Value for Money Statement Academy trust name: Diocese of Brentwood Multi Academy Trust Academy trust company number: 08610377 Year ended 31 August 2014 I accept that as accounting officer of Diocese of Brentwood Multi Academy Trust (comprising St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School), I am responsible and accountable for ensuring that the academy trust delivers good value in the use of public resources. I am aware of the guide to academy value for money statements published by the Education Funding Agency and understand that value for money refers to the educational and wider societal outcomes achieved in return for the taxpayer resources received. I set out below how I have ensured that the academy trust’s use of its resources has provided good value for money during the academic year.

History - St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Basildon, converted to an Academy 01.12.13. The Academy converted with zero carry forward funds from the Local Authority, Essex County Council. St Teresa’s is the only Academy in the Diocese of Brentwood Multi Academy Trust.

The key areas in which I have secured Best Value for Money are: 

Managing the Academy Strategic and Operational Plan to include the recruitment of all teaching staff being judged as at least good with regards to teaching over time.

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Ensuring the Academy has invested for long term improvement according to the Strategic Plan and robustly evidencing this investment with regard to GB (Governing Board) challenges

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Improving the NOR (Number on Roll) and, through such long term investment, securing the NOR

Best Value for Money can be evidenced in the following areas: 1) Attendance and Punctuality – significant improvement across all year groups leading to better T&L (Teaching and Learning) outcomes. 2) NOR at 01.12.13 was 164 compared with 179 at 24.10.14 3) Staffing - Robust staffing restructuring has ensured that most teachers have been judged as at least Good with regard to ‘teaching overtime’ - see SEF (Self Evaluation Form) 2014 4) Training – Staff appraisal targets for all teaching staff (CPS/UPS/Leadership Scale) and teacher self evaluation has led to bespoke CPD (Continual Professional Development). The impact can be seen in pupil progress and attainment across all year groups – see SEF 2014 5) T&L – Investment has been made throughout the school environment directly impacting on T&L outcomes – see data 6) EYFS (Early Years and Foundation Stage) – Refurbishment of the EYFS learning environment has been completed and offers rich provision for EYFS pupils - see data 7) NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) - Recruitment of a successful NQT and the investment of additional monitoring and training for this member of staff in EYFS has ensured that the NQT is now a good teacher – see data and SEF and increased NOR for 2014/15 EYFS intake (2013 intake 22 pupils compared to 2014 intake 28) 8) YEAR 5 Music Project – Where previously there was limited music provision, the HT (Headteacher) sought out a bespoke Music Project and managed it to a successful conclusion. This investment of HT and staffing time has resulted in financial gain and reward for all pupils and the future of the school. The Year 5 pupils are more confident and this is having a positive impact on T&L. The school now has its own orchestra due to donations of instruments and has been further rewarded with staffing resources to teach music together with staging resources. The free publicity has raised the profile of the school which has led to increased NOR 9) ICT (Information and Communication Technology) – Following collaboration between pupils and staff and where previously there was limited provision, the HT has driven the curriculum to ensure ICT has been enhanced and integrated across the curriculum. The HT trialled an ICT project in 2013/14 ensuring all pupils had access to ICT individually and as groups. This project has had positive T&L outcomes and as a result, ICT work stations are being introduced into all KS2 (Key stage 2) classrooms from the 2014/15 Budget – see data 2

10) NOR - at point of conversion the school was in a vulnerable position due to falling NOR. The HT decided to hold back a contingency to support the 2014/15 capacity to improve until such time as NOR becomes stable. This investment was challenged by the GB at the time but due to other HT VFM (Value For Money) initiatives, NOR is increasing. 11)The Catholicity of St Teresa’s Our Mission statement ‘With Jesus we Live, Love and Learn’ underpins the school life of our Academy. The improvement of Behaviours and Safety can be seen in pupils’ attitudes to learning. Our school community was judged as Good in the Section 48 Inspection, July 2014 – see report on website 12)BCCT – St Teresa’s is part of the Basildon Catholic Collegiate Trust – comprising 4 Catholic Schools in total: a. St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School (Academy), St Anne Line Infant School (Local Authority School), St Anne Line Junior School (LA School) and De La Salle Secondary School (LA School) b. The BCCT meets regularly and works collaboratively to discuss and implement improvement across the schools, offering individual and collective support. The BCCT examines the impact of actions taken with regard to VFM. c. Primarily in 2013/14, the BCCT has given money to the Academy to support EYFS provision, the impact of which has been monitored and evaluated by the other Headteachers in the BCCT during their visits. d. VFM has been evidenced in: Joint monitoring of Teaching and Learning, shared INSET (training), shared teaching staff, school musical events/shared resources/sharing of travel costs to same events/sharing of minibus 12)Governing Board o The restructure of the GB has led to the Board robustly challenging decisions of the HT, seeking to measure the impact through evidence o Eg: the HT’s request to use a percentage of the Pupil Premium Grant to recruit a Pupil Support Worker to work closely with hard to reach parents and support vulnerable pupils across the school. The impact being parents attend school run workshops, attendance and punctuality improved, parents now feel the school is supportive and behaviour has improved greatly o Eg: the purchase and impact of IPads throughout the school- see data attached 3

o Eg: The involvement in the Year 5 Music Project with Fresh One TV – the investment in the HT’s time to successfully manage this project o Table shows impact of the project on progress Average progress of Year 5 pupils from Autumn to Summer 2014

Year 5

Reading

Writing

Maths

3.9APS*

4.1APS*

4.1APS*

*3.5 is expected progress in one academic year

o Eg: The decision to recruit an additional class teacher to allow the AHT (Assistant Headteacher) to become non class based. Meaning the AHT would have more impact across the school by leading interventions and closing the gap, strategically driving improvements in the quality of Teaching and Learning with a focus on Literacy and mentoring staff new to St Teresa’s. The impact of this will be reported on in 2014/15 VFMS (Value for Money Statement). o IN CONCLUSION: I am most proud of my success to ensure Best Value For Money in the following areas: 

Progress and Attainment of children has risen across the school evidenced by Key Stage 1 and 2 SATS results and EYFS early learning goals in particular closing the gap and ensuring that our children are in line with National Expectations

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Our pupils are happy and want to learn with real enthusiasm.

The areas I will seek to improve on for 2014/15: 

Following GB discussion we recognise that the areas for improvement in 2014/15 Budget will include more Benchmarking and Economies of Scale

Signed: …………………………......................................... Name: Mrs Nuala Cashell Academy Trust Accounting Officer Date: 19.11.14

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SEF extracts relating to above report Key Stage 2 attainment this year was good. 2014 L4 (+/- 2013) Nat L5+ (+/- 2013) Nat Reading 100 (+11) 88 43 (+10) 49 Writing 83 (+5) 85 22 (0) 33 Grammar, 74 (-7) 76 61 (+28) 52 Punctuation and Spelling Mathematics 91 (+2) 85 26 (+11) 42 Key Stage 1 attainment was good 2014 2b+(+/- 2013) 2a (+/- 2013) 3 (+/- 2013) Nat Nat Nat Reading 82 (+9) 81 63 (+9) 26 (+7) 31 Writing 78 (+40) 70 48 (+29) 15 (+15) 16 Mathematics 85 (+23) 80 44 (+17) 22 (+18) 24 This cohort of 27 included 4 SEN pupils, 2 at SA+, 2 statements. 1. Pupils make good progress in all subjects. The vast majority of groups in all cohorts are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. 2014 progress data at Key stage 2 shows good progress:  100% of pupils made expected progress in reading (provisional national = 93%).  95% of pupils made expected progress in writing (provisional national = 96%).  91% of pupils made expected progress in maths (provisional national = 92%).  57% of pupils made more than expected progress in reading (provisional national = 34%).  43% of pupils made more than expected progress in writing (provisional national = 33%).  48% of pupils made more than expected progress in mathematics (provisional national = 35%).  2014 progress data for Year 2 shows that pupils, on average, made a full level of progress in each subject. Overall progress is good:  In reading pupils made 7 points progress.  In writing pupils made 6.9 points progress.  In mathematics pupils made 6.2 points progress.  Progress in other year groups in 2014 was also good:  From the start of spring term 2014 to the end of summer 2014 Y1 made 4.4 points in reading, 5.8 points progress in writing and 3.8 points in progress in mathematics – if progress was taken over three terms this would show that pupils, on average, made at a least a level of progress.  Y1 phonics outcomes (63%), in 2014, were below national. This group comprised of 65% boys.  Year 3 points progress: Reading 4.1 Writing 4.3 Maths 3.8  Year 4 points progress: Reading 4.4 Writing 6.3 Maths 4.6  Year 5 points progress: Reading 3.9 Writing 4.1 Maths 4.1. EYFS Pupils start school from a low baseline - 74% (Prime) 100% (Specific) of children come into Reception at the band below typical development for their age (below Reception entry expectations). Progress in EYFS is good because EYFS outcomes are in line with national expectations (GLD 62% - in line with national: 60% 2014). *awaiting nationals 2014 Emerging (N Expected Exceeding 2013) Reading 33.3 N* 38.1 N 28.6 N Writing 33.3 N 52.4 N 14.3 N Number 33.3 N 57.1 N 5 N Overall 14.8 N 70.6 14.6 N

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