Agenda item

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, the Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services and the Assistant Director, Education, attended the meeting to provide a progress report on the work of the Rotherham Education Strategic Partnership (RESP).

In introducing the report, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services noted the remit of RESP was to bring together key partners from across Rotherham’s education system into a coherent and effective strategic partnership in order to maximise outcomes and improve life chances for children and young people, promote inclusion and reduce inequalities, and in doing so ensure that no school, child or young person in Rotherham would be left behind. The Deputy Leader advised that due to the pandemic, RESP had not had a full formal meeting for some time, but assured members that the objectives of RESP were still being pursued, with meetings between various stakeholders continuing throughout the period of the pandemic. The Assistant Director, who had only recently been appointed to the post confirmed that he would be the new Chair of RESP. 

A table that showed progress made against key activities and actions for RESP was attached as an appendix to the officer’s report.

The Chair welcomed the confirmation that the new Assistant Director would be the new Chair of RESP but noted her disappointment that report that had been submitted for consideration was very general and noted that it did not focus on the areas of concern previously highlighted by the Improving Lives Select Commission. It was noted that the areas that the commission had previously asked for further information on included how gifted and talented children were being stretched, as well as for specific detail on the impact that RESP was making to educational outcomes in Rotherham.

The Assistant Director, Education noted that despite the challenges that had been experienced for all of those involved in the provision of education in Rotherham due to the pandemic, communication and collaborative working had carried on throughout the period by members of RESP. The Assistant Director also noted that since taking up the post he had facilitated a meeting between the head teachers of local authority maintained schools to enable collaboration and the sharing of best practice, and that moving forwards he was keen to provide more opportunities for schools to work together collaboratively.

The Assistant Director advised that he would be working with the new Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services to discuss the future priorities of RESP and to establish how RESP would be managed in order to ensure that it worked in the most effective way to drive collaboration and improve outcomes across the education sector in Rotherham. The Assistant Director advised that once the revised priorities for the Rotherham Education Partnership and the timeline for their implementation had been established, they would be circulated to members of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

The Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services noted her commitment to RESP continuing in the future and ensuring that it effectively enabled partnership working and positive educational outcomes.

The outgoing Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services noted the strong culture of collaborative working between academies, maintained schools and the local authority in Rotherham and advised that this strength had been highlighted by OFSTED in their recent inspection of the Education Department.

The Chair thanked the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, the Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services and the Assistant Director, Education for attending the meeting and answering members’ questions.

The Chair, on behalf of all members noted her thanks to the outgoing Interim Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Sally Hodges for all the work she had done for children and young people during her time in Rotherham and for how closely and effectively she had worked with the members of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

Resolved: -

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That it be recommended that Elective Home Education be a priority area for the Rotherham Education Partnership.

3)    That information on the revised priorities for the Rotherham Education Partnership and the timeline for their implementation be circulated to members of the Improving Lives Select Commission.