Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support presenting the Learning in Leeds Annual Standards Report for 2016-17.

The Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support submitted a report that presented the Learning in Leeds Annual Standards Report for 2016-17.

The 2016/17 Learning Outcome Dashboards were appended to the report.

The following were in attendance:

-  Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Executive Member for Children and Families

-  Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Executive Member for Learning, Skills and Employment

-  Steve Walker, Director of Children and Families

-  Val Waite, Head of Learning Inclusion, Children and Families

-  Kim Porter, Joint Interim Head of Learning, Children and Families

-  Anne Fell, Joint Interim Head of Learning, Children and Families

-  Erica Hiorns, Secondary School Improvement Advisor, Children and Families

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

·  Academies and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs). Members queried whether the report was shared with academies to illustrate the challenges, and to MATs who may have schools within various local authority boundaries. Officers informed members that the document was made publically available, but that key messages from the report are communicated to all schools regularly.

·  Attainment levels of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) children. Members raised concerns regarding the attainment of BAME children in Leeds compared to all children nationally, and wished to be provided with more information on the action being taken to address this gap.

·  English as an Additional Language (EAL).  Members suggested that future Annual Standards Reports should also reflect EAL comparator data with other relevant local authorities.

·  The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. Members questioned the confidence of Officers in their current strategies designed to improve the learning outcomes of all children to close the attainment gap. Officers assured Members that the evidence shows that they are making steady incremental gains, which they viewed to be sustainable. Members were also informed of the establishment of the ‘Advantaging the disadvantaged’ working party, which has now been running for 18 months.

·  The link between Social and Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) provision and exclusion rates. Members were pleased to hear that permanent exclusions in the city had been reduced to 11 in 2016/17 from 33 in 2015/16, which Officers informed Members has largely been due to the increase in SEMH support for those at risk of exclusion. However, Members were concerned to hear of a rise in fixed term exclusions and requested a breakdown of exclusions per school to understand which areas were in need of targeted support.

·  Narrowing of the curriculum. Members expressed concerns around the narrowing of the curriculum, particularly for subjects such as Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Members were assured that narrowing of the curriculum was a significant focus nationally, and forms a significant role in the support and challenge to schools in Leeds. For PSHE, Officers informed Members that there has been a large subscription to the Health and Wellbeing support offered through Learning Improvement, and that feedback has been good from both schools and the officers.

The Chair explained that the key issues raised by the Board can also be explored further as part of the Board’s themed discussions at future meetings.

(Councillors K Renshaw and W Kidger left the meeting at 11.55 am during discussion of this item.)

(Ms C Foote left the meeting at 12:15pm during discussion of this item.)

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the Leeds Annual Standards Report and appended dashboards, be noted.

b)  That the Board be provided with the information requested.