Agenda item

To consider a report of the Executive Director Core Services and the Executive Director People (Item 5 attached) in respect of the Provisional Education Outcomes in Barnsley for the 2018/19 academic year.

The following witnesses were welcomed to the meeting:

·         Nick Bowen, Executive Principal of Horizon Community College and Joint Chair of Barnsley Alliance

·         Rachel Dickinson, Executive Director - People, BMBC

·         Nina Sleight, Service Director, Education, Early Start & Prevention, People Directorate, BMBC

·         Richard Lynch, Head of Barnsley Schools’ Alliance, People Directorate, BMBC

·         Jane Allen, Service Manager, Pupil Inclusion, Attendance & Education Welfare, People Directorate, BMBC

·         Liz Gibson, Virtual School Headteacher for Children Looked After (CLA), People Directorate, BMBC

·         Councillor Margaret Bruff, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee were provided with a report detailing the provisional education outcomes for children and young people in the borough at each stage of the National Curriculum, from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (age 4/5) to Key Stage 5 (A-level) for 2019, including Children Looked After (CLA) and those with Special Education Needs & Disability (SEND).

In the ensuing discussion, and in response to detailed questioning and challenge, the following issues were highlighted:

The Early Years sector has worked closely with children from deprived backgrounds for many years.  There is a forensic analysis of data locally so that children are targeted individually for intervention as well as within cohorts.  Comparisons are also made with national results and how they relate to Barnsley.  Robust partnership arrangements are in place, working closely with families to ensure settings support children in the best possible way.  Pupil Premium is used to deliver educational outcomes of those children who are most vulnerable, in attachment-friendly settings to enable a child to be ready to learn when they start school.

Barnsley should be particularly proud of its Key Stage 4 outcomes, good buildings and strong leadership.  Barnsley schools are no longer at the bottom of the league tables and are now well above average, ahead of Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield, in some areas, which is a huge shift.  There is still improvement to be made in terms of Progress 8 and Attainment 8, although performance on the latter is now close to the national average.  Disadvantaged students are achieving higher results in Barnsley than non-disadvantaged students elsewhere.  Out of 10 secondary schools in Barnsley, 8 are at average or above, with just 2 below average.  The latter will be supported by the Barnsley Schools Alliance (BSA), which offers tailored support for schools who need help in making progress and in realising their ambitions using data to identify areas for improvement.  Stronger schools will work with the leadership team, sharing good practice and challenging how the schools are run.  There is an ambition that wherever you live in Barnsley you will be guaranteed a good school. 

Although English and Maths are important, the new OFSTED framework now focuses on a broader and more balanced curriculum, which is more appropriate for some students.  In some instances in Barnsley, those schools with a broad and balanced curriculum are now performing better than those with a narrow focus on English and Maths. 

Performance data suggests that girls perform better than boys, which is in line with national data. The reasons for this are unclear and are multi-faceted:  they could relate to a poor start in life; pre-school/nursery experience; the pace of the curriculum; family expectations and parental education.  What is crucial is that all children receive learning and support tailored to their needs.   

Early Years outcomes and school attendance are Alliance priorities as they make such a difference to future lives.  Another area of focus is the attainment of children with additional needs and inclusion.  This includes attitudes around poor behaviour and how it is dealt with to ensure standards and attainment are high. 

Members were reassured that the previous increase in fixed term exclusions is not linked to academisation.  In fact, there has been a significant reduction in fixed term exclusions and academies have made significant progress along with other schools.  There are a number of workable and helpful alternatives to excluding pupils such as an on-site wellbeing centre, nurture provision etc to ensure students’ needs are met in school.  Provision for excluded pupils depends on the individual circumstances of the pupil.  When a child is excluded there is a statutory responsibility to ensure the pupil has 25 hours of education in place by day 6 of the exclusion.  Wellspring Trust is commissioned to provide this.  In addition, a Fair Access Panel meets every month to find excluded pupils an alternative place.  Each case is examined in detail and tracked to make it fair.  Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) placements are also commissioned around the Borough.  It was pointed out that some pupils may be unable to attend school for physical reasons or refuse to attend due to anxiety issues.

Academies have been an overwhelming success in Barnsley and have taken school performance to a new height, which is not the case in other areas.  All academies are part of the Barnsley Schools Alliance, are fully engaged and carry the expectation of challenge and support.  All schools go through the same process regardless of their status.  This partnership approach is the envy of other areas and demonstrates the strength of a sector led approach. 

The Barnsley Schools Alliance works with individual schools to develop a package of tailored support for head teachers and other staff which is based on individual circumstances.  New Headteachers are supported with their professional development.  This is also the same with the Early Years service and includes childminders and Nursery settings.

The complexities of Elective Home Education (EHE) and how it works was explained to Members.  When parents decide to home educate they must notify the school that they wish to remove their child from school.  An advisor visits parents at home to explain how it works and what is expected.  If the level of education provided is not of a good standard, the advisor will work with parents to improve standards or look at supporting a move back in to mainstream education. An unhealthy culture is springing up around EHE, with unofficial Facebook pages offering advice to parents.  There are many reasons given by parents as to why they wish to educate their children at home.  Information as to the reasons are always recorded but they do vary.  In some instances it is because of dissatisfaction around the current school.  Efforts are always made to try to dissuade parents from this course of action.

The number of children in residential care refusing to attend school has fallen from a significant number around 4 years ago to just single children here and there.  The Looked After Children Engagement Mentor works out of Springwell to encourage children back into the school setting.  Pupil premium is also used to enable the child to engage.  In the case of anxious and phobic children, the PRU within school is often used.  School attendance of every Looked After Child is monitored daily and is improving year on year. Problems with non- Barnsley children are passed to the placing authority .

Transition from primary to secondary school is an area of concern, particularly for children with an EHCP in place.  There is a need to ensure that for these children their plan is up to date to support the child effectively through transition.  However, some schools are developing excellent practice, especially in the Dearne, where a SENCO has been recruited from the primary sector for pupils moving up to secondary school which helps to break down barriers between primary/secondary and change perceptions.  Many children struggle when moving from a small primary school to a much bigger secondary school.  This transition is part of the journey to independence and adulthood, with some children unable to cope and needing better support systems in place from an earlier age to ensure an easy transition.  It is essential that although schools may do things differently, there is good engagement between primary and secondary schools and good practice is always shared. Services for children needing emotional and mental health support are provided by the CCG.  Waiting times for treatment are reducing but still require further improvement.  

The Chair congratulated witnesses on the performance of Barnsley schools and the role of the Barnsley Schools Alliance in driving forward performance and achieving better things for Barnsley children.

RESOLVED that witnesses be thanked for their attendance and contribution.