Agenda item

This will include written papers on the following:

(a)               Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 2 & 4 results

(b)               GCSE National Challenge and A Levels

(c)               OFSTED Inspections

(d)               CFE Restructure within the Learning  Group

(Report by Mrs J Whittle, Deputy Cabinet Member (Learning) and Mrs M Haeusler, Director of Learning)

(1)         The Deputy Cabinet Member and Service Directors’ presented a report giving an update on the following topics;CFE Restructure, GCSE results, Ofsted inspections and academies.

(2)         Mrs Whittle began by highlighting key issues that had happened since the POSC last met which included; 3 successful headteacher area based meetings were held to discuss what was happening nationally about the New Academies Programme and policy developments in planning for the future. Twelve district based briefings were being held with headteachers to introduce the newly appointed Preventative Services Managers and other standards officers, 2 meetings had already been held in Dover and Tunbridge Wells with 10 more meetings scheduled across the county.  Mrs Whittle spoke on the successful results in GCSE and A Levels within the nationally challenged Kent schools and the improving standards and work being undertaken by Mrs Haeusler and her Team on those areas that needed improvement.  Mrs Whittle concluded by paying tribute to the staff in the nationally challenged secondary schools and local authority officers for all their work in achieving the improvements although she still had concerns that the funding that had been given to this area may not be available in the future and suggested other ways may need to be found to overcome this.

(3)         Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments which included the following:

(4)         In response to a question by Mrs Todd, Mrs Haeusler advised that within the next two months the results would be validated and an update on those results would be reported in the Standards report.  The detailed list of the unvalidated results was available and could be viewed by Members of the Committee but was not for publication at this meeting.

(5)         In response to a follow up question by Mrs Todd, Mrs Haeusler advised that there would be an analysis on the results and reasons why 5 schools remained under the national challenge threshold as well as an analysis on those schools that did improve and whether the best practise could be shared.  Mrs Whittle added that two of the 5 schools had a large number of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the results from the SEN units were recorded with the GCSE figures.  A concern was that schools with SEN units may be discouraged from inclusion because of this issue of reporting, there needed to be a balance of encouraging SEN students within mainstream settings but not for the school to be penalised for doing so in the reporting if those children were unlikely to get GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or above.

(6)         Mrs Haeusler then spoke on topics relating to the Learning Group which included; the CFE restructure, the national testing and issues emerging from the government including the new academies and an update on Ofsted inspections.

(7)         Mrs Haeusler highlighted that the twelve districts were in place and the headteachers were very positive on the ways that the districts were beginning to shape.  The Learning Group was reconfiguring support into the twelve districts for primary and secondary schools and special expertise in those areas to support challenge and intervene in schools to improve outcomes for children and young people.  Mrs Haeusler then referred to the new academies advising that Westlands School linked to Woodgrove Primary School became an academy in September and there was to be a phased transfer of 15 further Kent schools to academy status. Mrs Whittle added that KCC still had oversight of 95% of the schools in Kent and continued collaboration and partnership with the new academies was important.

(8)         In response to a question by Mr Critchley, Mrs Haeusler explained that the policy and strategies were in place to support all schools to be outstanding and keep those that were outstanding at that level and those that were good to become outstanding.  The current Framework was rigorous and had uncovered a range of issues in schools with the quality of teaching,  work was being undertaken with teachers by running a range of professional development opportunities to improve teaching and learning, to look at leadership in schools and ensuring that every child in the classroom had the right learning activity.

(9)         The Chairman requested that the Ofsted results be presented at each meeting of this POSC in context nationally.

(10)     Mr Walder commented on the new academies saying that he was disappointed to see Kent schools becoming new academies but he was pleased that the new academies had all, so far, agreed to keep teacher’s pay and conditions of services the same. He then reported that one of the academies (previously a school that was in special measurers) was undergoing negotiations to bring the teacher’s pay and conditions in line with the rest of the County.  

(11)    In response to a question by Mr Desmoyers-Davies, Mrs Haeusler explained that there were many reasons why a school may be outstanding. Ofsted looked at two aspects; the leadership of the school, in particular the security of that and the quality of teaching and learning. The aim was to work with colleagues in the secondary and primary schools to improve the working relationships between the primary and secondary schools for them to provide support and expertise to each other.

(12)    RESOLVED that:

(a)     the responses to questions by Members be noted; and

(b)     at each meeting of this POSC a report be submitted on the Ofsted results with the percentages and in context nationally and the report be noted.