Agenda item

11.05

The information contained in the report is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

1       Information relating to any individual

2       Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would distort the proper process of free negotiations between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.

The report provides Members with information on levels of attainment in secondary schools in particular focusing on the areas of inequality and achievement of vulnerable learners in order to provide a steer on the scope for the Attainment deep dive, together with an update on Primary School levels of attainment – at the December meeting Committee Members were given a briefing based on predicted levels of attainment at Primary School level. This report will update Members on the actual figures which have now been published.

The Committee had before it a report which, following on from the December Meeting where Committee Members were given a briefing based on predicted levels of attainment at Primary school level, provided members with information on actual figures on primary school levels and the levels of attainment in secondary schools focusing on areas of inequality and achievement of vulnerable learners in order to provide a steer on the scope for the attainment deep dive.

In introducing the report, Sandra Higgs, Schools Service Manager explained that in Key Stage 1 year on year improvement could be seen across all areas other than writing where the County remained 1% under the national average. Writing remained a concern through Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 as well.  Overall more than ½ the Counties children were receiving very good grades with Reading being 1% above the national average and maths in-line with the national average.

Overall, outcomes had improved in all subjects. Outcomes in Writing had increased by 4% from 2016. An additional 152 pupils reaching the expected standard would have put outcomes in line with the national average. However, outcomes in Writing were below those for Reading and Maths, a persistent pattern for the LA (and statistical neighbours/nationally).Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils remained below those of non-disadvantaged pupils, although outcomes in all areas had improved. The disadvantaged gap (2016) varied from 23%pts in reading (16%pts nationally) to 29%pts in writing (17%pts nationally).

The disadvantaged gap between Oxfordshire and other Las in 2017 varied from 21%pts in reading to 25%pts in writing. Gaps in Reading and Writing had remained constant at 24% but the gap in Maths has narrowed by 1%

In relation to KS2 she explained that 61% of Oxfordshire pupils at the end of key stage 2 had reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths compared to 62% nationally. This represented a 9% rise in the LA’s results. Oxfordshire had moved up into the 2nd quartile nationally for both this measure and for pupils achieving the higher standard. The LA’s results were also in-line with statistical neighbours with Oxfordshire now ranked 5th compared with 9th in 2016 for the % of pupils achieving at least the expected in reading, writing and maths.

In reading, 74% of Oxfordshire pupils reached the expected standard in reading and this was above the national average of 71% and in-line with the statistical neighbour average. This places Oxfordshire in the top quartile nationally.

Although writing was still below the national result, this represented an 8%pt increase in the proportion of pupils achieving at least the expected standard, and showed a slightly greater increase than nationally. However, this result did place Oxfordshire in the bottom quartile nationally. The proportion of pupils working at greater depth in writing was in-line with the national figure at 9%. The gap between outcomes in Writing in Oxfordshire and those nationally was narrowing (5% in 2016, 3% in 2017)

The attainment of pupils with SEN support in reading, writing and maths (RWM) had increased significantly on 2016. Pupils with SEN in Oxfordshire also attained better than pupils with SEN nationally. Disadvantaged learners had also attained better in 2017 but the gap between them and their peers had not diminished. Those with a statement or an EHCP attained in line with national average.

In Relation to Secondary School Outcomes, Attainment 8 for Oxfordshire pupils was 1.2% above that nationally. It was important to note that this measure had been revised so could not be compared with previous years.

A new performance indicator in 2017 was the proportion of pupils with a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths.  Almost half of the pupils in Oxfordshire (48%) achieved a “strong” pass at grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 43% nationally. This placed Oxfordshire in the top quartile nationally for this measure.

Over two thirds of Oxfordshire pupils (68%) achieved a standard pass at grade 4 or above in both English and maths, this compared with 64% nationally.  Again, placing Oxfordshire in the top quartile nationally. Oxfordshire performed strongly in maths this year, with 54% of pupils achieving a strong pass (grade 5+). Oxfordshire was ranked the 30th highest local authority (out of 151) for this measure.  Progress 8 in Oxfordshire was above that reported nationally.  Oxfordshire was placed in the second quartile nationally for this measure.

Attainment 8 for Oxfordshire learners with SEN and disadvantaged was lower than national and in the 3rd or lowest quartile.

The Committee then held a discussion around confidential Appendix 2 which provided Attainment 8 data for each secondary school in Oxfordshire as well as the breakdown for each of the pupil groups and Confidential Appendix 4 which listed the schools where disadvantaged learners and learners with SEN had made the most and least progress.

Following discussion, it was AGREED that the following points be added to the scoping document for the deep give into Education Attainment:

·           Pupil premium, whether it was working and what impact it was making;

·           The Split between boys and girls particlarily disadvantaged boys?

·           The need to challenge at local level and have representatives at locality level;

·           The possibility of funding a data support officer

·           The need to provide resource so that we could release time from our best schools to share good practice;

·           Data needs to be broken down by schools not locality to enable the group to see those schools that were doing and those that were not doing so well

·           Progress 8 – needed to look at progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4

·           Attainment 8 – need to look into why we are 127 out of 152 authorities;

·           EBacc - cirriculum offer at Key Stage 4 is essential

·           Need for further data by ethnicity – why romany travellers have very poor outcomes

·           Key Stage 5 data

·           Need to look at the Inclusion Strategy and SENCO