Home > The Key’s survey of school leaders shows tough choices for England’s school leaders
The Key’s survey of school leaders shows tough choices for England’s school leaders
28/04/11
The English education sector is going through a time of great upheaval. Schools are being offered all sorts of new options at the same time as being affected by reduced local authority support. There are no quick wins on offer, and the responses to this survey show that school leaders are carefully considering their choices to ensure that their pupils receive the best outcomes possible.
School budgets
51% of respondents to the survey reported a reduced school budget, 32% an increased school budget and 7% a budget of about the same as previous years. However, a much lower percentage of secondary school leaders (17%) reported an increased school budget compared to those in primary (40%) and special schools (38%).
The Pupil Premium did not seem to create any large gains for any respondents, as it is offset by the loss of other income streams such as the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant.
In schools facing reduced budgets,47% of respondents said they would have to consider reducing staff headcount at their school and more were looking at reducing building maintenance and ICT provision.
In schools facing reduced budgets,47% of respondents said they would have to consider reducing staff headcount at their school and more were looking at reducing building maintenance and ICT provision.
Impact of reduced support from local authorities
With local authorities under pressure to cut costs by a substantial amount, 88% of respondents reported that support services for schools have been reduced. 60% of respondents plan to compensate for this reduction in support services by asking school staff to take on tasks previously handled by the local authority; adding to the pressure on school resources.
Another cultural shift is that 30% plan to increase their use of private sector companies to fill the gap in provision. This also has the knock-on effect of increasing administration for schools as they have more contracts to manage.
Some respondents commented that the situation will increase collaboration between schools in their area
Commissioning
Schools will be expected to take on more of a commissioning role as local authority support declines. However, only 28% of respondents felt very confident about commissioning services for their schools. 46% had some experience but would like to improve, and 26% had no experience.
Academy status
Across the country, schools are deciding whether to become academies. This is a complex decision that challenges school leaders to question their view on how the education system is organised.
43% of school leaders who responded to the survey said their school would consider converting to academy status.
Secondary schools seemed more likely to consider changing to academy status than primary schools. 73% of secondary school-based respondents said their governing body would consider converting to academy status whereas this was true of only 30% of primary school-based respondents.
73% of secondary school-based respondents said their governing body would consider converting to academy status whereas this was true of only 30% of primary school-based respondents.
Another factor is the size at which it’s financially viable for a school to become an academy. There is a much greater level of interest from schools which are 400+ pupils.
Personal opinions of academies were found to be 48% negative, 34% neutral and 18% positive.
Common themes within the comments included excitement about the opportunities on offer, and concerns about:
- What academy status will mean in practice
- Whether some schools are more suited to becoming academies than others
- The implications for the remaining community schools
- The wish not to be left behind and as the last community school standing
Curriculum and innovation
Freedom to innovate
Schools have been promised greater freedom to innovate by successive governments since 2001. We asked ‘Do you feel you have more freedom to innovate since the new government came into power?’
The majority (54%) of respondents said no, they did not feel they had greater freedom to innovate, 28% said yes, and 20% said they would love to but they just don’t have time.
Reaction to the EBacc
The EBacc seems to have divided opinion. This question was addressed only at school leaders from secondary schools. 41% of respondents plan to advise pupils to take EBacc subjects and 25% will create an EBacc pathway.
However, other schools are looking at the benchmark as an option not a requirement. It seems that schools which already have an academic ethos are more likely to embrace the EBacc than those which are more focused on a vocational qualifications or a creative curriculum.
Teacher training
The government is currently considering whether to reduce universities’ involvement in teacher training and focus more on on-the-job training in school.
96% of respondents to The Key’s survey believed that universities should still be involved in teacher training, pointing to very strong opinions in the sector on this issue.
About The Key
The Key is an independent service that supports almost 8,000 school and college leaders by providing practical, expertly researched answers to their questions on all aspects of school leadership and management.
These answers, which include case studies of good practice, sample documents etc., are shared online with all members of The Key, preventing duplication of effort between schools and colleges.
The Key - the service for school leaders
Notes to editors
The Key’s Spring 2011 survey was sent to its members in March 2011. The following report details their responses to questions on budget settlements, curriculum and innovation, academy status, teacher training, local authority support services, and their top priorities.
The Key’s membership base includes 10% of England’s schools. Their responses to The Key’s latest survey give a detailed picture of school leaders’ reactions to the choices they are currently facing. The response rate was 15% and is representative of schools across England.
Contact details
Catherine Allan
Communications Manager, The Key
Direct line: 0844 371 5750
Mobile: 07806 855 922
Email: catherine.allan@usethekey.org.uk