Issue - items at meetings - Annual standards report

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services

Contact Officer: Hilary Ferries                    Tel: 01273 293738

69.1      The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director for Children’s Services, which provided an analysis of the End of Key Stage results for children and young people in the city. The report was introduced by the Head of Standards and Achievements, who was accompanied by the Ms P Sargent (Head Teacher Patcham High School), and by Ms J Taylor (Head Teacher Hove Junior School).

69.2      Ms Taylor advised the Committee of a partnership of twelve schools in Hove. The group met twice a term to share good practise on teaching and policies across the schools. The partnership worked well and had proved to be rewarding for all schools. Ms Sargent advised the Committee of another partnership called Challenge Partners, which was a national network of local partnerships built on the teaching school model which challenge schools to improve. The city had its own hub, which seven of the ten secondary schools had joined. Membership enabled schools to have a visit from a group, which would be led by an HMI or Ofsted Inspector. The visit would normally take place over a number of days, and a report would then be provided with recommendations of what a formal Ofsted report may cover. There were a number of benefits to being part of the group; it was a good way to receive feedback and was good for professional development as staff would visit other schools, which enabled good practice to be shared.

69.3      Councillor Wealls noted that children who were eligible for Free School Meals tended to have a lower educational attainment, and asked if being involved in the Challenge Partners had helped address that. Ms Sargent said that attainment for those children was improving but was it a long term issue. The Assistant Director, Education and Inclusion said that a report on Pupil Premium, which provided additional funding to schools to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils would be coming to the next meeting of the Committee in March 2015.

69.4      Councillor Wakefield noted the report referred to a number of groups of children such as SEN, LAC, BME, but did not refer to GRT (Gypsy Romany and Traveller) children and asked if that could be included in future reports.

69.5      RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the report.