This Council is not satisfied with its position at the bottom of the league table of authorities in England for its performance at Key Stage 2. The Council notes the difficulty with recruiting a permanent Assistant Director for school improvement and SEN services.
The Council therefore undertakes to:
a) Instruct the Chief Executive to separate children’s from adult services. The present Children & Adults Directorate is too large.
b) Urge the Leader to review and consider deleting the post of Portfolio Holder for Educational Improvement - the current Portfolio Holder for Educational Improvement has not improved Medway’s KS2 results in any way.
c) Instruct the Director of Children and Adults Services to take the necessary steps to improve support for schools before Ofsted visits such as assistance with more consistent pupil progress data across Medway schools, and lending officers time when there is an issue.
d) Promote better communication between directors, officers and ward members on education matters.
e) Extend the role of scrutiny in meetings with individual schools re their Ofsted plans. Scrutiny councillors are not presently being utilised sufficiently.
f) Refer to scrutiny a review of Medway LEA’s declining workforce employed in education and school improvement, safeguarding and special needs, in order to assess its continued viability.
g) Extend invitations to opposition councillors to participate in Medway’s School Effectiveness Strategic Board (SEB).
h) Urge the Cabinet to issue a clear policy statement to improve the council’s education offer to parents- not just the academy route, but good support from the authority to maintain LEA schools.
Minutes:
This Council is not satisfied with its position at the bottom of the league table of authorities in England for its performance at Key Stage 2. The Council notes the difficulty with recruiting a permanent Assistant Director for school improvement and SEN services.
The Council therefore undertakes to:
a) Instruct the Chief Executive to separate children’s from adult services. The present Children & Adults Directorate is too large.
b) Urge the Leader to review and consider deleting the post of Portfolio Holder for Educational Improvement - the current Portfolio Holder for Educational Improvement has not improved Medway’s KS2 results in any way.
c) Instruct the Director of Children and Adults Services to take the necessary steps to improve support for schools before Ofsted visits such as assistance with more consistent pupil progress data across Medway schools, and lending officers time when there is an issue.
d) Promote better communication between directors, officers and ward members on education matters.
e) Extend the role of scrutiny in meetings with individual schools re their Ofsted plans. Scrutiny councillors are not presently being utilised sufficiently.
f) Refer to scrutiny a review of Medway LEA’s declining workforce employed in education and school improvement, safeguarding and special needs, in order to assess its continued viability.
g) Extend invitations to opposition councillors to participate in Medway’s School Effectiveness Strategic Board (SEB).
h) Urge the Cabinet to issue a clear policy statement to improve the council’s education offer to parents- not just the academy route, but good support from the authority to maintain LEA schools.
The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member), Councillor O’Brien, supported by Councillor Adrian Gulvin, proposed the following amendment:
“Delete everything other than “This Council is” and replace with
committed to the improvement of education within Medway and believes that all children and young people should have the best start in life. This Council hereby gives its full support to the Medway School Improvement Strategy noting the following:
a) This strategy was consulted on and supported by Headteachers, Chairs of Governors as well as other education partners.
b) This strategy sets out clear expectations for an accelerated programme of improvement focusing on four key priorities; leadership, management and governance, outstanding teaching, recruitment and retention and finally Ofsted readiness.
c) This Council has high expectations and aspirations for the young people and residents of Medway and will champion the “Get Medway Learning” strategy.
On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.
On being put to the vote, the substantive motion was carried.
Decision:
This Council is committed to the improvement of education within Medway and believes that all children and young people should have the best start in life. This Council hereby gives its full support to the Medway School Improvement Strategy noting the following:
a) This strategy was consulted on and supported by Headteachers, Chairs of Governors as well as other education partners.
b) This strategy sets out clear expectations for an accelerated programme of improvement focusing on four key priorities; leadership, management and governance, outstanding teaching, recruitment and retention and finally Ofsted readiness.
c) This Council has high expectations and aspirations for the young people and residents of Medway and will champion the “Get Medway Learning” strategy.