Hampstead Federation of Academies: using a federation to improve attainment

This case study looks at the leadership and governance arrangements for the Hampstead Federation of South London Schools, a group of eight academies that is focused on rapid and sustained improvement.

Key outcomes

Federation, and other local connections between the academies, has created shared capacity to address Every Child Matters (ECM) issues.
Priorities for the chief executive officer (CEO) of the federation have included raising attainment across the federation by 10 per cent; improving the range of subjects for 14-19 students; and establishing a strong and credible corporate brand for students, parents and staff.
Succession planning and sustainability have improved. With similar procedures in place in each of the academies, movement from one to another is easier. Leaders are encouraged to step up into posts across the federation, with appropriate preparation and support.
A range of shared activities across the federation supports newly qualified teachers and provides continuing professional development (CPD) for experienced staff. Successful experiences within the federation are the main source of expertise for CPD.

Background

The Hampstead Federation of South London Schools is a charitable legal entity that operates a group of collaborating academies. It is associated with rapid improvements in attainment and plans to expand from eight to twelve academies in the next two years.

The Hampstead Federation approach

Leadership of the federation

The federation’s main board comprises the chair of governors of each academy and non-executive directors selected for their particular expertise. The chair of the board is the sponsor.

A central office supports the work of the federation and leads in establishing new Hampstead academies. It includes the CEO, his personal assistant, the director of finance and operational development, a director of projects, an ICT director, and two group ICT cluster directors who are largely based in the academies.

“The federation will enable the schools to use their combined resources and collective expertise in order to assist each other and so raise standards faster than would be the case with schools working in isolation.” (Chair of the federation’s main board)

Leadership and governance of individual academies

Each academy has a governing body and its own principal and senior management team. The principals meet as an executive group twice a term, chaired by the CEO who reports to the main board.

Role of the chief executive officer

The CEO is accountable to the main board, and through it to the sponsor, for the overall operation and development of the federation’s academies. In particular, he is charged with monitoring and stimulating the pace of development and evaluating progress in improving outcomes for students. His role is strategic.

The CEO supports the academy principals with personal coaching and mentoring that fits with the corporate framework and the commitment to rapid and continuous improvement. Some of the principals are very experienced and others are taking on their first headship so the CEO needs a full range of skills.

Role of the academy principal

Academy principals lead and manage their own establishments, without interference from the CEO or sponsor. They have the advantage of working with and being supported by the CEO and other principals. One of the principals cites this as the main reason she was prepared to take on a very challenging school as her first headship appointment.

“What I saw were people there who would help me when things went wrong – and I knew they would go wrong ... I wasn’t scared of that, but wanted to know where to turn to. In any job you need someone to lead you on, develop you….”

“The CEO has a coaching model. I have to raise issues with him and if it’s a matter of fact, he will probably tell me or tell me where to find out; if it’s a difficult decision then he will coach me through to whatever I decide.”

Role of the director of finance and operational development

The director of finance and operational development (DFOD) ensures that finance and resource procedures across the academies are sufficiently standardised and robust for the main board to be confident the federation is on a sound footing. The DFOD plays no direct role in leading teaching and learning. However, the academies receive high quality information to help them make informed decisions about developing provision for their students.

The director has been in post for one year. Coming from a role as finance manager in the publishing industry, he finds the disciplines of a commercial operation invaluable in his current job. He provides the professional lead for a finance officer in each academy and for business managers each working with a small number of academies. The DFOD’s early priorities were to introduce a single finance system, outsource the payroll system and achieve efficiency savings for catering, energy, stationery and IT.

Every Child Matters

The CEO describes the five ECM outcomes as “the things good schools should be doing without ticking boxes …”. ECM outcomes are reflected in the curriculum as well as in the organisational structure.

As one example of practice, one academy employs two pastoral leaders who are non-teachers from sports coaching and youth work backgrounds. They supervise behaviour around the school at the start of the day and through lunch and other breaks. There are also individual mentors for students at risk.

There is a student information centre, staffed by two education welfare officers who deal with welfare issues, home visits and referrals to social services. This work is led by the assistant principal for students and families, who also line manages the lead teacher for looked after children and the student support services manager.

“ECM runs through everything here. The Ofsted framework focuses it on student well being and of course we are focused on standards, that is the bottom line ... but the federation recognises that to achieve those standards you have to be concerned about wellbeing and enjoyment.” (Academy principal)