The
role of the Local Education Authority in school education
Part
2: Modernising methods of working
Need
for new ways of working and proposals for action
The
Government will also continue to tackle inadequate performance through
direct support and intervention. As part of the Best Value requirements
on Local Authorities, Education Authorities are required to explore
new ways of working and to assess their current performance against
alternative ways of delivering services.
Some
Authorities are already leading the way and asking fundamental questions
about how best to carry out the Local Education Authority role in
the 21st century. More Authorities need to be encouraged and enabled
to do so. Authorities also need to operate within a framework which
ensures the quality of all services. In some cases performance measurement
is straightforward and Authorities can easily benchmark their services
against others. But the lack of national professional standards for
school improvement services is a key weakness of current arrangements,
and one which could hold back the pace of reform.
To help remove
any unnecessary constraints on progress, the Government believes
that there are four practical further ways in which authorities
can build on Fair Funding and reinforce the modernising agenda.
These activities are not offered as alternatives, but all reinforce
each other and are designed to operate together:
Education
Authorities can help to promote a more open market in school services
and take steps to ensure that all schools have the knowledge and
skills they need to be better purchasers of goods and services,
in line with the Best Value principles;
Education
Authorities can test out new ways of sharing school improvement
responsibilities with groups of schools who have the knowledge
and skills to discharge that role;
Education
Authorities can develop and trial new ways of discharging responsibilities
in partnership with other Local Authorities, and with other public,
private and voluntary sector bodies; and
we are also
considering the development of national professional standards
and national recognition of those engaged in the key role of school
improvement.
