WORKFORCE REFORM: CASE STUDIES
Life was tough for the teachers, who were
often diverted from teaching by having to
A team
deal with tasks that were nothing to do with
teaching and learning – from photocopying to
collecting money for school trips.
With just one secretary and one PA, the
school simply was not equipped to deal with
the volume of administrative and clerical
effort
tasks.
But today, the 380-pupil school is a very
different place. After reviewing the staffing
structure, headteacher David Dunkley
developed a strong team to handle the school
administration. He recruited and trained
local people to work at the school and asked
parent volunteers to help take the pressure off
teachers. The school also re-evaluated areas
like standards, business, inclusion, and site
management.
The school’s PA, for instance, underwent
National College training, gaining her
Certificate in Business Management, and was
appointed as business manager. Along with
the office manager and two other members
Helston Community College
the changes the ongoing remodelling process of the admin team, she organised and took
Helston Community College began has brought. responsibility for tasks like budget schemes,
remodelling its workforce in 2003. “They have fully embraced it,” said Dr school trips and visits, meeting parents,
The 1,600-pupil comprehensive is set on McGovern. “Workforce reform has enabled screening messages (freeing up Mr Dunkley
three sites and serves a large rural area around us to be highly focused on the task of and the teachers), attendance, photocopying,
the town of Helston in Cornwall. teaching and learning and allowed other para- mounting displays, and filing.
As headteacher Pat McGovern said: “With professionals and professionals to concentrate As a result, pupil attendance levels
242 employees (including 103 teachers) and on all the other important needs children and improved, teachers were able to focus on
nearly 1,700 students, we reckon the college young people bring to school. teaching, and pupils’ attainment went up.
touches the lives of around 10,000 people.” “I only expect teachers to do five things Mr Dunkley believes the key to making
When Dr McGovern became head seven – to plan lessons in a systematic manner, these changes was getting the school “to
years ago he was keen for the school to teach them in an inspirational and appropriate take a good look at itself ” and work out
recognise and value the contributions made by way, set challenging tasks, mark those what its core values were: “The first thing
all the staff who work there. diagnostically, and provide feedback. If was to take pressure off teachers so that they
“I was never happy with the term ‘non- teachers are doing that properly, that is all they could teach,” he said. “This has gone from
teaching staff’ because no-one should have a have time for.” being a hostile environment where the pupils
non-job,” he said. were out of control to an inclusive, highly
“All staff have a part to play and as we have
Coleshill Heath Primary School
successful school. Standards have gone up and
made our agenda more personalised we have Coleshill Heath has come a very long way in empowering the staff on all levels – giving
needed to draw on the skills, abilities and the last few years. permission, responsibility and accountability
aptitudes of a wider group of people.” Situated in a disadvantaged area of Solihull, – has meant that tasks are taken on and
The school’s key priority was to focus on it was once the most vandalised school in the dealt with efficiently without burdening the
teaching and learning. With this in mind, Dr country and found it difficult to recruit staff. teaching staff.”
McGovern and his team decided to assign
tasks that were hindering teachers from
teaching to support staff. Headteachers: Are you getting your entitlements?
Very early on, for instance, they appointed
• Make sure you and any colleagues with leadership and management
a college administrator to handle public
relations, communications and event
responsibilities have time to carry them out.
management – freeing up the deputy
• Make sure you receive the dedicated headship time.
headteacher who had previously dealt with
these.
Teachers: Are you getting your entitlements?
The school also took on a team of five cover
supervisors. “Even before it was written into
• Make sure you have at least 10 per cent of timetabled teaching time for
teachers’ pay and conditions we’d agreed that
planning, preparation and assessment (PPA).
covering for absent colleagues was a waste of
• Check that you are covering lessons only “rarely”, in circumstances that are
a trained teacher’s time,” said Dr McGovern. not foreseeable.
“Now members of staff who are away set the
• Remember that you are not routinely required to undertake administrative or
work, lay out lesson plans, and then the cover
clerical work.
supervisors cover the classes.”
Another innovation was to expand the
student support network that provides all the
Support staff: Are you getting your entitlements?
pastoral and behavioural support for students.
• Make sure you get the right training for your role to support your career
Two full-time counsellors take on a lot of
development.
the work that heads of year used to do, while
the heads of year concentrate on monitoring
• Find out about the new and enhanced roles, such as higher level teaching
and developing pupils’ academic progress.
assistants, teaching assistants, school business managers, cover supervisors,
Meanwhile, the 13-strong student support that have been introduced following the National Agreement.
network includes an attendance officer, school
• Check out the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body (see page 8) which
nurse, and student support officers.
is negotiating a national pay and conditions framework (England only).
The teaching staff are hugely positive about
WAMG
SecEd • 5TO7 Educator 5 5
Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group
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