Consultation on the core contract – please have your say

For all maintained school headteachers and Chairs of Governors

As many of you will be aware, since January HCC and HFL Education have sought your views on the support provided to Hertfordshire maintained schools via the core contract.

We have listened to your feedback and are making changes as a result. The new contract for maintained schools will:

• Build on the awareness of the support available to maintained schools (using ‘the trees’ to describe the core contract)
• Develop a stronger sense of collegiality and belonging for maintained schools in Hertfordshire, using thematic, termly 'preventative' meetings to cover issues such as grievances, complaints, OFSTED
• Provide complaints support –for complex complaints that reach Stage 2 (this is currently a traded service)
• Dovetail HCC and HFL Headteacher Briefings so that there isn’t duplication and they will be free of charge
• Make sure that the community is connected. People in the eco-system are vital – HFL will continue to raise standards with their staff, have feet on the street and connect groups, including ongoing engagement via more regular contact with consortia groups, so that we can continue to hear and act upon your feedback
• Build on support for community cohesion, looking at how we can alleviate pressures on schools from breakdowns in relationships with the staff, pupils, their families and the wider community

It will soon be time for you to provide us further feedback by voting in the consultation which will be running from 1st to 15th October.

The outcome of the consultation will inform the Schools Forum decision re whether or not to vote back funds that help to provide this contract, so your vote matters!

Hertfordshire has a family of schools with collaboration at the heart of special relationships – between schools, HCC and HFL. The core contract is the glue that binds us together, so your involvement in the consultation will be vital to ensure we can continue to provide a great education to all young people across the county. Please look out for emails re the consultation from 1st October and make sure you cast your vote.