Agenda item

Educational Attainment in Southampton

Report of the Service Director, Legal and Governance requesting that the Panel consider the provisional 2017/18 key stage 4 and 5 exam results in Southampton and the educational attainment of Looked After Children.

Minutes:

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Service Director, Legal and Governance which requested that the Panel considered the provisional 2017/18 key stage 4 and 5 exam results in Southampton and the educational attainment of Looked After Children.

 

Councillor Paffey, Cabinet Member for Aspiration, Schools and Lifelong Learning, Hilary Brooks, Service Director, Children and Families Services, Derek Wiles, Service Lead, Education and Early Help, and Maria Anderson, Head of the Virtual School were present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.  In discussions with the officers, the Panel noted the following:

 

·  The data in the report was provisional and would be verified later in the year.

·  The Attainment 8 Progress data had not been released in time to be included in the report.

·  That key stage 4 exams had been more demanding this year and that despite improvements in English and Maths results for Southampton attainment remained below the national average.  Science GCSE results however had improved by 8% from 2017 to 2018.

·  That a strong culture of collaboration and mutual support between schools in Southampton existed that was both encouraging and beneficial.

·  That the exam results for Looked After Children in Southampton had improved and were above the national average for Looked After Children.  However the results were still below average for key stage 4.

·  That the Virtual School had adopted a proactive approach to monitoring the school attendance and other factors that contributed to the attainment of Looked After Children, so that additional support needs would be identified at an early stage.  An evidence based approach was used to identify which factors affected attainment.  The importance of stability was noted.

·  Young people leaving the Looked After service were provided with financial support to go to University

·  That there was a wide variation in the exam results achieved by the schools in Southampton.

 

 

RESOLVED

  (i)  That the Panel would receive destination data for Southampton’s Looked After Children moving from Year 11 to Year 12.

  (ii)  That case studies highlighting positive outcomes for Southampton’s Looked After Children would be circulated to the Panel.

 (iii)  That, to help raise educational attainment outcomes, consideration would be given to offering Looked After Children that have the potential to perform well in their GCSE exams the opportunity for intensive support, including residential tuition over the Easter holidays.

 (iv)  That the issue of ‘off-rolling’, schools informally excluding pupils, would be considered at a future meeting of the Panel.

 

 

COUNCILLOR MITCHELL IN THE CHAIR

 

 

 

Supporting documents: