Agenda item

Jeff Cole, Head of School Improvement (Secondary), Mark Taylor, Director of Schools and Learning, and Emma Simpson, Secondary English Consultant, introduced the report which provided an update on the achievement of BME pupils and White British pupils eligible for free school meals.

The following main points were noted in the discussion:

·         It was explained that Black Caribbean pupils and White British pupils eligible for free school meals had a lower level of attainment than their peers. This trend was particularly pronounced in boys. The Committee considered how such issues could be addressed sensitively.

·         The Committee discussed the need to raise awareness of the issue to parents and schools. It was noted that schools and parents considered young people as individuals, which meant that they may not be aware of wider demographic trends. 

·         The Committee was advised of the forthcoming Islington Equalities Conference for those working in the local education sector. The conference would explore how to narrow gaps in attainment, and would include opportunities for representatives from other boroughs to share their experiences.

·         The attainment gap was a borough-wide issue and was not related to particular schools. It was advised that Black Caribbean pupils and White British pupils eligible for free school meals performed relatively better in better performing schools, however the attainment gap persisted.

·         The Committee queried the destinations data for Black Caribbean pupils and White British pupils eligible for free school meals. Whilst detailed information was not available at the meeting, it was advised that BME pupils tended to progress well, and although the NEET cohort was very small, it was disproportionately comprised of White British pupils. It was noted that there was also a disproportionate number of White British boys in alternative provision and the PRU.

·         The Committee suggested that the council and schools should collaborate further with supplementary schools and VCS organisations which were attended by Black Caribbean pupils and White British pupils eligible for free school meals. Officers advised that this topic would be raised at a future meeting of the Schools Forum.

·         The Committee queried the relatively high number of Black Caribbean pupils with special educational needs. In response, officers advised that there could either be a level of undiagnosed special educational needs among pupils from other ethnicities; or special educational needs could be over represented among Black Caribbean pupils. Officers advised that they were concerned about this and were scrutinising the figures.

·         It was suggested that different communities often had different values and perceptions of their relationship to the education system. It was emphasised that parents had to be approached carefully; previous attempts to raise such issues had not been well received. 

·         The Committee appreciated the wider social issues which affected attainment and queried how the council could practically seek to address such issues. Officers commented that further joint working across the council to reduce inequalities would be beneficial, although it was commented that the effects of this would only be realised in the longer term. Officers also highlighted the importance of early years services and the need to develop services which people wanted to engage with.

·         The Committee commented on the importance of literacy. Although some young people didn’t enjoy reading, it was acknowledged that reading underpinned all aspects of learning and sustained effort was needed to improve the literacy of struggling pupils.  

·         It was suggested that engaging community leaders may be an effective way to bring about change.

·         Officers advised of the ‘Islington Reads’ initiative and highlighted that work was underway to change the perception of reading in primary schools. It was also commented that recent changes to GCSE syllabuses meant that pupils had to be able to evaluate very challenging texts and developed literacy skills were therefore essential. 

·         It was hoped that the Islington Equalities Conference would assist school leaders and council officers in identifying and agreeing practical actions which would bring about change.

·         Emma Simpson advised of her ongoing research in evaluating the learning experiences of young people, taking into account school ethos, teaching styles, and how young people become alienated from education. This would identify best practice in teaching and motivating pupils from lower performing groups.

·         It was recognised that breakfast clubs were a good method of providing wrap-around support to young people.

·         In response to a member of the public, it was advised that although some schools performed better than others, all schools experienced the attainment gap. It was emphasised that the issue was cultural, rather than related to the actions of particular schools.

The Committee thanked the officers for their attendance.