Agenda item

Officers presented the Quarter Three performance report to the committee. In the discussion, the following points were raised:

·         In response to member questions concerning Islington’s high exclusion rate compared to other inner London boroughs, officers stated that while there was a lag in the data, the matter was being taken seriously. Officers further stated that the data had been skewed disproportionately by a small number of secondary schools and conversations were being had with them to address the issue, both directly and through the deputy heads network. Contextually, officers also noted that Islington had the highest level of SEN need in London and formed a disproportionate percentage of the borough’s school population.

·         Officers stated that eighteen months previously, Islington had been in the bottom fifth quartile for exclusions but had since improved significantly, and similarly there had also been reductions in suspensions.

·         In response to members’ highlighting of the rise of re-referrals to children’s social care, officers stated that this issue had been examined in the auditing and practice week and related to a small number of children. Officers further stated that it appeared there was a rising number of parents suffering with mental health problems, poverty and discrimination, and that this was disproportionately affecting families from particular backgrounds.  All cases were monitored and there were robust step-down processes in place when they were closed.

·         Officers advised that in terms of placement instability, there was an overrepresentation from particular backgrounds in Islington and this disproportionality was replicated nationally. 

·         Members noted that the data showed that the Black Caribbean boys’ cohort had performed well in Islington’s schools in this reporting period, but it was stated that while Black Caribbean boys did outperform inner London and national averages, it was still below the average across Islington and that a challenge remained to improve outcomes for this cohort.

·         Officers stated that 2023 attainment eight outcomes could only be genuinely compared like for like with 2019, as the intervening period was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

·         Officers stated that more schools were sharing best practice which they had previously been protective of and this collaboration was the basis on which improvements could be made across the school estate.

·         In response to member questions, officers advised that child protection plans were intended to be supportive and could last between six months to two years depending on severity and circumstances. 

·         In response to member concerns about how the borough was supporting young people that were excluded from settings, officers advised that discussions were taking place with headteachers about how to tackle inclusion, create a sense of belonging and means of collaboration that can help address the issue. The importance of individual school leadership was also highlighted.

·         Officers advised that the most prevalent reason for exclusions was low-level disruption, which could potentially be driven by an unmet need.

·         Members noted an increase in social care contact, to which officers advised that managers were regularly monitoring the increasing numbers.

·         Officers informed members that children who were excluded from school were more likely to have poorer educational outcomes and were also more likely to be involved with the criminal justice system.

·         Officers stated that the current approach was to shift the perception of a Pupil Referral Unit to not be seen as a destination or objective, and instead to focus on preventative work that would enable young people to stay in mainstream education. Officers further stated that there were three tiers in the tiered trial on Alternative Provision, which was prevention, outreach and specialist support.

·         Officers stated that more needed to be done to address the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) more widely, and that there needed to be a preventative approach that started early, including raising awareness through PHSE and Citizenship lessons. Staff were skilled and experienced and were able to support victims but there was still more work to be done to stamp out the practice.

·         Members stated that it was testament to officers hard work that victims were coming forward to report Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and expressed the hope that it would encourage other victims to come forward and instil a deterrent to offenders.

·         Members noted that some figures within the report had only been provided as percentages, specifically the 29.2% attendance rate, and that this format had made it difficult for members to grasp the actual numbers involved. Officers acknowledged this and pledged to provide where possible, the approximate numbers alongside the percentages, going forward.

ACTION

Officers to provide data on whether children with three or more placements were predominantly from Black Caribbean background.

ACTION

Officers to ensure future quarterly performance reports incorporate data/indicators on children and young people’s physical activity, health, and wellbeing, so as to account for the committee’s broadened remit. 

ACTION

Officers to share data on exclusions shared by schools that had been presented to the former Childrens Services Scrutiny Committee.

ACTION

Officers to provide, if possible, the numbers of children the data relates to in the Key Stage 4 Attainment 8 table.

ACTION

Officers to provide more granular data on placement stability, i.e the timeframe that re-referrals are occurring in.

ACTION

Officers to provide further data on exclusions, including a breakdown by need, what amounts to an exclusion and where possible, how decisions to exclude pupils are reached.

ACTION

Officers to provide data on how many FGM cases there are in the borough.

RESOLVED

That the Quarter 3 Performance report be noted.