Agenda item

A report from Stephanie Denovan, Service Director for Schools and Learning, exploring the contributory reasons for Ofsted judging 42% of Wiltshire’s primary schools to be ‘satisfactory’ overall during their last round of school inspections (2006-2009). The report looks at the measures in place to raise Key Stage 2 standards and to reduce the most significant attainment gaps, which are key priorities within the Council’s Corporate Plan 2010-14.

Members are asked to note the report’s contents and to comment as appropriate.

Stephanie Denovan, Service Director for Schools and Learning, presented a report on why a high proportion of Wiltshire’s primary schools were judged by Ofsted to be no better than satisfactory, with a small number inadequate, in the 2009 assessment of children’s services in Wiltshire. The assessment also commented that the gap between the majority of children andyoung people and those in vulnerable circumstances was closing in some areas but that the picture was inconsistent for different groups. The report explained the factors influencing these results and the work being done to improve primary school performance and narrow the attainment gaps.

Ensuing discussion included:

(a)              Nationally, Wiltshire is in the top quartile at Foundation Stage profile and Key Stage 4 but over the last four years progress at Key Stage 2 has been broadly in line with the national average. This is disappointing given the county’s socio-economic position and the department will continue to strive to achieve the ambitious targets set out in the new Corporate Plan.

(b)              There are various factors correlating with poor primary school performance. Other local authorities producing similar results to those found in Wiltshire tend to have a similarly high proportion of small, rural schools. In Wiltshire, this has been addressed with closures, amalgamations, federations and collaborative re-starts involving Wiltshire’s National Award Schools and National Leaders of Education. Attainment levels for paired infant and junior schools were also generally lower than those of primary schools, and this has also been addressed through amalgamation where appropriate.

(c)               Schools with a high proportion of children from a services background tended to show average or below average pupil performance. Wiltshire also has one of the highest proportions of voluntary-aided or voluntary-controlled schools in the country. Further partnership working with the Dioceses about our combined support and challenge work is underway. 

(d)              It was unclear whether the Accredited Provider Programme would continue under the new government, but the principals would continue to be taken forward, with stronger supporting struggling schools to improve.

(e)              Some of the early intervention programmes that have shown significant success are under threat of removal of government funding.  For example, the newly formed Department of Education (formerly the Department for Children, Schools and Families) is to be cut by £670 million, including £311 million from council spending on schools. In addition to this there is an announced £47 million nationally less for one-to-one tuition and £40 million less for Every Child schemes such as Every Child a Reader.

(f)                 The three areas with the widest attainment gaps were Free School Meals (FSM), Children Looked After (CLA) and Special Educational Needs (SEN). The greatest attainment gap was in the SEN area, and the root and branch review of SEN services underway is intended to address this.

Resolved:

1.                  To thank the Department for the report and to note its contents.

2.                  To request a breakdown of Wiltshire's schools by governance arrangements against Ofsted grading.

3.                  To request that changes to the primary school policy framework and any resource implications are reported to the Chairman and Vice-Chair once known.