Issue - meetings

To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the QSR for the fourth quarter of 2015/16 (January to March 2016) relating to Children, Young People and Learning, giving particular attention to outcomes of Ofsted school inspections, Fixed Term Exclusions and school attendance.

Panel members are asked to give advance notice to the Overview and Scrutiny Team of any questions relating to the QSR where possible.

The Panel received the Children, Young People and Learning Quarterly Service Report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2016.

The Director of Children, Young People and Learning highlighted some headlines from the report including:

• the imminent handover of the new Warfield West School
• the continued success of the online school place application system
• the publication of a range of annual Statements of Purpose for Children’s Social Care
• the successful launch of the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) based at Easthampstead House
• a pleasing external assessment report received regarding the Youth Offending Service’s recent inspection
• the beginning of Ofsted’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities) inspections in May 2016; the closest inspection to Bracknell Forest had been in Brighton and Hove
• the new education Bill, entitled Education for All was expected in June 2016

Ian Dixon, Head of Targeted Services in Learning and Achievement attended the meeting to present on School Exclusions and Attendance.

It was explained that only a headteacher of a school could exclude a pupil, and only on disciplinary grounds. Exclusions could last for a maximum of 45 school days in a school year, or they could be permanent. In exceptional cases requiring further evidence or a police investigation, a fixed term exclusion could be extended. All exclusions had to be reported and counted, including lunchtime exclusions for disruptive behaviour. Informal or ‘unofficial’ exclusions were unlawful.

Data demonstrated that for the number of primary school fixed period exclusions and of primary school days lost, Bracknell Forest was significantly below the national average. With regard to the number of secondary school fixed period exclusions, Bracknell Forest was in line with its statistical neighbours and below the national average. However, it was reported that although the number of secondary school exclusions was below the national average, there were an average of 7.1 days lost as a result of exclusion in Bracknell Forest compared to the national average 4.9 days lost. Work was ongoing to establish the cause for the high number of days lost.

The number of fixed period exclusions in schools between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 demonstrated that The Brakenhale School had reported 156 exclusions, the most of all Bracknell Forest schools. College Hall Pupil Referral Unit had reported 87 exclusions, and it was noted that there were no national benchmarks for PRUs against which to compare.

With regard to attendance, it was explained that absences were monitored rather than attendance. Absence could be defined as a pupil’s overall absence, an authorised absence which was usually on medical grounds, an unauthorised absence such as a term-time holiday, or persistent absence where a pupil’s absence equates to 10% of their possible attendance. It was noted that this number had been tightened from 15% last year.

It was reported that Legal Services were examining the judgement following the Isle of Wight case with a parent taking his child on an unauthorised holiday, and the Department for Education intended to strengthen the guidance around unauthorised holiday.

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