Issue - meetings

(Verbal report by Mrs J Whittle, Deputy Cabinet Member (Learning) and Mrs M Haeusler, Director for Learning and Mr M Baker, Strategic Director for Schools, Settings And Colleges)

(1)         The Chairman asked Mrs Whittle to begin with her update.  Mrs Whittle advised the Committee of the work she had been undertaking within her portfolio since the last meeting which included; the focus on Primary Attainment and progress on the National Challenge stating that she saw these areas interlinked and continued and strengthened collaboration between both Primary and Secondary schools was essential to tackle where there was low attainment in the schools.  She spoke of the hard work being undertaken by staff, pupils and parents to develop a range of programmes and gave one example of a school offering support, The Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge, through a Family Learning Programme for pupils and parents, to enable parents to understand how pupils learn at the school.

(2)         Mrs Whittle referred back to Primary Attainment mentioning the County Council meeting held on 1 April 2010, where Members received a presentation from Clare Brice-Smith from the Audit Commission when she stated that there was a need for Kent to focus on raising Primary Attainment.  Mrs Whittle said that she was please that there was to be a Select Committee looking at Primary Attainment.  She advised that she had visited University of Kent and was to visit Canterbury Christchurch College that had carried out work in schools to engage children in the love of learning; she felt that it would be a good idea to engage them in the work of the Select Committee.

(3)         Mrs Whittle mentioned the huge amount of work being carried out by the Schools Improvement Team to help school that had not reached their floor target in their SATs and Key Stage 2 targets.  The prediction was that the schools that had not reached their floor target would be halved next year.  As part of the raising attainment in both primary and secondary schools would start as early as possible, most of the Children’s Centres where up and running and integrating a range of services under one roof, including Early Years, engaging parents and children in their learning.  Mrs Whittle paid tribute to the work undertaken by Jennie Landsberg, Principal Advisor on Early Years and her Team on the quality of early years setting which had improved substantially over the past 2-3 years, which Mrs Whittle felt would have a knock on effect of improving Key Stage 1 and then Key Stage 2 results. 

(4)         Mrs Whittle then gave further examples of collaborative work in Primary and Secondary schools where specialist teachers from secondary schools and 6^th form students were teaching pupils in Primary schools. She gave one example of a gifted mathematic student in year 12 who was teaching gifted mathematic pupils in year 6 of the Primary school, which she said was wide spread across the county.  

(5)         Mrs Whittle then spoke on the 14-19 year olds  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26