APPENDIX 1
PRIMARY CAPITAL PROGRAMME – DRAFT STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
Hertfordshire aspires to achieve world class standards for all children in primary education. Schools in Hertfordshire are highly regarded nationally for good quality provision and for achieving high and improving standards. To achieve world class standards for all children, Hertfordshire aims to:
- provide all children with access to good schools
- narrow the gap in educational achievement between the highest achievers and those children who perform less well
- target services to improve outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- address issues of building condition and suitability across an ageing primary school portfolio
It is in these areas that good schools and the new targeted services in districts will make the greatest contribution for all children andhelp to close the gap in opportunities and outcomes between the majority of children and those who continue to lag behind.
The Hertfordshire context
There are 404 primary age and 6 middle (deemed primary) age mainstream schools and 8 primary special schools across Hertfordshire. There is a wide variety of highly regarded schools for primary age children: infant, junior, mixed infant and junior, first schools, and special schools; community schools, voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools; very small rural schools, average sized and some large primary schools. Some school buildings date back to the Victorian era, a few have been built very recently, but over 300 were ‘system built’ during the twenty five year period following the end of Second World War.
The diverse nature of Hertfordshire as a county has influenced the breadth and variety of provision. This variety is a strength which is reflected in the fact that there are good and outstanding schools in all the different types and size of school. Hertfordshire aspires to achieve world class standards whilst retaining the rich diversity of schools needed to meet the varying needs of local communities throughout the county.
Achieving the vision
The Hertfordshire Children and Young People’s Plan has two over-riding priorities: safeguarding children and young people, and narrowing the gap between vulnerable children and all children. For Hertfordshire schools narrowing the gap between vulnerable children and all children means a clear focus on setting ambitious targets for underachieving groups, particularly children in care, children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and some black and minority ethnic groups. It also means improving learning and accelerating progress for the largest underachieving group, boys from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Primary Capital Programme is an opportunity to pursue these priorities and to address issues of building condition and suitability across Hertfordshire. The LA is determined to provide all children access to good schools that encourage learning and development by providing stimulating environments in good quality accommodation. It is particularly important that vulnerable children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from such schools, as these will attractthe goodprofessionalswhich these children need and deserve.
Hertfordshire aims to transform the educational experience of all children by ensuring that the development of a wider workforce is supported by innovative building design. The overriding principle for the roll out of the programme will be to ensure that change and development meets local need to the benefit of local children. With this in mind and to ensure maximum benefit, the Hertfordshire Primary Capital Programme will be closely aligned with the extended schools and Children’s Centre programme.
BASELINE ANALYSIS
STANDARDS
Standards and achievement in Hertfordshire’s primary schools are high and continue to improve. In the 2007 national tests and assessments, the county improved its position nationally and regionally as one of the top performing local authorities in England. The proportion of schools judged as good or outstanding by Ofsted was significantly higher than the national average, with a significantly lower proportion judged as inadequate. Schools which received more intensive support made faster progress than other schools, and the number of schools below national floor targets was reduced.
Against this very strong picture, there are two clear priorities for the improvement of pupils’ standards and achievement. First, although there has been improvement, boys continue to under-perform in English, particularly in writing, across the primary phase. Second, there remains consistently low performance for some groups of pupils and in a number of communities in Hertfordshire.
Key Stage 1
Results in the national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1, at level 2 and above, changed very little in 2007 for reading, writing and mathematics. This mirrored the national picture. Results at level 3 and above were more buoyant, seeing increases in reading of 1% and mathematics of 2%. Results in writing at level 3 and above declined, following the national trend of a 1% fall.
At level 2B and above, results in reading and writing dropped by 1%. In mathematics, results remained the same as last year. Hertfordshire’s results for Level 2B and above continued to be well above the national average.
Hertfordshire’s results in writing at Level 3 remain high at 20% (7% above the national picture), although there was a 1% drop from 2006. This reflected the national picture of a 1% decline. Reading results at level 3 saw a 1% improvement from last year. Level 3 results in mathematics saw a 2% rise with both boys and girls improving their results from 2006.
There remains a significant gender gap in reading and writing. In reading girls outperform boys by 6% at level 2 and above (8% nationally) and by 11% at level 3 and above (8% nationally). This was a smaller gender gap than last year. In writing girls outperformed boys by 10% at level 2 and above (11% nationally), and by 12% at level 3 and above (8% nationally). In mathematics the gender gap was smaller at level 2 and above with girls outperforming boys by 3%. This picture reflects the national gap. At level 3 boys outperformed girls by 5% (4% nationally).
Hertfordshire’s results at Key Stage 1 were above both national and regional results and the county maintained its position as one of the highest performing in the country.
Key Stage 2
Results in English at the end of Key Stage 2 at level 4 and above improved by 1% to 85%. This is the best result achieved for English by the county and is 5% above the national figure. In reading, results improved by 1% to 88% (84% nationally), although in writing, results remained the same at 73% (67% nationally).The higher Level 5 for English was achieved by 40% of pupils, sustaining the 8% improvement achieved in 2006. Results were 7% above the national figure.
In mathematics, results at level 4 and above improved by 1% to 82%. National results also improved by 1% to 77%. At level 5, results declined by 1% to 39%, whilst national results remained static at 33%.
In science at level 4 and above, the improvement achieved in 2006 has been sustained locally and nationally. Results at level 4 and above were 91% compared to 87% nationally. At level 5, results were 54% compared to 46% nationally.
The sustained high standards achieved in 2007 mean that Hertfordshire continues to be one of the highest performing counties in England with results in English, mathematics and science in the top 6% of local authorities nationally.
However, there remains a substantial gender gap in English. Girls outperform boys at level 4 and above by 4% in reading and 12% in writing, with similar gaps at level 5. In mathematics, the gender gap is negligible at level 4 but boys outperform girls by 7% at level 5.
Lower levels of performance
The number of schools below floor targets (65% at level 4 and above in English and/or mathematics) remained at 22 in English. In mathematics the number dropped, from 32 in 2006 to 28 in 2007. The number of schools below floor targets in both English and mathematics dropped from 16 to 14.
The percentage of pupils achieving below level 3 at the end of Key Stage 2 in English has remained about the same at just over 4% and, as last year, two thirds of these pupils were boys.
In mathematics, 4% of pupils achieved below level 3 at the end of Key Stage 2; there was no significant gender difference.
In both English and mathematics, the proportion of pupils achieving below level 3 at the end of Key Stage 2 was lower than the national figure.
Pockets of low performance at both key stages
There remains consistent low performance in schools in a number of communities in Hertfordshire. The majority of these schools are within or close to the super output areas which are in the 30% most deprived nationally. These are:
- Waltham Cross
- Parts of Stevenage
- Welwyn Garden City south
- Hatfield Central
- Parts of Watford and South Oxhey
- Borehamwood north
- Parts of Hitchin and Letchworth.
Additionally, there is low performance in a number of schools in Hemel Hempstead, and isolated cases of low performing schools in St Albans, Harpenden, and Potters Bar. These communities contain a high number of families affected adversely by multiple deprivation and schools which can struggle to raise attainment because of variable leadership and staff turn over. The pupils most affected by this low performance are white working class boys and this contributes significantly to the gender gap outlined above. Having said this, these areas also contain some high performing schools.
Black and minority ethnic achievement
In 2006/07 black and minority ethnic pupils represented 19% of the pupil population in Hertfordshire and there were 163 languages. This includes a number of refugees and asylum seekers. Cohort numbers in Hertfordshire’s minority ethnic groups are varied and small in some cases. As a result, year to year variations have less significance than medium and long term variations. The largest minority ethnic groups in Hertfordshire are those of Bangladeshi, black African, Caribbean, Pakistani and Indian heritage as well as a significant Traveller and Chinese population. Some of these communities are concentrated in specific areas of the county. Black and Chinese groups are more thinly spread. The Hertfordshire Joint Area Review, 2007, stated “attainment of key minority ethnic groups has improved at key stages 1 and 2. At key stage 1, the most significant improvement was evident in the results for Traveller pupils of Irish heritage with increases of between 9 and 29% for each subject. Most other ethnic groups recorded similar or lower results than 2006.
At key stage 2, pupils of Traveller of Irish heritage, black Caribbean and Bangladeshi origin achieved significantly better results than in 2006 with increases of 9% to 56% in English and 4% to 38% in mathematics.
ICT
In Hertfordshire there is a clear vision for the strategic leadership of ICT and its use in teaching and learning underpinned by the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning (HGFL), an established and pioneering ICT service providing connectivity, e-learning resources, email, Management Information Systems (MIS) and core ICT services. Recently, we have begun to roll out the Hertfordshire Learning Platform to all schools in the county. This offers access to MIS data, calendars, targeted news, school/county/network interest groups and online storage space for all staff in Hertfordshire schools through a single sign on website. However, schools currently build upon these core services, independently purchasing and managing their own ICT hard and software. Therefore, there is a wide range of ICT provision in Hertfordshire, with significantly different levels of investment across schools in the county.
EVERY CHILD MATTERS
Areas of deprivation
Hertfordshire is a very diverse County in terms of relative deprivation. It is important to recognise that there are often pockets of deprivation in relatively affluent areas, andin both rural and urban communities. It is also important to consider pupil intake when looking at how deprivation can affect a school, in terms of the diversity of pupil needs. For the purpose of this strategy the LA has looked at the most recent IDAC (Indices of Deprivation Affecting Children) data (2007) in super output areas, and FSM entitlement for pupils.
The data shows that there are twenty primary schools in Herts with over 25% of pupils entitled to FSM. There are ninety two in the 25% most deprived SOAs in Hertfordshire. Seventeen schools appear in both these categories.
Healthy eating
The National Healthy Schools Programme has a core theme of Healthy Eating which all schools are required to work on. A specific criterion relates to improving the school dining experience. In 2007 90% of Hertfordshire schools were judged ‘good’ and ‘better’ by Ofsted in enabling pupils to be healthy.
The Hertfordshire Children and Young People’s Plan includes targets which relate to reducing childhood obesity and promoting healthy living through the Healthy Schools Initiative.
A study on the work needed to bring all our school kitchens up to a reasonable standard has already been completed. This information will be used to prioritise the funding for refurbishing school kitchens on a rolling programme.
Sport and exercise
The vast majority of primary schools in Hertfordshire have site capacity in line with guidance from the DCSF. There are many examples of how schools are using DFC to creatively utilise this outdoor space for learning, sport and recreation. The National Healthy Schools Programme has a core theme of Physical Activity which all schools are required to work on. Currently at least 90% of schools in Hertfordshire are involved in the programme. A specific criterion relates to extended opportunities for physical activity.
There are twelve school sports partnerships across the county working with schools to develop local strategies to deliver the core aims of the national strategy and encourage greater participation in sports and exercise for all pupils.
The Hertfordshire Local Area Agreementand Children and Young People’s Plan includes targets linked to healthy schools and physical activity.
SEN
Children with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) make good progress educationally in most mainstream schools and almost all special schools. Specialist support is of good quality but not always well co-ordinated. Ofsted reports show there is good practice within Hertfordshire mainstream schools in relation to LDD. Inspection grades indicate that the provision made by 70% of primary and nursery schools is good or outstanding and above the national average. The progress made by pupils with LDD is good or outstanding in 76% of primary and nursery schools and is also above the national average.
There are just under 2000 pupils of primary age with statements of SEN, 57% of whom attend mainstream schools, units and bases. Specialist support and outreach services offer advice, support and training to mainstream schools in relation to SEN and disability. In addition the authority maintains a wide range of special schools, several of which are judged to provide outstanding provision.
Nevertheless some features of Hertfordshire’s inclusive performance are less good and too many pupils with SEN are educated outside of their local community of schools. The percentage of pupils attending special schools is higher than the national average and the number of children placed in out of authority specialist provision is high and has increased in recent years.
Extended and community services
All schools have a target to provide access to the full core offer (FCO) for extended services by September 2010. Progress towards that target is tracked by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) Progress Tool updated centrally.
Hertfordshire has taken a joined up community based approach to the development of children’s centres and extended schools. There is a county level Children’s Trust Partnership (HCTP) which develops and implements the county’s Children and Young Peoples’ Plan (CYPP) and 10 District Children’s Trust Partnerships (DCTP).
Within the 10 DCTPs the county has been divided into 82 communities, based on super output areas. Each of these communities will be served by a children’s centre. Hertfordshire now has 50 designated children’s centres. Of these, 21 are led by primary schools and a further 8 hosted on primary school sites. The remaining 32 children’s centres to be delivered by March 2010 are in the process of being commissioned.
These children’s centre communities form the basis of co-terminus extended schools consortia. There are 38 across the county made up of between one and four children’s centres communities. Each extended school consortium is led by a hub school that develops the local partnership to assess community need and vulnerable groups and develop access to services through all schools in the consortium to meet the core offer.
Each DCTP has a Multi Agency Support Team (MAST) to oversee integrated practice, including the CAF to ensure that children with additional needs are identified promptly and have early access to preventative or specialist services. Additionally, each extended schools consortium has a virtual Multi Agency Team of professionals who can be called upon to form a Team Around the Child and provide a lead professional.