Agenda item
People and Communities Strategic Director's Briefing
The Panel will receive a verbal update on this item from the People and Communities Strategic Director.
Minutes:
The Divisional Director Children & Young People, Specialist Services introduced this item to the Panel on behalf of the People and Communities Strategic Director.
Stonewall Education Equalities Index 2015
He said that he was pleased to report that Bath and North East Somerset and its schools and learning settings had been named as best at tackling homophobic and trans-phobic bullying and for celebrating difference and diversity by Stonewall. He added that it is critically important that our children and young people are supported to be comfortable ‘in their own skin’ and that they accept and value others as their equals.
He said that the work in B&NES is very much led by children and young people and our schools and learning settings are to be commended for their commitment to both the subject and child-young person-centred leadership.
Primary and Pupil Parliaments
The Primary and Pupil Parliaments for 2015 have now been completed. Both events were very successful and the outcomes from each event will be reported to you at a future meeting and will inform the refresh of the Children’s and Young Peoples’ Plan.
Review of Emotional/Behavioural Services and Alternative Provision
He informed the Panel that a review of these services had begun as a result of increasing demand and an increase in levels of emotional distress amongst children. He said that permanent exclusions had reached 24 for this academic year and that the range of services provided seems unable to meet the complexity and volume of need. He stated that the review will be completed in late November and could come to the Panel after Christmas.
Attendance
He said that attendance figures had improved over the year and we have worked well with secondary schools in particular to ensure that those children educated off-school site for part or all of the week are well supported. He added that this attention to attendance and high levels of attendance were key attributes of keeping children and young people safe as well as attaining educationally.
Disadvantaged Pupils
He explained that lots of work had been undertaken in schools across the Local Authority to ensure that our Free School Meals (FSM) eligible children do well. He said that we are hopeful that we will see a significant reduction in the attainment ‘gap’ particularly in GCSE’s and we will be able to report on this later in the year.
Ofsted Inspection
He informed the Panel that the Council did not receive the ‘call’ on 6 July and therefore we continue to be vigilant for a visit from 4 September onwards.
The Chair asked if the Council were involved in the Bath Spa University work known as ‘Attachment Aware’.
The Divisional Director Children & Young People, Specialist Services replied that Mike Gorman, the Council’s Headteacher for the Virtual School for Children In Care was at the centre of this work and felt sure that the Panel could be given further information at a future meeting.
Councillor Sally Davis asked for the Pupil Parliament dates for 2016 to be circulated as soon as they were known so that Panel members and other Councillors could attend.
Councillor Peter Turner commented that he would be interested in the results of the Review of Emotional/Behavioural Services and Alternative Provision.
The Chair thanked the Divisional Director Children & Young People, Specialist Services for the update.