Agenda item

The Board will consider the Virtual School Headteachers Annual Report.

Contact:

Louise Hallas, Virtual School Headteacher

The Board considered the Virtual School Headteacher Report for the 2021-22 academic year presented by Louise Hallas, Virtual School Head Teacher and it was highlighted that: 

·         Kirklees Virtual School now worked with all young people in the care of Kirklees Council from the age of 2 through to age 18 (end of Year 13 with consent).

·         Following self-assessment, the Virtual School rated the service as good overall with some outstanding features, and some areas for development.

·         Most recent national indicators showed that Kirklees Virtual School was in Quartile A in 5 of the indicators and Quartile B in 1 of the indicators.

·         The team was experienced and effective and worked with all young people to monitor their educational progress and to provide the best for young people.

·         The Virtual School collaborated well with other professionals including Social Workers, Designated Teacher’s, Carer’s, and Education Psychologists.

·         There were robust systems and processes which provided accurate data linked to the Virtual School’s priorities and statutory duties.

·         Most of all children in care accessed free early education and continued to be placed with an education provider judged ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.

·         Year 1 phonics screening was above the national average for children and young people in care in 2022.

·         The percentage of KS1 pupils reaching expected or a higher standard for Reading, Writing and Maths and Reading/Writing combined was above the national average for 2022.

·         Improvements in KS2 results in 2022 highlighted that Kirklees were above national averages for Reading, Writing and Maths individually and just below national averages for combined.

·         This was a significant improvement for KS2 outcomes for Kirklees Council.

·         Most young people who achieved national expectations at the end of KS1/2 progressed on the trajectory to expected outcomes at the end of KS2 and KS4.

·         Participation and progression remained strong in Post 16 education despite the remaining challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic.

·         There had been no permanent exclusion of a child and young person in care since the establishment of the Virtual School.

·         The electronic Personal Education Plan (PEP) system enabled the Virtual School to monitor the completion and quality of PEPs and allowed for systematic application, authorisation, and monitoring of Pupil Premium Plus funding for individual pupils.

·         100% of PEP’s were completed within the termly timescales. 

·         Initial PEP completion in 10 school days of notification was 98% in 2021/22 an increase from 97% in 2020/21 within 10 working days.

·         The Virtual School Team Managers had oversight of school changes and ensured that new schools were at least ‘good’ and met the curriculum needs of the young person.

·         In July 2022, 81% of children and young people in care were attending good or outstanding schools.

·         There was a clear understanding of the 19% in attendance at education provisions judged as requires improvement / inadequate at their last Ofsted visit, or those providers with no inspection report (13%).

·         When a schools Ofsted judgement was inadequate, extra monitoring and support was in place to ensure that educational needs were being met.

·         89% of school moves took place with no break in learning and 92% of these took place within 20 days.

·         The Virtual School commissioned multi-agency support working across the Education Psychology Service.

·         This included dedicated Educational Psychologist support, inclusion workers supporting complex young people, and nationally recognised work with schools through the Timpson Project.

·         Additional resources were commissioned for the Childrens Emotional Wellbeing Service which enhanced the offer to young people in care.

·         There were commissioned programmes of work from the Kirklees Early Years Outcomes Team.

·         These provided opportunity for parents/carers and Early Years Practitioners to work together around school readiness (START programme) and language development (50 things to do before you’re 5 programme).

·         The structure of the Virtual School had been developed to ensure that young people with SEND had specialist and timely support.

·         The Virtual School had an established Governing Body that met regularly with a cross section of representatives to hold the Virtual School to account through supportive and challenging meetings.

·         The Virtual Schools key areas for improvement to reach outstanding included:

o   Reducing the number of suspensions for all young people with a particular focus on secondary education.

o   Consistent improvement in early years development and consistent progress across all key stages

o   Improvements to persistent and unauthorised absence.

o   Ensuring that Covid-19 recovery and school led tutoring around the impact on pupil progress was embedded in all PEP meetings.

o   Focussing on school stability, minimising changes, especially during Key Stage 4 and supporting any necessary school moves.

o   Enhanced provision to support UASC young people for the full year.

o   Embedding the work for children and young people with a social worker so that it becomes system led and system wide throughout the authority and education system.

The Board welcomed and noted the report. In the discussion to follow the Ex-Offcio advised that in attending a meeting in respect of understanding the work of the Virtual School was helpful.  It was also noted that the Governing body was giving an appropriate level of challenge and support and the structure was working well. Providing additional support for parents in meetings was also raised as a key idea.

Responding to a question about the increase in demand the additional duty placed on the Virtual School and the impact of this, Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director – Learning and Early Support provided reassurance to the Board that the extended duties had been in place to give the virtual school oversight of any child with a social worker. The Executive Virtual School Headteacher was working alongside the Virtual School Headteacher, social work teams and designated teachers to raise the profile of any child with a social worker. This was a systematic change but there was no expectation that PEP’s to be put in place, but some of the expertise and learning from these may be utilised. There was a small amount of additional funding received with the new duty and an innovative and joined up approach had been taken. The Board noted the response and it was agreed that the Executive Virtual School Headteacher provide a report to a future meeting of the Board around work undertaken in response to the Virtual School’s new duty and the key outcomes.

The Ex-offico added that it would be difficult to replicate the structure of the Virtual School for the new numbers of children under the additional duty and in order to achieve the desired outcomes appropriate resources to replicate detailed areas of work and processes were required. The Board agreed that the new challenge was been approached in the best way possible, but it was important that this was properly resourced.

The Board reiterated that the briefing around understanding the work of the Virtual School was helpful in understanding sharing ideas and recommended that this be repeated to allow other Board members to attend. Louise Hallas responded to agree that the workshops could be replicated on a 1:1 basis for any interested Board Members.

The Board noted that in 2022 Kirklees was above the 2019 national Children Looked After data for GCSE outcomes but were yet to obtain the fully validated results or national comparators for 2022. Louise Hallas responded to advise that the validated data should be available in January 2023, and it was agreed for the Board to be provided with this information when appropriate.

RESOLVED: The Board noted the Virtual School Headteacher Report for the 2021-22 academic year and it was agreed that:

1.    The Executive Virtual School Headteacher provide a report around work undertaken in response to the Virtual School’s new duty and the key outcomes to a future meeting of the Board.

2.    The new duty had been approached in the best way possible, but it was important that this was properly resourced to replicate effective processes going forwards.

3.    Briefings around understanding the structure and work of the Virtual School be offered to any interested Board Member.

4.    The validated data for GCSE outcomes be provided to the Board when available.