Agenda item

Report by Councillor Liz Brighouse, Leader of the Labour Group (CC13)

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the paper and to suggest ways in which greater involvement by all stakeholders can be encouraged and supported.

The Council had before them a report by Councillor Liz Brighouse, Leader of the Labour Group (CC13).

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Stevens seconded the adoption of the recommendation.

During the debate, the following suggestions were made:

Schools and Governing Bodies

·        It is important that care is taken to recruit charismatic, talented, and committed head teachers within Oxfordshire who understand the importance of employing smart new teachers, who, with the support of a strong head teacher, are equipped to make a difference in the lives of their pupils;

·        Head teacher time in the classroom is set at a very low 3 hours. Could consideration be given to raising this? A particularly inspirational head teacher could raise an average teacher to one who is equally as inspirational;

·        Governing Bodies should support those talented teachers who give children in primary schools their initial thirst for knowledge. Few governors realise the key role they have in raising educational achievement;

·        Governors to ensure in particular that looked after children, children on the Action Plus, SEN, CAPs and Safeguarding programmes, persistent absentees, those at risk, excluded children and young carers are sufficiently supported, perhaps by following a sample as they proceed through their schooling;

·        At least one suitably inspired adult should be supporting the child, particularly the vulnerable child, as it proceeds through its schooling, particularly its primary schooling;

·        Educational attainment could rise if more attention is given to increasing home/school links when a child begins to exhibit problems in the classroom;

·        The child with a chaotic background would benefit from ‘one to one’ learning, perhaps with other students sitting alongside them. This would be a new form of discipline for the child;

·        To acknowledge that educational achievement is as important as educational attainment and each should receive equal recognition within Oxfordshire. Some young people will never reach the points of attainment due to a disability or to Special Educational Needs. Data is available on a national basis making it possible to compare the two to show how communities can develop these themes;

·        Consideration could be given to the question of whether it is a good use of time and resources to test children once during the last year of their primary schooling and then immediately again when they enter their secondary school;

·        Schools should ensure that children leaving  primary schools are ready for their secondary schooling;

·        The application of discipline in schools in a consistent manner by strong head teachers  would assist children to discipline themselves;

·        The attainment levels of the most able children could be raised, given the right support;

·        Increased numbers of male teachers to be recruited to act as role models for children who do not have a father figure within the household.

Local Authorities

·        Every Oxfordshire councillor should take on a school governor role, be an active member of that Governing Body and engage with their school. Oxfordshire governors are well supported by an effective ‘Governor Services’ unit who give clear guidance and training to all governors and schools who seek it. Members are in a prime position, indeed all governors are, with the help of Governor Services and advisers, to challenge their school if it is deemed necessary and exercise accountability to their local community;

·        Members who are governors could be encouraged to disseminate  their knowledge and expertise of the Council and its operation, and of their local communities by not serving too long on one governing body before moving on to another within their area. This might also enable them to challenge more effectively;

·        An Annual Meeting of the Governing Body could be held at which parents and governors could be given the ‘bigger picture’, about how the directorate is structured in terms of support for disadvantaged pupils, together with information on policies and strategies, such as the Anti-Bullying Strategy;

·        The Council could take steps to encourage its partners/stakeholders to take a greater part in raising attainment levels and their challenge;

·        More publicity and outreach is required to publicise the benefit to the child of the Children’s Centres. It is important to work with the authority’s partners to alert people to this;

·        The Council should challenge Cabinet members and Education Officers on examples of best practice found from other schools and other local authorities; and ask how this information is disseminated;

·        To approach the Ministry of Defence with a request that children affected by the movement of troops across an area should not be moved  to another school without thought being given to how this could be avoided; given the adverse effects this can have not only on the affected children’s school career, but on the viability of the school;

·        The role of the Council needs to be about accountability leading to good outcomes for Oxfordshire’s most vulnerable children. This could be achieved via the use of national and local data, targeting and by the increased utilisation of self  evaluation processes;

·        The local authority could make a difference by increased focus on areas of the greatest deprivation, as highlighted in the report of the Director of Public Health. Children living in poverty with a disability could be targeted, for example;

·        The levels of educational attainment could be improved by putting resources into breaking the cycle of deprivation in particular areas. For example, 30% of  children living in East Oxford achieve grades A – C at GCSE, in West Oxfordshire the level rises dramatically to 70%;

·        The Council to continue to support fully the action being taken to address the educational needs of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, for example the work of the Head Teacher of the Virtual School for Children Looked After;

·        Deprivation can also exist where people are ‘asset rich and cash poor’;

·        In recent years this Council has put a significant amount of effort into raising the bar of educational attainment. Bearing in mind that there are a number of measures currently being employed, some of which are already bearing fruit, and one which has achieved national recognition, this authority should consider how it might take the lead in this area, how it could challenge, not only locally but nationally if deemed necessary;

·        Children’s Centres could assist in laying down the core skills, the foundations prior to entry into infant/primary schooling. The PEERS Project stressed the importance of neural and language development at an early stage, via talk and play. Proactive early years intervention would reduce fire fighting for teachers and bring many other benefits, particularly for deprived children;

·        The Council to find a way of safely opening up the school to the positive aspects of what the whole community could offer the child and the family, but at the same time ensuring that the school is focusing only on the child’s educational needs;

·        Research has shown that children from better supported homes, starting their education at 3 years old, overtake those children who are less supported at age 5/6 years. Therefore, to target only the most deprived children might not be the solution. An earlier start to schooling could also raise attainment levels;

·        If a young person is in a place where they feel safe and secure they will learn and achieve. There are groups of children who do not have a sound family support network to draw upon and thus there is a need to intervene earlier, perhaps via some project work;

·        More investment in the county’s education services is required, particularly during this recession, in order to give hope for the future;

·        To avoid the loss of children with high ability from Oxfordshire’s state schools, early selection is required in order that they be given challenge and inspiration and to avoid these children becoming ‘lost in the system’;

·        Good accommodation is essential for effective learning, hence the importance of continuing focus on the  ‘Building Schools for the Future’ project;

·        Increased facility should be given within the school curriculum for those children who wish to learn a trade or take up an apprenticeship;

·        Extra curricular activities such as music via the County Music Service and via school choral societies help to build up confidence. This could lead to more engagement in school activities and increased educational attainment. District and parish councils are able to offer the use of sports clubs and leisure centres and encourage involvement in sponsored events;

·        Blame should not be apportioned should a child’s educational attainment be not achieved, but instead, focus should be placed on the intention to make a difference

·        Whatever action the Council takes within the educational attainment area, it should be aiming to level up and not down.

RESOLVED:   (nem con) to note the paper and to suggest ways in which greater involvement by all stakeholders can be encouraged and supported.  Following discussion of suggested ways in which greater involvement by all stakeholders can be encouraged and supported, Council noted the paper.