Blog: Rob Wright |
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Will we have to ask parents to pay an Olympic School Sport Levy?
This week we have started to shape 'The Vision for the Plymstock SSP 2010-14' and during the rest of the month the partnership team will be sharing the SSP offer with Headteachers and asking them if they will buy into this offer using the money which we expect to be put into school budgets that was ring fenced for the SSP programme. Although this is implied in the Secretary of State's letter of 20th October to Sue Campbell, on the DfE website, it has not been explicitly announced. There are claims that the Pupil Premium will not be new investment in education and that it is a smoke and mirrors exercise where funding cut from other work [including the SSP programme] is being called additional. Our enquiries to the DfE seeking clarification are awaiting a response, we are also hoping that our MP may be able to find out more.
While we wait [hoping for a quick reply so all our energy can be used to enrich the lives of Children and Young People] we need to consider the alternatives should the governments critics be correct. How will schools meet the Singapore Promise and the expectations set out by Michael Gove if the funding has gone? Extended Services money is to be given to schools and may be able to sustain a more efficient and effective SSP which continues to impact across schools and communities. If schools are to operate without SSPs they will have a huge additional workload to sustain the existing provision which is expected by the Secretary of State as a minimum. It is worth noting that OFSTED has not been cut as part of the CSR. Whilst some parts of the work of the partnership may be taken up by others we would challenge anyone to come up with a better value for money way to impact on whole school agendas than the offer we are making.
We could search for sponsorship, spend time bag packing or asking for donations or diversify into commercial activities like children's parties. All these things would reduce the offer we would be able to make to schools. Another option would be to ask parents and carers to pay £5 per term per child as an Olympic School Sport Levy. This £15 per year for each of the 18,000 Children and Young People attending SSP schools would replace the DfE grant and allow us to continue to be the best value members of every school staff.
As an organisation we have [Panathlon Challenge offers an outstanding, tested, model for a schools Olympics] are [we currently employ 2 Modern Apprentices] and can [we have just been given a National Award for training people to provide physical activity for inactive C+YP and hope to work with GP fund holders to train health workers] work with schools and communities to help meet all the governments ambitions in sport and many other areas. Will parents have to pay an Olympic Sport Levy to make this happen?
A Vision For The Future of Plymstock SSP 2010-14.
In the Secretary of State's recent letter to School Sport Partnerships following the comprehensive spending review it is heartening to read that ‘school sport partnerships are not being closed down' but will have to access funding directly from schools and that he expects head teachers will find money for them to continue albeit in a different form.
The partnership is now faced with an enormous but not insurmountable challenge which is to keep physical education at the heart of school life. We must build on the positive aspects in the letter which also stated they wanted schools to remain committed as a minimum to ‘the current levels of physical education and sport each week'.
The Coalition Government is committed to reforming sport in schools to create a lasting Olympic legacy. Ministers want to encourage more competitive sport so it is a vibrant part of the ethos of all schools, and to give schools the freedom to organise sport themselves rather than imposing a bureaucratic system for them to follow.
At our team meeting on the 3rd of November we will spend time shaping our vision for the future and agree what the partnership offer will be for SSP Schools to support them in meeting the government's expectations. This offer will then be shared with school leaders and the SSP Steering Group.
Teachers and coaches involved in delivering both within and outside the curriculum will need support to ensure standards are not only maintained, but also continue to improve. The partnership network is an effective way of continuing with the excellent work already done. There has been an issue with time allocated to physical education in Primary ITTE for some time now and NQTs joining the profession will continue to need considerable professional development in order to be competent in teaching the subject
There are many schools who will provide testament to the fact that high quality physical education and school sport have had a marked effect on standards right across the curriculum and the head teachers in these schools will surely stay committed to keeping our subject at the core of their school life.
Any colleagues who would like to contribute to shaping the vision should do so through the team or steering group member who represents them or by contacting rpwright@plymstockschool.org.uk
Choose Your Attitude!
The implications of the comprehensive spending review for education will start to become clearer on the 20th October. It is likely that it will be later in the school year before we know what funding will be available to SSP's for 2011-14 as the key decission makers decide whether quality education can be delivered more cost effectively and where money can be saved without having an impact on children's learning.
We do know that the Plymstock SSP is in a powerful position to impact on the lives of Children and Young People. We also knoiw that the Government have said they will reduce centralisation, so those people who felt they where continually faced with initiative overload have got what they wished for! This new localisation will see funding going direct to users who will then have an obligation to spend it wisely. Localisation will mean that local decision makers will have to decide what is best for the C+YP in their care, this may be without the level of support they are used to from organisations like the YST [who will downsize by 50% by Christmas 2010!!!] and the Local Authority. Our commitment to school leaders and governors is that partnership staff are the best value members of their team, we intend that this will continue.
At meetings in the second half of the Autumn term we will be sharing a tree video clip which shows a range of attitudes to a challenging situation. Everyone will have an opinion about any situation but whatever attitude you choose to adopt you need to remember the obligations we all have to the Chldren and Young People in partnership schools that we work with!
The video shows responses to the challenge of the tree blocking a road. Will you be like the woman who say's she hates this country and does nothing? Are you like the man who gets his helpers to lift him over the tree and into a waiting taxi? Would you be as brave as the boy who tries to move the tree even though he knows it is impossible to do it on his own in the rain? Is the woman who sends her partner to help while she sits in their car like you? Do you think you would join the boy and make the impossible possible? Choose your attitude!
How much of a voice do students have in our schools?
As part of the work being done looking at the London 2012 Games and their potential to raise achievement colleagues who attended a student leadership event in Swindon were made aware of some excellent practice in developing student leadership and students voice.
The Olympic [Friendship, Respect and Excellence] and Paralympic Values [[Determination, Courage, Inspiration and Equality] are being used in some schools to re-write behaviour policies. Monthly posters are placed in tutor rooms which focus on one of the seven values.
These values have also ben used to train students do carry out lesson observations providing staff with 360 degree feedback. Schools have used this system in a number of ways. Some have had a number of selected students who work along side members of SLT carrying out lesson observations, the students feedback to the member of SLT who then provides the teacher with feedback. In other schools a large number of students access the training and colleagues are made aware of those who complete it successfully, they are then able to ask one of these students to evaluate a lesson which they are part of. Every lesson we teach is evaluated by the students who attend it, by giving them training and a specific focus schools are finding they are improving staff/student relationships and raising standards.
We were also made aware of schools where the Student Sports Council is designing the PE Curricular. This has led to a massive increase in participation in lessons with some groups and improved take up of OSHL.
The 2012 Games are not just about PE and Sport they can be used to cross every area of school life.
Changes to Primary Link Teacher Training
During 2009/10 a review of the range of support that has been offered for PLTs to date was undertaken. The working party for the review included representatives from the Professional Development Programme Consortium, LDAs, and SSP representatives. As a result a new offer is available from September 2010.
All PLTs are entitled to access professional development to support and develop them in their role as a PLT. This offer is based on a menu of opportunities that can be used/ adapted to meet SSP and individual professional development needs, identified through a robust planning process. There are two main elements to the offer as follows:
Stage One:
This stage sets out an annual development planning process. Stage 1A (1/2 day) also acts as an induction for new PLTs. Stage 1B offers a review and planning model that can be used annually with all PLTs. Stage 1A should be offered to all new PLTs, however Stage 1B can be used flexibly to compliment, review or extend the ongoing planning with an SSP. The core principles within this stage are; to provide a robust structure to enable PLTs (with support from SSCos and PDMs) to plan an effective work programme that is focussed around their key role and responsibilities, and to provide a signpost to relevant Stage 2 options according to their needs.
Stage Two:
This stage offers five professional development options [2A Improving HQ PE, 2B Developing L+V, 2C Increasing Participation, 2D Developing Potential, 2E Improving community Links]that support different elements of the PLT role explored through Stage One. It is designed to enable PLTs to work within, and offer and build appropriate opportunities for young people across the participation pathway. It will provide support for individual/ groups of PLTs to deliver their action plan priorities identified at Stage One. Stage Two is not compulsory and has been designed to offer flexible options against local needs. It is not set out as a complete CPD solution and SSPs and LDAs will still need to review and supplement this stage according to specific local needs.
Each option within Stage 2 follows the core development planning process set out at Stage 1. There are clear links between the modules and where appropriate SSPs/ LDA can consider using the core activities from a number of stage 2 workshops together. This is probably particularly relevant across workshops 2C, 2D and 2E.
Inevitably, there will be challenges in introducing new approaches, if any partnership PLT's would like to be involved in discussing how we offer this CPD to colleagues please contact Rob Wright on 01752 495046 or rpwright@plymstockschool.org.uk or speak with your SSCo..
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