Management Information Sheet

Introduction

The recently published document 'A Good School for Every Norfolk Learner' identifies a strong link adviser role to 'offer support and challenge for improvement in each cluster based on annual conversations and appropriate signposting to Norfolk Services.'

Function of Cluster Education Partners

Following consultation with schools through head teacher and governors associations, the Education Service Improvement Board and meetings with head teachers and system leaders, this function has now been defined more clearly. Cluster Education Partners (CEP) will fulfil a crucial role to provide a link between a group of schools and providers within a geographical location (cluster) and the Local Authority. They will be able to broker support and collaboration between schools. They also conduct an annual conversation which will inform the Norfolk Schools Dashboard.

For the Local Authority as a champion of children and families Cluster Education Partners will:

• Understand strengths and priorities for improvement in each school and cluster
• Conduct an annual conversation with every school (in line with our ambition to have a regular dialogue with all providers serving Norfolk Learners from 3 - 19).
• Facilitate the development of a self-improving school system.

For schools and clusters driving local educational improvement they will:

• Provide support for improvement at cluster level through sharing of good practice, brokerage of support and facilitation of collaborative working between and beyond the cluster.
• Review and benchmark Norfolk services to ensure they meet school needs.
• Enable schools to demonstrate the quality of education by presenting the outcomes of self-evaluation and external review.

An extract of the Cluster Education Partner Specification can be found here and the full specification will be made available on request.

NB. The success of this conversation relies on the school fulfilling its responsibility to secure external scrutiny and validation.

The role of the Cluster Education Partner is focused on the objectives outlined above and is therefore limited in scope. It does not include additional support for individual school improvement nor does it attempt to replicate the Improvement Professional or School Improvement Partner Role. We will review the CEP role in partnership with clusters and consider whether it may be extended in the future. In the meantime schools are advised to secure external scrutiny and validation of their self-evaluation through a quality assured provider, such as the Teaching Schools or NIEAS.

Recruitment

Clusters will have the choice to recruit their own CEP by 1 October (Choice A) or alternatively ask the Local Authority to identify a suitable person (Choice B).

For Choice A:

• The person appointed must meet the person specification.
• They must attend all training including the first day on 27 September 2013.
• Funding covering approximately one day per school plus 3 days per cluster will be available.

For Choice B:

• The person will be drawn from a list of accredited and quality assured personnel with relevant experience of this type of work.
• They will attend training on 27 September 2013 and subsequent training.
• Funding will be direct from the Norfolk to Good and Great Programme.

The programme will be quality assured through a range of strategies described in the specification.

Next Steps:

Further details (including funding arrangements and recruitment) will be communicated by 6 September 2013 via Cluster Leads, with a request to give an indication regarding Choice A or B by 13 September. Clusters delegating the recruitment to the Local Authority will be informed about their Cluster Education Partner by 23 September 2013.

We recognise that the timescales are rather challenging. We are ambitious to start the work of the Cluster Education Partners early in the Autumn Term.

For further information or to register a personal interest in this type of role please contact Sebastian Gasse.