SPG Terms of Reference

SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP GROUPS (SPGs)

CORE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Membership

  • Each Group will be made up of the headteachers of the schools allocated to the SPG.
  • Each SPG will elect a chair and vice-chair annually.
  • The Chair will join the Strategy Board and act as a conduit for communication between the SPG and the Board.
  • A Deputy may stand in at SPG meetings if the Headteacher is not available. A representative from each school has to attend each meeting.

Role of the Chair/Vice-Chair

  • To chair meetings.
  • To liaise with schools that host meetings on domestic arrangements.
  • To provide agendas for meetings and ensure these are circulated prior to the meeting.
  • To report to the Strategy Board each half term by producing a summary report on the findings and agreements from the previous meetings.
  • To co-ordinate members together to act on the detail of the action plan (brokering support, challenge and professional development).

Purpose of the SPG

  • Each SPG will formulate an Action Plan to address areas for development identified following the sharing and analysis of the school’s data.
  • The core purpose of the SPG is as follows:
  • To contribute to the agreed activity of the REP
  • To celebrate and share success
  • To plan collaboratively to meet agreed needs that reflect our pupils, staff and community
  • To develop a shared approach to the curriculum, pedagogy and performance management
  • To commit to ensuring that the headteacher or senior leader will attend each meeting
  • To review data for the purpose of informing strategic planning, identifying strengths, offering challenge on outcomes and progress, negotiating common needs leading to the creation of support (covering CPD, research, policy development, closing the gap, EMA, and SEND support etc.).

Meeting arrangements

  • Each SPG will meet formally once each half term. These will be hosted in turn at a previously agreed member school.
  • Host schools will be expected to provide a note taker to minute the meetings.
  • Agendas for the meetings will consist of a combination of core items and local items.
  • All agendas will include:
    • Minutes of the previous meeting, matters arising, report by the Chair from the last Strategy Board meeting, date, time, venue and minute taker arrangements for the next meeting,
    • Items for recommendation to the Strategy Board
    • Any other urgent business to be considered at the meeting
    • Items for the next SPG meeting agenda
  • The proposed cycle of meetings for the year will be as follows:
Half termKey item
Autumn 1Review terms of reference

School data analysis, documentation of expertise and items for development
Autumn 2Agree action plan

Spring 1Review of progress towards identified school needs

Spring 2Mid-year data analysis

Summer 1Identification of CPD needs, identified in School Development Plans

Summer 2Review of action plan

Local additions to the SPG’s Terms of Reference

  • Each SPG may agree its own local terms of reference in addition to the core Terms of Reference and review these annually (local items may include for example considering how to meet local need and offering further challenge).
  • When changes or additions are made to the local terms of reference these will be presented to the next Strategy Board meeting for their information.

Data Sharing and analysis

  • A key function of the SPG is the data analysis process. This is the primary mechanism for:
  • identifying sources of successful practice that can be used for school-to-school support
  • celebrating local achievement and progress
  • identifying common needs based on data analysis
  • providing mutual support and challenge
  • The data analysis meetings are a core function. The process will be as follows:
    • The group members will agree a common data set to review in advance of it’s meeting (e.g. Early Learning Goal attainment, Phonic screening check scores, SATS results)
    • Each school will collate its data together using a common format to share with the other members at the agreed meeting.
    • Each school will also provide its own analysis of the data: strengths, areas to develop.
    • The group will hear a presentation from each school in turn and offer commentary on the self-analysis (we agree, we wish to add further constructive challenge).
    • The group will agree the areas of strength and areas to develop for each school in turn.
    • Once all school data has been scrutinised the group will collate it to form a report, highlighting the agreed areas for development for that SPG.
    • This report will be used to create the group’s action plan.
    • Sources of support for these needs will be brokered by the Chair from either within the group, via the local Teaching Schools or to the Strategy Board who will have an overview of the whole Partnership’s strengths and may be able to refer requests to another Group.
    • It is intended that negotiated support will be provided in a timely manner (within a term of the need being identified).
    • Most professional development will be offered without cost however if support is complex there may be a charge payable.