Issue - meetings

Children Missing Education

Meeting: 04/11/2021 - Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 26)

26 Children Missing Education pdf icon PDF 605 KB

To receive and consider a report giving details about children missing education in the Borough.

Minutes:

Heather Tomlison stated that the Children Missing Education (CME) report showed a mostly positive picture in the Borough.  However, of concern was the disproportionate number of Special Educational Children (SEN) who were subject of permanent exclusions.

 

During the discussion of the item the following comments were made:

 

·           In response to questions Heather Tomlinson stated that it was the Local Government’s statutory responsibility to ensure that children were not missing education.  In order to reduce the number of CME it was important to ensure that there was sufficiency of suitable places to meet the children’s needs.  The issue of CME was complex and encompassed a broad accountability across services.  The Education Welfare Service (EWS) and the Virtual School were more directly involved in working with issues relating to CME;

·           Councillor Mickleburgh asked if the service was following up/concerned about children who missed less than 20 consecutive days of school.  Heather Tomlinson stated that schools should monitor patterns of poor absences and support to schools was given through the EWS.  The School Improvement Service also monitored school attendance.  She pointed out that it was important to identify needs early, with a graduated response to needs to avoid CME later on;

·           Carol Cammiss, Director of Children’s Services stated that therapeutic thinking was being rolled out to all schools, both academies and maintained.  Additionally, a member of staff was employed to act as a mentor to schools and undertake reviews of plans for all Year 9 children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP);

·           Carol Cammiss informed that the graduated response programme would be completed by March and it involved supporting schools to identify their needs and provide the assistance required;

·           It was noted that a large number of children were re-engaged with education;

·           Councillor Akhtar asked if a lack of IT equipment during the pandemic had prevented children from engaging in remote learning.  Carol Cammiss explained that all children in the Borough were given access to IT equipment, either through the Local Authority or the school;

·           Councillor Bray asked to have the CME data split into boys and girls and secondary and primary;

·           In response to a question, Heather Tomlinson stated that there were no trends in relation to CME;

·           Councillor Bray asked for further information on trends relating to permanent exclusions of children with additional needs who did not meet the threshold for EHCPs;

·           Councillor Mickleburgh asked for more information on the permanent exclusions data, including a breakdown of ethnicity;

·           Carol Cammiss agreed to provide further information outside of the meeting.

 

RESOLVED That:

1)     The report be noted; and

 

2)     Officers would circulate the additional information requested.