Agenda item

To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Quarterly Service Report for the fourth quarter of 2013/14 (January to March 2014) relating to Children, Young People and Learning, giving particular attention to the outcomes of OFSTED school inspections and the 2014 school admissions process

Please bring the previously circulated Quarterly Service Report to the meeting.  Copies are available on request and attached to this agenda if viewed online.

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

Bob Welch, Chief Adviser presented the Quarterly Service Report (QSR) for the fourth Quarter of 2013/14 (January to March 2014). 

The Bracknell Forest primary schools production of ‘Lest We Forget’ commemorating the 100 year anniversary of World War I had been superb and Bob Welch wished to thank everyone who took part or helped organise the event.  The production was on DVD and it was planned to create a book of the poems and art work produced by the children.

During the period of the report five schools had been inspected by Ofsted including Cranbourne Primary School which had been judged good and Crowthorne Primary School which was judged to be outstanding.  Both these were improvements on previous inspection grades.  Secondary school performance tables, published in January showed the continued upward trend in GSCE performance.

David Watkins, Chief Officer: Strategy, Resources and Early Intervention, presented a report to the Panel on School Admissions 2014/15. 

For primary school places there had been 1,512 placements, all of whom were Bracknell Forest residents.  97% had been offered one of their preference schools.  3% had been diverted to other schools in the Borough. There had been 43 late applications for primary school places, this figure reduced year on year which was pleasing.  As of today there were 32 ‘spare’ primary school places across the Borough.  There had been 23 appeals lodged which Democratic Services who administered the appeals process, being independent of the education service.  The appeals started the week of 16 June 2014.

With regard to secondary schools there had been 1,200 applications, all Bracknell Forest residents with 93% offered a place at one of their preference schools.  The remaining 7% had been diverted to other schools in the Borough.  There had been 37 late applications.  As of the date of the meeting there were 120 ‘spare’ secondary school places across the Borough.  There was additional capacity at Easthampstead Park Secondary School to accommodate additional children from the Jennett’s Park housing development.  There had been 33 appeals and all had now been heard.  One appeal had been successful indicating that the admissions process was robust and this was welcomed by the Panel.  There had been 17 applications for grammar school places in other local authority areas with nine being offered places.

There was a waiting list for secondary school places in schools that were full and which was held for a year and families needed to re register if they wished to remain on the waiting list.  There were two secondary school age young people who were on the waiting list.  They had moved into the Borough late and could not be accommodated at the moment.  Following a question the Panel were advised that if families did not apply at all for places this was followed up and, if appropriate, Education Welfare Officers would become involved.

The Panel wished to congratulate the Admissions Team on a successful admissions programme; they had responded to enquiries well and diffused potential difficult situations.  The integrity of the decision making process had been upheld by the appeals process with only one appeal being allowed.  It was noted that the provision of places was tight, and indicated that a new secondary school would be needed in any new housing development.  There were an increasing number of pupils with additional special educational needs as well as those with potentially challenging behaviour.  The Panel was assured that planning was in place to help address these potential issues. 

This was the first year when on line admissions had been fully implemented, any software issues had been resolved before the system had gone live.  The admissions process had been a success; feedback from families had been positive.

Following questions from the Panel, the meeting was advised that:

·                     The number of requests for Children’s Social Care (CSC) records had increased in both volume and complexity.  This was attributed to high profile cases of child abuse nationally which may have prompted individuals to seek copies of records held.

·                     Only secondary schools had been invited to the Health and Wellbeing Showcase event with five of the six secondary schools attending.

The Panel thanked David Watkins for his full report regarding school admissions.

As not all Members had received the QSR in advance of the meeting, the Chairman wished for this to be followed up.