Issue - meetings

Report by Corporate Director for Children’s Services

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to accept the main findings and recommendations of the Education Commission.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet considered a report from the independently-chaired Oxfordshire Education Commission which had been established In Autumn 2022 to consider how the Council, collectively with all state-funded schools, other education settings, and partners including children and families, could plan to sustain improving outcomes for all Oxfordshire children.

Gail Tolley, the independent Chair of the Commission, presented the report.  She introduced other members of the Commission who were present at the meeting and summarised the background to the findings of the Commission’s work which had led to the recommendations before the Cabinet.  There had been extensive engagement with children, young people, parents, schools and community organisations in the County which had provided valuable evidence along with various data insights and information on performance.  The Commission had identified a need for incremental change and collaborative working to achieve excellent outcomes for Oxfordshire’s children and young people.

The Executive Director (People, Transformation and Performance) thanked Gail Tolley and commission members for their work and reiterated the need for the recommendations to be incorporated with other areas for improvement including SEND.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services responded to the report and expressed support for the need to step up to the challenges facing the Council and for an action plan to be put in place to monitor progress on improvements.

During discussion, members commented on:-

·       the disparity of outcomes for children from different backgrounds and communities in the County

·       the need for positive action to be taken in response to the Commission’s findings

·       evidence that children performed better when they walked or cycled through green spaces to school

·       the importance of early years child development in the context of health and wellbeing

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Enright seconded the recommendations and they were approved.

RESOLVED to note the report of the Oxfordshire Education Commission.