24 JULY 2024

STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR EDUCATION, LEARNING AND SKILLS

School performance

Summer Term 2024

In the period 1^st September 2023 to 30 April 2024 there were 80 published inspections of state-funded North Yorkshire schools. Of these, 80 were of primary schools, 6 of secondary schools, 1 Pupil Referral Unit and 1 special school inspection.

Of the 80 inspections, 46 were Section 5 graded inspections, 30 were Section 8 ungraded inspections and 4 were monitoring visits of schools judged requires improvement or inadequate. Safeguarding has continued to be judged effective in all schools and academies during this period. This continues the positive trend previously reported.

Ofsted performance of North Yorkshire state-funded schools compared to national as at 31 May 2024

The proportion of good and outstanding schools in North Yorkshire has improved by 3% (from 84%) in the period since 31^st August 2023. In the same period, the rate of improvement nationally has improved by 1% (from 89%).

87% of schools in NY are judged to be good and outstanding compared to 90% nationally.

School Capital

At its meeting on the 11 June the Executive approved the Schools Capital Programme for 2024-25.

The programme that was approved provides for investment in schools totalling almost £7.5 million, funded from an allocation of £5.8 million received from the DfE as well as underspends and contingency sums that have been retained from previous programmes.

Whilst this investment will not meet the totality of the investment requirements associated with the schools for which the Council is responsible the programme will address priority works to ensure that those schools continue to provide safe and weather tight environments for learning.

On 16^th July the Executive will consider the proposal to Cease to Maintain St Hilda’s Ampleforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.

SEND Capital Programme

The Council’s SEND Capital Programme is continuing to be implemented. Most recently a new Targeted Mainstream Provision was opened at Cambrai Primary School taking the total TMPs to 11 across the county. A consultation to establish two further TMPs at Norton Community Primary School and Dishforth Airfield Primary Schools with an aim to open them in January 2025 is underway.

Major investments in new and existing special schools are also progressing. Work to expand Springwater School by 45 places remains on track to be ready for September 2025. Planning permission has been granted for the building of the new Special School in Selby and works have begun to deliver the necessary highways alterations. Additionally, the Council are investing over £3m into the former Woodfield Primary School site to provide a new special school for 80 children.

Outdoor Learning

· Development work is progressing as detailed in the programme plan. The tenders have been assessed and a recommendation has been made. The intended start date is October and will be confirmed once a contractor has been appointed, with works on site taking approximately 36 weeks.

· Again, both North Yorkshire Outdoor Learning centres have been successful in receiving funding to offer holiday activities and food (HAF) programmes during the school summer holidays. The service has received funding for 196 young people to attend activity days at the centres, during the school summer holiday period.

Early Years and Wraparound Provision

· A newly appointed Wraparound Co-ordinator took up the post on 8^th April 2024 on a two-year contract to support the expansion of the wraparound provision.

· From the Summer Term 2024 headcount data, there were 782 two-year-old children funded under the Disadvantage criteria and 2,968 children funded under the new Working Parent Entitlement criteria. The DfE confirmed that in North Yorkshire, 94.4% of Working Parent Entitlement codes for two-year-old children the Summer Term had been validated from those issued.

· In June, the DfE confirmed that so far 6 codes have been validated for children under one years old from 168 issued and so far 102 codes have been validated for children aged 12 – 23 months from 1182 issued.

· Take up for Disadvantage two-year-old funding remains stable in North Yorkshire. Across the county, take up for the three terms was 86% in Autumn 2023, 83% in Spring 2024 and 86% in Summer 2024. The % take up represents those families who may have been potentially eligible and who applied for the funding and met the eligibility criteria and subsequently took up the funded place.

· The Delivery Support Plan and Capital Grant Funding for the expansion for the wraparound provision for working parents in Reception to Year 6 was submitted to the DfE for approval on 14^th June 2024.

· It is anticipated that the council’s ‘Delivery Support Grant Funding and Capital application form’ and guidance for wraparound provision will be released to PVI providers and schools on 15^th July with three deadlines for submission: 31^st July, 30^th August and 20^th September.

Music service

· The Music Service has been successful in securing the bid to remain as Hub Lead Organisation for both North Yorkshire and York. We are now working closely with our York partners and have already invited schools to sing in York Minster, organised some joint training for staff and begun plans for a major joint concert next year.

· We are running our County Youth Ensembles from July 7^th to 12^th at Giggleswick School. Over 70 young performers will take part in chamber orchestra, junior orchestra, choir and Big Band activities. We will be joined by professional sax player, Matt Anderson for a day.

· Ten of our rural primary school experienced a project which the music service worked on with Playground Proms. This introduced children to classical music in a fun and exciting way. The children also got to write their own songs. It was a great success, and we are planning a further round of concerts next year.

· We are in the process of implementing our new billing and management system. This should improve the customer journey, simplifying processes and saving money in other areas such as printing and debt management.

Adult Learning

Adult Learning continued its strong recruitment trend with increased learner numbers for both community learning and adult skills.
The Personalised Learning College team have continued work to shape a qualification based framework for their 2024/25 learner programmes. Numbers of learners are expected to increase next year and will include the first cohort of Supported Interns.
The Multiply adult numeracy programme is entering its final year, having reached over 10,000 people. This had been nationally celebrated with the North Yorkshire led consortium recently receiving two awards.

Skills Update

The next few months will be used to establish the new skills strategy team. Working with public and private sector partners we will establish our position within the North Yorkshire Skills sector as we continue to focus on new and existing strategies relating to Adult Learning and Skills engagement, to employability and to the Learning and Skills Improvement Plan and action plan.

Medium Term Financial Strategy – July 2024

The Children and Young People’s Service is facing a number of significant cost pressures arising from an unprecedented rise in the number of children and young people assessed as requiring an Education, Health and Care Plan since 2015. This continues to affect demand-led budgets including High Needs budgets and SEN Transport. Increase demand within Children and Families teams has also given rise to cost pressures. Within this context, the Directorate have identified mitigating actions in 2024-25. The approach continues to prioritise and maintain frontline service delivery as much as possible.

Although this information appears in my Statement to Council it should be noted that both Executive Members for the Children and Young People’s Service have joint responsibility for all relevant resources.

COUNCILLOR ANNABEL WILKINSON