Agenda item

COUNCILLOR O’NEILL IN THE CHAIR

The Panel considered the report of the Head of Economic Development and Skills providing an overview of post 16 education and training for Southampton Young People including progress, performance, actions undertaken and emerging issues.

Principals and Headteachers from the providers of state funded post 16 education and training in the City were in attendance and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

The Panel particularly noted the following points:-

•  Key issues were diversity and entry into post 16 education.  DfE league tables do not include those who took Level 3 qualifications at 19yrs, excluding the significant cohort in Southampton who change provider in year 1, and those who progress to Level 3 qualifications after retaking GSCE exams.  It was also noted that those undertaking a Level 1 and 2 qualification did not appear within performance tables along with a number of other qualifications also not recognised by the DfE.

•  Principals also indicated that Southampton colleges were prepared to take more risks with pupils than some providers.  They were more likely to enter students who were on the borderline for entry standards into examinations.

•  Relationships with providers out of the City were good and there was a group in place that looked at professional teaching and learning   however, relationships were not as good in terms of “recognition of the market”; there was still a tendency to want to “drive numbers up rather than re-balance the market”, which was also true across the country as there was encouragement nationally for the post 16 education sector to be a competitive market.

•  That good practice and issues such as PREVENT and safeguarding were shared and meetings regularly took place with all Secondary Heads in the City together with subject network meetings and quality assurance of each other’s provision.

•  Progression from Level 3 to university was also a key issue in Southampton as it is well below regional and national comparators.  The Southern Policy Centre were undertaking a piece of work looking at progression to Higher Education which would be of interest to the Panel.

•  That, to enable members to come to meaningful conclusions and judgements, the development of accurate and relevant data identifying participation, attainment and progression that can be compared with other cities is essential.

•  There was a Post 16 Solent Area Review taking place which was currently two thirds of the way through the process and would be proposing draft recommendations to a steering group made up of all Post 16 Heads (excluding Secondary Schools 6th Form which was normal practice), the Local Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).  There would be a consultation process and all colleges would need to respond by 9th June 2016.  It was noted that formal/legal partnerships were being encouraged.

RESOLVED: that the providers of state funded post 16 education and training in the City continue to develop the performance dataset, working alongside the Council’s data team, so that in the future members are able to understand and compare post 16 education and training performance in Southampton.

NOTE: Councillor Keogh declared a personal interest in the matter set out in the report as a college lecturer and remained in the meeting and took part in the discussion and decision.