Agenda item

6.1

The Committee received a presentation from Pam Smith, Head of Primary and Targeted Intervention, on an interim update in terms of City-wide education attainment in 2016.  Ms Smith referred to statistics in terms of attainment at Foundation Stage, and Key Stages 1, 2 and 4, and stated that a more detailed attainment report would be submitted to the Committee’s meeting to be held on 20^th February 2017. 

6.2

Also in attendance for this item was Kate Wilkinson, Service Manager, Performance and Analysis Service.

6.3

Ms Smith made specific reference to the significant changes made in terms of the assessment framework in 2016, at Key Stages 1, 2 and 4, with the expected standard at Key Stages 1 and 2 being significantly higher compared to previous years, resulting in a smaller percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard.

6.4

The Committee also received two documents from Learn Sheffield, the Sheffield School Improvement Strategy 2016-2018 and Sheffield Priorities. It was noted that Stephen Betts, Interim Executive Director, Learn Sheffield, was off work, and unable to attend the meeting.

6.5

Members of the Committee raised questions and the following responses were provided:-

·                The attainment figures related only to mainstream schools in the City and did not include independent schools.

·                Learn Sheffield had done a very good job in terms of establishing positive relationships between all schools, including academies.  There had been huge improvements in terms of schools sharing data between themselves, and with the Council, as well as them engaging in a new school categorisation process.  Officers were confident that, with these improvements, together with all the other measures implemented, there would be further improvements in terms of attainment in forthcoming Academic Years.

·                It was appreciated that the statistics set out in the presentation did not provide a complete picture in terms of contrasts in attainment levels at Key Stages 1 and 2, in those schools in deprived areas of the City.  Information was available in terms of the breakdown of the statistics in terms of schools’ locality, and this would be included in the report to be submitted to the Committee’s meeting to be held in February 2017.

·                Just over 30% of primary schools in the City were academies, with a few more primary schools looking to convert to academies in the near future.  There had been a recent slowdown in terms of the number of schools converting to academies.

·                The recent changes in assessment frameworks at Key Stage 1 had been one of the factors which had contributed to Sheffield’s low standing in the national rankings with regard to maths.  It was considered, however, that as schools became more familiar with the new types of assessments in the future, this ranking would improve.  There had also been a number of changes in terms of how school staff were teaching different subjects, and how children were learning, and when such changes became more embedded, it was hoped improvements would be seen.  Partnerships between schools were also viewed as an essential factor, and there were seven localities in the City, where schools were working together, and it was hoped that this would also lead to improved attainment outcomes.

·                Officers were working very closely with colleagues in Learn Sheffield in connection with schools providing support for each other.  There was a very clear set of criteria in terms of how schools were categorised, and what support they could be expected to receive.  Steven Betts had held meetings with the Chief Executive Officers of the multi-academy Trusts in connection with the understanding of this process.

·                The inequality gap at Foundation Stage was referring to the distribution in attainment, rather than children’s disadvantaged status.  The statistics referred to a comparison between those lower performing children with their median cohort.  Although there was a high number of children performing lower than others, the gap between the two had decreased over the years.  Details of attainment levels regarding disadvantaged children could be included in the report submitted to the meeting in February 2017.

·                There were no statistics in terms of the inequality gap at Key Stage 4.

·                Overall performance in schools was improving, with specific reference being made to the percentage increase in pupils at Foundation Stage achieving a good level of development, from 59.5% in 2014 to 68.6% in 2016.

·                The percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, at Key Stage 2 was 52% this year, which meant that the gap with the national average, at 53%, had narrowed to 1%. This was a very positive improvement.

·                Learn Sheffield had tried, where possible, to use headteachers who had achieved National Leaders of Education or Local Leaders in Education status, but not on an exclusive basis.  Learn Sheffield had commissioned work in the summer regarding school improvement.

·                Whilst there had been an increase in the number of exclusions at both primary and secondary schools in the City, figures had not been at such a level to lead officers to believe that such exclusions had been made in order to ensure that such pupils, many of whom were lower performing, would not be included in the school’s attainment figures.

·                The number of schools “below floor or coasting” was expected to reduce from nine in 2015 to approximately four in 2016, and further details on this would be included in the report submitted to the meeting in February 2017.

6.6

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       notes (i) the information reported as part of the presentation, together with the responses to the questions raised and (ii) that a more detailed report on City-wide attainment in 2016, could be submitted to its meeting to be held in February 2017; and

(b)       thanks Pam Smith and Kate Wilkinson for attending the meeting, and responding to the questions raised, and also expresses its thanks to officers, teachers and pupils with regard to the positive attainment figures now reported.