Agenda item

Debbie Anderson, Head of School Improvement and Early Years, introduced the report and outlined highlights from recent work.

As Ms Anderson is an Ofsted inspector she could advise in training sessions about new methods of electronic evidence gathering. The preparation for Ofsted session on the Top-Level View Conversation (the initial telephone call between the headteacher and lead inspector) was successful; a follow-up evaluation was positive. Training on Ofsted's "Early Reading Deep Dive" is crucial as if early reading is not good, then the quality of education is not good and likewise the quality of leadership. The training was delivered to senior leaders and English leaders who then cascade it to other staff. Schools are more prepared for inspection than they were in January and Ms Anderson constantly gets phone calls requesting training.

There was a peer review in the autumn term and since then Ms Anderson had led a third peer review. The process involves teasing out what schools are looking into and what they want to reflect on; it is not a judgement. A review is taking place in a school today. Some reviews were postponed because of staff absence and Covid. Many schools say staff and children are not used to seeing other people in classrooms. Having dedicated time for an objective view is powerful.

Eighteen primary schools are participating in the Destination Reader programme. At the moment evidence of its effectiveness is anecdotal but evidence will be more data led next year. Education would like Year 2 and Year 3 to benefit from the book project and potentially want to narrow it down to see if a transition unit of work like the one for Year 6 can be used for the transition from Year 2 to Year 3.

Schools are choosing their own Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programmes. As SSPs are a massive investment of training and resources Education's information overview of them is useful. Once chosen, implementation needs to be checked as the way they are delivered and implemented is what makes a difference.

The Senior Leadership Team meetings are a new initiative this term. It comprises termly visits to LA maintained schools to check in and develop relationships. Headteachers now feel they have a better working relationship with Education who in turn feel they have better knowledge of schools. Mike Stoneman agreed that working relationships were much better and were at a mature stage. There are also good relationships with MATs (Multi-Academy Trusts). There are just 18 LA maintained schools now, which is unlikely to change much. On 30 March there is a meeting with LA maintained schools to discuss a memorandum of understanding on what schools and Education can expect from each other.

Councillor Horton thanked officers for a great report. Good work is being done but it is a question of ensuring it is sold the right way. The Portsmouth Education Partnership is working at maximum strength, partly as Covid forced joint working. The relationship with the Library service is very evident in the report. Councillor Horton had attended a learning walk at Craneswater Junior School on Destination Reader. As a former primary school teacher she was very impressed with the pupils' spoken language and wishes she had had those strategies when she was a teacher.

In response to a question from Rob Sanders about schools not using validated SSPs, and if this was a concern, officers said some schools initially said "letters and sounds" programmes work but SSPs are robust and everything in the curriculum matches. If a school's own programme is working an inspection team would probably be satisfied but the programme would need to have a very clear rationale. If a school's results were below the national average it would not have a case. Some schools who used "letters and sounds" have changed their minds. Some take time choosing an SSP from the range of validated programmes.

At the moment it is not known if the imminent White Paper will force academisation. Currently if a school is judged Inadequate it has to become an academy. A school with a double Requires Improvement judgement may have to become an academy. There may be moves to remove single academy trusts and towards MATs and further rationalisation.

Councillor Horton noted there was a focus on academisation by central government in the years before Covid but there are more pressing issues now.