Agenda item

To receive a report by the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform and the Corporate Director of Education and Young People’s Services that provides a summary of the Kent Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Assessments, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), and GCSE and post 16 results for 2015.

1.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Gough, introduced a report that provided a summary of the Kent Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Assessments, Key Stage1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2) standard Assessment Tests (SATS) and GCSE and post 16 results for 2015.

2.            Mr Gough highlighted the following points.  He was pleased to advise that the KS2 was now cemented in the progress of past years and the attainment gap was now closing and being sustained.  He explained that KS4 formed a complex picture with the changes made in the last year to the curriculum.  The turbulence continued but the test results remained above the national average.  There were huge variations in the Kent schools’ attainment performance, although the figures were still not complete, the figures in January and February for KS4 showed a mixed picture with a decline in the trend for average point score (APS) for students.  The reduced gaps in attainment for those children in care were welcomed.  Free school meals continued to be given attention although it was a good news story overall.

3.            The Director of Education, Quality and Standards, Ms Cawley, gave a short brief on the report and highlighted the priorities for improvement as follows: (i) Early Years and Free school meals – need to share best practise; (ii) KS4 - Look at outcomes for all vulnerable groups; (iii) Post 16 –Those on  Free school meals were in danger of becoming NEETs.  There was a need for an appropriate strategy to manage this.

4.            Mr Gough, Mr Leeson and Ms Cawley responded to questions as follows:

a)     Ms Cawley advised that the Virtual School Kent was due to consult with schools and other stakeholders to ensure the most effective use of Pupil Premium. In addition, the Governance Team will be offering guidance to Governing Bodies on the use of the Pupil Premium in schools.

b)     A comment was made that this was a very good report showing the success and concerns. Congratulations were given to Ms Cawley and her Team for their work.

c)      A comment was made that the VSK was using the PP exactly how it should be used and this should be shared with Kent mainstream schools. 

d)     Ms Cawley stated that much research has happened over the years to address the gender attainment gap. Improvements can be made through the use of appropriate teaching methods. 

e)     A comment was made that overall results were going in the right direction although there were concerns with Free School Meals.  It was the school view that they had spent half of the PP to improve the quality of children with a teaching assistant used to give children one to one teaching.  Ms Cawley said it was about quality first teaching.  She suggested less expensive options such as giving feedback to children; use peer mentoring older pupils to work with younger pupils, they both gain.  There was guidance for schools and headteachers on the use of the PP which included case studies, this identified strong behaviours and teaching management to remove barriers, raising self-esteem, confidence and the need to work with parents.

f)       Mr Leeson considered that the gender gap was not inevitable.  Schools needed to track every pupil and provide sufficient teaching to see the attainment gaps close.

g)     Referring to the Sutton Report he questioned whether the fund being used to its best advantage considering that Kent schools received £50m PP but there was less than 1% difference in attainment levels.

5.            RESOLVED that:-

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

(b)  the improvements in 2015 in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2 be noted; and

(c) the areas that still require improvement and the priorities for action to ensure that further improvement is achieved in 2016 be noted.