Management Information Sheet

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring a large amount of additional resource (funding) into Norfolk schools and academies and thus increase support for school improvement.

In the first round of bids, 3 of the 6 bids submitted were successful (we were the most successful LA in the east region) bringing into Norfolk funding of £1,087,600. Hethersett Teaching School Alliance, Inspiration Trust and Sheringham Teaching School Alliance were successful with their bids.

At the Sub Regional Improvement Board (SRIB) for Norfolk held last week, emerging priorities were agreed for Norfolk.

These are the priorities that will form the basis for bids to the SSIF. Bids for round 2 of this funding, which is open, now need to be submitted by 20th October. Teaching School Alliances (TSA), Multi Academy Trusts (MAT) and the Local Authority (LA) can submit bids but all schools and academies are invited to be part of the SSIF both as givers and receivers of support. We want to engage as many schools and academies with the SSIF as possible. We also want the process to be transparent, focussing on the right things.

Click on the link to view the Norfolk Needs Analysis version 1 of Test and Teacher Assessment Outcomes at the Primary Phase. Further versions will follow as more data becomes available.

This analysis clearly shows in graphs, charts, lists and maps the performance of both individual schools and Norfolk as a whole. Some schools have performed very strongly this year and some consistently over the past 3 years. Other schools require support. The SSIF is designed to enable TSAs or MATs to lead this work as hubs working with high performing schools and other providers with evidence of a successful track record in order to support schools in need of improvement.

Successful bids will have strong impact evidence and will be based on sound analysis. Your bid could include working with providers such as NB2B, Educator Solutions, LLS, companies such as Osiris or Specialist Leaders in Education (SLE) or system leaders.

The local authority does see itself as the bidder of last resort and would always prefer for a TSA or MAT to take the lead as part of a self-improving school system. As you will know one of our priorities is to reduce both permanent and fixed term exclusions. Given the short timescales for round 2, Norfolk LA is intending to submit a SSIF bid to address this issue, unless another partner indicates that they would seek to take the lead.

Mark Adams will be the point of contact for SSIF in this round of bids to the SSIF. In the future, a brokerage hub chaired by Beverley Jones will work under the direction of SRIB to match the emerging school improvement priorities for Norfolk with schools, providers, TSA and MATs.

If you would like to be part of a bid – as a giver or receiver of support - please contact Mark, who will seek to enable, facilitate and co-ordinate this work on SSIF.

Information about SSIF is found in the Powerpoint presentation from Jonathan Lewis from last term's Education Leadership Updates. Also some of you may have attended a SSIF briefing at Duxford on 19th September or are going to Ipswich on 27th September.