Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Development & Regeneration.

The report provides the latest available local authority level data and information from the Department for Education (DfE) on post-16 transitions to higher education for young people resident in Stockport. Each year group cohort in Stockport will typically have around 2,800 young people in it, who will progress to a variety of post-16 options, including higher education.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the report and to continue to monitor the data and performance on transitions to higher education.

Officer contact: Richard Mortimer on 0161 474 3864 or by email at richard.mortimer@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education submitted a report of the Director of Development & Regeneration (copies of which had been circulated) providing the latest available local authority level data and information from the Department for Education (DfE) on post-16 transitions to higher education for young people resident in Stockport.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was highlighted that Stockport was 8^th out of 10 Greater Manchester authorities in terms of the percentage of those going onto university level destinations.

·         It would be useful to track student progression throughout their school career to better understand the pathways they followed post-18.  IN response, it was stated that tracking students would be the ‘gold standard’ however there was currently no unique identifier to be able to do that across a student’s educational career.

·         It was queried whether a better metric would be to understand how many of those students that wanted to go into higher education were able to achieve that.

·         It was suggested that additional data be provided that presented this information on a geographical basis across the borough.

·         Stockport had strong KS5 outcomes and a good and increasingly good offer at that level.

·         It was noted that some authorities with traditionally low level of attainment in schools were performing well with post-18 higher education placements and it would be useful to obtain more information on the background to that.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.