Agenda item

Report ED12061

The Committee considered a report providing an update on support for underachieving groups of children and outlining where gaps had been closed.  The groups of children who had been identified as being vulnerable to underachievement had been identified nationally as boys, pupils eligible for Free School Meals, minority ethnic groups and pupils with English as an additional language, pupils with special educational needs and looked after children.  The attainment for all indicators from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 in Bromley was higher than the national average; however in some indicators the gaps in achievement between identified groups were similar.

A number of national strategies had been implemented to support schools to reduce gaps in achievement including the introduction of the Pupil Premium and initiatives such as ‘Every Child a Reader’, ‘Every Child a Writer’ and SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning).  Local strategies introduced to support schools in Bromley included a school by school analysis of data by Research and Statistics to identify underperforming groups, using ‘Closing the Gap’ as a focus for school reviews, providing school based intervention for schools in a category of concern, a dedicated specialist teacher for Family Learning and the Looked After Children team.  Advice, support and training for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) and Inclusion managers was also available and there was a comprehensive ‘Sold Services’ offer which all schools could buy into to provide specialist support.

A number of schools in Bromley had narrowed the gap for some of the most vulnerable pupils with carefully focused and targeted intervention and it was expected that the Annual Standards Report would indicate an increasing trajectory of improvement for those schools with the highest number of vulnerable pupils. 

In considering the report, a Co-opted Member noted that it would be useful to identify the Ofsted grading of schools attended by children who scored lower in attainment in their early years settings, and highlighted that the closure of children’s centres across the Borough might impact the provision of support for underachieving groups of children who had not yet started school.

Early intervention was key in supporting children who were underachieving.  There was also a need to consider the progress of children who were just above the threshold for additional support.  It was noted that the Pupil Premium would allow more sustained support to be provided to children who were underachieving.  A Co-opted Member highlighted the success of the recent ‘Achievement for All’ research project which had been undertaken as part of the recent Pathfinder project.

Another Member underlined the importance of parental challenge to improvement.  The Chairman agreed that there was need to develop a series of standards around what the Local Authority expected from schools to support stronger challenge from parents.

The Executive Director of Education and Care Services advised the Committee that it was key to clarify the Council’s role as a champion for children and their parents and carers.  It was important to have a strong relationship with local schools; however schools should be primarily responsible for driving their own improvement.

RESOLVED that Members’ comments on issues raised with underperforming groups in Bromley and how this accords with the local agenda for the future be noted.