The Provider:

Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate & Carlton & Faceby CE Pri Co Sch

• Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate C.E.       NOR – 15    Foundation/ Key Stage One class – 7 pupils:  0.8 teacher, 0.1 teacher and 0.1 TA 
• KS2  class  -  8 pupils  0.6 teacher, 0.4 teacher (HT) 
• With shared confederated music teacher        0.1 FTE
• Carlton & Faceby CE Primary School  NOR – 23 Foundation/Key Stage One class     - 8 pupils   0.9 teacher and 2 x 0.2 TA
• KS2 class - 15 pupils  1.0 teacher and 2 x 0.2 TA
• With shared confederated music teacher            0.1 FTE
• Shared Head teacher has 0.4 KS2 teaching responsibility 

Summary:

• The establishment of the confederation has secured local education for two rural communities, providing high quality education, which is recognised both nationally and locally.
• It has provided the staff with opportunities for leadership at all levels and our LEA with a role model for other schools within North Yorkshire and surrounding counties (particularly Durham and Northumbria) who are considering confederation. 

The Aim:

• The schools aim to share ‘confederation experitise‘ with other numerous organisations – LEA, County Council, Diocese and many other individual schools who request guidance re the setting up and running of a confederation.
• As the confederation is entering into its fourth year this is evidence of its sustainability

What do you see in the school?

• Since the Confederation all staff have engaged in high quality professional development, both on a daily basis and through planned training
• All staff are fully committed to further developing their expertise to ensure that high quality learning and teaching is delivered through extensive planning
• The Confederated Schools are part of a primary learning network (5 schools) which is currently concentrating on improving writing skills through moderation
• The Headteachers & both leading teachers are part of the Primary Leadership Programme
• Clear, well planned programme for the review of all policy documents
• All policies reflect the commitment to quality Learning and Teaching, in particular RE scheme was re-written to take account of the needs of both a Voluntary Aided and C of E school
• Governors are the only to be graded ‘excellent‘ by the LA and are involved in all training
• Joint annual reviews by LA have graded leadership and management as outstanding
• Effective marking ensures that pupils know how to improve their work
• Comprenhensive records of achievement for all children
• Staff meetings are used to analyse SAT results and non-statutory assessments in order to plan next steps for pupils
• Children with SEN all have IEPs and are carefully tracked and monitored
• Wider community involvement and sharing of Governor expertise
• Curriculum evenings and workshops for parents
• Confederation is now  used as an example of leading confederation practice.
• Confederation provided national guidance for the Basic Skills Agency on how small schools can provide high quality educatiojn and gain the award
• KS2 teacher at Carlton and Faceby NPQH
• Both Foundation Stage teachers competing post graduate diplomas in Early Years’ Education
• Within the first year of the confederation the staff and HT drew up a programme of reviewing policy and practice documents. It was decided to evaluate and then  re-write as many policy documents so that they were fully applicable to our new structure as a confederation of two schools
• There is a rolling programme of policy reviews
• Confederated staff meetings and confederated membership Primary Leadership Groups supported the development of these policies
• A similar programme was later drawn up for the Confederated School Development plan and then for the School’s Self Evaluation Forms
• The organisation of leadership and management  of the confederation which is reflected in the school’s SEF, SDP and curriculum planning is very good
• Good organisation and leadership reflected in teamwork and a commitment by all to the provision of high quality education
• The confederation has provided an opportunity for leadership at all levels
• Confederated Curriculum leadership which engages in the sharing of expertise
• Confederated GB meetings and duty governor visits see records of visits via reports disseminated at GB meetings
• Teachers plan to make lessons exciting and fun and regular monitoring of teaching and learning takes place
• Effective planning to which supports good teaching and the subsequent effective learning by the pupils in both schools
• Effect learning resulting from the sharing of expertise e.g.
• Comprehensive record keeping
• Pupils work with staff to set termly targets
• Children have individual termly targets which are reviewed with them
• Progress of individual children across the confederation known to all staff
• Pupils with SEN have termly IEPs
• Effective marking – which gives recommendations for improvement
• Monitoring of reading supports improved reading standards
• HT has an awareness of what goes on in the classroom observing the quality of teachers’ questions and teaching styles
• Local, regional and national recognition of our confederation as a leading example of confederated practice
• Confederation has secured the future of two small school
• Greater use of ICT between the schools to reduce duplication of letters
• More effective budgeting – sharing of resources and expertise
• Sharing of pro-forma for both schools’ prospectus
• The provision of high quality education that is supported by shared expertise
• Our confederation is used as  a high profile school example of leading confederation practice 
• The development of partnerships
• The sharing of Governance expertise
• Wider community involvement
• Using the media to inform the wider community of how our confederation is evolving and its successes
• Presentations and workshops for county councillors, LEA, HTs, Governors of other schools who are considering confederation in North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, and for Diocesan conference
• Requesting a Confederated OFSTED inspection as both school were due for inspection within one term of each other
• KS2 teacher involved in talk for Learning Initiative and has completed the 5 day Maths course
• All staff involved in the Primary  Schools’ Learning Networks
• HT involved in drawing up the initial bid with two other HT colleagues
• High quality planning and teaching which addresses the needs of individual children
• HT and Leading Teachers involved in Primary Leadership Programme
• Two teachers involved in Modern Foreign Languages
• TA involved in TA qualification
• Teaching and non-teaching staff involved in first aid
• Competence
• All new governors have completed training in ‘How to be an effective governor’
• This year, three governors involved in HT performance management training
• HT involved in dissemination of Confederated Learning at the regional Diocesan conference - York
• Commitment to quality can be evidenced through the increasing number of endorsements of quality.
• The work undertaken by the confederated sub-committee meetings
• Confederated Staff meetings
• Effect learning resulting from the sharing of expertise e.g.
• HT is regularly trained as an assessor for the Basic Skills Agency
• We have school’s council’s and their recommendations are acted upon school’s council recommendations
• HT monitors teaching to give possible points for development
• Assessment
• Greater liaison with Scallywags Nursery, operates from Carlton and Faceby School, enables parents to have awareness of education that main primary school can offer their children
• As above
• Our confederation has resulted in more effective best value
• Higher community profile for both schools
• Public presentations of Confederated work
• Confederated curriculum evenings and workshops
• Providing National guidance on how small schools can  provide high quality education and gain the Basic Skills Quality Mark
• Sharing travel costs, tuition fees, resource purchases and shared fund raising

What difference does it make?

• Greater liaison with the PVA nursery (on site) ensures that children are given a good start to their education
• Sustained high standards in Literacy and Numeracy
• The confederation has received many awards recognising the quality of learning, teaching and leadership within the confederation
• It has been recognised locally, regionally and nationally as a leading example of confederated practice
• External recognition for the provision of high quality education that is supported by shared expertise
• Parents are now confident in the learning and teaching in both schools

From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?

• Quality Mark Certificate
• RE Scheme
• Ofsted report
• Planning for Primary Learning Network
• CPD records
• GB Minutes
• SDP
• SEF
• LEA reviews
• Pupils‘ books
• Targets in pupils‘ books
• Letters of commendation from parents
• Press cuttings
• BBC coverage
• Rising School Roll in both schools
• Basic Skills published article
• Minutes of Meetings
• Since confederation both schools recognised by OFSTED and recommended for inclusion on their Highly effective schools list – the first confederation in the country to achieve this 2004 - 2005
• SDP – audited by the Gov. Bodies in Autumn 2005
• Certificate of competency
• Qualified January 2006
• One teacher has qualified Jan 2006 and received commendation for the high quality of her work and been requested to pursue MA. 
• Letter of commendation sent to the teacher.The other teacher will finish his studies in April 2006
• Newly formulated policy documents and records of GB minutes
• OFSTED report and subsequent re-writing of the whole RE scheme so that it addresses the needs of a confederation of VA and VC schools
• 2003, 2004, 2005.
• All governors have their own copy of SDP which is evaluated at confederated  GB meetings as an  agenda item
• Leadership and Management recognised by LEA – placed on LEA’s good practice site for Leadership and Management
• Newly established Management posts – one in each school SEF and SDP
• Curriculum leadership has now become leadership across the confederation
• Reports of visits written by governors which give very positive feedback and the minutes of meetings which reflect the work done to create an  effective confederation
• Teachers planning and photographic records e.g. prospectus, website and records of work displays
• Records of joint and individual planning review  of lesson monitoring
• OFSTED Report
• Parental confidence in teaching and learning that confederated schools offer – seeOFSTED questionnaires and letters of commendation from parents
• PANDA
• Music – confederated music teacher based at Carlton teaches each Key Stage each week
• Art/DT – KS2 teacher at Carlton and Faceby, whose is an Art specialist, teaches KS2 pupils from both schools
• Educational Visits Co-ordinator covers both schools
• OFSTED – “Teachers know their pupils well.”
• Pupils’ Records of Achievement files
• Staff meetings to analyse statutory and non-statutory assessments – NFER and SATs records and analysis
• Pupils’ SEN files

The Verifiers Comment

Quality learning and teaching throughout both primary schools which is supported through a shared expertise, vision and enthusiasm.