Minutes:
(Mrs J Whittle, Deputy Lead Member and Mr M Baker, Interim Director of Learning were present for this item)
(1) Mr Smith introduced Mr Baker, Interim Director of Learning and invited him and Mrs Whittle to give a verbal update.
(2) Mrs Whittle outlined the work that she had undertaken since the Committee last met, this included visiting Nationally Challenged Schools (those schools that had not reached 30% of students achieving at 5A*-C grades including English and Mathematics); Ashford Computer College, Swan Valley, Wilmington Enterprise College, Dartford, Astor of Hever, Maidstone and Aylesford Sports College, Maidstone. Mrs Whittle explained that there had been problems with the recruitment of and retaining teachers in these schools, which was stabilising.
(3) Mrs Whittle went on the highlight the 8% vacancy rate for School governors and appealed to Members who were not already Governors to apply.
(4) Mrs Whittle advised that during her visits to schools she was aware of the need to look at education as a whole from 4-14 years there was a clear interlink with all schools. Tthe secondary schools could assist with identifying gifted children and those that would need additional help in secondary school.
(5) Members were advised that Mrs Merril Haeusler had been appointed Director of Learning, Mrs Haeusler previously worked for the London Borough of Bromley. Mr Baker would continue in his role until March 2010.
(6) Mr Baker added that two Advisors had been appointed by the Secretary of State to visit 12 Kent Schools, over two weeks, as part of the “National Challenge”. Part of the Advisors work would include interviewing Members and school representatives. This work had to be completed and a report written by 16 November. Mr Baker said that at this time it was unclear when KCC would be able to make comments on the findings but he would be strategically involved as the report had to have the Secretary of States approval. Members noted that a report on the findings would be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee.
(7) Mr Baker highlighted that the key activity in schools at the time was focusing on target setting for sitting the Kent Test from 2011. The School improvement Partners would be setting targets.
(8) Members noted that an analysis of GCSE results was in progress and a report was being drafted.
(9) The Committee received an update of the transfer of the Learning Skills Council’s role to KCC and noted that 16 Members of the LSC staff would be transferring to KCC in March 2010. The 16 Members of staff would be interviewed separately to ascertain their skills and match those skills to the future needs of the service. A programme of work would then be made. The Transition Plan had been agreed. Mr Baker advised that an Executive Group had been set up that would meet on a weekly basis to ensure a smooth transition.
(10) Mr Baker advised that measures had been taken to ensure school preference forms were submitted by 6 November by parents in light of the problems raised by the postal strike. Parents had been encouraged to apply online, which 50% had already done and submit the forms by hand into the schools. Details on the results of admissions would be submitted to a future meeting.
(11) He concluded that Ms Rosalind Turner, Managing Director, had met with Headteachers and briefed them on the Children, Families and Education Directorate’s Restructure and next week the Secondary Headteacher Conference was due to take place with guest speaker Charles Leadbetter; Mrs Hohler, Mr Carter Leader of KCC and the Mr Gilroy, Chief Executive would also be in attendance.
(12) Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments which included the following:
(13) In response to a question by Mr Burgess, Mr Baker agreed to inform Local Members and Committee Members of the 12 school visits to be made by the National Challenge Advisors.
(14) In response to a question by Mr Burgess, Mr Baker said that the Headteachers, Governors and staff in the National Challenge schools that had been visited were significantly aspirational around the outcomes for the children and young people in their school and they were taking a broader view on the National challenge, that it is appropriate for all schools to have 30% of their pupils achieving 5A*-C including English and Mathematics, therefore responding to the entitlement for all young people on the quality of outcomes at the end of Key Stage 4. They were focusing on the learning and not just focusing on the outcomes. The schools were saying that the young people deserve the best qualifications in order for them to make progress.
(15) In response to a question by Mr Burgess, Mr Baker said that the national data on variations at Infant, and JMI Schools in general terms say Infant schools do not out perform the Junior Mixed and Infant schools. There was a need to look at the individual schools. Mrs Whittle felt that it started at 3 or 4 years old. In some areas there was a pilot on 2 year olds in the deprived areas. The Key stage 2 results were below the national average that was a key target or Kent.
(16) In reply to questions by Mr Wickham, Mrs Whittle advised that it was difficult to tease out parents that needed help with literacy but schools were working with Adult Education on this. Work was being undertaken by an Executive Headteacher on teacher recruitment especially on recruiting English teachers. There were particular problems with attracting teachers to those schools that had been put on ‘special measures’, perceptions of those schools could be a problem. Mrs Whittle considered that the schools’ profiles needed to be promoted to overcome those perceptions. Mr Baker added that a lot of schools were being innovative in advertising overseas for teachers. Schools to the North of the County had the additional pressure of being affected by London weighting. Mr Baker explained that the National challenge Review looked at projects across schools and looked at recruiting across areas not individual schools.
(17) Mr Walder urged Mrs Whittle to speak to managers and staff. He had been asked to investigate the impact of the managers of a school who had broken the terms and conditions of the teachers contracts. The Chairman said that the management of the school was key to the performance of the school. The quality of Headteachers and teachers would be a future agenda item for this Committee.
(18) In response to Mr Jarvis’ concerns on the expense attached to recruiting teachers from overseas and his preference to focus being given through incentives for teachers through award schemes, Mr Baker responded that there were a raft of measures/programmes already in place for teachers and gave an example where a neighbouring challenged school had been linked with a grammar school and raised the challenged school’s attainment.
(19) Members requested a list of the schools with School Governors’ vacancies. The Committee also agreed to receive information under the portfolio of this Committee between meetings.
(20) RESOLVED that the Members comments and requested and the verbal update be noted.