Agenda item

For the Select Committee to note the Education Standards report for 2021-2022, delivering key information relating to educational outcomes for Children & Young People in Buckinghamshire. The report gives the first attainment data at Early Years and Primary School level that has been published since the Covid pandemic. 

Contributors:

Cllr Anita Cranmer, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services and Education

Simon James, Service Director for Education

Gareth Drawmer, Head of Achievement and Learning

Papers: Committee report and powerpoint report

Councillor Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Children and Education noted that the Education Standards report contained positive information regarding the plans for the future provision of Education in Buckinghamshire. The report noted that the schools were doing well compared to national results and that a strong focus was placed on the needs of the more vulnerable children within the area.

Simon James noted that the report delivered key information relating to children and young people for 2021-2022 and for the first time published attainment data for early years and primary school levels since the covid pandemic. The area was broadly in line with comparative areas nationally. It noted that the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children had increased as per the national trend. Exclusions were below the national rates and the county had a higher percentage of schools rated good or better. More children in Buckinghamshire attend a good or better school than this time last year. Grammar schools were providing spaces for more children who were eligible for free school meals and a higher percentage of young people from within Buckinghamshire were attending grammar schools. The number of children not in education, employment or training (NEET) was lower than the national figures.

For phonics 75% achieved the expected level, KS2 61% - higher than the national average, at GCSE achievement was 57.3 points at attainment 8 which was higher than national average and statistical neighbours.

In response to Councillors’ questions the Officers made the following points:

·       The department worked closely with headteachers to ensure that had the necessary support around Ofsted inspections to ensure that they had everything they needed both before, during and after inspections with an increased team to support the schools. The department also attended the feedback sessions and talked through issues with the school leadership team. All schools had the opportunity to dial into a twice weekly meeting, and support was available for headteachers separately.

·       The actions noted in the report were extracts from more detailed plans. All schools coming out of Ofsted inspections provided updates on progress at later dates. This report showed themes around improvement issues.

Action: SJ to provide examples of detailed information from schools in intervention categories, and an example of traits of a good school, to allow understanding of how these schools had achieved this.

·       Some areas in Wycombe were lower in achieving in early years compared to other areas. As the children progressed through school the gap narrowed. The department were working to get more children into early years settings to help this and was working at community level to see where work could be taken. A sub-group had been set up to help co-ordinate more specific support to certain families,  and find what would help. Work had been commissioned with central government also to help work to identify how schools were helping disadvantaged children. A handbook of good practice would be circulated in the summer.

·       There were schools outside the Opportunity Bucks schools which were also the target of specific help. The widened gap for GCSEs was a national trend since the pandemic and was expected to be lessened in the next reporting period.

·       It was noted that the way in which data was presented was how it was nationally. Our grammar schools out-perform other grammar schools. Our non-selective schools perform better than non-selective schools nationally in other high selective areas.

·       We can compare cohorts from KS1 and KS2 but it was noted that the make up of the cohorts in KS2 was different as some young people were from elsewhere.

·       It would be possible to compare our non-selective schools to those elsewhere by looking at the national averages as most other areas were non-selective.

Action: Simon James/Gareth Drawmer

·       It would be possible to provide data in relation to geographical areas

 Action: Simon James/Gareth Drawmer

·       Councillor Stuchbury posed the following question:

My question relates to the Education Standards item and to the attainment gap of the key pupil groups in Buckinghamshire. It is stated that the attainment gap has increased post-Covid, and Covid would certainly have been a negative factor for children in all the groups reported within your report, particularly the most economically challenged and those who fall within the broad spectrum of children with special educational needs. Your report suggests that Buckinghamshire children attainment has dropped considerably in percentage from 74% to 64% against Statistical neighbours and national comparisons, however: I would like to ask why, in 2023 nearly a decade forward after the first enquiry and the parliamentary report, are we are still discussing how to improve children attainment gap in education in Buckinghamshire despite the continued efforts by the Education department and what are the factors which you believe will produce the improvement that everybody desires to really make progress with this.? 

·       Simon James responded to Cllr Stuchbury’s written question submitted to the January committee as follows:

I would like to thank Cllr Stuchbury for his question and for his ongoing support for children with special educational needs. We know that he, like all Members wants what is best for children in Buckinghamshire.  The issue of the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children, quite rightly remains a priority across the education system. As referenced in the report, the pandemic has led to a widening of the attainment gap across the entire country. In Buckinghamshire, this has also been the case but the gap has widened less than the national average and that of our statistical neighbours. There are a number of interventions that the Local Authority and schools are working on together.

The critical phase is the early years phase. This is where we need to narrow the biggest gap. We know that children do better and better as they progress through the school system but that some have a start that is behind others.

We are particularly focussing on the 10 wards in the Opportunity Bucks area and are expecting to see the gap narrowing between now and the next Education Standards report.

·       The data included in the report would contain information from children who were resident outside the county but not from those children who are resident in the county but attend schools elsewhere. The data was affected by some children coming in and out of the county. It was based on the pupil levels in our schools. It would be possible to map information by ward.

·       The process of the 11 plus had gone smoothly in this reporting year.  Results were delivered well and letters went via the school to avoid the IT issues that had been experienced previously. Over 12,000 children put in for the 11 plus this year and a very small number of parents email addresses were not found.