Agenda item

– reportof the CabinetMember forEducationand HealthReform, MrRoger Gough,and CorporateDirector forEducation,LearningandSkills, PatrickLeeson)

(1)       Cabinet received a reportproviding an updateon theunvalidated2013 GSCEresults forKent.TheCabinetmemberfor Educationand HealthReformintroducedthe item. In particularhe drewthe attentionofCabinetto thefollowing informationcontained withinit:

(i)     Thatthe resultswere not yetfully validatedand had not been subjectto nationalcomparison,an exercisethat the Departmentfor Educationwould undertakeindue course.

(ii)   Howeverit wasclear that the figuresprovided strong,positiveindicators of improved performance.  Inparticular pupilsgradedA* - Cand abovewas set to have increasedby 4% to 65%, anupward trendthat wasunlikelyto be matchednationallywhereit waspredictedthat therewould be areductionin thenumberofpupils whoachievedthese grades.

(iii)          In addition,andnot includedwithin the report,early indications suggestedthat performance atKS1 and KS2 wouldalsobestrong.

(2)     Mr Goughthanked allofthose involved inthe deliveryof suchexcellent results.

(3)     TheCorporateDirectorofEducation,Learningand Skills, PatrickLeeson spoketo the item.He confirmed,as reported,that 65% ofpupilsattainingA* - C.when verified wouldbe the best resultsthat had everbeen achievedin Kent and that a4% increase wasa significant improvement.In 2012Kent resultswere abovethe nationalaverage forthefirst timeandthis wasset to continuein 2013.  Heurged membersto considerthe underlying trendswhich reflected thehigh standardsbeing maintained,and improvementscontinued,in 75% of schoolsin Kent.

(4)     Mr Leeson alsoreferred tothe following:

(i)     Thatsome of the schoolsthat had sufferedsomereductioningradesA* - C had suffered as a resultofthenationalissuerelatingto the markingofGCSE papers.  Many ofthe schoolsinvolved wouldappealthe results.

(ii)   Thatnationalpolicy wouldrequire inthe futurethat youngpeoplewhodidnot achievea ‘good’ gradein Mathsand English GCSEwould berequired to continuetowardsachievingthat standardduring theirpost 16 educationor training. He describedthis asa significantdevelopmentand welcomedthe improvedopportunitiesthat itwould bringfor youngpeople inKent.

(5)     TheLeaderwelcomed the results.He regardedthepotential5% differentialbetween Kent and the nationalaverage as a greatachievement.He reportedthat onreceiving the resultshe had senta note ofthanks toevery secondaryhead teacherandtheir staffand reiteratedthat thanks to allinvolved. Headded thatthe promisingprimary school resultsachievedlast yearwould helptofurther stretchSecondarySchool achievements.He concludedby notingthat these resultshadbeenachieved witha budget that had been significantlyreducedin recentyears.

(6)     It was RESOLVED: