Agenda item

This report provides the Panel with an overview of early years and school education performance in the academic year 2024-25, and the work underway to address inequalities in educational attainment.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding addressed the Panel and highlighted the following points to the Panel.

·  The report provides the Panel with an overview of early years and school education performance in the academic year 2024-25, and the work underway to address inequalities in educational attainment. He said that the Council were committed in their attempts to achieving improved performances.

·  A slight improvement in KS2 educational outcomes for Free School Meal (FSM) eligible children, however, the attainment gap between FSM pupils in B&NES and nationally is significant: 36% of B&NES FSM pupils achieve the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths, compared to 48% nationally.

·  Children with SEN Support and an EHCP perform better in all key stages than regional and national averages.

·  The Local Authority remains committed to delivering initiatives with education settings to enhance outcomes for Free School Meal (FSM) pupils. Our efforts focus on the early years, where the LA can have the most impact. This year's budget includes additional funding to expand the delivery of our Language for Life programme, now extended to more early years settings, and to provide targeted support for transitions from nursery to school.

·  Pupils in B&NES attained higher grades than regional and national figures at all stages of education, except at Key Stage 2 (KS2), where attainment remained in line with national averages.

·  In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the percentage of children reaching a good level of development increased to 73%, higher than regional and national averages.

·  Key stage 2 performance for all pupils in the combined reading, writing and maths (RWM) was higher this year, rising from 60% to 63%, higher than the southwest average of 60% and in line with the national average of 63%.

·  Key stage 4 attainment in grades 9 -5 English and Maths and in Attainment 8, though slightly down from 2023/2024, is once again higher than regional and national averages. This is to be commended.

·  Girls performed better in Key Stage 2 than boys and in the KS4 Attainment 8 measure, but for the first time since 18/19, boys did marginally better than girls in KS4 grades 9 -5 English and Maths.

·  Attainment in B&NES is lowest in the Black and Other ethnic groups at all stages of education and remains below national levels at KS2 and KS4. In KS2, 53 % of Black pupils achieved the expected standard in RWM, compared to 63% nationally. The gap reduces in KS4, with 39% of black pupils attaining grades 9-5 in english and maths, compared to 43% nationally.

·  When in secondary school, our FSM cohort does make much better progress. Whilst outcomes for this group of pupils in KS4 have previously been in line with national outcomes, this year they have fallen slightly below the national average. However, the progress this group makes in our secondary group is significant.

The Consultant in Public Health highlighted the following further areas from the report.

·  Addressing the attainment gap is a shared responsibility and B&NES Council has an important role in leading a whole-systems approach to addressing the attainment gap by addressing the root causes across Council services, coordinating place-based action with partners, and aligning resources.

·  Public Health presented a previous report that set out why a whole systems approach to reducing the attainment gap is important and key findings of research undertaken to better understand the drivers – outside of education settings - for the attainment gap in B&NES. Research included exploring the data, published evidence, and conversations with over 60 professionals working with young people in B&NES and young people themselves.

·  The research identified ten core drivers outside of education settings that are contributing to the attainment gap.

·  A B&NES Council action plan is currently being implemented, which takes action to address the core drivers identified. Actions are led by Heads of Service and action leads across the Council, including in teams within the Place, People and Resources directorates. The Be Well B&NES Steering Group currently monitors progress made against the action plan.

·  Public Health developed a business case to recommend investment in key areas that will help to address the education attainment gap. A growth request has subsequently been included in the 2026/27 budget which would enable the recruitment of a post to help drive forward action on education inequalities, funding to sustain and strengthen projects  already delivering measurable progress (e.g. action learning sets with education settings and Language for Life), and funding for low cost pilots designed for rapid testing.

·  Action on education inequalities needs to take place across the wider system and so working with our system partners is crucial. The Multi Academy Trusts have established a B&NES Disadvantaged Network Group to focus MAT efforts, particularly in relation to early years and transition.

·  A Mayor of Bath research residency is also being undertaken with the University of Bath, with two PHD students undertaking a 3-month research project on education attainment inequalities.

·  There is clear alignment between a whole systems approach to reducing the attainment gap and the Best Start in Life Strategy, Best Start Family Hubs, the Family First Partnership Programme and wider system work on neighbourhood health and prevention.

·  During 2026/27 the focus will be on continuing to implement the B&NES Council Action Plan, maximising use of additional investment, and aligning the capacity of system partners so that we are making best use of our resources to address education inequality collectively. Another event will be held to support the coming together and mobilisation of wider system partners.

Councillor Bharat Pankhania, the current Mayor of Bath, said that he was pleased that the University of Bath had agreed to explore the topic further in an attempt to find the determinates that will make a difference. He added that he hoped to share further details of the research with the Panel in the future.

Councillor Paul Crossley asked if the figures for trends relating to Black and Other ethnic groups were broken down into further details.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding replied that this information was available from the Strategic Evidence Base (  https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/strategic-evidence-base-education ).

Councillor Joanna Wright commented that she was concerned that the subjects of Art and Music were not being considered as important as they used to be. She added that she believed this was a poverty related issue and that the Council has limited resources to make a change.

The Consultant in Public Health said that they use the resources they do have sensibly and work with their partners, which include WECA and their involvement in the Child Poverty Action Plan.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding added that BANES carries out a lot of positive work with Public Health and uses the levers it has to attempt to influence change. He added that finances remain a challenge to work within.

Councillor Paul May said that he welcomed the research that was taking part in conjunction with the Mayor of Bath, but said that it must be supported by an evidence base.

Councillor Pankhania replied that he acknowledged that the work will need to be evidenced and that the intention is to address the educational experience for all our children. He added that he had discussed with Voices for Life a proposed longitudinal study that would take place over a number of years.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson asked if there were any minority clusters within BANES that need additional support.

The Consultant in Public Health replied that there are steps within the Action Plan to ensure that we are reaching communities appropriately and that some groups were identified in the preparation of the plan.

The Panel RESOLVED to note the report.