To: Headteachers of all

Norfolk Schools

cc: Chairs of Governors

Dear Colleague,

Budget 2003/04 - Staffing issues relating to the National Agreement on "Raising Standards and Tackling Workload"

As you may be aware, a National Agreement was signed last month on "Raising Standards and Tackling Workload" which has significant implications for school staffing arrangements. I am writing to let you know that the LEA is already engaging in the necessary steps to address the issues which result from the Agreement and the mandatory changes expected in this year's School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. This will include consultation with Headteachers and Governors and the trade unions for teaching and support staff. We are already embarking on a review of job descriptions for support staff not only taking into account the implications of the Agreement but also updating the models which are included in the Personnel Handbook.

I am attaching a briefing paper which sets out in summary form the implications and provides some useful web-based links to DfES documents.

The National Agreement includes a resources summary which the DfES use to substantiate the claim that funding is available for 10,000 additional teachers and 50,000 extra support staff of all types during the next three years.

I and other colleagues have challenged this assertion as it ignores both a number of important competing demands for new resources and the impact of the new Education funding distribution formula.

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As my recent budget letter demonstrates, the 2003/04 resources available for Education in Norfolk are inadequate to meet all needs, e.g. it has not been possible to continue funding the majority of Standards Funds ceasing next year. It has not, therefore, been possible to identify from local funding sources additional resources to assist in the implementation of the National Agreement.

The DfES has, however, increased the Schools Standard Grant next year by 21.8% nationally to assist with the implementation of the Agreement. A new Standards Fund category has also been introduced for Support Staff: Training and Development.

Both these grants have been included in the recently issued Budget Share for next year.

School budgets for next year must, therefore, be set in the context of the National Agreement. There would be difficulties for any school which made decisions to reduce support staff if this jeopardised its ability to fulfil the requirements of the Agreement as far as the 24 named tasks were concerned. Moreover, both schools and LEAs will be judged by Ofsted in relation to their success in implementing these reforms, not only in respect of the reforms themselves but on the tangible raising of standards that must result. I repeat, I have argued both directly and through senior staff of the Education Service that additional funding should be made available to pump prime these initiatives. This is the consistent message which has been put forward to the DfES by most other LEAs. However, in the absence of any progress on this front, we are addressing the expectations of the Agreement on the financial basis that, in net terms, the budget settlement is broadly neutral across Norfolk.

Yours sincerely,

Bryan Slater

Director of Education

Attachment: summary