Issue - meetings

The Head of the Virtual School addressed the Panel and presented data to them on attendance, persistent absence, suspensions, and exclusions. She highlighted the following areas to them.

• Positive trends in attendance and reductions in permanent exclusions.
• Persistent challenges with suspensions, particularly among vulnerable groups and those eligible for free school meals.
• Ongoing work with schools, trusts, and the Race Equality Charter Group to address disparities and improve outcomes.
• Earlier interventions, especially when a young person receives more than one suspension – look at the plan in place for them.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that she was concerned about the figures in relation to suspension and attendance for those young people in receipt of free school meals. She said that she hoped work would take place alongside the Multi Academy Trusts.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding replied that attendance was a regional priority and referred to phonics lessons being likely to take place earlier in the day, and therefore pupils arriving late might miss these.

The Head of the Virtual School said that she believed that there was always another option to suspension and that training was available for schools regarding a trauma informed approach.

Kevin Burnett referred to section 3.5 of the report and asked if the levels of authorised absence for pupils with an EHCP were as expected.

The Head of the Virtual School replied this was a pattern often seen due to health reasons.

Kevin Burnett asked if she was involved in any of the Public Health work relating to the wider determinants of educational disadvantage.

The Head of the Virtual School replied that she was.

Councillor Lesley Mansell said that she would like to see the exclusion figures reduce still, especially for those young people from ethnic minority backgrounds. She added that she felt that data regarding gender reassignment was lacking in the report and queried how much absence might be due to issues relating to this.

The Head of the Virtual School sought to reassure the Panel that issues relating to ethnicity were spoken of more widely than ever before and that she worked closely with Jason Pegg (Black Families Education Support Group). She added that no data was held by the Council with regard to gender reassignment.

Councillor David Harding asked if Multi Academy Trusts were suspending more pupils than expected.

The Head of the Virtual School replied that she felt that their numbers should reduce.

Councillor Paul May said that Multi Academy Trusts remain a competitive market place and that the Council would work with them on reducing the number of suspensions.

The Panel RESOLVED to note;

i) Our pupils' overall positive attendance for 2023-2024. Our overall absence rate, % persistent absentees and unauthorised absence rate sits below national and regional data.

ii) We are aware that our attendance for children open to free school meals is an area that we need to address and this is a target that sits across the local authority.

iii) Last year we saw a drop in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48