Agenda item

The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education submits a report on the recently published Schools White paper and the SEND review.  There is also a more detailed presentation which identifies some of the themes and implications for Leicester.

The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education submitted a report on the recent Education White Paper and the SEND Green Paper.

The Principal Education Officer provided details of the Education White Paper and its implications for the Council, it was noted that:

·         The policy paper set out the Government’s vision for education from early years to university.

·         There were four major themes around which the proposed changes were based. These were:

o   An excellent teacher for every child. Proposals in this theme were:

§  Investment in Early Years workforce.

§  Improved access and reform to teacher training.

§  Commitment to raise starting salaries for teachers.

o   High standards of curriculum, attendance and behaviour. Proposals in this theme were:

§  A focus on literacy and numeracy.

§  A new arms-length curriculum body.

§  A national behaviour survey.

§  A new expectation of 32.5 hours a week spent in school.

§  Long term support for those excluded.

§  Greater expectations on Councils to engage with absent pupils.

o   Targeted support for children behind on maths or English. Proposals in this theme were:

§  Extra tutoring courses as a response to the pandemic.

§  Joined up support between SEND and Children’s Social Care.

§  Work with Virtual Headteacher to support Children Looked After.

o   A stronger and fairer school system that works for every child. Proposals in this theme were:

§  By 2030 all schools to be in a MAT or be in the process of joining one.

§  Councils to be able to establish MATs.

§  Clarity over roles and responsibilities within MATs.

§  The Council would remain responsible for admissions, safeguarding, and attendance.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Commissioning provided details of the SEND Green Paper and its implications for the Council, it was noted that:

·         This was a consultation document containing 22 key questions about the proposed changes, the Council was currently collating responses to the questions. Commission Members would receive a copy of the responses before the deadline in July.

·         The key themes were improving outcomes for SEND pupils, creating a more positive experience navigating the SEND system, and delivering value for money for families.

·         It was proposed that a single national SEND and alternative provision system be developed.

·         An extra £1bn would be invested for SEND provision.

·         A major focus of the paper was improving provision for SEND pupils in mainstream schools.

·         There would be an increased role for alternative provision.

·         A new National SEND Delivery Board would hold partners to account in implementing proposals.

In response to Members’ questions, it was noted that:

·         There was a limited focus on Early Years in the White Paper. However, it was felt that the focus should be on the first critical 1001 days, which was addressed by the Government’s Best Start for Life work.

·         There was a surplus of funded nursery places but poor take-up of those places.

·         Local schools were skilled at developing English skills for those who come to Leicester speaking another language.

·         The outcomes of Ofsted inspections for Local Authority maintained schools in the city had been improving and were recently strong.

·         Terms of Reference for the role of Council’s in forming MATs had recently been published.

·         There were concerns about the diminished role of Council’s in education under the new plans. However, it was felt that constructive engagement with the Government would help this.

·         New attendance guidance was issued in May 2022 with greater clarity on the penalty notice system.

·         Most schools already had 32.5 school hours a week.

·         There had been no indication of what the Ofsted 2025 Framework would contain.

·         Certain changes in the SEND Green Paper were already being implemented on a local level.

·         Mainstream Leicester schools were not in line to receive any extra funding proposed in the White Paper.

Members requested a report on Early Years Services to be brought to a future Commission meeting, in particular in relation to childcare sufficiency.

Members expressed concerns about the Education White Paper, with reference to the diminished role of Local Authorities.

AGREED:

That the Commission requests that a detailed report be brought to a future Commission meeting on Early Years Services.