Prominent academy trust bosses Becks Boomer-Clark and Lesley Powell will lead the government’s push to improve children’s transition into secondary school.
The CEOs – who run Lift Schools and the North East Learning Trust – will oversee a national alliance that ministers say will “drive innovation and build the evidence base for what works” at key stage 3.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said their “experience will be invaluable in spreading best practice across the country and supporting all children to achieve and thrive in these crucial years of adolescence”.
“For too many children this transition is challenging – engagement can fall, absence can rise and opportunities begin to narrow with disadvantaged pupils impacted the most,” she said.
“That’s why I’m determined to give these years the focus they deserve.”
‘More important than ever’
The Department for Education said the alliance will be supported by “regional networks to facilitate sharing of excellent practice with all schools and harness local innovation”.
It will have a particular focus on “increasing engagement and belonging, improving literacy and numeracy, strengthening assessment and data coherence in key stage 3 and embedding skills, agency and pathways to adult life”.
Phillipson added: “As young people navigate the transition to adolescence, it is more important than ever that schools are intentional about how they support, challenge and inspire them to keep learning and growing.”
The government revealed it would launch the programme in its response to the curriculum and assessment review last year.
Proposals were also mentioned in the schools white paper, which said the scheme will help schools collaborate on issues including the transition from primary, teaching and curriculum, attendance, and strengthening KS3 data.
It will form part of the government’s universal RISE offer, a service designed to help all schools improve.
‘No school an island’
Speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders conference this morning, Phillipson said no school is an “island”, with “high walls in the name of high standards” not being enough.
She called for greater collaboration and a “new era to education” to have every child leaving school “ready to contribute”.
Phillipson also told the conference white paper proposals were not drawn “from the Whitehall sky” but from what’s working already in schools.
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