Agenda item

For the Select Committee to receive  the Education Standards Report 2020/2021.

Cllr Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services, introduced the item and Simon James, Service Director, Education and Children's Services, highlighted the following key points: 

·       The Cabinet Member thanked all the pupils and schools in Buckinghamshire for their ability to adapt to the changes and challenges occurring  throughout the pandemic. 

·       It was noted that the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged children and others has narrowed over the last 12 months.

·       Exclusions have continued to remain very low in Buckinghamshire. This was a result of the hard work of  teachers and support staff ensuring that the needs of children were met.

·       The frequency of Ofsted inspections has significantly increased since September. Buckinghamshire’s schools have been supported via the side-by-side programme and the school improvement team. The current inspection framework being used is significantly different to previously used frameworks. 

·       The support provided to schools in response to the pandemic highlights the strong partnership between the schools and the local authority. Support is offered in the form of supervision for head teachers and access to mental health support teams in schools for as long as it is required.

·       903 children are currently educated at home. This is a lower number than at the height of the pandemic and is in line with national average. The size of the team supporting these children has been increased and support is carefully being monitored. 

·       The report showed the hard work that had been undertaken by the schools and their staff, and Simon James noted that the schools were a real asset to Buckinghamshire.

During discussion, comments and questions raised by the Committee included:  

·       A member welcomed that the report considered the data produced over the past two years not to be a robust representation of Buckinghamshire’s pupils learning due to the pandemic.

·       It was also noted that most attainment results were not available in the 2020 report. It was hoped that after combatting the pandemic, a more comprehensive, data-heavy report could be presented with area specific information. There was confidence in the grades assessed by teachers.

·       The report stated that the slight attainment gap between pupils receiving free school meals and others has narrowed. The side-by-side programme was the main body focusing on this. The Challenge board, a comprehensive and collaborative group between head teachers and local authority officers, further supported this issue by targeting individual children in schools where the progress was not as fast as desired. Furthermore, the Quality First Teaching programme ensures that teachers are confident and competent about meeting those needs.

·       Simon James advised that overall he was very pleased with children’s progress which continued to improve. A partnership across schools allowing selected schools to support others was working well.

·       It was further stated that the report only showed countywide figures, and that it would be useful to receive a geographical overview of attainment figures to clearly see strengths and weaknesses of different locations. Simon James stated that this could be made available on request.

·       Simon James reported that breakdown of attendance figures could be provided to the committee as requested by a committee member. The Department for Education offered a daily return around attendance, which a dedicated attendance team was monitoring closely, particularly in relation to vulnerable children. The team worked closely with schools. Current attendance rate is roughly around 90 – 94 % and tended to be higher in primary schools.

·       The BASH training session on SEN was praised and the team was committed to continue delivering such sessions.

·       It was further stated that free school meal vouchers during the holidays and the holidays activities programme had been welcomed by many parents.

·       The healthy activities programme for schools is to be continued, as ongoing funding is received from central government.  Feedback received from head teachers was very positive.

·       The Council is also facilitating a huddles programme, which enables school leaders to raise issues (e.g. school closures due to Covid-19) with both the school improvement and public health teams in the Council.

·       Two members raised the point that despite the improvements seen in the reports, only one school in Buckinghamshire made it into the Sunday Times school ranking. It was advised that the margins between the ranks are usually very small (about 1 %). 89 % of Buckinghamshire’s schools are good or outstanding. It was noted that a ranking is not the only measurement of how good a school is, and feedback from parents and school leaders is taken into consideration when working on improvements. Buckinghamshire Council also ranked third within the group of statistical neighbours

·       Many members noted that the report provided an overview, but not enough in-depth data, especially compared to reports that have previously been received. The committee wished for more detailed data, measurable targets/actions and a breakdown rather than an average to allow Ofsted comparisons. Simon James acknowledged the comments from the committee and advised that more detailed data is available within reason if requested.  He noted however, that splitting the data often results in very small numbers, which may not allow sound conclusions to be drawn. The Council does, however, have access to Ofsted grading reports and additional support is provided for underperforming schools.

·       The committee was advised that the attainment figure gave a statistical value which is significantly higher than the national and statistical neighbours’ averages. Work is continuously carried out to improve pupil’s performance, e.g. through the side-by-side programme which allows well-performing schools to support other schools. Special schools were included in the Side by Side programme.

·       A member commented that the action plan mentions local experts training teachers, which means teachers are taken out of the classroom, which, in turn, may disrupt pupil’s education. It was suggested that instead, teachers could be seconded to work in other schools to support and upskill their colleagues for a term, allowing the school to make provisions before secondment commences. It was noted that the action plan for the Side by Side project focussed on intervention and prevention schools work to uplift school standards, and this could be shared with the committee. Headteachers reached out to help other schools, and worked with their middle leaders to ensure their work continued in their own schools.

·       Simon James noted that information regarding Early Years attainment would be included later on once assessments post pandemic were received. Action: Simon James

·       Simon James confirmed that grant funding from the Department for Education  for the Side by Side Programme and Challenge Group would cease and advised that discussions were being held at schools forums meetings in order to be retain  the level of service when the funding ceases. He assured the committee that the teams are dedicated to offering a service bespoke to children’s needs.

·       A substantial proportion of children leaves education at the age of 16. Simon James advised that some form of education is mandatory until the age of 16. The Council works with colleges and post-16 providers as well as ensuring map pathways for young people to access alternatives to schools, such as apprenticeships or supported internships as a pathway to the workplace.

·       It was noted that children looked after by the local authority for at least one day remain in the disadvantaged cohort for the next 6 years of their education. Vulnerable children (e.g. those in social care) who are electively home educated and those most vulnerable, receive the highest support. Thus, the team has been increased to support this area.

·       In line with national trends, girls in Buckinghamshire tend to perform better than boys. This may be attributed to learning styles and exam processes. Work with schools is undertaken to increase understanding of this issue.

·       It was hoped to include a champion for disadvantaged children within the 18 established liaison groups. 15 champions have been appointed, which have access to additional work led by the Education Endowment Foundation.

Much of the Side by Side programme’s and Challenge Board’s work was focused on particular age groups to implement strategies and interventions to narrow the key stage 4 gap.

·       In response to a question, it was noted that the Council is currently in conversations with head teachers and governors about how to further support them. A bespoke offer is currently being prepared for local school governors. Once the offer was accepted, it would be agreed how to measure the impact of the measures.

·       In conclusion of this item, Richard Nash, Corporate Director for Children's Services, paid tribute to the schools for doing an incredible job during the last few challenging years and ensuring education continued. He emphasised the value of the strong partnership with schools and the DFE. Finally he thanked Simon James and Gareth Drawmer and their teams for their contribution during the difficult past years. The Chairman echoed the comments and thanked the committee for their questions.