Issue - meetings

This report presents an overview of the educational outcomes of children and young people in state maintained schools in Surrey, including academies, for early years, primary, secondary, post 16 and special school phases for the academic year ending in the summer of 2015.

SurreycontinuestoperformbetterthanthenationalandSouth Eastregioninmostkeymeasuresatallkeystages.Attainmentat theendof the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Key Stage 1, KeyStage2 and Key Stage 4 in summer 2015 wasinthetopquintile nationally. In particular, Surrey is ranked 15^th out of 150 local authorities for the proportion of pupils that achieve 5 or more good GCSEs with English and Mathematics. Overall the achievement of most vulnerable groups also continues to improve.

As of 31 March 2016, the proportion of schools that are good or outstanding is 91% and Surrey is ranked 1^st in the South-East (out of 19 Local Authorities) and 26^th nationally. The proportion of good and outstanding schools has increased at twice the national rate over the last two years due to the dedication and hard work of school leaders, governors and staff facilitated by the Surrey School Improvement Strategy – Every School A Good School. This initiative, implemented in 2013, was approved by Cabinet and was supported by additional investment.

However, whilst at most Key Stages outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs are improving, these pupils in Surrey are still doing less well than similar pupils nationally. In addition, the gap between these pupils and their peers remains wider in Surrey than that seen nationally.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Education and Skills Board]

1.     That the 2015 Education Outcomes as set out in the submitted report be noted, and in particular that the Surrey School Improvement Strategy – Every School a Good School –had resulted in year on year improvements in outcomes for children and young people at each key stage and in Ofsted outcomes.

2.     That improving outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils continued to be a key priority for the Local Authority.

3.     That the recently published White Paper – Educational Excellence Everywhere – indicated that Local Authorities would cease to have a role in school improvement from August 2017.

Reasons for Decisions:

To ensure that Cabinet is fully informed of the latest education outcomes and the success of schools in Surrey and likely implications of changes to school improvement.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Education and Skills Board].

The Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement introduced the report by stating how pleased she was to provide an update on the educational outcomes position of Surrey schools for 2015. She said that Surrey schools continued to perform well with 91% of 393 schools being rated as good or outstanding which ranked Surrey as top in the South-East and 26^th nationally. She said that this was a result of a good strategy and informed Members that this meant 92% of Surrey children attended a good or outstanding school.

She referred to the government White Paper and informed Members that the Council was looking at this in detail.

In response to this, the Cabinet Associate for Children, Schools and Families Wellbeing said that it was important to note that some schools had chosen to become academies and had maintained very good relationships with the Council and that by supporting each other this had contributed to achieving 91%. She said that it was important to focus on the quality of education and not the structure and that Surrey had some of best state schools in the country.

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Health stated that the report was excellent but it was important to recognise rural schools and said that she had concerns around their sustainability if these were all to become academies and there could be an impact on the cost of school transport if these were to close.

The Leader of the Council closed the debate by saying that it was refreshing to see that the policy implemented four years ago has had an impact. He referred to the good work done by head teachers and governors and the team at the County Council and said that the report was a credit to all those in the education system.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the 2015 Education Outcomes as set out in the submitted report be noted, and in particular that the Surrey School Improvement Strategy – Every School a Good School –had resulted in year on year improvements in outcomes for children and young people at each key stage and in Ofsted outcomes.

2.     That improving outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils continued to be a key priority for the Local Authority.

3.     That the recently published White Paper – Educational Excellence Everywhere – indicated that Local Authorities would cease to have a role in school improvement from August 2017.

Reasons for Decisions:

To ensure that Cabinet is fully informed of the latest education outcomes and the success of schools in Surrey and likely implications of changes to school improvement.