Agenda item

Purpose of report

This report provides an update on the Portsmouth Education Partnership and the preparation of an Education Strategy for Portsmouth. It also provides details of the targeted work undertaken by the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance (on behalf of the Local Authority) to provide school improvement support to LA Maintained schools. 

RECOMMENDED that members of the Education Advisory Board:

(i)        Note the progress that has been made to establish the Portsmouth Education Partnership and preparation of an Education Strategy for Portsmouth

(ii)       Endorse the school improvement support that is being provided by the council for Priority 1 and 2 LA Maintained Schools

(TAKE IN REPORT)

Mike Stoneman introduced Jo Peach, Director of Learning - Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance and Hilary Loder, Independent Chair of the Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP) Shadow Strategic Board, who were in attendance today. 

Mike introduced the report and advised that since the last Education Advisory Board in September a lot of progress had been made with the Partnership.  The partnership was formally launched on 4 November 2016 and there had been very good attendance at the event.  Following the launch a number of groups and sub groups had been established:

·         Initial Teacher Training, Recruitment and Retention

·         Operational Group (School Improvement)

·         Inclusion

·         Curriculum networks to support English, Modern Foreign Languages and Maths

·         Behaviour and Attendance Group.

There is a half day workshop scheduled for 7^th February which will help to develop the priorities of the PEP.  It will also give the opportunity to reflect on progress and shape the way going forward.  Approximately 60 people had confirmed their attendance at the workshop which was very positive.

Councillor Young asked about the remit of the inclusion group.  Alison Jeffery, Director of Children's Services, advised that she had attended the first meeting of the group earlier today.  The group had a very broad remit but has two main strands of work 1) the importance of SEN provision in schools and 2) the emotional health and wellbeing of children. 

Mike then suggested to the chair that it might be useful for Hilary Loder to provide the Board with her thoughts on how the PEP is working so far. 

Hilary advised that she had found the last Strategic Board meeting very exciting.  She had been impressed with the breadth of knowledge and the range of people who are involved, which reflected that the people all have an interest in lifelong learning.  She felt that the strategic board had found its vision which was pooling resources.  There is currently enormous duplication within the education system however the PEP provides the opportunity to be cohesive and collaborative to ensure best practice and help reduce repetition.  The PEP also links to a very real understanding of fact we are in a period of transition.  Hilary felt that these messages are becoming more widespread and the PEP had real power and momentum moving forward. The PEP was unique as it has managed to engage with academy partners.  In response to a question she felt that the feeling of many schools was one of natural scepticism which would occur until the value of the PEP is understood.  

Jo Peach added that the Initial Teacher Training Teacher Recruitment and Retention (ITT) group meeting had been very productive and was an excellent example of everyone having the same aim and pulling together to recruit and retain good teachers.  Mike Stoneman added that at this meeting, four task and finish groups had been established which would be led by schools.  The results of their findings would be fed back to the next ITT meeting.

Councillor Purvis referred to his comments made at the last EAB meeting and asked whether the governance arrangements of the PEP would be considered at a future meeting.  He felt it was important that a TLP representative and governors were invited to attend to get buy in from all. He also felt that it was important that meetings are held in public and the minutes of the meeting are available online.  Mike advised that the governance and membership of the group would be looked at in more detail.  He also advised that there is a link to the PEP minutes on the Portsmouth City Council website and a TLP representative attends the ITT meetings.

Education Strategy for Portsmouth

Mike advised that the draft strategy had been recently shared with the strategic board and over the next 4-6 weeks the final version would be circulated for consultation. The aim was to have the final strategy in place by the summer term.

Councillor Young said that previously the council had received criticism from Ofsted due to the number of strategies and said that it was important that there was something to underpin the strategy.  Mike advised that the strategy was a succinct document that was underpinned by action plans.   It was important that the strategy has a wide readership and this will be promoted.  The aim was that there would be a version of the strategy for parents, one for children etc. The final version of the strategy would come back to this Board for discussion. 

Councillor Purvis felt that the structure of the Strategy was good and echoed councillor Young's comments about the importance of an action plan to underpin the strategy.

School improvement support update

Under the auspices of the PEP, schools have been categorised for a discussion about support using the PEP Performance Dashboard during the autumn term The priority rating of 1 to 3 (with 1 being the highest priority) dictates the amount of support LA maintained schools will receive from the LA through the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance (TSA). 

Jo Peach explained that a lot of detailed work had taken place to establish the dashboard information.  The RAG rating is based on data from 2016 so is fairly limited and just provides a snapshot.  There were 18 LA maintained schools that were either priority 1 or priority 2.  All priority 1 schools had been visited last term and all priority 2 schools would all be visited this term, there were four more visits to take place.    All other maintained schools are categorised as priority 3 and schools will be contacted about areas identified as red requesting an explanation or action to address these areas. 

Jo advised that one of the common themes she had discovered from her discussions with the schools was the recruitment and retention of teachers.  In response to a question from Councillor Young, Jo advised that they had not completed a study of the retention rate of teachers but she knew this was a challenge that schools were facing. Councillor Young felt that it would be good for the ITT Group to undertake a survey of how long teachers are staying in post and their reasons for leaving.  Helen Reeder added that when teachers' left, an exit interview used to take place to establish their reasons for leaving.  She felt it would be worth bringing this back to understand the themes. 

Councillor Young referred to the scrutiny review that the Education, Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel (chaired by Councillor Purvis) had completed a couple of years ago, that had looked at how effectively pupil premium was being spent. He asked Jo whether she had any thoughts on this.  Jo advised that she felt that pupil premium in Portsmouth was being spent effectively and was being spent on areas such as mental wellbeing, social development and supporting children with absence issues.  These areas do not have an immediate impact on academic outcomes but will help with improved attendance and better engagement in lessons.  It was likely that the impact of the pupil premium would therefore be seen more in the next couple of years.

In response to a question from councillor Young regarding the impact of the Education, Health and Care Plans (ECHPs), Jo advised that schools had not reported to her any issues of turbulence because of the introduction of these. Mike Stoneman added that there is an issue in terms of pupils on SEN support in maintained schools which is apparent when we are compared to our statistical neighbours. 

Jo summed up the future plans of the PEP.  Councillor Young thanked Jo and said that the update had been very useful and the work that had been completed had been very forensic.  Alison Jeffery added that the council were hugely appreciative of the support that the TSA had given the council and also thanked Mike Stoneman for his support and hard work in improving school improvement in Portsmouth. 

Mike Stoneman advised that he had two case studies of schools who had received support from Jo.  One had been identified as a priority 2 school following a recent Ofsted inspection and the other school had been identified as a priority 1 school.   As these were business confidential the Chair advised that the meeting would need to move into exempt session to briefly discuss these.

RESOLVED that under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government Act (Access to Information) Act, 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the appendix to the report contains information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972. 

The meeting was then moved back into open session.  Hilary Loder said that the PEP was a very unique partnership and it was refreshing that the PEP is continuing to support schools who are considering converting to an academy.

RESOLVED

(1)  The Chair noted the progress made to establish the Portsmouth Education Partnership and the preparation of an Education Strategy for Portsmouth

(2)  Endorsed the school improvement support that is being provided by the council for priority 1 and 2 LA maintained schools.