Transforming the School Workforce – Pathfinder

This pathfinder project was initiated by Estelle Morris when she was Minister of Education. She wished to examine ways in which the workload of teachers could be managed in order to allow teachers to concentrate on their main purposes – teaching and learning.

The Director of North Stockton Community Education Action Zone, Judy Hooton, put forward Abbey Hill as being a good school to take part in a pilot TSW Pathfinder Programme. We were successful and joined 31 other schools, primary, secondary and special, representing the 24,000 schools nationally.

The London Leadership Centre under the direction of Dame Pat Collarbone provided training for the head teachers of the pathfinder schools. Much of this training is focused on the leadership of change and understanding the change process.

The University of Birmingham are providing the evaluation for the project that began in March 2002 and will conclude in April 2004.

The pace of change involved in this project has been demanding and the process of implementing many changes within a short timescale has put significant pressures on all staff. The gains outweigh the disadvantages many times over and have had a positive impact on Teaching and Learning, and on the support available to teachers, though our formal evaluation is ongoing.

At Abbey Hill the changes implemented as part of the TSW Pathfinder Project include:

Full time Bursar; previously a 0.5 provision
Placement Officer; a person who organises and supports all work experience (new post)
Reprographics Technician; to support high quality learning material provision and release teachers to teach (new post)
Two domestic assistants to work on practical hygiene related activities with students and to supply refreshments to staff at break /lunch times (new posts)
Change to the terms and conditions of teacher assistants (known in Abbey Hill as Special Needs Assistant), and a restructuring of the SNA to provide specialisms and a career path with progression points.
Changes to the weekly time-table for students with extension and enrichment opportunities on Wednesday afternoons delivered by specially employed experts in Arts, Drama, Sport, Leisure and Life Skills activities. This also allows teachers time to meet and plan developments within the school day while still afresh rather than at present after school hours.

Remodelling of the assessment and reporting processes within school, reducing the overall demand on teacher workload.
Remodelling the staff rooms to allow a work free staff room adjacent to a staff work room with good ICT support available.
All teachers provided with a school lap-top computer.
All reprographics equipment up-dated.
Change of conditions of service for all technical and administrative staff who go to Whole Time Contracts.

We have only recently completed the appointments relating to this scheme so our evaluation of our programme overall is still at a formative stage. All monies supporting this pilot programme nationally cease at the end of March 2004.

A national roll-out of this scheme is intended to take place once the evaluation of the pilot programme is completed.

Further information is available from school if required. Please ring Sharon McHale on (01642) 677113.