(An opportunity for Panel Members to ask questions of the relevant Director/ Assistant Director, relating to pertinent, topical issues affecting their Directorate – maximum of 10 minutes allocated).
Minutes:
Panel members had requested information regarding recent results at Burnham Park Academy (35% of GCSE candidates receiving 5 A* - C grades) and Beechwood (39%).
Burnham Park Academy had faced historical difficulties and had now become an E-Act Academy. This had led to Slough Borough Council (SBC) having a lack of influence over the institution, as had the host authority (Buckinghamshire County Council). The school was currently part of the forward planning for school places; however, the Panel had the right to reflect its concerns over the level of performance in 2015’s examinations.
Beechwood is a maintained community school. SBC’s School Improvement Team was monitoring, challenging and intervening the institution. BTECs had become the main emphasis of the curriculum which had caused a slippage in its results as they were not recognised as equivalent to GCSEs. The school was now in the process of altering its curriculum. In addition, the students taking GCSEs had entered the school with lower levels of academic ability; 2016’s cohort were anticipated to achieve better results. Achievement in English GCSE had been positive (over 70% A* - C grades) but mathematics was poorer (57%). In 2015, the school had operated with less than half the desired level of specialists mathematics teachers. 2016 had seen a full complement recruited. As a school with an Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate was visiting the institution and reporting satisfactory progress.
The Panel raised the following matters in discussion:
· The presence of very high achieving schools with national reputations in the area, along with above average migration levels, posed challenges to Slough schools. The report to the Panel on student achievement would break results into categories; this would take place after validation, with Primary Schools’ results validated on 10th December 2015 and Secondary Schools yet to have a date confirmed.
· This would be addressed in the Cambridge Education Annual Report, and could also provide analysis on the issue of closing the gap for groups with lower attainment (e.g. Looked After Children, white boys from economically disadvantaged areas). The results could also be compared with neighbouring authorities and areas with comparable demographics.
Resolved:
1) That the Panel write to the head teacher of Burnham Park Academy reflecting its concerns over recent academic performance, and invite them to attend a future meeting of the Panel.
2) That the Panel also write on the subject to the Regional Schools Commissioner.