Agenda item

Debbie Anderson, Head of School Improvement & Early Years, presented the report and highlighted the main points. As there were no statutory assessments/tests/exams in the previous academic year due to Covid-19 there were no performance data dashboards to help support the prioritisation of school improvement support for maintained schools. Therefore, schools need clear and transparent criteria so they can see how support is prioritised. Criteria included the imminence of Ofsted inspections and new school leadership. Previous performance information and consistent trends could be considered; for example, a three-year downward trend, or anomalies where schools perform well in some areas but not in others. Ms Anderson will be reviewing the school improvement plans of maintained schools and will be looking to secure school improvement support from external sources that can benefit all schools in the city. An example of this is the opportunity to secure funding via the Hastings Opportunity Area and a potential twinning project focusing on literacy.

Ms Anderson confirmed that the PEP School Improvement Board has become the School Leadership and Effectiveness Board which has a focus on school leadership acknowledging that school leadership is key to improving standards in the city.

The Chair suggested that not having the dashboards may be a silver lining as it could be an opportunity to re-assess improvement strategies. The importance of leadership is crucial in setting the tone; a number of previously failing schools have dramatically improved with good leadership.

In response to questions from members, the following points were made.

With regard to effectiveness of school improvement with only Debbie Anderson in post, the Chair noted that the school improvement team had been reduced due to more schools becoming academies. Mr Stoneman said the £55 to £60,000 government funding allocated to school improvement was very little. Ms Anderson was responsible for statutory responsibilities for maintained schools as well as for the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, Music Service and Early Years. The key was to getting the most from the collective resource available in the city and to capitalise on other opportunities such as the Hastings Opportunity Area twinning project and the potential of the Regional Teaching School Hubs that will be established next year.

With regard to having confidence in accurate results in view of the gaps in learning, officers explained they could not use 2020 results so had to use past trends. Although schools were invited to submit data to support the preparation of school profiles, they were for schools' sole use. When considering performance information the last three years have to be considered. Changes of leadership and the ongoing use of remote learning and the Catch-Up Premium also need to be considered. Fiona Calderbank said grades at her schools were not inflated. She sent the results of two sets of mocks to the Fisher Family Trust and used the algorithm. Schools who inflated grades would only face problems later on. Mr Stoneman assured members the local authority was not "taking the foot off the pedal" in aspiring to provide high quality education, as reflected in the Portsmouth Education Strategy.

The Chair noted it was heartening to hear schools talking about teaching and learning, despite the current Covid-19 crisis.

RESOLVED members of the Education Advisory Board note the school improvement prioritisation and support for 2020-21.