Succession Planning Strategy Draft Contents

							 DRAFT Succession
  Planning Strategy
   for the recruitment and retention
        of head teachers and senior
        leaders in Cambridgeshire’s
                            schools

                                             2008-11

Please send any comments that you have on this draft strategy to Keith
Grimwade, Head of Professional Development Service, Stanton House, Stanton
Way, Huntingdon, PE29 6XL keith.grimwade@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to arrive by
14th March at the latest.




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1. Introduction by Helen Whiter, Director of Learning


Dear Colleague


Cambridgeshire County Council recognises the importance of school
leadership at all levels as a major factor in achieving the best possible
outcomes for children and young people. The dedication, ability and hard
work of our school leaders rightly deserve praise and appreciation. This
document has been prepared in the context of national concern about the
supply of school leaders, and in particular head teachers, over the next few
years. Growth in Cambridgeshire adds a significant local dimension to this
issue, with the opening of any many as 20 primary schools and six secondary
schools by 2021. This Strategy has been prepared with schools and key
partners and is a first step towards implementing local solutions to a national
problem. I look forward to working with you to develop and support the
leadership potential that exists in all of our schools and settings.


Yours sincerely




Helen Whiter
Director of Learning


2. Purpose – what is the reason for this strategy?


The purpose of this strategy is to ensure the supply of high quality head
teachers and school leaders for Cambridgeshire’s schools. It will steer the
first three years of a challenge that will extend at least into the early years of
the 2020s. The strategy will enable the LA (Local Authority) to work with
schools, governing bodies and other key partners to develop, implement,
monitor and evaluate a range of actions to address succession planning at all
levels.



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Nationally, a potential shortfall in the number of head teachers required in
England and Wales has been identified by the DCSF. The problem is
essentially demographic, compounded by other issues such as the perception
of headship and the length of time it takes to become a head teacher. The
numbers of school leader retirements is likely to rise from 2,250 in
2004 to a peak of nearly 3,500 in 2009, falling back to around 2,500 in 2016.
However, over recent years only about a third of retirements have been at
normal retirement age (60) or above, and a growing number have been early
retirements after age 55. It is estimated that retirement pressures will require
an increase, on 2004 figures, of 15-20 percent in the recruitment of school
leaders by 2009.


Locally, the demographic problem peaks later than it does nationally, in 2014
rather than 2009. Between now and 2014, 40% of Cambridgeshire’s head
teachers reach retirement age. However, the challenge is compounded by a
significant additional factor because Cambridgeshire’s growing population
means that 20 new primary schools and five or six new secondary schools are
needed by 2021. Also, we cannot consider head teachers in isolation. We
need to secure the supply of deputy head teachers, senior and middle leaders
if we are to be successful in the long term.


3. Vision – what is our vision for school leaders in Cambridgeshire?


Cambridgeshire’s school leaders have achieving the highest possible
outcomes for children, young people and families at the centre of all that they
do. They are inspired and motivated by the opportunities and challenges of
the County’s growing and changing population and are fully committed to their
role in community leadership. They are confident and flexible, dynamic and
visionary; but know and understand that they and their staff are human, too,
and may sometimes deserve support. Cambridgeshire’s school leaders are
skilled at collaborating with a wide range of partners and are supported by a
pro-active, enabling Local Authority, which instinctively values and celebrates



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      their contribution. They are passionate about developing Cambridgeshire’s
      future school leaders.


      4. The current position – where are we now?


      The LA became aware of a potential succession planning problem through the
      termly vacancy survey returns in 2003-04, which showed a declining number
      of applicants for primary headships and an increasing number of re-
      advertisements for secondary headships. An action plan was developed as
      part of the LA’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy, 2005-07, and these
      strands of activity have continued to be supported during 2007-08:
         Support and enhance NPQH
         Communicate a positive image of headship
         Raise governor awareness of NPQH
         Support aspiring primary deputy head teachers


      The position as of 1st January 2008 was one of no schools without a head
      teacher. However, there was the following number of acting headships:
      Nursery = xxxxx
      Primary = xxxxx
      Secondary = xxxxx


      The number of head teachers reaching retirement age between now and 2021
      is given in the table below (survey point = summer 2007). It must be
      remembered that many of these head teachers – nationally, up to a third – will
      retire between 55 and 60. Very few stay on beyond 60.


            04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Nursery              1    1                      1   1       1   1
Primary     2    1   3    5    8    9    9       11 12 12 18 11 11 6         10 4       5   5
Secondary 1                    2    2    4       1   2   3   1   1   1       1   1      1
Special                                              1       1   1
All schools 3    1   4    6    10 11 13 13 16 15 21 14 12 6                  12 6       7   5



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The opening dates of the 20 new primary schools and the five or six new
secondary schools is subject to approval of planning applications, house
building and occupancy rates, but the following indicates likely development
over the life of the Strategy:
     September 2008 = 2 primary schools (Cambourne, St Neots)
     January 2010 = first Primary School in Northstowe
     September 2010 = Trumpington Meadows (Southern Fringe) Primary
     September 2012 = Southern Fringe secondary
     September 2013 = Northstowe Secondary
     September 2012 = Second Primary School in Northstowe


We also know that:
         In summer 2007, primary schools received on average 2.2 responses
          per advertisement, secondary schools 8.5.
         Nationally, less than half of those gaining NPQH (National Professional
          Qualification for Head teachers) go on to be a head teacher in less
          than five years. Locally, we know that there were xx NPQH graduates
          between xx and xx and as few as xx of these may have gone onto
          headship.
         It takes, on average, 20 years to become a head teacher. This is too
          slow if we are to meet the challenge of vacant posts.
         It is perception as well as demographics. Most head teachers are
          positive about their role but most deputy head teachers do not share
          this view.
         New models of school leadership and organisation are likely to be
          required. In Cambridgeshire, as of 1st January 2008 there was xxxx


The strategy has been informed by a major data gathering exercise, which
involved in-depth interviews with xx Cambridgeshire head teachers, across all
phases. The full report can be found on the Education Portal
www.ccceducation.net Resource id xxxx and a summary is given in Appendix
xx.




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5. Priorities, targets and milestones, 2008-11 – where do we want to be by
    2011?
Five priorities have been identified for the three-year life of this strategy:
   Attract and recruit talented school leaders
   Retain talented leaders
   Identify and develop talented school leaders
   Develop and implement a succession planning data gathering system
   Raise awareness and support exploration of the opportunities for new
    models of leadership and organisation with school leaders and governors

The principle targets (where we want to be by 2011) and milestones are set
out in the tables below and the detailed actions for 2008-09 are given in
Appendix xx.


Priority    Identify and develop talented school leaders
                                                         2009          2010           2011
Target
An accurate, up to date list of NPQH graduates that is   Achieved      Maintained     Maintained
used to support a range of succession planning
activities
Through performance management, all schools              Research      Target to      100%
identify aspiring SLs, DHs and HTs                       baseline      be set
All aspiring leaders have an agreed career               Research      Target to      100%
progression plan                                         baseline      be set


Priority    Attract and recruit talented school leaders
                                                         2009         2010           2011
Target
An increase in the number of applicants per headship     (P) 4 /      6 / 12         8 / 14
vacancy                                                  (S) 10
A decrease in the number of re-advertisements of         (P) 1.5 /    1.5 / 1.3      1.1 / 1.2
head teacher posts                                       (S) 1.6
An increase in the percentage of SLs and DHs             Research     Target to      Target to be
aspiring to be head teachers                             baseline     be set         set



Priority    Retain Talented Leaders
                                            2009                   2010              2011
Target
Appropriate professional development        Map current            develop at        Satisfaction
opportunities for all talented leaders      opportunities /        least one         survey: 90%
                                            develop at least one   further new       + at all levels
                                            new opportunity for    opportunity for
                                            Early Career, SL       Early Career,
                                            and DH                 SL and DH
A range of networks and support groups   Map provision,            Continue to     Satisfaction
for all talented leaders                 begin to set up           establish new survey: 90%
                                         new opportunities         opportunities   + at all levels
Improved conversion rates: from SL to    Research                  Target to be    Target to
DH, and from DH / NPQH graduate to HT baseline
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                                                                                 Page set 11
Priority    Develop and implement a succession planning data gathering
system
                                                    2009          2010          2011
Target
A sustainable system for collecting relevant data   Develop       Implement     Maintain
Appropriate presentation of data, with agreed       Develop       Implement     Maintain
access rights
Regular use of data by the LA, schools and others   10% of        60%           100%
to support succession planning                      schools                     schools
                                                    using
                                                    data (pilot
                                                    project)


Priority    Raise awareness and support exploration of the opportunities for
new models of leadership and organisation with school leaders and governors
                                               2009           2010            2011
Target
An agreed process for raising and supporting   Agreed         Implemented     Reviewed
exploration of the opportunities for new
models of leadership and organisation with
school leaders and governors
A range of tools, e.g. guidance notes, self-   Developed      Implemented     Reviewed
evaluation proforma to support the model
process
Greater diversity of school organisation       Research       10% of          20% of schools
                                               baseline       schools




6. Key partners – who are we working with, and how?


The LA is working with a range of key partners to develop and implement this
strategy:
   Schools
   Governing bodies
   The Diocesan Authority
   The Local Social Partnership
   The CYPSP (Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership)
   EPM (Education Personnel Management)
   The NCSL (National College for School Leadership)
   The Eastern Leadership Centre (ELC)



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Schools, Governing bodies, the Diocesan Authority and EPM are represented
on the SPSG (Succession Planning Steering Group), which meets at least
biannually and is responsible for guiding the development of the strategy;
monitoring and evaluating its implementation; and giving direction to the
development of the strategy (Appendix 3). The SPSG reports to the Schools
Workforce Development Sub-group, which in turn reports to the CYPSP’s
Children’s Workforce Strategy Steering Group.


The Local Social Partnership brings together the recognised Trade Unions,
the LA (and in particular LA officers involved with the workforce remodelling
agenda) and EPM to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern.
Succession Planning is a standing item on the agenda of this meeting.


The NCSL provides funding and support for the Succession Planning
initiative. The funding is used to support LA officer time, and the activities that
have been developed to implement the strategy. A regional consultant
supports the work of the named LA officer, and evaluates progress.


The LA is also involved with a NCSL development and research project,
which aims to explore how best to raise awareness and support exploration of
the opportunities for new models of leadership and organisation with school
leaders and governors.


The ELC facilitates regional co-operation and activity. It is also involved with
a range of succession planning initiatives and Cambridgeshire LA is a partner
for one of these, to pilot career planning for teachers in their early years in the
primary sector, which will involve 12 schools in Cambridge City and 12
schools in Fenland.




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7. Connections – how does this strategy link with other schools’ workforce
    development initiatives and plans?


At its heart succession planning is about developing the leadership potential
in the schools’ workforce; as such, it cannot be implemented in isolation from
other schools’ workforce initiatives. In particular, performance management,
career progression, professional development planning, workforce reform
initiatives such as dedicated headship time and new models of school
leadership and organisation impact on the identification and development of
talented school leaders.


It is therefore important to avoid unnecessary duplication and to encourage
helpful synergy. This is achieved in the following ways:
   The overarching priority, to secure the supply of head teachers for
    Cambridgeshire’s schools, is included in the County Council’s Corporate
    Plan. It is therefore known to all County Council officers and is scrutinised
    by Members.
   Priorities, targets and action plans are included as part of the schools’
    section of the Children’s Workforce Strategy, which acts as a single point
    of co-ordination for all in the CYPSP who are implementing actions for
    schools – this means that any duplication, together with opportunities for
    joint working, can be identified.
   Succession Planning is a priority in the Learning Directorate Plan, which
    secures a link with the OCYPS (Office of Children and Young People’s
    Services) Plan and the Corporate Plan, and with Service and Team plans.
   The Succession Planning Steering Group enables a dialogue with all key
    partners and it is through this discussion that ideas – and especially ideas
    for joint working – are developed.


LA support has adapted to meet these new challenges, with the development
of Schools’ Workforce Development Team, sitting within the PDS
(Professional Development Service). This team supports workforce reform,
professional development and support staff training and development needs



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and is ideally placed to bring cohesion to schools’ workforce development
initiatives.


8. Communication – how will we keep key partners informed and how will
    we disseminate innovative practice?


A wide range of communication and dissemination strategies will be used to
keep key partners informed:
   The SPSG considers face-to-face communication and dissemination to be
    of paramount importance. Existing opportunities, e.g. head teacher and
    governor meetings and conferences will be used whenever possible and
    additional events, e.g. seminars to present the results of significant pieces
    of research will be organised as appropriate.
   Existing channels of written communication will also be used whenever
    possible, e.g. Learning Together, the CPD Newsletter. Additional
    materials will be published as appropriate.
   A site to bring together information about the various strands of activity,
    support materials and opportunities will be created on the Education
    Portal. This site will serve as an online filing cabinet and a signpost to
    information. It will be possible for users to receive email notification when
    new materials are added.
   The Education Portal will also support specific developments, e.g. online
    networks and communities.


9. List of abbreviations


DCSF = Department of Children Schools and Families
LA = Local Authority
NPQH = National Professional Qualification for Head teachers
NCSL = National College for School Leadership
EPM = Education Personnel Management
SPSG = Succession Planning Steering Group
CYPSP = Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership
ELC = Eastern Leadership Centre


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PDS = Professional Development Service
OCYPS = Office of Young People’s Services
SL = Senior Leader
DH = Deputy Head teacher
HT = Head teacher


10. Useful contacts
NCSL www.ncsl.org.uk


11. Appendices
Appendix 1 – 2008-09 Action Plans
Appendix 2 – Head teachers’ Views on Succession Planning: Summary
Report, 2008
Appendix 3 – Succession Planning Steering Group Membership




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