IMPACTINGONLEARNERS
Team around the child
Over the course of the last
seven years, workforce
reform has had a major
impact on learners
F
rom increasing teachers’ capacity to
focus on teaching and learning to
helping to bring about better attendance,
schools across the country agree that the
remodelling agenda has helped to ensure that
pupils receive the support that they need.
A report published by Ofsted in 2007
concluded that workforce reform had “resulted
in a revolutionary shift in the culture of the
school workforce”. It said that teachers’ time
and work is now focused more directly on
teaching and learning and that the expansion
of the wider workforce is enabling schools to
“extend the curriculum, provide more care,
guidance and support for pupils, and use data
more effectively to monitor pupils’ progress”.
This was backed up by Ofsted research
published in 2010, which highlighted the “Schools are also increasingly looking of instructors to come into school, from car
difference school workforce reform has made to support staff to deliver pastoral support maintenance to cake decorating. So there was
to pupils’ learning. services. This has freed up teachers to focus a whole range of skills, which meant that
The report, Workforce reform in schools: on their teaching and improved accessibility there were things to do in the curriculum that
Has it made a difference?, looked at the of support services through increased the pupils found interesting and worthwhile.
impact in 30 schools of recruiting and availability during the school day.” It was a real example of the power of
deploying a wide range of staff since 2003 to Not only that, workforce remodelling has remodelling to change the character, ethos
raise standards and tackle teacher workload. helped to reinforce the notion of schools as and curriculum of a school – so that it met the
Twenty-four of the schools visited could show communities too. needs of pupils.”
how members of the wider workforce had “It has been a powerful force for changing WAMG partners agree that the wide range
contributed to improving pupils’ learning. The the concept of what a school is,” said Mary of support staff working in schools has
six most effective schools had raised standards Bousted, general secretary of the Association resulted in a broader range of expertise, which
and achievement significantly and provided of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). is of huge benefit to pupils.
secure evidence of the contribution that “If you took schools back to being “But it is important that these staff are
workforce reform had made to this. predominantly teachers, with pupils focused properly deployed and use their full skills,”
“Workforce reform should mean more staff
working together in schools, with a strong
plan for improvement,” said Christine Gilbert, Workforce reform should mean more staff
Ofsted’s chief inspector, commenting on the
2010 report. “In the best performing schools,
working together in schools, with a strong
workforce reform has had a considerable
impact on pupils’ learning.”
plan for improvemen
Furthermore, an evaluation of “the extent
and impact of remodelling” on learning and
the school workforce published by Estyn in on a more narrow vision of teaching and
2009 found that curriculum provision had learning, you wouldn’t have created the
improved in about three-quarters of sample capacity for subsequent key policies, such a
schools since the National Agreement.
‘
It also highlighted the fact that the
introduction of planning, preparation and
assessment (PPA) time had given pupils at
some primary schools the chance to take part
’
t
said Bruni de la Motte, national officer for
education and children’s services at UNISON.
s “Although the potential is there for a very
the Every Child Matters agenda, extended rich resource of people with different skills
services, the co-location of services on school and different abilities, if they are not properly
sites, and the ‘team around the child’. All deployed and rewarded then schools and
of these are so important in order to enable pupils won’t get the full benefit.”
children to learn. But before remodelling, the Evidence shows, too, that children and
in a wider range of activities, such as dance, capacity wouldn’t have been there for them. young people have a high regard and respect
drama and sport. “I was in a school in a deprived area for the support staff who work in schools.
A joint statement from the English and of Birmingham last year and it was the At The Radclyffe School in Oldham, for
Welsh governments said: “Workforce reform most well ordered, well regulated working instance, students look forward to seeing the
is a key element of an overall framework to environment that I have visited in a long time. 18 invigilators who now oversee their exams
improve school effectiveness. Through more The head said this had been achieved through (see page 6). “The invigilators have built a
effective deployment of teachers, headteachers remodelling. For example, in between lessons very good relationship with the students,” said
and support staff, schools are more able and at lunchtime, the supervisors ensured that Gillian Barker, the school’s human resources
to focus their resources on improving learning the school corridors and playground were and general manager. “They come in, treat
and providing a better learning environment calm places where pupils felt safe. every student exactly the same and work hard
for pupils. “Remodelling had also enabled a variety to ensure that all the exams run smoothly.”
WAMG
SecEd • 5TO7 Educator 5 3
Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group
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