Report of the Director of Education

This report provides an analysis of the 2018 outcomes of statutory assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4.  It also includes a summary of performance according to groups by ethnicity.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Education which provided an analysis of the 2018 outcomes of statutory assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4. The report also included a summary of performance according to groups by ethnicity.

Officers referred to the main points and themes within the report which included:

·         The outcomes of all pupils at every key stage;

·         Outcomes for disadvantaged children and those eligible for Free School Meals (FSM);

·         Progress for pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL);

·         Outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND);

·         Outcomes for Manchester pupils by ethnicity; and

·         Next steps.

Some of the key points and themes that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         To note that the education system in Manchester had improved in recent years, particularly the primary sector;

·         Request for information on the Progress 8 measure;

·         What was being done to address the gap in achievement between different groups of pupils;

·         The impact of higher-achieving pupils from Wythenshawe choosing to attend secondary schools in neighbouring local authority areas; and

·         How the outcomes for pupils with SEND who attended mainstream schools compared with those who attended special schools.

The Head of Schools Quality Assurance and Strategic SEND reported that Progress 8 measured pupils’ progress between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 and compared it with the national average progress but did not take into account other factors, such as whether pupils were from a disadvantaged background.  She reported that there was a gap between the outcomes of advantaged and disadvantaged pupils in the city, although it was smaller than the gap nationally.  She outlined some of the work taking place to improve outcomes, for example, investment in Early Years and schools using their Pupil Premium Funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.  The Director of Education reported that the percentage of Early Years settings in Manchester which were judged as “good” or better by Ofsted had increased from 64% to 98% in recent years and that this should result in improvements in outcomes as this cohort of children progressed through the education system.

The Director of Education informed Members that children in Wythenshawe primary schools achieved well but that a significant number of the higher achievers then went to secondary schools in neighbouring local authorities.  She reported that work was taking place to support the four secondary schools in Wythenshawe and improve the educational outcomes for the pupils, using a whole community approach.  She informed the Committee that this included working with a range of partners, such as housing providers, Manchester Airport, local businesses, youth providers and leisure centres, to promote the importance of education and that this would include positive messages about the local secondary schools.

The Head of Schools Quality Assurance and Strategic SENDreported that it was difficult to compare outcomes for pupils with SEND in mainstream schools to those in special schools as many special schools did not use the same measures; however, she reported that Manchester’s special school sector was one of the city’s strengths with National Leaders of Education working in the sector and that these Leaders would be providing support to mainstream schools on their provision and teaching for pupils with SEND.

Decisions

1.            To thank staff and students for their hard work over the past year.

2.            To request information in a future report on the performance of pupils with SEND in special schools compared to those in mainstream schools and further information on the progress and outcomes for children from ethnic groups which are currently performing less well, including white British children.

3.            To receive a report on the work taking place to support the four secondary schools in Wythenshawe and improve the educational outcomes for the pupils, including any good practice which can be shared with other areas of the city.