Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lee Wilkes.

The chair asked members to declare any interests on items present on the agenda.

No declarations were registered.

RESOLVED that:-

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd November 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Neil Goddard, Assistant Director, Education attended the meeting and provided members with a presentation with regards to High Needs Block Challenges, Pressures, Mitigations and Requirements.

It was heard that through local government reform in April 2021, NCC abolished and North Northamptonshire (NNC) and West Northamptonshire (WNC) Unitary Councils formed and with it Northamptonshire Childrens Trust (NCT) was created to provide and improve Children's Social Care, Early Help, Children's Centres, Youth Offending and Youth Services across old county footprint, it was noted that North Northamptonshire included:

·       4 Nursery Schools

·       111 Primary Schools

·       20 Secondary Schools

·       1 All through School

·       8 Special Schools

·       0 PRU's / AP settings

The North Northamptonshire dedicated School Grant for 2021/22 £315,336,462 of which High Needs block (HNB) was £45,504,413

Members heard that a number of challenges had been identified including

Significant backlog of EHCP cases not assessed, pupils held in mainstream

EHCP seen as 'ticket to Special School' number of EHCP in mainstream very low. No in area PRU / AP schools, and local provision all rated as inadequate

Early Help services held by NCT and focussed on Social Care issues

Limited SEND provision (units / special school satellites) outside of Special Schools, all of which were full. There was also no Early Years  SEND provision,  No advisory teacher services, No processes or systems to manage and control HNB expenditure, No consistency in Early Help Funding and lack of support to Early Years SEND.

It was then heard that where challenges had been identified a number of actions had been taken to mitigate the ongoing challenges including investment in team and development of appropriate processes has led to performance now being circa 75% and investment in commissioned resources has strengthened team and led to improved performance

Department for Education had also brokered joint working with reginal outstanding provider, and a bid for new AP school outcome was awaited. A number of identified service pressures were also presented to members as well as identified and developed mitigations in order to ease pressures on the service area.

Mitigations included:

•        Implementation of co-produced SEND strategy

•        Development and implementation of SEND Improvement Plan

•        Implementation of Coproduction Charter

•        Development SEND Sufficiency Strategy

•        Development of Joint Commissioning Strategy

•        Further development of system wide approach through SEND Accountability Board

•        Focus on support for inclusion in all schools

•        Review and refocus of Early Help services

•        Development of joint work with Third Sector organisations

•        Development of further capacity to better meet needs

•        Move to permanent, sustainable staffing structures

•        Develop Family Hubs offer to provide better access to Early Help services

Members were presented with a school effectiveness update including inspection outcomes and headline pupil outcomes across North Northamptonshire.

Members noted that data up to the end of November 2023 had shown an increase in a percentage of North Northamptonshire schools that were good or outstanding following OFSTED inspections to 88.7% of all schools. It was noted that the number of secondary schools achieving good or outstanding was above the England average at 85%.

North Northamptonshire Good Level of Development (GLD) had increased by 4% in 2023 and was now 1% lower than the national average. Locality information was also provided to members. National Year 1 Phonics 2023 was presented at 79% with the North Northamptonshire average being presented at 77% which represented a 5% increase in 2023. National Year 2 Phonics in 2023 was represented at 89% with North Northamptonshire average at 63% which was also a 26% increase in 2023 compared to previous years. Key Stage 1 Reading, Writing and Maths (RWM) had increased by 2% across North Northamptonshire but remained 4% lower then the National average in 2023. Key Stage 2 Reading, Writing and Maths remained at 56% which was 4% lower than the national average.

Members then heard that with regards to Key Stage 4, pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and Maths at GCSE was at 45% at state funded schools and the North Northants average for 2023 was presented at 40%. Key Stage 4 attainment 8 average score for North Northants was 44.2% where the England average for state funded schools was 46.2%. Updated Key stage 5 information was also provided to members.

Members received a informative presentation from the Assistant Director for Education with regards to the Education service.

Members heard that as of 2022 there was 87,133 children at school age (0-19) in North Northamptonshire across 144 Schools (Including 4 Local Authority Maintained Nurseries). At the Autumn School Census October 2023 there was 6,498 pupils requiring SEND Support and 3,704 Pupils with EHCP.

914 children were electively home educated and 132 children had been reported as missing education. 545 children were shown as in care as of 18^th January 2024.

It was noted that 98% of Early Year Providers had been inspected to Good or Outstanding. 88.3% for Primary Schools and 85% for Secondary Schools in North Northamptonshire. One primary and one secondary school had also been placed into special measures and it was noted that the education team were working closely with these schools.

With regards to access and sufficiency it was noted that there had been 3793 on time primary applications processed and 4225 on time secondary applications. 93.7% of pupils successfully achieved first preference in 5570 in year applications had been processed. 24 mainstream and 63 SEND places ad also been created in 2023-24.

Members also noted that Capital Investment Committed spent was £13.5m with a total of £43.5m committed and in the pipeline for investment over the next 4 months (Including Childrens Trust and S106).

The following items were agreed for the February 2024 meeting:

• Early Years Update
• Speech and Language Provision
• Commissioning and Partnerships Service Presentation

RESOLVED that:  the Executive Advisory Panel Future Communities agreed

Future items for its meetings.

There being no further business, the Chair thanked Members and Officers for their attendance and closed the meeting.