Agenda item - School OFSTED Presentation

Report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning (Copy

attached)

Contact Officer: Mark Storey                     Tel: 01273 294271

Ward Affected: All Wards

19.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning, which provided information on the Ofsted inspection of Hertford Junior School. The item was introduced by the Head of Education Standards & Achievement. The Committee were advised that Ofsted inspections in its current form were currently on hold and were unlikely to resume until the new year, and so there had been no new judgements since the Committee last met. However, before lock-down there had been an inspection of Hertford Junior School but their grade had been held back by Ofsted until June 2020 when it was announced that the school had moved from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3.

19.2    Cllr Shanks asked what support was being provided to assist the school and was advised that the school was being supported by the School Improvement Board, School Partnership Advisors and senior officers within the Council.

19.3    Councillor Brown noted that one of the issues raised by Ofsted was that there was a lack of expertise amongst the teachers and a lack of training for staff and asked what steps the Council were taking to address that. The Head of Education Standards & Achievement said that specific support would be provided, and in addition the Council had a ‘Every Child is a Reader’ programme.

19.4    Councillor Simson asked for confirmation that the Head Teacher at Hertford Junior was also the Head Teacher at Hertford Infant, and if that was correct and therefore was the same management team, whether the Council were monitoring the reading ability of children moving from the Infant to Junior School. The Head of Education Standards & Achievement confirmed it was the same Head Teacher and noted that the Infant School had been inspected by Ofsted last year and had received a Good judgement.  He added that the School Improvement Board did cross over both the schools and the work at both schools was being monitored.

19.5    RESOLVED: That the the report be noted.