Agenda item

Background:

This report presented the Annual Schools’ Performance Report, which was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. The report was designed to give a wide overview of pupil progress in Medway schools and to show comparative performance with schools in other local authority areas.

The report provided the 2015 education results at each key stage for Medway’s schools and academies. The report performance from teacher assessments, tests and examinations were also summarised and information on attendance and exclusions for 2013/2014 included.

The Annual Schools’ Performance Report noted that:

a)    Early Years Foundation Stage was 5% above national and the improvement rate was above national

b)    Phonics continued to improve with 75% passing the standard, so reducing the gap on national from 3% to 2%. This had been a fast rate of improvement as the gap in 2012 was 11%.

c)    At Key Stage 1, results had continued to improve so that Medway matched the national average for writing and maths and was 1% above national for reading.

d)    At Key Stage 2, on the main standard of Level 4 (including reading, writing and maths), Medway fell to 73% and was joint worst nationally (with Poole). The national average was 80%.

e)    At Key Stage 4, Medway continued to be above national at GSCE 5A*-C (including English and maths) at 57.8%, with the national at 57.3%. Like national, the results had fallen over the last four years but Medway’s results had fallen more sharply.

f)     At Key Stage 5, Medway was below national on the higher achievement indicator and average point score per entry. Both Medway and national fell from the previous year but Medway at a sharper rate.

g)    Attendance improved by 0.5% but the rate of improvement was slower than the national which improved by 0.8%.

h)   Exclusions continue to rise, both permanent and fixed term. This reflected the national position. However, Medway’s exclusions had increased more sharply and fixed term exclusions in the primary sector were the highest in the country.

i)     OFSTED inspection judgements had improved. More schools had been judged good or outstanding and 79% of children were in good or better schools by February this year.

The report explained that there had been a range of activities undertaken in an endeavour to improve results and maintain good progress. This included an accelerated learning programme and volunteer readers.

During the discussion on this item it was noted that the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered this report on 3 March 2016. It was also explained that the performance of Chatham Grammar School for Boys, as reported in Appendix C to the Annual Schools’ Performance Report should be amended, to read:

·         5 A* - C inc English & Maths - 99%         

·         Expected Progress English  - 93%          

·         Expected Progress Maths – 91%.

Reasons:

Monitoring performance is best practice and this report gives Members a wide overview of pupil progress in Medway schools, as well as comparative performance data with schools in other local authority areas.