o        The Benefits for Eastbourne  The benefits for Eastbourne are wide ranging.  The school has been vigorously addressing a series of fundamental issues since being designated by HMI as a school requiring “special measures” (November 2002). From that point in time it had two years to turn things around.  There was a very real risk that it did not have the capacity to do this in the allotted timescale, even with the full support of the LEA.  By contrast, Hurworth is an extremely successful and highly stable school with a very impressive track record in school improvement.   Its Headteacher and now Chief Executive of the Federation Eamonn Farrar, has been in post for eight years and led the school throughout this period of improvement.   Hurworth has become the lead partner in a federation, supporting Eastbourne out of special measures by the and then strengthening it, so that a successful exit strategy can eventually be applied that would leave Eastbourne able to “fend for itself.”

o        it is likely that a review of what has been achieved will conclude that a different form of federation is required beyond the original three year period to ensure that Eastbourne School remains stable. 

o        The DfES has committed an immediate £750,000 capital grant to refurbish Eastbourne’s building, enhancing its curriculum provision.  This was desperately needed.  A further £500,000 for capital projects is immediately available to the federation to develop 14-19 provision but will need to be approved by DfES advisers.

o        In addition to the £175,000 Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG) money available over the next three years, a further £200,000 has been given by the DfES in the first year of the federation and further, similar sums in 2004-05 and 2005-06.  This money is being allocated to raise standards.

o        The expectation was that Eastbourne would come out of special measures during the initial two years of the federation.  This was achieved in November 2004.

o        The sharing of equipment, facilities and expertise with Hurworth.

o        Opportunities to extend the curriculum on offer at Eastbourne, particularly at KS4, through access to facilities at Hurworth.

What does the Federation look like and How Does it Work?

From Eastbourne’s point of view it comprises a ‘Collaborative Restart’ – a variation on the DfES’s successful Fresh Start initiative. For Hurworth, it provides a one-off opportunity to drive a major initiative in the town, with both kudos and additional resource deriving from that role.  There is no impact upon Hurworth’s status as a Maths and Computing college, though it should be noted that the school has written targets in its successful bid,  in relation to raising standards at Eastbourne.

A Chief Executive (CE) of the federation – the present Headteacher of Hurworth School (Eamonn Farrar) – manages the federation.  An existing Deputy, Dean Judson, has been promoted to the role of Headteacher at Hurworth School.

The CE is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of the federation, while both Eastbourne and Hurworth are managed and led by their Headteachers. 

• The headship of Eastbourne was advertised in December 2003 and Karen Pemberton was appointed.

• A  deputy head has been appointed to the senior management team at Eastbourne; this is funded through the Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG)

• Each head works with his/her own senior management team on issues that are school specific.  The federation’s senior management team is comprised of the two heads and the CE.  Other senior staffs are involved as necessary.

• The CE has bases on both sites.

• The Acting Head at Hurworth is on a 3 year contract. The Hurworth senior management team has been enhanced by an internal promotion at Assistant Head level.  An additional IT teacher - 2^nd in Department on 2 management points - has been appointed.

• Both schools retain their respective Governing Bodies.  However, there is also a Federation Board elected in September 2003 comprising a small – and equal – number of governors from each school – six in total.  .  That group is responsible for shaping the Federation’s aims and objectives, for meeting the federation’s targets and for the conduct of its financial affairs. The Federation Board is monitored and supported by the LEA. The CE is accountable to it and a job description and targets for the CE have been agreed in Autumn 2003, as have performance management arrangements.  The CE is responsible for developing a Federation Action Plan which is reviewed and updated annually and agreed and monitored by the Federation Board.

• The Federation Board is not a legal entity as such, which is why statutory responsibilities in both schools remain with the separate governing bodies.

• The accountability for the use of the “new” DfES funds is through a School Improvement Partnership Board (SIPB), chaired by the DfES, and comprising of the LEA, the Federation Board (FB) and, by invitation, other local stakeholders.  The SIPB meets once a term over the next 2-3 years.  It assists the FB in monitoring hard edged targets for improvement, including the removal of special measures at Eastbourne, and to provide a steer on future strategic developments.

• Over the autumn term 2003, the CE interviewed key members of both staffs.  The purpose of this was to:

-          explain the concept of federation

-          elicit support

-          inform the process

-          identify those members of staff willing to be actively engaged in shaping the initiative, and those wishing to gain directly from it.

• A key principle is that staff are encouraged to engage in the federation’s activities and development, rather than coerced into participation. Hurworth staff are not forced to work on the Eastbourne site, nor vice versa.  Involvement is voluntary and encouraged by financial rewards, as well as the prospect of increased staff development opportunities.  There will be joint training and curriculum development initiatives.

• The ‘formal agreement’ between the two federating schools referred to above places considerable emphasis on continuing to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning at Eastbourne, particularly through the assimilation of good practice at Hurworth, including the positive culture that characterises the latter school.

• Appointments since September 2003 have been to individual schools, except where such appointments have been specifically funded by the federation.  Admission arrangements also remain the same.

• The schools’ two timetables remain independent of each other but retain the capacity to make adjustments to support limited pupil movement to study between sites.

• Targets in terms of pupil achievement have been set for the two individual schools.  Other key outcomes for the federation have been considered and defined during the framing of the federation’s action plan.  This latter document also articulates the relationship between the two schools’ development plans, define the federation’s priorities and identify the collaborative activities that flow from those priorities.

• As already referred to, in the main, pupils do not move between sites: the intention, certainly in the early stages, has been not to encourage the extensive bussing of pupils between sites.  This is not a merger and this message has been clearly and consistently made explicit to parents and pupils of both schools.

• The financial arrangements are as follows: the two schools’ Headteachers manage their respective budgets, while the Chief Executive manages the federation budget which is set in September 2003 and in April of subsequent years. The Federation’s senior management team considers the level of contribution each school might make to the overall federation ‘pot’. 

• The Chief Executive closely scrutinises the Eastbourne budget to ensure that its spending plans are consistent with the school improvement priorities and plans identified by the federation.

• The federation will run – and be funded – for the next three years up to August 2006.  A major plank in the overall concept of this federation is the development of a 14-19 strategy and action plan that is leading edge, addresses the issues identified in the recent Government Green Paper, has the backing of all the town’s schools, and has the support and engagement of key partners and stakeholders.  This would probably involve in the longer term a federated strategic partnership involving each Darlington school, the 6^th form college, and the College of Technology.  The purpose of such an initiative is to extend the opportunities for vocational education and training for all youngsters who wish to access such provision, as well as encourage greater sharing of the town’s varied specialist resource.  £500,000 of capital funding has been given to the Federation for this purpose.