Agenda item

Mike Stoneman, Deputy Director, Education, presented the report. Section 3 covered action taken after lockdown and Section 4 showed action taken since the previous meeting. Many of the workstreams established in the summer have been retained and merged into the PEP structures.

The Infection Control and Health & Safety group's stepped up work includes a support package comprising guidance, resources, template letters in the event of local outbreaks or lockdowns, which was sent to schools before term started.

Officers worked with Corporate Communications on the Welcome Back to School campaign. The Miss School Miss Out campaign was put on hold until after the autumn half-term. Attendance figures are better than expected with the majority of schools having over 95% attendance. 280 children have not returned to school, half of whom are known to Children's Services and Early Health and have a lead professional. Officers are working with schools via LA Link Co-ordinators to support this work. There is also a focus on elective home education (EHE) and a spike in requests with the aim of avoiding unsuitable EHE which is likely to lead a return to school. All schools are implementing the protocol. Compared with other local authorities in the South East Portsmouth is doing well in reducing the number of children who are inappropriately being home educated Resources for schools and frontline staff working with families were distributed shortly before the start of term. Tracking and monitoring of vulnerable children not at school continues. Existing staff who were deployed into tracking roles have returned to their regular jobs so three full-time LA Education Link Co-ordinators will be employed with effect from November. Many schools used the Welcome Back templates but are now moving to how to support the remaining children to return to school. A bespoke wellbeing support package was developed from one used in Medway.

There is a weekly communications update to schools every Friday, a weekly PEP bulletin, fortnightly meetings with headteachers and Multi-Academy Trusts (MAT), and half-termly meetings with maintained schools.

Ms Calderbank noted that the gap between the pupil premium and normal attendance has grown four times so it is pupil premium attendance that has been affected and might need investigating.

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

Mr Stoneman felt Portsmouth was prepared as well as could be for a second wave of Covid-19 or an immediate lockdown. It will be in a much better position as it will have the LA Link Co-ordinators in place and has already done work on digital and home learning, for example, where children have had to self-isolate due to a positive case in schools. Ms Calderbank noted that by 22 October schools have a legal requirement to provide remote learning that is in line with the curriculum, not previous work.

With regard to schools being able to manage if school staff were waiting for tests or are overloaded with work, some schools had particularly felt the strain and as infection rates rise it will be more challenging. At the moment schools are managing but officers are under no illusions as rates rise.

Ms Calderbank and Mr Ladedz had both removed non-essential duties from teachers at their schools but creaks are starting to show. A school in Gosport has seven supply teachers and there is a five-day wait for test results. Some classes were doubled-up which is permissible as long the children are in a bigger bubble; half-term will be welcome. Mr Labedz said waiting time for tests had stabilised but across the country generally staff absence is worse in November and February. Fewer schools are using supply teachers because of the risks that presents in terms of transmission of the virus. Portsmouth schools have managed very well so far but it is worrying how they will manage to cope to Christmas. Despite the unpredictable circumstances staff are committed to wanting children to do well. League tables for 2021 will be pointless so the focus is on seeing what children can achieve.

Sarah Christopher and Alison Jeffery joined the meeting at 4.45 pm.

Sarah Christopher, PEP and School Inclusion Manager, described the support available to schools. A pack with links and resources had been sent to all schools. Education is aware of the need to support headteachers. The government Wellbeing for Education Return grant is being used for initiatives such as using former headteachers who know Portsmouth well to provide a safe space for support; educational psychologists are available for ad hoc confidential conversations; training is to be made available to all schools on staff looking after their own wellbeing so they can look after the children.

The Chair requested her thanks to Mike Stoneman, Alison Jeffery and all Education staff to be placed on record. She had heard positive feedback from schools about the return to school.

RESOLVED members of the Education Advisory Board note the actions that have been taken over the past six months by the council and partners to respond to the pandemic and the ongoing work that is in place in order to continue to support education settings.