Jon ColesDirector General

Schools Directorate

Good policy requires three things

Politicalobjective

Deliveryreality

Evidencebase

Evidence-based policymaking

• Not in a vacuum

• Will happen at pace

• Integrate evidence at an early stage of the development process

• So need evidence on emerging issues ready in advance or be in a position to provide it quickly

• Evidence-based delivery of policy

The three key points:• Identifying the strategic requirement for

policy change, drawing on a comprehensive evidence base

• Taking the political context fully into account and anticipates future direction

• Drawing out strengths and weaknesses of the delivery system and managing for continuous improvement

Understanding context

CamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamdenCamden IslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslingtonIslington

Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston Kingston upon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thamesupon Thames

WandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthWandsworthLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambethLambeth

Richmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon ThamesRichmond upon Thames

Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith Hammersmith and Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulhamand Fulham

WestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterWestminsterKensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington Kensington and Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelseaand Chelsea

Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham Waltham ForestForestForestForestForestForestForestForestForest

RedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridgeRedbridge

Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower Tower HamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamletsHamlets

Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and Barking and DagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenhamDagenham

NewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewhamNewham

HackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackneyHackney

HaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringeyHaringey

SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark

EalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEalingEaling

HounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslowHounslow

LewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewishamLewisham

GreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwichGreenwich

BexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexleyBexley

HaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHaveringHavering

EnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfieldEnfield

BarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnetBarnet

HarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrowHarrow

BrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrentBrent

HillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdonHillingdon

MertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMertonMerton

CroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydonCroydon

SuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSuttonSutton

BromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromleyBromley

London WardsRank of Index of Multiple Deprivation

1 to 9991,000 to 1,9992,000 to 3,9994,001 to 5,9996,000 and Over

London faces the challenges of all metropolitan areas

London Wards by Rank of Index of Multiple Deprivation

… and the challenges of economic success

110%

115%

120%

125%

130%

135%

Men

Women

Average earnings of men and women - Greater London Relative to GB

Developing options

• Basing options for change on a comprehensive evidence base

• Devising options which incorporate ministerial/political objectives

• Structuring delivery systems to make things work

Gender balance in mixed London secondary schools

Gender Balance in Co-educational Secondary Schools, 2002

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

% of full time boys

Fre

qu

ency

, % Inner London

Outer London

National

The hierarchy of schools …

Getting to a decision

• Ensuring Ministers have robust, evidenced basis for decision-making

• Ensuring the decision is supported by political buy-in

• Providing a thorough assessment of deliverability

Meeting the pan-London Challenges

Keys to Success Schools

Keyboroughs

A single strategy

Making it happen

• Structuring and using lessons learned from evaluation

• Maintaining political legitimacy

• Performance managing delivery of policy effectively

At break in the time series, end of Key Stage 4 attainment was

consistently 0.2ppt above equivalent figures for 15 year olds.

For 5 years running London’s secondary schools have outperformed the national

average in the proportion of students achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and maths. London has reached the level of

the PSA target set for 2011 (53%).

London is now the highest performing region

43.3

45.8

47.9

50.7

54.0

32.433.9

35.136.7

38.539.3

41.042.5

44.0

45.8

48.2

50.7

34.0

35.937.3

38.139.5 39.5

40.4

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

% 5

+ A

* -

C in

cl. E

ng &

Mat

hs

London Maintained schools

15 year olds End of Key Stage 4