Agenda item

The report provided the Panel with an update of performance against 5 key indicators. These targets related to early learning goals and attainment; on the latter of these, the Panel would take more detailed information at its meeting on 14^th March 2018. Performance could be categorised in the following manner:

·  The gap between disadvantaged children and their peers across the Early Years Foundation Stage was stable, and slightly lower than the national average.

·  The percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Foundation Stage had improved across all groups of children; again, it was now slightly above the national average.

·  Key Stage 2 attainment had risen by 8%, consolidating its position as above the national average.

·  The number of schools in the top 25% of national Progress 8 scores had fallen from 8 to 7. However, this did not mean that the remaining 4 schools were performing poorly.

·  Average point scores per A Level entry had risen from 29.91 to 31.41, putting SBC schools above the national average (but not in the top 25% stated by the target).

The Panel raised the following points in discussion:

·  The data included Grammar Schools. Detailed information providing data for individual schools would be provided at the March 2018 meeting. In 2016 – 17, non-selective schools were also performing at a high level, rather than being underperformance being hidden by the results of selective schools.

·  The category of ‘disadvantaged children’ included those in receipt of free school meals, children with special educational needs and students with English as an additional language.

(At this point, Cllr Chohan entered the meeting)

·  The Progress 8 measure would be used in the reports to be given in March 2018. Progress 8 had to include English and Mathematics and was based on a comparison of performance at Key Stage 2 and in GCSEs. In essence, each grade achieved above expectations was equal to 1 point, meaning that an average of 1 point across a whole school meant that (on average) every candidate achieved a result one grade higher than would have been expected at the end of Key Stage 2 in every GCSE they took. Given its relative novelty, the measurement was still embedding and some schools were seeing their performance over estimated, and others under estimated. It was anticipated that this would soon decline as the measure became embedded.

·  Specialist teachers in science and mathematics remained difficult to recruit. Given the inclusion of both these categories in Progress 8, this was having an impact on attainment.

·  The gap between white British pupils and their peers had been included in the performance indicators on the basis of the Panel highlighting the issue in 2016 – 17. It was anticipated that the report to be presented in March 2018 would indicate that white British students not in receipt of free school meals were performing in line with Slough averages.

Resolved:  That the report be noted.