Agenda item

To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Quarterly Service Report for the first quarter of 2015/16 (April to June 2015) relating to Children, Young People and Learning giving particular attention to outcomes of Ofsted school inspections, social worker salary bandings and free school places.

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 QSR where possible.

The Panel considered the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Quarterly Service Report (QSR) for the first quarter of 2015/16 (April to June 2015) relating to Children, Young People and Learning.  The Director reminded the Panel of the ambitions for education and children’s social care, through putting children and young people at the centre of everything the Department does.

The Director presented to the Panel a number of the key messages from the report from which the Panel noted:

• School improvement – 3 more primary schools were Ofsted ‘Good’ and one ‘inadequate’ had improved to ‘Requires Improvement’ (the regular report of Inspection outcomes was tabled for Members).  Thoughts on how to achieve further improvements were welcomed for the next Panel meeting.
• Excellent Art Exhibitions had been put on in the summer by children in care, and primary and secondary schools themed on the BBC Ten Pieces.
• Active recruitment of more foster carers had been taking place through a range of events.
• The Early Help Strategy had been refreshed.
• The Troubled Families Early Starter phase had been successfully rolled out.

Other important points arising and noted by the Panel concerned:

• The major consultation underway on school designated area changes
• Successful Headteacher recruitment for April/September 2015 with nine permanent appointments and two interim appointments.
• The national shortage of teachers meaning that schools were increasingly finding recruitment difficulties, especially for English, Maths and Science subjects.
• The extensive school building programme over the summer was continuing (with inevitable disruption at some schools).
• Children’s Social Care staffing had stabilised and turnover had reduced.  Recruitment to some of the additional posts had taken place and further recruitment was underway.  (The Panel received an information sheet showing details of salary rates with market premia and retention bonus payable on each scale within the Children’s Social Care establishment).

The Panel then turned to consider a summary of 2014-15 achievement data.  The figures for Good Level of Development (GLD) were very encouraging at 73%, achieving the benchmark, and up from previous years.  There was also a reduction in the Pupil Premium gap.  Provisional data was provided on Key Stage 1 and 2 results, also showing information on narrowing the Pupil Premium gap.  Further information regarding progress through the Key Stages at the next Panel meeting was welcomed.  In most cases figures for the national average were not yet available for comparison.  Experience at some schools had shown the very positive impact of ‘pre-teaching’ in English and Maths on narrowing the Pupil Premium gap.  The data on GCSE and ‘A’ Level examination results showed improvements, although results varied between schools.  It was noted that there was little information on gifted and talented learners in Bracknell Forest but more schools were likely to provide data on this in future.  The Panel noted that the expectation remained that schools themselves should take the lead on improvement.

An analysis of admission numbers in 2015 (tabled for the Panel) showed the headroom available in schools (the number of available places to allow for families moving into the area and for parental preference to be met) had fallen from 15% to 7%, with some year groups as low as 2%.  Available places for Reception at September 2015 showed only 0.5% headroom across schools in North Bracknell, 3.5% in South Bracknell (The Pines Primary and Great Hollands Primary had the most places) and 3% in Crowthorne and Sandhurst (where Owlsmoor Primary had the most places).  The process for calculating the number of places required was explained and the Panel requested an update of the position at the next meeting, with any information available as to whether the significant building works proceeding at some schools had affected parental choice of school.

The Panel received responses to their questions and comments and thanked the officers for their interesting reports and presentations.