Swindon Archive News
Tribal gets to grips with turning round education
The company won a three year contract to run the department after Swindon LEA failed its Ofsted inspection last September 2001. But rather than take over education as a private enterprise, a unique aspect of the contract is that the company has to appoint and develop a senior management team to take over responsibility for education once the contract ends. They will be employed by Swindon Council, but answerable to an Education Partnership Board made up of teachers, governors, councillors and church representatives.
Tribal staff will be bringing a wide range of experience to the town. John Simpson is director of education comes with long experience and positive glowing reports when he was in charge in North Somerset and the London Borough of Brent.
Michael Daniels spent seven years running school management support services in Hammersmith and Fulham before working for Tribal to turn round failing education authorities in Waltham Forest and Hackney. Martin Grant is head of school improvement and used to work for the London Borough of Camden. Jean Samuel, a former assistant director of education in Portsmouth.
John Simpson said his team would be applying their wide range of experience to helping weak schools in Swindon improve and giving good schools the freedom to improve. "Schools have responsibility for delivering education and we want each one to grasp the benefits of autonomy and develop to their full potential. We need to build the respect and trust of all the stakeholders in the town¹s education service so that parents can see the tangible benefits for their children."
The Government has allocated a small amount of money to support the new management structures, but Tribal will have to work within Swindon¹s existing education budget long criticised as the lowest of any unitary authority.
Mr Simpson said the challenge is to look at existing spending patterns and to match them with the needs of the future whilst lobbying Swindon¹s case and bidding for maximum financial support.
The Tribal team get down to work with senior officers from Swindon¹s education department. Centre John Simpson, director of education, standing from left, Michael Daniels, Jean Samuel, Martin Grant. Sitting, Sue Stockwell, head of lifelong learning, Chris Wilson, finance group manager, Kim Burgess, support services manager
Swindon's education department should not fall into the failed category any longer, now that private firm Tribal Group has taken over its management and direction.The company won a three year contract to run the department after Swindon LEA failed its Ofsted inspection last September 2001. But rather than take over education as a private enterprise, a unique aspect of the contract is that the company has to appoint and develop a senior management team to take over responsibility for education once the contract ends. They will be employed by Swindon Council, but answerable to an Education Partnership Board made up of teachers, governors, councillors and church representatives.
Tribal staff will be bringing a wide range of experience to the town. John Simpson is director of education comes with long experience and positive glowing reports when he was in charge in North Somerset and the London Borough of Brent.
Michael Daniels spent seven years running school management support services in Hammersmith and Fulham before working for Tribal to turn round failing education authorities in Waltham Forest and Hackney. Martin Grant is head of school improvement and used to work for the London Borough of Camden. Jean Samuel, a former assistant director of education in Portsmouth.
John Simpson said his team would be applying their wide range of experience to helping weak schools in Swindon improve and giving good schools the freedom to improve. "Schools have responsibility for delivering education and we want each one to grasp the benefits of autonomy and develop to their full potential. We need to build the respect and trust of all the stakeholders in the town¹s education service so that parents can see the tangible benefits for their children."
The Government has allocated a small amount of money to support the new management structures, but Tribal will have to work within Swindon¹s existing education budget long criticised as the lowest of any unitary authority.
Mr Simpson said the challenge is to look at existing spending patterns and to match them with the needs of the future whilst lobbying Swindon¹s case and bidding for maximum financial support.
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