Agenda and minutes

The evacuation procedure was noted.

There were no interests declared.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 14 February 2024.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Children and Young People Select Committee meeting which was held on 14 February 2024 for approval and signature.

AGREED that the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 14 February 2024 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider the contents of a Cabinet report:

School Performance 2022-23 for Vulnerable Pupils

To discuss initial feedback from the Stakeholder workshop held on 8 March

The latest evidence-gathering session for the Committee’s ongoing review of Narrowing the Gap in Educational Attainment focused on a recent report that had been presented to the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Cabinet regarding school performance 2022-2023 for vulnerable pupils.  A supplementary paper containing national, regional, Tees Valley, and Stockton-on-Tees attendance data released by the Department for Education (DfE) for the Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023 terms was also tabled for information.

This annual report on vulnerable groups across the Borough enabled Cabinet to monitor educational standards and achievements, and to evaluate the impact of Local Authority monitoring, challenge, intervention, and support.  The report presented a summary analysis of vulnerable pupil performance in the academic year 2022-2023 for all key stages and all providers in the Borough, and was informed by the latest available data (some of which remained unvalidated) and compared to national averages where they existed.  It included performance outcomes for:

•           Pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding

•           Performance by gender

•           Black and Minority Ethnic children

•           Children and Young People in Our Care

•           Children with Special Needs

•           Attendance and exclusion figures for Stockton-on-Tees

Introduced by the SBC Assistant Director – Education, Inclusion & Achievement, the report began with data / statistics relating to pupils identified as vulnerable within the Borough, and then described what had worked well, and any areas for development / challenges, for each of the six categories listed above.  SBC officers present noted an encouraging development in terms of a forthcoming meeting within the community to address some of the issues emerging from the outcomes noted in the report.

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

•           Members felt the term ‘vulnerable’ should also acknowledge young carers and questioned whether all such individuals were known to services.  It was acknowledged that the Cabinet report centred on a finite number of groups and did not include young carers – however, they were factored into the ‘Closing the Gap’ Network and services utilised Eastern Ravens to identify young carers and address the challenges they faced.  The Equalities Network also signposted such groups to available support.

•           The issue of children from the travelling community coming into and leaving education during a school year was raised.  Whilst numbers were likely to be low, a growing concern was the increasing prevalence of ‘working poor’, a cohort which may require inclusion when considering future school performance.

•           The Committee recognised that there were a number of reasons for disruptive behaviour at school, though queried how much of this was a challenge / pushback to being punished in the first place.  Officers reinforced the need for everyone to be on the same page when it came to making ‘reasonable adjustments’ in relation to behaviour which may be perceived as inappropriate, and also noted that actions which made a positive difference for one child may not work / be appropriate for others.

•           Members asked why girls’ reading performance at the end of Key Stage 2 had  ...  view the full minutes text for item CYP/31/23

The Committee’s next meeting was scheduled for 17 April 2024 input from primary and secondary schools was planned.

AGREED that the Work Programme be noted.