounts of funding involved is the spending of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) by schools (as agreed at the Schools Forum). Actions in this strategy are written in the context of the totality of spend across the partnership and are in particular predicated on our ability to influence where and how this money is spent in support of our strategic actions. It is also important that Essex uses its power to influence at a national level informed by the intentions of this commissioning strategy for example in respect of the current DfE consultation on the Education Services Grant (ESG) (see national legislative and policy context slides). More detailed information about our role in respect of different providers is included on the next two slides and in the slides related to partners and partnerships. Transformation: Essex County Council has been undergoing a process of transformation to embed a commissioner / provider split into the way it is organised and operates. This process has yet to be fully embedded in the area of Education and Lifelong Learning and as a consequence there are some areas of the service where commissioners also still have responsibility of the provision of services. Further reorganisation and restructuring activity will continue to be rolled out through the course of this Strategy and is referred to where appropriate in the outlined actions. A number of core statutory responsibilities held by the Council relate to education, particularly those related to school planning, provision and admissions. For these areas although there is technically scope for delivery through other means there are unlikely to be significant overall benefits from this and therefore some aspects of direct provision are always likely to remain. Essex structural context (1/3) 14

Essex structural context (2/3) 15 Schools and academies: In Essex there are: 459 primary schools, 77 secondary schools, 17 special schools. The range of educational provision for children and young people is now both broad and complex in terms of the number of providers involved and also their roles. An increasing number of these schools are academies, particularly at secondary level and now increasingly at primary; the presumption in law is that all new schools will now either be academies or free schools. Essex County Council does not have a preferred model of school organisation and leadership and believes the key driver in decision making in respect of this should be the model which is most likely to lead to sustained improvement in outcomes. It is an advocate of academisation when this is an appropriate choice for the school and has a role in advising and supporting schools wishing to become an academy however it supports the free choice of schools in this process. With the introduction of greater autonomy in the education landscape the role and responsibilities of local authorities in terms of school places has changed. Its role now centres around four key functions: as a champion of children, families and communities, as a commissioner and enabler of effective commissioning, as a facilitator of partnerships, and as the maintaining authority for community schools. Essex County Council no longer provides school places but instead commissions them from a range of providers including schools, academy trusts and sponsors of academy chains. The County Council does however retain a statutory responsibility to ensure there are sufficient school places available every year, that there is diversity across the school system and that parental preference is maximised. In its strategic role, the County Council must ensure there is a response to changes in demand over time by securing the increase or removal of capacity, this can be achieved in a number of ways, including: commissioning new schools, extending existing schools, reducing places at existing schools, promoting the reorganisation of schools, and reviewing priority admission areas. Whilst the County Council has moved to be a commissioner of school places, it still has parallel responsibilities as a provider in respect of a number of community and voluntary controlled schools. Independent Schools: There are 50 independent schools in Essex. The local authority does not have any formal role in respect of independent schools and is not responsible for their results. Essex does however have a general duty towards all Essex children and young people including those in independent schools and would seek to influence providers were there were concerns. Essex recognises the skills and expertise that exists in this sector and is encouraging of the engagement of independent schools in informal and formal school partnerships, federations etc and potentially as academy sponsors. Particularly in respect of provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities the local authority may also commission places within independent schools (both inside and outside of Essex) as suited to the needs of the individual. Generally in the context of the reducing funding envelop for this strategy the intention would however be to seek to develop provision in Essex maintained schools and academies to meet specific needs and encourage early identification and response to problems to prevent them reaching a level where a child may need to have a specialist place in an independent provider commissioned (see for example actions in indicator 2 re provision for children displaying sexualised behaviour). Further Education is nationally funded by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) which is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Funding is provided to colleges, private training organisations and employers. The government aims through its funding decisions to make sure that further education provides the skilled workforce employers need and helps individuals reach their full potential. This includes funding provision in the following areas: traineeships for young people not in education, employment and training (NEET), apprenticeships and careers guidance. In Essex we are working to develop the breadth of opportunity and access for all young people to remain engaged in some form of learning up to the age of 18 through the countys Employability & Skills Unit which works with schools, colleges and independent training providers to achieve this. Our specific duties in this area are to: promote effective participation in education or training to young people for whom we are responsible; ensure that sufficient places are available to meet the reasonable needs of all young people, and to encourage them to participate; make available to young people support that will encourage, enable or assist them to participate

Higher Education is nationally funded and delivered by independent institutions. The distribution of funding is overseen by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The role of this organisation also includes monitoring that universities and colleges are financially healthy, that their courses are good quality, and that everyone with the potential to enter higher education has a fair chance to do so. The Governments intention is generally to ensure that more public funding for teaching is routed through the student loan system and less through HEFCE, with the HEFCE taking on more of a regulatory role. The increasing use of modular course structures means that higher education qualifications are now more flexible than ever and can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual and their employer (if appropriate), or transferred between institutions. This has the potential of attracting additional people to consider engagement. Special Educational Needs Provision: The Local Authority has a critical role as champion for vulnerable children and young people. It will ensure that that all Children and Young People with SEND have a full range of support and opportunities available to them and are provided with opportunities to maximise their life chances, goals and aspirations. Our strategic priorities in this area have been identified in the 2014-19 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Strategy. Essex continually reviews its portfolio of specialist SEN providers to ensure it meets the needs of current and projected SEN populations. Specialist SEN Provision is a term used to describe discrete school based provision made available to support pupils with statements of special educational needs. In Essex this provision consists of Special Schools and Additionally Resourced (Enhanced) Provisions attached to mainstream schools. Essex is seeking to commission an increased amount and spectrum of specialist provision and to consider possible delivery options, taking account of all potential consequences and risks associated with increasing specialist SEN provision and the availability of capital and revenue resources. The strategic direction is: To maintain and develop special school provision in Essex, maximising the expertise available in Essexs specialist providers to deliver advice and guidance. To increase specialist provision proportionally across the four quadrants of Essex in response to predicted demand for places. To establish additional enhanced provision and outreach support for pupils of mainstream ability with low incidence high level needs e.g. those with ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorders. To ensure Essex has a continuum of alternative educational provision for young people with additional educational needs. Essex Education Services (ESS) is an Essex County Council in house delivery vehicle for school improvement services which trades with schools both inside and outside of Essex. The service offer includes: education consultancy, finance support, governor services, education HR, the School Library Service, Target Tracker and professional development. The services offered are strongly evidence and researched based, grounded in a detailed understanding of what is required for schools to be effective. The service has a clear business plan to 2015/16 and beyond which includes the development of new products and the growth of the customer base in terms of numbers of customers and income generated. The role of Essex Education Services moving forward will be considered as a key element of the work outlined in this strategy to transform how services to and for schools are provided. As a service provider EES sits outside of the Education and Lifelong Learning commissioning function of the Council and under the Deputy Chief Executive. Adult Community Learning (ACL) There are a number of providers within the market who provide adult community learning and with whom we need to work to contribute to outcomes against indicators related to this. In addition there is some direct provision of Adult Community Learning by Essex County Council which is primarily funded by grants (including those from the Skills Funding Agency). Activity is currently underway to review the way in which ACL is delivered by Essex and to identify any cost savings. Essex structural context (3/3) 16

Making Schools and Colleges more accountable and giving them more control over their budgets Creating a fairer and more equal society Helping to reduce poverty and increase social justice Giving all children a healthy start in life Raising the achievement of disadvantaged children Getting more people playing sport Improving the quality of teaching and leadership Improving the adoption system and services for Looked After Children Reforming qualifications and the curriculum to better prepare pupils for life after school Improving the quality of further education and skills training Increasing options and provision for children with special educational needs Improving the quality and range of education and childcare from birth to 5 years Making the construction and maintenance of school buildings more cost effective Supporting vibrant and sustainable arts and culture Making the family justice system more effective Supporting social workers to provide help and protection to children Making inspections of schools, colleges and childrens services more effective Increasing opportunities for young people and helping them achieve their potential Improving behaviour and attendance in schools Improving education for pupils outside of mainstream schools Increasing the number of academies and free schools to create a better and more diverse school system National legislative and policy context (1/2) 17 The current policy programme of the Department for Education which is reflected in and influences this Strategy is made up of the following policies. Policies with particular relevance to actions within this Strategy are highlighted in blue:

There have been significant legislative and policy changes in recent years which have influenced the role and responsibilities of the Council and how we need to work. These include: National legislative and policy context (2/2)18 Policy developmentKey strategy links Academisation and free schools ; development of regional schools commissioners 1 and 2 Special Educational Needs reforms1 and 2 Raising of participation age / new 16-19 study programmes 3,4,7 Children in Care Virtual Headteacher1 and 2 Reforms to National Curriculum and Assessment2 Reductions in funding for further and higher education3,5,7 Teachers Performance Related Pay1 and 2 Savings to the Education Services Grant for 2015-161 and 2 A full detailed analysis of these changes and their implications for this strategy can be found in this slide:

Delivering change within our financial envelope (1/4) 19 The Council has budgets for Education, Training and Life Long Learning activities within the Councils revenue budget and the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). Funding for schools comes primarily through the (DSG) the DfE provides the Local Authority with the total DSG budget which has been made up from 3 blocks- as outlined below. Decisions made on the allocation of the DSG are made via the Schools Forum and the Local Authority acts to influence the spending of the DSG through this organisation. The 2015/16 allocation of DSG from the Department of Education (DfE) will not be known until December 2015. Schools Block (2014/15 791.244m) This is basic school funding based on pupil numbers plus additional funding for a series of factors such as deprivation and English as a second language Early Years (2014/15 59.048m) This block funds the provision of places for children at private, voluntary or independent settings across the County High Needs (2014/15 116.846) This block contains funding based on SEN pupil numbers, it also funds special schools, pupil referral Units and other enhanced provisions 2014/2015 Financial position In 2014/15, the total Schools DSG budget amounts to 968.9m, of which 455.5m is budget for primary schools and 397.9m to secondary schools. Of the total amount, 375.8m is allocated out to the Academy Schools in Essex. The majority of the reminder of budget is provided directly to maintained schools with the exception of some budgets (totalling 70.1m), that Schools Forum agrees to retain centrally. The material budgets relating to this Outcome are listed in the adjacent table:

Delivering change within our financial envelope (2/4) 20 Essex Education Services The MTRS has stretching targets built for Essex Education Services (EES). It is expected to deliver a surplus of 1.6m in 2014/15, 2.2m in 2015/16 and 3.4m in 2016/17. This strategy refers to opportunities where surpluses generated by EES may be hypothecated to funding school improvement. Any such proposal needs to be seen in the context that this would increase the Councils funding gap if existing target surpluses built into the MTRS were then used as additional school improvement spend. Any surpluses generated over these target surpluses are not currently ring fenced and therefore a decision would be needed as to whether this is used to fund school improvement services, help bridge the Councils funding gap, or used to support other priorities that the Council has. Budget area2014/152015/16 (DRAFT) Employability and Skills3.6m3.4m Planning and Admissions (inc Home to School Transport Budgets) 27.6m28.1m Special Educational Need Services5.3m5.4m Standards and Excellence1.1m2.0m Director budget (inc additional school improvement services in 2014/15) (6.3)m(1.9m) Adult Community Learning13.9m14.4m Cultural Development & Archive Service1.4m1.2m Youth Services3.4m2.6m Total50.0m55.2m There are also a series of Council and grant funded budgets that support Education, Training and Lifelong Learning activities attributable to this outcome. The budget amounts for 2014/15 are summarised in the adjacent table: These budgets are part funded by grant. In particular, Adult Community Learning budget is supported by a Skills Funding Agency grant and learner income of 14.8m and the variety of services to and for schools is supported by the Education Services Grant, which is estimated to be 15.3m in 2014/15, falling to 11.6m in 2015/16 as a result of an announced 20% cut in funding by Government.

Therefore the 2015/16 budget has been aligned against agreed activities. If the Commissioning Strategy has actions that will deliver new ways of providing services, then this will need to be contained within the existing budget. This would mean that existing activities may have to stop or dramatically reduced. The Councils Medium Term Resource Strategy currently has a funding gap of approximately 30m in 2016/17 and it is expected that commissioning outcome strategies will identify ways in which this gap can be closed. The actions highlighted within this strategy need to be seen within this context and further work will need to be undertaken to prioritise actions so as to ensure that a reduced funding envelope is used most effectively to deliver the best possible outcomes. Whilst the DSG is driven by Government and therefore future budget allocations are to a degree unknown, the table identifies the impact of reduced funding on the non-DSG budget if there were expenditure reductions of 10% or 20%. Areas15/16 DRAFT Budget as per MTRS (m) 15/16 budget with 10% reduction (m) 15/16 budget with 20% reduction m) Employability and Skills 3.4 3.12.2 Planning and Admissions (inc Home to School Transport budgets) 28.1 25.222.5 Special Educational Need Services 5.4 4.94.3 Standards and Excellence 2.0 1.81.6 Director budget (inc additional school improvement services (1.9) (2.1)(2.3) Adult Community Learning 14.4 13.011.5 Cultural Development & Archive Service 1.2 1.11.0 Youth Service 2.6 2.32.1 Total Budget 2015/1655.2m49.7m44.1m Delivering change within our financial envelope (3/4) 21 Therefore, to reflect these potential budget reductions, the strategy needs to not only further define and prioritise the scale of the actions in the plan, it must also be further developed to identify as to what areas of existing work can be de-commissioned or reduced in a way in that minimises impact on outcomes. Both reviewing options to partially or fully decommission services as well as looking at new ways of delivering successful outcomes will require innovative solutions and new ways of working. This expenditure analysis only includes contribution for these outcomes from the Council. It does not include the other funding that comes into Essex to other providers that the Strategy highlights are crucial in ensuring that the Council works with in order to maximise the success of the outcomes.

Delivering change within our financial envelope (4/4) 22 The capital programme for the Strategy is 138.5m. The majority of the capital programme focuses on providing additional school places, with 2,200 planned for 2014/15. There is also investment for the introduction of the new government policy on infant schools meals and an additional 1.0m for youth centre improvements. Following the recent consultation, it has highlighted importance of the Service to residents and young people. This investment will enable improvements at youth centres to facilitate the provision of services, and increase access of these facilities to Community Groups. Part of this investment will provide small grants to Community Groups to undertake minor capital works to improve capacity at other facilities. Investment in maintaining and improving the Councils school assets is also incorporated in this programme. Scheme 2014/15 000 2015/16 000 2016/17 000 Schools39,11350,49225,272 Youth Centres1,00000 Infant Free School Meals2,72700 Maintenance Programme6,500 6,931 Total49,34056,99232,203

Key existing and related Essex policies, plans and strategies (1/1) 23 Strategy / PlanExplanationLinks to indicators The Lifelong Learning Strategy 2013 A Strategy setting out the pathway for seamless access to learning opportunities through statutory and community provision.Cross -cutting The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Strategy 2014-19 A Strategy for improving the outcomes and raising aspirations of our children and young people aged 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), focusing both on education and the role of other services in delivering the ambition. Cross-cutting / 1 and 2 The Educational Estates Strategy This is a cross cutting strategy aimed at capturing the demands on the educational estate over the next twenty years and putting forward proposals to meet this demand and leverage maximum value. The EES is supported by two further components the Alternative Funding Strategy (getting more capital) and the Procurement, Specification and Delivery Report - aimed at getting more for the capital we have got. 1 and 2 The School Attendance Priorities Plan Strategic document setting out key priorities and proposed actions in relation to school attendance.1 and 2 Whole Essex Budgets skills reform proposals A proposition to address the fact that young people in Essex are not choosing vocational education and skills courses that give them the best chance of a high value, sustainable and progressive career in Essex nor delivers Essex employers with the people they need to drive up local economic growth. This is both a standalone document and part of the strategic approach to driving up local economic growth contained in the Deal for Growth for Essex. 4,6,7 The Economic Plan for Essex The EU Investment Plan The South East Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan See detail in Economic Growth Strategy3,4,6,7 Early Years and Childcare Vision, Core Purpose and Service Delivery, 2013 A series of service priorities for children aged 0-5 across the County with emphasis on a balance between universal provision, access to high quality childcare and services targeted at the most vulnerable families. 1 and 2 Building an Active Essex: A Strategic Plan for Sport and Physical Activity in Greater Essex 2012-2017 This document outlines the six priority aims of Active Essex and their associated outcomes which will underpin all of its work with key partners. The aims, which reflect the shared priorities with our partners, are fundamental to developing sport and physical activity across Essex. The Priority Aims are to: Deliver a London 2012 Games Legacy; Increase Participation in Sport and Physical Activity; Encourage Healthy and Active Lifestyles; Develop Sporting Pathways; Encourage Lifelong Learning and Skills Development; Building Networks and Partnerships for Sport, Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles 1, 2 and 8 Commissioning School Places in Essex annual five year Plan Document compiled on an annual basis by the County Council in its role as a commissioner of school places. Including: current organisation of school places, existing capacities and number of pupils attending schools; the size of existing school sites and opportunities for further expansion, forecasts of future pupil numbers, and how any increases might be accommodated, or surpluses addressed. 1 and 2 Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex 2013 Key guidance document on integrated working in respect of children and families. Introduces the conceptual windscreen model for developing a shared understanding across all practitioners and managers, children and families, about how we will respond to the requirements of children and young people across four levels of need. 1 and 2 There are a number of existing strategies and plans which address the indicators identified for this outcome. This strategy does not override or replace these strategies but should in the main part identify key activities from them which will contribute to turning the specifically identified curves. On completion of the commissioning strategy and in accordance with agreed review schedules the content of the existing strategies will be further aligned to the commissioning strategy to ensure they reflect the change strategic operating model while continuing to act key drivers for change of identified need. Key existing strategies / plans which should be read alongside this document are as follows:

Service user / customer views (1/1) 24 Views of Children and Young People The Schools Health Education Unit Survey (SHEU) survey is a wellbeing survey commissioned by the Involvement of Children, Young People and Parents Team within Essex County Council and delivered by the Schools Health Education Unit in order to collect robust information about children and young peoples lifestyles. The survey is now in its eighth year and the findings are used to inform Essex's annual needs assessment for childrens services and the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment by identifying baseline data and informing targets, service evaluation and improvement. Key findings, relevant to the indicators considered in this Commissioning Strategy are as follows: 75% of primary pupils say they enjoy school but significantly fewer secondary pupils (60%) say this, although the proportions have generally risen over the last six years. 4% of primary and 8% of secondary pupils say they never enjoy school. While 67% of primary pupils always try their best at school, just 38% of secondary pupils say the same: however, just 1% of all pupils say they never try their best. When asked what might help them to do better in school, 59% of primary and 72% of secondary pupils want more fun/interesting lessons, followed by more help from teachers and a quieter or better behaved class. 30% of primary and 16% of secondary school pupils want less bullying. 22% of primary and 14% of secondary pupils say that they did not need any more help to do their best. When asked what they hope to do when they leave school, 56% of secondary pupils say they hope to go to university, 17% want to get a job and 12.5% do not know what they hope to do. The proportion wanting to go to university fell significantly in 2011 but has now risen back to previous levels, with a mirroring fall in those wanting to get a job. These findings are particularly relevant to planning actions under indicators 1 and 2 (children attending good schools and achieving at school), indicator 4 (NEET) and indicator 7 (participation in further / higher education and vocational training). Lifelong Learning Consultation A consultation was carried out in relation to the Lifelong Learning Strategy (2013-2018) in November and December 2012. with the feedback reported in January 2013. Key highlights are as follows: 476 people accessed the survey, but only 156 completed at least some of the survey (33%) People were asked if they agreed with Essexs vision for lifelong learning: We will harness Essexs entrepreneurial spirit to involve all residents in lifelong learning. We will help all residents to realise their ambitions by supporting a world class education and skills system and build lifelong learning into everything we do and 92.3% of respondents agreed. People were asked if they agreed with the five priorities of the strategy: (Ensure every child achieves a good level of development in early years; Ensure every child can go to a good or outstanding school; Lead the UK in education and skills attainment; Ensure education and skills provision are driven by the needs of employers; Enable all residents to learn throughout their lives) and 89.8% stated that they did. Although the sample is small these findings indicated a general positivity by Essex residents towards the idea of lifelong learning and the importance of the Council investing in this. Further analysis of these findings will help inform actions against indicator 5, particularly identifying why people who may identify benefits in lifelong learning may be prevented from participating. The Council is committed to improving engagement with stakeholders and in particular parents about education and attainment in Essex and actions to do this will be considered through work related to the development of a communications strategy outlined in indicators 1 and 2.

Our partners and our relationship with them (1/1) 25 A full overview of the partners with whom we need to work to implement this strategy, their roles and responsibilities and how we engage with them is included on the embedded slide. This also includes an overview of key partnership forums.

1) Percentage of children attending a good school strategic analysis and insight (1/1) 26 Developing aspirations and ambitions at an early age is vital and attendance at a good school is considered crucial to this. Our actions are focused on both on increasing the percentages of good and outstanding schools and the percentages of children attending these schools. The Ofsted Annual Report (Dec 12) indicated significant regional variation in quality of education in the UK with the East of England being the area of most significant concern; this is a particular issue for primary education. Overall in Essex there has been a positive trend in respect of the numbers of schools being graded good and outstanding from 2009 with the percentage of schools increasing from 66-71% and the percentage of pupils in these schools increasing from 67-71%. Further improvement is however required and there are some localised and specific areas of concern to be tackled (for example secondary education in Basildon). Primary education is generally of greater concern than is secondary. There has currently been a much lower rate of academisation at primary level than there has at secondary; in some circumstances academisation has been shown to be a driver of improvement; further work is required to identify where this is the case and to further promote academisation at primary level where this might be appropriate. Across all provider types (Nursery, Primary, Secondary, PRU and Special) there is clear evidence of a smaller percentage of children attending good or outstanding schools in the most deprived areas. The Standards and Excellence service have clear processes and protocols to RAG rate all underperforming schools, enabling a clear prioritisation of intervention and support to be established and appropriate commissioning for support undertaken. Support is prioritised for schools requiring improvement and in a category; however these are supplemented by visits to good and outstanding schools to enable more collaborative working and sharing of good practice. Commissioned support, including that provided by Essex Education services, is being targeted at leadership and management, as that is shown to have the greatest impact on school performance. Leadership and management of schools includes governance, which has a high potential impact on school performance. At present governance is not generally acting as the driver for improvement across that system that it should be and there are opportunities to improve the quality, focused and strategic nature of governing bodies. Governance is a key improvement priority. Alongside this Active Essex are providing targeted support for sport in schools. This is supporting leadership and management and also classroom delivery within Physical Education aiming to ensure high standards of Physical Literacy. In the period 2010 2012, 77% of new primary school places commissioned have been at good or outstanding schools More detailed analysis and insight can be accessed in the below slide:

1) Percentage of children attending a good school the curve we wish to turn 27 Source: OFSTED from 31st August 2013 (end of academic year data) NB: performance will be impacted by changes to the Ofsted framework during this time period Increase the percentage of schools rated good or outstanding Increase the percentage of children attending a good or outstanding school To aim for 100% schools judged good outstanding and 100% of children attending a good or outstanding school by 2018. To increase the percentage of new places commissioned in good or outstanding schools from 77% in 2012 towards a target of 100% in 2018

1) Percentage of children attending a good school Issues (1/2) 28 NoIssueStrategic action 1aThere is not enough good and outstanding leadership in the system at all levels particularly at primary.Develop leadership in schools at all levels to improve quality of teaching and learning (5) Robustly tackle poor performance (4) 1bGovernance is not ambitious enough to raise expectations on the progress and attainment that all children in Essex can achieve; specifically it is not sufficiently focused on improving the performance of groups where there is a gap governors are not currently acting as a strong enough driver for improvement. 1cWe are not ambitious enough in respect of the standards we expect all schools to attain our activities are by necessity of the available resources targeted towards schools which require improvement and below. Insufficient attention is given to ensuring that schools judged as good maintain this status and are driven to become outstanding Establish and promote a demanding vision and expectations (3) Ensure the availability of appropriate and targeted support for vulnerable groups (6) 1dLocal stakeholders do not hold strong ambitions for improvements in their local areas or accept responsibility for bringing these about all partners in a local area need to contribute to ensuring that all children in that area receive the best possible education. We have not robustly communicated a vision which articulates this as an expectation; consequently we do not have enough partnership support and schools do not accept a collective responsibility for locality educational outcomes. Successful implementation of local improvement activities needs to be underpinned by this. 1eImprovement activity is insufficiently localised and targeted there are a diversity of issues within the Essex localities which need to be responded to with locally devised and individualised strategies led by local partners rather than with the previously commonly used top down uniform interventions. Transform internal systems and operating models (1) 1fOur interventions are not sufficiently driven by data and are too reactive we do not have an outstanding data function which enables us to identify and predict local issues, trends, hotspots etc early and to respond proactively. We do not always effectively share data with internal and external partners resulting in incomplete understanding ; this does not always place us in a good position to select the appropriate intervention.

NoIssueStrategic action 1gThe Council has a changed operating model and reduced resources for school support we do not have the resources to continue to work with schools in the way we always have done. Schools do not yet fully understand our changed commissioning role and the expectations we have about them driving their own improvements. More funding is now devolved to schools rather than coming to the LA this is not always used to maximum effect and we need to influence this. Transform internal systems and operating models (1) 1hWe are not yet obtaining maximum benefits from the potential of school to school support as a result of our reduced resources and changed operating model we need to find different and more effective ways of working with schools. We are not yet fully utilising the potential of collaboration and partnership within the system, there is insufficiently developed local systems leadership at all levels and not enough embedded and successful groups and federations. Facilitate and promote the development of school to school support (2) 1iToo many schools with good features are not providing good provision for children and young people with SEND or are failing in respect of attendance this will act as a limiting judgement in respect of future Ofsted inspections and means that we are not ensuring that all children are accessing high quality education Develop leadership in schools at all levels to improve quality of teaching and learning (5) Robustly tackle poor performance (4) Ensure the availability of appropriate and targeted support for vulnerable groups (6) 1jIn some areas of the county, particularly those with high levels of residential growth, or with greater socio-economic challenges there are or are predicted to be insufficient places available in good quality schools or insufficient good quality schools to expand we are responsible for ensuring there are sufficient school places available in the right areas of need and that places are decommissioned when no longer needed. Decisions made in respect of school organisation and planning have the ability to develop and support the quality of education being provided, to commission new good provision, and the numbers of children attending good schools. The information provided informs the planning and delivery of the Capital Programme in relation to schools. (See Economic Growth Strategy) Commission and decommission school places to meet need and as a driver for improvement in the quality of provision (7) 1) Percentage of children attending a good school Issues (2/2) 29

1) Percentage of children attending a good school - Strategic Actions (1/5) 30 2. Robustly tackle under performance Clare Kershaw **** Desired impact Take robust action to challenge and address poor school performance and illegal practice including issuing of warning notices, imposition of IEBs and use of Executive Heads ECC provided Minimal cost input Accounted for in MTRS Poor performing schools and professionals are removed from the system Robust strategies and systems are established to support the development of good performance Resources within the system are utilised to maximum effect in improving performance Implement a robust activity for schools requiring improvement to support a sustainable move to good and beyond within an appropriate and agreed timescale Commissioning Additional costs to be identified Monitor the impact of the academy programme to establish a clear position on the benefits, where and how academisation is likely to have the biggest impact and to identify required actions when academisation does not improve performance in the manner expected Influencing BAU activity Develop the available range of partners, external agencies and high performing schools, teaching schools etc who can assist with school improvement, including through acting as academy sponsors Commissioning Link to TSU Business Case Transforming support to and for schools Encourage academy conversion for the purposes of school improvement in appropriate circumstances particularly at primary level and for inadequate schools Influencing This would require a greater reduction in services provided by ESG, and increase pressure to transform service s to and for schools Ensure that we obtain maximum learning from schools making improvement journeys and other local authorities who are performing well in this area and that this learning is widely shared Influencing Ensure the effective implementation of performance management policies within schools to address performance issues by providing quality assured and evidenced based support and training to schools and governors Commissioning Ensure activity to target under performing schools is informed by a comprehensive range of factors including levels of absenteeism and performance of vulnerable groups ECC Provided Costs of transforming data systems accounted for in MTRS however not sustainable unless savings achieved from reforming support to and for schools 1. Transform the delivery of services to and for schools ** Lead Commissioner: Tim CoulsonDesired impact Design and implement a new model for Essex Education comprising core statutory functions, commissioners and a delivery arm focused on the provision of evidence based, quality assured and customised support to schools in Essex and outside. Work with schools to implement this model ensuring they are engaged in the development of this new service offer and the expectations on them about new ways of working. Maximise on the potential of this model to generate income to support future service development in the context of the reduced Education Services Grant. (See ESG and ESS business case) Commissioning Ambition to deliver savings of between 3.5 and 4.5 m currently not built in to MTRS see ESG business case. Further opportunities for savings will be identified as a result of activity and options outlined in ESG business case. Savings to core team spend potentially possible in longer term if sustained and positive performance against indicator is achieved. Essex Education develops a sustainable model within a reduced resource envelop New ways of working with schools are identified which enable continued, sustainable improvement without significant LA intervention We develop an attractive service offer which is understood by schools and has a high level of take up in Essex and elsewhere The LA has an outstanding data function which drives improvement The data function ensures that the need for LA intervention can be identified at an early stage and issues addressed prior to being picked up in external inspections Commission a new data system for education to enable more sophisticated and geographically based analysis of performance and early identification of trends and issues, include in these considerations the use of data held by EES. Use the improved information to underpin a more proactive approach to school support and to act as a more effective driver for improvement. Commissioning Develop the data function Potential costs of up to 1mn not built into MTRS. Costs to be factored against current systems spend. A business case is in preparation. Ensure the establishment of a revised working relationship between Standards and Excellence teams and Essex Education Services structured around the commissioning of services based on required outcomes. Commissioning Approximately 750k spend pa from Standards and Excellence to EES. Level of spend should be impacted by activities to encourage greater self sufficiency in schools and more money coming direct to school for commissioning their own support. Outcomes based commissioning may prove more cost effective.

1) Percentage of children attending a good school - Strategic Actions (2/5) 31 3. Establish and promote a demanding vision and expectations ** Lead Commissioner: Clare Kershaw Desired impact Develop and implement a communications strategy which outlines the following: a clear vision for Essex of high ambition and expectation where excellence is expected as standard and all children and young people, of all abilities, receive the best education possible; the responsibilities of partners for and the commitment expected from them to: high achievement for all children with no exceptions and ensuring our performance in terms of the gap between the best and worst is in line with the best performing areas nationally; the expected outcomes for children of all abilities, across all phases and settings regardless of background and what we expect excellent education to look like; the impact that parents and carers can have on the quality and impact of their childrens education and how they can best support this Influencing Minimal cost input Support required from: STC Strategy and Communications All stakeholders accept responsibility for school improvement and educational achievement for all Improvement is not solely reliant on the role of the LA There is greater recognition that the most valuable resources in respect of school improvement are within schools themselves 2. Facilitate and promote the development of school to school support Lead Commissioner: Clare Kershaw Desired impact Encourage the development of a full range of school partnership arrangements focused on raising standards including informal groupings and federations; where possible encourage the engagement of early years settings and providers within these. Influencing Up to 4.5mn savings identified in TSU ESG Business Case implementing new models of support to and for schools Methods are established to drive sustainable change using resources within the system in place of LA intervention Systems are established which embed an acceptance of local responsibility for all childrens outcomes Opportunities are given to high quality leaders to further develop by taking on wider responsibilities across schools

1) Percentage of children attending a good school - Strategic Actions (3/5) 32 4. Robustly tackle under performance ** Lead Commissioner: Clare Kershaw Desired impact Take robust action to challenge and address poor school performance and illegal practice including issuing of warning notices, imposition of IEBs and use of Executive Heads ECC provided Minimal cost input Accounted for in MTRS Poor performing schools and professionals are removed from the system Robust strategies and systems are established to support the development of good performance Resources within the system are utilised to maximum effect in improving performance Implement a robust activity for schools requiring improvement to support a sustainable move to good and beyond within an appropriate and agreed timescale Commissioning Additional costs to be identified Monitor the impact of the academy programme to establish a clear position on the benefits, where and how academisation is likely to have the biggest impact and to identify required actions when academisation does not improve performance in the manner expected Influencing Develop the available range of partners, external agencies and high performing schools, teaching schools etc who can assist with school improvement, including through acting as academy sponsors (link to action 1 transforming services to and for schools) Commissioning Link to ESG/ESS Business Case Transforming support to and for schools Encourage academy conversion for the purposes of school improvement in appropriate circumstances particularly at primary level and for inadequate schools Influencing Will impact on resources coming into local authority - responsibilities of LA to academies may need to be revisited. Ensure that we obtain maximum learning from schools making improvement journeys and other local authorities who are performing well in this area and that this learning is widely shared Influencing Ensure the effective implementation of performance management policies within schools to address performance issues by providing quality assured and evidenced based support and training to schools and governors Commissioning Ensure activity to target under performing schools is informed by a comprehensive range of factors including levels of absenteeism and performance of vulnerable groups ECC Provided Costs of transforming data systems accounted for in MTRS however not sustainable unless savings achieved from reforming support to and for schools (see action 1) Undertake robust structural intervention strategies to reorganise or close underperforming provision - see also action 6 Commissioning

5. Develop leadership in schools at all levels to improve quality of teaching and learning Lead Commissioner: Clare Kershaw Desired impact Establish the Essex Primary Leadership Academy to make active use of the School Improvement Fund and deliver a range of interventions focused on improving leadership, growing future leaders and attracting talent to Essex Commissioning 1mn additional funding in 14/15 budget. Quality of teaching and learning is improved through the development of leadership capacity and capability throughout the whole system Improvements are sustainable as they are locally driven and well embedded Good quality leaders are bought into the system to replace those removed under action 2 Implement a programme to improve school governance including measures to enable experienced governors to support the development and improvement of governors in other schools Commissioning Establish a peer to peer model of support based around the use of local excellence boards (as per models established by the Tendring Locality Board Educational Improvement Group, Harlow Educational Partnership and Basildon Excellence Panel) to support improving standards in worst performing areas see also action 2 Commissioning Influencing Link to TSU ESG/ESS Business Case Transforming support to and for schools (identified savings) Identify and maximise the potential contribution from existing outstanding leaders who are able to work with others in the role of Executive Head, sponsors etc Commissioning Influencing Ensure that we understand our local labour market for teachers and leaders, the talent which is available to us and the best strategies, including financial, to attract talent to Essex; undertake action to develop this market where possible Influencing Ensure the impact of improved leadership at headteacher level is reflected throughout all levels of leadership and management within a school including middle managers and SENCOs Commissioning Influencing 1) Percentage of children attending a good school - Strategic Actions (4/5) 33

7. Commission and decommission school places to meet need and as a driver for improvement in the quality of provision Lead Commissioner: Graham Ranby Desired impact Ensure that school organisation and planning is appropriately informed by an understanding of the needs of different areas both in terms of the numbers of places which are available and specific needs to improvement; ensure the potential of existing good school and school groupings and federations is utilised when commissioning new places for example promoting the establishment of academy trusts Commissioning Non-DSG funded but in budget. Scope for consideration of potential new delivery models with associated savings. Sufficient places are available for the children who need them The development of new places builds on existing good quality in the system where possible Additional opportunities for quality education can be provided to children who would not otherwise have been able to access this Underperformance is robustly tackled and removed from the system An effective schools admissions service is in place providing effective support to both schools and parents Commission additional places within identified good and outstanding primary schools in areas of comparative disadvantage to provide high quality nursery education with the aim of improving attainment and development in early years for identified groups of children Commissioning Undertake structural interventions to remove underperforming schools.Commissioning Commission a school admissions serviceCommissioning 6. Ensure the availability of appropriate and targeted support for vulnerable groups ** Lead Commissioner: Annemarie Blackshaw Desired impact Fully implement measures outlined for priority 1 of the SEND Strategy to ensure that all children and young people with SEND can access a good or outstanding school, either specialist or mainstream Commissioning Funding pressure created by this to be accounted for Quality education is available for all Performance is improved for vulnerable groups Quality of provision for vulnerable groups does not act as a limiting factor in schools being judged as good or outstanding Ensure that best practice examples of identifi

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