VELBERT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AUTONOMY

VELBERT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION • “Schools run schools”. Most of the decision making power rests with the Governing Body and headteacher, though the LEA has some powers of intervention where there are problems. • The key working document is the “Code of Practice on LEA-School Relations” (Please make sure you have Tameside’s version)

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION • Students may participate if there is a school council but this is voluntary • Parents and staff are represented on the governing body • the main fund is the Standards Fund • OFSTED decides who participates at external evaluation

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION • The governing body makes most decisions about teachers but the LEA is ‘employer of last resort’. • Teacher associations are still powerful but not as much as in the past. • Teacher recruitment, retention and motivation is a problem in England • The equality of women and men is desired but not yet achieved

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION • LEAs are the main means through which external support and intervention can be applied in a way which is sensitive to each school's performance and circumstancesranging from light-touch monitoring of performance in all maintained schools, through the provision of services, advice and challenge to help schools raise standards, to direct and robust intervention in a few schools where that is necessary to tackle underperformance.

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION • The government operates a principle called “first parental choice”. However this does not always work as successful schools are over-subscribed. LEAs manage but do not control admission policies. • Church schools, private schools and foundation schools have their own arrangements. • The introduction of specialist schools will affect individual students’ school careers.