Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report advises the Committee on the Local Authorities strategy for improving outcomes for those pupils eligible for pupil premium and the 2014/2015 action plan to support narrowing the disadvantage gap.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Alan Beswick on Tel: 474 3918 or email: alan.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) advising the Scrutiny Committee of the Local Authority’s strategy for improving outcomes for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding, and setting out the 2014-15 action plan to support narrowing the gap in achievement between the most disadvantaged and the least.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was likely that the impact of pupil premium investment may take many years to become measurable thorough GCSE achievement, but it was important to ensure some measures were in place to allow the Local Authority to monitor its short term effectiveness and the appropriateness of its usage.

·         Annual reporting to the Scrutiny Committee on performance in relation to narrowing the gap would be welcomed.

·         Governors had a key role in ensuring their school was making effective use of the Pupil Premium.

·         Ensuring high quality teaching could only achieve so much if pupils did not attend school. The Pupil Premium provided an opportunity for schools, either collectively or individually, to invest in tackling wider determinants of achievement, such as attendance.

·         Stockport’s population, while ‘average’ demographically, achieved higher than the average that would be expected from the population profile. This meant that those achieving least had to make much more progress to gain parity, but it was important that the narrowing of the gap in attainment was achieved by raising those at the bottom rather than by depressing achievement at the top. It needed to be recognised that the gap would never be eliminated.

·         Stockport had lower than average levels of Free School Meals (FSM) generally and as a proportion of any given school, which would make the gap more pronounced than in a school with high levels of FSM.

·         The new SEN Code of Practice had been positively received by schools who hoped this would better equip them to respond to additional needs of some pupils and this would in turn contribute toward narrowing the gap.

RESOLED – That the report be noted.