The new normal

1
The new normal?

• LEACAN Annual Conference Dec 09

2
The Tory tomtom

• Two assumptions
• Political direction will change
• The belt will tighten
• Conservatives see public sector reform as
  critical to them now as industrial reform was to
  Thatcher
• The Conservative Policy Review process based on 3
  principles decentralisation accountability
  transparency
• Domestic reform agenda focused on 3 areas
  welfare the family schools
• Planning considerably advanced in recent months

3
Changing political winds

• Key Papers
• Labour 21st c schools. New Industry, New Jobs
• Tory Sykes. Get Britain Working
• Key speeches
• Lab Mandelsons Sept 09 Progress speech.
  Browns Sept 09 TUC speech
• Tory Camerons June 09 quango speech. Goves
  Nov 09 CPS speech
• Key words
• Progressive, tough, standards, rigour, choice,
  parents, local, employers, academy,
  apprenticeships, Sweden, technical, fight
• Key influencers
• Lab IPPR, Demos, Purnell, Miliband, New
  Statesman but not Blair
• Tory Reform, CSJ, Freud, Blair, Barnet/Kent,
  Tory grandees, The Sun
• Key countries
• Canada, Australia, Holland, Sweden, America
• Key celebs
• Labour Sir Alex
• Tory Carol Vordeman

4
Gloomy economic climate

• Key Papers
• Back to Black, How to save 50bn, A Recovery
  Plan for the UK, Skills, Jobs, Growth
• Key speeches
• Labour Darlings Sept 09 Cardiff speech. Browns
  Nov 09 CBI speech
• Tory Osbornes Conference 09 speech. Hammonds
  More for Less Nov 09 speech
• Key words
• Austerity, priority, responsibility, tough,
  investment, quango, bureaucracy, incontinence,
  sensitive
• Key reviews
• Schools funding review
• Banks FE fees review
• Browne HE fees review
• Key figures
• 946,000
• 0.3
• 200bn
• 19bn
• 9bn
• 30
• 171

5
The new normal

• Slimmed down central government the beehive
• Stripped down service model post bureaucratic
• Focus on outcomes not processes what will
  matter to us is whether or not a successful
  outcome is delivered at an affordable price not
  who delivers it Hammond Nov09
• Success judged on meeting efficiency savings
  rather than government targets
• Culture change driven by new incentives and new
  freedoms
• Accountability driven by the citizen rather than
  state agencies
• Greater use of technology to enhance transparency

6
A months a long timein schools

• Planning for a tighter future
• Balls 2.6bn bid
• DCSF Discussion Paper
• A new Schools Bill, legislating for
• Pupil/parent guarantees
• Report card
• New intervention powers
• Teacher licences to practice
• Curriculum
• Goves academic core
• Labours decision on iGCSEs
• Rose primary curriculum
• PSHE - Latin

• Testing
• 2010 contract
• Gibb SSAT speech
• Teacher assessment listings
• Disaffected youth
• Rose, Leahy, Rake
• 3rd quarter figures
• YP Guarantee pledge
• Select Committee Inquiry
• Not forgetting
• IAG Strategy
• NCF consultation
• ASCL Act
• The Gove Manifesto
• Launch of the New Schools Network and Education
  and Employers Taskforce

7
A months a long timein learning and skills

• National skills strategy
• New premium on higher skills through creation of
  new technician class
• Empowered learners through AACS and SAs
• Simplification of skills system
• New HE Framework
• Extended access and more diversity of provision
  inc FE
• Focus on high level skills programmes and
  graduate employability
• Strengthened quality and course labelling

• Skills Investment Strategy
• Across the board efficiencies and rate reductions
• Greater use of co-funding and sponsored provision
• Resource re-direction to high-level and
  economically valuable priorities
• Tackling unemployment
• Worrying figures about youth and graduate
  unemployment
• Brown YP Guarantees
• Camerons payment by results welfare programme
• Not forgetting
• ASCL Act
• Willetts FEFC consultation
• CBI and 157 Funding papers

8
A months a long time in HE

• HE Strategy
• New Skills Strategy
• UUK Report on the impact of universities on the
  UK economy
• Launch of the fees review
• Updates on ASN and application numbers

9
Cons education policy. Some specifics

• Strong prejudice in favour of a knowledge-based
  curriculum
• Core primary curriculum but support Montessori
  and Steiner models
• KS2 testing pushed to Year 7?
• Refocus schools around learning, dismantle
  extended services model
• Emphasis on established core subjects
  incentivised through distinct points system
• Strong independent regulator, more focused
  inspection system
• Not anti-vocational but keen to simplify and see
  it add value
• Support apprenticeships but only real ones
• More teacher training on the job, trained to
  degree level, possible differential pay scale
• Traditional model of colleges supporting skills
  development and community needs through dedicated
  funding agency
• Skills system goal of one funding body, one
  audit regime, one improvement body
• Controlled growth of HE through an integrated
  high-level skills strategy

10
Get Britain Working. Key Messages

• Expand YA programme
• Increase apprenticeship places
• Establish technical schools
• Reposition Diplomas
• Increase places in FE
• Increase places in HE
• Establish new integrated W2W programme
• Introduce Lifelong Learning Accounts
• Commission new high-tech taskforce

11
The funding context

• General
• Emergency budget followed by 3 year reduced
  spending programme incorporating dept by dept
  budget review
• Implementation of efficiencies as per Osbornes
  Conference speech
• Simplifying the organisational clutter
• Specific
• For schools simplified per pupil funding model
  with a per pupil premium, greater institutional
  autonomy and greater stakeholder control
• For FE continued use of funding formula but
  incentivised by an open trading market and
  adoption of Lifelong Learning Accounts
• For W2W switch of funds from grand projects to
  targeted programmes, greater focus on payment by
  results, use of availability contracts
• For HE awaiting outcomes of fees review but
  funded expansion through early repayment scheme
  and some trimming of provision

12
What might be in the first 100 days?

• Emergency Growth Budget and CSR announcement
• Launch of extensive public sector reform
  programme
• Release heat out of the system with new powers
  for heads, teachers and parents, less bureaucracy
  and less interference
• Identify worst performing schools and put under
  new management identify best performing
  schools and grant academy status
• Legislate for new free school model
• Put a system in place to establish a reading test
  for children after 2 years in primary and NC
  tests in Year 7
• Put LAs on notice, scrap QCDA and ? and add
  sunset clause on other quangos
• Introduce tighter budgetary controls and slash
  vanity projects
• Restructure DCSF and BIS
• Put machinery in place for new FEFC and funding
  compact
• Establish contracting process for new welfare
  programmes