Chalkston Education Partnership: system leadership in action

Case study

Summary

There’s an appetite for change in Chalkston. Ambitious plans for two new all-through schools will require the development of a clear vision and an innovative approach to leadership and collaboration.

Key learning/outcomes

Developments in Chalkston offer a tangible example of the concept of ‘system leadership’; a group of headteachers taking collective responsibility for the education of all young people in the town.
Openness and collaborative working between the leadership teams has had a profound impact on those involved and has created an appetite for change.
A range of innovative and challenging education delivery structures have been researched and discussed, with the final decision on hold until the local authority review of schooling, and in particular the tertiary system, is complete.
The integration of headteachers from all phases and important partners from the education community was key, allowing for a wider process of review.
Collaboration between schools has emphasised the need for a clear vision. It is this vision that will help them decide on the final model for education service delivery.

Background

Chalkston is a small East Anglian town which experienced a doubling of population during the 1960s when it became a re-location site for London overspill families. The local authority opened a second upper school to support the tertiary system in 1978, anticipating continued population growth. However, growth and birth rates slowed down in the eighties and nineties, and neither school has operated at full capacity since.

Over the years, both schools have had periods of relative popularity and also leaner periods, so that the viability of one post-16 cohort or another has almost always been threatened. After some years of un-productive competition, exacerbated by the leakage of post-16 students to a local FE college and younger students across the border into a neighbouring authority, all headteachers from the town came together in 2004 to consider the future of schooling in Chalkston.

Key challenges and issues

A post-16 education review highlighted a number of issues – Chalkston needed to offer more choice, increase participation, raise attainment and collaborate to offer efficient shared services for students.
Overcapacity and imbalance in student numbers and social backgrounds influenced education outcomes and quality of provision and was set to become more marked in the next 15 years unless corrected.
There was a recognition that choice and diversity could be at odds with integration.
Smaller, rural primary schools feared that they may lose their independence and their voice within federated arrangements.
To retain the ethos of the wider school community there was a conviction that post-16 education should not be uncoupled from the rest of the system.
The incomplete local authority review of the three tiered system would have significant impact on the plans for Chalkston.

Solution or approach

Group visits to established all-age schools gave valuable insights and created a positive impression on the leadership teams.
A headteacher from one of the upper schools was seconded to undertake an in-depth review of the options for Chalkston. This allowed for fresh thinking within the context of current standards, common localised problems and national policy, the Every Child Matters agenda, extended schools, personalised learning, curriculum development and Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
Four possible strategies were presented, ranging from greater collaboration as a ‘soft’ federation, to the drawing together of all schools in Chalkston into a single, all-through school.
The development of two vertical all-through federated schools, supplemented by a horizontal 16-19 hard federation was the preferred option. The structure would mean improved transition for students, specialist facilities and more opportunities for staff development.

Next steps

The partnership continues to seek the best ways to move education forward. It seems likely that, if the plans for two all-through schools in Chalkston are implemented, this integrated approach to leadership will draw in partners from other strands of children’s services, and probably from housing and planning activities too.

This federated arrangement would have many advantages. Firstly, it is based on current pyramid structures, so collaboration is already in place. Secondly, competition will be significantly reduced (with pupils tending to stay within one federation) while choice will still be provided, especially if 14-19 arrangements relate to distinct specialisms. Thirdly, it meets most of the requirements for change, and provides the capacity for personalisation. Finally, it maintains an attachment to the current schools’ local communities and avoids much of the potential anguish if a two-tier structure is introduced by the local authority.

Further information

For further information see Chalkston Education Partnership: an account of practice