Schools white paper proposals concern ADCS

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The proposals, which were set out in the 21^st Century Schools white paper earlier this week, will limit local authorities’ ability to influence school performance.

But councils will still be accountable if a school in their area is not up to scratch.

Kim Bromley-Derry said the plans are concerning because school standards are a factor in councils’ annual performance ratings.

Local authorities need informal channels to offer support, monitor progress and challenge inadequacies if they are to fulfill their responsibilities to children and young people, he said.

Bromley-Derry also called on government to explain how proposals in the white paper would be funded.

So far no extra funding has been announced to pay for one-to-one tuition in schools or new multi-agency teams.

He said: Many of these developments will have additional costs associated with them. Personal tutors and one-to-one tuition require heavy investments in staff, while re-locating other professionals to schools can require significant investment.  Local leaders will be reluctant to commit to implementing measures until the additional funding is secure.

Despite this, Bromley-Derry welcomed the fact that the white paper aligns schools with children’s services.

He said: The white paper makes some very sensible proposals for better involvement of schools with other services for children, whether these services are provided by the local authority, the NHS or other organisations.