Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Corporate Director of People & Integration and the Director of Education.

The Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Children, Families & Education Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Committee.

The Portfolio Report is based on the 2023/24 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA), which was considered by the Committee on 14 June 2023 and approved by Cabinet on 27 June 2023.

The Mid-Year Report focuses on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2023. It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

a)    Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report.

b)    Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2023/24.

c)    Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues.

d)    Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report.

e)    Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contact: Gaynor Ward, Strategy and Performance Manager

gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk , 0161 474 3186

Gill Dixon, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance – Children’s Social Care

gill.dixon@stockport.gov.u , 0161 474 3886

Peter Hughes, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance – Education & Schools

peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk , 0161 474 3947

The Corporate Director of People & Integration and the Director of Education submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) which were based on the 2023/24 Portfolio Performance & Resource Agreements (PPRA) agreed in June 2023. The Mid-Year Report focussed on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2023 and included forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

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

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·       It was noted that the figure of £42.91m recorded on page 31 of the report was incorrect and should correctly read £52.941m.

Priority One – All babies and children are given the very best start in life by their parents and carers and start school ready to learn

·       Clarification was sought regarding the Early Years provision attainment figures at CFE 9(i). In response, it was noted that Stockport Council was still above the national average, but there were improvements still to be made.

Priority Two - All children and young people are well prepared for adulthood and engage in education, employment, and training

·       Members enquired about the progress being made post covid and its impact of moving from teacher assessments back to examinations. In response, it was stated that the impact of covid is long term and take a long time for things to return to where they were, but also to improve. It was noted that there were considerable variations between the schools particularly in respect of the outcomes for the vulnerable learners, but schools continue to remain focussed on the provision for these children and are continually being challenged to change and improve their practices.

Priority Three – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

·       Members questioned whether the ‘neurodevelopmental pathway’ had any links back to Scrutiny. Members were assured that the Scrutiny Committee would receive updates.

Priority Five - Children and young people live safely and happily within their families, and where this is not possible, they are supported to have stable loving homes and achieve positive outcomes wherever they live

·       It was reported that there were currently 497 Looked After Children and 35 Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers.

The Chair enquired about the Capital Programme and Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

It was stated that two schools had recently been closed for two days including St Thomas’s and Bramhall High School (BHS) as a result of Raac and remedial work was currently underway with the children returning to school after the Christmas holidays. However, classes were continuing to be taught in groups and online in BHS with temporary accommodation being considered to be brought on site. The Raac concerns were being looked at with the assistance of DfE officials including funding and were being resolved as quickly as possible in order for all children to return to both schools following the holidays.

Members praised the officer team for their quick response to Raac in the two Stockport Schools following the initial investigations and thanked the schools and staff for working with the officer team to ensure a continuation of educating the children efficiently and effectively in the timeframes.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.