Agenda and minutes

The evacuation procedure was noted.

There were no declarations of interests recorded.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 December 2025.

AGREED that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2025 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Select Committee received progress updates in relation to its previous review of Narrowing the Gap in Educational Attainment.

The review had been carried out using an Appreciative Inquiry Approach. The benefit of the approach had been in the awareness raising of the issues. It had also brought all stakeholders together at events and secured support for agreed objectives and future action.

The Select Committee received progress updates in relation to the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1

Improve attendance

Support schools to improve attendance:

Ø  Encourage school leaders’ use of the Attendance Self Evaluation Toolkit to identify what is working well, and areas which could be developed

Ø  Promote an inclusive and relevant curriculum - where a young person wants to attend

Ø  Work with the Team Around the School Service.

Ø  Ensure that schools are equipped to deal with health issues.

Ø  Identify individual barriers to attendance to better target support and intervention with specific reference to young carers

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

·         A range of actions were being introduced which sought to ensure greater consistency in attendance management practice

·         Attendance was improving across all schools and phases. Further details would be included in the forthcoming Cabinet report on vulnerable groups

·         A strengthened careers offer sought to drive forward aspirations and engagement

Recommendation 2

Forge positive relationships

Ensure that school culture proactively forges positive relationships between pupils, staff and parent/ carers:

Ø  Promote respectful behaviours from all partners including teachers.

Ø  Involve parents in school life.

Ø  Extend opportunities for enhanced transition.

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

·         Recruitment to Transitions Team was now complete and Health and Care Lead had been appointed

·         To support continuous professional development, a training programme and transitions workshops were scheduled

Recommendation 5

Managing emotions

Strengthen environment and opportunities for pupils to manage emotions:

Ø  Engage with the Healthy Schools Programme and Healthy Settings Programme

Ø  Design and delivery of courses to meet pupil need and support parents, with specific reference to:

·         managing behaviour effectively.

·         supporting mental health and wellbeing – especially to de-escalate heightened behaviour or to reduce stress levels.

·         positive parenting skills.

Ø  Strengthen the use of pupil voice to support development of school environments which better support them to manage their emotions.

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

·         A school support booklet had been drafted and included with the agenda pack for the meeting

·         Work going forward would examine learning from best practice and support with mental health

Recommendation 14

Review behaviour policies

Review behaviour policies to ensure that they are appropriate and proportionate and that inclusion policies align with behaviour policies:

Ø  What happens when a young person is removed from the classroom. Where do they go? What teaching takes place?

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

·         An extensive audit of every behaviour policy and its impact on pupils had been carried out. The research was generating interest nationally and revealed that certain factors were critical to have in a policy,  ...  view the full minutes text for item CYP/41/25

To receive further evidence in respect of Children Not in School under the categories of Educated Other than at School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision (AP).

EOTAS Process attached.

As part of their review of Children Not in School, the Select Committee received further evidence in respect of children falling under the categories of Educated Other Than At School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision (AP).

The Education Other Than At School Process booklet had been circulated to the Select Committee with the agenda for the meeting.

The Select Committee received a presentation which outlined:

Educated Other Than at School

Definition - Education other than at school (EOTAS) means the education or special educational provision of children or young people outside of a formal educational setting

·         EOTAS is not Elective Home Education

·         EOTAS is provided for under Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which gives local authorities the power to arrange special educational provision outside of a school if they are satisfied that it would be "inappropriate" for the provision to be made in a school or college setting.

·         Responsibility and Funding: If EOTAS is agreed upon, the local authority remains legally responsible for securing and funding the provision.

Who Accesses EOTAS?

·         Children with special educational needs who cannot access any educational setting owing to their needs

·         Small minority of children with the most complex needs

·         Agreed by SENDMAP based on evidence

·         Monitored by both SEND and Vulnerable Learners Teams – November 2025 process

Numbers of EOTAS

·         7 children currently in Stockton who are registered as EOTAS

·         4 ordered by or as a result of the SEND Tribunal Service

·         3 agreed by the service via its SENDMAP, decision making panel

·         Short term intervention

Alternative Provision

What is Alternative Provision?

·         Alternative Provision (AP) refers to education arranged for pupils who cannot attend mainstream school for reasons such as exclusion, illness, or other circumstances

·         It provides tailored learning in settings like pupil referral units, specialist schools, or independent providers, ensuring students continue to receive education suited to their needs

Non School Alternative Provision

There are many Non School Alternative Provisions (NSAP’s) that schools and the Local Authority can access to support Stockton children. They are able to support pupils from KS1 to post 16. They can provide this in different ways including:

·         Face to face education in a venue

·         Tuition in different venues that are appropriate to the pupil including their home on occasion

·         Online education both live and recorded

·         Therapeutic support for neurodiverse pupils

·         Outdoor and physical activities

Data snapshot Autumn 2025:

·         There were 20 requests for AP advice from schools (60% primary and 40% secondary)

·         Of the notifications we received in the Autumn term from schools:

Ø  There were more requests for advice about AP for boys than girls ( 75% boys and 25% girls)

Ø  There were 43 pupils who accessed AP from Stockton framework  during the Autumn term ( 86% secondary and 14% primary) and 4 of them returned back to school

Ø  14 children who have been permanently excluded this academic year are accessing LA organised AP

Stockton on Tees AP Framework:

·         2021-2023 – First Framework published with a number of providers on. This was  ...  view the full minutes text for item CYP/42/25

AGREED that the work programme be noted.