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NEW SCRUTINY UNIT TO TACKLE RED TAPE IN SCHOOLS – MILIBAND
14 April 2003The Government will continue its concerted attack on teacher workloads today, by launching the first-ever independent scrutiny unit made up of frontline teachers, to cut red tape and free schools of bureaucracy. The Implementation Review Unit (IRU) is a key component of implementing the national workforce agreement and will tackle unnecessary paper work, assess workload implications and reduce bureaucratic processes. It shows the continued progress and delivery by signatories to reduce workloads and help teachers focus on improving pupil learning. A panel of 12 experienced practitioners – nine serving head teachers, two senior teachers and one school administrator will review existing and new policy initiatives by the Government and other relevant organisations including Ofsted and the QCA. It will hold quarterly meetings and discuss issues of concern with Ministers twice a year.School Standards Minister David Miliband said: “We want to free up teachers’ time to allow them to concentrate on what they do best – teaching. The new unit will bring headteachers and teachers into the heart of Government to bring a professional perspective on the drive to cut red tape. “This is a real opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the quality of our education service, and to improve the job satisfaction and morale of frontline staff working in schools. The new unit will be leading the drive to eradicate burdens on teachers.”
Dr Chris Nicholls, Headteacher of Moulsham School in Essex and Chair of the IRU Panel, commented: “The new unit will have a key role in ensuring the reduction of bureaucracy within our schools. It is a real opportunity to bring greater coherence and cohesion to the education service as a whole. Its formation is an innovative part of the national workforce agreement and it will give practitioners a powerful voice. “We must continue the drive to raise standards and to transform our schools, but we must also make a real difference to the professional lives of those who work in them. My appointment as Chair is a genuine privilege and I look forward to the challenge that lies ahead.” The Government also announced the development of a national network of support to help schools implement workforce reform. A national remodelling team will provide advice, guidance and case studies and will develop training materials for schools. LEAs will also be involved in working with schools locally to foster collaboration and spread good practice. The national remodelling team will be led by Dame Patricia Collarbone, director of leadership development programmes at the National College for School Leadership. It will build on the experience of the 32 Pathfinder schools that have been testing innovative solutions to teacher workload. David Miliband added: “To be sustainable, workforce reform needs to be owned by schools and adjusted to their local priorities and needs - it can’t be directed from the centre. But schools will need support in managing what is a fundamental change of culture. And they must be given access to the ideas and experiences of other schools that have already begun to tackle reform.”
Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to England
(1) The National Agreement signed in January 2003 by the Government, employers and school workforce unions committed to establish an independent Implementation Review Unit as part of a concerted attack on bureaucracy. (2) The overall aim of the Unit will be to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of policies, in order to raise standards and contribute to a reduction in teacher workload. The panel will hold their first meeting in May. A schedule will then be established for the remainder of the year.(3) The scope of the Implementation Review Unit’s work will cover all policies and procedures affecting the workload of schools and teachers, and all organisations that impact on schools in England. This will include DfES, national agencies such as Ofsted, QCA and TTA, as well as local education authorities and learning skills councils, and relevant bodies from outside the education sector.(4) IRU Panel members’ role will be:
a) Attend panel meetings, normally on a quarterly basis but more frequently during the start-up phase in 2003, and bi-annual meetings with DfES Ministers. Operate as a virtual panel by email between face-to-face meetings
b) Contribute to the development and delivery of a programme of work to review the implementation of existing policies.
c) Contribute to the development of comprehensive and robust systems to assess the implications of new policies for people who work in schools, before such policies are introduced.
d) Review impact assessments of new policies for the reasonableness of assumptions and timing of introduction, adequacy of consultation with interested parties, and quality of guidance
e) Receive reports on the operation of gatekeeper arrangements established in DfES and other organisations.
f) Bring up concerns about bureaucracy identified in the field and comment on the handling of representations made to the Unit by other organisations and individuals
g) Represent the Unit publicly as champions of reducing bureaucracy for schools
h) Contribute to and sign off the Unit’s annual report
i) Oversee and prioritise the work done by the Unit secretariat
In their own schools and regions, Panel members will:
j) Maintain a log of demands made on their individual school
k) Visit other schools and LEAs in their region to register concerns about existing or anticipated bureaucratic burdens, and examples of good practice
l) Attend LEA and Heads’ meetings, consult with other members of the school workforce, and develop informal networks
(5) Panel Members will be expected to devote between 12 and 24 days per calendar year to their role as a member of the Practitioners’ Panel. Apart from attendance at central meetings of the Unit, members will be free to decide which days to commit their work for the Practitioners’ Panel. For example, members may choose to work two consecutive days in a month. The Panel will be supported by a secretariat, which includes senior school and LEA advisers.(6) The DfES will cover the full salary and associated costs of Panel Members for all days worked for the Panel. All expenses incurred relating directly to work carried out for the Unit will be reimbursed. Members of the Practitioners’ Panel will be recruited for an initial period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension for up to a further 12 months. (7) Dr Chris Nicholls, 52, has been Headteacher of Moulsham High School, Chelmsford, for over 12 years and he was Deputy Head for 8 years before that. Moulsham High School is a community school with 1583 pupils and 150 staff. Dr Nicholls has over 30 years total teaching experience in Secondary schools with a background in Physics. Dr Nicholls has extensive representational experience and is a regular speaker at national conferences. He currently chairs the Pay and Conditions committee within the Secondary Heads' Association’s National Council and is a member of the Workforce Agreement Remodelling Group. Dr Nicholls was awarded a CBE for Services to Education in June 2001.(8) The national team will help to develop, train and coordinate change management advisers. They will bring them together on a regular basis, nationally and regionally, for training events, exchange of ideas and experiences and to develop effective cross-LEA projects. Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Press Notice 2003/0067
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