Issue - meetings

To receive a report giving details of schools performance indicators and Ofsted reports.

Gillian Cole, Service Manager Schools presented the Schools Performance Indicators and Ofsted reports, this was set out in agenda pages 31- 42.

Gillian Cole stated that there was a new inspection framework from 2019, there were significant changes in both style and report format. 

Members asked what was meant by ‘gaming’ and ‘off-rolling’ mentioned on page 32.  Gillian Cole stated that some schools had been gaming the system, this meant that schools were discouraging some children from undertaking certain subjects and unofficially excluding children (by asking the parents to take their children out of the school as their children were at risk of a permanent exclusion).

Gillian Cole stated that a Section 5 inspection did not investigate governance arrangements.  A Section 8 inspection was more detailed and did look at governance, only a Section 8 inspection could change the school’s overall rating.

Members asked that, when available, the final data on the 2019 outcomes be presented to the Committee with a breakdown by individual schools.  Councillor Helliar-Symonds asked that information on Edgbarrow Secondary School be included in the report as many Wokingham’s children attended that school.

In response to a question Gillian Cole stated that there were two officers in the Borough who were employed to give support to children with English as an additional language (EAL).  These two officers were bilingual in Arabic and Polish.  The funding for this service came from the de-delegated element of the schools’ budget (for maintained schools).  She stated that there was a significant number of languages spoken in the Borough.  Some support was also given through university students.

In relation to the destinations of 2019 cohort who were not going on to study A levels, Members were curious to know why the number of apprenticeships was not higher.  Gillian Cole stated that it was a different department that was responsible for apprenticeships, the Committee could invite the relevant officer to explain more about apprenticeships.

RESOLVED That;

1)     When available, the final educational outcomes for 2019 would be brought back to the Committee; and

2)     The report be noted.