Summary - A large federation exhibiting the principles of an effective Education Improvement Partnership. Taking responsibilty for wide range of functions in the local area, and working together based on effective communication, to improve teaching and learning.

“The Chesil Education Partnership (CEP) aims to ensure that all learners being educated in our area achieve their full potential by enabling schools, colleges, parents, carers and the wider community to work together for the benefit of all. Every Child Matters” Aims & Vision, Article 2 of CEP Constitution."

Brief Overview

The aims of the CEP are realised and developed through a plethora of projects and activities across a range if initiatives and agendas. The work of the CEP is multi-dimensional; it enthuses and inspires change through a collaborative approach to challenges coupled with innovation and clear thinking.

Chesil is a soft federation of all 28 schools and colleges in and around Weymouth and Portland, Dorset. The Partnership was formed by Head Teachers and Principals frustrated with a lack of support from the then LEA, a hope that the sum would be stronger than the parts and shared commitment for the achievement of individual learners not individual organisations. It was launched in January 2004 and continues to win hearts and minds by doing and achieving rather than waiting and hoping.

Chesil has achieved much in a short time in Inclusion, Attainment, Transition, CPD, ECM, ICT and key Government initiative development. For example –

o The Compass is a new specialist inclusion centre that the Partnership created by remodelling resources devolved to it from by the Local Authority from an existing PRU. The Compass has had immediate impact; Chesil permanent exclusions dropped from 15 to 1 and capacity to support learners increased from 60 to 120. More importantly, learner’s attainment and achievement has risen because schools and the Compass work together to share resources and to provide the best possible personalised learning programmes. The Compass is cited by OfSTED and the DfES Inclusion Unit as ‘visionary’ and it is presented nationally as an exemplar model.

o Primary College provides an opportunity for all 800 Chesil Year 6 pupils to partake in a choice of over 70 exciting vocational, applied and academic half day workshops at Weymouth College. For a week at the end of the summer term children work in mixed school groups, learn with adults they have never met and move within the large college campus. They develop the social skills they need for successful transition into Secondary School and they see the bigger picture of what learning can be. At the start of Year 7 the traditional dip in attainment and focus has been reduced, children settle down quickly, they make friends easily and they are more confident. The full impact of this programme will be seen when the first cohort from 2005 make post-16 choices.

o Every week in Chesil schools and colleges there are one, two and sometimes three twilight CPD sessions called 1700CPD (they normally run from 1600 -1700, hence the name) provided free for all Chesil staff. They range from Classroom Management and Using Whiteboards to Sign Language and Practical Parenting. 1700CPD meets professional as well as personal needs; it is voluntary to attend, delivered by staff for staff, valued and cost effective. In addition to weekly CPD, the Partnership has an annual Chesil Training Day for all staff (in 2006 this focused on ECM) and an annual Leadership Conference. Also, in 2006 the Partnership worked with NCSL to pilot locality delivery of the Certificate in School Business Management. This proved to be a successful delivery model that the NCSL is now promoting nationally.

o Chesil employs ICT technicians who provide a full and free ICT support service to 24 schools. The service includes; scheduled weekly visits, emergency cover, remote server support, email help desk and knowledge bank, planning & specifying, procurement, hardware & network installation, user CPD and a School ICT Coordinators network. The impact of this consistent high quality service has been raised attainment in Primary ICT because computers, whiteboards and the internet are always available for teaching and learning – technical down time is negligible and user expertise is constantly increasing. This is a very cost effective service that is highly valued by school leaders and teachers.

o All 14-19 learning providers in the Partnership have recently worked together to plan the delivery of the 14-19 Diplomas and write the Gateway Assessment submissions for all 5 Diplomas at all 3 levels – a collaborative effort that no other schools and colleges in Dorset were able to achieve. The CEP wants to be in the first cohort because they have identified a great need amongst Chesil learners. This has been seen in the enthusiastic participation and engagement in the 14 -16 Increased Flexibility Programme. The Partnership is also developing and piloting an e-ILP which the Local Authority intends to roll out across Dorset and beyond.

Partnership working and learning opportunities occur in all Key Stages, across the Curriculum and beyond. Chesil is now coordinating the roll out of Extended Schools in its locality and it is set to be an Innovations Unit ‘Next Practice’ field trial for Community Learning.

All 28 Head Teachers & Principals and the Executive Director form the CEP Leadership Group; this is guided by a smaller Steering Group of leaders from each phase and type of institution. The day to day operational activity of the Partnership is the responsibility of the Executive Director with support and advice from the Partnership Chair and Vice Chair, both full time working Head teachers from Chesil schools.

The Executive Director has a small and flexible team consisting of 4.8 full time positions with the following roles; Finance Officer & Extended School Coordinator, ICT Manager, ICT Technician, PA & Project Assistant. The Director also jointly manages the e-ILP Development Officer who is funded by the Local Authority. This is a multi-tasking, multi-dimensional and cost effective team who have come into education following careers in other industry sectors.

The Partnership has given ‘permission’ for colleagues from a variety of institutions to work together; this ‘permission’ may not have been explicit in the past. There are now many working groups that feedback to the Leadership Group, for example; Primary MFL, Chesil SENCOs, Work Related Learning, 14-19 Management and Link Governors.

The Partnership receives no core funding from central Government or the Local Authority. Part of its operational income is generated by raising a levy based on pupils on role; this is a remarkable testament to the value placed on the Partnership by school and college leaders as most institutes are managing deficit or very lean budgets. Further income is generated by bidding for funding linked to specific projects and initiatives such as Extended Schools. A small amount of revenue is generated by delivering & facilitating workshops and training for schools and organisations outside of the CEP. All funding is made to work hard with extremely effective procurement and cost saving at every opportunity.

To see the Chesil Education Partnership Constitution please click here ( 170 Kb).       

Contacts

Vanessa Lucas          Chair of CEP & Head of St Andrew's Primary           01305 832346

Sue Stockham           Vice Chair of CEP & Head of Radipole Primary        01305 783353

Gary Fooks                Executive Director of CEP                                     01305 206132

Jocelyne Poole           Finance Officer & Extended Schools Coordinator    01305 206134

James Hatch              ICT Manager                                                      01305 206131

Chesil Office                                                                                       01305 206130