Agenda and minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th April 2024

b)  Matters Arising

The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2024 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Briefing Note of the Director for Education and Skills

The Board considered a briefing note and comprehensive presentation of the Director for Education and Skills which provided an update on the progress and impact of the Coventry Integrated Early Strategy.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills introduced the item, advising of the challenges currently being seen, which were: an increasing pupil population, an increase in the early years sector, increasing need regarding sufficiency and more special educational needs in early years.  The Cabinet Member extended her thanks to officers for the roll out of the Start for Life Programme and it success.

Early Years education remained a citywide priority for Coventry as set out in the Early Years Strategy as well as the Start for Life Programme and The Marmot Principles.  The strategy commenced in 2021 and aimed to improve achievement at the end of Reception year and school readiness, responding to increased demand on services post pandemic including with special educational needs and disability (SEND), and to make better use of knowledge and resources through improved information sharing and partnership working.

Services for families aged 0-5 were working as a coalition to improve practice; develop a shared understanding of ‘school readiness’; tackle inequalities across the social gradient and achieve the Marmot objectives.  This work is underpinned by service area plans to improve educational outcomes, health, and wellbeing for the youngest children in the city.

Coventry was one of 75 local areas selected to deliver the ‘Family Hubs and Start for Life’ programmes.  These programmes align with the Early Years Strategy and had been a further support for delivery over the past 18 months.

The Start for Life programme aimed to join up and enhance services delivered through transformed family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers could access the support they needed.  The educational aspect of the programme:

• Supported play and learning at home
• Improving early speech, communication and language development.

Appendix 1 highlighted the expectations for delivery and examples of activity undertaken.

By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (5 years old), a child was defined as reaching a ‘good level of development’ (GLD), if they had attained the expected level in 5 key areas of learning.  The Education Performance report shared with the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2), in February 2024, showed that there was an improvement in achievement in the 2023/24 academic year with 63.9% of the city’s 5 year olds achieved a GLD at age 5 in 2023 rising from 61% in 2022.

Outcomes remained below national (67.2%), however, a greater increase in the percentage of children achieving GLD than statistical neighbours, had been achieved.  Coventry ranked 4/11 statistical neighbours for GLD in 2023/24.

The use of the Apps ‘Easypeasy’ and ’50 Things to Do before You’re Five’ had been effective in providing universal and targeted support.  Both apps were promoted widely across all services working with families who had children aged from birth to five.  One of the key impacts of the Early Years Strategy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

Briefing Note of the Director of Law and Governance

The Board considered a briefing note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator, which provided an update on the schedule of items for meetings over the coming municipal year. 

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills introduced the item advising the Board of her five priorities for the coming year which were: The Early Years Strategy, Delivering New Entitlement, Sufficiency of school places, Behaviour and SEND.

The Board questioned the Cabinet Member and received responses on a number of matters relating to the Work Programme for 2024/25, including:

·  The biggest single issue regarding education in Coventry was sufficiency of school places.

·  Officers from Education and Planning linked up regarding housing, and in particular Section 106 contributions.

·  Family hubs and supporting at families in an holistic way could help with child and parent behaviour.  A partnership approach regarding behaviour, working with organisations who had an interface with families was important.

·  Measures were in place for children to tell the teachers if they were experiencing problems at home or mental health problems and work was ongoing regarding children feeling that they belonged.

The Board requested:

·  Briefing notes regarding government implementations and changes relating to Education and Children’s Services.

·  The link for the Secretary of State for Education’s vision for education, children’s services and skills (16.7.24 @ 4pm)

·  The One Coventry Strategic Plan relating to School Sufficiency item discussed at the Scrutiny Board (2) for Education and Children’s Services on 18^th April 2024.

The Board noted the Work Programme with the agreement that the following item be added to the items for noting in the Work Programme for 2024/25:

·  Early Years Strategy – update in 6 months-time

·  Delivering new entitlement for Early Years and Childcare

·  School sufficiency

·  Managing behaviour

·  SEND

Any other items of business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of business.