Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Legal and Business Operations which enabled the Panel to scrutinise developments across Southampton’s education and early year’s settings during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Councillor Paffey, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning; and Southampton City Council Officers - Derek Wiles, Head of Education and Learning; Anne Downie, Service Manager - Early Years and Childcare; Tammy Marks, Service Manager – Special Educational Needs and Disability were present and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the Panel.

In discussions with the officers, the Panel noted the following:

·  During the period of closure school staff had supported home learning, and delivered a provision for children of key workers and vulnerable children.

·  Pupils in Reception year, Year 1 and Year 6 had returned to school where the school could accommodate re-opening to those year groups.  The availability of staff and practical arrangements for accommodating pupils in accordance with the guidance from the Department for Education had limited the ability of some schools to re-open to all pupils in those year groups.

·  Keeping in touch with Children in Need, Children Looked After and Children Leaving Care using technology had received good feedback from young people.

·  Government funding had enabled laptops to be provided to children who had an allocated social worker and to all children in Year 10 who did not have access to a computer to support home learning.

·  Some Early Years provision had to close due to financial problems exacerbated by the Coronavirus lockdown, the number of children accessing provision had also decreased.  As parents return to work and demand returns to normal level there may not be enough places.

·  Services to support children with special educational needs, disabilities and mental health have been challenged in how they deliver support and each child with Education and Health Care Plan had to have an individual risk assessment.

Resolved

(i)  That the Head of Education and Early Years shared data on school ‘opening’ and attendance in Southampton for the week commencing 1st June 2020 with the Panel, when it became available.

(ii)  That, in advance of the next meeting, the Cabinet Member for Children and Learning provided the Panel with a briefing on:

a.  The steps planned across the school system to begin to close the anticipated widening education attainment gap in Southampton.

b.  The preparations made, in conjunction with schools, for the 2020/21 academic year, to support the education of Southampton’s children and young people.

(iii)  That the number of Southampton’s looked after children that have been supported in applying for a university place in 2020/21 would be circulated to the Panel.