Agenda item

Blaenau Gwent Education Services Draft Self-Evaluation Findings

To consider the report of the Corporate Director of Education.

Minutes:

 

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Education which was presented to provide Members with the opportunity to scrutinise the findings of ongoing self-evaluation processes undertaken in the Education Directorate, with partners and across the Council. 

 

The Director of Education spoke to the report and highlighted the main points contained therein.

 

Members referred to Appendix 1 and the pupil well-being slide and requested if there was any evaluation on impact to support the statements.  The Director of Education said a whole wealth of information was captured combined with anonymised case studies in relation to the school counselling services.  The Youth Services Manager commented that wellbeing had improved and this information was provided in annual reports to the Welsh Government and in FADES, however, exclusion data could not be captured as it was confidential.  Counselling services engaged with over 7,000 pupils and the numbers were increasing, the facts and figures reported demonstrated how support was tailored and adapted accordingly.  Members understood the wealth of information behind the figures but felt that footnotes on background information was needed.  The Youth Services Manager said that the Counselling Service data could be shared with Members. 

 

With regard to higher levels of language acquisition in very young children in the Early Years, a Member commented that they would like to see evidence that those children accessing Flying Start services are having ‘the best start in life’ compared to those children not in Flying Start areas.  The Director said that only 1/3 of children are able to access a Flying Start setting but there were concerns for those children between 3-5 who did not attend an Early Years setting and had no preparation for school or language acquisition.

 

A Member enquired regarding improving school attendance levels and the impact of families taking pupils on holiday in school term time.  The Director said that attendance was one of the key links to achievement but it was at the Head Teachers discretion to authorise a pupil’s absence, however, the Local Authority would discourage absence in term time.  The Education Welfare Service and the Local Authority were both aware which individual schools needed additional support in this area and were working to address this issue.

 

The Chair enquired if the consequences of pupils being absent in term time was included in the staff newsletter and whether any fines had been issued.  The Director said that graphs showing how the decline in attendance was linked to achievement had been included in the newsletter and was also as part of the Callio project and this could be refreshed.  She confirmed that some fixed penalty notices had been issued and would provide Members with the number of fines issued.

 

Councillor Derrick Bevan left the meeting at this juncture.

 

A Member referred to the high Elected Home Education rates.  The Director of Education said that an action plan was in place for those individual pupils who needed additional support.  There was commitment from Head Teachers to work with the Department to identify pupils on the cusp of becoming EHE.

 

A Member enquired if parents opted for EHE to avoid heavy fines for non-attendance at school and requested a Members briefing session be held on school attendance.   The Member briefing session would include information on the total number of fines issued to parents.

 

The Committee AGREED this course of action.

 

The Committee AGREED to recommend, subject to the foregoing, that the report be accepted and endorse Option 1, namely that the report as presented be accepted.

 

Supporting documents: