Trust leaders have said there are “big questions” to be asked about the approach to regional school improvement teams set out by the Department for Education.
In a members’ briefing, seen by Tes, the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) said it has concerns about the “language and approach” in relation to the new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams announced yesterday.
The approach described by civil servants seemed to omit “the governance and legal status of a trust”, the CST said in the briefing.
“If enacted without amendment, this would be very serious,” the briefing from chief executive Leora Cruddas states.
However, Ms Cruddas added that she spoke to the DfE yesterday and was given assurances that the governance and legal status of trusts is recognised by the DfE.
Ofsted’s report cards will “strongly inform” the new RISE system from September 2025, the DfE said yesterday.
There will be three tiers of support - universal support for schools judged to have minimal issues, targeted support for schools judged to have one or several issues and intervention for schools needing structural change.
Accountability fears ‘exacerbated’
CST added that concerns about accountability were “exacerbated” by yesterday’s DfE webinar on the RISE teams, and that the organisation has “big questions about the proposed approach”.
Ms Cruddas said the DfE has also given assurance that, when RISE teams connect a school with a supporting organisation, the organisation will be responsible for providing that support and remain accountable for any funding it gets, but the school’s responsible body will still be accountable for improving the school.
“We will be seeking written reassurances and a clear articulation of responsibilities and accountabilities,” the CST briefing says.
“All of this stems once again from an approach which fails to understand or articulate a theory of regulation and fails to define the respective roles of state actors and responsible bodies,” it says.
School support-staff negotiating ‘could impact SEND’
The CST briefing also raised concerns about the government’s proposals to establish a school support-staff negotiating body through primary legislation.
Trust leaders are concerned this could “potentially restrict” the ability of employers to remunerate and deploy support staff in line with their school improvement strategy, particularly when the implications of special educational needs and disabilities reforms are considered.
CST will make a submission to the Public Bill Committee to raise its concerns, which it will be discussing with members next week.
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