Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director of Children and Families presenting information linked to the second session of the Scrutiny Board’s Inquiry and agreed thematic approach based around the five Children and Young People’s Plan Outcomes.

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report that presented information linked to the second session of the Scrutiny Board’s Inquiry and agreed thematic approach based around the five Children and Young People’s Plan Outcomes.

The following were in attendance:

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

-  Steve Walker, Director of Children and Families

-  Phil Mellen, Deputy Director for Learning

-  Anne Fell, Joint Interim Head of Learning Improvement

-  Kim Porter, Joint Interim Head of Learning Improvement

-  Hannah Lamplugh, Voice, Influence and Change Lead

The Director for Children and Families introduced the report, reflecting on some of the historical context and thanking schools, along with school improvement and school inclusion teams, for working in partnership to take forward an inclusive approach to education.

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

·  The impact of deprivation on educational outcomes. The Board noted that the report stated that the linkage between poverty, deprivation social class and parental educational achievement to the education outcome of children was stronger than the influence of a good school or teacher. Members commented that this was a powerful statement, and perhaps an area for further exploration.

·  ‘Poverty Proofing the School Day’. The Board’s previous inquiry into child poverty identified an initiative developed to mitigate the impact of poverty on a child’s day at school, and Members were pleased to hear some examples of buy-in from Leeds schools. In response to Members queries, officers also felt confident that Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium Plus funds were being allocated appropriately by schools in Leeds.

·  Cluster Partnerships. Members raised concerns about some schools, including academies, disengaging with the Clusters and sought clarity as to why this was the case, and if the schools who were not part of the Clusters were providing adequate alternative support to pupils. Members heard that some schools disengaged with the Cluster Partnerships because of funding restraints or because they felt that they could offer associated services within the school and local community. However the majority of schools continue to subscribe to their local Cluster Partnership and valued the benefits of a multi-agency approach. Members also heard that there were no checks to ensure alternative support is provided by those who do not subscribe, however outcomes for all children within the community and Cluster are monitored, along with referrals to statutory services.

·  Parental influence. The Board recognised the importance of engaging parents and enabling them to effectively support their child’s education, but also some of the stigma attached to parents seeking help. Members praised some of the work taking place in children’s centres, and suggested that parenting skills sessions could be facilitated more widely in schools. Members were informed that regular meetings take place with children’s centres and learning improvement teams to share good practice, however more could be done to engage with hard to reach groups of parents. Members also heard thatvoice and influence parent groups had been established in some schools across the city, such as Shakespeare Primary School, and were working effectively to engage parents in school decision-making.

·  Teaching schools. Members requested further information about teaching schools that operate in the Leeds area, particularly the quality assurance process and the impact. Members were provided with names of teaching schools and alliances in Leeds, and some of the funding streams available.

In summary, the Chair noted that the main issues raised during discussions appeared to be associated with key components of deprivation and the influence of parental engagement. The Board therefore agreed to schedule a working group meeting to undertake further scrutiny of these particular issues.

At the end of the discussions, the Chair welcomed the recently appointed Deputy Director for Learning, Phil Mellen, and invited him to briefly outline his initial priorities in his new role. The Deputy Director informed the Board that many of the issues raised during the meeting were priorities, in addition to maximising the strength of existing partnerships across the city; focusing on equity of provision and reducing the attainment gap for disadvantaged children; as well as identifying common themes arising from recent Ofsted inspections of schools.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report be noted.

b)  That a working group meeting be arranged to undertake further scrutiny surrounding key components of deprivation and the influence of parental engagement on educational outcomes.

Councillors Renshaw and Kidger and Co-opted Member Andrew Graham left the meeting during discussion of this item.