Tunbridge Wells District Governor Briefing Summer 2016 Welcome
Agenda • Welcome – Julia Durcan, AGO West Kent • Guest Speaker – Cathy Edwards- Attendance • The Kent Governor Association updates – Deborah Bruce & David Hill • Effective Recording – an external perspective – Julia Durcan • In The News – Governor Discussion Points and Networking – KGA Reps and Julia Durcan • Close
Polite Reminders ! • Housekeeping • Paper free ! • Have you signed the register? • List two actions that you will complete following this discussion. • Please complete the online evaluations (direct to you via email)
School Attendance: Information for Governors • PRU, Inclusion and Attendance Service Cathy Edwards Area Inclusion and Attendance Lead – West Kent 16 May 2016
School Attendance • 2014/15 attendance in Kent was below the national average • For all absences the most common reason recorded (67%) is illness - family holidays in term- time represent only 5.9% • Ofsted quintiles
Early Help and Preventative Services • PRU, Inclusion and Attendance Service is part of Early Help and Preventative Services • In many cases the root causes of poor attendance are family and social issues • Prosecutions, Penalty Notices and school support • Every school has a named School Liaison Officer
PRU, Inclusion & Attendance Service Head of Service Ming Zhang PIAS Central Business Support Terry Forsyth Sharon Thorley Ian Filmer Adrian Porter Kerrie O’Cock Sheila Carter North South East West Central Enforcement (Dartford, Gravesham (Ashford, Shepway & (Thanet, Canterbury & (Maidstone, Tonbridge & & Sevenoaks) Dover) Swale) Malling, Tunbridge Wells) Area Inclusion Area Inclusion Area Inclusion Area Inclusion PUPIL Senior Inclusion and Attendance and Attendance and Attendance and Attendance and Attendance REFERRAL Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead David Boyd Heidi McGee Melanie Higgins Cathy Edwards UNITS Inclusion & Inclusion & Inclusion & Inclusion & Attendance Child Attendance Attendance Attendance Attendance Enforcement Employment Advisers Advisers Advisers Advisers Team Leader Officers GRT/ME Outreach Officers Senior Attendance Enforcement School Liaison School Liaison School Liaison School Liaison Officers Officers Officers Officers Officers
School Liaison Officers • Advice, support and training on procedures, strategies and projects • Attendance Officer Network Meetings • Register Audits • Casework and preparation of prosecution cases • Multi-agency working
Legal Responsibility of Parents • The Education Act 1996 states: ‘If any child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school, fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.’ • The responsibility to ensure regular school attendance rests solely with the parent(s). Failure to ensure regular school attendance is a criminal offence.
Legal responsibilities of Schools • The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 • Marking of registers • Reporting to LA • Removal from roll • Section 434(6) Education Act 1996
Promoting good attendance • Whole School Ethos • School Attendance Policy • Home/School Agreement • Activities in school • Individualised support
Persistent Absence • The government now classes any pupil with attendance below 90% as a ‘persistent absentee’ • Schools report their PA Rate to the DfE • Systems in place to track PA pupils and strategies to prevent pupils becoming PA • 90% - perception of parents 00/00/2013 Your Name
Tackling Poor Attendance • Close monitoring – cohorts and individuals • School Action • Referral for Early Help support • Referral to PIAS for prosecution - key referral criterion - below 90% attendance with a minimum of 10 days’ unauthorised absence
Referral Criteria – School Action • Contact with parents • Offer of appropriate support to both parents and pupil including Early Help Notification • Known medical issues investigated and advice sought - eg School Nursing Service. • Parents must be made aware that absence is not authorised - the decision to authorise absence rests solely with the Headteacher.
Penalty Notices • Schools can use PNs if this is included in the Attendance Policy and has been widely and regularly publicised • New Code of Conduct Jan 2016 • A PN can be issued instead of prosecuting the parent in the Magistrates’ Court. • A PN can be issued for poor attendance (including persistent late arrival), holidays in term-time or exclusion
Children Missing Education • A child of compulsory school age who is not a registered pupil at a school, and is not receiving suitable education otherwise • Children who move into the area • An outside agency identifies a child who does not have a school place
Children Missing Education – a school’s duty to report • The whereabouts of the child are unknown and it has not been possible to locate him/her • A child has moved out of the area but the Common Transfer File has not been requested by another school • Regulations regarding removal from roll
Questions to ask • Is the School Attendance Policy up to date and in line with latest DfE guidance and KCC Code of Conduct? • Is there effective communication with parents? • How is good attendance promoted and poor attendance addressed? • Are sufficient time/resources given to attendance?
Sources of Information • KELSI • Attendance Officer Network Meetings • Named School Liaison Officer • Cathy Edwards – 03000 411958 catherine.edwards@kent.gov.uk
Kent Governors Association Deborah Bruce David Hill
Effective Recording - An External Perspective JULIA DURCAN Area Governance Officer West Kent Summer 2016
Activity PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THE HANDOUTS • Each table group/pair/ individual choose a number between 1 & 9 • Review the numbered example • Discuss the following: – What does the minute actually mean to you ? – Do you understand the discussion, what has happened, actions required? – How could the notation have been improved? – Is there sufficient evidence of challenge, support and impact ? – Are there any concerns / observations / questions you would need to clarify with the GB concerned? • Be prepared to feedback to whole meeting
Things to Consider … • Replicating this activity with your neighbouring GB / within your collaboration – using each other’s minutes • How could your clerk help you to be "sharper"? • The language of impact: – It means that … – It has enabled ,,, – This has ensured … – This has improved / resulted in / increased / decreased – This has provided strong evidence to suggest/support … – Comparisons to similar … / comparisons in time/place – The children/staff/parents/local residents said / have told us….” (record, listen to and respond to the people that matter ) – Statistics / data to show success/progress against criteria (including things like confidence, skills, knowledge, awareness, understanding, as well as hard data) and the difference it has made
In the News, Governor’s Discussion Points and Networking - 1 Any feedback from Governors who have undergone recent Ofsted / HMI visits ? • Ofsted (current) main areas of focus: – C losing the gap for disadvantaged pupils; what is being done that is ‘extra’ for the disadvantaged pupils; proof that the school is “Going the Extra Mile” – I mpact of Safeguarding policies & procedures on pupils’ understanding & awareness e.g. British Values, Radicalisation, through school council, assemblies, ethos – Quality of Governance; quality of Middle Leadership – Section 8 – “what constitutes ‘good evidence’ at the start of a Section 8 inspection to avoid it going to Section 5?” • It is individual to each school, in that what is required will depend on your school’s data, school plan, areas of strength & areas of improvement • Do YOU & do your Governors know what these are – if you do, you will ‘automatically’ have provided evidence to show you are addressing the issues • A prescriptive list is not felt to be appropriate - it would seem prudent to ensure you have these documents available - Data / SEF, Safeguarding, SIP, Middle Leader Action Plans, Governor Minutes, GB Self-Evaluation & Action Plans, Pupil Progress Meetings
In the News, Governor’s Discussion Points and Networking - 2 • Links to Ofsted inspection clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=676mZrDrY9o – Questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6vySUUIPhs – During inspection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txehqOy-2TU _ Feedback meeting https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk - use as a benchmark in place of Ofsted dashboard
Ofsted Feedback from local school • Areas of focus for Governance: • Pupil Premium spend and impact • PE Premium spend and impact • Appraisal and pay progression • Progress and attainment data. • Strengths and weaknesses of the school and an understanding of what is being done to address these along with any impact. • Safeguarding including Prevent training. • SMSC and British Values • EYFS Baseline assessment • Governing Body self review
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