Agenda and draft minutes

Pursuant to Minute No. C50 of January 2000, consideration was given to nominations received to fill Local Authority vacancies on school governing bodies.

Resolved:-  That, with the effective date of appointment, the following appointments be made to school governing bodies, subject to satisfactory checks being undertaken:-

New Appointments

RawmarshRyecroft                           Mr B Darby                             09.12.08

Roughwood Primary                           Mr S Millward                         09.12.08

Swallownest Primary                          Mr J Swift                               09.12.08

Swinton Fitzwilliam                              Mr I Cunningham                    09.12.08

Arnold Centre                                     Mrs S Busby                           09.12.08

Re-appointments

SitwellInfant School                            Mrs C Burgess                       21.11.08

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the previous meetings held on 30^th September and 28^th October, 2008 be received as a correct record.

Consideration was given to the contents of reports submitted which set out items requiring attention following visits of inspection involving the following schools:-

SwintonCommunity School

St. Thomas CE Primary

Wath Central Primary

Wath Youth Centre

Dalton Listerdale J & I School

Aston ComprehensiveSchool – CDT Workshops only

Resolved:-  That the action being taken on the items requiring attention be noted.

Consideration was given to the contents of a report summarising the Ofsted inspection profile of all Rotherham schools during the period September 2005 to July, 2008.

Ofsted introduced a new inspection framework in September 2005 based on a three year cycle which, by the end of the 2007/08 school year, had seen the inspection of all but two Rotherham schools. 

The most important feature of the new framework has been the centrality of the school’s self-evaluation in the assessment process and the influence of the analysis of performance data, using the national Raise on Line Intelligence system, on inspection outcomes.

In relation to the Inspection framework, schools are inspected across a range of indicators of which the most important are:

-                       Standards and Achievement

-                       Pupil Personal Development and Wellbeing

-                       Quality of Provision, including Teaching and Learning and Curriculum

-                       and, Leadership and Management

Each area is graded 1-4, Outstanding to Inadequate.  Each school is then assessed for its overall Effectiveness & Efficiency on the same grade scale.  Schools judged as 4, Inadequate, are subject to Special Measures or, if in the inspectors’ judgement, the school has the capacity to improve itself, a Notice to Improve.

The report set out the following:-

o       Improved Borough Profile

o       Summary Inspection Profile

o       Historical comparison

o       Particular areas of accomplishment

o       Priorities for further improvement

In July, 2008, at the end of the 2005-2008 inspection cycle, 22 schools had been judged Outstanding (Grade 1), 55 Good (2), 51 Satisfactory (3) and 1 Inadequate (4).

The profile represented a considerable strengthening in relation to previous inspection patterns.

The essential challenge for the next period is to move the body of schools, especially in the Secondary phase, from Satisfactory to Good and then to Outstanding.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received.

(2)   That the improved levels of performance by schools in all phases be noted and that the Outstanding judgements achieved by a growing number of schools be celebrated.

(3)   That the Cabinet Member, Lifelong Learning encourage all schools to continue to aspire to excellence and, in particular, to commit to systematic improvement in Ofsted outcomes during the next inspection cycle.

(4)   That the Cabinet Member, Lifelong Learning endorse the drive to:

-                      continue to reduce the number of schools subject to an Ofsted category

-                      increase the proportion of schools achieving strongly Good and Outstanding outcomes

-                      Improve, in particular, the evaluations of the quality of Teaching & Learning and attendance in Primary and Secondary schools

(5)         That the report be forwarded to Cabinet and to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel for information.

Consideration was given to a report which gave an outline model of developments to address the current challenges in relation to ethnic minority achievement (EMA) in Rotherham.

Despite some significant, recent improvements, issues of underachievement among Rotherham’s EAL (English as an Additional Language) population are still evident.  Moreover, Rotherham is now host to a recent and growing population of new arrivals from other European Union countries whose needs are significantly different from the established British Asian community.

The model proposed in the report combines recommendations for a shift in strategy and practice and identifies opportunities to test new practice in an initial, limited pilot programme.

The proposed model is based on national best practice as exemplified in the Minority Ethnic Achievement Programme (MEAP) for advanced learners and the New Arrivals Excellence Programme (NAEP).  During 2007/08 the School Effectiveness Service has also researched practice in other Local Authorities (LA), notably Bradford, Sheffield and Kirklees.

The plan seeks to address the needs of New Arrivals into Rotherham as well as to “close the gap” with respect to underachievement of Advanced EAL learners.  It is focused on raising attainment and achievement for all young people with English as an additional language (EAL) by building capacity and sustainability in schools and the LA.

Following extensive consultation in early Autumn 2007 with the National Strategies, the Local Authority has responded to the significant and increasing challenges in relation to ethnic minority achievement.

In particular these are:-

·                 Ongoing under-achievement of advanced learners with English as an additional language, mainly of Pakistani heritage

·                 Increasing numbers of new arrivals from Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Czech and Slovakian, including Roma

·                 Current provision needing to respond to national best practice as outlined by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) in the New Arrivals Excellence Programme (NAEP) which states that “Access and inclusion are best achieved within a whole-school context where pupils are educated with their peers.”

·                 Recognising the need for greater coherence across the LA, particularly the Learning and Inclusion Departments within Children and Young People’s services, and increased expert capacity to address the full range of emerging issues

·                 Developing a sustainable model in which schools are expected to take responsibility for their own improvement in this area, (consistent with School Effectiveness practice in other areas) with appropriate LA support, especially early in periods of exceptional change and challenge

·                 Designing provision for new arrivals which increases the LA’s effectiveness in developing good race relations and promoting Community Cohesion (new duty on schools from 2007)

·                 Improving consistency of initial provision for New Arrivals

The proposal contained in the report sought to strengthen the work of the LA by ensuring the response is better co-ordinated and that monitoring, evaluation and review are integral to the work.  Further, the alignment of resources with schools in the “front line” of the development of this work, sought to ensure greater sustainability and flexibility.

It is proposed to:

·                 Increase the LA’s capacity to provide clear strategic leadership and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

Consideration was given to a report which set a number of key issues on the performance of Rotherham children in Foundation Stage, in 2008.

The report and covering appendices set out:-

• Overall Foundation Stage Results
• Vulnerable Groups
• Actions Taken
• Priorities for Improvement

All schools must conduct a form of statutory assessment at the end of each Key Stage (at age 5, 7, 11, 14 and 16).  The Foundation Stage Profile is assessed when children reach the end of Foundation Stage (age 5) through ongoing and summative teacher assessment.

The national assessment profile for pupils at the end of the Foundation Stage (Foundation Stage Profile (FSP)) has been in place for six years.  Increased confidence and security in the assessments made has meant that, over recent years, the FSP is judged to be a more valid and reliable indicator than those undertaken in 2003 and 2004.  This has been achieved by extensive moderation activities undertaken by the majority of schools across Rotherham and led by members of the School Effectiveness Consultant workforce.

Assessments continue to be made against the thirteen assessment scales that cover the strands of the five Areas of Learning.  However, new national measures, referred to as Early Years Outcome Duties (EYOD), have been introduced and each Local Authority is required to set targets against these.  They now form the key reporting indicators both locally and nationally.

Each assessment scale comprises of ten stages, identified through a point system of 0 to 9.  The national expected level for pupils at the end of the Foundation Stage is point 6, which is equivalent to reaching the Early Learning Goals.  Assessment scores of points 0 to 3 are judged to illustrate performance below the Early Learning Goals, points 4 to 7 illustrate performance within the Early Learning Goals and points 8 and 9 illustrate performance above the Early Learning Goals.

The particular features of the new Early Years Outcome Duty (EYOD) measures, place an emphasis on pupils reaching the national expected level of point 6 and their development in six key aspects.  These are:-

1)           Personal Social and Emotional Development (6+ PSED), 

2)           Communication, Language and Literacy (6+ CLLD)

3)           All Areas of Learning (78 points and above)

4)           Both Personal Social and Emotional Development and  Communication, Language and Literacy (6+ PSED and CLLD)

5)           All Areas of Learning, plus both Personal Social and Emotional Development and  Communication, Language and Literacy (78 points and 6+ in both PSED and CLLD)

A further key feature of the EYOD measures is linked to improving the outcomes for the lowest performing pupils at the end of Foundation Stage, identified as the lowest 20% band.  This is measured by comparing the gap between the average point score for the whole cohort with the average point score for the lowest 20% band.  This is referred to as:

(6)  The gap between the LA median and the bottom 20% band.

The report set out the performance trends for each of the Early Years Outcome Duties over the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

Pursuant to Minute No. 9 of a meeting of the Cabinet Member, Lifelong Learning held on 10^th June, 2008, the Director of Learning Services presented the submitted report on The White Paper proposals, to further develop the Machinery of Government changes, published in June, 2007.

This White Paper recognised that together with schools, colleges and other providers, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has delivered year on year improvements in participation and success rates post 16.  More young people and adults have gained skills and qualifications that employers need and value.  In order to maintain this progress, the system now needs to respond to new challenges and, as such, it was announced that the funding for 16-19 participation would transfer to Local Authorities, subject to consultation and legislation.  The four key features of this change are:

• Local Authorities will discharge their responsibilities to provide a place in learning for every young person through strategic commissioning.
• Local Authorities will cluster together in sub-regional groupings reflecting travel to learn patterns to commission provision for young people across the wider local area.
• A national Young People’s Learning Agency will be established that will have responsibilities for budgetary control and for securing coherence in the event that agreement cannot be reached locally.
• There should be progressive devolution of power and authority to the sub-regional level as the collaborative arrangements become stronger, successful and more formal.

The report outlined the proposals for the clustering arrangements for the four South Yorkshire authorities, the details of three options, together with their weaknesses which had been put forward to Government Office, and the next steps in the process.

Stage two proposals can be submitted at any stage between November 2008 and 15^th February 2009.  These will be assessed by DCSF with results communicated by April, 2009.

A number of key considerations needed to be addressed to determine the most appropriate groupings of Local Authorities.  These included:-

• Travel to learn patterns
• Working infrastructure and institutional relationships
• Specialist and low incidence provision

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received.

(2)  That a further update report on the matter be submitted in February 2009.

Resolved:-  That the next meeting of the Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning take place on Tuesday, 6^th January, 2009 at 10.30 a.m.