Federation

Our school is federated with New Road School, in Sowerby Bridge. As such, we share resources and economies of scale.

Questions and Answers about our federation

What skill sets do the teaching staff at New Road have, which will benefit pupils at Copley, if staff are to work at both schools?

Going forwards the intention is that all new employees will be contracted by the Federation so that maximum flexibility will be available to deploy individuals where the need is greatest. 

However, the current staff at both schools will remain contracted to their existing school and consequently they will continue to work at their current location.

Part of the benefits of the Federation is the opportunities that arise for joint planning across the schools.  This process has already begun with the staff at New Road bringing their own individual perspectives to the shared planning, which helps stimulate new ideas and improves the lessons that will be delivered to children at both schools in the Federation.

What existing teaching resources at New Road will be made available for Copley pupils?

Existing staff at both schools will continue to be contracted to their current school and will therefore work directly with pupils at that school.  Consequently, existing teaching staff at each school cannot and will not be forced to work at the other school.

One of the benefits of the Federation is that from September 2013 each school will have a requirement for an additional half a teacher.  Rather than separately try and recruit a part-time teacher to fulfil their individual needs, the Federation will be able to recruit a full time teacher to work in the mornings at New Road and the afternoon at Copley.  The recruitment of a full time position increases the pool of applicants that are likely to apply, thereby giving Federation greater choice over the successful candidate than each school operating separately could achieve.

Does the statement “neither school will subsidise the other in the long term” mean that in the short term one is subsidising the other?

First of all, can we apologise for the use of the word “subsidising”, as the regulations of Federations demand that each school retains its own budget, which has to be used for the benefit of its own pupils.  As a consequence neither school is allowed to subsidise the other.  The aspect that this wording was trying to convey relates to the additional salary that is paid to the Executive Head Teacher for the increased responsibilities beyond those of Head Teacher at Copley.

The current split of this cost recognises the lower numbers of pupils at New Road than at Copley.  As pupil numbers increase at New Road the proportional split will be adjusted to reflect the revised position.  The long term reference is in recognition that we anticipate this will take a number of years to complete, as while Reception numbers are full, it will take time for impact of the lower number of pupils in the higher year groups to be removed as they move through school before leaving for secondary school.

Would a joint governing body always contain a balance of representatives from each school or could this change with time?

The Governing Body comprises members from a range of groups across our community, one of which is parent governors.  The proposed mix of parent governors has been set to be equal across both schools and in the event of a vacancy arising the intention would be to seek a replacement from the school associated with the resigning governor, thereby retaining the even split of this group.  However, in the event that no volunteers came forward from that school then the vacancy could be filled by a parent from the other school, which of course would change that balance.

The plan for staff governors is to rotate the teaching and non-teaching representatives from either school so that each school has some form of representation at all times for its staff.

The other two groups, Community and LEA Governors are recruited form the wider community and do not necessarily have any particular ties to either school.  While at the outset of the Federation governors may, as a result of their current membership, be seen to have an allegiance to one or other school, they understand that they will now be serving the needs of both schools through the Federation.

If governors in the future will be sought across both schools is it possible that in the future the joint governing body could be controlled by representatives of one school only?

Governors will continue to be sought from the wider community and those governors will be required to support the interests of the Federation.  The intention is to replace any parent governors who resign with a parent from the same school, so that the balance is retained.  However, if it proves impossible to source volunteers from either school, then in theory one school could dominate the parent governor group.  However, with the checks and balances inherent within the other governor groups, together with the obligations imposed on all governors, then the needs of both schools will continue to be supported by the single Governing Body.

In order to be successful, should the focus of the Federation be more focussed on the pupils’ education through clear strategies for improving teaching standards and less on cost savings and economies of scale?

On reflection, the benefits to pupils through the costs savings and economies of scale were not made strongly enough in Consultation Document.  The main objective of the proposed Federation is to secure the educational services that can be provided to pupils at both schools.  The benefits to pupils at New Road are most clearly seen through the improvements that have been made to the school since the Collaboration began last year.  The benefits to pupils at Copley are less obvious and relate to the way in which the education provision is delivered.

Historically, pupils at Copley have enjoyed a high teaching to non-teaching staff ratio.  The continued provision of this strong non-teaching staff resource is a key element in the ability of the school to continue to deliver and develop the quality of education it provides for its pupils.  Balanced against this desire, is the recent trend to decentralise support for schools that is associated with the move to make schools individually more responsible and accountable for the education services they provide.  This decentralisation imposes a greater administrative burden on schools, which we anticipate will fall most heavily on single entry primary schools like Copley and New Road.

It is our combined view that without seeking alternative ways of operating the existing provision will come under increasing threat, damaging the level of service that is provided to pupils at Copley school.  Accordingly, the opportunities that we expect to emerge from the Federation will help protect the current resourcing levels and education service provided at Copley.  While we cannot be prescriptive at the current time, we also anticipate that increased pool of resources that we can draw on will help improve the quality of the education that is provided to pupils across both schools.