Agenda item

Reports from the Head of Education & Learning (DEF/17/14, DEF/17/15, DEF/17/16)                          attached.

DISCUSSION:

(a) Early Help Update

The Forum received the report of the Head of Education & Learning (DEF/17/14), on new delivery structures and processes and the securing of permanent leadership for Devon’s Early Help system following Ofsted report 2015.

Early Help was a priority for the Devon Children and Families Partnership, with multi agency work which schools were very much involved with.  The Early Help Improvement Plan was to be submitted to the DfE by the end of December.  The report also covered Early Help self assessment; performance monitoring, communications and the Locality Partnership.

(b) SEND Improvement Board Update

The Forum received the report of the Head of Education & Learning (DEF/17/15).  The

Board was very keen to engage with schools and a senior teacher representative from the primary phase would be welcome to support in the engagement strand to work alongside the secondary representative.

The current contracts for community health and care services for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Public Health Nursing and specialist services for Children with Additional/Complex needs were due for renewal 1 April 2019.  A review and options appraisal was therefore currently looking at the future shape of these services and DAPH would be pleased to be involved in developing the new service.  Public health and portage services were highly valued by schools for under 5’s  Special Educational Needs children.

(c) Attainment 2016/17 

The Forum received the report of the Head of Education & Learning (DEF/17/16) on data available to date (full data still to be received):-

-Early Years Foundation stage was performing in line nationally/regionally.

Attainment gap for Free School Meals children in Phonics year 1 had slightly increased but Devon was in line nationally and better than regionally.  However phonics for SEN children although a small cohort required further investigation; 

-Key Stage  (KS) 1 by Gender showed girls performing better than boys in Devon and nationally in Reading, Writing and Science;

-Provisional Key Stage 2 data indicated slightly better than nationally/regionally in Reading, Writing and Maths, although some individual subjects were below national;

-Provisional Key Stage 4 data indicated Devon was performing significantly better than nationally/slightly better than regionally in English and Maths.  Also Attainment 8 was slightly better than nationally/regionally.  However in Progress 8 boys particularly were not making as much progress and this would be a key focus for the coming year;

-Disadvantaged groups KS2 and KS4 was due to be published end January 2018.  Free School Meal children attainments had shown a significant improvement this year with the attainment gap starting to close.  Children in Care provisional results indicated an improvement on last year with a full analysis due later;

Overall priorities for the coming year were progress for more able pupils, in Maths and for boys.

-Provisional 3+ A levels had significantly improved overall (just under nationally/better than regionally).

DASH Members highlighted concerns at the significant shortage of Maths teachers in (SW) Devon.  This was a regional issue with a regional Maths hub, training and financial incentives being explored.

(d) Children & Young People Bullying Survey

Responses were to be followed up including survey question phrasing.

(e) Parenting Communications with Children

The Forum discussed national and local concerns at the increasingly significant disengagement of parents/adults with children  (eg on home visits) and noted that work on this had been commissioned from Babcock. 

DECISION:

That the Head of Education & Learning follow up Maths teacher recruitment and training in (c) above  with the Devon Schools Alliance.

ACTION:

DAPH -  Representation on SEND Improvement Board (b) above;

Head of Education & Learning (Dawn Stabb)

- Maths teacher recruitment and training (c) above

- survey responses (d) above