ASCL Independent Sector News | January 2026 Dear colleague
Happy New Year to you all. I hope you were able
to enjoy a well-earned break over the holidays, even if they already feel some
distance away. The Spring term is always a particularly demanding one, and I
know many of you will already be immersed in admissions assessments and
interviews. I wish you a successful and productive term ahead.
This edition of our newsletter highlights the
growing impact of independent–state partnerships, including powerful
contributions from care-experienced young people at the Permanent Secretary
Stakeholder Forum (PSSF), and an important opportunity for colleagues to make a
tangible difference through Lumina Tutoring. You will also find
updates on forthcoming statutory guidance and information about ASCL’s Leadership Appointment Service to support future
leadership recruitment.
Additionally, if you have not already booked your place at this year’s ASCL Annual
Conference in March in Liverpool, details of how to do so can be found here. I shall be running a
workshop entitled Harness your hopes: what will the independent sector look
like by 2036 and how we can prepare for it? Please do have a look at our
full line-up of keynote speakers, and book your place for what promises to be
an exceptional and thought-provoking opportunity for professional development
and networking. I look forward to seeing many of you there.
For now, please
remember that your comments and feedback are always welcome – you can email us
via our Tell Us inbox, and if
you need ASCL for any help or advice, you can contact our Hotline.
Thank you, as always, for your continued
commitment and engagement.
Best wishes
CURRENT ISSUESPermanent Secretary Stakeholder Group
On Tuesday, ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di’lasio and I attended this year’s
first meeting of the Permanent Secretary Stakeholder Forum (PSSF) at the DfE.
At this meeting, we were able to have two items
on the agenda which showcased the impact of independent-state partnerships. Firstly,
five hugely impressive alumni of the Spring Forward and Lumina Tutoring
programmes (which separately provide mentoring and support for care-experienced
young people) spoke with great power and openness about the impact which these
partnership-based programmes have had on their confidence, aspirations and life
opportunities.
Following this, Pepe and I outlined examples of
four programmes which specifically targeted transition between primary and
secondary stages: Speak Up, Year 6, Wollow, Southwark Community
Education Charity,
and Shine, in order to make the
point that future government policy regarding partnerships should focus on how
they can impact positively upon young people, and should recognise both the
role that partnerships involving independent schools can play in improving
outcomes and life experiences, and the factors which have contributed to
successful independent–state partnerships which may provide lessons for future
partnerships to reflect on.
This was the first occasion in which independent
school matters have featured at the PSSF, and we look forward to hearing what
follow-up to the presentations emerges.
Lumina Tutoring volunteering opportunity: your 45 minutes
can change a young person’s story
Following its involvement at the PSSF presentation, Lumina Tutoring would
like to encourage other staff from the independent sector to become involved in its mentoring programme, and Dr Gitanjali Bhattacharya (Head of Access and
Partnerships at Harrow School, and Director of Lumina Tutoring) has kindly
provided the following text explaining what such mentoring looks like for
volunteers.
“Educational outcomes for children in care
remain significantly lower than those of their peers, with persistent gaps
across every key stage, particularly in reading, writing and maths. The scale
of the challenge is clear:
- Key
stage 2: in 2019, 37% of children in care met the expected
standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with
65% nationally.
- GCSE: looked
after children (looked after 12 months+) had an average Attainment 8 score
of 18.3, compared with 45.9 across the overall pupil population
(2023/24). In 2023/24, only 9% achieved a grade 5 (a good pass) in
both English and maths, compared with 45.9% of all pupils.
- Higher
education: in 2018–19, only 13% of care-experienced young people
entered higher education.
“These disparities are driven by well-evidenced
factors, including frequent school moves (particularly disruptive in Years 10
and 11) and substantially higher rates of special educational needs (around
58% at KS2 and 74% for those in residential care).
“Lumina is a high-impact national programme
providing free, weekly, one-to-one online tutoring and mentoring for
care-experienced young people, delivered by qualified teachers. The programme
supports attainment in core subjects, builds confidence, and provides stable,
consistent academic and pastoral support for pupils who may experience ongoing
disruption.
“Lumina is delivered entirely by volunteer
teachers across the UK. Participating schools typically contribute two to three
teachers, each offering one 45-minute online session per week during term
time. The consistent relationship with a trusted, skilled professional is often
a critical factor in enabling progress and strengthening engagement with
learning.
“There is currently a long waiting list of
pupils seeking support. Lumina’s ability to reach more young people and
transform lives depends directly on increased volunteer capacity and sustained
engagement from schools and education leaders.”
To volunteer, or to discuss your school’s
involvement, please contact Dr. Gitanjali Bhattacharya at lumina@harrowschool.org.uk
Use of restrictive
force guidance
Please note that the guidance on restrictive force comes into effect on 1
April, replacing the 2013 guidance Use of reasonable force. Policies
therefore must be updated to reflect the new guidance. You can download the
guidance here.
ASCL LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENT SERVICESome of you may already be aware of the
leadership and recruitment service which ASCL offers. Here, Sarah Young, Head
of ASCL’s Leadership Appointment Service, outlines the ways in which it can help
your school with future leadership appointments.
Appoint with Confidence. Lead with Excellence
is
the driving force of our Leadership Appointment Service.
Over the last 35 years ASCL’s Leadership
Appointment Service
has secured more than 1,000 sector leaders across roles from Chief Executive
Officers, CFOs and Headteachers, all types of organisation and all geographic
areas from Central London to Yorkshire and as far afield as The Falkland Isles,
with a 96% market leading first round appointment rate.
Our service delivery points are unique within
the sector: - Primarily,
all of our consultants have been sector leaders and so are experienced
recruiters and recognise the importance of change management and effective
communication with all stakeholders when appointing a new leader.
- A
tailormade service for your context, culture, values, and ethos.
- trained
Executive leadership recruitment consultant to work with you throughout the
process.
- Continuous support from your recommended consultant throughout the process.
- Outstanding
high-quality applicant pack, capturing your own unique selling points;
marketing your vacancy in a highly attractive and informative manner, ensuring
key documents such as the person specification and job description accurately
reflect the requirements of the successful candidate.
- The
option to advertise on ASCL’s website, ASCL newsletters and ASCL social media
outlets.
- Direct
support and guidance for the Appointment Panel Members at every stage of the
recruitment process working within their skill set, confidence and capacity.
- Proactive
executive talent search to find the right candidate for your organisation using
ASCL networks.
- Design
and manage a thorough and comprehensive assessment process for selection
testing personal attributes and key competencies required.
- Full
candidate management from attraction to application to appointment.
As a bespoke offer, our
service provides end to end support of your recruitment service or technical
advice for final selection and everything in between.
Our consultants receive the highest quality, ongoing training provided by
the ASCL’s Head of Leadership Appointment Service
and ASCL specialists in
employment, legal, educational policy, independent sector and trust
development, as well as ongoing support and updates to ensure they are
at the cutting edge of educational policy.
We recognise that
financial and capacity challenges exist for all organisations, so our rates are
highly competitive, that coupled with our exceptional service, deliver an
ethical and value for money relationship.
We are always delighted
to work with leaders, governors and executives as your trusted recruitment
partner and would very much like the opportunity to speak with you about your
recruitment needs. If you are interested in finding out more, please email Sarah.Young@ascl.org.uk or Consultancy@ascl.org.uk
ASCL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTKeep up to date with
all the latest events and CPD opportunities by signing up to ASCL
Professional Development News. See the latest issue and subscribe here. Our professional
development programme also includes the following:
- ASCL Conference for Pastoral Leaders: Discover how re-valuing pastoral leadership drives
whole-school improvement, builds strong collaboration with staff and
families, and uses data to turn insight into meaningful, inclusive
support. Leave inspired with practical ideas to boost attendance,
behaviour and wellbeing across your school or college. Manchester, 29
January. Book here. Plus, bring a colleague from just £99 + VAT (T&Cs
apply – see ‘fees’ when booking).
- ASCL Data Leader and Accountability Conference: Gain vital insights into
upcoming policy changes, curriculum and assessment reforms, and accountability
updates – helping you plan with confidence and lead data-informed improvement
in the year ahead. 5 February, London. See the full programme and
book here.
- ASCL Sustainability Conference 2026: We’re excited to bring this flagship event back on World Environment Day, 5 June 2026, at Birmingham City Football Club. Expect inspiring speakers, practical strategies, and a day dedicated to driving meaningful climate action in education. Book here.
- We
also provide tailor-made professional development for real impact: Empower
your team with bespoke training designed around the unique needs of your
school, college or trust. From leadership and governance to data, finance, and
curriculum planning, our expert-led programmes deliver practical, lasting
results. Partner with us to strengthen your people, drive improvement, and lead
with confidence. Full details of all
services here.
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