Agenda item

Report ED13080

The Portfolio Holder introduced a progress update on the Education Portfolio Plan 2013/14, which had been agreed at the meeting of Education PDS Committee on 23^rd January 2013.  Each of the seven priorities had clearly defined aims and actions, as well as measures to ensure effective progress monitoring, and the majority of planned actions had now been successfully completed.  The Education Covenant and the Local Authority’s Education Commitments had been included as part of the Education Portfolio Plan 2013/14, to ensure that the Portfolio Priorities continued to reflect key Education aims and objectives of the Local Authority.

In considering the Portfolio Plan, a Member queried whether challenge meetings could be held with all head teachers and chairs of governors as part of an early intervention exercise.  The Assistant Director: Education confirmed that these exercises were part of a targeted intervention for schools identified as causing concern, but that informal contact was made with schools where needed.  The re-categorisation of schools based on risk was now underway which would support future intervention and support processes in under performing schools.  The Assistant Director: Education also noted that whilst the Local Authority had no formal role in supporting academies, efforts were made to ensure good communications were maintained with academy schools in the Borough which included promoting the benefits of retaining Local Authority Governors on Governing Bodies. 

In response to a query from a Member around the aim to continue to support the expansion of selective education, including grammar schools in the Borough, the Portfolio Holder for Education confirmed that both St Olave’s Grammar School and Newstead Wood School had been approached to consider further expansion of their schools or to support satellite schools.  Another Member noted the importance of ensuring that there were an equal number of grammar school places for boys and girls in the Borough to support equality of opportunity.

A Co-opted Member highlighted that 75 families had registered with National Pathfinder evaluators for the new Education, Health and Care Plan by the end of July 2013.  The Head of SEN and Disability confirmed that over 70 plans were now in operation across the age range of 4-19 years.  Feedback from parents and carers on the new Education, Health and Care Plans had been positive and work was now being undertaken to develop personal budgets.  In considering children and young people with less profound Autism Spectrum Disorder who may be attending a mainstream school, a Member requested that the general support and awareness provided to these pupils be built into the Education Portfolio Plan.  The Member also requested a progress report be provided to the Education PDS Committee in March 2013 on the spend to save project which supported young people with special educational needs to access local provision to develop skills for independence as they moved towards preparing for adulthood.

A progress report on the development of the Raising Participation Strategy Action Plan would be provided to the Education PDS Committee in January 2014.  The Assistant Director: Education advised Members that the consultation on the action plan was due to take place and that work was also being undertaken to build young people identified as being ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET) into the report.  It was important to ensure that a broad offer was made available to support young people to remain in education or training, and a Co-opted Member requested that a briefing paper be provided on the programmes that were available to young people who were identified as being NEET.  A Member requested further details on the current number of young people identified as being NEET, how this had reduced following implementation of a range of strategies, and how the number of young people identified as being NEET would be affected by the rise in participation age, with further details provided for the proportion of young people classified as NEET who were also looked after children  Another Member queried whether the target of ensuring that more than 85% of all school leavers and others of school leaving age would be in education, employment or training by December 2013 was aspirational enough.

RESOLVED that progress made against the Education Portfolio Priorities (including the Education Covenant and Commitments) during the summer term be noted.