SUMMER 2017 DOCUMENT C

FOR INFORMATION

Outcome of the Children Missing Education Peer Review

1.0Purpose

1.1To inform academy and school governing bodies of the outcomes of the Children Missing Education Peer Review

2.0Peer Challenge Process

  • Peer Challenge process developed for Children’s Services in Yorkshire and Humber which builds on the peer review model developed by the Local Government Association (LGA)
  • Peer Challenge Team of four people: DCS East Riding Council; Assistant Director (Education and Skills) City of York Council; Principal Education Welfare Officer & Deputy Head of Virtual School, East Riding Council. Process co-ordinated by Sector-Led Improvement Manager, Yorkshire and Humber
  • Total of 3 days on site and reviewed range of documentary evidence, in advance and over 3 days
  • Range of interviews, focus groups and two school visits- over 50 participants in total including strategic leaders, managers and front-line practitioners
  • Feedback presentation, followed by written report.

3.0Why Focus on CME?

  • In a context of overall improvement there are continuing concerns about outcomes for vulnerable groups.
  • In tackling issues for vulnerable groups there is a desire to take a systems change approach
  • Identified as a priority within regional self-assessment
  • ‘Ad hoc’ indications emerging within different services e.g. Admissions, SEND, Virtual School with

-risk around access and participation for some groups in education

-growing exclusions

-partial timetables

-delays in finding school places

-delays in fair access moves

-increase in home education and concerns re suitability

4.0Focus Areas for Challenge

  • How good are we at identifying children who are missing education?
  • How good are we at working together to get children back into education?
  • How good are we at joining up the system?
  • What is happening in Barnsley that might be adding to or addressing the challenge of improving attendance?
  • Pupil movement in Barnsley, including via Fair Access, and exclusions which contribute to periods of missing education.

5.0Strengths

  • Strong leadership creating conditions for change
  • System-wide commitment to tackling this issue
  • Strong moral purpose
  • Openness and receptiveness to continuous improvement
  • Strong and resilient relationships
  • Strong and active partnerships across the system
  • Maturing Barnsley Alliance and future potential of Alliance to achieve change
  • Evidence of respectful challenge in the system
  • Changes in children’s services have created fit for purpose and responsive working arrangements and structures
  • Wide range of practice as good basis to improve outcomes- resource within EWS; Targeted Youth Support and Youth Justice Service; Virtual School; Education Psychology; Family Centres; Behaviour and Attendance network; Future in Mind; Early Help; Restorative Practice Pilot

6.0Areas for Development

  • Timeliness, accessibility and granularity of data
  • Performance management cycle; what performance information needs to be commissioned, by whom and when? Responsive to key data releases
  • Clarify statutory roles, responsibilities & functions; clarify statutory definitions
  • Review purposes, processes and arrangements for Fair Access
  • Review how EWS resource can be deployed/targeted
  • Review commissioning arrangements to support statutory duties and engagement in education
  • Consider how to join up and communicate the range of activity tackling engagement in education and attendance
  • Development and sustainability of Barnsley Alliance to exploit potential
  • Alliance governance- relationships/accountabilities of subgroups and networks; relationship with wider system e.g. TEG, BSCB
  • Role of Barnsley Alliance and schools in Early Help
  • Working with families /communities to change culture and behaviours
  • Re-articulate vision and values to celebrate inclusion as well as attainment
  • Ensure the child is at the heart of the system and the voice of children and parents are evident in systems and processes

7.0Development Actions to Progress

7.1 Barnsley Alliance

  • vision and values
  • performance monitoring and reporting cycle (to and from)
  • governance and links across groups
  • schools and early help

7.2 Statutory roles, functions and definitions

7.3 Data and performance management

7.4 Services, provision and processes

  • FAP
  • Commissioning
  • targeting & alignment of service resources; priorities
  • provision/intervention for children at risk of missing education

7.5Voice of child and parent; engagement with families and communities

8.0Recommendations

Governing bodies are recommended to note this report, for information.

Officer: Margaret Libreri, Service Director (Education, Early Start and Prevention), Barnsley MBC

Contact: (01226) 773211
Email:

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