Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement which presents the key areas of under performance at the end of Quarter 3 (1^st October to 31^st December 2008).

The Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report outlining progress against a raft of both national and local performance indicators for the period October to December 2008, and highlighting initiatives being taken to tackle areas of under-performance.

In attendance at the meeting, and responding to Members’ queries and comments, were Councillor Stewart Golton, Executive Member Children’s Services, Rosemary Archer, Director of Children’s Services and John Maynard, Children’s Services.

In brief summary, the main points of discussion were:-

• Recognition was given to the large areas of good performance contained within the report;
• The Board welcomed the inclusion of some numbers in the reports, rather than just percentage figures, which could by themselves be meaningless or misleading. However, Members asked for this to be extended further in future reports;  
• NI 92 – Narrowing the Gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and the rest.  Members expressed concern at the widening of the gap by 1.5%, and that the improvements witnessed in 2007 had not been maintained; 
• Reference was made to possible ‘hot housing’ of pupils, especially at  Key Stage 2, by too much concentration on literacy and numeracy teaching in order to meet national targets, and the detrimental effect this could have at Key Stage 3, where the same levels of progress proved unsustainable. However, Members welcomed new local targets focused on closing the gap, which signified a more inclusive approach to the curriculum;
• Alleged lack of funding for Breakfast Clubs was referred to, and the detrimental effect his could have on children’s academic performance if they were not getting a proper start to the day;
• The need to achieve a balance between academic and vocational studies, and the work being done in this area;
• NI 43 – Young People within the Youth Justice system receiving a conviction in Court who are sentenced to custody.  This particular performance indicator had various contributory factors affecting performance, as outlined in the report.  It was also interlinked with other indicators such as NI 44, 45, 46 and 111, also detailed in the report.  The attitudes and actions of local Magistrates played a huge part in performance under this indicator, and discussions were taking place with the local Bench.  Work was also ongoing with the Prison Reform Trust on this subject, and further details would be supplied to the Board;
• Local indicator LKI -IYSS3 – The percentage of young people aged 13-19 gaining a recorded outcome compared to the percentage of young people in the local authority area.  Frustration was expressed, given the stated good level of contact between young people and the Youth Service, that an apparent problem with adequately recording outcomes was causing under-performance in this area;
• Local indicator BV - 46 – percentage of half-days missed due to total absence in primary schools maintained by the local education authority.  The lack of real numbers, as opposed to percentages, was again commented upon.  It was explained that a lot of the problems associated with this particular performance indicator were due to sickness absence or parents taking pupils on often extended breaks outside of official school holiday periods.  A lot of work was being done to tackle this latter issue.  Actual numbers would be supplied to the Board;
• Reference was also made to possible links between the number of Youth Workers and youth activities in some parts of the City and a possible link to youth crime.  Limited resources meant that choices had to be made, and often that choice was to concentrate resources on perceived areas of greatest need, often in inner-City Wards.

RESOLVED – That subject to the above comments and requests for further information, the report be received and noted.