Agenda item

The Committee has requested a report on attainment including attainment gaps.

Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services, Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, and Kim Wilson, Assistant Director: Schools and Settings – Standards, Effectiveness, and Performance , have been invited to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Report to follow

Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services, Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, and Kim Wilson, Assistant Director: Schools and Settings – Standards, Effectiveness, and Performance (ADSS), were invited to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Assistant Director presented provisional, unvalidated attainment data, explaining that, whilst Oxfordshire’s attainment score of 46.2 was marginally above the national average (45.9), progress could not be measured owing to pandemic-related exam cancellations. She noted that white British children in Oxfordshire achieved at or above national levels across key metrics; however, disadvantaged children, particularly disadvantaged white British children, continued to lag behind, widening the attainment gap. The Assistant Director stressed that schools account for only around 20% of children’s outcomes, with wider factors such as family health and deprivation having significant effects.

Members engaged in a wide-ranging discussion about the interventions available to support schools with attainment challenges. The Council’s approach involved categorising schools by need, with improvement advisers working across more than 130 maintained schools. Those requiring strategic support benefited from tailored interventions, such as lead reviews and strategy meetings, while all schools have access to a school improvement partner. Intensive help was provided for those with greater needs, especially in leadership and governance, and new headteachers received mentoring. Finance and Special Educational Needs (SEN) teams also contributed to the support package. The Committee noted a strong emphasis on early years reading and writing, with ambitious targets to narrow the disadvantage gap, and initiatives like free book distribution to encourage reading.

Collaboration with external organisations was highlighted, particularly the Council’s work with the Dolly Parton Foundation and the Welcome project, which addressed both literacy and child health. The conversation reflected on the importance of foundational skills in early reading and writing, recognising that development in these areas extended beyond formal instruction. Some Members voiced concerns about the risks of starting formal literacy too early, especially compared to international practices. The upcoming 2025 curriculum and assessment review was seen as an opportunity to modernise the curriculum, with a renewed focus on the arts.

Creativity and the arts were recognised as vital for child development, and Members considered how multi-agency interventions might reflect the growing emphasis on these areas. Schools would need to adapt to curriculum changes, and collaboration between safeguarding, education, and virtual school teams was seen as essential. The new inspection framework was identified as a key driver for schools to respond to evolving educational priorities.

Ambitious targets for good levels of development among children were discussed, with Oxfordshire aiming for 77.8%, surpassing the national average. The Cabinet Member drew attention to significant inequalities, particularly for children eligible for free school meals, whose development rates lagged behind their peers. He stressed the importance of closing this gap and described ongoing efforts to address disparities through strategic planning and collaboration within the Children’s Trust Board.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on attainment scores and progress measurement was another focus. Members noted that a detailed analysis of attainment ranges, including rural and urban splits, would be possible once validated data became available. The reintroduction of progress measures by central government for the academic years 2026/27 and 2027/28 was welcomed, as it would restore the ability to track pupil progress over time.

The Committee also explored whether free school meals were a sufficiently comprehensive marker for disadvantage. Officers explained that eligibility was consistently identified through schools, with an auto-enrolment project underway to ensure uniformity. However, it was recognised that disadvantage extended beyond school criteria, encompassing factors such as home environment, health, and community context. Attendance and registering new arrivals were highlighted as important, alongside the new Ofsted framework’s focus on inclusion and supporting the most disadvantaged pupils.

Creating happy, welcoming, and safe school environments was seen as crucial for pupil attainment. Members shared examples of schools excelling in this area and discussed the need to capture and share best practices. The new Ofsted framework’s emphasis on inclusion and support for children who find school challenging was welcomed, and councillors were encouraged to engage with their local schools to better understand and support their approaches.

Building relationships with parents and caregivers emerged as another key theme. Strong parental engagement was recognised as essential for children’s development, though approaches varied widely between schools. The Families First programme was introduced as an early intervention initiative designed to support parenting and early childhood development, aiming to fill gaps left by previous services and not restricted to any socio-economic group. Members noted a decline in children’s school readiness following the pandemic, with issues such as lack of toilet training, basic self-care skills, and independence observed across all socio-economic backgrounds. Families First was seen as a valuable resource for providing information and support to parents, helping them understand what good development looked like and how to foster it at home.

Sharing best practice from other councils with higher attainment was considered important. The Council’s approach to reviewing and adopting successful strategies from elsewhere was discussed, whilst also recognising the strengths of local schools, some of which are nationally recognised for behaviour and attendance. Partnerships with academy trusts and the Oxford Education and Inclusion Partnership were highlighted as ways to foster collaboration, share effective approaches, and develop strategies grounded in data, targets, and priorities.

Supporting children who fall behind at key milestones, particularly during transitions such as moving from primary to secondary school, was another area of focus. Schools have adapted their transition processes, sometimes starting support as early as Year 4 or 5, to ensure children begin new schools in a positive environment. Early intervention was emphasised as a means of preventing dips in attainment and to support mental health and well-being, reducing the risk of children developing a negative self-fulfilling prophecy about their academic abilities.

Safeguarding was recognised as a complex issue. Whilst schools were generally safe environments, Members acknowledged that some children do not perceive school as safe owing to bullying or not fitting in. The need for further work on safeguarding and the importance of recognising and addressing these exceptions was emphasised to ensure all children feel secure and supported.

Councillors reflected on the challenges of building relationships with local schools and gaining access, with some finding it difficult to visit schools even as experienced educationalists. Suggestions included providing practical tips or brokered introductions to help councillors connect with schools, similar to arrangements made for MPs. It was proposed that local Councillors should be informed when Cabinet Members or Officers visit schools to foster better engagement. Throughout the discussion, the importance of Councillors understanding their local schools to support children’s attainment and well-being was repeatedly emphasised.

Members requested that, once school attainment data was validated, it should be reported back to the Committee, in addition to a private all-member briefing which would include comprehensive school-based data to enable councillors to understand performance in their divisions. The briefing would ideally also cover practical guidance for councillors on engaging with local schools, address the protocol for notifying councillors about school visits by cabinet members and officers, and present updates on the Oxfordshire Education and Inclusion Partnership’s strategy. The importance of including safeguarding and curriculum review impacts in future committee discussions was also highlighted.

The Committee AGREED to recommendations under the following headings:

• adapting the protocol so local members are notified when cabinet members and officers visit schools, supporting and working with local schools,
• celebrating successes and sharing best practices across the family of schools
• developing the education and inclusion strategy with a focus on child safeguarding, protection, and the curriculum review.