A report providing the Committee an update on the work undertaken by the Education Service at Brighter Futures for Children to address the high number of young people ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET), or whose destination status is ‘Unknown’, this work forms part of the wider post 16 agenda in Reading.

The Director of Education, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report providing the Committee with an update on the work undertaken by the Education Service at BFfC to address the high number of young people ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET), or whose destination status is ‘Unknown’.  A report providing details of the progress in this area and outlining the action plan, which had been put in place to continue the improved performance, was attached at Appendix 1.

The report explained that in summer 2019 the previously ‘out sourced’ organisation, Adviza, which provided careers advice, had been brought in-house under the remit of BFfC and was rebranded as Elevate.  In 2018 and 2019 a Ministerial letter had been sent to Reading raising concerns about performance post 16 and in particular the lack of robustness in data and the high level of students who had been categorised as ‘not known’ at post 16.  As a result of the 2019 letter an action plan had been put in place to address these weaknesses and new leadership had been put on place.

Resolved –

(1)         That the significant progress that has been made in the post-16 sector be noted;

(2)     That a progress report on the action plan be submitted to the Committee in Autumn 2021.