WORKFORCE REFORM: CASE STUDIES
Everyone has their part to play
The Radclyffe School
leadership and management team, she is in at the end of the day if we didn’t free teachers
Like most schools, The Radclyffe School charge of CPD for the support staff. up to teach they wouldn’t be able to teach the
in Oldham has seen a huge increase in the Other innovations at The Radclyffe School students to the level that they are doing.”
number of exams being taken by its students. include the introduction of eight learning
This initially brought about a greater managers, who cover the classes of absent
Reinwood Junior School
workload for teachers. As well as their day-to- teachers and do administrative work for the Headteacher Graham Altoft is unequivocal
day roles, they were also called on to invigilate faculties they are assigned to, and five year about the impact that remodelling the
the exams. managers, who have taken on a pastoral care workforce has had at Reinwood Junior School.
Determined to free the teachers up to teach, role for each year group. “It has helped teachers in the classroom
the 1,430-pupil comprehensive hit on the idea Support staff and teaching staff also mentor and it is benefiting the children,” he said. “We
of building a team of invigilators it could draw students. Rather than the traditional once-a- wanted to make learning in the classroom better
on to supervise the exams. week form period, the mentors (or personal and to create a career structure for support staff
The team now consists of 18 invigilators, learning guides) meet students on a one-to-one and we have achieved both those things.”
seven of whom have been there since the
initiative began in 2005. The invigilators have
all received training to ensure they understand
the school’s systems and ethos and can
invigilate internal and external exams to a high
standard. They are paid out of the school’s
exams budget and are highly respected by staff
and students alike.
“The invigilators have made a big difference,”
said Gillian Barker, the school’s human
‘
It is very much a partnership of teachers and
support staff working together, which means
that everybody can do their job more effectively
basis every two weeks. Skills for Life lessons The 342-pupil primary school in
resources and general manager. “The teachers have replaced form periods, giving key stage 4 Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, currently
know that when a group they teach have an pupils valuable opportunities to concentrate on employs 16 teachers and 18 classroom support
exam, then that time is available to them for college applications and interview and exam assistants, along with caretaking, cleaning and
planning, preparation and assessment (PPA).” techniques, while key stage 3 pupils focus on kitchen staff.
Ms Barker’s own role was also created as a personal and social issues. Following the National Agreement,
result of the school’s remodelling process. She “Workforce reform has had a huge impact the classroom support assistants took
was appointed to the new post in 2003 and on everyone,” said Ms Barker. “We are now responsibility for the 24 administrative and
now takes responsibility for exams, support a high-performing specialist school and our clerical tasks and supported teacher
’
s in a
staff, cover arrangements and invigilation. results have increased substantially. We deliver general way in the classroom. However, it
As well as being a member of the senior a very creative, personalised curriculum and soon became clear that they were capable
of doing more to increase the capacity of
teachers to focus on teaching and learning and
Your responsibilities: Headteachers and teachers
to ensure that all children received the support
The changes to the contracts of headteachers and teachers, enabling them to
they needed to achieve the Every Child
work more effectively to raise standards, include:
Matters outcomes.
• An entitlement to at least 10 per cent of timetabled teaching time for
Mr Altoft therefore took the decision
to promote two of the classroom support
planning, preparation and assessment (PPA).
assistants to line managers of the other support
• Time to carry out leadership and management responsibilities. staff. One line manager was allocated to
• An expanded range of roles that can now be carried out by support staff.
years 3 and 4, while the other works in years
• An entitlement for headteachers for dedicated headship time.
5 and 6. As a result, their roles have become
• A requirement that headteachers and teachers will cover lessons only rarely.
more varied and challenging, with their tasks
ranging from helping children with SEN to
• Teachers and headteachers no longer being routinely required to undertake
in-putting data and ordering stock.
administrative or clerical exams or to invigilate exams.
Meanwhile, the rest of the support staff
• A requirement that schools have regard to headteachers’ and teachers’ were divided up between the year groups
work/life balance.
and the line managers are responsible for
assigning them to particular activities within
Your responsibilities: Governors
the classroom.
Governors are responsible for ensuring that schools comply with the School
As well as giving the teachers more time to
Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. They should also ensure that their
teach and enabling children to receive more
schools’ provision of teaching and extended services:
individual support, the changes have also
brought about increased respect and better
• Builds on the achievements of the National Agreement and ensures that
communication between teachers and their
remodelling is sustainable. support staff colleagues.
• Provides for reduced workloads and working hours and improved work/life
“We are a large school, with three classes
balance for teachers and headteachers.
in each year group,” said Mr Altoft, who has
• Is carried out in consultation with staff unions and professional associations.
been headteacher at Reinwood for 23 years.
“We used to have a support assistant for every
• Delivers fair pay and rewards for support staff.
classroom, but dividing the workforce into
• Helps the school to raise standards and achievements.
teams like this has been much more efficient
• Does not introduce unnecessary and additional bureaucracy. and uses people’s skills better. We are very
pleased with the way it is working.”
6 SecEd • 5TO7 Educator
WAMG
Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group
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