Date 16 Jan 2018 Version 1.0 Approved by DF
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Date 16 Jan 2018 Version 1.0 Approved by DF EDUCATION PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW Portfolio Summary The quarter 3 PPRR provides an update on the important progress that is being made in relation to the priorities of the Education Portfolio and sets out some of the challenges. A detailed analysis of improvement at Early Years, Key Stages 1, 2 and 4 was included in the Quarter 2 PPRR and a summary of performance in comparison to the national average and statistical neighbours is included in this PPRR. Further Key Stage 4 data will be released at the end of January and analysis of the performance of different groups of pupils will be reported at quarter 4. The School Improvement team continues to support schools in implementing the new curriculum and is also working with Stockport Family services to support pupils in making a successful transition between key stages and improve inclusion and attendance. Stockport continues to be on track to transfer all Statements of SEN to EHC Plans by April 2018; an achievement which is in contrast to the national picture. The Labour Cabinet has approved a new investment of £25 million, by allowing the immediate spend of 2019 - 2020 Basic Needs Grant and securing an advance on the next seven years of Condition Grant funding to ensure additional capacity and school condition issues can be met now. Laurus Trust, working with Pendlebury PRU, has also secured a secondary Alternative Provision Free School which will provide a base for up to 80 students aged 11 – 16. Capacity issues in special schools remain a significant challenge and finding a long term solution remains a priority. The 14 – 19 Service has received a number of awards during quarter 3, including a Talent Mark Gold Award and Princess Royal Training Award; and the Council won the award for Large Business of the Year at the Skills and Business Awards in recognition of our work to address youth employment. Work to improve road safety has also continued during this quarter. By the end of January all priority schools will have had the opportunity to discuss the recommendations resulting from recent audits and eight schools are benefiting from the TfGM ‘Walk to School’ school initiative. The Council has consulted on a range of proposals in support of the Medium Term Financial Plan during Q3. We have listened carefully to the consultation responses and an update will be provided at Scrutiny. Cllr Dean Fitzpatrick, Portfolio Holder for Education Revenue Budget (Forecast) Capital Programme £000 Cash Limit 3,667 Outturn 3,785 £000 (Surplus)/Deficit 118 2017/18 Capital Budget 6,979 2018/19 Capital Budget 8,171 ‘Approved Use of Reserves’ Total 744 2019/20 Capital Budget 10,335 Utilisation of ‘Approved Use of Reserves’ (200) in the above forecast. ‘Approved Use of Reserves’ Balance 544 1. EDUCATION PRIORITIES, PERFORMANCE, RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES 1.1. Priorities and Delivery Update PRIORITY 1: - ‘Our children and young people attend schools and colleges rated ‘Good’ or better and achieve the very best they can’ 1.1.1. School Effectiveness Educational Attainment A full analysis of Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 results, including the results of children living in priority areas and those eligible for free school meals, was included in the quarter 1 PPRR and an analysis of headline results at Key Stage 4 was reported at quarter 2. Verified data has now been published and there are no significant changes. A brief summary of performance is summarised in section 1.2 below, please see the quarter 1 and 2 PPRRs for further analysis and full data tables. During quarter 3, further analysis has been carried out to understand in more detail the performance and needs of the ‘Children in Need’ cohort, in particular the relationship between attendance at school and attainment. In 2016, 8.5% of the ‘children in need’ (CIN) cohort living in Stockport achieved the EBacc which was more than doubled the national average (4.0%) and ranked Stockport in the top ten local authorities nationally. The average attainment 8 score of 24.4 was also above that nationally (22.6) and ranked Stockport in the second quartile. These achievements are in marked contrast to the data, both for outcomes and attendance in relation to CIN which ranks Stockport in the third and fourth quartiles. A more detailed analysis of the data for primary children indicates that those who are on a child protection plan make less progress in school, and this worsens significantly in Reading and especially Writing if attendance is below 90%. Children who fall into this category are a priority for support. Attendance is also a key influence for ‘Team Around the Child’ (TAC) Level 3 children, who make less progress in Writing if attendance is below 90%. TAC Level 3 children appear to perform slightly better than disadvantaged children in Reading, especially if they are in school for 95% of the time; however they perform less well in Maths and Writing. CIN have not been flagged as a discrete pupil group in, for example, RAISE online data and discussion about how they can be more effectively tracked and supported in school is underway through the work of the school link advisers. Further details about specific support for this cohort will be included in future PPRRs. School Improvement The quarter 2 PPRR also included an overview of the School Improvement team’s work with primary schools to focus on Writing at Key Stages 1 and 2, following 2017 outcomes. In relation to Key Stage 4 attainment, the School Improvement team continues to engage in on-going dialogue with school senior leaders about the appropriateness of the curriculum to meet the requirements of Progress 8. There remains a tension between a curriculum that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of individual students and a curriculum driven by the Progress 8 metric. In addition the School Improvement team is working with schools to help improve outcomes in GCSE Mathematics. The percentage of pupils achieving GCSE grades 9 – 5 in Mathematics is the headline measure which ranks the Local Authority in the second quartile (43rd) compared with the more positive Local Authority ranking for other metrics. The School Improvement team is linking with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and Aspire Research School in 2018 to support schools to implement key messages from the recently published EEF’s guidance report, ‘Improving Mathematics at Key Stages 2 and 3’. Support locally will focus on providing schools with advice on adjusting to the new curriculum and supporting pupils to make a successful transition between the key stages to better prepare them for the greater challenges of the reformed GCSE Mathematics curriculum and assessment. Inclusion and attendance also continue to be a key focus of work and are priorities for the work of the Education and Skills Partnership Board, as referenced at quarter 2. A working group has now been formed to develop short and longer term activities to reduce exclusions and strengthen the system to promote inclusivity. A number of initial activities have been identified with the aim of reducing exclusions, increasing the challenge to schools, improving processes for children at risk of exclusion and increasing the capacity of mainstream schools to meet the needs of SEN learners (see 1.1.2 for further information about SEN learners). Initial activities include: - Following a permanent exclusion- develop a report for completion to collate information from the school and from EIS, to act as a challenge to head teachers and provide background information for governors; Develop an 'expectations of schools in relation to exclusion' document for head teachers and governors; Develop ways of identifying students at risk of exclusion through data; Contact other LAs to find out what works and share good practice, in particular the use of pupil referral units to support schools and reduce exclusions; Work with statistical neighbours to establish local comparative information whilst awaiting national picture; Establish a half-termly/ termly moderation panel- to include SEN/ SENCO, care/ health and service representation to provide detailed feedback to schools around SEN support plans, provision and the SEN information report. Updates on progress towards the implementation of the above activity and information about longer term activity will be included in future PPRRs. 1.1.2. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) steering group is now established and includes representation from council services, health, settings and parental representation. A smaller leadership group has also been formed to meet more regularly. Amended terms of references have been developed, a comprehensive self evaluation has been completed and a Stockport Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Plan has been prepared. The ‘SEND Guidance for settings, schools and SEN practitioners’ was launched with Early Years settings in November and representatives attended SEN Code of Practice briefing sessions. Members of the Early Years team distributed the files to settings and childminders who were unable to attend. A launch with colleges will take in place in January and the Secondary Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators Network will be expanded to include college representation. The transition of Statements of SEN to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans remains on track for completion by the target date of April 2018, which is in contrast to the national picture. Stockport’s performance in terms of timescales for conversion and the issuing of new EHC Plans is in the ‘upper quartile A’ nationally for five of the six indicators and ‘quartile B’ for the sixth. The SEN team are now concentrating on converting Statements to EHC plans for year groups 2 and 3 who will not meet a transition point by April 2018.