Sarah Ginns, Research and Policy Lead, Forum Strategy
Following Monday’s publication by the DfE of the much-anticipated Schools White Paper – ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ – we published this article expressing our disappointment at what we feel is missing, mostly in terms of a strategic and long-term approach to SEN reform coupled with the crisis in school readiness.
That being said, the White Paper was sprinkled with some seeds of hope for academy trusts, providing they are underpinned by the necessary strategic and operational connectedness from the DfE. History tells us this may be a pipe dream, but in the spirit of positivity this new article considers how these ‘seeds’ may be supported to germinate.
We’re still missing the how and when of a trust-led system
Firstly, the expectation for all schools to either form or join a trust – having supported the CEOs of academy trusts for over a decade and seen the impact that well-led and high-quality community-centred trusts can have on outcomes for pupils and their wider communities, we would of course welcome this. However, we’ve been here before – Nicky Morgan 2016 and Nadhim Zahawi 2022 anyone? – and with no proposals around timelines and no expectation on how schools will be compelled to join trusts, 2026’s White Paper risks being yet another diversion. A further complication is the proposal for local authorities or area partnerships to be able to establish trusts; potentially leading to another clunky dichotomy in our school system. One could ask, is this a proposal included to placate some on the backbenches and Labour councillors, because it feels a big ask in terms of capacity and co-ordination? Again, this is not the first time such a suggestion has been made, so as ever the devil will be in the detail; not least in forthcoming policies from the DfE about potential conflicts of interest.
Community-centred trusts
We broadly welcome the government’s proposal to introduce new Trust Standards – in an overhaul of the school trust quality descriptions – with a renewed emphasis on standards, inclusion, value for money and “contributing willingly” to community collaboration. We have long banged the drum for trusts to sit at the heart of their communities and have published a number of case studies setting out how trusts in our #TrustLeaders networks are bringing this to life. However, we would again caution against the reductive measurement of community-facing activities – instead giving trusts and their boards the freedom to flex according to their communities’ needs and interests. Trusts will be encouraged to report on how they have supported stronger outcomes in their community role through annual public benefit reporting.
The Trust Standards – we are told – will draw on the most transformational sector practice: sharing excellence, spreading innovation, and lifting outcomes across communities. In terms of sharing excellence and spreading innovation, as we outlined at last year’s National #TrustLeaders Symposium, it is certainly the case that we need to see more trust to trust collaboration and the sharing of specialist expertise, if the sector is to overcome the key challenges of our times – not least technology adoption and curriculum innovation.
Trust inspection
On the inspection of trusts, the White Paper’s reiteration of the proposals within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for “proportionate, independent inspection” suggests the process should be less about checking for compliance and more on assessing and ensuring quality of provision across the trust. Again, there are no timelines for when the new inspections will be introduced, as this is dependent on development, testing and piloting by Ofsted. However, the White Paper does state that this work will include a “programme of engagement with the sector”. Note also the White Paper’s statement “Our ambition is that when trust inspection is established, and more schools join trusts, we will be able to reduce the burden of school-level inspection” (our emphasis).
A shift towards pure accountability
Finally, we’ve been pressing the trust sector for years on the need for and benefits of what we term ‘pure accountability’ – the focus of our upcoming National #TrustLeaders Symposium in June – as well as our more recent work on locality leadership. We’ve therefore been somewhat buoyed by the White Paper’s emphasis, mentioned above, on trusts demonstrating their involvement and impact in the local community – meaning trusts with a larger national footprint needing to achieve “coherence through local hubs or clusters.” Government will also consult on requiring school trusts to have local governance structures that together include all their schools, hold annual parental forums, and ensure boards hear directly from parents and school communities – all key underpinnings of community enabling pure accountability.
Further on these accountability shifts, a sense of belonging is a fundamental human need, so we are also pleased to see the White Paper state that by 2029 it will “expect every school to monitor pupils’ sense of belonging and engagement.” We know this sense of belonging underpins achievement at school and beyond; and look forward to seeing more detail in the DfE’s new Pupil Engagement Framework, expected later this year to support all schools to measure the key factors that determine their children’s engagement in education. However, important though this work is, it won’t make a difference if parents and carers expect to be ‘customers’ of their children’s educational experience and place all the onus on the school or trust. The ‘home-school partnership agreements’ used by some trusts, and ParentKind’s Parent Friendly Schools Accreditation are cited in the White Paper as examples which aim to redress the current imbalance. The proposal to establish minimum expectations that support the creation of meaningful home-to-school partnerships is welcomed, as is the commitment to consider how schools might adopt “meaningful, documented agreements” with families to strengthen shared expectations and responsibilities.
In conclusion, there are some promising shifts around community-centred trusts and pure accountability – both topics we have advocated on for many years – in the new White Paper, in an otherwise underwhelming publication. The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.
