NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
15 NOVEMBER 2023
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR EDUCATION, LEARNING AND SKILLS
Adult learning and skills
Adult Learning are on-track for the full spend of our allocation. Furthermore, the service has seen improved overall achievement rates on skills provision (75.5% 21/22 to 79.5% 22/23) alongside increased learner numbers.
A widened curriculum offer is in place that is built on a framework of progression in line with the strategic aims of the service. There has been a significant increase in the numbers of programmes co-designed with community groups.
In line with the county’s Learning Skills Improvement Plan, the focus of the adult learning curriculum remains on supporting learners move towards employment opportunities.
Multiply progress is ahead of target with a number of high-profile events, such as Spookify at Whitby Abbey selling out and garnering national attention.
Personalised Learning College, our provision for approx. 160 learners offering bespoke programmes for learners with high needs, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, is continuing to grow with positive praise from learners resoundingly praising transition work.
Music service
The bid for the next round of funding for Music Hubs has been submitted. If successful, this will see us remain Hub Lead Organisation with responsibility for York and North Yorkshire. Arts Council England will inform us in April 2024 if our bid has been accepted.
The service’s Music Centres are busy practising for Christmas events. Each centre will hold a Christmas Concert, and some will also be taking part in community events such as switching on the Christmas Lights. Music Service staff will be performing carols at lunch time at County Hall on Wednesday 20th December.
Outdoor Learning Service
East Barnby was recently successful in achieving its AHOEC (Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres) GOLD badge. The Gold Standard process is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging assessment of quality available to providers of Outdoor Learning.
Since the beginning of July 2023 1,937 young people have accessed the outdoor learning service, many these on school residentials.
On a recent visit in September 2023 a school quoted:
“As always, the staff have been amazing. They work extremely hard, are highly professional. They make the activities fun and safe. They get to know the pupils and understand individual needs and structure the sessions so that everyone achieves. Thank you as always to all the staff”.
The new North Yorkshire Outdoor Learning Service website attracted 2.4k visitors in September 2023 and our first NYOLS newsletter has been produced and sent out to 3878 organisations.
In the last academic year 22/23, from 700 schools, 120 school senior leaders have completed an Outdoor Education Adviser’s Panel (OEAP) accredited Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) training. 77 School senior leaders have attended an OEAP accredited Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) Revalidation and 1050 teachers have completed visit leader theory training
We are ready to launch our corporate offer; team development and learning opportunities for local organisations.
We are developing a new offer for 2024 for families and young people to use our facilities during school holiday periods; within this we intend to have some focused activity days, along with holiday clubs and provision for young people.
School Organisation
Wavell Infant and Junior Schools – the amalgamation of the two schools (involving the technical closure of Wavell Community Junior School) was approved on 17 October 2023 and will be implemented in April 2024 to create a single 3-11 primary school.
Fountains Earth, Lofthouse, CE Endowed (VC) Primary School – following a request from the Federation Governing Board approval may be given on 7th November to undertake consultation on a proposal that the school should close in March 2024. The consultation period would run from 17 November to 22 December 2023. The Council’s Executive may if the decision is past schedule to review the consultation in January 2024.
New schools
Selby Special Free School - Contractors working on behalf of the Department for Education have recently completed local engagement on the proposals. Submission of the planning application for the site is expected in the coming weeks.
Northallerton new primary school – the Dales Academies Trust are currently undertaking the statutory consultation that is required prior to the opening of any new school. The school is to be known as Oakbridge Church of England Primary School and is scheduled to open in September 2024.
Admissions
September 2023 cohorts – the new academic year has seen 5479 children start at Primary school in the Reception Year at North Yorkshire schools (compares to 5736 last year), and 6686 children start at Secondary school in Year 7 (compares to 6681 last year). The current year’s figures are subject to verification at the October 2023 census.
Home to School Transport
Eligible travellers - In October 2023 there were 2091 children newly eligible for free home to school transport under the Council’s policy as they started a new school in either Reception or Year 7. This compares to 1971 eligible children for the Reception and Year 7 cohorts in October 2022.
Inclusion
Set up in 2020 Locality boards work together to find solutions to improve inclusive education for all schools and education settings across the county.
There are five locality boards in North Yorkshire:
· Hambleton and Richmondshire.
· Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.
· Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale
· Selby
· Craven
The first opportunity for the Locality Boards to really showcase their work came in September when almost 200 school leaders attended two events focusing on best practice and innovative solutions for inclusion and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Attendees were invited to take part in interactive workshops and hear more about the great work that is happening in the county.
Also, in September over 150 school leaders attended Children and Young People’s Service workshops focussed on developing a shared understanding inclusion and reflecting on how the council and schools work together as partners to tackle the significant demand pressures in the system. Time was spent working together, looking at the data and trends across the broad inclusion agenda including suspensions, exclusions, attendance, elective home education and SEND, as well as the High Needs Budget. Feedback from the events were positive and the collaborative approach and commitment from all involved was a particular strength.
School Performance
Over the last academic year, there were approximately 120 school inspections (81 graded and 34 ungraded inspections have been published as well as a number of monitoring visits) carried out across North Yorkshire. We are pleased to note that no school was judged to be inadequate due to safeguarding over this period.
Proportions of schools judged to be good and outstanding continue to increase although they remain below national figures (all schools = 84% compared to 89% nationally)
· Nursery schools 100% (in line with national 97%)
· Primary schools have increased from 84.2% (Sept 22) to 85.1% (Sept 23) (below national 90%)
· Secondary school outcomes remain the same at 79% (just below national 82%)
· Special schools 55% (below national 90%)
· Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) 100% (in line with national 85%)
There have been several inspections since the new term started in September, we are pleased with the ongoing progress being made by schools, and are confident that we will see continued improved Ofsted outcomes across the county.
Pupil performance 2023
In early years, North Yorkshire outcomes improved on the previous year with over 70% of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) in the summer. This is 3 percentage points higher than national levels.
In phonics, North Yorkshire outcome improved on the previous year with over 76% of children reaching the standard of the phonics check in the summer. This is an increase of 5% on last year and is 2.5 percentage points higher than national levels.
Provisional Key Stage 2 results North Yorkshire outcomes for children in reading, writing and maths combined, decreased by 1% on the previous year with just 56% of children achieving the expected standard in all three areas. This is 3 to 4 percentage points lower than national levels.
The School Improvement team have recently launched a primary reading project for over 40 invited schools and academies across the county aiming to significantly improve outcomes for primary children in reading.
Secondary school outcomes will be shared at the next full council meeting.
Medium Term Financial Strategy
During the first half of the Autumn Term, we have consulted all schools and academies on school funding matters relating to 2024/25.
Results of the consultation will be discussed by the North Yorkshire Schools Forum later in November which will inform the final proposals. In previous statements, I have informed Members that the Finance team continue to work with schools facing financial difficulty through support, challenge and, where necessary, intervention.
I welcome, therefore, that North Yorkshire will receive a DfE £972k allocation to support maintained schools in financial difficulty in 2023-24. Academies in financial difficulty will be able to access funds directly through the Department for Education. We will continue to advocate for a fairer funding settlement for all North Yorkshire schools and academies
From September 2023, we rolled out the first phase of the Early Years reforms announced in the Spring Budget 2023. Through the Early Years Supplementary Grant (c.£1.8m), early years’ providers will receive an extra £0.33 per hour for 3- & 4-year-olds and an extra £1.85 per hour for disadvantaged 2-year-olds. Further work is underway to plan the implementation of the expansion of the age range, whereby from April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of funded childcare per week for 28 weeks of the year from the term after their child’s 2nd birthday. This will be extended to working parents of 9-month to 3-year-olds from September 2024.
COUNCILLOR ANNABEL WILKINSON