A report providing the Committee with an update on the 2018/19 school standards/attainment.

Further to Minute 22 of the meeting held on 21 October 2019, the Director of Education, Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC), submitted a report providing the Committee with updates on the 2018/19 school standards/attainment figures in order for the Committee to determine progress for children and young people in Reading Schools.  The information on standards had been based on validated data for academic year 2018/19 as no data was available for 2019/20.

The report stated that the contract key performance indicators, and outcomes, for BFfC (Education) included the following:

·         KPI 18: Reduction in Secondary School Fixed Term Exclusions;

·         KPI 19: Key Stage 2 results (Reading, Writing and Maths expected level+) Gap in attainment for disadvantaged pupils;

·         KPI 20: Key Stage 4 results (Attainment 8) Gap in attainment for disadvantaged pupils;

·         KPI 21: Increased percentage of schools rated good or outstanding (locally maintained only).

Overall, schools in Reading had been just below the national average for standards.  In all Key Stages Reading had continued to mirror the national position in terms of the gap in attainment between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children.  The work by BFfC in Key Stages 1 and 2 had continued to decrease the gap compared with England averages and at Key Stages 3 and 4, in some of the Borough’s secondary schools, there had been some of the best performance in the country.  There was also a substantial proportion of young people leaving schools without the requisite skills for the world of further education and work.  The majority of primary schools were good or outstanding, whilst the picture for secondary schools was more mixed.  However, despite this mixed picture there had been some notable success in the following:

·         School engagement on curriculum projects, particularly curriculum change, oracy and writing and the Therapeutic Thinking approach and school to school support;

·         Developing an anti-racist curriculum;

·         Active participation programme.

In the case of the latter two bullet points above, for 2020/2021, as there had been a greater focus on ‘Black Lives Matter’ and the Government’s Covid Strategy to improve children’s health, these two new projects would be added to work with schools on.  Work on climate change would also be added.  The report went on to analyses the performance of the Borough’s schools against the education performance indicators for BFfC.

Resolved –

(1)     That the progress that has been made in raising standards across Reading Schools be noted and teachers, support staff, governors, children and their families thanked for all their hard work;

(2)     That all schools who have achieved a good or outstanding Ofsted rating be congratulated;

(3)        That the work of BFfC in raising attainment and supporting Reading schools continue to be supported.